Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Edd Mann @eddmann.com · 2d

This is definitely a solved problem - but now it’s my solved problem ❤️

Edd Mann @eddmann.com · 2d

Been using #macOS `caffeinate` a lot lately, so I built a tiny #Swift menu bar app around it.

CaffeineMate keeps your Mac awake with one click - set timers (15m, 1h, 3h, custom), keep the display on, and toggle it all with a global shortcut.

☕ eddmann.com/CaffeineMate/

CaffeineMate - Keep Your Mac Awake

Free macOS menu bar app that prevents your Mac from sleeping. One-click control, duration timers, and keyboard shortcuts. Native & lightweight.

eddmann.com

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Edd Mann @eddmann.com · 3d

Context is everything when working with LLMs.

In episode 7 of Compiled Conversations, @ashleyhindle.com explains why managing context windows is critical to getting quality, reliable output.

🎧 Listen now: compiledconversations.com/7/

👉 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Edd Mann @eddmann.com · 5d

Zero-shot, one-shot, few-shot - what do they really mean when prompting large language models?

In episode 7 of Compiled Conversations, @ashleyhindle.com breaks down each one.

🎧 Listen now: compiledconversations.com/7/

👉 Don’t miss future episodes - subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Edd Mann @eddmann.com · 6d

LLM agents get talked about a lot - but what are they, really?

In Episode 7 of Compiled Conversations, @ashleyhindle.com strips away the hype and explains how agents are, at their core, just a simple loop.

🎧 Listen now: compiledconversations.com/7/

👉 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Edd Mann @eddmann.com · 7d

In Functional Programming, functions aren't just helpers - they are the building blocks.

In the latest episode, @scottwlaschin.bsky.social breaks down how FP uses functions to compose behaviour, control flow, and model systems in a different way from OOP.

🎧 compiledconversations.com/9/

Edd Mann @eddmann.com · 7d

Exploring #MCP and @laravel.com MCP by building a @plex.tv integration 🎬

AI assistants now understand where I am in a film through subtitle analysis.

'What have I missed?' gets context-aware answers without spoilers.

Write up: eddmann.com/posts/contex...
Repo: github.com/eddmann/plex...

Edd Mann @eddmann.com · 8d

Laravel Boost makes AI-assisted development faster and more reliable. ⚡

@ashleyhindle.com explains how it provides tested guidelines, its own MCP server, and version-specific docs for Laravel projects.

🎧 Listen now: compiledconversations.com/7/

👉 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify for more.

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Edd Mann @eddmann.com · 9d

Ep. 10: The Life of a PostgreSQL Table, Part 1 w/ Bruce Momjian

What really happens when you create, insert, or query in #Postgres?
We dig into:
- Storage internals (pages, TOAST)
- MVCC & WAL
- Index types & use cases
- Query planning & joins

🎧 compiledconversations.com/10/

The Life of a PostgreSQL Table, Part 1 with Bruce Momjian - Compiled Conversations

Bruce Momjian takes us on a deep dive into the lifecycle of a PostgreSQL table. We explore how tables are created, how data is inserted and stored, and how queries work - from physical storage and…

compiledconversations.com

Edd Mann @eddmann.com · 10d

@den.dev Big fan of spec-kit and your YouTube content! I know you must be super busy, but would you be interested in joining compiledconversations.com to chat about spec-driven development, spec-kit, and agentic tooling sometime?

Compiled Conversations

In-depth conversations with the people shaping software and technology. Each episode explores real-world experiences, technical challenges, and the thinking behind the tools, systems, and decisions th...

compiledconversations.com

Edd Mann @eddmann.com · 11d

Error handling often clutters code.
Fortunately, functional programming offers a more elegant way.

@scottwlaschin.bsky.social explains the 'two-track' model 🚂 (railway-oriented programming) - keeping the success path clean while ensuring errors are always handled.

🎧 compiledconversations.com/9/

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Edd Mann @eddmann.com · 12d

Programming isn't one-size-fits-all.

In Episode 9 of Compiled Conversations, @scottwlaschin.bsky.social makes the case for being multi-paradigm - using the right language for the right job. Just like a tradesperson has more than one tool, a programmer should too.

🎧 compiledconversations.com/9/

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Edd Mann @eddmann.com · 13d

The Reverse Conway Maneuver flips the script on Conway’s Law.

In Episode 8 of Compiled Conversations, Scott explains how aligning teams with domains helps avoid conflicts - and why the number of teams you have inevitably shapes your system’s architecture.

🎧 Listen now: compiledconversations.com/8/

Edd Mann @eddmann.com · 15d

Garbage in, garbage out. 🗑️

In Episode 8 of Compiled Conversations, Scott explains why good design starts with good inputs - and why even the best code can’t fix bad ones.

🎧 Listen now: compiledconversations.com/8/

👉 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don’t miss future episodes.

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Edd Mann @eddmann.com · 16d

🎉 Ep. 9: Domain Modeling Made Functional, Part 2 w/ @scottwlaschin.bsky.social

How do #DDD & FP fit together?

We cover:
- What makes a language functional
- FP-style error handling 🚂
- Composable data types for domain modeling
- Pipelines & workflow modeling

🎧 compiledconversations.com/9/

Domain Modeling Made Functional, Part 2 with Scott Wlaschin - Compiled Conversations

In this episode, Scott Wlaschin shows how functional programming concepts can enhance domain-driven design, sharing practical techniques for building more expressive, testable domain models using…

compiledconversations.com

Edd Mann @eddmann.com · 17d

Writing code isn't just for computers - it's for people too.

@scottwlaschin.bsky.social explains how #DDD encourages developers to use the same language as non-developers; making code a tool for communication, not just execution.

🎧 compiledconversations.com/8/

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Edd Mann @eddmann.com · 23d

Ep. 8: Domain Modeling Made Functional, Part 1 w/
@scottwlaschin.bsky.social

#DDD isn't about code - it's about communication, we discuss:
- Strategic vs tactical DDD
- (Sub)domains
- Bounded contexts & ubiquitous language
- Conway's Law & team organisation

🎧 compiledconversations.com/8/

Domain Modeling Made Functional, Part 1 with Scott Wlaschin - Compiled Conversations

Scott Wlaschin, author of "Domain Modeling Made Functional" and creator of F# for Fun and Profit, joins us to discuss the powerful pairing of DDD and functional programming. In Part 1 we focus on DDD,...

compiledconversations.com

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Edd Mann @eddmann.com · 24d

🧝✨ Workshop update from the North Pole: Jolly JVM just delivered a #Java impl. of elf-lang featuring #Clojure-style immutable, persistent collections w/ structural sharing!

🔧 Impl: eddmann.com/santa-lang-w...
📖 Writeup: eddmann.com/posts/santa-...

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Edd Mann @eddmann.com · 25d

I may have taken the Christmas-themed programming language thing a bit too far...

Introducing the santa-lang Workshop: AI agents (elves) implementing elf-lang across different programming languages using shared test suites and stage-gated development.

📖 eddmann.com/posts/santa-...

#AI #LLM

Edd Mann @eddmann.com · 29d

Ep. 7: Boosting Laravel Through AI w/ @ashleyhindle.com

From autocomplete → task completion: how #AI and #Laravel Boost are reshaping dev workflows:
- AI fundamentals (AI, ML, GenAI, LLMs)
- Prompt & context engineering
- RAG, MCP & agents
- Testing in the AI era

🎧 compiledconversations.com/7/

Boosting Laravel Through AI with Ashley Hindle - Compiled Conversations

Ashley Hindle, creator of Laravel Boost, joins us to demystify AI terminology, explore practical AI development workflows, and discuss how Laravel Boost accelerates AI-assisted development with struct...

compiledconversations.com

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Edd Mann @eddmann.com · Sep 9

Guided by a staged, language-agnostic test suite (like PHPT), each elf bootstraps the lang. step by step while journaling its progress.

It’s been fascinating exploring how to shape tooling, plans & guidelines around LLM agents.

See their work+journals 👇
eddmann.com/santa-lang-w...

Edd Mann @eddmann.com · Sep 9

🎄 Getting into the Christmas spirit a little early!

I set a team of #LLM 'elves' (agents) the task of re-implementing a subset of a language I designed several years ago - introducing... elf-lang.

🧵👇

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Edd Mann @eddmann.com · Sep 3

Ep. 6: All Aboard the PostgreSQL Train 🚂 w/ Bruce Momjian

We cover 39 years of Postgres and why it keeps outpacing proprietary DBs:
- Extensibility: PostGIS, JSON, pgvector
- TDE
- Decoupled storage/compute (Aurora, Neon)
- Sustaining momentum 'on the train'

🎧 compiledconversations.com/6/

All Aboard the PostgreSQL Train with Bruce Momjian - Compiled Conversations

Bruce Momjian traces Postgres's 39-year journey from Berkeley to today, why extensibility (PostGIS, JSON, pgvector) became its superpower, and how the community sustains momentum. We cover TDE trade-o...

compiledconversations.com

Edd Mann @eddmann.com · Sep 2

Strategic vs Tactical #DDD - know the difference?

Strategic: define domains, goals & guide architecture
Tactical: patterns that turn strategy into code

One devs ❤️. The other drives impact. 💪

🎧 compiledconversations.com/4/ compiledconversations.com/5/

👉 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Edd Mann @eddmann.com · Sep 1

Thanks for the kind words 🙏