My vibe debugging hangover, ways I use ChatGPT Work, how I code Apple apps

Plus, my AI products from the 90s, printing with PETG, Doctor Who meets Hamilton, my cool winch strap, and the case for a pholdable iPhone.

Sep 08, 2026

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.

My articles

Here’s a quick recap of the articles I published in the last week on ZDNET.

5 ways I actually use ChatGPT Work in my small business to save time and money: From scanning Gmail to catching ugly loan terms, ChatGPT Work has become my practical small-business assistant. Here’s how agentic AI delivers real productivity gains for me.

After the vibe-coding rush comes the debugging hangover: AI coding feels magical when features appear in minutes. Then a stubborn bug exposes the hidden reality: building dependable software still requires architecture, testing, patience, expertise, and countless careful decisions.

AI completely changed how I develop iPhone apps … and I think I love it: When the App Store first launched, building for Apple meant learning Objective-C, wrestling with Apple’s limited documentation, and writing everything manually. Today, AI does an astonishing job of coding the app while I focus on product management and architectural decisions.

Blast from the past

Image: Computer History Museum (thanks!)

While I was working on my article, AI completely changed how I develop iPhone apps … and I think I love it, I did some digging around for pictures of some of my old Hyperpress products from the late 1980s and early 1990s.

I couldn’t find any online evidence of FileFlex, which was once the most popular embedded database for PCs. Now, there’s a company named FileFlex that does zero trust data access. For that matter, there’s also a Hyperpress add-on for WordPress. It’s kind of a weird feeling to realize that branding I once lived 24/7 and graduated from is now in use for completely different purposes.

But I did find a reference to my old Intelligent Developer product, which was an expert system development tool for the Mac Plus, Mac SE, and Mac II. It was listed as being part of the collection of the Computer History Museum. I reached out, and they provided me with the photo above.

Yes, AI did exist back in those days. Intelligent Developer helped non-programmers and subject matter experts bottle their specific knowledge and provide it in a standalone program. One such program was House Plant Clinic, which took horticultural expertise and packaged it on a floppy disk.

I actually still have that product package on my shelf, so now you can see what AI looked like back in the day.

Must-watch YouTube

Moving on, let’s queue up some interesting YouTube videos for your entertainment and edification.

CBS on Apple’s new CEO.
Some useful tips on printing with PETG.
This is fun. It turns out that actual human people could create mock music before AI. This is Hamilton meets Doctor Who, produced back in 2017.

Hooky thing of the week

Look, I never promised that the items I recommend will have universal appeal. This is about as specialized as they come. This is a cargo strap I used with my winch for lifting those super-heavy product crates.

What makes this cool is it tucks into the handholds on the side of the carton. I figured that if those handholds are strong enough to support the carton when team-lifted by two people, they’ll be strong enough to support the carton when lifted using the hook at the end of these straps. It works really, really well.

Hey, do you have a winch? Do you want a winch? Have you always wanted a winch since you were a little boy or girl? Is it just me? Do I brag about my winch too much? Did I mention I have a winch? Let us know in the comments below. I have a winch.

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.

Scientists might have found a new kind of particle.
This was apparently announced a few months ago, but I’m just finding it out now. After 2028, PlayStation games will no longer be released on physical disk. Did you know this? Share in the comments below.
If you want an excuse to blow $2K on a new pholdable iPhone, ZDNET editor in chief Elyse Betters Picaro shares her reasons for wanting the new gear.

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.