Iterate Weekly - Issue 59
This week we're looking at free internet access, improve your calendar experience with Track, Miles for Mental Health, Takeaways from Google I/O, and The Batman!
Welcome to issue 59 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
The White House is Giving Out Free Internet Access
I think most of us would agree that internet access has become somewhat of requirement in our lives. You could say that we have a right to it, or that it has become a public utility.
Well the US government is beginning to see it that way as well. They have decided to start giving out free internet service plans for folks who need access.
Specifically, they are partnering with 20 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to offer discounted $30 per month high-speed plans (download speeds maxing at 100mbps). The brands involved here include Verizon, Charter, and Comcast (aka major players in the space). This alone would be a step in the right direction as the cost of internet plans in the US is far too high.
But what makes this deal even sweeter is that they’ve created something called the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) which will provide a $30 monthly discount on internet service from participating providers (which includes over 1,000 total ISPs) for low-income households, such as those that receive federal assistance through SNAP or Medicaid.
This discount essentially makes internet access free for a group of people who may not have been able to access it otherwise. It’s a wonderful plan that will certainly need a marketing push to get the word out. Many of the people eligible for this program will likely not know about it, especially if they currently have no internet access at all.
Kudos to The US Government for taking an important step towards universal internet connectivity.
🎓 Education/Productivity
Track Wants to Improve Your Calendar
Here’s a quick software recommendation courtesy of Jeremy Caplan’s infinitely useful Wonder Tools Newsletter.
Track is an app that will help improve your outdated calendar experience.
I’ve only played around with it for a little bit, but I’m really impressed so far. I think that most of us (myself included) haven’t given much thought to improving the standard calendar experience that we get on Google or iCal.
But Track really opens up new features and customizations that I wasn’t sure I needed until now.
There is a free option to try if you want to give it a whirl without giving any credit card info.
Any particular issues you’ve found with your current calendar software?
♻️ Health & Environment
Miles for Mental Health
I’ve been a consistent distance runner since high school. These days, I don’t often compete in races, but running is still a big part of my life. For a long time, I’ve been a subscriber of Mario Fraioli’s Morning Shakeout Newsletter. He provides plenty of insights on training, professional competition, and the day-to-day highs and lows of being a runner. Plus he’s also a fellow North Bay resident!
But this week I wanted to shout out a new project that Mario is taking on that may be his most important yet. Over the next month, he’s putting together a series of articles called “Miles for Mental Health”. He’ll be sharing stories of runners who have used the sport to help improve their mental health, overcome challenges in their lives, and/or made a difference in their lives beyond its physical benefits.
Any other runners out there?
Whether you’re a runner or not, it’s a commendable project that you should absolutely check out.
🛍 Grab Bag
Takeaways from Google I/0
Wow, it seems like just yesterday I was an eager young tech journalist reporting on the latest product announcements at Google I/O.
Uh, yeah, that was a long time ago in a (Samsung) Galaxy far, far away…but Google I/O is still a major day on the calendar for tech enthusiasts! I was excited to watch the keynote address and wanted to share some big takeaways from the event.
Pixel Watch - I am so ready for Google to release a Pixel Watch! I’ve worn a watch on my wrist for as long as I can remember. I’ve also been into the smart watch game since the original Pebble Watch Kickstarter (still possibly the best smart watch ever made, RIP Pebble).
Google officially announced that the Pixel Watch is in the works and showed off some minimal screen shots. There are still a ton of questions about this thing, but at least we know it exists. It likely won’t launch until the Fall with no reported price.
The Apple Watch needs a legit competitor. I’ve tried to get behind other Android Wear smart watches and they just haven’t been great. The design on this Pixel Watch is a little boring but if the software is smooth and the battery life is solid, it will be a winner.“Look and Talk” - I love all of the Google Assistant-powered smart devices I have in my home. There are several Google Home smart speakers, and two Google/Nest Hub Displays. One of my biggest gripes has been how frequently I have to say that stupid “Hey Google” command to do even the most basic tasks.
Google hopes to address that with the helpful (if not a little creepy) “Look and Talk” feature. It will allow you to look at the camera found in the Nest Hub Max and make eye-contact before speaking to it. You can skip the “Hey Google” hot word detection and just speak to it like the sentient being it’s trying to be.
Creepiness aside, this will make basic commands so much faster and easier with the device. And for those concerned about privacy, it will be an opt-in feature. So far, I haven’t been able to update this on my device, but I’ll report back when I’ve tested it.Pixel Phone Release Cycle - I have a Pixel 6 phone and have been mostly pleased with it. It’s not perfect. The in-screen fingerprint reader isn’t as accurate as I’d like it to be and there are some hiccups in the UI after each monthly software update. But now I’m already thinking about if I need to upgrade.
Google has really gotten creative with their new phone release cycle. Meaning, rather than the inevitable leaks in the press about rumors of a new phone, they just flat out announced a slew of new Pixel phones. It’s as if Google is leaking information about their own future products.
The Pixel 6A will be on its way later this summer with specs almost on-par with the original Pixel 6. Although, I’d still consider this a budget model lacking wireless charging and a high screen refresh rate. But it does have a slightly smaller screen which is something I’d be on board with.
The more interesting product is the new Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. These are the true upgrades to my current Pixel 6. Of course, Google didn’t give us a whole lot of info about these beyond what they’ll look like and they likely won’t be available for purchase until late October or November.
And there were plenty of other fun software updates announced but these were the most interesting announcements for me.
Any other Google fans out there who watched the keynote?
💬 Quote of the Week
“It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.”
- Batman, 'Batman Begins'.”
🎥 Content Recommendation
The Batman
This weekend, my wife and I finally got around to watching “The Batman”.
I’ll admit that it took us a few sittings to get through (the blessing and curse of watching films at home instead of the theatre). By no means was it a boring movie, but it is such a literally dark movie. Don’t watch it if you’re sleepy!
I’ve always been a big fan of Batman movies, and this one did not disappoint. The acting was solid. Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon and Paul Dano as The Riddler were particularly good. Colin Farrell didn’t get too many scenes as The Penguin, but his physical transformation for the role was noteworthy.
And then there’s Robert Pattinson as Batman. He has the lower half of the face for the role, I’ll give him that! He worked for this particular version of Batman who was thinner, mopier, and seemingly always brushing the hair out of his eyes. I still wouldn’t put him in the same class as Christian Bale or even Michael Keaton.
I’d recommend checking it out. Despite my qualms with Pattinson, I still found it to be as good if not better than the immensely popular, Spider Man: No Way Home.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
I liked this year's I/O. Made a solid case for how Google sees its ecosystem. Sundar's conversation on The Vergecast was super cool as well.