Iterate Weekly - Issue 44
This week we're looking at the rise of no-code robots, Substack is adding native video, smart fridges try to make us healthy, a way to stop ghosting on dating apps, and the Dark Side of the 90s!
Welcome to issue 44 of Iterate Weekly!
Just a reminder that you can always reply to this email or leave a comment on the web version. I 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
No Code Robots?
My two-year-old daughter has a tiny toy robot that will follow the trajectory of a line drawn on a piece of paper with a special marker. We have fun making it go in circles or zig-zag patterns all over the page. It’s a fun toy that doesn’t need a lot of overanalyzing, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it when reading this article about the future of no-code robots.
They’re talking about a company called Wandelbots that specializes in creating robots for factory settings. A new round of funding for the company hopes to make it even easier for a factory floor to have automated helpers roaming around without a huge learning curve of code to write. They even mention a feature that sounds like it works exactly like my daughter’s robot:
The company’s solution involves a “Trace Pen,” which an instructor uses to mimic a motion and train the robot in the process. The motion can then be fine-tuned on the software without coding.
We’re obviously not there yet, but we’re moving toward a future where we can program robots almost as simply as with my daughter’s toy. Draw a line on the ground, perform a few motions yourself, and the robot will follow your lead. It may sound a bit scary, but it feels like an imminent future.
In other robot news, if you’re in the Bay Area go check out the robots serving ramen at Monster Pho. I haven’t yet visited myself, but I’m all for automated innovation in the restaurant space.
🎓 Education/Media
Substack is Adding Native Video
An exciting development for creators (like myself) who publish on Substack!
Substack has announced that they will be adding some native video features to the platform. These items are currently being tested in beta (no, I don’t have access yet) but will soon be available for all Substack accounts.
Right now, you can embed videos from YouTube, but there isn’t a ton of control over how the clips look or who has access to them. The idea here is to allow people to record video right inside Substack and conduct more live video sessions for their audience.
It also gives more freedom to create exclusivity around who can see your videos. For example, maybe only paid subscribers can access. Or perhaps you want all of your free subscribers to see, but you don’t want to post it on YouTube for non-subscribers to check out.
Personally, I’ve wanted to create more video content within Substack and I see this as being the first step to making this happen. Would this newsletter be more compelling in video form? Maybe monthly long-form stories could benefit from animations and annotations that would only work in natively embedded video? I’m excited to try some of these things soon!
♻️ Health & Environment
Can High-Tech Refrigerators Make us More Healthy?
I recently purchased a new refrigerator. They aren’t cheap, so this was not a decision to be taken lightly! Is it wise to spring for a super-smart model with all the bells and whistles? And if I do, what are the tangible benefits? Will a high-tech smart refrigerator change my eating habits and make me healthier?
My research led me to a fascinating concept smart fridge appropriately called “The Fresh Fridge.” While not commercially available at the moment, the design really intrigued me. How could someone possibly be unhealthy if they were storing their food inside this work of art?
The fridge has a separate digital control panel that mounts to the wall above it. The concept itself doesn’t look that different from a small wine fridge or something you’d find in a college dorm. But the transparent glass door really helps you quickly see the healthy food on display. In addition, the smart surface on top allows for easy food prep and the ability to plug in other small appliances that you might need.
I’ll be honest, I think that the smart fridge has a ways to go before it becomes a staple in our kitchens. The embedded touch screens all seem to be lower quality than just using a separate tablet around the kitchen to track grocery lists. Sure, your refrigerator could have a smart assistant built-in…or you could just plug in a smart assistant right next to it and achieve the same basic functionality.
Ok, so which futuristic fridge did I pick for myself? I went with one of LG’s Instaview models, and here’s why. I think that there is something to having the transparent window into the fridge. Tapping on the door twice makes it go from opaque to transparent so you can easily see the contents. This is a page taken from the Fresh Fridge. Having easy visibility to healthy items without needing to open the door strikes me as useful.
Also, I think it’s valuable for a refrigerator to have its own wi-fi connection but probably not for the reasons you think. I don’t need my fridge to tell me the weather or stream from Spotify. But it’s handy to add appliances to the LG ThinQ app to track maintenance schedules and troubleshoot potential problems. For example, I know I’m not going to remember to change the water filter, but an annoying app reminder will undoubtedly make it happen.
Here’s to the future of our kitchens! Let’s hope I made a good choice.
🛍 Grab Bag
No More Flaking Out on Dating Apps
I’ve been married for a while so I thankfully don’t have to deal with the problem of being “ghosted” on dating apps. But it’s clearly a common problem for folks who use the services to make new connections.
Snack is a video dating app that positions itself as “TikTok meets Tinder.” It’s been around since early last year but recently launched a very interesting new feature. In an effort to combat people who ghost potential dates, they’re allowing users to flag these flakey potential matches to make them virtually invisible.
The visibility of the accused ghosters will diminish in the app. They will be presented as potential matches far less frequently. Ultimately, this should weed out folks who waste the time of those who are seriously looking for a match. At the very least, it should just encourage people to be more open and honest in the world of dating apps which is good for everyone!
💬 Quote of the Week
“We love life, not because we are used to living but because we are used to loving.” - Friedrich Nietzsche
📺 Content Recommendation
Dark Side of the 90s
I’m a real sucker for any sort of historic docu-series. Vice does a particularly good job with content like this. Recently, I’ve been enjoying “Dark Side of the 90s” which is available to stream on Hulu or Paramount+.
The name is pretty self-explanatory, but each episode breaks down a specific theme of 90s pop culture. The episode on Teen TV really stood out to me. We take for granted how much diversity and variety we see on TV these days. But it was shows like Beverly Hills 90210 that really bridged the gap between the cookie-cutter archetypes of legacy television and the controversial topics that scripted TV shows cover today.
If you’re a child of the 90s or just a consumer of pop culture, you will love this show.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!