Iterate Weekly - Issue 22
Livestream concerts, remembering more from audio books, the best vegan nuggets, trying on virtual clothes, and a classic book recommendation.
Welcome to issue 22 of the Iterate weekly newsletter!
Just a reminder that you can always reply to this email or leave a comment on the web version. I do read all of them and I appreciate the feedback, questions, and insights from all of you.
Let’s jump into this week’s stories.
Tech
Livestream concerts are here to stay
Yes, I have missed going to live concerts over the past few years. Even without a global pandemic, getting to a show is much harder as a new Dad.
Because of this, I’ve been really excited to see how live musical performances are continuing in a virtual world. Leading the way is a company called Moment House.
Recently, they announced their Series A funding that includes some pretty well-known investors. Musical acts like Tame Impala, Halsey, and St. Vincent have gotten on board for performances in the company’s early days. While it’s one thing to just set up a camera to stream a concert, Moment House is banking on creative ways to enhance the virtual experience.
Customized, interactive, performances streamed live on a variety of devices (VR headsets obviously help here) sound like the future of the entertainment industry. I’ll be following this company closely and plan to check out a performance soon.
Learning
Retain more information from audio books
This week I’m sharing an article that I published a few months back on Medium. Feel free to follow me over there if you don’t already.
For years, I’ve been a huge proponent of audio books. Yes, reading actual text is an enriching experience that shouldn’t be overlooked. But there is no denying that you can consume a whole lot more content with your ears than solely with your eyes.
Audio books are particularly valuable to me when I’m running or walking the dog. I often find myself remembering more of the content this way. Pieces of the book tend to connect with visual cues along my route to help me remember more.
Have you ever experienced this? You can read the whole article here.
Health
The best vegan nuggets
I’ve written a lot in this section about vegetarian cuisine. Meatless meats are all the rage these days and I’m always discovering new favorites.
Last week I may have stumbled across the best vegan chicken nugget that I’ve ever had. This isn’t light praise either. I’ve been testing meatless nugs for the last 20 years and I think that Jack & Annie’s Jackfruit Nuggets are amazing.
If you’re not familiar with jackfruit, it is a highly moist and tender meat analog that usually gets used in place of pulled pork or chicken. It doesn’t taste like much but can easily absorb all marinades and sauces.
These nuggets are so juicy and tasty, I instantly ran to the box to double-check the ingredients after the first bite. The jackfruit definitely lends moisture and texture. There is some soy flour in there as well along with the perfect blend of spices.
If you’ve never been a fan of fake meat, you need to try these right away.
Grab Bag
Trying on virtual clothes
As someone who always seems to be between sizes, I was thrilled to hear about some of the new technology that’s helping people try on clothes virtually.
Fast Company has a great article examing Gap’s recent acquisition of the company Drapr. Drapr allows people to upload photos of themself to see how different sizes of a garment will appear on their bodies.
It’s a big deal for Gap who have long been losing market share and “cool factor” among millennial shoppers. They hope that the acquisition will give them a leg-up in the competitive online fashion space. It’s been a while since I bought something from the Gap but I’m excited to test out this technology for myself.
Quote of the Week
“And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.” - John Steinbeck
Content Recommendation
East of Eden
This week’s content recommendation is a classic. “East of Eden” by John Steinbeck had long been on my list of books to read. Only recently did I finally get around to it and it did not disappoint.
The book is no small undertaking. At more than 600 pages, I slowly enjoyed my way through it before bed over the last few months. Any book that examines California history is appealing to me, but this story is all about the strength of the characters and how they evolve over the many years the book takes place.
If you missed reading this one in high school, I can’t recommend it enough.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!