Iterate Weekly - Issue 204
This week we're looking at sudden jumps in tech prices, a backyard productivity boost, are pet dogs bad for the environment?, Sacramento's minor league identity crisis, and "Hey Kids, Watch This!"
Welcome to issue 204 of Iterate Weekly.
Let’s jump into this week’s stories shall we?
Thank you as always for reading!
🖥️ Tech
The OnePlus Watch 3 jumps in price
Anyone who is interested in a smart watch that isn’t made by Apple, was very excited when OnePlus announced their latest wearable, the OnePlus Watch 3.
It seemed like a great package with killer battery life and pretty decent looks in my humble opinion. And like most OnePlus products, the price was pretty competitive.
The launch price with various discounts was about $299. OnePlus also gives some enticing trade-in discounts if you have an old watch or phone lying around. So let’s just say that I was very tempted to get this watch on my wrist for something like $150-$250.
Sadly, that doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen.
OnePlus has announced that the price of their newest watch has risen to $499. And while OnePlus won’t admit it explicitly, the only logical explanation is one word. Tariffs.
Do you see how hard it is to avoid politics in every aspect of this writing?
This story isn’t about OnePlus as much as it’s about an apparent wave of increased pricing in the tech sector. It’s one thing for a new product to cost more than we were anticipating. But it’s something entirely different when a product gets announced at one price and then suddenly jumps in price with no warning or explanation from the manufacturer.
Could OnePlus be in more trouble than other companies when it comes to tariffs? Possibly. Most of their products originate in China and they have historically competed on maximum specs at a minimum price. That sounds like a potentially difficult stance to maintain in the current climate.
I’ve always been a big fan of OnePlus products and will be watching this one closely (pun intended?). Will people still buy this watch at that price? My gut tells me no.
🎓 Education/Productivity/Work
Backyard productivity boost
Ok, here’s a mini update on the status of my home office. But more specifically, it’s about a new morning work routine that I’m trying to cultivate.
I’m all about trying to ease into the workday. No one likes to dive head first into meetings, emails and stress. It’s best to have a morning routine that helps lay out exactly what you intend to accomplish before things get derailed.
One thing that has been tremendously helpful to me lately is taking a moment to linger in my backyard in the morning before staring at a screen. And before you say that I’m an entitled so-and-so who has the luxury of working remotely with a dedicated backyard office and Mediterranean climate that can support a year-round garden… You’re right. But taking a moment to observe nature is something that everyone can and should do to find work/life balance.
Anywhere between 2-15 minutes feels like the right pace for me but your mileage may vary. I’ve gotten into the habit of heading outside in the morning and instead of taking a direct route to my office, I go around the perimeter of my yard to observe what’s new. It’s just a chance to linger, to notice, to use the senses. Sure, this exercise may be a little more interesting in the Spring when everything is in bloom, but there are things to notice any time of year.
Yes, that’s an artichoke that has sprouted out of the center of the plant in the picture above. It’s sandwiched between a fig tree that is sprouting new leaves and a pineapple guava bush that smells amazing but seems to be a ways off from producing fruit.
Once I’ve completed my lap around the yard, I feel more relaxed and energized. I feel more prepared to jump into the world of email, video calls, and productivity. It’s a very worthwhile habit to get into between meetings or after any stressful task.
This week I challenge you to get outside and take a moment or two to notice what’s going on in your environment before you jump into the day’s productivity requirements.
♻️ Health/Environment/EVs
Are pet dogs horrible for the environment?
While my dog gets on my nerves all the time, I never thought that he was hurting the earth.
But apparently having a dog as a pet can take its burden on the environment.
Maybe the effects of your pooch on the planet are more pronounced if you live in a remote or rural corner of the globe. Urban dogs maybe have less interaction with the natural world and that can limit their canine carbon paw print.
A quote from Associate Professor Bill Bateman in a Science Daily study gives you a sense of what’s going on here.
"As well as predatory behaviour like chasing wildlife, dogs leave scents, urine and faeces, which can disrupt animal behaviour long after the dogs have left," Associate Professor Bateman said.
My dog has definitely chased birds at the beach before. He never got close enough to do any harm, but who knows how long those poor sea gulls were traumatized?!
I don’t mean to make light of the study, it seems like this actually is a serious problem. Also noteworthy was the mention of the carbon footprint of dog food companies. While we tend to pay a lot of attention to the source of human food, I’ll admit to not being as tuned in to where my dog’s food comes from.
The moral of the story here is that it’s virtually impossible to examine any aspect of life that isn’t taking a toll on the environment. No, we don’t want to keep our dogs locked inside all day, but maybe we also need to be more aware of the impact they can have on a seemingly innocent walk through nature.
🛍 Grab Bag
Sacramento’s minor league baseball identity crisis
Here’s a bizarre sports story.
A minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, CA has come under fire after a poorly executed pseudo-rebrand effort that totally missed the mark.
Let’s back up for a second. The team is typically known as the Sacramento River Cats. They are a minor league affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. The team has long been a part of the Sacramento community. And prior to this season when the formerly Oakland Athletics came temporarily (we think) to town, the River Cats were the only baseball in the Capitol City.
Minor league teams are known for temporary rebrand marketing efforts. Maybe there is a special night where the team goes by another name and wears a different jersey. It’s typically all in good fun. But the River Cats thought it would be a good idea to be called The Gold Diggers for a few games and that name change came with a creepy logo and misogynistic marketing videos.
The team has since apologized for the snafu and opted to bury any evidence that they were ever going to go by the Gold Diggers moniker.
Was this just a big publicity stunt? Are minor league marketing departments just that short-sighted? Did the black and gold color scheme and greedy undertones have anything to do with the Athletics moseying through town before heading to the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas?
💬 Quote of the Week
"We are an impossibility in an impossible universe."
-Ray Bradbury
📕 Content Review
Hey Kids, Watch This!
This one is for the parents out there.
If you have a child and you’re sick of watching the same horrible kids movies over and over, you should pick up a little book called “Hey Kids, Watch This!”.
The book comes from the folks at A24 Films and gives tons of fantastic movie recommendations for kids from age 2 to teenagers. The illustrations from Anna Haifisch are super eye-catching and my daughter loves the process of picking out a film, watching the film, and then giving it a star rating and jotting down some reasons why she liked or disliked it.
Books like this really change the vibe around a movie night. Instead of another mindless evening in front of the boob tube, why not make it a more engaging experience while hopefully setting up your kid to become a discerning cinephile in the future?
We’ve already discovered new favorites beyond some of the childhood classics that are included. I also love that it has movies as short as 4 minutes for when you don’t have the luxury of delaying bedtime for a feature-length film.
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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