Research, observations & things learned
Technology,
with the
notes attached.
A place to work through what we’re learning about AI and software. Technical explanations, thoughts from the work, and a closer look at the news.
Open the notebookSimple rules. Unexpected structure.
The reference desk
Choose the model.
Understand the machine.
Two guides to keep close when you’re exploring open models and running AI locally.
Capabilities · Licensing · Deployment
Open-source AI models
Compare model families, understand open-weight licensing, and find a starting point for evaluation.
Read the model guideMemory · Hardware · Local inference
Local LLM machines
Compare machine classes, memory limits, and the practical tradeoffs of running models on your own hardware.
Read the hardware guide01 / The long view
All technical guidesGet into
the details.
02 / In the notebook
What has our
attention.
New developments, questions worth asking, and our thoughts on where the technology is going.
All articlesClaude's Usage and Cost API Goes Legacy: What Cost Dashboards Gain and Lose
Claude's Usage and Cost Analytics API adds actor and cost-type grouping, but data typically lags up to 4 hours and ranges cap at 31 days. Plus 128 MB requests.
Gemini Computer Use Is GA: A Builder's Checklist Against GPT-6.1 Terra
Gemini computer_use is GA. Which model to pick, three environments, the intent field, two safety traps, and what it costs next to GPT-6.1 Terra.
Gemini API Now Stores Requests From New Paid Projects for 55 Days by Default
Since October 26, new paid-tier Gemini projects log generateContent requests for 55 days unless store=false. What the toggle covers, and what it does not.
GitHub Agentic Workflows Go GA, and Copilot Apps Can Bill the Org Without a Seat
Agentic Workflows is GA: Markdown to Actions YAML, read-only agents behind a firewall, 1,000 AIC per run. Server-to-server auth bills apps to the org.
Xinference 4.1.0: CosyVoice RCE Patched, First-Admin Takeover Closed, Actor Auth Still Off
Xinference 4.1.0 fixes CosyVoice YAML code execution and an unauthenticated first-admin claim. Upgrading sets neither the trust flag nor XOSCAR_AUTH_KEY.
Anthropic's Five Exploit Chains: The Patch Checklist First, Then the AI Story
Fixed versions for Chrome 156, Linux CVE-2026-98432 and Windows CVE-2026-33096 from Anthropic's exploit-chain post, and where the CVE records disagree.
03 / Follow your curiosity
04 / Behind the notebook
People to
think with.
S5 Labs is where Joshua Wendt and Nick Flowers share learnings, thoughts, and current news. The writing is the starting point for a conversation.
More about usWe also work on AI systems, automation, and software.
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