Claude Code Levels Up: VS Code Extension, Checkpoints & Sonnet 4.5

Front-End Fire

Anthropic dropped a bunch of good Claude Code updates. There’s a new a native VS Code extension, a v2 of the terminal version of Claude, code checkpoints, and it’s all powered by Sonnet 4.5, Anthropic’s best coding model yet.

On top of Claude’s glow up, the Google Chrome team launched a Chrome DevTools MCP. AI coding assistants will be able to debug web pages directly in a Chrome browser, including using DevTools to review network requests, console output and page structure, simulate user interactions, and even automate performance audits.

In a poorly planned move, the CEO of Vercel tweeted a picture of himself meeting with the controversial Israeli Prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. This sparked a massive online backlash, some Vercel employees quit, and many customers are leaving the hosting site and vowing to stop using Next.js, as well.

Timestamps:

• 00:46 - Claude Sonnet and Claude Code updates
• 7:55 - Chrome DevTools MCP
• 13:50 - Vercel Drama
• 19:03 - State of JS survey is open
• 20:21 - GitHub’s plan to make npm more secure
• 25:30 - Meta builds data center the size of 70 football fields
• 29:04 - What’s making us happy

Links:

• Paige - Chrome DevTools MCP
• Jack - Vercel’s in hot water after a selfie with Benjamin Netanyahu
• TJ - Claude Code levels up
• State of JS survey is open
• GitHub’s got a plan to make npm more secure
• Meta builds AI data center the size of 70 football fields
• Paige - Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3
• Jack - reactnorway.com

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