Doug Mejia

I am lucky to work in a school system that provides lots of materials for me to use with my students. However, sometimes I am left looking for resources that are strategically tailored to meet my students’ needs that day. While I can usually search the web for ideas, I often cannot use them because they are not aligned with our standards, require a purchase, or are simply not that great to begin with.

Having that itch to scratch left me looking for a “backscratcher” I can call my own. So, I started looking into creating something to meet these needs and benefit my students. But where do I find someone who can help me create my own thing that I can use, free of charge (except for the time I dedicate to it) and, more importantly, guide me through the process? I am no programmer by any stretch of the imagination, but here I am wanting to create my own solution that is tailored to what I want. It cannot be a universal, one-size-fits-all kind of deal. No one is going to take the time to hold my hand while I figure this stuff out. Maybe I can’t find someone, but maybe there is something that can do that?

Well, everyone is talking about A.I. lately and how great it is or how horrible it is, depending on their point of view. I am sure the truth lies somewhere in between. Why not give that a try and see if it can help me achieve my goal.

I started my journey by taking what I had learned on the various podcasts I listen to or the books and articles I read daily and delved into Claude Code. I felt like the proverbial blind men feeling the different parts of an elephant and describing it to each other.

I virtually knew nothing about it. I knew that it was a product by Anthropic and that it was AI. However, I had no idea how to use it, let alone what it was capable of.

I started by reading everything I could about it. Then, I learned how to install it on my Mac via the terminal. I tried it, but it stopped me right away because I did not have a paid Claude account. That was my first stumbling block. I had to go in and sign up for the Claude Pro plan. Once I continued the process, it asked me to log in. I did that, and it was pretty easy. So far, so good.

Now that I had it installed, I ran it by typing “claude” in my terminal. It greeted me with more questions on permissions, folder locations, and so forth. I followed the on-screen prompts, and somehow, I got to a blank terminal window with Claude welcoming me. It asked me to create a folder for the project I wanted to work on. I had no idea what to work on, so I tried several things before landing on the one that I wanted… no, the one that I needed to work on.

Remember that I wanted to find something tailored to my students? Well, in this particular case, I needed something that would provide them with more practice subtracting three digits from three digits, specifically across zeros. For example, **600 - 256 = ? ** and the like. Consequently, I started telling Claude what I wanted in plain English, trying to be as specific as possible so it gave me what I wanted, not just what it thought I needed.

After going back and forth for a bit (ok, ok… a few hours), I narrowed it down to making a Math Quiz Generator that teachers, parents, and even students could use for practice math problems. I didn’t just include subtraction problems because I figured making all four basic operations available would be beneficial to my students and whoever else wanted to give it a try.

Long story short(er), I ended up “vibe coding” my first app. It serves a legitimate purpose, aligns with our educational standards, is easy to use, shows various kinds of math problems on screen, and can print or save them as a PDF. Since my goal was to try and make something for my students, the whole thing is made free for them to use on the web. The only cost was the $20 I had to pay for Claude Pro.

Come to think of it, it is probably going to cost a lot more because now I want to make more things for them to use and help them succeed by practicing what they need.

I am pretty excited about the possibilities now that I have seen what I can make with the help of AI. I still don’t come close to considering myself a programmer any more than I consider myself an author because I can write a blog post. However, if more people can harness the power of these tools to make better, customized tools for their benefit or the benefit of others, then I think we are in good shape. The future looks brighter than what some people make it out to be.

#Education #EdTech #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #VibeCoding #Math #App

I usually listen to the Mac Power Users podcast on Mondays, but I couldn’t wait this week. I just finished listening to Mac Power Users #836 with Stephen Robles as the new co-host a few minutes ago, and he nailed it! For those of you who haven’t heard yet, Stephen Hackett has stepped aside to focus on other projects, so David Sparks needed a new tech partner. After searching high and low, I am sure, he invited Stephen Robles to fill the big chair.

Although not as long as I have been a Mac Power Users fan, I’ve been a fan of Stephen Robles for a while now. He makes excellent YouTube videos and co-hosts a weekly tech news-focused podcast called Primary Tech with Jason Aten. It’s one of the shows I look forward to every week. They’re a great team. Anyway, Stephen brought that same energy to the MPU audience this weekend. His enthusiasm was contagious, and the chemistry with David was flawless. He fits right in.

He earned this spot not because he has a YouTube channel or another podcast, but because he truly knows his stuff, is genuinely excited to talk about it, and is naturally curious. In my opinion, he was the best possible choice.

What an exciting time. I feel better after listening to the episode because, frankly, I was a bit hesitant. I like both of these guys, but I wasn’t sure how well they’d mesh. It’s not an easy thing to step into.

Of course, I’ll miss Stephen Hackett on MPU. But I’m sure he’ll be back as a guest, and I’ll keep following his work through his other podcasts and his writing at 512 Pixels.

Congratulations, Mac Power Users team. I’m super happy to be part of this community. It’s like my comfort zone, and I appreciate it staying at such a high quality.

#MacPowerUsers #Podcast

I decided to re-download Simplenote and give it another shot. I wanted to see if it could fit into my current workflow, especially given its reputation for speed and simplicity.

What I Like

• It lives up to its name. It is refreshing to use a tool that is genuinely simple.
• No bells and whistles. It is strictly for creating notes. There are no distractions to get in the way of writing.
• Fast sync. The syncing across devices is incredibly quick.
• Markdown support. I can write in Markdown, which is a must for me these days.
• Truly cross-platform. It works on all my devices: Mac, iOS, Windows, and Linux. I am actually writing this using the web version right now, but I have my iPhone next to me to test out the syncing as I edit.
• Tag support. Organizing notes with tags is straightforward and effective.
• Markdown preview. You can preview your formatted text easily. On the desktop, it is Ctrl + Shift + P. On iOS, I really like being able to swipe from right to left to show the preview. It is a smooth and responsive feature that is well-implemented.

What I Don’t Like

• Lack of encryption. I don’t believe the notes are encrypted at rest.
• The editor is very basic. The Markdown editor doesn’t highlight syntax or support inline previews like other apps such as Bear or Obsidian. You have to toggle a separate preview mode to see how things look.
• Sustainability concerns. Since the core product is free, I wonder about the long-term sustainability of their business model.
• Corporate ownership. It is owned by Automattic. They own WordPress, Day One, Pocket Casts, and others. While they are a stable company, I generally prefer supporting smaller independent developers when I can.
• Text expansion issues. For some reason, the web version I was using did not let RocketTypist expand and paste my snippets, which slows me down. Worked fine in other apps on myu Mac.
• Privacy tradeoffs. This is the big one for me. Messages are encrypted in transmission but not at rest. Technically, the Automattic staff could access my notes if they wanted to. Worse than that, if their servers ever get hacked, my notes would be exposed.

#NoteTaking #Simplenote

Winter Field Day is an exciting annual event for amateur radio enthusiasts, taking place on the last full weekend of January. It offers a unique opportunity for radio operators to set up field operations in remote locations, enabling them to connect with other participants worldwide.

Winter Field Day is finally upon us this weekend! It is the perfect time to test your gear in less-than-ideal conditions and sharpen those emergency preparedness skills.

If you are a ham radio operator, I hope you make an effort to get together with other amateurs in your area. Let’s make some real noise on the airwaves.

If you are not a licensed radio operator, you can still go out and share some camaraderie with a local club or even your ham radio neighbor. It is a fantastic way to see what the hobby is all about without the pressure of being on the mic yourself. Lots of groups, like the Everglades Amateur Radio Club, have been getting together for years now to run these events. It is always a fun time with great people, so don’t be shy about stopping by.

#WinterFieldDay #WFD #WFD2026 #HamRadio #AmateurRadio

I’ve reached the stage in my career where former students and their parents are reaching out to ask for letters of recommendation. I just wrote one this morning, and I couldn’t be happier to do it. It brings me true joy to see these young people growing up, doing the right thing, and bettering themselves in every way possible. I’m proud to have played even a small part in their lives.

I’d like to believe I made enough of an impact that they look back years later and remember me. It is an honor that they trust me to write on their behalf. Teaching these days might not carry the prestige it once did, but moments like these make me grateful for the opportunity to educate the next generation. I love being able to help them, whenever possible, and wish them nothing but success.

#Education #Gratitude

The PLAUD NotePin is an audio recorder. It is about the size of a large paperclip and looks like a big pill. It has AI features if you pair it with the iOS or Android apps. Once paired, you can transcribe the recordings, or you can summarize them.

It seems convenient to wear. It attaches magnetically to your clothing, or it can clip onto a shirt or anywhere else, like a hat. You can even wear it on your wrist, kind of like a watch. It has its own little band, and it is out there ready for you to use.

To turn on the recording, you press and hold the middle. It starts recording and gives you a little tap. To stop the recording, you once again press the middle, hold it down for a second or so, and it will stop the recording. It gives you two vibrations to let you know that it has finished. Because it is easily accessible, there is no need to unlock your phone. There is no need to go into any apps to start recording. It just records.

Since it captures audio on the device itself, there is no need for an internet connection. The only time you need the internet is once you use the app to have AI transcribe or summarize your audio. This can be done at a later time; it doesn’t have to be while you are recording.

All this sounds cool, and I like the features, but then I realized that it is probably not a good buy for me. I tried to convince myself that it was cool enough to at least try, but then I realized I can get all the functionality this offers on devices I already own. I have an iPhone that can record directly because it has built-in microphones, or I can use my watch to record using apps like Whisper Memos.

Once I get the recording, it transfers to my phone, and the app sends it off to be processed by AI. It gives me the transcript as well as the summary, just like the PLAUD NotePin does. Although the services for Whisper Memos and the PLAUD extended transcription are about the same price annually, I do get to save on purchasing the NotePin, itself (~$169).

I love the concept. I like the size and how it is an all-in-one little device to serve that single purpose, and apparently, it works very well. What I don’t like is that I have to buy, charge and carry another device in addition to my phone and my watch. I really don’t like that it includes only 300 minutes of audio per month. Otherwise, you have to pay the extra subscription cost.

I don’t foresee myself using five hours worth of audio every month, but if you are a student or somebody who has to record meetings all the time, you could easily pass this limit in less than a month. I am going to continue watching this space to see what develops. If these audio recorders turn into something better, like a more fully featured assistant, I might change my mind.

#WearableTech #AI

just finished listening to the audiobook “Empire of AI” by Karen Hao (wrapped it up on December 30, 2025), and I have to tell you, if you still think OpenAI is just a bunch of benevolent geniuses trying to save the world, you need to grab this book. Although the book focuses on OpenAI, this can probably be subsituted by any of the other major AI companies out there today.

Hao’s central metaphor is absolutely spot-on. She argues that OpenAI operates exactly like the old empires of history. It plunders resources (our data), exploits cheap labor from around the world, and drains natural resources from vulnerable countries, all to centralize power and wealth for a few chosen ones in Silicon Valley.

What really struck me was how quickly their mission took a U-turn. Remember when OpenAI started as a non-profit designed to fight the “evil” of Google’s DeepMind and protect humanity? Yeah, well, that didn’t last. As soon as Sam Altman and the leadership realized that compute costs billions, the “open” part of the name turned into a lie. They took a $10 billion investment from Microsoft, locked down their research, and basically morphed into the very thing they promised to destroy.

Then you have the “heroes” of the story, who come off as deeply flawed. Sam Altman doesn’t seem like a tech visionary here so much as a “steezy” politician and salesman. He apparently has a Napoleon complex (literally admiring the, self-proclaimed, emperor) and comes across as manipulative. The story of him getting fired by his own board via Google Meet while he was watching F1 in Vegas is something movies are made of. Then there’s Greg Brockman, a workaholic who treats the company like a cult. He just wants to be remembered at any cost. And Ilya Sutskever? He’s the “cerebral” genius who drank his own Kool-Aid with the mantra “Feel the AGI,” only to realize way too late that safety had taken a backseat to profit.

But honestly, the darkest part of the book is about how the “magic” is made. It is built on human suffering. Hao exposes how OpenAI outsourced the horrific job of filtering toxic content like violence and CSAM to workers in Kenya via a company called Sama. These people were left with severe PTSD. They also exploited desperate, highly educated Venezuelan workers for data annotation, paying them pennies.

It isn’t just human exploitation either. It’s environmental. In the race for compute power, they (along with Microsoft since OpenAI are using Azure services) are draining water in drought-stricken places like Chile and Uruguay just to cool their massive data centers. It is classic imperialism. They extract value from the weak to empower the strong.

The book ends with a warning that really stuck out. The only way to stop this empire is to decentralize it. We need to stop handing over our data and start supporting independent, transparent research. We can’t underestimate the power of the people, but as I noted while reading, we need to get off our asses and actually do something about it. If you care about privacy, labor rights, or just want to know who is pulling the strings behind the curtain, you should pick this one up for sure.

#Books #KarenHao #EmpireOfAI #OpenAI