Jorge Iglesias

Tag: Productivity Hacks

  • 2025 – Week 4: AI Weekly Update & Weekly Progress

    2025 – Week 4: AI Weekly Update & Weekly Progress

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    AI Weekly Update: This week was full of exciting progress on multiple fronts—from experimenting with brand-new AI tools to building out fresh websites and further refining my development processes. Below is a detailed rundown of everything that’s been happening, along with the challenges I faced and the lessons I learned.

    A.I. Updates

    DeepSeek R1 (70B Model)

    One of the most thrilling developments in this AI Weekly Update is my successful setup of DeepSeek R1 locally. By using two RTX 3090 Tis and one RTX 2080 Ti, I managed to run the 70B model smoothly. It’s been remarkably impressive in terms of its reasoning capabilities and response times, and I’m eager to test it against other AI solutions in real-world scenarios.

    I’ve been sharing my findings on X (formerly Twitter) and engaging with the AI community for feedback. Through these discussions, I’ve gained insight into how others are deploying large language models and tackling common challenges like memory optimization and prompt engineering.

    Tool Exploration

    This week, I also explored a variety of AI tools and plugins, each with its unique advantages:

    • Cursor: A coding companion that helps streamline certain tasks, though I’m still evaluating its best use cases.
    • Trae.ai: Offers an intuitive environment for quick AI-powered code generation and debugging.
    • VS Code Plugins (Continue, Cline): These extensions are invaluable for real-time code suggestions and AI-driven refactoring.
    • ChatGPT: I canceled my $20 account, as I’m pivoting to more customizable solutions. However, I recognize ChatGPT’s utility in rapid prototyping for various tasks.

    API Setup

    Thanks to the expanded array of providers available, I’ve configured API keys for Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepSeek, and Google AI Studio. Having these ready gives me the flexibility to switch between different AI backends based on the project requirements. Whether I need faster generation, deeper context understanding, or specialized features, I can pick and choose the best engine for each task.

    Go-To Stack

    Currently, my favorite combination is VS Code + Cline with Anthropic/Claude 3.5. This setup offers a robust environment for brainstorming, coding, and debugging, allowing me to iterate on features quickly. I’m consistently impressed by Claude’s ability to handle extended context, which is particularly useful for more complex development tasks.

    Website Projects

    1. naplestea.com

    One of the more exciting ventures in this AI Weekly Update is my continued progress on naplestea.com, a new website where I plan to sell tea. The tech stack includes:

    • Next.js (15.1.5)
    • Strapi (5.8.0)
    • MariaDB
    • Dockerized setup with Nginx Proxy Manager

    This marks my second major Next.js project of the month (the first being Benchie.io). After spending significant time squashing lint and build issues, I’m pleased to confirm I can now run npm run build without any errors.

    Next Steps for naplestea.com:

    1. Finalize the e-commerce flow and set up automated email sequences for customer engagement.
    2. Convert the remaining static pages into dynamic content pages using Strapi, enabling easy updates and scalability.

    2. colliercomputers.com

    I’ve also been active on colliercomputers.com, where I created a quick video showing DeepSeek R1 70B running with OpenWeb UI. This demonstration helps illustrate how local deployments of advanced AI models can be achieved on consumer-grade hardware.

    Upcoming Tasks:

    • Benchmark the Gateway 500 SE PC to understand its performance limits.
    • Restore the Dell Dimension 4700 with Windows XP, mainly for retro-compatibility testing and archival purposes.

    3. jorgeiglesias.com

    This week, I also focused on jorgeiglesias.com, though changes were minimal. My main plan is to enable cross-posting of blog content between my various websites, using tags or categories to determine relevance. This feature will improve both reach and SEO by sharing pertinent articles across multiple domains.

    Looking Ahead

    AI Agents

    A key goal for next week in this AI Weekly Update is to develop custom AI agents, primarily using Browser Use and n8n. I want to create an agent that can automatically generate tasks, helping me streamline workflows across my projects. This could be a game-changer for productivity, especially if it integrates smoothly with my existing Dockerized setups.

    E-Commerce & Email Flows

    I’m also determined to wrap up the core shopping cart functionality for naplestea.com, ensuring a polished and user-friendly e-commerce experience. Automated email sequences—welcome messages, order confirmations, and re-engagement campaigns—are top of my list.

    Systems & Benchmarks

    Lastly, I plan to establish baseline benchmarks on older PCs, documenting their performance under various operating systems. This includes measuring how well these machines can handle modern software tools, which can be particularly useful for retrofitting or specialized tasks.

    Final Thoughts

    This concludes the AI Weekly Update for Week 4 of 2025. It’s been a whirlwind of AI model experimentation, Docker troubleshooting, and Next.js refinements. Despite occasional hurdles—like persistent lint errors or configuration mishaps—I’m proud of how much progress I’ve made.

    If you’ve experimented with DeepSeek or created your own AI agents, I’d love to hear about your experiences. Sharing insights often leads to creative solutions and new collaborations!

    Thank you for tuning in, and I look forward to providing another deep dive next week. Whether you have questions, comments, or just want to share ideas, feel free to drop a line. Let’s keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in AI and web development.

  • Streamlining Release Management with Jira Automation

    Streamlining Release Management with Jira Automation

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    As project managers, our goal is to maintain a smooth and efficient workflow, especially when it comes to release management. Merging tasks into the master branch is a critical part of the software development lifecycle, and ensuring that these tasks are part of the upcoming release—or identifying when they are not—is essential for a coherent release process. With Jira’s automation features, we can streamline this process. Let’s explore how to set this up step by step.

    Setting Up Your Jira Automation Rule

    Step 1: Create a New Rule Go to your Jira project and select ‘Project settings’. Under ‘Project settings’, find ‘Automation’ (you might need to have admin rights to access this feature). Click on ‘Create rule’.

    Step 2: Choose a Trigger For our use case, we want to act when a pull request is merged. So, select ‘Pull request merged’ as the trigger.

    Step 3: Define Issue Field Conditions After a pull request is merged, we need to check if the merge is related to an issue that should be in the upcoming release. To do this, add a new component ‘Edit issue fields’ and select ‘Merged to Master’. Make sure to create this custom field in Jira.

    Step 4: Set Up Conditional Logic We need to compare the fixed versions of the issue with a regular expression to see if it matches the pattern expected for the release.

    For tasks expected in the release, use the condition: {{issue.fixVersions}} contains regex(A[0-9]{1,2}-9[0-9]{1,2}(\.0[1-9]|\.1[0-2])|(\.0[1-9]|\.1[0-9]|\.2[0-9])$)

    If this condition is true, you will ‘Send Slack message’ stating: “A ticket that is in the release has been merged into master. Please confirm.”

    Step 5: Handle Exceptions For tasks that are merged but are not expected in the upcoming release, set another condition to catch these instances: {{issue.fixVersions}} does not match regex(A[0-9]{1,2}-9[0-9]{1,2}(\.0[1-9]|\.1[0-2])|(\.0[1-9]|\.1[0-9]|\.2[0-9])$)

    If this condition is true, you will ‘Send Slack message’ stating: “A ticket that is NOT in the release has been merged into master. Please confirm.”

    Step 6: Finalize Your Rule Give your rule a name, such as “PR Merge to Master Marker”, and set the ‘Scope’ to the relevant project. Assign an owner who will receive notifications if the rule fails, and choose an ‘Actor’, which is usually ‘Automation for Jira’.

    Step 7: Test and Activate Before activating, test your rule to ensure it works as expected. Once confirmed, activate the rule by toggling the ‘Enabled’ switch.

    Why This Matters

    Automating this process:

    • Reduces the manual effort to track which tasks are part of the upcoming release.
    • Minimizes the risk of deploying features that are not ready or have not been included in the release notes.
    • Notifies team members promptly, allowing for quick action if something has been merged incorrectly.

    Conclusion

    Automations in Jira are powerful tools that can significantly improve your team’s efficiency and accuracy, especially when managing releases. With the above steps, you can set up a robust automation rule to monitor and notify about the state of issues in your master branch. Embrace these automations and let them take over some of the heavy liftings in your project management processes.

  • Is Email Dead? Alright, Stop the Funeral – We’ve Got Text Alerts!

    Is Email Dead? Alright, Stop the Funeral – We’ve Got Text Alerts!

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    You ever notice how everyone’s always saying, “Email is dead”? Like it’s some kind of digital dinosaur, just waiting for a meteor called ‘WhatsApp’ to wipe it out. Well, as someone cruising through the fabulous 40s – yeah, that’s right, the age where wisdom starts to peek through the chaos of youth – I’ve seen communication tactics flip more than pancakes at a Sunday brunch.

    Remember the good ol’ days? When getting an email was as exciting as Eddie Murphy dropping a new movie? You’d rush to that computer, heart pounding, thinking, “Who’s thinking about me? What’s this mystery message?” Fast forward, and here we are, drowning in a sea of emails, most of which scream urgency but read like the back of a shampoo bottle.

    The Saga of the Overflowing Inbox

    Inbox Zero? More like Inbox Hero if you can even get close. It’s like every email is a little gremlin, and they just keep multiplying, especially if you feed them after midnight. And by feeding, I mean replying. You send one out, and three come back – it’s the Hydra of the digital age!

    Enter the Mighty Text Alert

    So, what’s the game-changer? Drumroll, please… Text alerts! That’s right. We’re talking about taking communication back to basics, to the times when a “beep” meant something juicy was coming your way, not just another newsletter telling you how to lose weight by eating air.

    Text alerts are like that friend who cuts through the nonsense at a party and tells you there’s no more pizza. Disappointing, sure, but at least you know where you stand. It’s direct, to the point, and you’re gonna see it because, let’s be real, who isn’t glued to their phone these days?

    Setting Up Your Own Comedy Show… I Mean, Text Alert System

    Thinking of bringing some laughs and efficiency to your communication? Here’s how to set up your personal text alert system, Eddie Murphy style:

    Find Your Platform:

    Pick a text alert service that doesn’t need a PhD to understand. You want to send messages, not launch a spaceship. I specifically use zapier to connect gmail with slack.

    Emails are already labeled and anytime an email with a specific label comes in, slack will send me a message alerting me to the new email. Hopefully I will never miss an important email again.

    Keep It Fun:

    When crafting your alerts, channel your inner Eddie. A touch of humor can turn a mundane message into a mini comedy show.

    Timing is Everything:

    Just like delivering a punchline, timing your text alerts is key. You want to be the highlight of someone’s day, not the reason they’re throwing their phone on silent.

    Navigating the Text Alert Etiquette

    Now, before you go all “Delirious” on your text alerts, remember the golden rule of comedy and communication: timing and audience. Don’t be the person sending text alerts at 3 AM, unless it’s an actual emergency or you’ve discovered a guaranteed way to bring back “Coming to America” with the original cast.

    Wrapping It Up With a Laugh

    So, there you have it, folks. Email might be taking a long nap, but communication is more alive than ever with text alerts. It’s quick, it’s personal, and if done right, it might just bring a smile to someone’s day. And remember, in the wise words of Eddie Murphy, “If you ain’t laughin’, you ain’t livin’.”