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.

Claude Code devices routed through one quota-aware claude-rotate proxy AI & Agents

claude-rotate: One Proxy for Multiple Claude Max Accounts

A tested, self-hosted way to stop logging in and out across Claude Code machines, with quota-aware rotation, fleet analytics, security boundaries and an honest terms check.

NVIDIA PAIR routes local AI agent requests across RTX, Mac and an AMD Strix Halo node AI & Agents

NVIDIA PAIR Review: Local AI Routing and the AMD Gap

PAIR routes independent agent requests across local computers without pooling GPUs. See how it works, where Strix Halo falls short and what an AMD port must prove.

Feynman research agents connect papers, code, citations and verified findings in a terminal workflow AI & Agents

Feynman Review: Is This Open-Source AI Research Agent Ready for Teams?

A buyer-focused review of Feynman's multi-agent research, citation checks, local models, GPU replication, costs, risks and pilot fit.

Obscura Rust browser evaluation with benchmark and Chrome fallback lanes AI & Agents

Obscura Browser Review: Claims, Limits and Production Fit

Obscura promises 30 MB memory, native rendering and stealth without Chromium. See what the evidence proves, where compatibility ends and how to pilot it safely.

Four-part Claude Code design system with reference, instructions, rules and examples AI & Agents

Claude Code Design System: 4 Parts for On-Brand UI

Stop re-explaining your brand in every prompt. Build a reusable Claude Code design system with three Markdown files, an examples directory and a review loop that teams can govern.

Tencent Hy4 preview routes a million-token codebase through coding-agent tools and verification gates AI & Agents

Tencent Hy4 Preview Review: Is the 1M-Context Coding Model Worth a Pilot?

A buyer-focused Hy4 preview review covering coding benchmarks, WorkBuddy, API cost, self-hosting hardware, known limits and a two-week evaluation plan.

Three teammates shaping one AI-built application in a shared real-time workspace Leadership & Teams

Google Play with Putty: Is Multiplayer Vibe Coding Ready for Teams?

Google Play with Putty moves AI app building from a solo prompt into a shared room. Here is where that helps teams, which controls remain unknown and how to run a production-minded pilot.

PageLM document learning platform: self-hosting, licensing and data-flow review AI & Agents

PageLM Review: Self-Hosting and Commercial Use

A source-checked PageLM review for teams: what it generates, where data goes, what commercial use requires and how to test a training pilot.

Shielded sign-in form passing credentials directly to ChatGPT's remote cloud browser AI & Agents

ChatGPT Can Now Log In Without Seeing Your Password

ChatGPT Work can sign in to supported websites without exposing credentials to the model. Here is what the session can still access and how to pilot it safely.

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