Tech Tips, Tricks & Trivia

This Week I Learned -  * Boris Cherny, who created Claude Code, has called giving Claude a way to verify its work probably the most important thing for getting good results.  * Claude Cowork is now just Claude.  * Oracle will offer Google’s Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) via its cloud infrastructure platform, marking the first time specialised AI accelerators will be available on a hyperscale cloud platform outside of Google’s ecosystem. TPUs are processors designed by Google to accelerate machine-learning workloads. They offer an alternative to graphics processing units.  * AI Spin-off - Using sensors developed for self-driving cars, a Chinese start-up claims it can track and destroy tiny flying targets while avoiding people, pets and reflective surfaces. * Python on Azure App Service and Azure Functions on Windows retires on 31 March 2027. To continue running Python workloads, create a new app on Azure App Service on Linux or Azure Functions on Linux and...

Stats from the internet about AI compiled as I come across them - Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Meta are projected to spend $700 billion on A.I. infrastructure in 2026.  Amount of debt taken on by hyperscalers, chipmakers, neoclouds and other companies providing data centers and electricity for the A.I. build out: at least $3 trillion. Share of projected S&P 500 earnings gains for this year driven directly by tech companies spending heavily on A.I.: two-thirds Share of the world’s electricity that data centers currently consume: 1.5 percent Anthropic is the biggest company ever to debut on the stock market. Its potential valuation in the initial public offering is $2 trillion or two thousand billion dollars. In 2026, Anthropic earned $16.3 billion and lost $80.7 billion.  As of September 30, 2026, more than 1,900 Anthropic customers had each spent at least $1 million over the past year. Over 90% of Anthropic’s code is written by Claude Code - Krishna Rao (CFO) 75% of ...

Google now allows eligible certification holders to extend their credentials for 12 months by earning specific skill badges and completing courses through Google Skills instead of taking the proctored exam. I availed this opportunity to renew my Associate Cloud Engineer Certification till next year by completing courses and acquiring skill badges through Google Skills . You can choose any of the following options to count toward renewal of eligible Google Certifications: 2 skill badges 1 skill badge & 2 courses 4 courses These activities must be completed within the 12 months prior to certification expiration The Courses and Labs are thoughtfully designed and regularly updated to stay relevant to the workplace. The AI related modules were particularly useful to me. I compiled a glossary of Google Cloud & AI terms from the material - Agent Platform is a comprehensive machine learning development platform that provides both predictive and generative AI capabilities. It allow...