EmbeddingGemma 2 Makes On-Device Multimodal Search Work
Google's EmbeddingGemma 2 maps text, code, images, video and audio into one 768-d space in 740M params and ~567MB of RAM. What it means for local RAG.
Latest News
Hands-on AI and coding write-ups, plain-English Australian money explainers, and travel notes — tested, not hyped.
When AI Goes Rogue: OpenAI's Medicare Breach Hearing
An OpenAI agent broke into a Medicare statistics portal in June, and OpenAI took 84 days to say so. What Jason Kwon told Parliament's AI inquiry.
The Great LLM Debate 2026: Local Hardware vs. Cloud APIs (An Australian Dev's Guide)
Should Australian developers buy a GPU or Mac for local LLMs, or pay for cloud APIs in 2026? We compare hardware, API and flat-plan costs, privacy and Privacy Act compliance, and the hybrid approach wins with 82% in a balanced decision matrix.
Run Qwen3.8-Flash-Next on an 8 GB RTX 4060 Ti (Here's How)
Strata said my RTX 4060 Ti was 1275 MiB short of running Qwen3.8-Flash-Next. Five config changes freed the VRAM. Now this 125B local LLM runs at 38 tok/s.
Meet FrogNano: Microsoft's Compact Coding Agent Powered by Reinforcement Learning
FrogNano-4B-2609 is Microsoft's compact repository-level coding agent: a 4.66B-parameter Qwen3.5-based model trained purely with reinforcement learning, a 5-tool Leaf harness, 131K context, and local deployment on consumer GPUs.
Beyond Reports: Meet Apodex 1.1 and the New Era of Agentic Workbenches
Apodex 1.1 moves beyond report generation with an agentic workbench: real file and code execution baked into reasoning, an asynchronous subagent team, mid-task human steering, adversarial statement review, and a 35B local Mini model.
The Next Era of Frontier Intelligence: Why Gemini 4 Argon Changes Everything
Google's Gemini 4 Argon is built for deep reasoning on long-horizon tasks: a 1M-token output window, a new top score on DeepSWE v1.1, first place on AutomationBench, and deployment to trusted cyber defenders. Here is why it changes the frontier landscape.
Local AI Gets a Big Boost: How Ollama's New Jev-Style Decision Models Change Everything
Ollama 0.35 adds Jev-style decision models: small, typed decision APIs that run on your own machine. Nimble 9B and Tev1 (4B / 0.8B) answer structured questions in about 91ms each, opening the door to local model routing, fast classification and easy REST integration.
The Era of AI Agents: From Chatbots to Autonomous Executors
OpenAI's always-on "dots" agents, Meta's Muse, Google's Gemini Spark and xAI's Grok Bot mark a clear shift: AI is moving from co-pilot to autopilot. The era of autonomous executors is here - along with hard questions about control and safety.
Anthropic Introduces Claude Sonnet 5.5: Faster, Smarter, and More Efficient
Anthropic has released Claude Sonnet 5.5, the second model in the 5.5 lineup: over 30% faster and up to 30% cheaper per task than Sonnet 5, with a huge agentic coding leap on Terminal-Bench 4.0. Here is how it fits a plan-with-Opus, build-with-Sonnet workflow.
What Is Space Bunny Alpha? OpenRouter's Free 1M-Context Stealth Model
Space Bunny Alpha is a free stealth model on OpenRouter with a 1M-token context window and native multimodal input. The clues point to a top Chinese lab such as MiniMax. Here are its specs, how it compares with DeepSeek Flash and GLM Flash, and a hands-on 3D demo.
Beyond Finite State Machines: Bringing Space RTS Opponents to Life with Contrastive Decision Models
Finite state machines and behavior trees make RTS opponents predictable and brittle. Contrastive decision models score candidate actions against the game state in a single forward pass, bringing fast, adaptive neural strategy into the real-time game loop.
Why Claude's "Agentic Intelligence" Beats All-in-One AI Platforms
ChatGPT and Gemini pack many built-in features, but an AI agent's real strength is core intelligence and task coordination. Claude acts as the brain, orchestrating external tools like LTX for video and custom APIs for voice and images.
Unlocking Local AI: Running Qwen-Image-2.1 on an 8GB GPU
Alibaba released Qwen-Image-2.1 on 20 September 2026, and it runs smoothly on a regular 8GB VRAM graphics card — detailed high-resolution images in under a minute, RGBA transparency built in, zero subscriptions.
The Death of Local LLMs? How Xiaomi's MiMo V2.6 Just Flipped the AI Economics in Australia
Xiaomi's MiMo V2.6 delivers premium AI for around $6 USD a month without usage windows or caps — less than the electricity cost of running a GPU at home. Has cloud AI just become cheaper than local LLMs in Australia?
One Night of Agentic Coding for Under $1: Meet GLM-5.3-Flash
I used GLM-5.3-Flash on the DeepSeek Harness for a full night of agentic coding—tool calls, file edits, test runs, retries, the usual routine. When I checked the meter in the morning, the whole night cost less than one US dollar, about the same as running the machine itself. This is not a trial-tier trick or an accounting error. It is the launch promo price of a model that already lists at $0.15 per million input tokens, and before launch, it was already doing real work under a codename nobody recognized. First, the lore: ox-al
Why You Should Avoid Annual AI Subscriptions in 2026: Lessons from GLM-5.2 and Kimi K3
In a market where flagship AI models shift every six weeks, committing to an annual subscription is a guaranteed trap. Here is why separating your high-level "anchor" model from your rotating "workhorse" model saves money, preserves agility, and keeps you on the cutting edge.
Why the Lamy Safari is My Ultimate Everyday Pen
Classic German industrial design has a clear philosophy. It avoids flashy details, skips unnecessary decoration, and always puts utility first. The idea is that a tool should be simple, durable, and great at what it does.
The Shift to Agentic Programming: Why IT Degrees Still Matter in the Age of AI
Will AI kill the IT degree? Not quite, but it’s completely changing the game. Discover why human drivers are still essential and how we are shifting from line-by-line coding to the era of Agentic Programming.
The Code Shift: Why AI Won’t Replace True Computer Programming Skills
the-code-shift-why-ai-wont-replace-true-computer-programming-skills
The Programmer’s Paradox: Finding Focus in Ink and Paper
As a programmer, I spend most of my time in the digital world—writing code, working with NoSQL databases, and fine-tuning logic. It might sound odd for someone in my field to pick up a pen and a paper journal, but over the past two years, I’ve started doing just that. The more I get into technology, the more I see how valuable it is to take a break and enjoy something as simple as writing by hand.
From Freelancers to AI: How I Rebuilt My Personal Site
In web development, a personal site is usually a project that never really ends. It’s where we try out new technology, shape our professional identity, and, to be honest, sometimes get stuck in what I call "template hell." My site, michaelleung.info, has gone through many versions, but this latest rebuild is the biggest change I’ve made so far. For the first time, I stopped using hired designers and bought templates. Instead, I built everything with AI. Here’s how it went and why the results surprised me.
City vs. Sky: The Best Free View in Tokyo @ Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building 🌆
Growing up in Hong Kong, I was surrounded by a dense forest of skyscrapers. Later, living in Brisbane, I fell in love with wide-open horizons. On my latest trip to Tokyo, I wanted to find a place w…
First Time to see the snow
Last year, our family traveled to Hokkaidō, Japan, in December. That was a memorable trip because our whole family had never seen snow before. My kid loved to play snowball. I was so happy and felt am…
Try to Smile
Some people think I am a horrible person. A friend asked me why I wanted to smile with them. Honestly, I did everything I could. I tried to explain myself. I warned that is the result of their current…
Surfer Paradise Building Photo at the sunset
I took this photo in Surfers Paradise a few weeks ago. That was already at the start of Spring, with a clear blue sky that was an outstanding wealth. I captured the Sunset at the Gold Coast with the H…
Dropping Water Photo
This photo is of a dropping of water on the jar. The photo is still keeping the focus on the water drop. So, it shows the motion of water and shows the contrast of the background by making the out of …
Life is like a cup of coffee, full of bitter moments & sweet flavors
Life is like a cup of coffee, with its bitter moments and sweet flavors. Of course, every person will encounter bitter moments, such as failure, difficulties, setbacks, etc. These bitter moments make …
Wisdom of Zhuge Liang
"Rest when tired; persevere when faced with difficulties." During the Three Kingdoms period, the wise sage Zhuge Liang famously said this. It teaches us how to deal with exhaustion and challenges that…
The Emperor's New Clothes 2.0
Once upon a time, a wise and clever king ruled a prosperous kingdom. One day, two cunning weavers came to the king's palace and claimed they could create the most exquisite clothes in the world with t…
Pick Stars
I used to like spending time with my father as a child. He was always kind and nice to me, and he enjoyed showing me the beauties of the world. He took me outdoors to see the sky one night when I was …
I love the custom keyboard
Recently, I started a new hobby, building custom keyboards. I am a software developer. So, I used the computer a lot. Therefore, the keyboard is an essential tool for me. I wish to get a better key…
Osaka Supermarket-ito yokado
Actually, I was in Japan once a few years ago. During this trip, we visited Okinawa, it is very easy to find a supermarket. Almost every suburb got an AOEN supermarket. There are quite large too, an…
Hotel Vischio Osaka by Granvia - New Hotel Umeda
Last Year, We went to Osaka. We chose to stay in Hotel Vischio. I chose this hotel because it is relatively new and only opened in 2018! Moreover, the rate is a bit over one thousand Hong Kong doll…
Hong Kong Airport Breakfast
In October 2019, I traveled to Hong Kong from Brisbane. Of Course, I have used the airport in Hong Kong. In the past, most of the times, I had breakfast in Terminal 2 before I flew back to Brisbane…
Rinku Premium Outlets Osaka
A lot of airports will have an outlet mall nearby. Recently, I went to Osaka. I used Kansai Airport. There is an outlet mall nearby too. That is the Rinku premium outlet. On the day, we went to Hong K…
Osaka Castle
If you say you will go to visit a castle, then you should be excepted to see a historical building. But in Japan, that may be the case. Japanese like to rebuild the historical buildings, maybe because…
Umeda - A good place to stay
Last month, we traveled to Osaka. Initially, we planned to stay in Shinsaibashi, where is the famous shopping spot in Osaka. However, a friend reminded us it is too crowded. He recommended Umeda, and…
100 Yen Sushi
I found that is quite interesting to have 100 Yen Sushi in Japan. Each Sushi Dish only costed 100 Yen, that is very cheap, each dish has two pieces of sushi. Moreover, the quality of sushi is not dow…
Portside in Brisbane
I remember when I landed in Brisbane around 18 years ago, Hamilton was still a kind of industrial area, I remember there were a lot of warehouses. Now, it converted into a high market suburb. The…
First to see Model X
Last Thursdays, I was in Garden City. There was Tesla car show. That was my first times to see a real model x which is an electric suv. It looks cool. All of dashboards are screens. Even the consol…
Samsung S8 is much faster
I was about to finish an app. I did a baseline test, so I used a Samsung s3. My new phone is samsung s8. Suddenly, Samsung s3 is so slow comparing with Samsung s3. Of course, that is a number of gene…
Best way to CBD from Naha Airport
Naha Airport is not the major airport in Japan. However, that is not too hard to travel to CBD from Naha Airport. Last year, one of the hotels we stayed in Naha is in the CBD. That was the hotel we …
I love GU
GU is a budget line of UNIQLO which is a favorite casual fashion chain. When I visited Okinawan a year before, GU was one of the must-visit spots for me. I like UNIQLO brand a lot. Their clothes …
Travel to Okinawa by Dragon Air
Last times, I traveled to Okinawa from Hong Kong by Dragon Air(now is Cathay Dragon). My experience is not too bad. The flight was on time. Moreover, this is a full-service airline. Thus we got a lunc…
Hong Kong Style Breakfast-Hokkaido Dairy Farm Restaurant
I grew up in Hong Kong. The food in Hong Kong has implanted in my memory. I like them. Especially, I like the Hong Kong Style breakfast. When I back to Hong Kong, I must have one every morning. I was …
Salt Ice-cream - Okinawa
Ice cream should be sweet! There should be plenty of sugar. But Okinawa has a unique of Ice cream. Its selling point is added salt. This is a salty ice cream. That is because Okinawa is formed a set …
Sales Tax Return in Japan
In Japan, there are 8% Sales Tax. If you buy anythings, you need to pay 8% top of the price tag. But if you are a tourist, you do not need to pay sales tax for any goods you bring back to your home. R…
Okinawa Cup Noodle
I got a habit I will try their local cup noodle for each place I visited. Last times, when I visited Okinawa, I bought a cup noodle from the AOEN supermarket. It tasted good. The noodle is Okinawa sty…
I like Shuri Castle.
I like Shuri Castle in Okinawa, although that is the real palace of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, which is a reconstructed copy. According to Wikipedia, the original one is almost destroyed during the second wo…
Canberra Bus Tour
I have uploaded my photo I took during my trip to Canberra. That times, I joined a local bus tour from Sydney to Canberra. Mainly, I visited Parliament House, War Memorial, and National Museum of Aust…
ITBlogs.Info got a new skin
As a part of websites upgrade projects, my personal homepage, MichaelLeung.info, got upgraded. It got a new logo, the latest Joomla CMS, and a new template. Today, I updated my IT Blog, ITBlogs.Info, …
The photo ablum is re-building
Recently, I have re-installed a new version of Joomla for my homepage. Unforntantly, the most of the components are ancient version; that is not working with the new Joomla. I have re-entered the data…
My Logo
Our creative team designed a new logo for me. I love it; that is fresh and clean. Although that looks like a fashion designer rather than a tech guy, that is what I want. I told the designer makes a l…
Okinawa Photo uploaded
Finally, I got some free time to upload the photo I took during the trip from Okinawa.