Iterate Weekly - Issue 118
This week we're looking at the Bosch Smart System for ebikes, ChatGPT's personal assistant, Allbirds new net zero shoes, Pat Sajak says goodbye, and The Bear!
Welcome to issue 118 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
How much technology do our bikes need?
I recently purchased a new e-bike. And I’m pretty happy with my Gazelle C380+ bike. It has a powerful and speedy Bosch Performance Line Speed Motor. It has a virtually maintenance-free internally geared hub and Gates carbon belt drive. And it has lots of other useful little touches like a built-in rack that should easily hold 60+ lbs. of cargo, front and rear fenders, and a frame lock to secure the back wheel for additional security.
But there are some things that the bike doesn’t have. Specifically, it is a model that doesn’t include all of the new bells and whistles from Bosch. And this got me thinking about how much is too much when it comes to bike tech, even if it’s a high-end e-bike.
Specifically, I’m talking about Bosch’s new line of bikes that contain their so-called “Smart System”. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Bosch, they have become the most dependable name in e-bike motors and batteries. Their components go through some rigorous testing and go above and beyond standards for safety, reliability, and performance. They aren’t perfect, but I’ve had several bike shop professionals tell me that it just isn’t wise to buy an e-bike with anything other than a Bosch motor right now.
The Smart System is a new line of components that are starting to slowly make their way to the market. The system contains a new line of more powerful batteries for starters, but it also offers some additional features that could prove to be useful, or could just be very unnecessary for most cyclists. The new controllers and displays that are compatible with the system can display more detailed cycling information in a more vivid full-color display.
You know I’m all for new tech, but I’m not sure that I want to be glancing down at a bike bright screen too often while I’m cycling. The smaller, grey-scale Bosch Purion display on my bike gives me plenty of information about speed and battery range without being a distraction.
Bosch is also hoping that their new tech can give cyclists more peace of mind when it comes to bike security. The Smart System offers a new security option that can arm an alarm when you leave your bike unattended. You can be notified via smartphone app when your bike has been moved without your consent. And of course you can also see where your bike is via GPS.
This sounds great in theory, but I have my concerns. I’ve had locks with built-in alarms in the past and it lead to far more false alarms and embarrassing situations than foiled robbery attempts. And while everyone is in love with the idea of tracking a stolen bike via GPS, what can you really do once you’ve located your stolen bike? Most would advise against confronting the robber even if you know where the bike is. And I’ve heard of people alerting the police about their stolen bike’s location but most local law enforcement will be unable to legally do much to retrieve the bike. Specifically, if the GPS says your bike is inside of a residence, the police won’t have a warrant to enter the place and retrieve your bike. If the robber just pretends to not be home and ignore the knock on the door, they’re usually in the clear.
I should also note that Bosch is offering a free year of GPS tracking with the purchase of a new bike. But after that year is up, they plan on charging a fee to use the service. That seems like a slippery slope to me. These bikes are expensive enough as is, I wouldn’t be too excited to also start tacking on monthly or annual fees.
I will admit that there is one useful feature on the new Bosch Smart System that I wish my bike had. It’s an automatic pedal-assist setting. If you haven’t used a Bosch-powered e-bike before, they come with several modes of pedal assist. Typically it’s ECO-TOUR-SPORT-TURBO. The amount of assistance increases as you work your way up the line. In new bikes equipped with the Smart System, there is also an automatic mode that adjusts the pedal-assist setting as it’s needed. You can just focus on pedaling without worrying about which setting you should be on to gain optimal assistance.
So the question is how much tech is too much tech on our bikes? For me, I appreciate things like belt drives and more powerful motors. But I don’t see the need for too much information on the digital display or complicated GPS-tracking via a smartphone app. Maybe I’d change my mind after seeing some of the new features in action, but I think the Bosch Smart System is mostly just marketing jargon. Even calling something a “Smart System” seems a little much.
But to each their own. Maybe it’s the perfect opportunity for folks to get a great deal on a non-Smart System e-bike right now like I did. We can’t just be in a constant loop of waiting until next year for the bike/phone/computer of our dreams. The actual product we have today is almost always better than the theoretical higher-tech product of the future…
🎓 Education/Productivity/Work
Your ChatGPT Personal Assistant
OpenAI isn’t content for ChatGPT to just be a fun novelty toy. They want it to become vital to the workplace. And what better way of doing that than to integrate it into a new personal assistant for work?
Yes, they’re going toe-to-toe with the likes of Microsoft and Google to become a necessary part of the modern knowledge worker’s tool case. ChatGPT could be a game-changer for many employees. Imagine having an assistant who has the institutional knowledge of all of the context that comes with working at a company for a while. And they can formulate basic emails in your same style and schedule meetings during those calendar sweet-spots where you’re most productive.
There are endless possibilities of how this technology could really improve the lives of digital workers of all types. Of course, it also opens up a whole can of worms about the security of AI assistants in the workplace. And what’s to be said of judging employees performance and contributions to the company? Is it their work helping the bottom line or is it their assistant? Or is it a skill to properly maximize what your AI assistant can do for you?
You can see how this could get tricky right? But clearly OpenAI sees the potential (and dollar signs) of further entrenching itself into the corporate world. Maybe it will become a standard interview question for new job seekers and employers alike. What is your stance on AI assistants in the workplace?
♻️ Health & Environment
Allbirds Net Zero Shoes
Allbirds has really grown into a major player in the footwear world. I’ve long been a fan of their simple, wool shoes. Now they’re going even further to promote their first shoes that have a net zero impact on the environment.
They’re called the M0.0NSHOT (and yeah I hate the name too). But you’ll see that the 0.0 is intentional. That refers to their carbon footprint. 0.0 grams of CO2 are emitted during the manufacturing process of this shoe. So how did they do it?
The shoes are made of regenerative New Zealand wool. It comes from a farm that uses renewable energy and sustainable farming practices. They try to use as much of this wool as they can which gives the shoe a very sock-like appearance. You’ll likely love it or hate it, but I think it’s pretty slick.
The soles are made from sugarcane. It’s the latest iteration of the SweetFoam material that Allbirds has developed for some of their other shoes. It has a much smaller footprint than soles made of rubber or other more resource-intensive materials. And of course, the factory where the shoes will be assembled will also be running on renewable fuel sources.
Allbirds has even tried to eliminate the resources used in the shipping process. The shoes will be traveling via ocean travel on biofuel (or they will purchase the equivalent amount of renewable fuel). This comes from a partnership with a company called Goodshipping. And the trucks that will deliver the shoes locally will be running on electricity rather than fossil fuels.
It may not be a perfect solution and there is plenty of green marketing jargon here, but Allbirds should be commended on their efforts. There is no official pricetag yet on the shoes, but we should expect to pay a bit of a premium for the green efforts. While the aesthetic may not be for everyone, I do see these becoming somewhat of a green status symbol for those in the know. They could gain traction much like their original “Wool Runner” shoes were a staple of Silicon Valley for a few years.
Anyone ready to buy a pair?
🛍 Grab Bag
So long, Sajak!
This story is fascinating for a couple of reasons. First, Sajak has been a staple of evening television in the United States since before I was born. He’s such an odd character. He’s been the host of a hugely popular game show for over 40 years and yet you’d have to say that he isn’t even the star of the show. That honor of course goes to Vanna White.
And I’m not sure there has been someone on TV for so long who reveals less of his personality than Sajak. I’ve never been a huge Wheel of Fortune fan but I’ve seen plenty of episodes. Aside from a few smug wisecracks from time to time, I have trouble really describing Sajak’s style. Contrast this to his longtime game show counterpart the late, great, Alex Trebek. Trebek also did the same hosting job for decades but managed to inject his personality into the game a bit more.
Anyway, I don’t mean to take anything aways from Sajak’s great run. I just point out that he seemed very content to just let Vanna take most of the limelight and do things his own way.
The more interesting point here is his replacement. Ryan Seacrest is no stranger to television. In fact, he may be the most recognizable face on TV these days, it’s hard to avoid seeing him with hosting gigs on American Idol, a popular morning show with Kelly Ripa, several radio shows, and of course his yearly New Year’s Eve coverage that he inherited from Dick Clark.
Seacrest is incredible at what he does. Succeeding legends like Regis Philbin, Dick Clark, Casey Kasem, and now Pat Sajak is an amazing honor. I guess I just wish that the new host of “Wheel” was someone a little less well-known. I’m sure Seacrest will carry on the Sajak torch well, but the show could have used an injection of new, youthful energy in my opinion.
Does anyone under the age of fifty actually watch the show regularly anyway?
💬 Quote of the Week
"The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults."
-Alexis de Tocqueville
📺Content Recommendation
The Bear
This week I’m recommending that you check out “The Bear” a show that has two seasons available for streaming on Hulu and FX.
It’s no secret that this has been one of the most talked about shows this summer and Season 2 has been met with much critical acclaim. If you’re not familiar with the premise, it chronicles the ups and downs of a restaurant going through a remodel and all the challenges involved with a new opening.
Many of the episodes are quite intense (which seems to accurately reflect the vibes of working in a high-end kitchen). But the story here is really great and they’ve done a fantastic job of creating characters that you really root for.
Whether or not you’ve ever worked in the restaurant industry, I think you’ll get a ton of enjoyment from watching “The Bear”.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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I think the question in interviews will go beyond asking for a stance on AI tools at the workplace. It will be whether the candidate knows how to use these tools to increase their productivity or not!