A theory that I had for sometime, originally not for LLMs, but for those who believe LLMs can write perfect codes. LLMs care little about the environment on which the codes will run on. I know the statement alone makes no sense — how can it be considered coding, if it doesn’t work on the environment? It’s not that it won’t run, it’s just that it will run extremely poorly.
From Op-ed
LLM, Subscriptions, and Tokens
As I have previously said, I don’t see Claude replacing a proper programmer’s job anytime soon. I am subscribing to meager Pro tier, and that’s nowhere near enough to replace my hobbyist’s job. Granted, there is the joy of not needing to fiddle with technicalities. Being able to implement new algorithm and upgrade existing core algorithm to a new one like blocks falling into places feels like a vindication. But this is from a hobbyist’s perspective.
Rechargeable Battery and Electric Door Lock in Korea
It’s customary to look for rechargeable batteries for price or for environment or otherwise. My go-to guide on the matter thus far: rechargeable battery is like LED light bulbs of AAs, high upfront but cheaper in the long run. AA or AAA batteries go into remotes are less an issue — they tend to last a lot longer than common household appliances. Perhaps children’s toys, mouse and keyboard, if they are not USB based yet, are few household items that can take real advantage of rechargeable batteries.
How Safe is Memorable Password?
Number one rule of any password is: the weakest link is human. xkcd often puts out great educational comic strips on the subject. One I am thinking of, as no doubt you could have seen in the generator post, is the legendary “correct horse battery staple”, only that he did rigged the game to prove his point. Tr0ub4dor&3 is a bad password, because it is essentially troubadour in Leet. But it’s only 11 characters long, fit for most sadistic password policies out there. correcthorsebatterystaple is one long password with 25 characters. You cannot use this in any of the websites…
What Happened to Neckband Headphones?
Recently, I use my AirPods Pro more frequently than I would have worn my Max. AirPods Max gets a bad rap for its weight, but it’s not the weight that counts. It’s the distribution of those weights; how breathable the materials and overall design is; the clamping force from the form factor (e.g. U-shaped around the head), and so on. I won’t pretend to know about the science behind the ergonomics. There are testers and reviewers who write more in-depth literature on the subject than I do.
How AI Hallucination Affects You
The hallucination in AI, or LLM hallucination, is real. I have read some op-eds and online discussions whether or not hallucinations affect real world use cases — average users making mundane queries. I was on the side of “garbage in, garbage out” camp; hallucination is an expected side effect of the algorithm, and it is up to the user to double check the answers. Now I am wondering if it merits double checking at all.
Coding with Gemini was Fun Short-Lived
During my migration from Pi to NAS via all things Docker, one of the problems I immediately faced was how I was going to handle my aging databases. All these eBooks, magazines, articles, and etc. I have accumulated since high school had to go somewhere. I know there would be some people shouting I should simply throw them out like the 90s memorabilia in the attic. But I took this on as my personal DIY project.
1Password is Raising Price
Just last year I covered the very issue of leaving 1Password. Long story short, Apple Passwords, a free alternative for iOS and MacOS, has come a long way. With iOS 26, some argue it is now a suitable free alternative among many others. Not that I am suggesting everyone should jump ship, but I believe there is an argument to be made against where 1Password stands and why it is losing grip.
Where Is Poppy Playtime Going with the Factory?
This piece has been sitting in the back burner for some time now. The Chapter 1, though it had some fancy gadgets for a toy factory, it stayed a toy factory (with theme) with toy monsters. Compare that to what is going on in current chapters, the players are well past the point of factory floors. In fact, few assembly lines we do see in Chapter 5 don’t resemble anything like the special toy factory we had seen on the surface.
Shopping with Gemini Fixes Broken E-commerce
I’ve been using a counter top oven for all manners of baked goods. The one installed in the wall is a convection microwave which only mimics the function of a standard oven; it’s a story for another time why I stopped using it for baking. Regardless, the counter top oven is significantly smaller than ordinary ovens used in home kitchens or otherwise. It doesn’t even fit a full sized baking sheet, let alone stack them to bake multiple items.
Action Button Maybe Dropped on iPhone Fold
Action button replaced the traditional Silent switch in 2023. The idea behind the button is rather opaque. It can be customized as a trigger of any actions, including Shortcuts. It can stay as a Silent switch for those who wish to keep it, or in my case, I use it to call the orientation lock shortcut. It is a button without a purpose, and if the leaks and rumors to be believed, the upcoming iPhone Fold does not have it.
HomeKit Update Deadline Draws Near
HomeKit architecture update that is announced in 2022 will now be the only supported version, as the previous version will no longer be supported starting on Feb 10, 2026. There were mixed receptions initially about the update process itself. But having gone through them years ago myself, I can safely say most known issues have been ironed out.
iPhone Fold, iPadOS, or iFoldOS?
Though I never elaborated it to software level of discussions, one of the immediate questions I had for foldable (book styled) is that it has no media exclusive to the hardware. And it seems that is still the case. As far as I am aware, Android manufacturers and developers on the platform have not worked out what would be the potential use case of having quite literally flexible and dynamic resolutions. As I have iterated multiple times, if it is simply the case of having a larger screen for certain occasions, with the magic of buying two devices, a tablet…
Ikea, PZ, and Desk Upgrade
A post for Ikea standing desk is coming, but not this one. I want to use it in depth before I can write about it. Ikea, for all intents and purposes, makes affordable furnitures that are not built to last forever by design. By that I mean, if you are shopping in Ikea, you are planning to refurnish your house without getting remarried instead of following the tradition of Victorian England.
Google to Roll Out Email Change Feature
I won’t name names, but there are services that do not let a user change the email address. It’s a hilarious oversight in systems, as two entirely different people may have similar email addresses. I was once given an email address of that is ridiculous short initials with illegible numbers attached. Soon as the organization shifted to Gmail, I had to set up an alias right away, otherwise it was not useable in any shape or form.