FROM THE TRENCHES Issue №287

Practical decisions for AI and software

Technical guides to choose models, verify software and plan delivery.

Latest articles

New comparisons, practical guides and engineering lessons.

Separate state and action paths meeting at a contrastive ranking step AI & Agents

CLM-8B Self-Hosting: vLLM, Action Cache and Verifiers

A source-checked deployment guide to CLM-8B: the full encoder behind the small heads, reusable candidates, private APIs and verifier evaluation limits.

Abstract option-score bars illustrating decision calibration, not measured benchmark values AI & Agents

AnyJev: LLM Calibration and Option-Order Bias

A deeper look at Nokia’s AnyJev: why stable answers are not calibrated probabilities, what version 0.2.0 changes and how to evaluate a real router.

Concentric focus markers representing agency selection for an existing software product Business & Regulation

Software Agencies in Austria & Vienna for Existing Products

Already have users? Compare Wavect, 9Y, bitsfabrik, craftworks and sclable for the next releases of an existing product, with sourced facts and an explicit publisher disclosure.

Wavect editorial illustration of one agent workflow branching into different model routes AI & Agents

LiteAgents SDK: Per-Turn Routing, Setup and Migration

One agent, different models: a source-checked guide to LiteAgents setup, custom routing, Jev fallbacks and migration without assuming identical tools or permissions.

Layered memory cards connecting coding tools in Wavect editorial artwork AI & Agents

mcp-memory-service: Shared Memory for Claude Code and Cursor

Stop reconstructing project decisions when you switch coding tools. A practical shared-memory setup with client configs, debugging checks and clear privacy boundaries.

Layered Wavect editorial cards for Claude Opus 5.5 workflows, prompts and verification AI & Agents

Claude Opus 5.5: Best Uses, Prompts and Effort Settings

Where Opus 5.5 is worth trying, what to ask it to deliver and how to verify the result. Five practical workflows, copy-ready prompts and a cost-per-accepted-task pilot.

A decision splits an incoming business request into a controlled workflow and a review queue AI & Agents

Laya and Jev for Business: 6 Practical Workflows

Six practical ways to reduce manual handoffs with Laya and Jev. Includes n8n integration, review-first code and an honest support-routing business case.

Wavect Pake editorial illustration showing layered web windows becoming a desktop app Delivery & QA

Pake: Turn Websites into Desktop Apps Without Electron

One command, a lightweight desktop shell. What Pake really saves, why a Linux AppImage can be 76 MB, and which login and deployment checks matter.

Wavect editorial graphic separating model performance from product defensibility in the Laya vs Jev comparison AI & Agents

Laya vs Jev: What the Benchmarks Mean for AI Startups

Can an open specialist undermine a two-year head start? What Laya actually shows, what the Jev comparison misses, and where a defensible AI business can create value.

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