Iterate Weekly - Issue 179
This week we're talking about Google's Pixel release schedule, using AI for interview prep, analyzing your voice to detect sickness, Calm social media, and "Kinds of Kindness"!
Welcome to issue 179 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!
Google’s staggered Pixel 9 release schedule
We’ve gotten used to the formula for new phone releases.
Companies like Apple, Samsung, and Google set a date for a big announcement. They go on stage and talk about all the new amazing things that their new devices will do. And then at the end of the presentation, a sales page activates and they start taking your money. Pretty basic formula right?
But how long is too long to hold onto that money before actually shipping a product? In the case of the Pixel 9 Pro this year, it’s a bit longer than expected.
I had followed most of the rumors about the release of this new line of devices. It seemed like they’d be in stores within a week of the live event announcement. A hectic work schedule that day didn’t allow me to watch the entire MadeByGoogle event live but I saw the first half. After returning after a meeting, I went ahead and pre-ordered a Pixel 9 Pro. I was surprised to see that the device wouldn’t ship until “sometime between September 10th-17th”. And I was likely one of the early orderers right as they became available.
Who cares right? I can’t wait a few weeks. It’s not a matter of life or death. But some of the other models of the Pixel 9 were able to be released in August. Others were coming in early September before mine would ship. I can understand supply chain issues and certain SKUs being more popular, but the staggered release takes some of the shine off a new phone if you ask me.
I sound like a tech grandpa when I recall the good old days of camping outside of the store to be the first one in line to buy the new new phone. I did it several times with the Original Motorola Droid and some of its successors. I’m not saying I want to do that again, but I do wish that Google could have figured out a way to at least get all iterations of the Pixel 9 into the hands of early adopters within the same week. Instead, it’s been a strange trickle of reviews for some versions of the phone and a patient waiting game for my particular model. Yes, I’m a grown man and I can survive waiting for a new phone for a few more weeks, but it feels like Google just screwed up another product release if you ask me.
🎓 Education/Productivity/Work
Will AI’s greatest use case be interview prep?
It may sound crazy but AI is becoming a big part of interview prep.
One of the use cases that Google mentioned for the new Gemini Live assistant during the MadeByGoogle event this year was using it for practicing interviews. And now, Google has officially launched a site for people to start practicing their interview answers before landing that new job.
I can’t say that I’ve gone through and tried it yet for myself, but I’ll certainly give it a shot should the need arise. From the explainer page, it appears that Google will transcribe answers to some of the most common interview questions. Then they will look for certain keywords that companies may want to hear. They’ll also be on the lookout for words that you may be overusing as well.
They make it clear that they aren’t really judging your answers, just looking for patterns and attempting to steer you toward some of the classic answers that interviewers are looking for. Of course, the best interview answers are the ones that are a little offbeat or outside the box right?
Do we all think this is the new normal for interview prep? Are we just creating a new crop of employees who are just trained to say what the AI wants to hear?
♻️ Health/Environment/EVs
Coming soon, an AI that can hear if you’re sick
Wow, here’s another Google AI story. I didn’t even mean for this to be a trend this week but here we are.
OK, that may not sound all that impressive. Most humans can easily tell if someone is sick when they hear a raspy or stuffed up voice.
But the goal here is to try to decipher the exact cause behind that raspy voice. For example is it a simple common cold or could it be the onset of Tuberculosis? The hope is that this technology can be included in software running in smartphones in parts of the world that may not have access to traditional healthcare.
No, it’s not going to replace an actual doctor anytime soon. But this is technology that could really help people maintain their health. Perhaps it could even detect subtle changes in the voice that let you know you’re getting sick before you’re even aware of it. Now that could be universally useful.
🛍 Grab Bag
Calm wants users to meditate like they scroll social media
In an odd turn of events, the Calm meditation app is stealing a page from your social media feed.
Well, at least they are looking to duplicate some of the things that make those services so darn addictive. Instead of mindlessly scrolling through useless media posts, you could mindfully scroll through positive and healthy messages provided by Calm. Hmm, that sounds like it could work.
They’re calling these mindfulness exercises “Taptivities” which is pretty clever if you ask me. They’re essentially replicating the feeling of moving through someone’s social media stories but presenting content that should be better for the brain.
I’ve been using the Calm app for years and have thoroughly gotten my money’s worth on my lifetime subscription purchased years ago. I’m not sure I’m the target market for the Taptivities but I think it’s a worthwhile feature to implement.
💬 Quote of the Week
"I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."
-Winston Churchill
🎥Content Review
Kinds of Kindness
Last week I was recommending a fun summer action movie with “Twisters”. Now this week we are turning the page into September and I’m suggesting something a bit different.
This weekend I watched “Kinds of Kindness” and it bills itself as a “triptych fable”. I’ll leave it at that.
It’s basically three different bizarre stories that are somewhat intertwined. It comes from Yorgos Lanthimos who was also behind possibly the best film I saw last year “Poor Things”. This movie is just as fascinating, surprising, confusing at times, and thought-provoking as that was.
I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it and think it’s worth checking out as we head into the more serious season of fall cinema.
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.
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