Iterate Weekly - Issue 114
This week we're looking at the death of the QR menu, AI is forcing a return to the oral exam, an app to help you recycle, can drones stop shark attacks?, and a man named Otto!
Welcome to issue 114 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
Is the QR restaurant menu dead?
I have long been a fan of QR codes. They’re easy to scan and have become pretty ubiquitous in today’s world. Gone are the days of confusing apps that were needed to properly scan the codes. Just open up your camera app and you’re good to go.
Well, one area where people seem to be shunning QR codes are at restaurants. Yep, the QR code restaurant menu may be dead.
For many restaurants, this was just a necessity when the pandemic struck. No one wanted to be handling physical menus anymore. Why not just place a placard on each table so patrons could scan the QR code to see the menu? It seemed like a novel idea that could outlive the pandemic.
But apparently, many people just hated the experience. It’s hard to believe but there are still plenty of people who don’t have smartphones, so scanning the QR code isn’t doable. Then there are people who do have the phones but just don’t want to be staring at them during a social moment when you’re supposed to be conversing with your dinner guest.
And then there is the additional cost for the restaurant to maintain their digital menu. Sometimes items sell out and the digital menu can’t be updated fast enough. Sure, a hybrid system could work for those who still want to the physical menu, but at some point a restaurant needs to just go all in on the digital experience or abandon it altogether.
I will say that it can be a magical experience to order and pay for your food from your table rather than having to wait for a person to bring you the bill. I’m in favor of more restaurants streamlining the ordering and payment process, but perhaps QR codes aren’t the only answer. But I’ll be honest, I thought this was one of those no-brainer pandemic improvements that would live on, but I guess I was wrong.
Any fans of QR code ordering out there?
🎓 Education/Productivity/Work
The Return of the Oral Exam
Do you remember the oral exam? I’m not talking about going to the dentist here, I mean when you were asked to verbally prove your knowledge on a given subject.
While it may seem like a quaint learning tool from years past, the growing concern of cheating with the help of AI is bringing the oral exam back into rotation for many college students.
Well, if it worked for the Ancient Greeks, it may just be a solid way to test current students. It’s pretty hard to cheat your way through an oral exam. Any competent teacher should be able to spot a BS artist who didn’t quite absorb the intended material.
And AI systems like Chat GPT can be of little help to someone who is being asked about their knowledge in verbal form. While an oral exam can very widely in how it is administered, most end up being 10-15 minutes long and consist of a variety of general questions and more detailed follow-up questions. The skills used here are more likely to be seen in a job interview rather than a standard essay or written exam.
Memorization isn’t as useful when tested in this way. Students need to be able to think critically and react to the questions in real-time. Digesting the concepts full is really the only way to prepare for the oral exam.
The learning pendulum always seems to swing back and forth to adapt to changing technology. Maybe after years of more digital and high-tech means of testing, we’re due to return to the methods of ancient times.
♻️ Health & Environment
An App to help you recycle
I consider myself to be pretty knowledgable when it comes to composting, recycling, and responsibly disposing of waste. But I’ll admit that even I get stumped once in a while when I have an item in my hand and can’t decide which bin to toss it in.
Well, a new app that relies again on the humble QR code is hoping to make this process a whole lot easier for consumers.
It’s called Recycle Check and it aims to give Americans a much clearer view of which items go in which bins for curbside waste removal. The key part of this experience is that the app will ask for you local zip code. So it can tell you if the item is recyclable specifically in your local system.
This will be such a huge help for many people. Living in the Bay Area, I often assume that if an item is recyclable anywhere it will be recyclable here, but that isn’t always the case. And many manufacturers try to be helpful by printing their own guidelines or disposal suggestions on the package. But even if it says that your milk carton is recyclable, it only is if your local waste removal company agrees.
Sure, there will still be a portion of the population that won’t be bothered to do the research to see where the empty product goes. They’ll continue to just toss items into whichever bin is easiest. But many people have the best intentions when it comes to recycling, they’re just genuinely confused. What better way to help them than to offer a free app?
If you’re in the US and have questions about what is recyclable in your area, be sure to download the app here.
🛍 Grab Bag
Can drones stop shark attacks?
This story is near and dear to my heart as someone who appreciates new technology and also loves to surf.
Some beaches are now using drones to better control the risk of shark attacks.
Shark attacks may still be relatively rare, but it’s still a pretty scary thing for any beachgoer to think about. Why not use technology to mitigate this risk?
New York state in particular is eager to test out drones as a surveillance and safety measure across some of its beaches. They’ve ordered ten more drones to add to the eight that they’ve already been using to patrol their shorelines. Some of these advanced models even have thermal cameras, laser rangefinders and floatation devices.
Essentially, the drone can spot a shark likely before a lifeguard or swimmer would. The message could be relayed to the shore and the waters could be cleared out until the drone can confirm that the shark has fled the area.
It’s actually a pretty smart and relatively low-cost way to give people a bit more assurance that your chances of being attacked by a shark are very slim.
💬 Quote of the Week
"People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy."
-Anton Chekhov
🎥Content Recommendation
A Man Called Otto
A few years back I read the bestselling book “A Man Called Ove” and enjoyed it like most other people did.
When I saw that it was being turned into a movie (with a much more Americanized title no less) I was skeptical that it would be any good. But I recently found myself on a flight and the movie “A Man Called Otto” was available to watch, so I gave it a go.
Tom Hanks can still carry a movie. He’s pretty much on-screen for the full duration and he’s pretty great as the curmudgeonly Otto. Perhaps more impressive is that Hanks’ son Truman plays the younger version of Otto in the film. There is obviously a strong resemblance and I can’t remember the last movie that had the actual child of an actor playing their younger character. It makes for much more believable flashback scenes.
It isn’t a perfect film, and some of the liberties they took with the original book’s material where questionable. But just to see the father and son Hanks performance, I highly recommend it.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
Hey! Could you use some help establishing healthy habits? Do you have a big project or new business that you want to get off the ground but could use some advice? Maybe you could benefit from hiring me as your coach. If you’re interested, read more about my coaching services here, or go ahead and book some time on my calendar to discuss further.
Iterate is free today. But if you enjoyed this post, you should let me know that this writing is valuable by pledging a future subscription. You won't be charged unless I enable payments at some point in the future. Think of it like an IOU in a tip jar.