April 25, 2026
By: Stephen Toback
A common hurdle in using generative AI is the perceived need for "prompt engineering"—the idea that you must learn a technical language to get a useful result. However, the most effective way to interact with a model might be much...
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By: Stephen Toback
I recently got a great perspective from Nate B. Jones (@nate.b.jones) on the current "hype" surrounding AI—specifically the launch of tools like Claude Design. Like almost every shift in AI, computer professionals often feel like they are under siege, wondering...
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April 24, 2026
By: Stephen Toback
Click to view the live dashboard. Goal: Create a real-time, secure professional dashboard without writing a single line of code or exposing private data. 1. The Strategy: Architecting with Gemini Instead of jumping straight into building, we used Gemini to...
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April 22, 2026
By: Stephen Toback
I recently read an article by Yann LeCun, Chief AI Scientist at Meta, where he described the current push toward LLM-based agentic AI as a "recipe for disaster." At a time when every tech giant is pivoting toward "AI Agents"—systems...
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By: Stephen Toback
I recently conducted an informal experiment while driving between meetings. My goal was to discuss the concept of "vibe coding"—using generative AI to build software based on high-level intent rather than manual coding—from the perspective of a non-developer. Because I...
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April 20, 2026
By: Stephen Toback
I've been seeing a lot of "digital headshots" ads lately. My "new hairdoo" (or lack there of) makes me feel strange with my mop head professionally so I thought I'd give one a try. This sample on InstaHeadshot's home page...
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April 19, 2026
By: Stephen Toback
The latest update to Microsoft Copilot has introduced tools that were previously reserved for software developers and data scientists. As demonstrated by creator Robert Triebwasser (@robert.triebwasser), these new "superpowers"—driven by the GPT-5.4 "Think Deeper" model—allow you to transform raw data...
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April 17, 2026
By: Stephen Toback
I’ve been poking around the Duke version of Microsoft Copilot lately, and I’m starting to notice some interesting changes in the menus. It looks like we got an update around early March that brought in some new options—specifically something called...
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By: Stephen Toback
Writing annual performance reviews is often a daunting task of reconstructing an entire year from memory. I recently experimented with using Microsoft Copilot to help draft my review, and the results were a massive time-saver. While Copilot did the heavy...
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April 13, 2026
By: Stephen Toback
In the world of software development, a GitHub contribution graph—the grid of green squares—is the standard visual for a developer’s activity. But for many, those flat squares don’t tell the full story. A new open-source project called Git City has changed that,...
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