Iterate Weekly - Issue 30
This week I rant about notches, Wonder Tools helps you do more, Headspace and Waze team up to end road rage, Google can't sell phones, and Dune is finally released!
Welcome to issue 30 of Iterate Weekly!
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
Not into the notches
I’m just not into notches on the screens of my devices. I just want to stare at a full pane of glass with no obstructions. Is that too much to ask?
Apple apparently thinks so after the recent launch of their new MacbookPro computers. I’m not the only one who thinks they may have botched the notch when designing the 14-inch version. The 16-inch version managed to have a normal-looking screen with reasonable bezels and no black cutout in the center. But for some awful reason, Apple decided the smaller screen should come with a blemish smack dab at the top of the viewing area.
The notch actually isn’t giving us additional features either. It does house the front-facing camera but it does not include FaceID to unlock the computer just by staring at it. This was allegedly the reason Apple started with notches on the iPhone in the first place. But they can’t use that excuse this time.
My beloved OnePlus 7 Pro may be the last screen without a notch, tear-drop, or whole punch front-facing camera for a while. It uses the ingenious but apparently not widely-adopted pop-up mechanical selfie camera. My next phone (which you’ll read more about shortly) will have a screen cut-out for the camera. Hopefully, the next round of smartphones will figure out the camera under the screen conundrum.
But come on Apple, I was really excited about the new MacBook Pro. Why did you have to mess this up?
🎓Education
Are you using the right tools?
As you know, I always love giving shout-outs to other writers who are publishing on Substack. This week I’m encouraging you to check out Jeremy Caplan’s excellent publication Wonder Tools.
I’d like to think I’m pretty savvy when it comes to software and productivity apps. But Jeremy makes me feel like a novice. In each piece he publishes, you’ll get a handful of software recommendations for things like time-tracking, email management, and tools to protect your privacy.
Definitely check it out if you’re looking to get more efficient with the digital tools you’re using on a daily basis.
🩺Health & Nutrition
Stay calm while driving with Headspace on Waze
In the world of mindfulness apps, I hitched my wagon to Calm in the very early days. But that doesn’t mean I have any animosity toward its main rival Headspace.
Come to think of it, I’ve also pledged my allegiance to Google Maps over Waze whenever I’m driving anywhere.
Despite this, I still really admire the way these two companies have teamed up to help people keep their cool when they’re behind the wheel!
With this theme enabled in Waze, you can change the app icon to the more relaxing hot air balloon character. You’ll get turn-by-turn directions from an actual meditation instructor. And maybe best of all, you can easily start listening to a curated playlist of calming music and meditation sounds that should ease the stress of any traffic jam.
I love the creativity here to turn something as stressful as driving into an opportunity to build a mindfulness practice. Kudos to Waze and Headspace even if they are not my apps of choice in their respective industries!
🛍Grab Bag
Why can’t Google properly sell a phone?
Ok, I have one more tech rant that I just have to get off my chest.
I’m pretty sure you’ve seen ads for Google’s latest phones, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. There have been billboards everywhere, they’ve even been giving out Google-branded chips to celebrate. The phones have become the official fan phones of the NBA. It has been an all-out marketing blitz leading up to the launch last week.
If you weren’t aware, I’m a bit of an Android fanboy. I’ve always preferred Android phones over iOS devices. I love to tinker with the devices. Unlock the bootloaders, root them, play around with the code a bit, etc. So yes, I was very excited about these new phones. I was ready to put in my pre-order at 10:01 am on the day they were announced.
But the Google Store totally failed.
Yes, a company as large and powerful as Google can’t seem to set up a proper e-commerce experience without the whole site crashing, freezing, and spewing errors at anxious early adopters like me.
I’m not ashamed to admit that I spent the better part of 3 hours attempting to give Google my money. Orders were stalled, items were vanishing and duplicating from my cart, one order was inexplicably canceled. Items were shown as out of stock and then miraculously restocked minutes later. Shipping times fluctuated from late October to mid-January.
This has happened during previous product launches on the Google store too. I just thought this time would be different with all of the marketing budget and hype around these phones.
I’m still not even sure when or if I’ll be receiving a phone, but I’ll give an update when I have one. If Google can’t please excited superfans like me on launch day, how on earth are they ever going to sell even half as many phones as Apple or Samsung?
💬Quote of the Week
“The road to enlightenment is long and difficult, and you should try not to forget snacks and magazines ” - Rich Fields
📺Content Recommendation
Dune (2021)
This weekend my wife and I really enjoyed the new movie “Dune”
This is technically a reboot of a 1984 film and adaptation of the popular science-fiction books by Frank Herbert that bear the same name. Its release had also been severely delayed because of the pandemic.
I had been vaguely aware of this franchise for years but hadn’t read any of the books or done much research before watching the film. It has a cast of big-name actors and was the perfect weekend blockbuster for a night at home (courtesy of HBO Max)
Definitely check it out if you’re looking to escape for a few hours.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!