Iterate Weekly - Issue 113
This week we're looking at a new "general purpose" humanoid, Working from anywhere as a perk, a countertop water generator, edible coffee cups, and The Last Catskills resort!
Welcome to issue 113 of Iterate Weekly!
Hope you’re all doing well. This is just a friendly reminder that you can always reply directly to these messages or leave a comment on the Substack post. Feedback is highly encouraged and I’m happy to answer any and all questions that come up.
Let’s jump into this week’s stories.
🤖 Tech
New “general purpose” robot
It’s been a while since I’ve written about robots!
There is no question that at some point in the future we will have personal robots much like we’ve become accustomed to having personal computing devices. We already have robot vacuums and lawnmowers roaming around our homes. How soon will these machines evolve into 2-legged autonomous beings who can walk around?
It still has a touch of scary distopian future about it, but personal robots are coming. And a company called Sanctuary AI is hoping that their Phoenix “General-Purpose” Robot is going to be your android of choice.
So what can this thing do for you? Nearly any physical activity that a 5’7” 155 lb. person could do of course!
It can carry up to 55 lbs. and reach a top speed of 3 mph. That sounds just slow enough to be safe but also just fast enough to be a little bit creepy. Geordie Rose, co-founder and CEO of Sanctuary AI sums it up well.
“We designed Phoenix to be the most sensor-rich and physically capable humanoid ever built and to enable Carbon’s rapidly growing intelligence to perform the broadest set of work tasks possible.We see a future where general-purpose robots are as ubiquitous as cars, helping people to do work that needs doing, in cases where there simply aren’t enough people to do that work.”
Yes, there are hundreds of small tasks around the home or workplace that Phoenix could help out with. And yes, we’ll still be worried about them malfunctioning or the technology requiring a bit too much human assistance to save a lot of time. But I do agree with the sentiment that these machines will someday become as common as a car or computer in our lives.
I’m not sure how quickly robots like this will become affordable for the masses, but it will happen eventually. Of course, it will bring up a whole new discussion about the morality of humanoids being forced to do our dirty work. Fans of WestWorld know how that played out.
Anyone ready to purchase their own personal humanoid?
🎓 Education/Productivity/Work
Work from anywhere as a perk
Many of us have been working remotely since 2020 or long prior. We’ve begun to accept it as an established option when plotting our career trajectory. But obviously some industries just aren’t setup for remote work. Or companies have made the intentional decision to get employees back under one roof to increase collaboration.
Well the concept of “working from anywhere weeks” is now being considered a perk to be offered to employees much like vacation time or parental leave.
This fad is a true indication of how many employees have changed their mindset around how they maximize their hours. A remote work week may help extend a vacation or allow someone to spend more time with their children when they’re off from school.
Each company can lay out their own set of parameters, but it’s just a way to increase employee flexibility and happiness. And the best part is that it typically comes at little to no cost to the employer.
I’m certainly in favor of employees always being free to work wherever they like, but this can be a solid compromise for some companies that are adamant about working in-person.
♻️ Health & Environment
A countertop water generator
Despite all of the record-setting rains in California this year, I’m still quite aware of how water can be a very scarce and valuable resource in the world. It’s a good idea for us to continue to find clever ways to produce and conserve clean drinking water.
A company called Spout has created a product that can sit on your countertop and generate potable water just from the atmosphere around it.
As their first consumer product, this water generate just needs a power outlet to get going. It will pull water out of the atmosphere and collect it in a container. They claim that 80% of homes globally have enough moisture in the air to produce up to 2.5 gallons of water each day.
The process used to generate the water is pretty ingenious. Here’s how they’re able to do it:
In the Spout system, clay absorbs water from filtered air, which is then baked out by a heating coil that heats to around a thousand degrees Fahrenheit. Water vapor produced by the heat is condensed and filtered, minerals added to alkalize water (which naturally becomes acidic during condensation when it absorbs CO2 from the air). The alkalized water then collects in the appliance’s pitcher, where a UV light in the lid prevents bacterial growth.
While I hope that we continue to have adequately wet winters to keep our reservoirs filled, it’s good to know that companies are creating innovative procucts to keep us hydrated when mother nature chooses not to cooperate.
🛍 Grab Bag
The edible coffee cup just makes too much sense
Why aren’t edible coffee cups more popular in our society?
We all love ice cream cones, why can’t we can’t behind the same premise when it comes to consuming hot drinks on the go?
A company called Cupffee is hoping to catch on as a viable, sustainable alternative to the ubiquitous paper coffee cup.
Cupffee is a Bulgarian startup that makes their edible coffee cup out of oat bran, wheat flour, and water. The texture is similar to an ice cream cone and arguably a bit healthier with the nutrients from the oats. It contains only 56 calories and can stay crisp for 40 minutes to allow you plenty of time to enjoy your beverage.
While they aren’t the first company to attempt this ambitious endeavor (GoodEdi is another solid option.) the brand has caught some positive attention and their cups were served at Wimbledon and several airlines have been testing them out as a hybrid beverage and snack during flights.
I love the idea and always prefer eating ice cream from a cone rather than a cup. Maybe not everyone would be onboard for these, but let’s hope they can become an option just like the ice cream cone.
At a cost of nearly triple the price of a traditional paper cup, it could be an uphill battle for the edible cup. But if it can cut down on the huge amount of paper waste created by our coffee addiction, it’s worth a shot.
Would you opt for the edible cup if given the choice?
💬 Quote of the Week
"A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you've been taking."
-Earl Wilson
🎥Content Recommendation
Welcome to Kutsher's: The Last Catskills Resort
Having grown up near the Catskill Mountains in New york, I never realized how much of a tourist destination they were for most of the last century.
In order to learn a bit more about the subject, I recently watched the film “Welcome to Kutsher’s: The Last Catskills Resort”.
This documentary doesn’t have the highest production value and doesn’t really feature any celebrities, but the topic is incredibly fascinating. For decades, the Catskills became a haven for people fleeing the congestion of New York City and allowed them to establish tightknit summer communities.
Comedians and musicians toured through the “Borsch Belt” and entertained countless city vacationers each summer. Names like Don Rickles and Mel Brooks to Rodney Dangerfield, Woody Allen, and Jerry Seinfeld all played to sold out crowds at the resorts and country clubs of the region up until the 1970s.
This film recounts the story of one of the most famous and last standing resorts of its time. Whether you’re familiar with the region or not, it’s a great story of cultural transformation and the decline of an importan slice of mid-century Americana.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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An edible cup just feels weird for some reason. Maybe because I just come from a dusty country.