https://jamesm.blog/ Recent content on jamesm.blog https://jamesm.blog/papermod-cover.png https://jamesm.blog/papermod-cover.png Hugo en Wed, 15 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/theories/unbaffled-jim-al-khalili/ Wed, 15 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/theories/unbaffled-jim-al-khalili/ Jim Al-Khalili's new YouTube channel Unbaffled launched in June 2026 with a simple pitch - make the ideas that baffle people, from many-worlds to why your brain has two hemispheres, feel intuitive rather than impossible. A first look at the channel, three of its early videos, and where I land on the many-worlds one. https://jamesm.blog/ai/mac-studio-local-llm-guide/ Mon, 13 Jul 2026 21:22:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/mac-studio-local-llm-guide/ A practical guide to Mac Studio configs for running popular free models locally (Qwen, LLaMA, Mixtral), realistic performance expectations, and which hardware actually makes sense. https://jamesm.blog/ai/apple-openai-musk-altman-lawsuit/ Sun, 12 Jul 2026 22:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/apple-openai-musk-altman-lawsuit/ Apple sued OpenAI on July 10, 2026 alleging trade secret theft tied to its hardware ambitions. Two days later, Elon Musk and Sam Altman were trading insults on X - the latest round in a feud that predates the lawsuit by years. https://jamesm.blog/ai/mechanistic-interpretability-inside-the-black-box/ Tue, 07 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/mechanistic-interpretability-inside-the-black-box/ What mechanistic interpretability actually is, why superposition makes a neural network so hard to read, how sparse autoencoders and circuit tracing cracked open the first real windows into a production model, and why - as a hobbyist looking in from outside - I think this is the most important AI research nobody outside the labs is watching closely enough. https://jamesm.blog/theories/sean-carroll/ Thu, 02 Jul 2026 23:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/theories/sean-carroll/ Two recent New Scientist videos sent me back to Sean Carroll, the physicist who first talked me into taking the many-worlds interpretation seriously. A profile of the man and his argument - why he thinks quantum mechanics already implies a multiverse, how that differs from the cosmological one, and where I land as a hobbyist who wants it all to be true. https://jamesm.blog/ai/redeploying-fable-5/ Wed, 01 Jul 2026 08:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/redeploying-fable-5/ Eighteen days after a US export control directive pulled Fable 5 and Mythos 5 offline, Anthropic is redeploying Fable 5 globally. The company says the jailbreak that triggered the recall was minor, that rival models could do the same thing, and that the industry needs a CVSS-style framework for AI jailbreaks. https://jamesm.blog/ai/four-futures-series/ Tue, 30 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/four-futures-series/ A reading path through the Four Futures series - the framework, live signals, and century-scale projections for where AI reshapes work, power, and meaning. https://jamesm.blog/gaming/gaming-hub/ Tue, 30 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/gaming/gaming-hub/ A reading path for game technology and blockbuster economics - from live service stacks to launch-scale revenue and the studios that can afford to build at this scale. https://jamesm.blog/general/gta-6-the-economics-of-the-biggest-launch-ever/ Tue, 30 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/general/gta-6-the-economics-of-the-biggest-launch-ever/ Grand Theft Auto VI lands on November 19, 2026 after roughly a decade in development and a budget that may pass anything in entertainment history. A hobbyist's look at the numbers - what it cost, what it could earn, and why a single video game now behaves like a national economy. https://jamesm.blog/ai/cursor-ios-mobile-app/ Mon, 29 Jun 2026 21:30:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/cursor-ios-mobile-app/ Cursor shipped a native iOS app on June 29, 2026, letting developers launch cloud agents, steer their desktop machine, review diffs, and merge PRs from a phone. The interesting part isn't the app - it's what it says about where the work has moved. https://jamesm.blog/ai/five-archetypes-post-role-team/ Mon, 29 Jun 2026 20:30:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/five-archetypes-post-role-team/ Boris Cherny, who created Claude Code, sketched five archetypes he sees on his team as engineering, product, design, and data science melt into one role. Here is what that framing gets right, and where I think it still leaves us guessing. https://jamesm.blog/ai/openai-ipo-chatgpt-market-share/ Sat, 27 Jun 2026 07:30:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/openai-ipo-chatgpt-market-share/ OpenAI filed its confidential S-1 on June 8, 2026, targeting a $1 trillion public listing. The same week, ChatGPT fell below 50% market share for the first time. The company spends $2.22 for every dollar it earns. Here is what public markets are actually being asked to buy. https://jamesm.blog/ai/spacex-cursor-acquisition/ Tue, 16 Jun 2026 21:30:00 -0700 https://jamesm.blog/ai/spacex-cursor-acquisition/ SpaceX filed a $60 billion all-stock acquisition of Cursor, the AI-powered code editor, signaling a strategic shift in how tech companies build critical infrastructure for AI development. https://jamesm.blog/ai/evaluating-agents-in-production-trajectory-metrics/ Sun, 14 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/evaluating-agents-in-production-trajectory-metrics/ Endpoint scoring certifies answers, not behaviour. A practitioner guide to step-level agent evaluation - trajectory rubrics, replay harnesses, and regression suites for multi-step production agents. https://jamesm.blog/ai/world-models-after-language/ Sat, 13 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/world-models-after-language/ Language-only models have a statistical shadow of physical reality, not a reliable simulator of it. A grounded look at world models - what they are, where the 2026 frontier sits, and why they matter for agents that need to act rather than answer. https://jamesm.blog/ai/fable-mythos-government-suspension/ Sat, 13 Jun 2026 07:30:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/fable-mythos-government-suspension/ Four days after Fable 5 and Mythos 5 went public, the US government issued an export control directive ordering Anthropic to suspend all access. Anthropic says it's a misunderstanding over a narrow jailbreak. Here's what happened, what's at stake, and why it matters for every frontier lab. https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-evals-are-broken/ Fri, 12 Jun 2026 19:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-evals-are-broken/ A grounded look at why the public benchmark numbers you see on AI model launches in 2026 are increasingly disconnected from real-world capability - saturation, contamination, gaming, and what's replacing them as the basis for actual decisions. https://jamesm.blog/ai/expertise-and-work/ Fri, 12 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/expertise-and-work/ Reading path on expertise after AI - credentials, judgement, taste, engineering roles, and what being expert might mean by 2030. https://jamesm.blog/ai/what-it-means-to-be-expert-in-2030/ Fri, 12 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/what-it-means-to-be-expert-in-2030/ A sequel to the credential crisis - how the meaning of expertise is changing as AI assistance becomes ambient, with a concrete walkthrough of what a 2030 civil engineer might actually need to be expert at. https://jamesm.blog/ai/anthropic-circuit-bloomberg-965-billion/ Fri, 12 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/anthropic-circuit-bloomberg-965-billion/ Bloomberg's The Circuit goes inside Anthropic as it eclipses OpenAI to become the world's most valuable AI lab. Emily Chang's rare access with Dario and Daniela Amodei reveals whether safety-first is a strategy or a conviction - and the Pentagon battle is the answer. https://jamesm.blog/ai/securing-ai-agents/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/securing-ai-agents/ The moment an agent holds real tool access, reliability and security stop being separate problems. A practitioner walkthrough of the confused-deputy attack surface, MCP hardening patterns, and the defenses I actually run on my home agent stack. https://jamesm.blog/ai/policy-on-the-ai-exponential/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 06:23:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/policy-on-the-ai-exponential/ Dario Amodei's new essay argues that slow-moving institutions are now the binding constraint on a fast-moving technology, and lays out a five-part policy agenda for the exponential. A summary of the argument, what lands, and where I still have questions. https://jamesm.blog/ai/when-machines-stop-speaking-our-language/ Wed, 10 Jun 2026 20:30:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/when-machines-stop-speaking-our-language/ Human language between AI agents is a compatibility layer, and so are programming languages. A speculative look at machines inventing their own protocols, agents reasoning in neuralese, and a future where software is built without source code a human ever reads - and what we lose if the audit trail goes dark. https://jamesm.blog/ai/claude-fable-5-mythos-5/ Tue, 09 Jun 2026 19:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/claude-fable-5-mythos-5/ Anthropic launches Claude Fable 5 for general use and Claude Mythos 5 for trusted partners - the same underlying model, split by safeguards. State-of-the-art on coding, vision, and science, with classifiers that fall back to Opus 4.8 on risky topics. https://jamesm.blog/ai/what-im-researching-in-ai-right-now/ Mon, 08 Jun 2026 23:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/what-im-researching-in-ai-right-now/ I treat my own learning like a research agenda - a small set of questions I am actively chasing rather than a reading list. Here are the AI areas I have been deep in, the ones I have decided to move into next, and the ones I am deliberately leaving on the watch list. https://jamesm.blog/ai/geoffrey-hinton-interviews/ Mon, 08 Jun 2026 21:07:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/geoffrey-hinton-interviews/ A working index of Geoffrey Hinton interviews - the Nobel and Turing Award winner often called the Godfather of AI - tracing his arc from backpropagation and deep learning to public warnings about superintelligence, job displacement, and existential risk. https://jamesm.blog/ai/trust-series/ Mon, 08 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/trust-series/ A reading path through the Trust series - research map, broken benchmarks, agent security, world models, and trajectory evaluation - for builders who need to hand real work to non-deterministic systems. https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/ethical-data-use-2026/ Thu, 04 Jun 2026 20:19:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/ethical-data-use-2026/ Ethical data use has moved from a policy memo to an engineering problem. This is a grounded, practitioner's look at what data engineers actually need to get right in 2026 - consent and purpose limitation as schema-level concerns, the right to be forgotten meeting the immutable lakehouse, training-data provenance, privacy-preserving techniques, dataset documentation, and the regulatory backdrop that now has real deadlines. https://jamesm.blog/ai/recursive-self-improvement/ Thu, 04 Jun 2026 20:03:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/recursive-self-improvement/ Recursive self-improvement is the idea that an AI could rewrite itself into something smarter, then repeat - the engine behind every intelligence-explosion scenario. Here is what the theory actually claims, which pieces are already real in 2026, the bottlenecks that decide whether it runs away or fizzles, and why the honest answer is partly, slowly, and not the way the science fiction tells it. https://jamesm.blog/theories/max-tegmark/ Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/theories/max-tegmark/ Max Tegmark sits at the top of my favourite physicists list, and not by accident. A profile of the man and the through-line in his work - from precision cosmology to the four-level multiverse, the Mathematical Universe Hypothesis, consciousness as a state of matter, and his late turn to AI safety - and why his theories keep landing so close to what I already believe. https://jamesm.blog/ai/the-computational-case-for-consciousness/ Sun, 31 May 2026 10:30:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/the-computational-case-for-consciousness/ I wrote up the case that consciousness is fundamental through Donald Hoffman. Honesty demands the other side: the case that consciousness is computational - something that switches on when information is processed in the right way. Global Workspace Theory, Integrated Information Theory, the hard problem, and why I still cannot close the question. https://jamesm.blog/theories/is-reality-made-of-mathematics/ Sun, 31 May 2026 08:30:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/theories/is-reality-made-of-mathematics/ Max Tegmark's Mathematical Universe Hypothesis says reality is not merely described by mathematics - it is a mathematical structure, and nothing else. A walk through the claim, the Level IV multiverse, the strongest objections, and why the idea sits so close to something I already lean toward. https://jamesm.blog/ai/donald-hoffman-consciousness-fundamental/ Fri, 29 May 2026 10:30:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/donald-hoffman-consciousness-fundamental/ Donald Hoffman argues that consciousness is fundamental and the physical world is an evolved interface - and he tries to prove it with evolutionary game theory and a formal mathematics of conscious agents. A walk through the argument, the maths, the objections, and why I keep coming back to it. https://jamesm.blog/ai/yampolskiy-personal-universes/ Fri, 29 May 2026 08:30:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/yampolskiy-personal-universes/ Roman Yampolskiy's Personal Universes proposal takes the simulation hypothesis seriously and turns it into an alignment strategy: one optimised reality per person. A look at what the idea claims, where it cracks, and why it is more useful than it looks. https://jamesm.blog/ai/will-ai-kill-coding-jobs-cherny/ Tue, 26 May 2026 08:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/will-ai-kill-coding-jobs-cherny/ Boris Cherny, creator of Claude Code, sits down with Sky News and reacts to three charts about AI, jobs, and the future of software. A look at what is genuinely new in his argument, what is well-worn, and where the printing press analogy actually holds up. https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-cyber-threat-is-rising/ Tue, 26 May 2026 07:30:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-cyber-threat-is-rising/ Sky News technology correspondent Rowland Manthorpe lays out the evidence that AI models are getting dramatically better at offensive cyber tasks. A look at what the AISI and CAISI numbers actually say, why open-weight releases change the threat curve, and what defenders should do about it. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/music-production-news-may-2026/ Thu, 21 May 2026 21:12:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/music-production-news-may-2026/ The biggest computer music production stories of the last month - Superbooth 2026, neural audio in hardware, the shifting AI music legal picture, Tamber's launch, and the DAW updates worth your attention. https://jamesm.blog/theories/how-likely-are-we-living-in-a-simulation/ Thu, 21 May 2026 20:32:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/theories/how-likely-are-we-living-in-a-simulation/ A careful look at the simulation argument: what it actually claims, why putting a number on it is so hard, and how likely it really is that our reality is computed. https://jamesm.blog/ai/context-engineering/ Wed, 20 May 2026 20:45:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/context-engineering/ Prompt engineering was about wording a single request well. Context engineering is about curating everything in the model's window - retrieval, memory, tool results, and compaction - across a whole agent run. Here is why the discipline shifted, and the practices that separate reliable production systems from ones that quietly rot. https://jamesm.blog/security/threat-modeling-for-engineers/ Wed, 20 May 2026 10:30:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/security/threat-modeling-for-engineers/ Most security work is reactive - a scanner flags an issue, someone patches it. Threat modeling is the opposite: a structured way to find design flaws before you write the code. Here is how it works, a worked example, and why it is the one security skill every engineer should have. https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/quantum-threat/ Wed, 20 May 2026 09:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/quantum-threat/ How real is the quantum threat to Bitcoin in 2026? A grounded update on the timeline to Q-Day, how much BTC genuinely sits at risk, the recent quantum milestones, and the defences taking shape - BIP-360, BIP-361 and NIST's post-quantum cryptography standards. https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-dev-tooling/ Wed, 20 May 2026 08:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-dev-tooling/ Canonical reading path for AI-assisted development - stack decisions, learning order, spec-driven workflows, and deep dives on Cursor vs Claude Code. https://jamesm.blog/software-engineering/system-design-fundamentals/ Tue, 19 May 2026 12:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/software-engineering/system-design-fundamentals/ System design is not about knowing the right answer. It is about understanding the trade-offs well enough to choose deliberately. Here are the core axes every design decision moves along, a worked example, and why designing for scale you do not have is the most common self-inflicted wound in software. https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/diagrams-as-code/ Mon, 18 May 2026 21:32:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/diagrams-as-code/ An opinionated working guide to producing, versioning, and maintaining technical diagrams in text. Covers Mermaid, D2, PlantUML and Python diagrams, with worked examples, CI rendering, ADRs, and generation patterns that stop architecture drawings from rotting. https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-economics-hardware/ Mon, 18 May 2026 08:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-economics-hardware/ Reading path for intelligence economics - token costs, local vs cloud, GPU choices, energy constraints, and the inference hardware insurgents. https://jamesm.blog/ai/cursor-composer-2-5/ Mon, 18 May 2026 07:30:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/cursor-composer-2-5/ Cursor's new Composer 2.5 is the first time the company's in-house coding model deserves to be treated as a daily driver rather than a budget fallback. A look at what changed, what it costs, and when to reach for it instead of Claude, GPT-5.5, or Gemini. https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-as-analogy-engine/ Sat, 16 May 2026 08:02:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-as-analogy-engine/ The deepest misunderstanding about modern AI is that it merely retrieves memorised text. The more interesting truth is that large models form analogies, combine concepts, and explore conceptual relationships at a scale that may eventually industrialise parts of the invention process itself. https://jamesm.blog/ai/home-agent-stack/ Fri, 15 May 2026 08:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/home-agent-stack/ A reading path for building a home AI agent on Apple Silicon - local inference, MCP servers, persistent memory, remote access, and security hardening in order. https://jamesm.blog/ai/agent-reliability-debugging-non-deterministic/ Fri, 15 May 2026 06:30:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/agent-reliability-debugging-non-deterministic/ AI agents that work in the demo and fail in production are the standard story of the last two years. A practical look at why agent reliability is genuinely hard, what patterns have emerged for handling it, and which testing approaches actually work. https://jamesm.blog/ai/dario-amodei-anthropic-ceo/ Thu, 14 May 2026 21:22:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/dario-amodei-anthropic-ceo/ A grounded look at Dario Amodei - the Princeton-trained physicist who left OpenAI to co-found Anthropic, made AI safety the company's commercial differentiator, and now runs the second-most-valuable private AI company on the planet. https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-in-scientific-research-2026/ Wed, 13 May 2026 06:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-in-scientific-research-2026/ AlphaFold was the headline AI-for-science story. In 2026 the story has broadened into something more interesting - AI tools in routine use across many scientific fields, with uneven but real impact. A practical look at where the gains actually are. https://jamesm.blog/data-science/causal-inference-comeback/ Tue, 12 May 2026 17:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/data-science/causal-inference-comeback/ Causal inference - the methodological tradition that asks 'why' rather than 'what' - is having a quiet renaissance in 2026 as the limits of correlation-based machine learning have become harder to ignore. A look at what has changed, what the practical methods are, and why this matters for anyone using data to make decisions. https://jamesm.blog/ai/state-of-open-weight-models-2026/ Tue, 12 May 2026 09:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/state-of-open-weight-models-2026/ A grounded look at where the open-weight LLM ecosystem actually stands in May 2026 - Llama 4, Qwen 3.5, DeepSeek V4, Gemma 4, Mistral Medium 3.5 - what each family is best at, where the licences land, and how close the gap with the frontier proprietary models has actually closed. https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-energy-crisis-data-center-power/ Mon, 11 May 2026 17:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-energy-crisis-data-center-power/ A grounded look at the energy constraint becoming the binding limit on AI deployment in 2026 - the power demand, the transformer backlogs, the grid interconnect queues, the rising consumer electricity prices, and what it means for the shape of the next decade of compute. https://jamesm.blog/ai/inference-hardware-insurgents/ Mon, 11 May 2026 13:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/inference-hardware-insurgents/ A grounded look at the three serious AI inference hardware insurgents in 2026 - Cerebras with its wafer-scale WSE-3, Groq with its LPU architecture now part-licensed by Nvidia, and SambaNova with its SN40L and SN50 reconfigurable dataflow units - and what their different bets tell us about where inference is heading. https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/stream-vs-batch-processing/ Sun, 10 May 2026 08:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/stream-vs-batch-processing/ A direct comparison of stream and batch processing as architectural choices, the operational and cost tradeoffs that the marketing material does not mention, and the patterns that work when you need both. https://jamesm.blog/ai/multimodal-ai-2026/ Sat, 09 May 2026 08:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/multimodal-ai-2026/ Where multimodal AI has actually delivered value in 2026, where it is still demoware, and the patterns that determine whether vision and audio are quietly indispensable in your stack or just an expensive distraction. https://jamesm.blog/ai/prompt-caching/ Sat, 09 May 2026 08:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/prompt-caching/ What prompt caching actually is, why it is the highest-leverage performance and cost optimisation available to most LLM applications, and the patterns that determine whether you get a 90 percent cost reduction or no benefit at all. https://jamesm.blog/ai/reasoning-models-2026/ Fri, 08 May 2026 19:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/reasoning-models-2026/ A grounded look at the reasoning-model wave - what makes o3, DeepSeek R1/R2, Gemini Deep Think, and Claude Extended Thinking different from the generation that came before, when to actually reach for one, and what the cost and capability trade-offs look like in production. https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/modern-lakehouse-stack/ Fri, 08 May 2026 08:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/modern-lakehouse-stack/ A working data engineer's view of what genuinely belongs in a 2026 lakehouse stack, the layers that have shaken out, and the parts of the marketing landscape that deserve to be ignored. https://jamesm.blog/ai/scott-galloway-on-ai/ Mon, 04 May 2026 22:31:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/scott-galloway-on-ai/ A grounded look at Scott Galloway - the NYU marketing professor and serial entrepreneur arguing that AI is a late-stage bubble, that AI was built for the rich, and that storytelling and relationships are the skills the next decade rewards. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/hybrid-systems-montage-mc-707/ Mon, 04 May 2026 08:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/hybrid-systems-montage-mc-707/ How a Yamaha Montage M and a Roland MC-707 stop being two boxes that fight each other and start being one instrument with two heads, plus the wiring, the routing, and the parts of the workflow that earn their keep. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/yamaha-montage-m-six-months/ Mon, 04 May 2026 08:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/yamaha-montage-m-six-months/ What the Yamaha Montage M is actually like to live with after six months of daily use, the parts that have aged well, the parts that have not, and the workflow conclusions that only come from time on the keys. https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/etl-tools/ Mon, 04 May 2026 07:30:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/etl-tools/ Comprehensive guide to ETL and ELT tools and data integration platforms across cloud providers, enterprise solutions, and modern low-code platforms in 2026. https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/state-of-blockchain-2026/ Mon, 04 May 2026 04:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/state-of-blockchain-2026/ A grounded look at the blockchain landscape in 2026 - the Layer 1s that survived the cycle, the Layer 2 explosion on Ethereum, the modular and restaking thesis, the stablecoin volumes that quietly overtook Visa, and the tokenization of real-world assets that is starting to matter. Where the leading projects are and where the next two years are headed. https://jamesm.blog/space/interstellar-physics-and-philosophy/ Mon, 04 May 2026 00:01:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/space/interstellar-physics-and-philosophy/ How Christopher Nolan and Nobel laureate Kip Thorne built a Hollywood film around real general relativity - wormholes, Gargantua, gravitational time dilation, the Tesseract, and the trade-offs between scientific accuracy and storytelling. https://jamesm.blog/space/china-space-programme-2026/ Sun, 03 May 2026 19:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/space/china-space-programme-2026/ While Western space coverage focused on Starship and Artemis, China quietly executed one of the most consistent national space programmes in history. A grounded look at where Tiangong, the Chang'e lunar series, and the broader Chinese space architecture stand in 2026. https://jamesm.blog/devops/ebpf-revolution/ Sun, 03 May 2026 17:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/devops/ebpf-revolution/ eBPF stopped being a niche kernel curiosity and became the foundation of modern Linux observability, networking, and security. A grounded guide for platform engineers in 2026 - what eBPF actually is, what it has changed, and where it is going. https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/ai-native-pipelines/ Sun, 03 May 2026 16:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/ai-native-pipelines/ Most data pipelines were designed to feed dashboards and analysts. In 2026 a growing share of pipeline output is being consumed by language models, agents, and other non-human readers. The shape of the pipeline changes more than people realise when the consumer is no longer a human. https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/iceberg-vs-delta-vs-hudi-2026/ Sun, 03 May 2026 14:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/iceberg-vs-delta-vs-hudi-2026/ The open table format wars dominated the lakehouse conversation for five years. In 2026 the picture has settled. A grounded look at where Iceberg, Delta, and Hudi actually stand, who won which battles, and what that means for the people who have to choose. https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/onchain-ai-agents-hype-reality/ Sun, 03 May 2026 13:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/onchain-ai-agents-hype-reality/ Onchain AI agents were the hottest crypto narrative of 2025. A year later the picture is clearer. A grounded look at what these agents actually do, which categories have real revenue, where the money is leaking out, and what to ignore. https://jamesm.blog/ai/agent-protocols-mcp-a2a-acp/ Sun, 03 May 2026 12:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/agent-protocols-mcp-a2a-acp/ While the headlines were about model launches, the agent ecosystem quietly converged on three protocols that matter - MCP, A2A, and ACP. A grounded comparison of what each one actually does, where they overlap, and which to bet on if you are building agents in 2026. https://jamesm.blog/devops/kubernetes-2026-complexity-tax/ Sun, 03 May 2026 11:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/devops/kubernetes-2026-complexity-tax/ Kubernetes won the orchestration war and then quietly became infrastructure that most teams never wanted. A grounded look in 2026 at when Kubernetes actually pays for its complexity, when it does not, and what the credible alternatives look like now. https://jamesm.blog/space/artemis-iii-lander-architecture/ Sun, 03 May 2026 10:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/space/artemis-iii-lander-architecture/ Artemis III is the mission that lands humans on the Moon for the first time in over five decades. The architecture is bold, dependent, and unlike anything Apollo attempted. Here is an honest look at the lander stack and where the risk actually lives. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/physical-modeling-synths/ Sun, 03 May 2026 09:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/physical-modeling-synths/ Why physical modeling - not sampling or wavetables - is the next frontier in expressive digital instruments https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/ai-tokens-2026/ Sun, 03 May 2026 08:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/ai-tokens-2026/ A technical reader's guide to the five AI-crypto tokens worth understanding in May 2026 - Bittensor, Virtuals, Render, the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance, and NEAR Protocol - plus the honourable mentions, the names to avoid, and a framework for sizing exposure across the basket. https://jamesm.blog/ai/llm-powered-personal-productivity/ Sun, 03 May 2026 08:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/llm-powered-personal-productivity/ Local LLMs have quietly become good enough to run a real personal automation stack - inbox triage, second-brain notes, home routines, voice capture - without sending anything to the cloud. A walkthrough of what I run, why each piece is there, and where the seams are. https://jamesm.blog/ai/roman-yampolskiy/ Sat, 02 May 2026 21:03:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/roman-yampolskiy/ A grounded look at Roman Yampolskiy - the computer scientist who coined the term AI safety, why he argues superintelligence is fundamentally uncontrollable, and how seriously to take him. https://jamesm.blog/space/space-debris-tragedy-of-the-commons/ Sat, 02 May 2026 20:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/space/space-debris-tragedy-of-the-commons/ Low Earth orbit is filling up. The economics of space debris look exactly like a textbook tragedy of the commons - private benefits, shared costs, no pricing mechanism. A grounded look at the numbers behind Kessler syndrome and what would actually fix it. https://jamesm.blog/devops/self-hosted-vs-managed-2026/ Sat, 02 May 2026 18:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/devops/self-hosted-vs-managed-2026/ The decision to self-host or use a managed service used to be straightforward. In 2026 the math has shifted in three different directions at once - cloud egress costs, AI workload economics, and the maturity of self-hosted tooling have all moved. A grounded look at how to think about it now. https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/the-catalog-layer-is-the-new-battleground/ Sat, 02 May 2026 15:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/the-catalog-layer-is-the-new-battleground/ The open table format wars are over. The fight has moved up to the catalog layer where Unity, Polaris, Gravitino, and Nessie are now competing. A grounded look at what each one is, what they share, and where the battle lines actually run. https://jamesm.blog/space/human-spaceflight-rockets-2026/ Sat, 02 May 2026 10:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/space/human-spaceflight-rockets-2026/ A grounded look at the rockets carrying humans into space in 2026 - SLS, Starship, New Glenn, and Long March 10 - and where crewed exploration is actually heading over the next decade. https://jamesm.blog/ai/humanoid-robotics-2026/ Sat, 02 May 2026 09:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/humanoid-robotics-2026/ After a decade of prototypes, humanoid robots are crossing into early production in 2026. A technical look at the leading platforms, the economics, the actuator breakthroughs, and what is still hype. https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/polkadot-2-one-year-on/ Sat, 02 May 2026 09:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/polkadot-2-one-year-on/ A year after Polkadot 2.0 went live, the data is in. Did Agile Coretime, Elastic Scaling, and Asynchronous Backing actually move the needle? An honest scorecard on utilization, builder economics, and what still has not landed. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/mpe-deep-dive/ Sat, 02 May 2026 08:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/mpe-deep-dive/ Why MIDI Polyphonic Expression is not just a feature on a spec sheet but a fundamental shift in how electronic instruments behave under your fingers, and what it takes to make the most of it. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/hardware-sequencers-2026/ Sat, 02 May 2026 07:50:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/hardware-sequencers-2026/ Why dedicated hardware sequencers are seeing a resurgence in 2026 - the cognitive case for constraint-first workflows, and the boxes worth building a setup around. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/mobile-apps-ipad-iphone/ Fri, 01 May 2026 20:41:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/mobile-apps-ipad-iphone/ A curated guide to the iPad and iPhone music production apps worth installing in 2026 - synths, grooveboxes, sketchpads, and learning tools, with notes on what each one is actually good for. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/best-mpe-controllers-2026/ Fri, 01 May 2026 20:24:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/best-mpe-controllers-2026/ A practical guide to the MPE controllers worth knowing about in 2026 - what each one is good at, who it suits, and how to choose between keyboards, grids, fabric surfaces, and pads. https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-agents-that-actually-work/ Fri, 01 May 2026 08:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-agents-that-actually-work/ The patterns that separate agents that ship and stay shipped from the ones that demo well and fall over the moment they meet a real workload. https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-tools/ Fri, 01 May 2026 06:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-tools/ A categorised, curated index of AI tools across art, chatbots, coding, music, video, voice, writing, research, and local LLMs - updated for 2026. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/my-tracks-2026-04/ Thu, 30 Apr 2026 22:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/my-tracks-2026-04/ Tracks from April 2026 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/claude-ableton-connector/ Thu, 30 Apr 2026 19:19:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/claude-ableton-connector/ Anthropic just shipped an official Ableton Knowledge connector for Claude. Here is what it actually does, how it differs from the community AbletonMCP project, and why it changes how you learn Live and Push. https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-safety-first-principles/ Thu, 30 Apr 2026 08:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-safety-first-principles/ Stripping the AI safety conversation down to its load-bearing parts, separating the engineering problems that matter today from the speculative scenarios that absorb most of the attention. https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-skills-one-folder-any-model/ Thu, 30 Apr 2026 06:32:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-skills-one-folder-any-model/ What Claude Code skills actually are under the hood, why the SKILL.md format is model-agnostic, and how the same folder can drive Claude, Gemini, Codex, and a dozen other agents without changes. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/suno-may-2026/ Wed, 29 Apr 2026 19:02:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/suno-may-2026/ A clear-eyed look at Suno as of May 2026 - the v5.5 model, Voices, Custom Models, My Taste, and the platform changes flowing from the Warner Music deal. https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-augmented-design-workflow/ Wed, 29 Apr 2026 08:30:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-augmented-design-workflow/ How a combination of Cursor in the IDE, Claude Code and Codex in the terminal, and ChatGPT for general questions, collapsed my discuss-design-document loop to under ten minutes - backed by transcribed meetings checked into GitHub and a daily cross-check between code and design. https://jamesm.blog/ai/fine-tune-vs-rag/ Wed, 29 Apr 2026 08:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/fine-tune-vs-rag/ A practical decision framework for choosing between fine-tuning and retrieval-augmented generation, the failure modes of picking the wrong one, and the hybrid patterns that quietly do most of the heavy lifting in production. https://jamesm.blog/ai/free-intelligence-era/ Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:48:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/free-intelligence-era/ The single most important economic fact about AI is that the marginal cost of intelligence is collapsing toward zero. Most of our institutions, careers, and pricing models were built for the regime where it was scarce. This is what breaks when thinking goes from expensive to nearly free, and what that future actually rewards. https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/the-quiet-discipline-of-self-honesty/ Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:12:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/the-quiet-discipline-of-self-honesty/ Self-honesty is the foundational skill that quietly decides whether any other self-improvement effort works. A practical look at why most progress stalls without it, and how to build it deliberately. https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-hallucinations-understanding-and-mitigating/ Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:02:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-hallucinations-understanding-and-mitigating/ What hallucinations actually are, why the word is a slightly misleading import from psychiatry, why no model will ever stop producing them entirely, and the small set of techniques that genuinely move the dial on false outputs in production. https://jamesm.blog/ai/phone-your-home-ai-agent/ Mon, 27 Apr 2026 21:48:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/phone-your-home-ai-agent/ A practical walkthrough of the stack I use to literally phone my Mac Studio, speak to a local AI agent, and get it to run or check work while I'm away from the desk. https://jamesm.blog/ai/mcp-servers-home-ai-agent/ Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:12:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/mcp-servers-home-ai-agent/ The voice pipeline and the local model are the easy part. The actual power comes from the tools the agent can reach. A walkthrough of the MCP servers I run on my Mac Studio to give my home agent filesystem, email, calendar, notes, and home-automation access - and the choices that stopped it from becoming a security liability. https://jamesm.blog/ai/the-year-3026/ Sun, 26 Apr 2026 22:03:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/the-year-3026/ A thousand years is long enough that nothing we currently call a company, a currency, or a country is likely to survive. What does thinking seriously about 3026 actually look like - and what, if anything, holds its value across that horizon? https://jamesm.blog/ai/the-year-2126/ Sun, 26 Apr 2026 21:02:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/the-year-2126/ A hundred years is close enough to reason about concretely and far enough that most of what feels fixed today will be gone. What does 2126 honestly look like - and which of today's problems have we solved by then, which have we inherited, and which are entirely new? https://jamesm.blog/ai/reading-the-signals-four-futures/ Sat, 25 Apr 2026 20:45:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/reading-the-signals-four-futures/ A follow-up to the four futures framework - scoring the real-world signals firing right now against broad abundance, winner-take-most, techno-feudalism, and managed transition. https://jamesm.blog/ai/the-next-decade-of-ai/ Sat, 25 Apr 2026 07:55:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/the-next-decade-of-ai/ Most predictions about the future of AI are either utopian or apocalyptic. The real trajectory is stranger and more interesting than both - and it's already visible if you look at what's quietly working right now. https://jamesm.blog/ai/grok-voice-apis/ Fri, 24 Apr 2026 21:07:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/ai/grok-voice-apis/ xAI launches standalone Speech-to-Text and Text-to-Speech APIs, bringing production-grade voice capabilities to developers at competitive pricing. https://jamesm.blog/ai/gpt-5-5-release/ Fri, 24 Apr 2026 07:51:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/gpt-5-5-release/ OpenAI shipped GPT-5.5 on April 23, 2026 - the first fully retrained base model since GPT-4.5. A look at the benchmarks, the new features, and whether this release actually matters. https://jamesm.blog/ai/agent-first-architecture-engineer-as-curator/ Thu, 23 Apr 2026 21:01:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/agent-first-architecture-engineer-as-curator/ Some thoughts on where agent-first architecture might take us, and what engineering could look like if the job shifts from building systems line by line to curating, governing, and evolving fleets of agents. https://jamesm.blog/ai/chatgpt-images-2/ Thu, 23 Apr 2026 06:52:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/chatgpt-images-2/ ChatGPT Images 2.0 arrives with thinking mode, web-search-informed generation, and text rendering that actually works. Here's what changed and why the reaction has been so positive. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/ai-music-tools-shootout-2026/ Wed, 22 Apr 2026 22:02:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/ai-music-tools-shootout-2026/ A head-to-head look at the AI music generation tools that actually matter in 2026 - Suno, Udio, AIVA, and Riffusion - and where each one earns its place in a producer's workflow. https://jamesm.blog/devops/platform-engineering-2026/ Wed, 22 Apr 2026 21:30:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/devops/platform-engineering-2026/ A practical guide to platform engineering in 2026 - what an internal developer platform actually is, why DevOps teams are adopting it, and how AI agents are reshaping the discipline. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/best-music-production-software-2026/ Wed, 22 Apr 2026 21:06:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/best-music-production-software-2026/ A 2026 tour of the DAWs worth building a studio around - Ableton Live 12, Logic Pro 12, Cubase 15, Fender Studio Pro 8, Bitwig 6, Reason 14, and the first wave of AI-native workstations. https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-law-trends-2026/ Wed, 22 Apr 2026 21:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-law-trends-2026/ The legal frameworks around AI are shifting fast. The EU AI Act is in force, copyright battles are mounting in US courts, and liability questions are landing on businesses whether they are ready or not. https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/math-academy-the-fastest-way-to-learn-maths/ Wed, 22 Apr 2026 20:02:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/math-academy-the-fastest-way-to-learn-maths/ Math Academy claims to teach maths at four times the speed of a traditional class. After digging into how it actually works, I think that claim is believable - and the reason why is more interesting than the headline. https://jamesm.blog/ai/home-ai-agent-memory-that-lasts/ Wed, 22 Apr 2026 19:30:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/home-ai-agent-memory-that-lasts/ An agent with tools but no memory forgets you every morning. A walkthrough of how I bolted durable, structured memory onto my home AI agent running on a Mac Studio - what I store, where it lives, how retrieval works, and the mistakes I stopped making after the third rewrite. https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/learning-how-to-learn-in-the-age-of-ai/ Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/learning-how-to-learn-in-the-age-of-ai/ When an AI can answer any question instantly, the old study habits stop working. A practical guide to rebuilding your learning process so you still end up with skills, not just finished tasks. https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/apache-iceberg-2026/ Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:53:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/apache-iceberg-2026/ A technical deep dive into Apache Iceberg in 2026 - how the metadata layer works, catalog choices (Polaris, Nessie, Unity), migration patterns, and why both Snowflake and Databricks now treat it as first-class. https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-tooling-learning-path/ Tue, 21 Apr 2026 19:07:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-tooling-learning-path/ A phased learning path for getting from zero to a full AI development stack in 2026, without drowning in tool choice or skipping the fundamentals. https://jamesm.blog/ai/amazon-anthropic-25-billion-investment/ Tue, 21 Apr 2026 06:36:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/amazon-anthropic-25-billion-investment/ Amazon announces up to $25 billion additional investment in Anthropic, with Anthropic committing over $100 billion to AWS over the next decade. https://jamesm.blog/ai/hermes-agent/ Mon, 20 Apr 2026 19:03:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/hermes-agent/ Nous Research's Hermes Agent is an open-source, persistent autonomous system. A look at features, use cases, pricing, and how it compares to OpenClaw, Claude Managed Agents, and Perplexity Computer. https://jamesm.blog/ai/mac-dictation-tools-comparison/ Mon, 20 Apr 2026 19:02:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/mac-dictation-tools-comparison/ A practical breakdown of the three dictation apps every Mac user keeps hearing about - who they're for, what they cost, and where they stop being interchangeable. https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/claude-opus-4-7-databricks/ Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:45:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/claude-opus-4-7-databricks/ Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.7 is now available inside Databricks, bringing 21% fewer document reasoning errors on OfficeQA Pro and first-class Agent Bricks support to governed enterprise workflows. https://jamesm.blog/general/human-advancement-acceleration/ Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:31:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/general/human-advancement-acceleration/ Why human advancement is accelerating exponentially - from steam engines to AGI in three centuries https://jamesm.blog/space/why-spacecraft-dont-slow-down-before-reentry/ Sun, 19 Apr 2026 19:54:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/space/why-spacecraft-dont-slow-down-before-reentry/ Returning from the Moon, spacecraft slam into the atmosphere at 25,000 mph. Why not slow down first? The answer comes down to energy, mass, and the brutal mathematics of rocket fuel. https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-cloud-subscriptions/ Sun, 19 Apr 2026 07:12:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-cloud-subscriptions/ A 2026 buyer's guide to AI cloud subscriptions. Compare API pricing, context windows, rate limits, and consumer plans across Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, xAI, Mistral, and DeepSeek. https://jamesm.blog/ai/dgx-spark-vs-mac-studio/ Sun, 19 Apr 2026 05:22:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/ai/dgx-spark-vs-mac-studio/ An in-depth comparison of NVIDIA DGX Spark and Apple Mac Studio for local LLM inference. Includes specifications, pricing, performance benchmarks, and cost analysis to help you choose the right personal AI supercomputer. https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-resources-and-best-practices/ Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:15:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-resources-and-best-practices/ A comprehensive guide to the best resources and practices for working effectively with AI models, from prompt engineering to system design. https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/snowflake-apache-iceberg-storage/ Sat, 18 Apr 2026 07:11:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/snowflake-apache-iceberg-storage/ Snowflake Storage for Apache Iceberg is now available on AWS and Azure, enabling enterprise-grade reliability and governance for open data formats while breaking vendor lock-in. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/modular-synthesis-building-blocks/ Sat, 18 Apr 2026 07:01:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/modular-synthesis-building-blocks/ A practical guide to understanding modular synthesis fundamentals. Learn what oscillators, envelopes, filters, and LFOs actually do, and how they connect to create sound. https://jamesm.blog/ai/claude-token-efficiency-mindset/ Fri, 17 Apr 2026 21:36:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/ai/claude-token-efficiency-mindset/ Most people waste tokens on Claude not because they're bad at prompting, but because they haven't internalized the real cost structure. Here's how to think about token efficiency as a first-class design constraint. https://jamesm.blog/ai/claude-design/ Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:11:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/ai/claude-design/ Claude Design brings AI-powered visual collaboration to teams, automating the tedious handoff between design and development while maintaining design system consistency. https://jamesm.blog/ai/four-futures-machine-speed-economy/ Thu, 16 Apr 2026 19:26:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/four-futures-machine-speed-economy/ A map of four plausible futures - broad abundance, winner-take-most, techno-feudalism, and a managed transition - with the signals that suggest which one is emerging. https://jamesm.blog/ai/claude-opus-4-7/ Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:15:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/ai/claude-opus-4-7/ Claude Opus 4.7 brings autonomous software engineering, 3.75 megapixel vision, and extended reasoning control - raising the bar for AI-assisted development. https://jamesm.blog/theories/a-new-universe-all-throughout-the-day/ Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:24:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/theories/a-new-universe-all-throughout-the-day/ A short reflection on the strange feeling that reality is constantly becoming new, and how that connects to the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics. https://jamesm.blog/ai/open-webui-self-hosted-llm-interface/ Wed, 15 Apr 2026 23:15:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/ai/open-webui-self-hosted-llm-interface/ Open WebUI is an open-source interface that brings ChatGPT-like convenience to local language models, giving you a sleek chat interface for Ollama, OpenAI, and compatible APIs with zero vendor lock-in. https://jamesm.blog/theories/why-is-there-something-rather-than-nothing/ Wed, 15 Apr 2026 23:41:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/theories/why-is-there-something-rather-than-nothing/ A physics-minded reflection on one of the deepest questions there is: why anything exists at all instead of nothing. https://jamesm.blog/ai/paperless-ngx-self-hosted-document-management/ Wed, 15 Apr 2026 22:21:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/ai/paperless-ngx-self-hosted-document-management/ Paperless-ngx is a self-hosted document management system that lets you scan, digitize, and organize physical paperwork with full control over your data and zero subscription fees. https://jamesm.blog/ai/ollama/ Tue, 14 Apr 2026 08:25:25 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/ollama/ A practical guide to Ollama, the platform for running large language models locally, including how to launch OpenClaw and explore its available models. https://jamesm.blog/ai/github-backing-openclaw/ Tue, 14 Apr 2026 08:05:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/github-backing-openclaw/ GitHub became an official sponsor of OpenClaw, the fastest-growing open source project in history, providing Copilot Pro+ and security funding. https://jamesm.blog/ai/token-economics-why-costs-arent-going-down/ Mon, 13 Apr 2026 06:40:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/token-economics-why-costs-arent-going-down/ Despite massive scale and competition, LLM pricing hasn't meaningfully declined. Here's why the fundamentals don't support cheaper AI. https://jamesm.blog/ai/claude-mythos-restricted/ Mon, 13 Apr 2026 06:12:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/claude-mythos-restricted/ Anthropic's Claude Mythos shattered performance records but was immediately restricted to a select few, marking a new era where AI's immense power demands unprecedented control. https://jamesm.blog/ai/structured-outputs-schema/ Sun, 12 Apr 2026 06:17:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/ai/structured-outputs-schema/ Why guaranteeing output format matters more than you think, and when to use structured outputs in production https://jamesm.blog/ai/small-language-models/ Sun, 12 Apr 2026 06:03:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/small-language-models/ Why smaller language models are proving that efficiency, speed, and cost matter more than raw parameter count. A look at the shift redefining AI development. https://jamesm.blog/ai/llm-context-window-arms-race/ Sat, 11 Apr 2026 06:14:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/ai/llm-context-window-arms-race/ The obsession with massive context windows misses what actually matters in production LLM systems https://jamesm.blog/ai/local-vs-cloud-ai-2026/ Sat, 11 Apr 2026 06:11:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/local-vs-cloud-ai-2026/ In 2026, the choice between running AI locally or in the cloud is no longer a binary one. It is a strategic architectural decision based on privacy, latency, and 'reasoning density'. https://jamesm.blog/ai/cline/ Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/cline/ An exploration of Cline, the autonomous AI coding agent that lives in your IDE and handles complex, multi-step engineering tasks through tool-use and agency. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/best-software-synths-2026/ Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/best-software-synths-2026/ A look at the most powerful and innovative software synthesizers dominating the music production landscape in 2026. https://jamesm.blog/ai/cline-kanban/ Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:44:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/cline-kanban/ How to integrate Cline with Kanban boards via Model Context Protocol to create a seamless autonomous workflow that bridges development and task management. https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/the-postal-pirates/ Fri, 10 Apr 2026 06:01:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/the-postal-pirates/ How magazine classifieds, postal delivery services, and teenage traders turned the 1980s into an era of sophisticated software distribution that predated the internet. https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/trainer-menus-scrolltexts-cracking-aesthetics/ Fri, 10 Apr 2026 05:32:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/trainer-menus-scrolltexts-cracking-aesthetics/ How cracking groups transformed pirated games with menus, cheat systems, and animated scrolltext screens - creating a visual language that defined 1980s underground computing culture. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/u-he-zebra-3-the-modular-beast-unleashed/ Thu, 09 Apr 2026 22:46:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/u-he-zebra-3-the-modular-beast-unleashed/ Exploring u-he Zebra 3, a modular soft synth that redefines sound design with its grid-based modulation, spectral oscillators, and deep signal routing. https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-reliability-is-weird/ Thu, 09 Apr 2026 22:00:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-reliability-is-weird/ Traditional testing methods break down in the age of autonomous AI agents. A practical look at why deterministic testing fails for non-deterministic builders, and what actually works instead. https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/from-awakening-to-action/ Thu, 09 Apr 2026 08:30:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/from-awakening-to-action/ After the awakening comes the work: How to translate clarity about your purpose into concrete, sustainable action. The bridge between cosmic insight and real change. https://jamesm.blog/ai/career-ops/ Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:25:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/ai/career-ops/ Career-Ops inverts the typical job-search power dynamic by giving candidates AI-powered tools to intelligently evaluate and prioritize opportunities, automate application workflows, and maintain strategic control over their career decisions. https://jamesm.blog/devops/aws-s3-files/ Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:11:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/devops/aws-s3-files/ Explore AWS S3 Files, a new file system interface that brings high-performance file access to Amazon S3 data without duplication or complex integration. https://jamesm.blog/space/lunar-gateway/ Thu, 09 Apr 2026 06:50:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/space/lunar-gateway/ Beyond Apollo-style moon landings: how the Lunar Gateway transforms humanity's approach to sustained lunar presence and deep space exploration. https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/how-basic-shaped-a-generation/ Thu, 09 Apr 2026 06:36:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/how-basic-shaped-a-generation/ BASIC was the gateway drug for a generation of programmers. Not because it was elegant, but because it was the only option - and that constraint created a programming culture that shaped how millions thought about code. https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/knowing-what-not-to-build/ Thu, 09 Apr 2026 06:24:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/knowing-what-not-to-build/ The skill of saying no - of recognizing which ideas deserve your time and which don't - is more valuable than execution ability. https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/sid-chip-most-iconic-sound/ Thu, 09 Apr 2026 06:22:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/sid-chip-most-iconic-sound/ The SID chip gave the Commodore 64 the ability to synthesize complex sound in real-time. But why did it sound so distinctive? And why has no other chip in computing history achieved the same cultural impact? https://jamesm.blog/ai/claude-mythos-benchmarks/ Wed, 08 Apr 2026 08:45:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/claude-mythos-benchmarks/ Claude Mythos Preview shattered AI benchmarks with 93.9% SWE-bench and 97.6% USAMO scores, but remains restricted to security partners due to cybersecurity risks. https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/following-the-money/ Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:40:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/following-the-money/ Deep dive into the shifting economics of the data landscape in 2026: why the choice between Snowflake and Databricks is increasingly an accounting decision, and where the open-source DIY stack saves money. https://jamesm.blog/ai/claude-code-vs-cursor/ Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:30:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/claude-code-vs-cursor/ After six months of daily use, here is how the two heavyweights of AI-assisted coding compare: the terminal-native Claude Code and the IDE-integrated Cursor. https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/copy-protection-wars/ Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:11:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/copy-protection-wars/ A deep dive into the creative, bizarre, and often frustrating world of 1980s copy protection, from code wheels to lensloks. https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/8-bit-coding/ Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/8-bit-coding/ In the 1980s, a unique confluence of government policy, public broadcasting, and garage-built hardware turned the UK into a coding powerhouse. This is how it happened. https://jamesm.blog/ai/automation-paradox/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/ai/automation-paradox/ As AI handles routine cognitive work, the irreplaceable skill becomes not execution, but deciding what's worth doing - and why human judgment becomes more valuable, not less. https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/managing-creative-burnout/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/managing-creative-burnout/ How engineers can recognize and prevent creative burnout through effective timeboxing, boundary-setting, and cross-level communication with stakeholders at all levels. https://jamesm.blog/space/spacex-starship-vs-nasa-sls/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/space/spacex-starship-vs-nasa-sls/ A detailed comparison of SpaceX's Starship and NASA's Space Launch System - two fundamentally different approaches to returning humans to the Moon and beyond. https://jamesm.blog/ai/spec-driven-development/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/ai/spec-driven-development/ With AI handling implementation, the specification itself becomes the product. What you're really selling is clarity of thought - and the ability to write briefs that don't lie. https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/lakeflow-declarative-pipelines-2026/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 18:00:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/lakeflow-declarative-pipelines-2026/ From Delta Live Tables to Lakeflow Declarative Pipelines: how declarative ETL patterns have evolved and how to design production pipelines in 2026. https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/boosting-productivity-habits/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 16:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/boosting-productivity-habits/ Discover actionable strategies and essential habits to significantly boost your productivity, foster continuous personal growth, and achieve your goals more effectively. https://jamesm.blog/ai/architect-vs-builder/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/ai/architect-vs-builder/ The traditional engineering hierarchy of junior→senior→architect is collapsing. What emerges is a cleaner, harsher split: people who decide what to build, and people who turn that decision into code. https://jamesm.blog/ai/expertise-after-ai/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/ai/expertise-after-ai/ If AI can pass the bar exam, the CPA exam, and every technical certification, what are we actually certifying? Expertise becomes something else entirely - and much harder to fake. https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/modern-data-engineering-databricks-2026/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:19:31 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/modern-data-engineering-databricks-2026/ A 2026 guide to modern data engineering on Databricks, including Unity Catalog, Lakeflow Declarative Pipelines, liquid clustering, predictive optimization, and serverless workflows. https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/rebuilding-life-with-small-systems/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:09:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/rebuilding-life-with-small-systems/ A practical guide to rebuilding confidence, stability, and momentum through small daily systems rather than dramatic reinvention. https://jamesm.blog/space/nasa-artemis-ii/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:01:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/space/nasa-artemis-ii/ An overview of NASA Artemis II, the first crewed Artemis mission, including the crew, mission profile, current status, and why it matters. https://jamesm.blog/ai/gpu-servers-vs-api-credits/ Sun, 05 Apr 2026 23:16:25 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/gpu-servers-vs-api-credits/ A practical 2026 breakdown of when to rent GPUs versus buy API credits, with cost-per-token figures, break-even thresholds, and a hybrid architecture playbook. https://jamesm.blog/devops/devops-in-the-age-of-ai-agents/ Sun, 05 Apr 2026 23:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/devops/devops-in-the-age-of-ai-agents/ AI agents are reshaping DevOps - from intelligent CI/CD pipelines that self-heal broken builds to autonomous operations that can navigate cloud consoles and roll back deployments without human intervention. https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/blogs/ Sun, 05 Apr 2026 20:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/blogs/ Curated list of Data Engineering blogs covering ETL/ELT, data warehousing, orchestration, and modern data stack best practices. https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/databricks-vs-snowflake-2026/ Sun, 05 Apr 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/databricks-vs-snowflake-2026/ Head-to-head comparison of Databricks and Snowflake in 2026 - when you should choose each, their actual strengths and weaknesses, and the direction each is moving. https://jamesm.blog/ai/what-actually-belongs-in-my-ai-dev-stack-2026/ Sun, 05 Apr 2026 00:05:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/what-actually-belongs-in-my-ai-dev-stack-2026/ A proper AI dev stack in 2026 needs distinct layers - spec writing, fast editing, heavy agentic work, cheap models, review, research, and capture. The case for treating AI as workflow architecture, not a bolt-on assistant. https://jamesm.blog/ai/github-spec-kit-2026-update/ Sat, 04 Apr 2026 21:06:14 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/github-spec-kit-2026-update/ GitHub Spec Kit v0.5.0 evolved from a documentation toolkit into a full AI development platform in 2026 - Claude Code as a native skill, AWS Kiro integration, and multi-agent support across Cursor, Copilot, and Gemini CLI. https://jamesm.blog/devops/mac-brew-packages/ Sat, 04 Apr 2026 20:59:35 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/devops/mac-brew-packages/ Comprehensive list of essential Homebrew packages for macOS development, DevOps, cloud tools, and command-line utilities. https://jamesm.blog/devops/mac-apps-utils/ Sat, 04 Apr 2026 20:56:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/devops/mac-apps-utils/ Curated collection of essential macOS applications and utilities for productivity, development, file management, and system optimisation. https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/data-engineering-science-courses/ Sat, 04 Apr 2026 20:51:25 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/data-engineering-science-courses/ Comprehensive curated list of data engineering and data science courses from Coursera, DataCamp, A Cloud Guru, Udacity, Google Cloud, and other platforms with learning paths and certifications. https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/databricks-cheatsheet/ Sat, 04 Apr 2026 20:44:25 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/databricks-cheatsheet/ Quick reference guide for Databricks notebooks, SQL DDL/DML, PySpark API, and production patterns https://jamesm.blog/space/artemis-ii-distance-record/ Sat, 04 Apr 2026 18:00:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/space/artemis-ii-distance-record/ The crew of Artemis II is journeying further from Earth than any humans in history, surpassing the long-standing record held by the Apollo 13 mission. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/native-instruments-formal-insolvency-and-ma/ Sat, 04 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/native-instruments-formal-insolvency-and-ma/ Native Instruments has entered formal insolvency and is in active M&A talks. A clear-eyed look at what went wrong under private equity ownership, the possible acquisition scenarios, and what it means for producers who depend on their tools. https://jamesm.blog/ai/taste-is-the-new-scarcity/ Sat, 04 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/taste-is-the-new-scarcity/ When AI can generate thousands of solutions on demand, the bottleneck shifts from thinking capacity to judgment. Taste - knowing which answer is actually right - becomes the primary human skill in an age of abundant intelligence. https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/polkadot/polkadot-2026/ Sat, 04 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/polkadot/polkadot-2026/ Polkadot's 2026 strategic pivot from infrastructure to user-facing applications - covering the hard DOT supply cap, Elastic Scaling, Revive EVM compatibility, validator economics changes, and what JAM means for the network's future. https://jamesm.blog/space/artemis-ii-tracking/ Sat, 04 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/space/artemis-ii-tracking/ Resources for tracking NASA's Artemis II lunar mission including official dashboards, tools, and mission information. https://jamesm.blog/ai/personal-ai-dev-stack/ Fri, 03 Apr 2026 23:09:25 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/personal-ai-dev-stack/ A practical, AI-driven development stack combining cloud and local LLMs, terminal tools, IDEs, and mobile access for persistent, productive workflows. https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/databricks-training-certification/ Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:47:25 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/databricks-training-certification/ Complete guide to Databricks certifications with training resources, exam costs, and learning paths https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/unity-catalog-in-practice-2026/ Fri, 03 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/data-engineering/unity-catalog-in-practice-2026/ Real-world lessons from implementing Unity Catalog: migrations, anti-patterns, governance design, and operational learnings. https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/what-the-amiga-got-right-that-were-still-copying/ Fri, 03 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/what-the-amiga-got-right-that-were-still-copying/ Why the Amiga was 20 years ahead of its time, and why modern operating systems are still trying to copy its best ideas. https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/compunet-britains-forgotten-pre-internet-community/ Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/compunet-britains-forgotten-pre-internet-community/ The story of Compunet: how a British BBS became one of the world's first online communities, years before the internet, and how it shaped British digital culture. https://jamesm.blog/ai/twenty-dollar-ai-era-is-over/ Fri, 03 Apr 2026 08:45:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/twenty-dollar-ai-era-is-over/ Every major AI provider is quietly repositioning the $20/month tier. Here's what's happening at Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, xAI, and what monthly prices are likely to look like by the end of 2026. https://jamesm.blog/ai/meaning-of-work-age-of-abundance/ Thu, 02 Apr 2026 23:30:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/meaning-of-work-age-of-abundance/ If agents end up doing the execution, what are we for? Some thinking out loud about purpose, identity, and what a working life might look like when the labour layer is automated. https://jamesm.blog/ai/spacex-cursor-60-billion-option/ Thu, 02 Apr 2026 19:16:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/spacex-cursor-60-billion-option/ SpaceX has taken an option to acquire Cursor for $60 billion later this year, or pay $10 billion for a joint build. A look at the deal structure, what it tells us about xAI's coding ambitions, and why Anysphere is suddenly the most sought-after company in developer tools. https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/the-demoscene-where-art-met-assembly/ Thu, 02 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/the-demoscene-where-art-met-assembly/ The story of the demoscene: where programmers turned constraint into creativity, and assembly language into art. https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/basic-to-claude-code-2026/ Thu, 02 Apr 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/basic-to-claude-code-2026/ A 45-year thread from typing BASIC on a ZX Spectrum to using Claude Code: what hasn't changed about programming, and what fundamentally has. https://jamesm.blog/ai/claude-code-source-leak/ Wed, 01 Apr 2026 07:42:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/ai/claude-code-source-leak/ Nearly 2,000 internal files from Claude Code were briefly leaked due to human error. Here's what happened, what was exposed, and the security implications for developers using Anthropic's AI coding tool. https://jamesm.blog/ai/meta-employee-tracking/ Wed, 01 Apr 2026 08:30:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/meta-employee-tracking/ Meta's Model Capability Initiative is installing monitoring software on US employee laptops to capture keystrokes, clicks, and screenshots - all to train AI agents. There is no opt-out. https://jamesm.blog/ai/year-of-agents-and-whats-next/ Fri, 13 Mar 2026 08:06:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/year-of-agents-and-whats-next/ A look back at how AI tooling and agents shifted between April 2025 and April 2026, what is clearly coming in the next two years, and how the changes will reshape both work and personal workflows. https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/the-universe-has-a-plan-for-you/ Thu, 12 Mar 2026 20:00:39 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/the-universe-has-a-plan-for-you/ Reflective essay on adversity, personal awakening, and discovering life purpose through life's challenges. https://jamesm.blog/ai/where-should-documentation-live/ Thu, 12 Mar 2026 07:30:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/where-should-documentation-live/ A brainstorm - not a proposal - on where different types of documents and artefacts should live, what the source of truth should be, and how AI tooling is reshaping that question. https://jamesm.blog/ai/junior-developer-pipeline-problem/ Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:12:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/junior-developer-pipeline-problem/ Most of the AI-and-developers conversation assumes a steady supply of senior engineers who can curate, review, and judge. But the work that used to produce those seniors is the work AI now does. Where does the next generation come from? https://jamesm.blog/ai/we-are-learning-to-buy-intelligence/ Wed, 11 Mar 2026 07:09:25 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/we-are-learning-to-buy-intelligence/ Intelligence used to be something you hired, trained for, or waited in line for. Now it is becoming infrastructure - metered, on-demand, and collapsing in price. https://jamesm.blog/ai/openclaw-is-wild/ Tue, 10 Mar 2026 07:09:25 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/openclaw-is-wild/ OpenClaw is an open-source AI agent framework that lets language models operate software directly through computer interfaces - clicking, typing, and navigating without custom APIs, making any software automatable. https://jamesm.blog/data-science/scaling-graph-algorithms/ Mon, 09 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/data-science/scaling-graph-algorithms/ How to take graph algorithms from laptop experiments to production systems handling billions of nodes. Covers memory constraints, distributed computation, query patterns, and the hidden costs nobody talks about. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/yamaha-dx7-influential-synthesizer/ Mon, 09 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/yamaha-dx7-influential-synthesizer/ Why the DX7 revolutionized music production and remains the gold standard for FM synthesis three decades later. https://jamesm.blog/ai/claude-code-review/ Mon, 09 Mar 2026 07:14:25 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/claude-code-review/ Claude Code's multi-agent code review dispatches parallel AI agents to cross-check PRs from different angles, filtering false positives and ranking issues by severity - a fundamentally different approach to automated review. https://jamesm.blog/ai/claude_code_limits-hybrid_ai_stack/ Mon, 09 Mar 2026 07:09:25 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/claude_code_limits-hybrid_ai_stack/ Hitting Claude Code usage limits doesn't mean upgrading to $200/month. A hybrid AI stack using local models, cheap cloud inference, and frontier models strategically is a smarter and cheaper approach. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/my-tracks-2026-03/ Sun, 01 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/my-tracks-2026-03/ Tracks from March 2026 https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/practical-principals-for-tough-times/ Sun, 22 Feb 2026 09:02:39 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/practical-principals-for-tough-times/ Practical principles and guidelines for maintaining stability and making sound decisions during challenging life periods. https://jamesm.blog/data-science/community-detection-algorithms/ Mon, 09 Feb 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/data-science/community-detection-algorithms/ Deep dive into community detection: how Louvain, modularity, and spectral clustering work. Practical guide to finding natural groups in networks and why they matter for fraud, social networks, and product recommendations. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/patents-copyright-clone-synths/ Sun, 08 Feb 2026 21:07:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/patents-copyright-clone-synths/ How expired patents, copyright law, and trade dress rules make clone synthesizers legal - and why affordable Behringer replicas of classic Moog circuits are entirely above board. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/native-instruments-preliminary-insolvency/ Tue, 27 Jan 2026 21:07:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/native-instruments-preliminary-insolvency/ Native Instruments has entered preliminary insolvency proceedings in Germany - a pivotal moment for producers, DJs, and composers who have built careers around Kontakt, Maschine, Traktor, and Reaktor. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/roland-jupiter-x/ Thu, 22 Jan 2026 22:31:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/roland-jupiter-x/ The Roland Jupiter-X combines ZEN-Core models of the Jupiter-8, Juno-106, and SH-101 with layering, rhythm, and I-Arpeggio into one versatile stage and studio instrument. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/roland-juno-x/ Thu, 22 Jan 2026 21:42:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/roland-juno-x/ The Roland Juno-X uses the ZEN-Core engine to capture the character of the classic Juno line with modern polyphony and effects - a hands-on review of who it is for and what it does well. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/using-mc-707-as-midi-brain-for-modx-m/ Thu, 08 Jan 2026 19:35:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/using-mc-707-as-midi-brain-for-modx-m/ How to use the Roland MC-707 as a MIDI recorder and sequencer brain for the Yamaha MODX M - a simple setup that turns the MC-707 into a central hub and the MODX into a pure performance instrument. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/favourites/ Thu, 08 Jan 2026 18:53:39 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/favourites/ Personal collection of favourite music artists, bands, DJs, composers, concerts, and theatre experiences. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/why-i-play-and-create-music-intuitively/ Wed, 07 Jan 2026 23:35:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/why-i-play-and-create-music-intuitively/ A personal reflection on playing piano by ear, chasing flow, and treating music as a landscape to wander rather than a skill to master - where discovery and surprise matter more than theory. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/major-scales-sharps-flats/ Sun, 04 Jan 2026 12:35:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/major-scales-sharps-flats/ A step-by-step guide to working out the number of sharps and flats in any major scale using the circle of fifths, with mnemonics and a handy cheat sheet. https://jamesm.blog/data-science/graph-algorithms-pagerank-centrality/ Fri, 02 Jan 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/data-science/graph-algorithms-pagerank-centrality/ A practical guide to understanding graph algorithms: how PageRank actually works, when to use centrality measures, and why these patterns matter for real-world problems like recommendation systems and fraud detection. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/roland-tr-8s-vs-mc-707/ Fri, 02 Jan 2026 06:35:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/roland-tr-8s-vs-mc-707/ TR-8S vs MC-707 - a detailed comparison of Roland's dedicated rhythm performer and its full groovebox, covering workflow, sound engines, genre fit, and how to use them together. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/my-tracks-2026-01/ Thu, 01 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/my-tracks-2026-01/ Tracks from January 2026 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/top-5-sequencers-2025/ Sat, 27 Dec 2025 20:52:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/top-5-sequencers-2025/ The five hardware sequencers worth considering in 2025 - Teenage Engineering OP-XY, OXI One MKII, Arturia KeyStep Pro, Korg SQ-64, and Arturia BeatStep - compared by price, track count, and workflow. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/top-5-grooveboxes-2025/ Sat, 27 Dec 2025 18:47:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/top-5-grooveboxes-2025/ The five grooveboxes worth considering in 2025 - Roland MC-707, NI Maschine+, Elektron Digitakt II, Polyend Play+, and Akai MPC One+ - compared by workflow, price, and ideal use case. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/best-software-synths-2025/ Fri, 26 Dec 2025 21:42:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/best-software-synths-2025/ A panoramic look at the top software synthesizers of 2025 - from Serum 2 and Pigments 7 to Omnisphere 3 and Vital Pro, with release timing and what makes each one stand out. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/best-music-production-software-2025/ Fri, 26 Dec 2025 21:39:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/best-music-production-software-2025/ A practical guide to the best DAWs in 2025 - from Ableton Live 12 and Logic Pro 11 to FL Studio, Cubase 15, and Studio One, with a clear breakdown of who each one suits. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/my-music-hardware-software/ Thu, 25 Dec 2025 21:29:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/my-music-hardware-software/ Comprehensive inventory of current and past music production hardware and software in my studio setup. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/my-music-hardware-software-wishlist/ Thu, 25 Dec 2025 21:28:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/my-music-hardware-software-wishlist/ Hardware and software gear James M wants to add to the studio - synthesizers, controller keyboards, arranger keyboards, DAWs, and plugins from Yamaha, Roland, Moog, Arturia, and many others. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/suno-voice-personas/ Sat, 20 Dec 2025 21:47:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/suno-voice-personas/ Suno's Voice Personas update lets you lock in a consistent vocalist across an entire project without inheriting any particular genre or instrumentation - a significant step for AI-assisted album-making. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/arturia-pigments-7/ Wed, 17 Dec 2025 21:47:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/arturia-pigments-7/ Arturia Pigments 7 refines one of the most visually expressive software synthesizers available - new filter types, a redesigned Play page, CPU optimisations, and a fresh content library. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/modx-m8-vs-astrolab-88/ Tue, 16 Dec 2025 21:47:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/modx-m8-vs-astrolab-88/ A side-by-side comparison of the Yamaha MODX M8 synthesizer workstation and the Arturia AstroLab 88 stage keyboard - two very different instruments aimed at different kinds of players. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/my-tracks/ Fri, 05 Dec 2025 12:28:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/my-tracks/ A collection of electronic and ambient music tracks, including original compositions and remixes. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/modx-m8-vs-montage-m8x/ Fri, 05 Dec 2025 11:58:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/modx-m8-vs-montage-m8x/ Detailed comparison between Yamaha MODX M8 and Montage M8X synthesizer workstations - which engine they share, where they differ, and which one makes sense for your budget and playing style. https://jamesm.blog/ai/github-spec-kit/ Wed, 03 Dec 2025 13:21:14 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/github-spec-kit/ GitHub Spec Kit is a version-controlled markdown framework for spec-driven development - writing the specification first and letting AI tools implement against it to prevent architectural drift. https://jamesm.blog/ai/cursor-ai/ Wed, 03 Dec 2025 13:15:25 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/cursor-ai/ Cursor AI reads your repo with architectural awareness and turns complex refactors into conversations. Combined with GitHub Spec Kit, it creates a tight spec-to-implementation loop. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/top-10-plugins-2025/ Tue, 02 Dec 2025 09:29:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/top-10-plugins-2025/ A curated look at the top 10 VST plugins of 2025, plus a tier list of the 30 best plugins for music production across FL Studio, Ableton Live, and Logic Pro. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/keylab-vs-kontrol/ Tue, 02 Dec 2025 07:29:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/keylab-vs-kontrol/ A detailed comparison of the Arturia KeyLab 88 MK3 and Native Instruments Kontrol S88 MK3, covering keybed feel, workflow, software integration, and which one suits different studio and stage needs. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/my-tracks-2025-12/ Mon, 01 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/my-tracks-2025-12/ Tracks from December 2025 https://jamesm.blog/ai/human-in-demand-jobs/ Thu, 27 Nov 2025 07:39:14 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/human-in-demand-jobs/ Which jobs survive when AI handles execution? A look at the five categories of work that stay human-shaped - judgment, empathy, embodied skill, taste, and accountability. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/my-tracks-2025-11/ Sat, 01 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/my-tracks-2025-11/ Tracks from November 2025 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/ni-traktor-mx2/ Fri, 10 Oct 2025 21:47:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/ni-traktor-mx2/ The Native Instruments Traktor MX2 is a compact two-channel DJ controller with Stems, Pattern Player, and 40+ effects - built for expressive performance rather than just track playback. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/my-tracks-2025-10/ Wed, 01 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/my-tracks-2025-10/ Tracks from October 2025 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/suno-studio/ Fri, 26 Sep 2025 08:29:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/suno-studio/ Suno Studio is the first generative DAW - a cloud-based workstation that puts text-to-music at the centre of the editing flow rather than bolting it on. Here is what it does, who it is for, and where it fits. https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/polkadot-agile-coretime-explainer/ Tue, 09 Sep 2025 14:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/polkadot-agile-coretime-explainer/ What Agile Coretime is, why it matters, and how it changes Polkadot's economics. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/my-tracks-2025-08/ Fri, 01 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/my-tracks-2025-08/ Tracks from August 2025 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/my-tracks-2025-06/ Sun, 01 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/my-tracks-2025-06/ Tracks from June 2025 https://jamesm.blog/ai/sergey-brin-interviews/ Tue, 20 May 2025 19:27:14 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/sergey-brin-interviews/ A working index of Sergey Brin interviews on AI, Gemini, robotics, AGI timelines, and the future of human-computer interaction - tracking the Google co-founder's public commentary since his return to hands-on work in 2024-2026. https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-agents-emergency-debate/ Mon, 12 May 2025 16:27:14 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/ai-agents-emergency-debate/ An emergency debate on AI's impact on employment - which sectors face near-term disruption, which roles stay human-shaped, and how fast the transition is actually moving. https://jamesm.blog/devops/cyber-attack-types/ Sun, 20 Apr 2025 10:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/devops/cyber-attack-types/ Comprehensive guide to different types of cyber attacks, attack vectors, and defense strategies for DevOps teams. https://jamesm.blog/ai/deepseek/ Mon, 27 Jan 2025 21:39:14 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/deepseek/ DeepSeek R1's January 2025 release shook the AI industry - a frontier-grade reasoning model built for a reported $6M that forced a rethink of training costs, open-source strategy, and closed-model pricing. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/suno-mikey-shulman/ Fri, 10 Jan 2025 08:29:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/suno-mikey-shulman/ Mikey Shulman, co-founder and CEO of Suno, on the future of AI music - what it means for creativity, who benefits, and where the technology is heading. https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/favourite-museums/ Sun, 22 Sep 2024 12:57:01 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/favourite-museums/ Personal list of favourite museums, particularly focused on computing, technology and natural history. https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/favourite-computers/ Mon, 29 Jul 2024 07:50:01 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/favourite-computers/ Personal history and collection of favourite computers, gaming consoles, and mobile devices from the 1970s to present day. https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/tracking-health-data/ Sat, 27 Jul 2024 10:47:39 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/tracking-health-data/ Guide to tracking personal health data including blood testing, fitness apps, smartwatches, and health monitoring tools. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/best-dj-gear/ Sun, 23 Jun 2024 09:33:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/best-dj-gear/ A curated collection of links covering the best DJ controllers, gear, and software for 2023 and 2024 - from budget options to professional setups. https://jamesm.blog/space/spacex-starfactory/ Sat, 22 Jun 2024 18:39:01 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/space/spacex-starfactory/ Information about SpaceX's Starfactory production facility for Starship rocket manufacturing and assembly. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/pianoverse/ Sat, 22 Jun 2024 10:09:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/pianoverse/ IK Multimedia's Pianoverse offers a collection of deeply sampled grand and upright piano instruments with excellent effects - a personal take on why the Pianoverse MAX bundle is worth it. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/roland-fantom-ex/ Mon, 17 Jun 2024 22:29:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/roland-fantom-ex/ Comprehensive guide to Roland Fantom EX synthesizer workstations including models, features, and specifications. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/yamaha-montage/ Sun, 16 Jun 2024 08:29:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/yamaha-montage/ Overview of the Yamaha Montage M flagship synthesizer - its three sound engines (AWM2, FM-X, AN-X), key improvements over the original Montage, models, and prices. https://jamesm.blog/ai/unitree-g1/ Tue, 21 May 2024 20:09:25 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/unitree-g1/ Unitree's G1 humanoid robot starts at $16k - dramatically undercutting Tesla Optimus and Boston Dynamics while using reinforcement and imitation learning for precision real-world tasks. https://jamesm.blog/ai/chatbots-llms/ Fri, 17 May 2024 17:06:25 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/chatbots-llms/ A practical explainer on the difference between chatbots and large language models, how modern model families fit together, and how to choose the right AI tool for a task. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/youtube-channels/ Fri, 17 May 2024 17:01:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/youtube-channels/ A curated list of favourite music production YouTube channels covering DAW tutorials, synthesis, mixing, mastering, gear reviews, and music theory. https://jamesm.blog/general/classic-tv-shows/ Fri, 26 Apr 2024 18:13:01 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/general/classic-tv-shows/ Collection of classic British television shows and comedy programs including Tomorrow's World, Fawlty Towers, Blackadder, and more. https://jamesm.blog/general/the-hindley-street-country-club/ Mon, 22 Apr 2024 20:47:01 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/general/the-hindley-street-country-club/ Australian cover band group with millions of YouTube views and global following for innovative music arrangements. https://jamesm.blog/ai/1x-eve/ Sun, 21 Apr 2024 22:26:14 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/1x-eve/ 1X EVE is a wheeled android worker robot built for logistics and retail environments, using embodied AI and natural language processing to navigate real-world spaces safely alongside humans. https://jamesm.blog/theories/huge-numbers/ Sun, 21 Apr 2024 22:07:01 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/theories/huge-numbers/ Collection of fascinating YouTube videos exploring extraordinarily large numbers, infinity, and mathematical concepts. https://jamesm.blog/ai/tesla-optimus-robot/ Sun, 21 Apr 2024 20:44:14 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/tesla-optimus-robot/ Tesla Optimus Gen 3 is a bipedal humanoid robot powered by Tesla's vision and self-driving AI stack, targeting under $25,000 per unit - with Elon Musk predicting the robot business will eventually exceed the car business. https://jamesm.blog/ai/boston-dynamics-humanoid-robot/ Sat, 20 Apr 2024 22:09:25 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/boston-dynamics-humanoid-robot/ Boston Dynamics' all-electric Atlas humanoid marks a break from hydraulic prototypes toward real-world deployment - a look at what the new robot means for the 2024-2026 humanoid wave. https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/gaming-emulators/ Sat, 20 Apr 2024 08:00:01 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/gaming-emulators/ News and resources about Apple's decision to allow game emulators in the App Store, including Delta, Dolphin, and retro emulator apps. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/analogue-vs-digital-synths/ Sat, 20 Apr 2024 06:59:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/analogue-vs-digital-synths/ A clear breakdown of the key differences between analogue and digital synthesizers - how each generates sound, their pros and cons, and how to choose the right type for your music. https://jamesm.blog/ai/openai-voice-engine/ Sun, 31 Mar 2024 23:12:25 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/openai-voice-engine/ OpenAI Voice Engine can clone a realistic voice from a 15-second audio sample - still in limited preview as of 2026, restricted to approved partners with strict consent and transparency requirements. https://jamesm.blog/ai/microsoft-openai-stargate/ Sat, 30 Mar 2024 22:09:25 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/microsoft-openai-stargate/ Stargate is a $500B AI infrastructure programme from OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle, and MGX - the largest announced compute bet in history and a proxy for how seriously the industry takes the AGI race. https://jamesm.blog/ai/google-gemini-ultra/ Fri, 29 Mar 2024 07:16:25 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/google-gemini-ultra/ Google Gemini Ultra was Google DeepMind's flagship model tier at launch in early 2024 - 90% MMLU, multimodal reasoning across text, images, video, and code, since superseded by the Gemini 3 family. https://jamesm.blog/ai/google-gemini-advanced/ Fri, 29 Mar 2024 07:12:25 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/google-gemini-advanced/ Google Gemini Advanced was the 2024 power-user tier built around Gemini Ultra - enhanced reasoning, longer context, and multimodal input, documented here as the lineup has since evolved into Gemini 2.5 and the Gemini 3 family. https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/polkadot/polkadot-2024/ Tue, 19 Mar 2024 06:00:22 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/polkadot/polkadot-2024/ Major Polkadot developments in 2024 - from Polkadot 2.0 implementation to blockchain academy expansion. Track key announcements, protocol upgrades, and ecosystem milestones throughout the year. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/news/ableton-live-12/ Tue, 05 Mar 2024 21:10:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/news/ableton-live-12/ Overview of Ableton Live 12 features, new devices, MIDI tools, pricing, and learning resources. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/news/namm-2024/ Sun, 28 Jan 2024 19:17:00 +0000 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/news/namm-2024/ Highlights from NAMM 2024, the music industry's largest annual gathering, featuring new synthesizers, stage pianos, controllers, and gear announcements from Yamaha, Korg, Teenage Engineering, and more. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/blogs/ Fri, 19 Jan 2024 18:31:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/blogs/ Curated list of music production blogs covering DAWs, music theory, synthesis, and production techniques. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/courses/ Fri, 19 Jan 2024 18:31:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/courses/ Comprehensive list of music production courses from major platforms covering all popular DAWs and production techniques. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/websites/ Thu, 18 Jan 2024 18:31:21 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/websites/ A curated list of music production websites covering online learning platforms, DAW tutorials, and music technology resources. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/ableton-max-for-live-devices/ Sun, 14 Jan 2024 22:33:41 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/ableton-max-for-live-devices/ A curated selection of Max for Live devices worth installing - from generative MIDI sequencers to creative drum synthesizers and polyphonic processors. https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/polkadot/polkadot-2023/ Sun, 24 Dec 2023 13:44:22 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/polkadot/polkadot-2023/ 2023 Polkadot ecosystem highlights covering the network’s evolution toward Polkadot 1.0. Features major developments including parachain expansion, staking growth, technical upgrades, and founder insights on governance and scalability. https://jamesm.blog/ai/courses/ Mon, 18 Dec 2023 10:51:25 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/courses/ A curated index of AI courses, books, newsletters, and YouTube channels - from free starting points to professional certificates, organised by provider and learning goal. https://jamesm.blog/devops/best-practices/ Sat, 16 Dec 2023 09:33:18 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/devops/best-practices/ Practical DevOps and system design best practices covering microservices architecture, CI/CD pipelines, observability, and scalable system design. https://jamesm.blog/devops/cheatsheets/ Sat, 16 Dec 2023 09:28:18 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/devops/cheatsheets/ Quick reference guides and cheatsheets for DevOps tools, cloud computing concepts, Linux commands, and Kubernetes operations. https://jamesm.blog/devops/explainers/ Fri, 15 Dec 2023 09:36:18 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/devops/explainers/ Short explainer posts on DevOps fundamentals - APIs, databases, DNS, Git, Linux, and programming languages - paired with the best explanatory content I have found. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/news/arturia-v-collection-x/ Tue, 12 Dec 2023 09:53:39 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/news/arturia-v-collection-x/ Announcement of Arturia V Collection X featuring 39 professional software instruments and sound emulations. https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/links/ Fri, 01 Dec 2023 13:30:39 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/links/ Curated YouTube channels for blockchain and cryptocurrency education, covering technical fundamentals, market analysis, ecosystem-specific coverage, and Bitcoin-focused content. https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/bitcoin/bitcoin/ Fri, 23 Jun 2023 13:30:39 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/bitcoin/bitcoin/ An introduction to Bitcoin - the world's first decentralised cryptocurrency. Covers key characteristics, how it works, and curated educational resources for understanding Bitcoin from first principles. https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/private-keys/ Fri, 23 Jun 2023 13:30:39 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/private-keys/ Understanding private keys - the secret numbers that control your cryptocurrency funds. Learn how they work, why they matter, and how to protect them. https://jamesm.blog/ai/conferences/ Sat, 10 Jun 2023 06:51:25 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/conferences/ A practical guide to the AI conferences worth following, who each type of event is for, and how to choose the right one before spending time or money. https://jamesm.blog/devops/aws-summit-2023-videos/ Wed, 07 Jun 2023 11:04:16 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/devops/aws-summit-2023-videos/ Video recordings and key takeaways from AWS Summit London 2023, including the opening keynote on generative AI, data strategy, and customer stories from Compare the Market and Arup. https://jamesm.blog/devops/aws-summit-2023-agenda/ Wed, 07 Jun 2023 07:54:16 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/devops/aws-summit-2023-agenda/ Complete agenda of AWS Summit London 2023 with session codes, titles, and difficulty levels for all conference presentations. https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/3things/ Sat, 03 Jun 2023 14:56:39 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/3things/ Daily reflection practice with three key questions for gratitude, affirmation, and intentional living. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/news/arturia-fx-collection-4/ Fri, 02 Jun 2023 09:53:39 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/news/arturia-fx-collection-4/ Announcement and overview of Arturia FX Collection 4 effects plugin suite with 30 professional effects. https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/tweets/phrases-to-teach-your-kids/ Wed, 31 May 2023 08:52:39 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/tweets/phrases-to-teach-your-kids/ Tweet with valuable phrases and lessons to teach children for better development and resilience. https://jamesm.blog/devops/github-projects/ Mon, 29 May 2023 06:45:18 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/devops/github-projects/ Curated collection of essential open-source DevOps projects on GitHub - SRE learning resources, Kubernetes tooling, Linux utilities, and workflow schedulers. https://jamesm.blog/devops/devops-courses/ Sun, 28 May 2023 11:51:18 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/devops/devops-courses/ Comprehensive collection of DevOps courses covering AWS, Azure, Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, CI/CD, Linux, and cloud infrastructure training. https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/books/ Sun, 28 May 2023 09:02:39 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/books/ Recommended reading list of personal development and self-improvement books covering mental models, habits, and success. https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/courses/ Sun, 28 May 2023 09:02:39 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/courses/ Curated collection of online courses for personal development from leading platforms including edX, Harvard, and Udemy. https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/videos/ Sat, 27 May 2023 09:02:39 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/videos/ Curated list of YouTube channels and creators focused on personal development, motivation, and self-improvement. https://jamesm.blog/ai/github-projects/ Sat, 27 May 2023 08:01:18 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/github-projects/ A curated index of significant open-source AI projects on GitHub - agent frameworks, coding tools, and local LLM runners worth knowing about as a starting map of the ecosystem. https://jamesm.blog/ai/adobe-generative-fill/ Fri, 26 May 2023 20:04:28 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/adobe-generative-fill/ Adobe Generative Fill in Photoshop brings text-prompted image manipulation powered by Firefly - removing objects, extending scenes, and adding content, all trained on commercially safe licensed work. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/news/ni-summer-of-sound-2023/ Fri, 26 May 2023 07:01:39 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/news/ni-summer-of-sound-2023/ Native Instruments Summer of Sound 2023 sale offers 50% off Komplete 14 upgrades, Traktor Pro 3, instrument and effect plugins, and iZotope products until 6th July 2023. https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/tweets/habits-intelligent-people/ Thu, 25 May 2023 12:53:39 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/tweets/habits-intelligent-people/ Tweet sharing insights on habits and behaviors common among intelligent and successful people. https://jamesm.blog/ai/tweets/neurallink/ Thu, 25 May 2023 11:30:14 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/tweets/neurallink/ Tweet announcing Neuralink's FDA approval to begin its first in-human clinical study of a brain-computer interface. https://jamesm.blog/music-production/news/ableton-push-3/ Tue, 23 May 2023 14:53:39 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/music-production/news/ableton-push-3/ Ableton Push 3 launches in two configurations - standalone and computer-connected - bringing 64 expressive pads, a built-in audio interface, and the option to upgrade to a full standalone instrument later. https://jamesm.blog/ai/speechify/ Sat, 20 May 2023 12:54:16 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/speechify/ Speechify converts PDFs, web articles, and scanned text into natural-sounding audio with AI voices and adjustable speed - widely used for accessibility, productivity, and professional audiobook creation. https://jamesm.blog/ai/chatgpt-app-ios/ Thu, 18 May 2023 19:05:35 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/chatgpt-app-ios/ Why the ChatGPT iPhone app mattered, what changed when AI moved onto mobile, and why the launch was more important than a simple companion app release. https://jamesm.blog/devops/aws-summit-2023/ Thu, 18 May 2023 09:54:16 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/devops/aws-summit-2023/ AWS Summit London 2023 agenda announcement with keynote details, technical tracks, and planning guidance for attendees. https://jamesm.blog/general/tweets/worst-uis/ Mon, 15 May 2023 14:53:39 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/general/tweets/worst-uis/ Tweet thread collecting some of the worst user interfaces ever shipped - a masterclass in what not to do. https://jamesm.blog/theories/favourite-physicists/ Thu, 11 May 2023 21:06:35 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/theories/favourite-physicists/ A collection of influential physicists who have shaped our understanding of the universe, with notable talks and contributions. https://jamesm.blog/general/favourite-tv-movies/ Thu, 11 May 2023 21:06:35 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/general/favourite-tv-movies/ Personal collection of favourite television shows, films, comedians, directors, and actors. https://jamesm.blog/ai/notion/ Thu, 11 May 2023 21:06:35 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/notion/ Notion is a flexible workspace for notes, documents, databases, and tasks - extended with Notion AI for Q&A, summarisation, and content generation across your knowledge base. https://jamesm.blog/general/links/ Wed, 10 May 2023 14:53:39 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/general/links/ Curated collection of technology, podcast, and personal blog links covering tech, science, and cultural topics. https://jamesm.blog/devops/books/ Fri, 21 Apr 2023 23:07:18 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/devops/books/ Recommended reading list of DevOps and infrastructure engineering books covering culture, cloud, containers, infrastructure as code, SRE, and programming languages. https://jamesm.blog/devops/blogs/ Fri, 21 Apr 2023 11:50:32 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/devops/blogs/ Curated list of DevOps and SRE blogs covering infrastructure, automation, continuous delivery, platform engineering, and operational best practices. https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/courses/ Tue, 18 Apr 2023 09:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/courses/ Curated learning resources for blockchain development and Web3, from beginner fundamentals to advanced smart contract development https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/gavin-wood/ Tue, 18 Apr 2023 09:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/gavin-wood/ Dr. Gavin Wood's contributions to blockchain technology, from Ethereum to Polkadot, and his vision for Web3 interoperability https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/hardware-wallets/ Mon, 17 Apr 2023 09:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/hardware-wallets/ Guide to hardware wallets for secure cryptocurrency storage, covering leading providers and best practices for cold storage security https://jamesm.blog/ai/tweets/auto-gpt/ Sat, 01 Apr 2023 14:53:39 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/tweets/auto-gpt/ Tweet showing Auto-GPT writing its own code - an early 2023 glimpse of autonomous coding agents. https://jamesm.blog/ai/tweets/gpt-4/ Thu, 16 Mar 2023 14:53:39 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/tweets/gpt-4/ Tweet marking the release of OpenAI's GPT-4, the model that kicked off the 2023 wave of large multimodal language models. https://jamesm.blog/ai/explainers/ Wed, 15 Feb 2023 19:05:35 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/explainers/ A curated set of the clearest technical explainers for foundational AI concepts - backpropagation, transformers, language models, and diffusion - written by Karpathy, Wolfram, and NVIDIA's team. https://jamesm.blog/ai/github-copilot/ Sat, 14 Jan 2023 11:51:18 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/ai/github-copilot/ GitHub Copilot is the original mainstream AI pair programmer - now multi-model with GPT-5, Claude, and Gemini routing - covering code completions, agent mode, and IDE integrations across all plans. https://jamesm.blog/devops/aws-reinvent-2022-slides/ Sat, 03 Dec 2022 11:04:16 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/devops/aws-reinvent-2022-slides/ Curated collection of presentation slide decks from AWS re:Invent 2022, covering DevOps, Kubernetes on EKS, CI/CD, and DevSecOps topics with short practitioner summaries. https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/tweets/visuals-about-life/ Wed, 26 Oct 2022 14:53:39 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/personal-development/tweets/visuals-about-life/ Tweet featuring visual insights about psychology, human behavior, and life lessons. https://jamesm.blog/devops/cicd-tools/ Sun, 21 Aug 2022 11:51:18 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/devops/cicd-tools/ Overview of popular CI/CD and continuous delivery tools - managed services, self-hosted platforms, and GitOps systems - for automating software builds, testing, and deployments. https://jamesm.blog/devops/monitoring/ Fri, 21 Jan 2022 11:51:18 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/devops/monitoring/ Guide to monitoring and observability tools for cloud infrastructure and applications - AWS CloudWatch, Datadog, Grafana, Prometheus, and open-source alternatives. https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/cardono-vs-polkadot/ Thu, 17 Jun 2021 09:53:39 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/blockchain/cardono-vs-polkadot/ Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson joins Lex Fridman to compare Cardano and Polkadot, exploring their different approaches to scalability, governance, and ecosystem development. https://jamesm.blog/devops/dev-courses/ Fri, 28 May 2021 11:51:18 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/devops/dev-courses/ Curated list of development and programming courses covering Python, Django, React, C++, JavaScript, and fundamentals for software engineers at every level. https://jamesm.blog/devops/devops-conferences/ Fri, 28 May 2021 11:51:18 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/devops/devops-conferences/ Guide to major DevOps conferences and summits - KubeCon, DevOpsDays, PlatformCon, AWS re:Invent - covering cloud infrastructure, SRE, and platform engineering. https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/favourite-computer-games/ Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:01 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/retro-computing/favourite-computer-games/ Personal collection of favourite computer and console games across decades of gaming history. https://jamesm.blog/general/shortcodes/ Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:01 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/general/shortcodes/ Developer reference guide for Hugo shortcodes and embedded content syntax. https://jamesm.blog/general/markdown/ Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0100 https://jamesm.blog/general/markdown/ Developer reference guide for Markdown syntax and Hugo shortcodes used on this site.