Copasetic Flow

 We're working on a promo video for our smartphone-based CW practice app. We had great luck last week using the sora-2 app to create B-Roll footage for the Gladych Files . This week, I'm hoping to make an entire scripted trailer for the CW app using sora-2. There are issues though. The first one is that while the sora app has a storyboard feature, (at least the one I can access this week), the API does  not. It does however allow you to pass in reference images to bridge scenes. That's pretty cool, and seems to work. I'm working on  a Python script to wait for bridging images between clips. That's worked out ok.  The real issue, so far, has been sora-2 moderation. Profanity and Real-Person Filters You cannot pass the image of a real person, (even one sora-2 invented), between clips. Moderation stops it every time. ( Moderation is what sora-2 calls its engine that decides if it's able to make your video at all.) This is what set off a cascade of moderatio...

 I deployed the LLM Psy-ops detection app earlier today! For those of you just hopping onboard, the WhyFiles ran an episode highlighting a simple, logical scoring method publicized by NCI for determining if a piece media or new article was emotionally manipulative, (think propaganda), or not.  I was looking for a good app to practice deployment, guardrails, and evals, and this one suggested by a @somethingLethal on reddit seemed promising in all those regards. If you'd like to try it, you can find the app at  https://projecttoucans.com/gladych_files_psy_ops  .  LLMs, Simple Math, and Pricing The Psy-op scoring instrument requires that the model sum the scores for the twenty categories. gpt-4o-mini did not sum any of the scores correctly. It got close, but that was about it. I experimented with the python code interpreter to cure the simple math issue. The code interpreter seemed reasonable at first. I mean, three cents per compute minute , not bad right? Ins...

 AI guardrails are everywhere in modern development discussions—but what if the best guardrail is not needing one at all? As I explored OpenAI’s new Agent Builder guardrail system this week, a surprising idea surfaced: engineers can sometimes design AI workflows so constrained that there’s nothing left to guard. In this post, I walk through the metaphor, the engineering mindset, and why shrinking the attack surface may be the most underrated AI safety technique.

 After gaining access to OpenAI’s new Sora-2 video API , I rebuilt my entire B-roll workflow for The Gladych Files channel — automating prompt generation, stitching clips together, and producing cinematic sequences in minutes. In this post, I walk through the full pipeline, share lessons learned, and offer tips for anyone curious about AI-assisted video creation.

  Just a quick note that the AI tutored Project TouCans exams are up and running for the latest US technician class question pool for the license exam.  The exam sprang out of two different projects here at the home QTH. KO6BTY is studying for her extra class license. Also, I'm learning about developing code with AI. And voila: AI tutored ham radio practice exams. Try the AI-tutored Technician Class practice exam now. Project TouCans technician class practice exams . Read more about this project: First  demo  of OpenAI ChatKit enabled exams First release of extra class exam based on OpenAI responses API Removing the vector store  to reduce costs Experiences with Vector Stores Early debug to add contexts by local compute and storage First release of extra class exam  with no AI

The humble SA612 mixer chip , long a cornerstone of QRP and RockMite transceiver designs, has officially gone end-of-life. Announced by Bill Meara on Soldersmoke, the news marks the close of an era in home-built HF radios. KO6BTY and I have relied on this little chip throughout Project TouCans, and while it’s never failed us in the field, its retirement feels like losing a trusted bandmate. 

 I’ve just launched the new Extra Class Practice Exam site, and it’s officially the first app running on the new Project TouCans platform! The exams follow the same familiar format as the ones here on the blog — but with a major upgrade. Now, when you’re stuck on a question, you can click “AI Help” to start a ChatGPT-powered tutoring session for that specific problem. You can try the exams here: 👉 https://projecttoucans.com/