The Engineering Notebook — page 20 of 32

Notes on building with AI, agents & the modern stack.

Deep dives on AI/ML, RAG systems, agent engineering, and senior-engineer architecture decisions — a new post every week.

Abstract glowing blue lines on black background AI and Machine Learning

Gemini Flash vs Pro for Developers: Which Google AI Model Actually Fits Your Use Case [2026]

Google's Gemini lineup keeps growing — Gemini 3.1 Pro, Gemini 3 Flash, massive context windows, Project Astra. Here's what actually matters for shipping real applications.

green and orange electric wires Cybersecurity

CVE-2024-3400 and the AI Security Crisis: Palo Alto's CEO Warned Us While His Own Firewalls Burned [2026]

Palo Alto Networks' CEO warned the industry about AI-powered attackers finding zero-days faster than ever. Weeks later, a perfect 10.0 CVSS vulnerability hit his own firewalls. The irony tells us everything about where cybersecurity is headed.

A close up of an old fashioned typewriter Cybersecurity

Linux Copy-Primitive Bugs Keep Breaking Container Security: From Dirty COW to Leaky Vessels [2026]

Dirty COW, Leaky Vessels, and now CopyFail. The pattern of Linux copy-primitive vulnerabilities breaking Docker and Podman container isolation isn't slowing down. Here's why rootless containers aren't enough.

text Technology

Software Engineering Isn't Dead — It's Becoming 'Plan and Review' [2026]

AI writes the code now. The engineers who thrive won't be the fastest coders — they'll be the best directors of AI systems that code for them.

a man sitting at a desk working on a laptop computer AI and Machine Learning

Khan Academy Khanmigo AI Tutor: The 'AI Degree' That Doesn't Exist and What Actually Does [2026]

Khan Academy doesn't offer an AI degree for developers. But their AI tutor Khanmigo represents something more interesting — a fundamentally different model for learning in the age of AI.

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State of Software Engineering in 2026: A Reality Check Beyond the AI Hype

AI made coding faster at the boring stuff. But the hard parts — system design, debugging production failures, deciding what to build — got harder. Here's what actually changed.

white paper document on brown wooden table Developer Tools

How to Write a Good README: Your Project's Most Important File [2026 Guide]

Your README is the front door to your project. Most developers treat it as an afterthought. Here's how to write one that actually earns trust, contributors, and users.

Network servers are connected with cables. Cloud and DevOps

I Turned a $200 MacBook into an Automated Linux Home Server [2026 Guide]

That old MacBook collecting dust in your drawer has a built-in UPS, solid thermal design, and enough horsepower to run Docker, Home Assistant, and media streaming. Here's exactly how to turn it into a headless Linux home server.

Green exit sign with arrow pointing left Technology

Dark Patterns in Tech: How Companies Engineer Deception and What Developers Can Do About It [2026]

Dark patterns aren't accidents — they're deliberate engineering decisions. Here's how the biggest tech companies build deception into their products, and what developers should refuse to ship.

a close up of a rack of computer equipment AI and Machine Learning

AI Agent Failure in Production: 5 Patterns That Would Have Prevented the PocketOS Database Disaster [2026]

An AI agent reportedly destroyed a company in 23 minutes by deleting its production database and backups. Here are 5 architectural patterns that prevent autonomous AI agents from becoming existential threats to your infrastructure.

a close up of a cord and a mouse on a table Technology

Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station Review: I Tested the Ugreen Revodok Max 213 as a Developer Hub [2026]

Thunderbolt 5 doubles bandwidth to 80 Gbps and promises to end the cable chaos on developer desks. I tested the Ugreen Revodok Max 213 to see if reality matches the spec sheet.

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Open Source Sustainability Crisis: What Redis, HashiCorp, and a Backdoor Reveal About 2026

Redis changed its license. HashiCorp went BSL. A burned-out maintainer nearly compromised the internet. Open source isn't dying — but the model that built it is breaking.