Programming Throwdown

Dive into the world of workflow orchestrators as experts explore asymmetric returns, urging a bold approach to risks and rewards. They discuss the significance of checkpointing and backfilling in long-running tasks. Various orchestrators, like Airflow and Kubeflow, are examined, along with their unique features and ideal use cases. The hosts touch on recent innovations, including the ChatGPT Apps SDK and Pydantic AI for simplifying model development. For some fun, Factorio's automation charm is also recommended!

184: Asynchronous ProgrammingIntro topic: AI ScamsNews/Links:Coding Adventure: Ray-Tracing Glass and Caustics (Sebastian Lague)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wA1KVZ1eOuABoson AI announces Higgs Audio V2https://www.boson.ai/technologies/voice The Misconception that Almost Stopped AI [How Models Learn Part 1] (Welch Labs)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrO20Jb-hy0A mind-bending conversation with Peter Thielhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/11/podcasts/interesting-times-a-mind-bending-conversation-with-peter-thiel.htmlBook of the ShowPatrickThe Hobbit (JRR Tolkien)https://amzn.to/4mevuzEJasonNYT Word GamesPatreon Plug https://www.patreon.com/programmingthrowdown?ty=hTool of the ShowPatrickEscape Academyhttps://escapeacademygame.com/enJasonMulti-modal LLMs to make calendar meetingswww.chatgpt.comTopic: Asynchronous ComputingWhat/WhyMulti-threading in between the linesMany of the benefits of multiprocessing without the overhead/complexityHowCoroutinesThread-Local MemoryBlocking vs Non-Blocking operationsBlocking: arithmeticNon-Blocking: Reading from the network card into thread-local memoryInterpreter lockingTypescript: Single threadedPython: GILImplementationsPolling (not-Asynchronous)Callbacks (interrupts)Multithreading (with queues/message passing)Promise/FuturesAsync/Await  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Mark Cunningham, a seasoned technical recruiter at The Bidding Network, shares expert insights on landing a software job in the competitive landscape of 2025. He discusses effective job search strategies, emphasizing the importance of networking and truthful self-presentation. Listeners learn vital interview techniques, including the intriguing concept of reverse interviews. Mark also delves into negotiating tech offers, debunking misconceptions about salaries, and tackling the challenges posed by AI-generated fake applications. His experiences highlight the evolving job market's complexities.

This discussion kicks off with insights on the hurdles recent grads face in landing entry-level tech jobs. It then dives into the exciting world of game decompilation, spotlighting Mario Kart 64's impact on open-source projects. The hosts tackle the challenges of Q-Learning in AI and reflect on the importance of assessing colleagues' skills in the workplace. They also explore the rise of innovative AI coding tools, sharing personal experiences with tools like Copilot and Cursor, highlighting their benefits and potential pitfalls.

Intro topic: Video Game PricesNews/Links:Step one: Jump in the Lava - Abyssofthttps://youtu.be/WdadpHLAfdA?si=oXYnhB0EdkR_RaPEScalable world models for continuous controlhttps://www.tdmpc2.com/Clever code is probably the worst code you could write - Engineer’s Codexhttps://read.engineerscodex.com/p/clever-code-is-probably-the-worstA new, open source text-to-speech model called Dia has arrived to challenge ElevenLabs, OpenAI and morehttps://venturebeat.com/ai/a-new-open-source-text-to-speech-model-called-dia-has-arrived-to-challenge-elevenlabs-openai-and-more/Book of the ShowPatrickThe Muscle Ladder - Jeff Nippardhttps://amzn.to/44DznszJasonMetaphysics of Warhttps://amzn.to/4jMjvZ5Patreon Plug https://www.patreon.com/programmingthrowdown?ty=hTool of the ShowPatrickPokemon Trading Card Game PocketJasonPhi-4https://huggingface.co/spaces/microsoft/phi-4-multimodalTopic: Memory ManagementMotivationAvoid thrashing / crashesAllocate resources efficientlyKeep high uptimeWhereOS LevelHeap managementVirtual MemoryLanguage/Compiler LevelCppGarbage collectionOwnershipToolsInstrumentationExport to Datadog / GrafanaPython: psutil & tracemallocValgrindWhat to do when your program uses too much memory?Reduce data sizesCompressionReferencesLazy initializerGenerators & Back PressureRing buffersArena allocatorsDisk based caching ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Dive into the world of reinforcement learning as hosts break down the mechanics behind supervised and unsupervised learning. Discover the debate on running AI models locally versus in the cloud, alongside insights from NASA's software development rules. A fascinating focus on value-based approaches like SARSA and Q-Learning leads to policy optimization techniques, including actor-critic methods. Explore the implications of reinforcement learning from human feedback and its potential in enhancing AI decision-making. Perfect for tech enthusiasts!

Dive into the exciting world of project planning and management! Learn why effective feedback and risk identification are crucial for success. Discover the power of Gantt charts and methodologies like Scrum and Agile. Delve into how reading academic papers can enhance your tech skills. Explore the potential of AI in knowledge sharing and the innovative sqlite dict library for data storage. Finally, don't forget the importance of celebrating team milestones to boost morale and strengthen bonds!

Explore the evolution of smart homes and how they blend convenience with reliability. Discover exciting advancements in space tech, including SpaceX's latest launches and the potential of asteroid mining. Dive into augmented reality's future with Meta's Orion glasses and reflect on nostalgia in VR gaming. Learn effective strategies for remote work, emphasizing communication and the importance of dedicated spaces at home. The discussion also touches on handling distractions and the nuanced realities of balancing professional and personal life while working remotely.

Dive into the nuances of vector databases, where embeddings come to life! The speakers tackle the evolving landscape of tech hiring, emphasizing the vital role of nurturing junior developers. They also explore the intersection of AI advances and literature, discussing the ethics of AI-generated content. Plus, discover how gaming innovations like Escape Simulator can enhance collaboration, and learn about the impact of AI tools on software development workflows. Get ready for a tech-savvy journey filled with insights and laughter!

James Morse: Software Engineer at CiscoSystem Administrator to DevOpsDifference between DevOps and MLOpsGetting Started with DevOpsLuke Marsden: CEO of Helix MLHow to start a business at 15 years oldBTRFS vs ZFSMLOps: the intersection of software, DevOps and AIFine-tuning AI on the CloudSome advice for folks interested in ML OpsYuval Fernbach: CTO MLOps & JFrogStarting QwakGoing from a jupyter notebook to productionML Supply ChainGetting started in Machine LearningStephen Chin: VP of DevRel at Neo4JDeveloper Relations: The JobWhat is a Large Language Model?Knowledge graphs and the Linkage ModelHow to Use Graph databases in EnterpriseHow to get into ML Ops ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★