Iterate Weekly - Issue 120
This week we're ending dishwasher loading arguments, generations argue about how to read books, Rad Power Bikes pull out of Europe, playing Jeopardy! on Roku, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3!
Welcome to issue 120 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
Bosch thinks there is no wrong way to load a dishwasher
Squabbling spouses rejoice!
Dishwasher manufacturer (and darling of the world of e-bike motors) Bosch is releasing a new machine and it will work well no matter how you load it up!
For years, we’ve been told that there is a specific way to load up a dishwasher. I’ll admit that sometimes I’m still confused on the best way. It seems like every manufacturer and every household comes up with their own magic formula for how to fit the maximum amount inside the dishwasher while still making sure everything gets clean.
You can check out the video below for details on exactly how Bosch’s new 800 and Benchmark Series dishwashers will work.
Basically, there is a smart Spray arm that can be programmed via app to focus on different quadrants of your dishwasher. In theory, this programming can overcome any crazy way of loading up a dishwasher.
Maybe you’re the type who just throws all the giant pots and pans on the bottom without giving them room to breathe. Or maybe you stack the small bowls too close together so that they always emerge with specs of food in the middle. Not that I’m speaking from any experience here, but there apparently used to be plenty of ways to screw this up. But not anymore if you purchase one of these fine machines from Bosch.
I think my favorite part of this story is the actual research they did for the press release to prove to consumers how big of a problem this is. Households are clearly getting upset every night when playing the Jenga dishwasher game. Get a load of this:
Bosch provided several from an SWNS survey of 2,000 people on behalf of Bosch. It says 54 percent of Americans argue about how to load a dishwasher, 87 percent rearrange them after someone else already loaded the dishwasher, and lastly, 35 percent have “considered” giving someone they live with the silent treatment after an argument.
Wow, post-dishwasher loading silent treatment is a real problem! Kudos to Bosch for putting an end to so many domestic disputes. In all seriousness, I may be in the market for a new dishwasher soon, and technology like this will absolutely get me to consider a model from Bosch. Well done!
🎓 Education/Productivity/Work
A generational divide over how to read books
I recently wrote about my new Kindle e-reader. And yes, I’m still loving it.
So I was super interested in this story that looks at the reading habits of different generations. Apparently baby boomers love the Kindle but millennials don’t.
Amazon claims that more than one-third of Kindle customers are over the age of 55. I think that’s moderately surprising. We have a certain vision of older folks turning their nose at technology that may be frivolous when paper books have been functional for a long long time.
It seems like millennials are more interested in the respite that paper books give them from all the other screens in their lives. I can see the value in that. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still one of those people that prefers to always have a digital book, a physical book, and at least one audio book in progress at all times.
I love a good paper reading experience, I just don’t find it to be as practical in most scenarios as a Kindle can be. When reading before bed, I don’t want to turn on a bright lamp or even use a tiny flashlight to read a book. I don’t want to disturb my wife’s sleep and I don’t want her disturbing me either. The very dimmable backlight on the Kindle Paperwhite is perfect for this.
I’m also surprised to see millennials claim to enjoy the process of collecting paper books in their homes. With home sizes and storage space becoming smaller and smaller, it can be tough to find space for all of your books. That’s another win for the Kindle in my mind. I’m too much of a minimalist to keep tons of books in my house. Digital books or library-loaned paper books keep the house more tidy. I should also point out how well Kindles can work with free digital resources from your local library. Not all of your digital books need to be purchased from Amazon if you aren’t keen on supporting the retailer.
I’ve even written up some details on how to establish a reading system to maximize your library membership and your e-reader.
What say you fine readers? Do you prefer paper or digital books? Choose an option in the poll below:
♻️ Health & Environment
Rad Bikes Pulling out of EU
Big news in the world of e-bikes this week. On the heels of popular bike brand VanMoof facing major financial struggles, Rad Power Bikes has announced that they are dropping out of the European market.
Rad Power Bikes has been the best-selling e-bike brand in the United States and were looking to expand their global reach. That apparently hasn’t gone to plan in Europe. Let’s take a second to explore what’s going on here.
Rad makes extremely “adequate” bikes. I don’t say that in a negative way. Their bikes get the job done for most riders at a price point that makes sense. They don’t use the best components but they offer a competitive product that really seems to fit the North American market. However, they have dealt with some recalls and their customer service has been in question lately.
But Europe is obviously a whole different story. Most European countries have a more established cycling history with a ton more competition than what’s found in the US. And many European consumers are willing to pay a little bit more for a bike that will last. These bikes are sometimes looked at as car replacements rather than sporty leisure toys. I don’t think Rad could keep up with the more established brands.
Rad also isn’t as inexpensive as some other brands that ship direct from China on sites like AliExpress or Amazon. So they find themselves in an odd position in the middle of the product category. And right now that makes total sense in the US, but it makes for a struggle in the European market.
For what it’s worth, Rad says that this is a chance for them to refocus on the North American market to make their products better. I don’t think this move spells doom for the brand the way that it looks for VanMoof, but we shall see what the next move is for Rad.
Anyone out there had a Rad Power Bike? How has it been for you?
🛍 Grab Bag
Play Jeopardy! on Roku!
Ok, so maybe I’m not actually going to be a contestant on Jeopardy! anytime soon.
But that doesn’t mean that I can’t play an extremely realistic version of the game using the voice-controlled remote on my Roku!
Well, that is if I’m willing to pay $9.99 per month for the app that comes from AI-gaming platform Volley.
Volley may sound familiar if you’ve played any other voice-controlled games on your Alexa of Google Home. I have to admit that I love the voice games on my Google Home. I don’t play them often, but whenever I do, I find the experience kinda magical.
Anyway, I’m getting off-topic, let’s keep it to Jeopardy!. You’re able to play the game as a single player and just shout out the answers as you would when watching the game on TV. The AI can tell you instantly if you’re correct and tally up your score. It seems like the perfect setup for all us Jeopardy! nerds out there.
I find it amazing that no one has really perfected the voice-activated at-home Jeopardy! experience yet. It seems like one of the most fundamental gaming styles and yet it’s hard to find a version that feels as authentic and enjoyable as watching the real game.
Let’s hope this is the one that gets it right!
💬 Quote of the Week
"The first wealth is health."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
🎥Content Review
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3
This week I’m recommending the latest big release in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3”!
I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned how I was never much of a Marvel fan until the early days of the pandemic lock-downs. Like many people, my wife and I were looking to watch a lot of movies and we watched all of the Marvel films in chronological order (by story not by film release date).
These days I get pretty excited about new Marvel releases and I finally got around to seeing the latest Guardians movie. I have to say that it really was one of the better Marvel films I’ve ever seen. It could be the best one since “Avengers End Game” and I highly recommend checking it out if you haven’t yet.
The music is fantastic (there’s a nice cameo from the brown Microsoft Zune that I never had but always wanted) and there are plenty of laughs to be had. But the movie also has a lot of heart and the story was well-told. And of course, it sets up all sorts of fun new potential story lines for future movies. If you’re in need a fun summer blockbuster, this is the one.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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