23FEB2025: I'm here for the fun colors
Game changing kitchen tech, a new photo sharing service, a dreamy keyboard, an essential backpack upgrade, and more
Happy Sunday, everyone!
This week, I’ve been falling down a rabbit hole of YouTube videos about cinematography and really enjoyed this fun piece on the art of cinematic lighting and this fascinating look at why movies don’t look like movies anymore. Elsewhere on the internet, I’ve been loving this concept of embedding NFC tags in manicures, dreaming about a stay at Casa Alférez outside Mexico City, and enjoying Craig Mod’s latest essay, Garbage.
I’ve also been delighting in the awesome photos from participants in The Photography Composition Challenge. If you haven’t already, I suggest browsing the #TheCompoChallenge hashtag.
On to the good stuff!
• 📷 Foto for iOS/Android - I’ve been enjoying beta testing Foto for the last few months, and am glad to see it finally went live to the public this week. It’s yet another Instagram competitor focused on giving people a beautiful, ad-free place to share their photography—no video/reels, no ads, no algorithm. It’s very similar to Glass, but unlike Glass, Foto is free (with optional paid Pro tiers). I’m @hiro over there—say hi if you decide to check it out!
• 🌡️ Meater SE* - I’ve been a happy user of the Meater Plus* cooking thermometer for a few years—it’s seriously leveled up my cooking of meats and fish and has become one of my favorite pieces of kitchen tech. The newer SE model is more affordable by swapping out the bamboo materials on the base station for plastic, but it still offers the same excellent remote temperature monitoring and alerts on your iPhone via Bluetooth and WiFi. *Amazon Affiliate link to support my tech addiction.
• ⌨️ NuPhy Kick75 - I've been thinking about getting a NuPhy keyboard for awhile– They look great and are often endorsed by people much smarter than me about keyboards (like Andrew at ClicksNClacks). This new one that is currently on pre-order might just be the one I get. It's got a killer retro game-inspired aesthetic and is unique in being the first keyboard to let you switch between high and low profile switches. Confession: The tech is cool, but what's really got me sold is the clear case and the fun colors.
• 🎒 CIVIC Bookbag 22L - Every once in a while, I get a marketing email that makes me incredibly itchy to make an irresponsible purchase. The launch announcement for this bag from one of my favorite brands, Evergoods, nearly sent me spiraling. Imagine the classic Jansport-style backpack we all carried in school, but completely upgraded with high-end, durable materials and thoughtful design tweaks for the modern, tech-loving adult. I want one.
• ⚡ Nomad ChargeKey - Well, this is a beautiful, handy little thing. Nomad released an updated version of their ChargeKey this week, a super small USB-C to USB-C charging cable that fits on your keychain. The new version supports fast charging up to 240W and data transfer speeds up to 10Gbps (USB 3.1). I also love that the two cable ends magnetically stick together, preventing them from flopping around like useless squirrel nunchaku. I want to grab a pair (or four) to stash in all my bags.
That’s it for this week! May you find lots of opportunities to practice radical acts of kindness.