Iterate Weekly - Issue 168
This week we're talking about Apple's latest version of CarPlay, LinkedIn makes some AI updates, The Karbike, the death of Jabra earbuds, and "Language Lessons"!
Welcome to issue 168 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.
Thank you as always for reading!
🤖 Tech
Apple’s next generation of CarPlay
The software within your next car may arguably be more important than what’s under the hood.
Perhaps no software has been more important in the driving experience than Apple’s CarPlay. And Apple is eager to show off the next generation of the system that seamlessly links all the data you’d typically see on your phone to your car’s display.
This next version of CarPlay will only work wirelessly. While that sounds convenient, it obviously has its limitations and potential failure points. No one wants a faulty phone signal to leave their car’s dashboard display lacking vital information.
The Verge article linked above goes pretty deep into the technology behind the new system if you want to really nerd out. Essentially, Apple is creating different layers to the interface that allow car manufacturers to “punch-in” and override some of the Apple display choices. For example, the feed for a car’s backup camera may be designed in the style built by the manufacturer rather than Apple.
Hopefully, this creates enough of a compromise for car brands who prefer to tailor every aspect of their in-car experience rather than handing the proverbial keys to Apple. No matter what you choose to drive, I find the automobile software wars to be very fascinating. Some car brands have done a good job on their own while others have relied on Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to do the heavy lifting. Who will be the one to come out on top?
🎓 Education/Productivity/Work
LinkedIn’s AI Updates
LinkedIn wants to use AI to make it even easier for you to find a new job.
Honestly, with all of the absurd uses for AI that we’ve seen the past few years, the recruiting and job-seeking market may be one of the best industries for it. The current system is obviously far from perfect, and a company with the reach of LinkedIn may be best suited to help.
How will it work? Well imagine using plain language inputs to tell a chatbot what you’re looking for in your next job. It should be able to easily put together a list of jobs that meet your criteria without you needing to scroll through pages of listings.
And then once you have the perfect listing, you can use AI to help spruce up that resume and cover letter to match the tone of the position. Sounds pretty efficient to me. LinkedIn wants to go even further by offering up AI-powered job coaches that can make sure that you’re learning the right things for the right job.
Putting so much of the employment process into the hands of chatbots does sound a little scary doesn’t it? If anyone can pull it off, it seems like LinkedIn can. I’m curious to see how this technology evolves.
♻️ Health/Environment/EVs
The Karbike
Feast your eyes on that beautiful vehicle above! It’s an odd little thing called the Karbike and it really scratches my itch for that perfect sweet spot between e-bike and tiny car.
The Karbike is based in France and I’m well aware that it will likely never find its way to the United States. And that’s a darn shame because this form factor is something that could really catch on in urban and suburban areas of our country. It’s in a similar mold to the ELF, PEBL, or Veemo. It’s a enclosed or semi-enclosed vehicle that’s powered by electric assist pedals that technically can still travel in bike lanes and multi-use paths to avoid automobile traffic.
It’s big enough to bring an adult passenger or two small kids in addition to cargo. It offers a roof and windshield for comfort and protection from the elements along with optional doors and windows. On paper, it is the perfect hybrid of car and bike.?)
I won’t get too deep into the specs since it’s still a young company and it’s hard to tell exactly how far along they are in production. It may never see the light of day in any country really. And since it is geared toward the French market it will have a lower top speed than we’d expect in the states. But if this was able to get up to 28mph (or at least a steady 20mph) with a reasonable range (30 miles?) I think it could be a hit on American soil depending on the total price.
Alas, it’s still a dream at this point, but I really love the design of the Karbike and hope that it can get off the ground soon.
🛍 Grab Bag
The death of Jabra earbuds
For years, I only used Jabra wireless earbuds. They simply were the best option if you weren’t into Apple’s earbud offerings.
So I was particularly sad but not necessarily surprised to hear that Jabra was shutting down their wireless earbud product line.
Jabra is an odd little company that made its name creating dorky bluetooth headsets that were more functional than stylish. But they were able to carve out a pretty nice niche when they shrunk down the headsets into some very attractive buds that were packed with features.
For me, it was the 75t elite model. They were perfectly sweat resistant for long runs and had a luxuriously rubberized grip. The audio quality was great and the physical button was super versatile and intuitive. They could really do most everything I needed them to do.
So why have they been in a drawer for months and why didn’t I buy another pair from the brand? As my pair started to lose battery capacity, I moved over to a pair of Pixel Bud Pros for most of my daily listening. Why is that? Well it’s hard not to when Google packages them with Pixel phones and offers so many steep discounts. Plus, they’ve actually evolved into a pretty solid product with some software updates over time.
The harsh truth is that a company like Jabra can’t really compete with Apple, Samsung, and Google who sell their branded buds right alongside their phones. Even companies like Bose, Sony, and Beats offer solid products and better name recognition than Jabra. Even if they make the best buds at an affordable price, it’s still an uphill climb.
I might still pick up another pair of Jabras before they finally bite the dust, but it’s a sad day for those of us who supported the brand over the years as they cranked out a series of really solid products.
💬 Quote of the Week
"He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough."
-Lao Tzu
🎥 Content Recommendation
Language Lessons
I’ve got another movie recommendation that comes from the creative mind of Mark Duplass. Yep, he’s far more than Pete on “The League” or Chip on “The Morning Show”. His films are pretty amazing.
After recently loving “Biosphere” I checked out “Language Lessons” this week and it was equally great.
It’s a bilingual film that is almost entirely composed of video chat segments between a student and his virtual Spanish teacher. Appropriate as it was shot during 2020 when actors couldn’t really get into the same room. It feels like a perfect pandemic time capsule as much as it’s a great film.
Like most of the Duplass movies, it’s moving, hilarious, and somewhat uncomfortable to watch at times. But I thought it was fantastic. It had me longing for the days of late night hosts streaming from their living rooms and the intimacy of media in 2020.
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.