I vibe coded an app with my voice, lots of other big AI news, and a harsh review
Plus, how mini-excavators are made, my latest software release, why coffee and chocolate are good for you, another Pixel pic, and why where you were brought up affects your personality
I’m David Gewirtz. Welcome to this week’s Advanced Geekery newsletter. It’s been an exciting week. Let’s dive in.
Advanced Geekery is published weekly on Substack and LinkedIn. Same content. Choose your favorite delivery method. Back Issues.
Welcome new readers!
We had a big surge in new subscribers this week. Welcome everybody! Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and make yourselves comfortable. Lots to read and do below.
My latest video
As much as I like to have good relationships with the vendors, when I do a review, I have to put the users first. The folks at this company are very pleasant, but the fact is, their printer has been problematic. I have to tell it like it is.
My articles
Here’s a quick recap of the articles I published in the last week on ZDNET.
I tried a Claude Code alternative that’s local, open source, and completely free - how it works: I was curious if Block’s Goose agent, paired with Ollama and the Qwen3-coder model, could really replace Claude Code. Here’s how I got started.
Want local vibe coding? This AI stack replaces Claude Code and Codex - and it’s free: You can replace expensive, cloud-based AI coding with three tools. Here’s how.
I used Xcode 26.3 to build an iOS app with my voice in just two days - and it was exhilarating: Want to see what agentic coding really feels like? Come along on my wild, wonderful, and terrifying two-day vibe coding adventure with Xcode 26.3.
Xcode 26.3 finally brings agentic coding to Apple’s developer tools: Xcode 26.3 could be Apple’s biggest leap in AI coding tools, shifting from assistant prompts to autonomous agents that build, test, and update configurations directly inside Xcode.
OpenAI’s Codex just got its own Mac app - and anyone can try it for free now: The new Mac app turns GPT-5.3-Codex into a multi-agent command center. Here’s how.
Anthropic says its new Claude Opus 4.6 can nail your work deliverables on the first try: The frontier model can handle complex, end-to-end enterprise workflows and take on the autonomous tasks you usually do yourself.
OpenAI’s new GPT-5.3-Codex is 25% faster and goes way beyond coding now - what’s new: The Codex team said GPT-5.3-Codex even helped build itself. That’s not at all scary.
Must-watch YouTube
Moving on, let’s queue up some interesting YouTube videos for your entertainment and edification.
Even though the launch of NASA’s Artemis 2 has been delayed at least until March, it’s still a very exciting mission. This video is a good explainer for Artemis 2 and why it’s so important.
Anthropic (makers of the Claude AI) say they’re putting safety first.
This is one of the coolest videos. This guy went to China to find out how inexpensive mini-excavators get built. I love this stuff.
Project of the week
I actually released this right at the end of January, but never posted about it here. This is a new, big upgrade to the free version of My Private Site which adds registration spam and reCAPTCHA protections. This bumps the main product’s version to 4.1.
Gadget of the week
If you have to cut foam, you can use a knife. Or you can use a heated tool that cuts through foam like a hot knife through butter. This set is a great starter kit for foam cutting, whether you’re doing it for DIY projects or model making. Just remember to work in a well-ventilated area because the stank is nasty and probably dangerous to your health.
Note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Interesting reads
And now, some good stuff from around the Internet, well worth checking out.
Article claims where you were brought up affects your personality. I was brought up in New Jersey. Want to make something of it? Do ya? Do ya?
Apparently, coffee and chocolate are good for you. You think?
ZDNET’s Jack Wallen waxes poetic about FreeBSD (a Linux that’s not really Linux, it’s UNIX).
Pixel pic of the week
It’s been cold here in Oregon, so my wife has been crocheting Pixel a bunch of awesome (and warm) sweaters. Here, the little dude models one of his favorites.
Send in your projects
I’d like to regularly spotlight a reader project or two here. Your project doesn’t have to be a big Kickstarter launch. If you’ve built something cool, it has some pretty pictures, and you’re proud of it, I might be able to share it here.
If you have a photogenic reader project, send an email to me at david@zatz.com with the subject “READER PROJECT,” a few pictures, and a short one-paragraph description. If you have a social media link or a link to the project, include that, too.
Both my EPs are now streaming
Available on all your favorite streaming services.
More clicky
I’ve got a lot happening all over the web. Here are links to my various stuff:
House of the Head: home for my published music
ZATZ Labs: where I host my published software projects
Feel free to dig around, visit, and say hey!
Leave some comments
Substack supports comments, so feel free to leave some. I promise to read them. Just, please, let’s keep our personal politics out of any discussion.
That should do it for this week. This newsletter is really starting to pick up subscribers. Please help it out by sharing links on all your socials.
Have a great week!