25AUG2024

Happy Sunday, everyone! We had the ninth hottest day in Austin history this week. My A/C was NOT up for the task. Things got decidedly un-demure and far from mindful. While sweatily cowering as close to the fan as possible, I started playing around with Capacities for a possible PKM system, drooled over this Raspberry Pi-powered cyberdeck, learned a few tips and tricks for iPad productivity, and daydreamed about this star traveling 1 million miles per hour through our galaxy. May cooler weather prevail.

On to the good stuff! (Pro Tip: Quick reminder that you can press ⌘ + click on a link in most Mac apps and it will open the link in a new tab behind the current page so you don't lose your spot in this email.)

• ☕ Wimp Decaf - I’ve been wrestling with caffeine-related issues for over a year now, constantly searching for ways to still enjoy coffee without getting jittery. The problem? Decaf coffee usually tastes like stale pond water compared to the artisanal beans I love. Enter Wimp Decaf, with a mission to bring top-notch coffee that just-so-happens-to-be-decaf to the masses. I’ve been chatting with these guys over the last few weeks leading up to their launch, and their commitment to the coffee community is impressive. This is not sponsored; I ordered a sample set of their beans when they launched, and I finally got my beans in this week– I can sincerely say that their Kubrick beans are not only the best decaf I’ve ever had, it’s right up there duking it out among my usual favorite snobby full-caff beans. Delicious.
• 🔊 Ferro Fluid Sound Analyzer* - I’m not above a nearly pointless tech gimmick. This certainly appears to be one, but I’m almost certainly putting it on my Christmas list anyway. Watch this video and tell me it’s not awesome. It’s giving me early '90s Aphex Twin vibes mixed with the alien language from Arrival. *Amazon-affiliate link
• 🗺️ PastMaps - PastMaps is a cool site that overlays historical maps over modern ones with very high accuracy. This lets you see what used to be in places you visit, discover old settlements for metal detecting outings, find old, unmarked paths to explore, or uncover entrances to long-forgotten mines. Sadly, it’s US-only for now, but I’d love to explore other countries’ historic maps when they eventually get added. This has my treasure hunting heart aflutter.
• ⏺️ VoiceNotes - VoiceNotes is a unique app designed to help you ditch the cognitive load of trying to remember everything. It lets you quickly capture a voice recording and uses powerful transcription tools to perfectly transcribe your notes. (If you have an iPhone 15 Pro, you can have the Action Button launch straight to the voice recording feature.) The app builds a personalized AI model based on your notes, letting you ask questions like, “Make a list of all the books I’ve mentioned in my notes” or “Pull together all the things I’ve said about XYZ topic and use that to build an outline for a speech on the subject.” This would be killer for supplementing class notes, or capturing highlights from talks at a conference. Thanks Maique for the tip.
• 🛡️ Link’s Awakening for Nintendo Switch* - I’m about halfway through this amazing remake of the Legend of Zelda Gameboy classic. While I loved Breath of the Wild and the more recent Tears of the Kingdom, I’ve been on a retro kick lately and wanted to play a more traditional Zelda game. Instead of firing up one of my retro handhelds, I discovered this gorgeous 3D remaster of the 8-bit original. It’s an absolute blast, and I love that it doesn’t require much “skill.” It’s perfect for casual play without needing to remember complex button combos and techniques. Highly recommended. *Amazon-affiliate link

That’s it for this week, be well everyone!

p.s. I'm really grateful for every single one of you who have signed up to read this newsletter. Thank you! This whole thing hinges around introducing people to fun things, I'd be honored if you'd help by forwarding this email to a friend or having them just go sign up over here.