Iterate Weekly - Issue 198
This week we're talking about the return of the Pebble, changing how kids read in NYC, VW cancels the ID.7 in the US, the Utah Yeti, and "Anora"!
Welcome to issue 198 of Iterate Weekly.
Let’s jump into this week’s stories shall we?
Thank you as always for reading!
🖥️ Tech
The Pebble smartwatch is back!
Ladies and gentlemen, the day has arrived! The Pebble smartwatch has risen from the dead.
Yes, a watch that I still consider to be the best smartwatch I’ve ever worn will soon be available for purchase once again. This amazingly comes after it has been out of production since 2016. So what’s going on here?
Well, the Pebble was a fantastic watch that was far ahead of its time. It could do most of the same things that the Apple Watch and Pixel Watch could do long before they were available. And its killer feature was battery life. The e-ink screen would let it go weeks between charges. I wore several of these things in a couple different colors over the years and was sad to see them fold.
Pebble was acquired by Fitbit. Then Fitbit was acquired by Google. Then Google started to make Pixel watches using variations of Fitbit software and most of the Pebble IP just sat in the archives for years.
But now the original creator of the Pebble has convinced Google to open source the code to let developers create new versions. So we should be seeing new hardware running the Pebble OS in the coming months and I can’t wait to get one on my wrist.
Any other Pebble fans out there who are as excited as I am?
🎓 Education/Productivity/Work
Changing how kids learn to read in NYC
As a native of New York state, I do have an interest in how the youth of NY are learning how to read. And apparently, some big changes have been coming down lately for kids going to school in The Big Apple.
New York City has the country’s largest public school system. So when changes are made, they are certainly felt. And when something happens in New York, it is likely to trickle down to other cities in due time.
What are the biggest changes? It’s really a renewed emphasis on phonics. It’s all about the relationship between letters and sounds. The schools are now employing one of three distinct approaches. “Into Reading” from the company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; “Wit and Wisdom” from Great Minds; and “EL Education” from Imagine Learning.
I won’t pretend to be an expert on any of these teaching methods. But the interesting part here is that this is a pretty massive shift for the largest school system in our country. And the fact that they’re testing out three different methods could lead to one emerging as the future way we teach our kids to read.
♻️ Health/Environment/EVs
VW ID.7 not coming to the U.S. after all
That’s a nice looking car above isn’t it?
It’s the all-electric Volkswagen ID.7 and sadly Americans will not be able to drive it.
VW had originally planned to offer the electric sedan in the North American market, but it seems they’ve scrapped that idea. They’re citing a “changing EV climate”.
Hmm, yeah that sounds about right. As much as I love the idea of a small EVs, there just isn’t much of an appetite for them in the states. It’s a shame too since the ID.4 electric SUV has been selling well in the U.S. even after some production issues and stop sales.
Personally, I did look into the ID.4 as an option for our family and it was nice but felt a bit unpolished. But I could see a smaller version like this being a really solid option for people who don’t need a large family hauler. I like the silhouette and am sure it will sell well in other markets.
🛍 Grab Bag
Utah Yeti?
I’ve always been fascinated by rebrands and relocations with sports teams. This story has a bit of both.
The NHL team formerly known as the Arizona (formerly Phoenix) Coyotes relocated to Utah this season. In the haste of the quick relocation, no proper team name was decided on. Instead, the team opted to spend one year simply known as the Utah Hockey Club. Not the catchiest name, but it works. At least they have a logo (seen above) and basic but relatively clean looking uniforms.
We knew the Hockey Club would be a temporary moniker before they announced a proper team name for next season. They even offered up a chance for fans to suggest and vote on new names. Personally, I always think that’s a silly move and done somewhat superficially, but whatever.
The Utah Yeti emerged as the top choice. People thought it was a done deal that the club would be called Yeti or Yetis for next season. But then the trademark office stepped in the way.
It looks like Yeti isn’t going to fly. Too much confusion between the company that makes beverage containers, etc. What if the Utah Yeti were to do a water bottle giveaway night? They certainly couldn’t give away Yeti bottles made by a company that wasn’t Yeti right? You see one of the potential issues here.
So as of right now, the team is back at the proverbial drawing board. Can they figure out a way to push through the Yeti name? Will they have to settle for some of the other fan-voted options like “Venom” or “Blizzard”? Both of those options could be fraught with naming concerns as well.
It’s just nearly impossible to properly name a sports team these days. Maybe Utah Hockey Club could grow on us over time?
💬 Quote of the Week
"The happiest people seem to be those who have no particular cause for being happy except that they are so."
-William Inge
🎥 Content Review
Anora
It’s awards season and I am on my annual journey to watch as many of the Oscar-nominated films as possible.
This week I want to highlight “Anora”.
What would it look like if a wealthy young man fell in love with a stripper? That’s the crude synopsis here, but this movie was excellent.
Mikey Madison really shines as the title character and the ensemble cast feeds off her consistent energy.
Sign me up for more films where rich parents need to clean up messes created by their spoiled children!
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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