Key Takeaways
- Mole 1.15 is out, with the author reporting 709 apps tested and a target of 1,000 for the next round.
- The same author released Kaku, a free open-source macOS terminal, now available via Homebrew Cask.
- Developer tool loyalties are shifting fast: Cursor, Claude, and Opus 5.5 draw strong but conflicting claims about speed, usage limits, and output quality.
- AI is framed as an amplifier of existing skill gaps, while podcasting's RSS foundation is cited as a durable independent-media channel.
- Labor and school disputes in China over holiday work and shortened breaks drew concessions in at least one case.
- Tobacco retail spacing rules are being relaxed in several Chinese cities, with one merchant voicing concern and a local bureau citing pending procedures.
- A disputed/unverified cluster includes a stabbing case involving "杰克辣条" and a challenged 2024 Nature paper.
1. Developer Tools and Releases
- Mole 1.15 has launched, with the author saying the final test covered 709 software titles, including Adobe products, ad-heavy apps, antivirus tools, common engineering software, and various AI tools; the next round is planned to reach 1,000 self-tested apps. The author previously productized software-uninstall testing into scripts, with the tested count rising from 611, and invites users to report uncovered software so rules can be completed. — via 1
- The same author released Kaku, a free open-source macOS terminal that works out of the box, adds layout recovery after a crash, and is now in the official Homebrew Cask, installable via
brew install --cask kaku. — via 1
2. AI Models and Developer Workflows
- Jack Ellis says his main development tool is Cursor because he needs fast mode to avoid losing flow, and that Anthropic does not allow subscription usage to use fast mode, making Claude unusable for his daily workload. He also calls Opus 5.5 the best model so far, saying a week of heavy use completed all his requests, including two video games and a large database migration, while expressing doubt about how quickly developer loyalty now shifts back and forth. — via 1 2 3
- @levelsio says AI trends flip every six months and Claude Code is cool again; a quoted post claims a $200 OpenAI plan now lasts only two days, while switching to a $200 Claude plan with Opus 5.5 delivered strong results at roughly 5x the usage. He also says Claude-generated content keeps improving but its sound effects remain weak, with synthesized "ticky" tones clearly worse than its visuals. — via 1 2
- Tony Dinh shared a comparison of glitter-sticker generation using Claude Opus 5.5 and GPT-6 Sol, saying Opus 5.5 performed clearly better on that task. — via 1
- Arvid Kahl argues AI amplifies capability gaps: those with existing skills get stronger, while those lacking experience get weaker. He also wants Claude Code to support exploratory voice conversations on desktop and terminal like mobile Claude, and has suggested the feature to Anthropic. — via 1 2
- Jon Yongfook sarcastically commented on a claim that something is a "big feature," suggesting users have only about 8 seconds of attention and will not linger for it. — via 1
3. Independent Media and Publishing
- Arvid Kahl says podcasts are built on RSS, which is highly effective for independent media publishing, creator monetization, and easy access on both the supply and demand sides. — via 1
- @levelsio opposes scheduled posting, comparing it to listening to an answering machine rather than a real conversation, and says content is already outdated when published; he prefers posting when inspired and interacting with repliers, arguing people want authenticity and sincerity that most cannot deliver. — via 1
4. Labor, Schools, and Public Administration
- 兰州万里航空机电 was cited for requiring "大干一百天" with no holiday break during Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day and no overtime pay, while 山东智开工程设计 was cited for unilaterally terminating an employee who refused Sunday overtime. — via 1 2
- 四川安岳中学 gave only half a day off for Mid-Autumn Festival to first- and second-year high school students, leading to a clash involving hundreds of students and reports that leaders and students were hospitalized; the school ultimately conceded and granted three days off. 福建长乐第一中学 gave only 1 day off for Mid-Autumn Festival and 2 days for National Day. 东莞东华高级中学 faced student big-character poster protests over unreasonable meal times, with some posters torn down in under 24 hours and authors summoned for talks. — via 1 2 3
- Multiple places are relaxing tobacco retail spacing limits: parts of Hangzhou from 60 meters to 30 meters effective October 20, Hegang from 50 meters to 20 meters, and Chengdu Jinjiang District proposing a cut to 10 meters in a draft for comment. A licensed merchant in Jinjiang worried about new stores grabbing customers; the local tobacco bureau responded on September 17 that the plan is not yet effective, hearings and other procedures will be followed, and the draft retains total-volume limits. — via 1
- A Xiamen netizen said they were labeled a "high-risk fraud victim" and required to attend offline anti-fraud education or have their bank account frozen; their bank card was then restricted to "money in only, no money out." The netizen said no unit notified them and questioned the "protective stop-payment." Separately, three major telecom carriers' offline stores' "free phone" offers were described as loan contracts with phone bills including repayments, where missed payments and service suspension can lead to overdue loans affecting credit; reports said that from September 24, the three carriers' financial installment phone business suspended new applications. — via 1 2
- The "休休查" mini-program was suspended after "双休购", with a page showing suspension due to violations but no specific items listed. One blogger said police visited after they posted "想死" on Weibo, asking to see medical records, take a statement, and delete the account; another netizen said police contacted their mother to ask for deletion of a post complaining about a medical experience. — via 1 2
5. Disputed/Unverified
- "杰克辣条" 徐某辉 was reportedly attacked on September 20 outside his home in 安徽阜南 by a woman with a knife; he and his wife were stabbed, and another elderly person was stabbed and died. Police responded that they would release case details if needed and told people not to believe online rumors; the claim that the attacker fell from a building remains unverified. — via 1
- A 2024 Nature paper by 中科院研究员王二涛团队 was accused of fabrication; the corresponding author acknowledged data anomalies and image duplication and applied to retract, saying the problematic data was generated by first author 王钢, some original materials cannot be found, but repeated experiments still support the main conclusions. — via 1
6. Commentary and Miscellaneous
- Daniel Vassallo compared Henry Ford's 1908 remark that children need not learn horseback riding to 黄仁勋 saying children need not learn basic math in a "low-IQ era," arguing it is not a scandal. He also shared content saying Europe's anti-growth/deceleration narrative is unbearable for adults and worse for children, and that parents have a duty to counter it by showing children the wonders of robots, rockets, AI, cathedrals, and the moon landing to instill hope in progress. — via 1 2
- Tibo said managing 7 SaaS products, raising 2 children, and playing 8 hours of World of Warcraft daily is very difficult. — via 1
- @levelsio praised a speech he said every software engineer and everyone should hear, with the core message of keeping happy memories, facing reality, and staying excited about the future; he also received a package from @DHH. — via 1 2
