Iterate Weekly - Issue 173
This week we're talking about Samsung's new smart ring, designing an office space for productivity, the sleep wellness trend, The Clippers arena tech, and "Find Me Falling"!
Welcome to issue 173 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
Samsung’s smart ring starts getting reviewed
Ever since Samsung announced that they would be releasing a smart ring, I wondered how it would stack up to the competition. Namely, that’s the Oura ring. I’ve been wearing an Oura ring daily for nearly four years now and I’m sold on the benefits of smart rings.
As Samsung’s ring finds its way onto the fingers of tech reviewers, the response has seemed to be mostly positive.
Despite MKBHD’s lukewarm title to his video, he actually seems to be a fan. He likes the design and tracking capabilities of the device, but brings up issues with its ability to be worn during his most relevant activities like weight lifting and ultimate frisbee. And I agree with him that it’s a real bummer that you need to have it paired with a Samsung phone to really maximize the experience. One of the best things about Oura is that it is platform agnostic and brings together both iOS and Android users!
On the other hand, the folks over at CNET really seem to love the new product. Both CNET and MKBHD seem to really love the charging case. That is one thing that I’m envious of as an Oura user. The Oura charger is functional but not a particular joy to use. I’d much prefer just popping the run into a charging case when I’m on the go. Or it could be the perfect bathroom solution to charge your ring while taking it off in the shower.
Oura may not have the resources of a tech giant like Samsung, but they do have a pretty significant head start in this product category. It’s been a while since they’ve released a new model and I’m curious to see if they’ve cooked up any of these new features that Samsung is debuting. Even if they can just release a charging case with a beefy battery, that would be enough to get me to upgrade.
It’s also worth noting that Samsung figured out a way to release this product without the need for a monthly subscription. That’s a huge plus that can’t be overlooked. Fortunately, I opted into the lifetime subscription with Oura a few years back and it’s paid off. But I’d be pretty hesitant to start paying monthly for this info unless they really wowed us with new helpful metrics.
I think there is a real need for smart rings that offer benefits over other fitness trackers and smart watches. They’re easy to wear. Their battery life is typically great. And maybe most importantly, their tracking data is extremely accurate.
Any other devout smart ring wearers out there? Would Samsung or Apple convert you if they started throwing in free rings with phone purchases? That would be something at Oura couldn’t match.
🎓 Education/Productivity/Work
Decor for productivity?
As I’ve been starting to think about the interior space of my new indoor/outdoor work/studio shed, I’ve been wondering what type of decor would make me the most comfortable and productive.
It may sound silly, but everyone has their preferences about where they work. I was always the guy at work who gravitated toward office windows. If I had my say, I’d always pick the desk closest to natural light. Most of the time, that wasn’t a problem. But the few times that I worked somewhere with no outlet to the outside world, it was hard to be productive.
Sure, there are studies about the colors of walls and the way that desks are aligned that help improve focus and productivity, but these decisions can be overwhelming. While I know that natural light is going to be key component to my space, I’m still torn on what else would make work best for me.
Suggestions are welcome and I’ll likely have more to share in the coming weeks as the space comes together.
♻️ Health/Environment/EVs
Sleep wellness is the latest health trend
I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve been sleeping with ear plugs and a sleep mask for as long as I can remember. I think the need was created in college when living in noisy dorms. Now, even in quiet settings, I’ve become accustomed to having my ears plugged and my eyes covered.
And these days I’d say I’d be considered pretty casual in the world of sleep wellness. It’s become the latest health, tech, and beauty trend all wrapped into one.
Spending money in exchange for quality sleep seems like a total no-brainer to most people. It’s really hard to put a price on the feeling of waking up refreshed and ready to take on the day.
For many people, hustle culture has been replaced with a wellness and rest culture. Of course, any culture has its products, remedies, and luxuries. Sleep is no different. Whether it’s something to eat, drink, or put on your bed, there are sleep products for every budget. The industry has really skyrocketed with no clear end in sight.
🛍 Grab Bag
The Clippers spare no expense including tech in new arena
You NBA fans out there probably already know that the Los Angeles Clippers are finally trying to emerge from the shadow of the cross-town Lakers by moving into their own arena this year.
The new building will be called the Intuit Dome and it promises to have more technology than virtually any sporting venue on earth.
Yes, take a look at that “Halo Board” above. Make sure you don’t refer to it as a typical scoreboard as it’s designed to be far more than that. If you can’t tell, the board is double sided and spans nearly the circumference of the building. There is a whole lot of info and entertainment that can be shared on such a massive 4K display.
Personally, it looks a bit distracting and may take away from the vibes at a basketball game. But I suppose I can’t knock it til I’ve tried it. And honestly, an arena like this will become a tourist destination in Southern California. Even non-basketball fans will stop by to witness the spectacle.
The NBA purist in me hates it. The tech nerd in me thinks it’s pretty incredible.
What’s even more interesting is that each seat in the arena is outfitted with an LED light, USB charger, and laser pointer. Why would these things be necessary? Well to play interactive games during stoppages in play of course! These games will let fans in attendance play along and beat out all the other fans. The winning fan’s LED light can remain illuminated signifying to the rest of the dome that they’ve won the challenge.
Neat I guess? The list of innovations here goes on and on. These games will certainly feel unlike any other NBA games for better or worse.
💬 Quote of the Week
"Roses don't always grow in the courtyard of kings, they can also grow in the backyard of beggars."
-Anu Malik
🎥 Content Review
“Find Me Falling”
If you’re an astute reader, you know that I often title this section as “Content Recommendation”. Yes, typically I encourage you to go read or watch whatever I’ve been digging lately. I give it my endorsement. But sometimes, I just have to change things up a bit when it’s more of a “Content Review.”
“Find Me Falling” is a recent rom com on Netflix that I may not actually recommend to most people. Harry Connick Jr. plays an aging musician who retreats to Cyprus to escape his hectic lifestyle…and also find a long lost love…who happens to be the mother of a child he didn’t know he had.
Yeah, it’s a convoluted plot that never really came together for me. Connick Jr. is certainly a better musician than actor. However, if you want to feel like you took a vacation to Cyprus without leaving your living room, this is the movie for you!
If you’re bored and in need of a vacation escape movie, this could be worth checking out. Just don’t go into it expecting a masterpiece and you’ll be just fine.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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