iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Amy Hoy: Pro Edition @amy.stackingthebricks.com · 30/04/2026

well maybe these researchers really are the dumb babies they sound like, bc llms don't EVER work by "diving into the data" and using "probability" that implies the llms analyze and calculate. and they can't! responses are dictated by statistical correlations between TOKENS in the CORPUS

The effect “involves constructing a false epistemic frame, i.e., describing a multi-modal input never provided by the user and basing the rest of the conversation on that, therefore changing the context of the task at hand,” the researchers wrote in their paper.

this sentence is highlighted: The damning findings suggest AI models cheat by diving into the data they were given — and coming up with the rest based on probability, even if it’s almost entirely conjecture.

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Amy Hoy: Pro Edition @amy.stackingthebricks.com · 30/04/2026

"seeing" something that isn't there is literally the definition of "hallucination" so i think these researchers had to know what they were doing & were doing it on purpose

In other words, the AI models happily came up with answers to questions about a supposedly accompanying image — even if the researchers never even showed it an image.

As opposed to hallucinations, which involve AI models arbitrarily filling in the gaps within a logical framework, the team coined a new term for the phenomenon: “mirage reasoning.”

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Amy Hoy: Pro Edition @amy.stackingthebricks.com · 30/04/2026

this is a crawler. and would be a neato 40-year-old project

john deere mini bulldozer with tank tread "wheels"

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Amy Hoy: Pro Edition @amy.stackingthebricks.com · 28/04/2026

i recently thought i finally landed on a solution to my "which camera do i get for deep infrared??" dilemma and bought a pre-converted ~830nm oly e-m5 mk ii from mpb but it was weirdly heavy, off-balance, & the evf was smeared. so back it went. now i am back where i started, but more annoyed

high contrast black & white photo of the desert. two saguaros glow white against a black sky. black silhouette of leggy palo verde branches frame the scene.

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Amy Hoy: Pro Edition @amy.stackingthebricks.com · 28/04/2026

i really like this chart from @olivia.science's paper "What Does ‘Human-Centred AI’ Mean?" arxiv.org/pdf/2507.19960

two tables, one "Discern relationship: does the artefact relate to cognitive labor?" (three entries: machine, human, and AI in the middle)

2: characterize relationship: How does the artefact relate to cognitive labor? the 3 columns are replacement, enhancement, displacement, with rows about valence, efect on cognition, labor obfuscation, human equivalence, etc.

more in the linked paper

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Amy Hoy: Pro Edition @amy.stackingthebricks.com · 27/04/2026

allegedly these are the "six major new product categories" coming from apple this is a very stupid list of very doomed products. 9to5mac.com/2026/04/23/a...

As part of the conversation, Gurman said: “There are six major Apple products in development right now, six major new product categories.”
Here’s the full list he shared:
AI AirPods
Smart glasses
Pendant
Smart display
Tabletop robot
Security camera

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Amy Hoy: Pro Edition @amy.stackingthebricks.com · 10/04/2025

a very good example of an email about very bad news from a business to a customer i bought a couple tiny, specialized camera lenses from this company before -- not their usual customer, but i thought this was a great way to talk about the *gag* tariffs (added it twice for the full alt text)

China Tariff Impact Update
For International Customers and Supply Chains: We’ve got it covered.
If you are outside of the US or if you have us ship internationally to a contract manufacturer outside the US: our intent is to keep your prices unaffected by US geopolitical activity.

We have reorganized our operations to keep all components and goods destined for other countries “in bond” with US customs, thereby bypassing the impact from tariffs. Please note that this strategy does require full lead-time for your volume orders and we will not be able to partial ship your volume orders from our US-domestic inventory without additional charges.

We also have a “duty drawback” program in place whereby we can retrieve ~80% of any tariffs we incurred on components and goods. This is how we are able to maintain our existing webstore prices.

We have an additional backup plan (facility in China) in the event trade tensions escalate further.
For US Customers: We will get through this.
We live in a changing world of supply chain dislocation, price increases, and uncertainty. If you need to place volume orders at this time, all prices are subject to change based on the delivery date as our cost inputs are changing by the hour.

The full tariff stack for lenses and any optical subcomponent from China is currently 25% Section 301 + 10% IEEPA #1 +10% IEEPA #2 + 10% Base Reciprocal + 34% China Reciprocal + 50% Retaliatory #1 + (125%-50%-34%=41%) = 181%. The tariff stack for camera modules is slightly lower as the Section 301 is 7.5% instead of 25%. This is subject to change and will likely be inaccurate by the time you read this email.

We were able to get many components through customs when tariffs were only ~45-55% and before the latest 125%. However, on our webstore we have implemented a variable base price surcharge line item called “Trump Tariffs” so that the impact is transparent and that you understand prices will return to normal if/when the situation is resolved.

Long term we are working to set up an FTZ for our manufacturing processes. This will allow us to meet the substantial transformation thresholds before any components enter the US stream of commerce, thereby addressing China tariffs on subcomponents.

My personal hope is that an agreement or change is made soon. Until then, I’m here to talk through supply chain strategies that we’ve identified that you may also be able to use.
Set up a time to talk to Max about tariffs (or your project in general!)

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Amy Hoy: Pro Edition @amy.stackingthebricks.com · 21/02/2025

nothing is a substitute for thinking through problems with your own brain it's not about getting "the answer," it's about the insight and experience you can only gain from grappling with it and looking at it from different angles and sketching it out and fiddling with it and

screenshot of Omnigraffle, a diagramming tool, showing a purple arc with little sub-arcs inside it and a list of email types sorted into categories and those categories then grouped into two outlined blocks to chunk them

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Amy Hoy: Pro Edition @amy.stackingthebricks.com · 24/01/2025

i love how much marketing content doesn't explain or teach anything. it has the shiny gloss of information without any actual information

The 6 different types of product launch emails
Product launch emails are more like a marketing category than a rigid format you have to follow. Here are the different types of product launch emails you use to build anticipation, increase subscriber engagement, and maximize sales.

Product teaser messages hint at upcoming releases to build excitement
Pre-sales and pre-orders let subscribers note their interest or buy a product before its release day (usually at a discount)
Re-engagement emails aim to boost open and click-through rates before a launch so as many people see your product launch as possible
Launch day messages tell your subscribers that sales are open to everyone
Upsell emails promote an additional paid product to a customer who bought something related
Downsell emails present a different, typically cheaper, product to subscribers who don’t buy your initial promotion

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Amy Hoy: Pro Edition @amy.stackingthebricks.com · 28/12/2024

typical. investors ousted the founder. some founders are bad, but new management is rarely going to steward a company like the one who set out to build it in the first place.

The company's former CEO and cofounder lan Crosby released a statement on social media on Friday, saying he was "very sad" about the closure.
But Crosby, who said he was ousted by the company's board about three years ago, said there was a lesson in the fate of the company.
"I hope the story of Bench goes on to become a warning for VCs (venture capitalists) that think they can 'upgrade' a company by replacing the founder. It never works," he said.

He said that in 2021 he had been battling with some board members over their strategy for a "new direction" that he thought was a
"very bad idea."
"Rather than continuing to fight with me, they opted to just replace me, thinking that they could run the company better themselves," he said.
"I was totally convinced that their approach would destroy the company. I opted to resign rather than fight."

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Amy Hoy: Pro Edition @amy.stackingthebricks.com · 18/11/2024

anybody here a google for domains biz customer AND successfully using google groups bc i can be added but i can't see shit and it won't send me emails. naturally i followed directions and everything is turned on, and yet…

Content unavailable

Click here to try again.
If you've seen this page more than once, try switching accounts, or check with your organization's administrator to make sure you have permission.

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Amy Hoy: Pro Edition @amy.stackingthebricks.com · 12/11/2024

we're refinancing our office and the appraiser is coming today. yes, they use comps, but our property is unique and there ARE no true comps. so i'm preparing a dossier. it's a marketing job like any other.

New roof (full tear off) $7500
New plumbing (replaced polybutylene pipes, etc.) $4500
Leveled, new tie downs $500
New exterior stairs (2) and porch $1500
Cleaned, repaired, replaced ductwork $1400
New carpet $3100
New vinyl flooring $500
New dishwasher, stove, and vent hood (latter to be installed) $1750
New side door with glass $800
New smart locks $500
New alarm system $500
New paint + drywall $2500
New kitchen faucet $200
New thermostat $200
Various repairs $1000
Coated tub in main bedroom $300
Pest removal $2,000
Trash removal incl. defunct hot tub $1,000
New Elfa closet system for entry/laundry (to be installed) .
$1,250
New high-end fenced area with double gates suitable to drive through
500sq ft - $4,900
New vinyl skirting $2500 - but could not withstand the high wind here
on the hill.
New metal skirting with solid frame installing now @ $5,500
Total: $43,900

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Amy Hoy: Pro Edition @amy.stackingthebricks.com · 12/11/2024

i actually have a manually de-bayered ricoh gr! it's really fun to shoot but getting the red filter on there is annoying. i would love a true monochrome camera but not for the price it costs (rumors are ricoh is making a true mono GR in the next model)

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Amy Hoy: Pro Edition @amy.stackingthebricks.com · 30/10/2024

i like this idea. i scheduled mine, tomorrow at 7a AZ time (same as pacific, at the moment)

screenshot of me composing a tweet with just a blue butterfly emoji, to send on Thurs, Oct 31, at 7am

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Amy Hoy: Pro Edition @amy.stackingthebricks.com · 29/10/2024

i dug around to find a page with the actual sleep cover and lolllll this is so bad who approved this??

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Amy Hoy: Pro Edition @amy.stackingthebricks.com · 28/10/2024

i’m selling the (secondhand) gucci loafers i got a while ago in the wrong size (sob) and somebody’s on ebay trying to cry poor bc i didn’t accept their 66% offer lollllll context, my guy

incoming message: Hi , the issue is the tax ans shipping costs . Hence the offer

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Amy Hoy: Pro Edition @amy.stackingthebricks.com · 27/10/2024

well that explains why my keyboard was sliding off my lap desk

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Amy Hoy: Pro Edition @amy.stackingthebricks.com · 27/10/2024

have you seen the harris-walz economic plan? it’s very good, lots of stuff that’ll be great for indies, new entrepreneurs & small biz like us i only found it exists bc i searched. have not seen it mentioned anywhere. 👉 kamalaharris.com/wp-content/u...

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Amy Hoy: Pro Edition @amy.stackingthebricks.com · 26/10/2024

welcome new followers! say hi and show me your pet and/or favorite pet-like thing! this is rocco, my gluten detection service dog

adorable tri-color Australian Shepherd gives you a play bow (rump in the air, front end towards the ground) while smiling. he has caught a toy on a long stretchy rope

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Amy Hoy: Pro Edition @amy.stackingthebricks.com · 25/10/2024

i highlighted this passage in a novel the other day cuz DAMN, ain't that the truth. another line later: “Must be nice. To be able to be weak. I wouldn’t know.” a lot of times it's soft living that separates wannabes from doers, ime

She knew it was up to her to say what had to be said. To do what had to be done. When there is only you, you do not get to choose which jobs you want, you do not get to decide you are incapable of anything. There is no room for distaste or weakness. You must do it all. All of the ugliness, the sadness, the things most people can’t stand to even think about, all must live inside of you. You must be capable of everything.

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Amy Hoy: Pro Edition @amy.stackingthebricks.com · 24/10/2024

i made the critical mistake of providing a phone # when i was looking for HELOC rates and i am getting soooo many texts but some of them are pretty strong from a copy standpoint clearly this is a common issue

Amy, has your lender disappeared? The loan process can be SO frustrating. You'll get full transparency and 5-⭐ service here. How can I help? Mike

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Amy Hoy: Pro Edition @amy.stackingthebricks.com · 24/10/2024

getting my lil video studio back in order now i’m so much healthier 🎶 starin at my Max Bill poster 🎶 tnx to @thomasfuchs.at for the cleaning assist

a deep pink wall in a small room covered in graphic art posters including a 1972 Max Bill Olympic Games poster of a rainbow prism. there’s a tiny cream sofa, covered in a pink fur rug, and an incredibly over the top 1960s pottery lamp in a green and blue and yellow fat lava style with a matching outrageous fabric shade which coordinates with the tropical window curtain

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