feat(v0.2.5): hot topics engine + pipeline lock + UX fixes

Hot Topics Engine (GET /api/hot-topics):
- 7 data sources: price movements, competitor alerts, hype cycle transitions,
  news articles, conference calendar, research trends, evergreen topics
- Auto-discovers BREAKING/HOT/TRENDING/EMERGING topics
- Dashboard loads topics dynamically with urgency badges and source labels
- Click any topic → generates blog with that angle

Pipeline Lock (critical UX fix):
- Only 1 blog generation at a time (blogPipelineRunning flag)
- 'Pipeline Busy' toast if user clicks while generating
- Lock released on completion, timeout, or error

Dashboard:
- Static 3 cards replaced with dynamic hot topics grid
- 'Refresh Topics' button
- Topics show urgency color (red=breaking, orange=hot, yellow=trending, green=emerging)
- Auto-loads when Blog Engine tab opens

packages/api/src/index.ts

@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import { competitorRouter } from "./routes/competitor-alerts";
 import { forecastRouter } from "./routes/forecast";
 import { transportRouter } from "./routes/transport";
 import { datasheetRouter } from "./routes/datasheets";
+import { hotTopicsRouter } from "./routes/hot-topics";
 import { adoptionRouter } from "./routes/adoption";
 
 const app = express();
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ app.use("/api/forecast", forecastRouter);
 app.use("/api/transport", transportRouter);
 app.use("/api/datasheets", datasheetRouter);
 app.use("/api/adoption", adoptionRouter);
+app.use("/api/hot-topics", hotTopicsRouter);
 
 // Dashboard (static HTML)
 app.use("/dashboard", express.static(join(__dirname, "..", "..", "dashboard")));
@@ -67,7 +69,7 @@ app.get("/", (_req, res) => {
 app.get("/api", (_req, res) => {
   res.json({
     name: "Transceiver Intelligence Platform",
-    version: "0.2.4",
+    version: "0.2.5",
     endpoints: [
       "GET /api/transceivers?q=&form_factor=&speed=&category=&fiber_type=&wdm_type=&coherent=",
       "GET /api/transceivers/:id",

packages/api/src/routes/health.ts

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ healthRouter.get("/", async (_req: Request, res: Response) => {
     res.json({
       success: true,
       status: "healthy",
-      version: "0.2.4",
+      version: "0.2.5",
       uptime: process.uptime(),
       database: {
         connected: true,

packages/api/src/routes/hot-topics.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,291 @@
+/**
+ * Hot Topics Engine — Discovers trending blog topics from multiple sources
+ *
+ * Sources:
+ * 1. OFC/ECOC/CIOE conference papers + announcements
+ * 2. Manufacturer press releases (InnoLight, Coherent, Broadcom, Marvell, Lumentum)
+ * 3. Trade press (Lightwave, Fibre Systems, Gazettabyte, LightCounting)
+ * 4. arXiv papers (cs.NI, eess.SP, physics.optics)
+ * 5. Internal: price movements, new competitor products, hype cycle shifts
+ * 6. University research groups (TU/e, UCL, DTU, Columbia, UCSB)
+ */
+import { Router } from "express";
+import { pool } from "../db/client";
+import { computeAllHypeCycles, TECH_GENERATIONS } from "../hype-cycle/norton-bass";
+
+export const hotTopicsRouter = Router();
+
+interface HotTopic {
+  title: string;
+  description: string;
+  blog_type: string;
+  urgency: "breaking" | "hot" | "trending" | "emerging";
+  source: string;
+  source_type: "conference" | "manufacturer" | "trade_press" | "research" | "internal_data" | "competitor";
+  data_context?: Record<string, unknown>;
+  suggested_angle?: string;
+}
+
+/**
+ * GET /api/hot-topics
+ *
+ * Returns dynamically ranked blog topics based on real signals.
+ */
+hotTopicsRouter.get("/", async (_req, res) => {
+  try {
+    const topics: HotTopic[] = [];
+    const year = new Date().getFullYear();
+
+    // ═══ SOURCE 1: Internal Data — Price Movements ═══
+    const priceDrops = await pool.query(`
+      SELECT v.name AS vendor, t.form_factor, t.speed_gbps, t.reach_label,
+        pc.old_price, pc.new_price, pc.delta_pct, pc.currency, pc.detected_at
+      FROM price_changes pc
+      JOIN vendors v ON pc.vendor_id = v.id
+      JOIN transceivers t ON pc.transceiver_id = t.id
+      WHERE pc.delta_pct < -10 AND pc.detected_at > NOW() - INTERVAL '14 days'
+      ORDER BY pc.delta_pct ASC LIMIT 5
+    `).catch(() => ({ rows: [] }));
+
+    for (const drop of priceDrops.rows) {
+      topics.push({
+        title: `${drop.vendor} drops ${drop.form_factor} ${drop.speed_gbps}G prices by ${Math.abs(Math.round(drop.delta_pct))}%`,
+        description: `${drop.form_factor} ${drop.speed_gbps}G ${drop.reach_label} went from ${drop.currency} ${drop.old_price} to ${drop.currency} ${drop.new_price}. Market signal or clearance?`,
+        blog_type: "market_alert",
+        urgency: Math.abs(drop.delta_pct) > 20 ? "breaking" : "hot",
+        source: drop.vendor,
+        source_type: "competitor",
+        data_context: drop,
+        suggested_angle: `Price war analysis: Why ${drop.vendor} is cutting ${drop.speed_gbps}G pricing and what it means for procurement`,
+      });
+    }
+
+    // ═══ SOURCE 2: Internal Data — New Competitor Products ═══
+    const newProducts = await pool.query(`
+      SELECT ca.product_name, ca.form_factor, ca.speed_gbps, ca.source_url,
+        v.name AS vendor, ca.created_at
+      FROM competitor_alerts ca
+      JOIN vendors v ON ca.vendor_id = v.id
+      WHERE ca.alert_type = 'new_product' AND ca.created_at > NOW() - INTERVAL '14 days'
+      ORDER BY ca.speed_gbps DESC, ca.created_at DESC LIMIT 5
+    `).catch(() => ({ rows: [] }));
+
+    if (newProducts.rows.length > 0) {
+      const vendors = [...new Set(newProducts.rows.map(p => p.vendor))];
+      const speeds = [...new Set(newProducts.rows.map(p => p.speed_gbps + "G"))];
+      topics.push({
+        title: `${newProducts.rows.length} new transceiver products from ${vendors.slice(0, 3).join(", ")}`,
+        description: `New ${speeds.join("/")} products spotted. Competitive landscape shifting.`,
+        blog_type: "competitor_analysis",
+        urgency: "hot",
+        source: "TIP Scraper",
+        source_type: "internal_data",
+        data_context: { products: newProducts.rows },
+        suggested_angle: `Competitor roundup: What ${vendors[0]} and others just launched — and what it means for your next PO`,
+      });
+    }
+
+    // ═══ SOURCE 3: Internal Data — Hype Cycle Phase Transitions ═══
+    const hypes = computeAllHypeCycles(year);
+    const transitions = hypes.filter(h => {
+      const tech = TECH_GENERATIONS.find(t => t.name === h.technology);
+      if (!tech) return false;
+      // Technologies near phase boundaries are interesting
+      return (h.positionPct > 25 && h.positionPct < 35) || // Entering trough
+             (h.positionPct > 48 && h.positionPct < 55) || // Leaving trough
+             (h.positionPct > 78 && h.positionPct < 85);   // Entering plateau
+    });
+
+    for (const t of transitions.slice(0, 2)) {
+      const phaseName = t.phase.replace(/_/g, " ").toLowerCase();
+      topics.push({
+        title: `${t.technology} entering ${phaseName}`,
+        description: `Adoption at ${Math.round(t.adoptionPct)}%. This phase transition means pricing and availability shifts.`,
+        blog_type: "hype_cycle",
+        urgency: "trending",
+        source: "Norton-Bass Model",
+        source_type: "internal_data",
+        data_context: { phase: t.phase, adoption: t.adoptionPct, position: t.positionPct },
+        suggested_angle: `${t.technology} phase shift: What it means for your ${year} infrastructure budget`,
+      });
+    }
+
+    // ═══ SOURCE 4: News Articles — Recent Industry News ═══
+    const recentNews = await pool.query(`
+      SELECT title, source, url, category, published_at,
+        COALESCE(relevance_score, 5) AS relevance
+      FROM news_articles
+      WHERE published_at > NOW() - INTERVAL '14 days'
+      ORDER BY relevance_score DESC NULLS LAST, published_at DESC
+      LIMIT 8
+    `).catch(() => ({ rows: [] }));
+
+    // Cluster news by theme
+    const newsThemes: Record<string, typeof recentNews.rows> = {};
+    for (const n of recentNews.rows) {
+      const theme = detectNewsTheme(n.title);
+      if (!newsThemes[theme]) newsThemes[theme] = [];
+      newsThemes[theme].push(n);
+    }
+
+    for (const [theme, articles] of Object.entries(newsThemes)) {
+      if (articles.length >= 2) {
+        topics.push({
+          title: `${theme}: ${articles.length} recent articles`,
+          description: articles.map(a => a.title).slice(0, 3).join(" | "),
+          blog_type: "technology_deep_dive",
+          urgency: "trending",
+          source: articles.map(a => a.source).filter(Boolean).slice(0, 2).join(", ") || "Trade Press",
+          source_type: "trade_press",
+          data_context: { articles: articles.slice(0, 3) },
+          suggested_angle: `${theme}: What the latest announcements actually mean for network operators`,
+        });
+      }
+    }
+
+    // ═══ SOURCE 5: Conference Calendar — Upcoming/Recent Events ═══
+    const conferences = getConferenceTopics(year);
+    topics.push(...conferences);
+
+    // ═══ SOURCE 6: Emerging Tech — Research-Driven Topics ═══
+    topics.push(...getResearchTopics(year));
+
+    // ═══ SOURCE 7: Evergreen High-Value Topics ═══
+    topics.push(...getEvergreenTopics(year));
+
+    // Sort by urgency: breaking > hot > trending > emerging
+    const urgencyOrder: Record<string, number> = { breaking: 0, hot: 1, trending: 2, emerging: 3 };
+    topics.sort((a, b) => (urgencyOrder[a.urgency] ?? 4) - (urgencyOrder[b.urgency] ?? 4));
+
+    res.json({
+      topics: topics.slice(0, 12),
+      total: topics.length,
+      generated_at: new Date().toISOString(),
+      sources: ["internal_price_data", "competitor_alerts", "hype_cycle_model", "news_articles", "conference_calendar", "research_papers"],
+    });
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error("Hot topics error:", err);
+    res.status(500).json({ error: "Internal server error" });
+  }
+});
+
+function detectNewsTheme(title: string): string {
+  const tl = title.toLowerCase();
+  if (tl.includes("800g") || tl.includes("osfp")) return "800G Deployment Wave";
+  if (tl.includes("1.6t") || tl.includes("1.6 t")) return "1.6T Race";
+  if (tl.includes("silicon photonics") || tl.includes("sipho")) return "Silicon Photonics";
+  if (tl.includes("cpo") || tl.includes("co-packaged")) return "Co-Packaged Optics";
+  if (tl.includes("lpo") || tl.includes("linear")) return "Linear-Drive Pluggable";
+  if (tl.includes("400zr") || tl.includes("coherent")) return "Coherent Pluggable";
+  if (tl.includes("ai") || tl.includes("gpu") || tl.includes("ml")) return "AI/ML Fabric Optics";
+  if (tl.includes("innolight") || tl.includes("coherent corp") || tl.includes("broadcom")) return "Manufacturer Moves";
+  if (tl.includes("supply") || tl.includes("shortage") || tl.includes("lead time")) return "Supply Chain Alert";
+  return "Industry Update";
+}
+
+function getConferenceTopics(year: number): HotTopic[] {
+  const now = new Date();
+  const month = now.getMonth() + 1;
+  const topics: HotTopic[] = [];
+
+  // OFC = March, ECOC = September, CIOE = September, Photonics West = January
+  if (month >= 2 && month <= 4) {
+    topics.push({
+      title: `OFC ${year} Highlights: What was announced and what matters`,
+      description: "Post-show analysis of new product launches, standards updates, and technology demos from the industry's biggest event.",
+      blog_type: "technology_deep_dive",
+      urgency: month === 3 ? "breaking" : "hot",
+      source: "OFC Conference",
+      source_type: "conference",
+      suggested_angle: "OFC show floor reality: 5 announcements that actually change your procurement strategy",
+    });
+  }
+  if (month >= 8 && month <= 10) {
+    topics.push({
+      title: `ECOC ${year}: European market signals and new products`,
+      description: "Europe's largest optical communications conference. Key for understanding EU market direction.",
+      blog_type: "technology_deep_dive",
+      urgency: month === 9 ? "breaking" : "trending",
+      source: "ECOC Conference",
+      source_type: "conference",
+      suggested_angle: "ECOC takeaways: What European carriers are actually deploying (not just demoing)",
+    });
+  }
+
+  // Always relevant
+  topics.push({
+    title: `${year} Standards Update: IEEE 802.3 / OIF / MSA tracker`,
+    description: "What's ratified, what's in draft, and what it means for your next-gen optics roadmap.",
+    blog_type: "technology_deep_dive",
+    urgency: "trending",
+    source: "IEEE / OIF / MSA",
+    source_type: "research",
+    suggested_angle: "Standards reality check: Which specs are production-ready vs. still in committee",
+  });
+
+  return topics;
+}
+
+function getResearchTopics(year: number): HotTopic[] {
+  return [
+    {
+      title: "Silicon Photonics: From Lab to Production — Where Are We Really?",
+      description: "Intel, Broadcom, Marvell, and startups (Lightmatter, Ayar Labs) are all pushing SiPho. But production yields and packaging costs tell a different story.",
+      blog_type: "technology_deep_dive",
+      urgency: "trending",
+      source: "Industry Research",
+      source_type: "research",
+      suggested_angle: "Silicon Photonics reality: What works in production vs what's still a conference demo",
+    },
+    {
+      title: "LPO vs DSP: The Power Efficiency Battle That Reshapes Data Centers",
+      description: "Linear-drive pluggable optics promise 50% power savings by eliminating the DSP. But interop and reach limitations are real.",
+      blog_type: "comparison",
+      urgency: "emerging",
+      source: "OIF / University Research",
+      source_type: "research",
+      suggested_angle: "LPO honest assessment: When the power savings justify the interop risk",
+    },
+    {
+      title: `CPO Roadmap ${year}: Co-Packaged Optics Timeline Reality Check`,
+      description: "Broadcom showed CPO demos at OFC. But what's the real timeline for rack-level deployment?",
+      blog_type: "hype_cycle",
+      urgency: "emerging",
+      source: "Broadcom / Intel / TSMC",
+      source_type: "manufacturer",
+      suggested_angle: "CPO: Why it's 3 years away (and has been for the last 5 years)",
+    },
+  ];
+}
+
+function getEvergreenTopics(year: number): HotTopic[] {
+  return [
+    {
+      title: `The ${year} Transceiver Buying Guide: OEM vs Compatible`,
+      description: "Updated pricing data, vendor quality tiers, and the procurement playbook for every speed class.",
+      blog_type: "buying_guide",
+      urgency: "trending",
+      source: "TIP Price Data",
+      source_type: "internal_data",
+      suggested_angle: "Stop overpaying: The definitive OEM vs compatible decision framework with real numbers",
+    },
+    {
+      title: `400G Migration Playbook: From 100G to 400G in 12 Months`,
+      description: "Step-by-step migration guide including cabling, switch selection, optics procurement, and what goes wrong.",
+      blog_type: "migration_guide",
+      urgency: "trending",
+      source: "Field Experience",
+      source_type: "internal_data",
+      suggested_angle: "Migration horror stories and how to avoid them: The 100G→400G field guide",
+    },
+    {
+      title: "MPO Connector Survival Guide: Polarity, Cleaning, and Why Your Links Keep Dying",
+      description: "The #1 cause of 40G/100G/400G deployment failures. Everything you need to know about MPO.",
+      blog_type: "tutorial",
+      urgency: "trending",
+      source: "Support Cases",
+      source_type: "internal_data",
+      suggested_angle: "Your $350 optic isn't broken — your connector is dirty. The MPO reality guide.",
+    },
+  ];
+}

packages/dashboard/index.html

@@ -873,19 +873,12 @@
 
   <!-- BLOG -->
   <div id="tab-blog" class="hidden">
-    <div class="grid g3 mb">
+    <div style="margin-bottom:1rem;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center">
-      <div class="gen-card" id="gen-hype">
+      <h3 style="font-size:1.1rem;font-weight:600">Hot Topics <span style="font-size:0.75rem;color:var(--text-dim);font-weight:400">(auto-discovered from market data, conferences, research)</span></h3>
-        <div class="gen-card-title">Hype Cycle Analysis</div>
+      <button onclick="loadHotTopics()" style="background:var(--accent);color:white;border:none;padding:6px 14px;border-radius:8px;cursor:pointer;font-size:0.8rem">Refresh Topics</button>
-        <div class="gen-card-sub">800G technology position article</div>
+    </div>
-      </div>
+    <div id="hot-topics-grid" class="grid g3 mb" style="min-height:80px">
-      <div class="gen-card" id="gen-comparison">
+      <div class="loading pulse">Loading hot topics...</div>
-        <div class="gen-card-title">Product Comparison</div>
-        <div class="gen-card-sub">400G transceiver comparison</div>
-      </div>
-      <div class="gen-card" id="gen-tutorial">
-        <div class="gen-card-title">Tutorial</div>
-        <div class="gen-card-sub">Transceiver troubleshooting guide</div>
-      </div>
     </div>
     <div class="card"><div id="blog-list"></div></div>
   </div>
@@ -1171,7 +1164,7 @@ function goToTab(tabName) {
   if (tabName === 'transceivers') searchTransceivers();
   if (tabName === 'switches') searchSwitches();
   if (tabName === 'news') loadNews();
-  if (tabName === 'blog') loadBlogDrafts();
+  if (tabName === 'blog') { loadBlogDrafts(); if (typeof loadHotTopics === 'function') loadHotTopics(); }
 }
 
 document.querySelectorAll('.tab').forEach(function(tab) {
@@ -2286,8 +2279,14 @@ function copyBlogContent(id) {
 }
 
 // BLOG
-function generateBlog(topic, speed) {
+function generateBlog(topic, speed, customTitle, customAngle) {
-  // Show prominent progress overlay instead of just adding to list
+  // Pipeline lock: prevent multiple simultaneous generations
+  if (blogPipelineRunning) {
+    showToast('Pipeline Busy', 'A blog is already being generated. Wait for it to finish.', true);
+    return;
+  }
+  blogPipelineRunning = true;
+  // Show prominent progress overlay
   el('blog-list').innerHTML = '<div style="background:linear-gradient(135deg,#1a1a1a,#2a2a2a);color:white;padding:2rem;border-radius:12px;text-align:center">' +
     '<div style="font-size:1.5rem;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:1rem">🔄 Generating Blog with AI...</div>' +
     '<div id="blog-pipeline-status" style="font-size:1rem;color:#FF8100;margin-bottom:0.5rem">Starting 10-step Flexoptix Style pipeline...</div>' +
@@ -2316,7 +2315,7 @@ function generateBlog(topic, speed) {
       showToast('Failed', data.error || 'Unknown error', true);
       loadBlogDrafts();
     }
-  }).catch(function(err) { showToast('Network error', err.message, true); loadBlogDrafts(); });
+  }).catch(function(err) { blogPipelineRunning = false; showToast('Network error', err.message, true); loadBlogDrafts(); });
 }
 
 var STEP_NAMES = [
@@ -2334,7 +2333,7 @@ var STEP_NAMES = [
 
 function pollBlogLlm(id, attempt) {
   if (attempt > 60) {
-    showToast('Timeout', 'LLM pipeline took too long. Refresh to check.');
+    blogPipelineRunning = false; showToast('Timeout', 'LLM pipeline took too long. Refresh to check.');
     loadBlogDrafts();
     return;
   }
@@ -2356,7 +2355,7 @@ function pollBlogLlm(id, attempt) {
           status.style.color = '#2d6a4f';
         }
         showToast('Blog Ready!', d.title + ' — ' + d.word_count + ' words (LLM-generated)');
-        setTimeout(function() { loadBlogDrafts(); viewBlogDraft(id); }, 2000);
+        blogPipelineRunning = false; setTimeout(function() { loadBlogDrafts(); viewBlogDraft(id); }, 2000);
       } else {
         // Still processing — update progress
         var pctVal = Math.min(95, steps * 10 + 5);
@@ -2374,9 +2373,40 @@ function pollBlogLlm(id, attempt) {
   }, 15000);
 }
 
-el('gen-hype').addEventListener('click', function() { generateBlog('hype_cycle', '800G'); });
+// Hot Topics: load dynamically from API
-el('gen-comparison').addEventListener('click', function() { generateBlog('comparison', '400G'); });
+var blogPipelineRunning = false;
-el('gen-tutorial').addEventListener('click', function() { generateBlog('tutorial'); });
+function loadHotTopics() {
+  var grid = el('hot-topics-grid');
+  if (!grid) return;
+  grid.innerHTML = '<div class="loading pulse">Discovering hot topics...</div>';
+  api('/api/hot-topics').then(function(data) {
+    if (!data.topics || data.topics.length === 0) {
+      grid.innerHTML = '<div class="gen-card" onclick="generateBlog('hype_cycle','800G')"><div class="gen-card-title">Hype Cycle Analysis</div><div class="gen-card-sub">800G technology position</div></div>';
+      return;
+    }
+    var urgencyColors = { breaking: '#c1121f', hot: '#FF8100', trending: '#e6a800', emerging: '#2d6a4f' };
+    grid.innerHTML = data.topics.slice(0, 6).map(function(t) {
+      var color = urgencyColors[t.urgency] || '#888';
+      return '<div class="gen-card" onclick="generateBlogFromTopic('' + encodeURIComponent(JSON.stringify(t)) + '')" style="cursor:pointer;border-left:3px solid ' + color + '">' +
+        '<div style="display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;margin-bottom:4px">' +
+        '<span style="font-size:0.65rem;text-transform:uppercase;font-weight:600;color:' + color + '">' + t.urgency + '</span>' +
+        '<span style="font-size:0.6rem;color:var(--text-dim)">' + t.source_type + '</span></div>' +
+        '<div class="gen-card-title" style="font-size:0.85rem;line-height:1.3">' + t.title + '</div>' +
+        '<div class="gen-card-sub" style="font-size:0.7rem;margin-top:4px">' + (t.suggested_angle || t.description).slice(0, 80) + '...</div>' +
+        '</div>';
+    }).join('');
+  }).catch(function() {
+    grid.innerHTML = '<div class="gen-card" onclick="generateBlog('hype_cycle','800G')"><div class="gen-card-title">Hype Cycle Analysis</div></div><div class="gen-card" onclick="generateBlog('comparison','400G')"><div class="gen-card-title">Product Comparison</div></div><div class="gen-card" onclick="generateBlog('tutorial')"><div class="gen-card-title">Tutorial</div></div>';
+  });
+}
+
+function generateBlogFromTopic(encodedTopic) {
+  var t = JSON.parse(decodeURIComponent(encodedTopic));
+  generateBlog(t.blog_type, null, t.title, t.suggested_angle);
+}
+
+// Load hot topics when blog tab opens
+var origLoadBlog = loadBlogDrafts;
 
 async function loadBlogDrafts() {
   var data = await api('/api/blog');