Iterate Weekly - Issue 172
This week we're talking about a new inexpensive smartphone that just screams fun!, I'm reading "Slow Productivity", Tern releases a new bike, Brian Eno's AI documentary, and a Diggnation reunion!
Welcome to issue 172 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
The CMF Phone 1 is the cheap, fun, different phone we need
Look at those stylish phones! We’re taking a look at the new “Phone 1” from CMF…by Nothing.
That name is a total mouthful I know. Don’t feel bad if you’re not familiar with CMF. They are the newish budget brand within the brand Nothing. Oh sorry, you’re not familiar with Nothing either? Hmm, well that company was started by some of the folks who left the innovative but maybe too far ahead of its time company once known as Essential. And did you also know that yours truly attended the launch party of that original Essential Phone and was so sure the product was going to be a hit that he purchased the domain name theessentialphone.com. All true statements. But I digress.
Set aside the interesting history of the brand and just marvel at how different the Phone 1 looks from the competition. Don’t get me wrong, this is being marketed as a budget phone. It’ll sell for a cool $199 USD if you can get your hands on it. It’s not really meant for the US market and will really only work on T-mobile’s bands within the U.S. Sadly, that is getting in the way of me buying one to try out for myself.
But this is the phone that we need right now! It’s different. It’s colorful. It’s affordable. Those colored backsides are even removable! It’s not a fully modular phone but it does offer some customization and improvement options with fun accessories. Even if the software was hot garbage, this phone would be interesting. But it runs a relatively lightweight Android skin that should garner similar praise to what’s running on its more expensive cousin the Nothing Phone 2.
Should we all run out any buy one of these? Probably not. You can’t really sell a phone for less than $200 these days unless you cut some major corners. The specs aren’t going to knock your socks off, but we need more fun budget options like this in the US. When your phone breaks or you lose it, this could be your stopgap solution until you get your fancy new flagship. Not that I speak from experience or anything.
Anyone else excited for a colorful phone that’s highly customizable and won’t break the bank?
🎓 Education/Productivity/Work
I’m reading “Slow Productivity” at a leisurely pace…
I typically don’t like to write about a book until I’ve finished reading it. And those reviews typically come a bit further down in the content review/recommendation section.
But all that be damned, I’m currently reading Cal Newport’s latest book “Slow Productivity” and thoroughly enjoying it.
Consider this a preview recommendation of sorts. As you might have already gathered, I’m trying to slowly enjoy the book in a true slow productivity manner rather than just blow through it quickly. Easier said than done!
I won’t draw too many conclusions until the end, but it’s shaping up to be one of those really important books for me so far. Newport touches on plenty of concepts that I’ve personally experienced in the post-pandemic world as a knowledge worker. Things that I’ll likely write a bit more about myself soon.
The key concept is the idea that knowledge workers have been engaging in a form of “pseudo-productivity” as a means to indicate that their work is important and meaningful. You probably know exactly what I mean, but it’s things like mechanical email or Slack responses, low-impact contributions to shared documents, and sometimes literally just showing up to work but not actually contributing much.
As I continue reading, there will likely be more to share but I can see this book really shaping some of my work/productivity goals for the second half of the year.
♻️ Health/Environment/EVs
Tern offers a new, less expensive family cargo bike
I’m celebrating just over a year of riding my amazing Tern HSD electric cargo bike. While I’ve been cycling for years, having an easy way to haul a child/dog/tons of groceries has been a real game changer for our family.
I’m happy to encourage everyone to buy a cargo bike of their own if they have the means. And thankfully, Tern has added a reasonably priced new edition to its electric cargo bike lineup.
It’s called the “Quick Haul Long” and it offers a compromise between the small and nimble Quick Haul and the larger GSD (Get Stuff Done) model. Check out the product launch video below. In my opinion, Tern is the best in the business at showing how a new bike will integrate into your life.
The original Quick Haul was something that I considered when buying our HSD (Haul Stuff Daily). It’s perfect for hauling one kid and is easy to ride as a “normal bike” without a lot of added weight. Now with the Quick Haul Long, Tern extended the rear rack and added a few more clever design elements to accommodate two passengers while keeping the price lower than their GSD model.
I’m not delusional enough to think that a $3,800 bike is going to affordable for the masses. However, if you compare this to some of the other high-end cargo bikes on the market, it’s a really nice value. Sure, you’re giving up the front suspension and a few other perks, but it can still haul a ton of weight to get you around efficiently and safely. If you’re looking to haul your precious cargo (AKA kids) around on a bike everyday, it’ll be worth every penny.
🛍 Grab Bag
This Brian Eno documentary streams differently every time
This strikes me as something that seems totally groundbreaking right now but may be very common in just a few years.
The new Brian Eno documentary film uses generative techniques so that it never plays back in exactly the same way.
Hmmm, so what does that look like exactly? Well there are technically 52 quintillion different iterations of the film. The source material is over 30 hours of interviews and 500 hours of film. When played back, that data flows through a set of rules and logic that choose which pieces will be seen. Some pieces of data are weighed more heavily so that they will most certainly make it into the final cut, but many of the supporting details will differ with each viewing.
It’s hard to really make a comparison here but it strikes me as a really long “Choose Your Own Adventure” book where each page turn (or in this case second of video) makes the choices for you.
I love seeing innovation like this. This film is certainly being added to my list to check out soon. Take a look at the trailer below:
💬 Quote of the Week
"Insanity is hereditary; you get it from your children."
-Sam Levenson
🎥 Content Recommendation
Diggnation Reunion!
Way back in 2010, I started working at a company called Revision3. For those who don’t remember the name, we called it an internet television network at the time. Basically, it was a collection of somewhat disparate video channels all being housed under the same umbrella. Some shows were produced in our studio in San Francisco, others were filmed in whatever location made sense that day.
Arguably our most popular show was called Diggnation. Hosted by Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht, on the surface it was just two dudes talking about tech and pop culture while getting drunk on a couch. But it was also a sign of the future of digital content. I loved watching the weekly episodes and the show is what lead me to the job with the company.
It’s hard to believe that the last real episode of Diggnation was way back in 2011. But recently the duo released a two-part Diggnation reunion. It’s a look behind the scenes of some of their favorite moments and then just a modern episode of the preeminent show combining alcohol, laptops, and couches.
I’ll be honest, I was actually surprised at how good this turned out. We all know that reunion shows can be hit or miss. Alex and Kevin still have amazing chemistry. And it was great to see Prager and Mau from the old Rev3 team as well. Let’s hope this isn’t the last time these two team up.
If you were a nerd in the late 2000s, go relive the magic that was Diggnation!
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.