iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

TIL that Starbucks sells "Cappuccino Lava Mooncakes" this time of year in this part of the world. They've apparently been available in China since 2001 and in some Southeast Asian countries since the 2010s. (Yes, i've been hiding under a rock all this time. 😅)

A box labeled Starbucks Mooncake with two individually wrapped mooncake servings resting on the closed lid. One serving is placed face down, revealing this text on the back of the packaging: "Starbucks Lava Cappuccino Mooncake. Use by (D/M/Y) 09/10/2026"

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Used Opus 5.5 to code up a little utility that syncs a folder on my Macbook with an XTEiNK X3 eReader over Wi-Fi. I like the subtle little touches that Claude Code added, such as the way border colors on the main feedback pane change: gray for info, blue for preview, green for good, red for errors

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Glad I caught this Kickstarter campaign from @kristentate.bsky.social before it ends on October 13. You have 19 days left to join 66 other backers like me. www.kickstarter.com/projects/blu...

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

TIL that Westerners say "black tea" to refer to the color of the tea leaves, while the Chinese say "紅茶" (literally, red tea) because they refer to the color of the liquid brew. Both terms refer to the same thing. #ThingsIDuolingo

Screenshot with the following text highlighted: Black tea is called Hong Cha (red tea) in Chinese because the Chinese name describes the red color of the brewed liquid in the cup, rather than the dry leaves.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Finally have the time and mental state to sit down and start watching Season 3 of The Diplomat. Literally gasped "Oh, my God!" at the end of the first episode. #DidNotSeeThatComing

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Did a literal double take at these two updated app icons.

Tasks and Chat app icons on a dark background.
Two circular app icons side by side: "Tasks" (left) features a blue gradient circle with a white checkmark, and "Chat" (right) features a white circle containing a green gradient speech bubble with a small smile.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

This week's fun little project created with Claude Code: a Chrome browser extension which, with one click, generates a summary short summary of whatever Reddit thread I happen to be on. The extension "blinks" while the summary is being generated, then opens the summary doc when done.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

The "singular they" our-languages.canada.ca/en/blogue-bl...

Here's what people are doing now

The "rule" that "they" can't be used in the singular is deeply rooted in people's minds. So are editors, linguists and style guides saying anything about it? Yes, they are, and they're certainly saying a lot.

It's been a hot topic among language professionals for some time, and it really peaked in recent years. Here are some of the most significant announcements.

- The American Dialect Society declared the singular "they" its Word of the Year in 2015; in 2020, they deemed it to be the Word of the Decade for 2010 to 2019

- The Associated Press allows "they" as a singular pronoun when a writer is referring to people who don't use gendered pronouns

- The American Psychological Association, Modern Languages Association and The Chicago Manual of Style (see changes made to sections 5.51 and 5.266) now endorse using both specific and generic singular "they"

- The Government of Canada says that gender-specific language should not be used in legislation and offers the singular "they" as one option to avoid this

But it looks funny

You'll run into people who say that it's incorrect or it looks funny or they don't like it. No one is saying we have to use it. But saying someone can't or shouldn't use it is wrong.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Interesting takeaway from "Running an AI-Native Engineering Org," a recent talk by Anthropic's Fiona Fung. Every manager starts as an IC first. Full video here www.youtube.com/watch?v=igO8... The bit on "starts as IC first" is at 17m 55s.

Keep your org as flat as possible to stay agile.

Fiona deliberately rejected the traditional 10:1 IC-to-manager ratio when scaling the Claude Code team. She structured the org to be as flat as possible, with one shared team mission rather than per-pod missions that create friction when priorities shift.

Her most controversial decision: every manager starts as an IC first. Recruiters pushed back — “No manager would be interested in that” — but Fiona held firm. The reasoning:

1) Managers need to dogfood the product they lead
2) Starting as an IC builds credibility with the team
3) Claude makes it possible for managers to stay in the code despite context-switching demands

This reflects a broader principle: AI-native orgs may need different shapes than traditional ones, and leaders should question inherited structures rather than scaling them by default.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

One of the better reads I've come across lately for individual contributors and aspiring managers. "Don’t romanticize what it means to be mentored and coached. You might already be getting the support you've been looking for." newsletter.weskao.com/p/your-manag...

newsletter.weskao.com

Your manager is already investing in you

Don’t romanticize what it means to be mentored and coached. You might already be getting the support you've been looking for.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

Oh, that question is new. I also like that they didn't use numbers because it's too easy to hit (1) and inadvertently respond with a yes otherwise.

Screenshot of Claude Code with the text:
Can Anthropic look at your session transcript to help us improve Claude Code? Learn more: https://code.claude.com/docs/en /data-usage#session-quality-surveys

y: Yes n: No d: Don't ask again

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

Had occasion to share the "why we shouldn't use 'click here' to hyperlink" advice again, so I'm reposting. 😅

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

I helped a couple of friends who have not previously used Terminal on macOS get started with Claude Code, and I wrote up the tips that I shared with them. Covers setup, granting permissions, managing sessions, working with files, and building for the long-term. mdynotes.com/how-im-helpi...

mdynotes.com

How I’m helping non-technical friends get started with Claude Code - mdynotes

Non-technical macOS users can get in on the fun with Claude Code, even if they're using Terminal for the first time. This post shows you how.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Oh boy. I thought the MiniMax terms on the API side were concerning (see quoted thread for details), but the App and Web terms are actually worse (bolding mine). platform.minimax.io/protocol/ter...

We do not claim ownership of User Contributions or User Generated Content. By using the Services, you grant to us, our affiliates, successors, and assigns a royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, non-exclusive right (including any moral rights) and license to use, license, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, derive revenue or other remuneration from, and communicate to the public, perform and display your User Contributions and User Generated Content (in whole or in part) worldwide and/or to incorporate it in other works in any form, media or technology now known or later developed, for the full term of any worldwide intellectual property right that may exist in your User Contributions and User Generated Content. This license survives termination of this Agreement by any party, for any reason.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Was exploring alternative model providers that I can use with Claude Code and had heard good things about MiniMax. But these three clauses in the Platform ToS gave me pause. Guess I have to keep looking. platform.minimax.io/protocol/ter...

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Finally got around to cancelling my Grammarly premium subscription after 7 years of being a paid subscriber. Claude has taken over that role for me.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

For roasted chestnuts that have been stored in the refrigerator: do you microwave before scoring them or do you score first then microwave after? I feel like I'm not doing this right. Tips welcome.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Had occasion to revisit this old piece earlier today. It's still as good a read as when I first discovered it. www.conordewey.com/blog/barrels...

In this talk, he introduces the concept of barrels and ammunition, which I thought was a really clever way to view organizations. I won't bury the lead here. This quote from Rabois summarizes the idea nicely:

"If you think about people, there are two categories of high-quality people: there is the ammunition, and then there are the barrels. You can add all the ammunition you want, but if you have only five barrels in your company, you can literally do only five things simultaneously. If you add one more barrel, you can now do six things simultaneously. If you add another one, you can do seven, and so on."

In short, the output of your organization is dependent on the number of people that can own projects and see them through to the end.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Spotted on today's walk.

A cluster of unripe green papayas growing tightly around the trunk of a papaya tree, with large, bright green lobed leaves spreading overhead.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Finally got around to linking my (experimental) Snippets site to Bluesky via the @mdysnippets.com account. Let's see how long I manage to keep this going. 😅

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Reposted by mdy

MIT Technology Review @technologyreview.com · 09/02/2026

Making AI Work, MIT Technology Review’s new AI newsletter, is here! Learn how to apply LLMs across industries in 7 weekly editions of our new free newsletter: www.technologyreview.com/2026/02/09/1...

technologyreview.com

Making AI Work, MIT Technology Review’s new AI newsletter, is here

Learn how to apply LLMs across industries in 7 weekly editions of our new free newsletter.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

TIL how to clean and rotate the rubber on an HP Laserjet printer's pickup roller to fix a paper feed issue. Endless thanks to this YouTube video (roller discussion starts at 7m 33s in). youtu.be/qRLH8VKUb00?... YouTube really has every conceivable how-to video.

youtu.be

How-to Fix Paper Jam in Tray 1 • HP LaserJet Pro M130fw Paper Jam Troubleshooting & Repair

YouTube video by Paolo Marcelli

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

Solid career advice. The same principle applies if you're gunning for a promotion—the best way to ensure a promotion is to perform at the level you want to be promoted to. www.arjaythedev.com/p/tech-caree...

General Advice

Career pivots in big tech are the norm. It’s extremely rare that I meet someone who has been in their current job family since college. People get burnt out of writing code, or realize there is something else they would rather do. Managers know this and are more than happy to help you achieve your goals.

For any pivot, there are two principles that dramatically increase your odds of success:

1. Start doing the job you want while you still have the job you have. Lean into the responsibilities, language, and outcomes of the new role before asking for the title.

2. Make the pivot inside your current company if you can. Your domain knowledge, relationships, and track record are often far more valuable than an external candidate’s resume.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

Love Termaggedon's one-click policy update—such a user-friendly way for small business owners to get their website into compliance with these two laws, which go into effect on Jan 1, 2026: - Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act - Rhode Island Data Transparency and Privacy Protection Act (DTPPA)

Option #1 - One Click Update – Popular

Follow these steps to see if you qualify to use our One-Click Update:

1. Review this page to view the new questions and the popular answers
2. If your answers are the same as the support article, click the “one-click update” URL below:

View One Click Update Feature:

https://policies.termageddon.com/[rest of link redacted]

If you have different answers than what’s provided in the support article, follow the steps below.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

Oura's year-end wrap-up screens are gorgeous this year. These two were probably the most visually striking ones.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

I know two people who recently ran this battery health check inside the Oura app, learned their rings have issues, and were told by Oura that replacement rings would be sent to them free of charge. 🎉

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Hadn't realized how much more podcast listening I'd done this year. Certainly did not expect to see over 21k minutes. 😅 Sharp China is the new addition to my Top 5. And yep, still doing heavy rotation on the Stratechery bundle.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 30/11/2025

TIL that the theft detection feature on my phone gets activated when I shake the phone hard once. That's pretty cool.

Screenshot of a phone notification reads:

Security & privacy (now)
Screen was auto-locked.
Possible theft was detected by Theft Detection Lock

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 29/11/2025

TIL you can run a "battery health" assessment request from right inside the Oura app. 1. Tap on main (hamburger) menu 2. Tap the Help menu option 3. Type "battery health" into the chat window that appears The email confirmation step was unexpected. What a great privacy and authorization check.

Screenshots showing a Battery Health assessment chat with Oura's AI, Finn (inside the Oura app).

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 28/11/2025

Achievement unlocked: first time Oura has given me a triple crown with all three scores in the 90s (in 5+ years).

Screenshot of the Oura app, showing three scores: Readiness: 91. Sleep: 91. Activity: 92. Each score has a crown icon above it.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

Pretty cool addition to Amazon product pages -- a quick way to check price history for any product.

Amazon's Rufus AI providing price history data on the Aura photo frame product, displaying price data from the last 30 days.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

Loving the convenience of accessing Claude Code on the Web. I can literally be out getting a haircut and still flesh out the MVP of the web app I want to build with just my phone. The prompt I'm using is from Harper Reed's LLM Codegen workflow. harper.blog/2025/02/16/m...

Screenshot of Claude Code on the Web on a Firefox browser for mobile.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 02/11/2025

This weekend's new #firstworldproblem: the "Approaching weekly limit" warning in Claude Code 😅

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

First time I've gotten three cookies in one day. Pips #74 Easy 🟢 0:11 🍪 Medium 🟡 0:34 🍪 Hard 🔴 0:55 🍪

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

So happy to see that subscribers now have access to ad-free versions of @theverge.com podcasts via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube Music. To connect your podcast app to these private feeds, go to www.theverge.com/account/podc... while logged into your subscriber account, then follow the links.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

Saw @leaflet.pub for the first time today. Figured I'd give it a whirl by logging the various links I liked enough to share with other people this week. mdylinks.leaflet.pub/3m2b4nsdpqs2a

mdylinks.leaflet.pub

2025 Week 40 - mdylinks

Links I liked enough to share with other people this week.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

Whoa that 63% of PH respondents say they are watching for or actively seeking new employment. Source: Gallup's "State of the Global Workplace 2025" Report. www.gallup.com/workplace/34...

A table titled "Intent to Leave" shows survey results on job-seeking activity in Southeast Asian countries. The columns are Rank, Country, Change, and "% Watching for or actively seeking new job."

Rank 1: Philippines, Change –2, 63%.
Rank 2: Myanmar, Change +1, 59%.
Rank 3: Laos, Change –2, 56%
Rank 4: Indonesia, Change –1, 52%.
Rank 5: Thailand, Change –1, 44%.

The Philippines has the highest percentage of workers watching for or actively seeking a new job (63%), while Thailand has the lowest among the listed countries (44%).

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

Shared this passage with a friend today. Have lost track of the times I've referred to @lethain.com's books and blogposts because there are so many gems in there.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

This week's random thought: Watching experts in their respective fields react to music videos is like Murderbot's ART preferring to watch media with others, so it can "process the media more easily through your filter."

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

Today's fun bit of AI trivia: I asked ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini to create a transcript for a mock informational interview between two people. **ALL THREE** AI services named one of the interview participants "Jordan" and gave the same rationale when asked why.

Claude:

Jordan - I chose this gender-neutral name deliberately since I didn't want to make assumptions about gender in senior T&S roles. The gender neutrality also allowed the conversation to flow without gender-based assumptions affecting the dynamic.
My approach was to:
1. Use names that sound contemporary and professional
2. Reflect the diversity commonly found in tech T&S teams
3. Avoid names that might carry strong cultural associations that could distract from the content
4. Choose names that would feel believable for professionals in these roles

ChatGPT: I chose “Alex” and “Jordan” because they are short, easy-to-pronounce, gender-neutral names that keep the focus on the substance of the conversation rather than the identities of the participants. They also work well in a professional setting and can represent people from a wide range of cultural or geographic backgrounds, making the mock interview feel broadly relatable.

Gemini: I chose the names "Ariel" and "Jordan" for the mock interview participants. I selected these names to be gender-neutral and professional, reflecting a common practice in many modern workplaces. This choice allows the conversation to focus on the professional roles and career experiences rather than on the gender of the individuals involved.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 30/07/2025

I really can't tell if this is real or a parody . . .

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

Yes to this "Orchestration vs. Leadership" framing from @lethain.com's recent blog post. lethain.com/orchestratio... Reminds me of Project Managers who focus only on tracking and reporting on the status (orchestrating) and not on addressing risks, resolving issues, & unblocking tasks (leading).

Here are a few ways you can identify an orchestration‑heavy manager that doesn’t quite understand their current, leadership‑heavy circumstances:

* Focuses on prioritization as “solution of first resort.” When you’re not allowed to change the problem or the approach, prioritization becomes one of the best tools you have.
* Accepts problems and solutions as presented. If a stakeholder asks for something, questions are around priority rather than whether the project makes sense to do at all, or suggestions of alternative approaches. There’s no habit of questioning whether the request makes sense—that’s left to the stakeholder or to more senior functional leadership.
* Focuses on sprint planning and process. With the problem and approach fixed, protecting your team from interruption and disruption is one of your most valuable tools. Operating strictly to a sprint cadence (changing plans only at the start of each sprint) is a powerful technique.

All of these things are still valuable in a leadership‑heavy role, but they just aren’t necessarily the most valuable things you could be doing.

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mdy @mdy.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

Just reached the end of Season 2 of The Diplomat and I did not see that plot twist coming! Relieved to learn there's a Season 3.

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