A Quiet Policy That Got Very Loud When you send a prompt to an API, you probably assume the provider is just routing tokens and counting them. That’s mostly true. But what if they were also scanning your requests — specifically looking for evidence that you’re using a competing AI framework — and then billing you differently based on what they found? That’s the core of the Anthropic billing controversy that surfaced in developer communities in 2024 and 2025, and it has serious implications for anyone building with Claude or thinking about AI vendor strategy. This article explains what happened,…
Author: Mason Reed
Apple and Michigan State University recently hosted the inaugural Apple Manufacturing Academy Spring Forum, focused on how AI is being implemented across multiple manufacturing workflows. Here are the details. Apple to host more events at MSU in coming months Last year, Apple announced the creation of the Apple Manufacturing Academy as part of the company’s $600 billion advanced manufacturing program to invest in manufacturing and supply chain capabilities in the United States. Recently, the company hosted its first Spring Forum, which brought together small and medium-sized businesses focused on AI and smart manufacturing. Hosted at Michigan State University, the two-day…
For Apple users, managing digital files often feels like a constant struggle against storage limits and recurring subscription fees. High-resolution photos, 4K videos, and large project files add up quickly. Although monthly subscriptions may seem manageable at first, they add up significantly over the years. pCloud offers a radically different approach: a robust, secure cloud storage platform that you pay once and keep for life. Right now, pCloud is offering a special Family Day promotion. From May 11-24, you can get up to 65% off a lifetime family plan. Better yet, the offer includes pCloud Encryption completely free for life.…
For more than two decades, Windows has had a bizarre, almost stubborn, relationship with folder views. You set things up correctly, and somewhere down the line, File Explorer decides one day that it knows better. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t, and somehow he always chooses the worst possible moment to reset everything. So suddenly you’re back to giant thumbnails, jumbled columns, and a layout that just doesn’t belong in the folder you’re looking at. This inconsistency has been annoying for decades now and, of course, it’s also why so many people tend to switch to one of File Explorer’s many brilliant…
Prime Video is the latest streaming service to launch a vertical video stream in its iPhone app. Here are the details of Prime Video’s new “Clips” vertical video feature, rolling out today. Prime Video’s new vertical video feature ‘Clips’ helps you discover TV shows and movies Vertical video has occupied an important place on social networks since TikTok took off. But 2026 seems to be the year where all streaming apps try their hand at the vertical, too. Disney+ launched vertical video in March with a feature called “Greens.” Last week, global streaming leader Netflix went all-in with its new…
We all have a shoebox or drawer full of old technology and miscellaneous junk that we haven’t looked at since 2018. Whether it’s Arduino Nanos, dusty ESP8266s, old PIR sensors, or just a bunch of tangled jumper cables, there’s probably a lot of technology in that old drawer that could be put to good use rather than just sitting around collecting dust. The problem is that coding them in C++ for every minor task is a major chore, and they end up unused because the effort-to-utility ratio is just too high. ESPHome completely removes the code barrier by using…
Tardigrade is a tiny animal, whose size does not exceed 1mm, it can be observed using a binocular magnifying glass. Despite its very small size, it could well be the last survivor on earth in the case of an apocalypse. Indeed, its unique characteristics allow it to survive in the least hospitable environments. Off-norm characteristics The body of Tardigrade is stocky, segmented and covered with a resistant cuticle, similar to that of insects, which must be driven to allow growth. Tardigrade has four pairs of short legs, each with 4 to 8 claws or adhesive pads which allow them to…