21JAN2024

Welcome back to another Hiro.Report! With pre-orders opening on Friday last week,  Vision Pro fever is in the air, and I could not help but board the hype train. While there are still a lot of questions about what the platform will eventually become, I'm already very excited to write a future issue of the Report from a "spatial computer."

(Aside-- can we agree that "Apple Vision Pro" is a bit wordy? They had iSight just laying there, already registered, and no longer being in use, that would have been perfectly suitable...?)

On to the good stuff:

• 🔍 Google Has Gotten Worse - A year long study by German researchers has concluded that the little voice in your head asking if Google search results have been slowly getting worse and worse is actually on to something. Apparently SEO-related SPAM is tanking the quality of their results compared to other search engines. As I've mentioned before, I switched to Kagi months ago and haven't looked back- the results are SO good, and I like knowing that my search data isn't their monetization strategy.
• 🥽 What I Want to Do in Apple Vision Pro - I really enjoyed reading these musings from Stu Maschwitz, an Industrial Light & Magic alum, on what he is hoping to be able to do with the Apple Vision Pro.
• 📱 Clear 2.0 - So, years ago, there was a fun, colorful, and very simple todo app on the iPhone/Mac called Clear. It eventually fell by the wayside, but has recently been revamped and it's great fun. They have really figured out how to tap in to our collective dopamine addiction with fun sounds, colors, and the ability unlock new themes and app icons by getting stuff done on your lists. Linked up above is a referral link that unlocks some additional themes and stuff when you start out with the app, if you wanted to try it out. Want to take a look without a referral link? Here's their website: UseClear.
• 💡 Philips Ultra Definition LED Light Bulbs - I'm a lighting nerd, and dim, overly yellow bulbs bug the heck out of me. These LED bulbs have been a big hit in our household. They're super bright, have a great CRI, are dimmable, and have a long lifespan. The downside: they cost about $5/bulb. Not cheap, but also cheaper than some other bulbs I've tried out that have not been nearly as impressive.
• 🪛 Hoto Electric Screwdriver Kit - Speaking of home stuff, this little USB-C rechargeable electric screwdriver set is such a delight. It's got a great, modern, minimal design, it is very ergonomic and powerful enough for the vast majority of the projects I do around the house whether it's building furniture, wall mounting things, etc. It's just one of those little things that sparks joy for me.

That's it for this week! Be well everyone.