Iterate Weekly - Issue 200
This week we're celebrating 200 issues with Rabbit's AI agent, Ugmonk's Analog Steel Collection, the Bo Scooter, Humane is bricking their AI pins, and "SNL50"!
Welcome to issue 200 of Iterate Weekly. Honestly, it’s a milestone that I never thought we’d make it to.
Ok, enough sentimentality. Let’s jump into this week’s stories shall we?
Thank you as always for reading!
🖥️ Tech
Will Rabbit’s AI agent save the company?
Rabbit made some noise when they launched their first product the R1. It was a quirky little AI device that looked like a toy but was capable of a few fun tricks. Maybe not enough fun tricks to make it a must-own product though.
Well now the team at Rabbit are at it again with a pretty cool new product. They gave a demo of something called an AI Agent that runs on Android. You can check out the full demo below.
Basically, they’re pushing commands from a laptop to an Android tablet. It’s fairly simple, but could prove to be useful in a variety of cases. Anything that can add more functionality to the limited number of Android tablets in use today is a welcome development in my mind.
As this is just a demo, I’m sure the technology will evolve and maybe Rabbit can prove to be a successful software company even if their R1 hardware isn’t in high demand.
I’m certainly rooting for them.
🎓 Education/Productivity/Work
Ugmonk launches new Analog Steel Collection
If you’re looking for a new productivity system, maybe you should take a look at a new offering from Ugmonk.
No, this isn’t a sponsored post but I’m intrigued by their new Analog Steel Collection.
It’s a very analog way to keep track of your daily tasks. A simple solution with paper notecards tucked into steel compartments may not sound like a groundbreaking product but sometimes it’s the simplest habits that stick.
Ugmonk makes some beautiful items and it may be just the system you need to kickstart your productivity this year.
♻️ Health/Environment/EVs
The Bo Scooter is on its way to the US
I honestly don’t ride electric scooters all that much. I own one, but typically opt to ride my bike instead.
But I’m always super interested to see new scooters launch. They always seem to be getting more attractive with longer ranges and higher top speeds.
The Bo scooter pictured above may be my latest scooter infatuation and it’s finally making its way to the US market.
What makes it so special? Just look at it. A solid unibody construction just doesn’t look like any other scooter on the market. While the looks may draw you in, it’s also no slouch when it comes to the specs. Solid range, decent suspension with the unique style of deck, and the ability to easily mount your phone on the handlebars make it an easy scooter to recommend.
My only reservation is that the unibody design doesn’t allow it to fold. So it may not be the best bet for multimodal trips where you want to bring your scooter on the bus or train. It should still be doable, but not as easy with a solid non-foldable scooter like the Bo. That does seem like a decent tradeoff for something that looks as nice and should ride as smoothly as this.
I may have to get my hands on one when they official launch in the US in the coming weeks…
🛍 Grab Bag
Humane AI acquired by HP, plan to brick all devices
Ok, I’ll admit that I was wrong about the Humane AI pin.
I really thought it was going to be a game-changing device. I thought we’d all ditch our phones and start pinning all-day listening devices to our lapels each morning. Maybe at some point in the future that could happen, but not in 2025.
So the product was a flop. That happens. But the story gets more complicated for this company that launched with so much promise.
It’s certainly not a good look for any company to just turn their backs on customers and decide to no longer support their products. Since the Humane pin was so reliant on servers and a data connection, it basically becomes a paperweight the second the company folds. At least it actually is a fairly nice looking paperweight!
In an odd twist, the IP of the company is being acquired by HP. IP to HP, got it? I’m reminded of other trendy companies with tons of hype that eventually got swallowed up by HP. Palm and 3Com come to mind.
Will HP do anything cool in the AI wearable space in the coming years? My guess would be no but I hope I’m proven wrong.
Oh well, thanks for nothing Humane.
💬 Quote of the Week
"A man is but the product of his thoughts, what he thinks he becomes."
-Mahatma Gandhi
📺 Content Review
SNL50
I’ve loved SNL for as long as I can remember.
And no, I’m not old enough to appreciate the full 50 years of the show but I have watched the past 25 years pretty religiously.
So I was thrilled for all of the 50th anniversary content that’s running this month and I have not been disappointed.
It’s almost been too much to keep up with but all of it has been great. There was the musical special that ran the night before the official 50th Anniversary show (which oddly aired on a Sunday). And maybe more interesting is the series of documentaries that have launched alongside the live events.
If you’re an SNL fan, you really should set aside the time to take it all in. The documentaries about the “more cowbell” sketch and the “weird 11th season” were particularly great.
There is truly nothing like SNL. It may not always be funny, but it is always relevant. Here’s to another 50 years!
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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