The Ephemeral Scrapbook — 2026.04.19

👤 Personal {#personalupdate, #projects, #newsletter}

1️⃣ I've been slow to publish a new edition of this newsletter this year because I was focused on developing web applications with Claude AI and Claude Code. Now that most of my apps are finished, I can refocus on the newsletter. As you probably know, two web apps are key to this newsletter: one for bookmarking interesting content I find online, and another custom-built RSS reader. Both apps work together and truly make a difference. 2️⃣ Something that I'd like to complete is an update about my digital ecosystem. I’ve been using Apple Freeform to put together a map of all the tools and services that are making my digital ecosystem. The diagram is mostly complete, but I want to write an article explaining what’s changed since my previous update. 3️⃣ One more thing: still using Claude AI and Claude Code, I finally put together a new visual design for my blog and metablog. They both share the same design and I’m very happy with the end results. Here's a quick look below.

🗺️ Discoveries {#programming, #computerhistory, #vibecoding}

1️⃣ Are you old enough to remember Turbo Pascal? This website deconstructed the whole thing. I learned programming in Turbo Pascal, and I really loved that programming language. It was easy, and because it was approachable, not overwhelming like C++. It's fascinating to see such a small computer program when you look at today's bloated software stacks consuming vast amounts of costly resources. 2️⃣ Recreating a 1978 science magazine in 40-year-old desktop publishing software, the author rediscovers PageMaker's brilliant simplicity and maddening limitations—no layers, no locking, no grouped objects—while revealing how it literally reshaped graphic design as a profession. → Aldus PageMaker on the Apple Macintosh 3️⃣ It's a fun vibe coding project: buillding a native Mac utility. After creating many web apps myself with Claude Code and Claude AI, this could be another type of project I could tackle, too! → Vibe coding SwiftUI apps is a lot of fun

👨🏻‍💻 Writing {#quote}

"You can always edit a bad page. You can't edit a blank page." — Jodi Picoult found on https://scribbles.page/explore

"Write to help yourself, publish to help others.” — Jack Butcher in ZenQuotes Daily Quote

🌄 Photography {#art, #foodforthoughts}

1️⃣ In an era where billions of images are captured daily, photography paradoxically becomes both more democratic and more challenging as an art form. The ease of creation has transformed the question from "can I make an image?" to "can I make an image that matters?" True photographic artistry today lies not in technical mastery alone, but in the photographer's ability to cultivate vision—to see beyond the obvious, to find poetry in the mundane, and to create images that resonate with emotional truth rather than mere aesthetic appeal. While algorithms can now suggest compositions and AI can generate convincing imagery, the human photographer's unique contribution remains the intentionality behind the frame: the deliberate choice of what to include, what to exclude, and most importantly, why the image needs to exist at all. In short, there is two stories behind an image: the one you see, the one you don’t.

🍎 Apple & Tech {#applehistory, #wwdc26, #openai, #aibubble, #timcook}

1️⃣ Apple has shipped over 5 billion devices in 50 years, built a $113B services business, and maintains 2.5 billion active devices. Its enduring strength lies in customer creation and retention — a metric that suggests continued growth over the next 50 years. → The Next 50. 2️⃣ Apple's WWDC26 runs June 8–12 online, with a limited in-person event at Apple Park on June 8. The conference will feature AI updates, 100+ video sessions, and direct access to Apple engineers. Swift Student Challenge winners will be announced March 26. → Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference returns the week of June 8 3️⃣ Apple is skipping the $650B AI infrastructure arms race, betting that models will commoditize while device ownership wins. By turning 2 billion devices into distributed AI processors and licensing models cheaply, Apple avoids massive debt while rivals hemorrhage cash. → The most brilliant move in corporate history? 4️⃣ So Long, Sora — OpenAI has abruptly discontinued the Sora video generation app and stand-alone service just months after its successful launch. The decision surprised both internal teams and Disney, OpenAI's key partner. Siegler analyzes that while bundling Sora into ChatGPT seemed logical, the prohibitive cost of video generation combined with OpenAI's IPO ambitions and competitive pressure from Anthropic's Claude Code led to the product's complete shutdown rather than integration. The move is particularly damaging to Disney's new CEO Josh D'Amaro, who championed the partnership just three months ago, and signals OpenAI's shift toward business focus over product innovation. → So Long, Sora 5️⃣ Apple quietly discontinued the Mac Pro on March 26, 2026, ending a product line plagued by missteps — from the 2013 "trash can" design to poor Apple silicon timing. The Mac mini now outperforms it at one-fifth the cost, making the Mac Pro's demise inevitable. Can you find Lil Finder Guy? So cute. → Mac Pro - Basic Apple Guy 6️⃣ The Apple Lisa prototype is such a cool yet simple design, reminiscent of the Apple //c. → A photo history of Frog, the company that designed the original Mac 7️⃣ Apple turns 50, and this personal reflection captures how the company's products have quietly shaped meaningful moments in people's lives — from first Macs to FaceTime calls. It's a reminder that great technology enables human connection, not just innovation. → Fifty - 512 Pixels 8️⃣ A passionate plea to Apple's future leader to prioritize the company's founding spirit—making great computers that respect users—over profit-driven optimization and surveillance capitalism that increasingly dominates tech. → A letter to John Ternus. Speaking of John Ternus, I recently watched an interview with him and was thinking if this guy could be the next Apple CEO. I think it would be a good fit. 9️⃣ Over 50 years of existence, Apple has made the Mac for 43 years. How many models in all? See the table below. A lot.

📱 Apps & Services {#microsoft, #wordpress, #claude}

1️⃣ Poor Microsoft, they were too busy putting Copilot everywhere, but they forgot about the basics. Now, people hate Windows and are asking for a change. Microsoft seems to be listening. → Microsoft Got Sloppy with Windows 2️⃣ WordPress's core architectural problems—outdated data models, full-trust plugins, serialized block content—have been solvable for years, with working code already proven in the ecosystem. Instead, leadership keeps shipping cosmetic improvements while deferring foundational fixes. The window to catch up is closing. → WordPress needs to refactor, not redecorate | Joost.blog 3️⃣ Claude Code is far more complex than its interface suggests, with 50+ tools, hundreds of commands, and unreleased features buried in the source. This deep-dive maps the entire system — agent loop, multi-agent orchestration, hidden capabilities — straight from the codebase which apparently was leaked on the web by mistake. Ooops. → Claude Code Unpacked

"Your frustration is the product. The longer you're trapped on the page, the higher the CPM the publisher can charge.” — Daring Fireball in ★ ‘Your Frustration Is the Product’

🚧 Special projects {#vibecoding}

1️⃣ My web application development activities have decreased significantly recently. Most of my needs are now met. I am now entering the territory of improvement rather than end-to-end design. This is fortunate because with Anthropic's recent changes, the timing is good. Anthropic has adjusted token consumption with Claude Code, making the service much more expensive. The execution of simple tasks now requires two, three, or even several times more tokens. In this context, my projects would have taken much longer to complete without paying for additional tokens. 2️⃣ Yet, I'm planning on another web app: a task manager to replace Things 3. Why? I would bet a lot of money that the next major iteration of Things will require a subscription. Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll build my own task manager.

📺 YouTube {#design, #techtrends, #techhistory, #space}

1️⃣ Simply wow. I'm a big lover of wood-based furniture. We can see some Ive's classic design elements. → Christie Furniture Designed by Jony Ive - YouTube 2️⃣ The Windows Laptop Problem is real. 3️⃣ HyperCard was groundbreaking in 1991. I used it extensively during university. This video offers a broader view of HyperCard's development. Definitely worth watching. → HyperCard Changed Everything. 4️⃣ Many interesting Mac utilities, most were built with the help of AI. → Your Mac Is Missing All of These. 5️⃣ Great photos taken from the Artemis II crew. → Artemis 2 crew's amazing views of Earth, Moon and a Solar Eclipse during lunar flyby. 6️⃣ Don't miss ARTEMIS II: A Visual Masterpiece. 8K Cinematic Supercut. Best video of them all.

🔮 Looking forward {#ai}

1️⃣ AI-powered fraud is quietly dismantling the recommendation systems that drive music, commerce, and culture. Smith's $8M Spotify scam is just the crude, prosecutable version. The real threat — bots generating fake signals that become popular — has no clean legal remedy → Manufacturing Legitimacy in the AI era. 2️⃣ AI adoption is inevitable, and it acts as a magnifying glass — skilled users will excel while lazy ones produce junk faster. It will reshape workflows like documentation and inbox management, but human judgment remains essential. → Some Thoughts On AI — Jim Mitchell.

🌟 Miscellaneous {#ai, #interview, #openclaw, #journalism, #openweb}

1️⃣ Google is testing AI-generated headline rewrites in Search results, potentially altering publishers' meaning, tone, and brand voice without consent. Given that a similar Discover "experiment" became a permanent feature, this small test could signal a significant future threat to click-through rates and audience trust. If you are looking for another reason to leave Google Search behind, here's another one. Google is no longer a search engine. → Google confirms AI headline rewrites test in Search results 2️⃣ Good interviews require the interviewer to disappear. The Lemaire/Aperture example illustrates how self-promotion and premature subject-finishing kill genuine revelation. Silence, contradiction, and deep research unlock truth; comfort and credential-signaling produce nothing memorable. → How Not to Interview (Interesting People) 3️⃣ I didn't have an idea of writing a slash AI page on any of my sites. Now that I read Manual's post, I might. But what could go there? My rules for using (or not) using AI? → Slash AI – Manu 4️⃣ Anthropic is blocking OpenClaw, a third-party integration tool for Claude AI, from standard subscriptions starting April 4th. This move, following OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger’s move to OpenAI, forces users onto a pay-as-you-go billing system, pushing them towards Anthropic’s own tools like Claude Cowork. The decision, seen as a competitive move, has sparked backlash from developers who built workflows around OpenClaw and are now facing unpredictable costs. → Anthropic blocks OpenClaw from Claude subscriptions 5️⃣ U.S. business journalism has devolved into uncritical amplification of executive claims — no fact-checking, no context, no expert pushback. This "CEO said a thing" pattern isn't accidental; it reflects media structurally serving corporate interests rather than public ones. → "CEO Said A Thing!" Journalism 6️⃣ AI's shift from zero to significant marginal costs upends the 2010s internet business model. Companies now face compute scarcity and must choose between serving different customer segments, replacing simple scaling with strategic capital allocation decisions. → Mythos, Muse, and the Opportunity Cost of Compute 7️⃣ Big Tech is systematically dismantling the open web—scraping content without consent, killing open APIs, undermining Wikipedia, and overwhelming open-source projects—threatening the infrastructure that created the modern internet. 2026 may be the decisive year. → Endgame for the Open Web - Anil Dash

I have a feeling that everyone likes using AI tools to try doing someone else’s profession. They’re much less keen when someone else uses it for their profession. — Giles Turnbull, AI and the human voice

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