Iterate Weekly - Issue 90
This week we look at the top Google searches of the year, writing with Canva Docs, Apple's electric car, get the good table with Tablz, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow!
Welcome to issue 90 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
Google’s Top Searches of 2022
It’s that time of year again. The end of the calendar year is when Google releases data about its most searched terms from the year.
These findings may seem trivial but is there really any better way to capture the collective pulse of a society than to see what they are searching for on the internet? There are always some surprises and some obvious terms in this list. Let’s take a look.
The most searched term in the United States and globally was….Wordle. Hmm, I guess that is somewhat surprising. I’ll be honest an admit right here that I’ve never played Wordle. Maybe I instinctively turned my back on it because of this popularity. But regardless of whether I’ve played the game or not, people were searching for it!
iPhone 14 was high on the list of global searches as well. Also not surprising were searches for those we’ve lost in past year like Queen Elizabeth, Betty White, and Bob Saget. RIP.
Be honest, did you search for these things this year? Any other glaring omissions that you’re surprised weren’t on the list?
🎓 Education/Productivity
Writing with Canva Docs
This week I wanted to give a shout out Jeremy Caplan over at
for his write-up on Canva’s new Docs writing tool.
I’ve mentioned Canva before as a great tool for almost any designer who opts out of the Adobe suite of products for any reason. Their software is powerful enough, easy to use, and relatively affordable. And they’ve been steadily adding new features for creating presentations, and now for bringing life to your writing.
If you’re looking for an alternative to Google Docs that is perhaps a bit more aesthetically pleasing, Canva Docs is worth checking out!
Anyone else already a big fan of Canva?
♻️ Health & Environment
Apple’s Electric Vehicle Ambitions
Were you aware that Apple is making a car?
There have been rumors circulating for a while about what an Apple car might look like. It likely would be fully electric. But would it be have self-driving capabilities? Would it look like a big iPhone with wheels? These are all valid questions.
Well, we still don’t have all of the answers, but it appears that whatever Apple is launching, won’t be released until 2026 at the earliest. And it appears that the self-driving capabilities won’t be as impressive as we hoped. As far as the price goes, Apple is saying it will be under $100,000. Certainly not a bargain-priced vehicle.
This begs the question, should Apple make a car? Are automobiles really no more than a computer with wheels anyway? Will the company be good at this?
Time will tell what kind of product actually comes to fruition here. I’m sure they’ve done their due diligence on this, but what about starting with a bike or a skateboard instead? Like most Apple products, there is a lot of secrecy around the form factor and potential design of the vehicle. The rendering above is just a guess at a render, but I’d expect some clean lines and tasteful Apple logos.
Would you be willing to try a new car from Apple? Do you think the iCar (or whatever they call it) will end up being as popular as other Apple products?
🛍 Grab Bag
Paying Extra for the “Good Table” with Tablz
Have you ever made a reservation at a restaurant and then been disappointed with the specific table you’ve been given? It’s great to be able to secure a place to sit, but wouldn’t it be better if you knew the exact spot in the restaurant that you’d be dining?
A company called Tablz is making that a reality.
The video above gives you a great overview of how the service works. You’re able to use immersive technology to see the interior (or patio) of a restaurant and choose the specific spot that works for you.
It seems pretty simple when you see it in action. It’s basically combining booking software with 360-degree map rendering and the experience seems pretty seamless.
The big question is just how much more are you willing to pay for that “good” table?
Will it be worth it to pay extra to guarantee that window seat or secluded booth when you may have received the same table anyway? Tablz is betting that it will be worth it. It’s not unlike paying premium for specific seats on an airplane or at a sporting event right?
How much of a premium would you be willing to pay to guarantee that “good” table?
💬 Quote of the Week
"All of us every single year, we're a different person. I don't think we're the same person all our lives."
-Steven Spielberg
📕Content Recommendation
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Diverging from the recent holiday recommendations, I have a great fiction book for you this week.
It’s called Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
This is a recent Goodread’s Reader’s Choice award winner and for good reason. The story follows the life of three college friends who create a video game empire. While the nostalgic gaming references from the 90s were a big draw for me, it’s also a beautifully written story of love and friendship that evolves over time.
If you find some time for fiction over the last few weeks of the year, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of this book. It’s certainly near the top of everything I read in 2022.
Hey! I’m testing out some polling tools. Keep your eyes on this section and please help me get some feedback by taking a second to choose an answer in my poll. Thank you!
POLL
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
P.S. - Hey, it’s almost the end of the year! Could you use some help reviewing what worked for you this year and what could be better for 2023? Need some help building positive habits or ditching negative ones? Iterating on a new business idea and need some guidance? Or maybe you just want to say hello and pick my brain for a bit, that’s fine too! If you’d like to chat, feel free to book some time with me here!