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Today's topics:

Ebook standards vs Kobo reality - A DRM-free EPUB passed epubcheck yet failed on Kobo devices because an outdated Adobe RMSDK renderer choked on modern CSS like min(). Keywords: EPUB, Kobo, RMSDK, CSS, compatibility.

Human-powered local AI satire - CrankGPT pitches ‘human-powered’ local AI to highlight privacy, energy use, and AI wealth concentration—reading like satire, but aimed at real anxieties. Keywords: local AI, privacy, energy footprint, decentralization.

Salesforce doubles down on agents - Salesforce agreed to buy Fin (formerly Intercom) for about $3.6B to strengthen autonomous customer-service agents and speed adoption for SMBs. Keywords: Salesforce, Fin, Intercom, AI agents, customer support.

Claude plugs into Apple framework - Anthropic released a Swift package that lets apps use Claude through Apple’s Foundation Models interfaces, keeping Apple out of the prompt path while raising new key-management questions. Keywords: Claude, Apple, Swift, Foundation Models, API.

When AI makes hard work easy - An essay argues AI tools can undercut the meaning people attached to difficult skills, creating resentment and identity churn even when productivity rises. Keywords: automation, software engineering, meaning, grind culture, backlash.

Prompting as cost-control discipline - A long guide reframes prompt writing as workflow hygiene and budget optimization, helping people get strong results from cheaper models with concise, structured requests. Keywords: prompting, budget LLMs, productivity, cost control.

Tech leadership turns into media - A critique says tech leaders increasingly chase celebrity and ‘founder mythology,’ blurring reporting and promotion—and burning trust the industry may need later. Keywords: tech culture, trust, media, founders, legitimacy.

No-dependency path tracing project - Luz is a C++20 path tracer built from scratch with zero third-party dependencies, positioned as a portable learning and experimentation codebase. Keywords: open source, rendering, path tracing, C++20, portability.

Rediscovering built-in Emacs power - A ‘batteries included’ post shows how much capability ships inside Emacs but stays hidden, arguing discoverability—not plugins—is the real bottleneck. Keywords: Emacs, built-in features, productivity, discoverability.

-CrankGPT Pitches Human-Powered, Fully Local AI to Address Privacy and Energy Concerns
-Salesforce Agrees to Buy Fin for $3.6 Billion to Expand AI Customer Service Agents
-Blogger Says Tech Leaders Are Trading Nerd Credibility for Celebrity Attention
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