python-v0.36.0

## 🛠 Breaking Changes

- feat(python)!: align `Permutation.with_format("torch")` with HuggingFace `set_format("torch")` by @omkar-334 in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3369

## 🎉 New Features

- feat: add an elastic dataloader as an iterable dataset by @westonpace in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3509
- feat: support date, datetime, bytes, and Decimal literals in expr builder by @lakshjain7 in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3235
- feat(python)!: align `Permutation.with_format("torch")` with HuggingFace `set_format("torch")` by @omkar-334 in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3369
- feat: add get_lsm_write_spec to read the installed LSM write spec by @hamersaw in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3631
- feat: add Tencent COS and GooseFS object store support via new feature flags by @XuQianJin-Stars in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3526
- feat: expose Lance metrics via OpenTelemetry in Python and Node by @wjones127 in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3609
- feat(python): blob v2 fetch API by @geruh in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3578
- feat(python): added support for WatsonxReranker component by @MateuszOssGit in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3642
- feat: add table FTS query tokenization by @jackye1995 in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3659
- feat: support distributed analyze plan metrics in clients by @jackye1995 in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3675
- feat(wheels): publish lancedb-compat for pre-Haswell x86_64 hosts by @tobocop2 in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3327
- feat: skill references to work with jobs (incl server connection) by @dantasse in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3683
- feat: add remote branch diff and merge client APIs by @geruh in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3686
- feat: branch skill updates for merge by @dantasse in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3685

## 🐛 Bug Fixes

- fix: handle empty/wrong-length vectors returned by embedding functions by @Spectual in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3192
- fix(python): resolve Ollama embedding serialization error in create_table by @Missing-Identity in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3583
- fix(python): flatten_columns raises when flatten=False by @PranavAchar01 in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3629
- fix: avoid manifest writes for read-only directory namespace opens by @Xuanwo in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3635
- fix(python): preserve zero distance bounds in hybrid search by @u70b3 in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3652
- fix(python): gemini batching, user agent and variable dims by @markmcd in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3618
- fix(python): preserve phrase semantics in sync queries by @u70b3 in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3654
- fix(python): fill bad vector values element-wise by @prrao87 in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3613
- fix(rust): skip embedding functions for empty batches by @u70b3 in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3646
- fix(python): route local sync namespace operations through rust by @jackye1995 in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3606
- fix(python): bound scanner memory for wide-row bulk ingestion by @wjones127 in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3625
- fix(python): raise clear ValueError when vector column cannot be infe… by @Vitaliy-Pikalo in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3567
- fix(rust): bound remote insert request size to avoid ingestion timeouts by @wjones127 in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3630
- fix(node): sanitize Map fields across Arrow versions by @u70b3 in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3650
- fix(python): allow selection of _rowid in Permutation by @erandagan in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3133

## 📚 Documentation

- docs: add LanceDB agent skill for portable pipelines by @prrao87 in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3662
- docs(java): fill Java API reference gaps by @prrao87 in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3615

## 🚀 Performance Improvements

- perf: skip Dataset::index_statistics() for all index types by @wjones127 in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3346

## Other Changes

- refactor: move lancedb skill to a codex/claude plugin by @dantasse in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3681

## 🔧 Build and CI

- ci: add CODEOWNERS file for sensitive paths by @octo-patch in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3312
- ci(nodejs): move Windows builds to larger runner and use ThinLTO by @wjones127 in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3634
- ci: remove CODEOWNERS file by @wjones127 in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3655
- ci: pin ad-m/github-push-action to a full commit SHA in the release job by @kobihikri in https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/pull/3677