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Full Days and the Long Walk
Insightful piece, as usual, by Craig Mod.
It sounded crazy to me when I first read his rules for the solo walks. I’m fully onboard with no news, no social media. I wasn’t prepared for no music, no books, minimal to no talking. When I go for a run, I have to pop my earbuds in. When I drive, I have a podcast, audiobook, or music playing. And they end up not giving me time with my own thoughts. All these are habits which I have built myself though, precisely to give my mind something to be occupied with. What we make, we can break. I’ll start to introduce stretches of time everyday where I just think for myself or pay attention to the moment.
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ChatGPT Atlas
First thought, cool name. Second thought, so it begins. We have had AI browsers before - Dia, Comet, etc. But this one feels like the start of an era.
I find the memory feature to be most compelling. I browse a lot, and I’d love to be able to recall and use that information sometime in the future in new ways.
I’m ambivalent to the agent feature. The examples didn’t appeal to me. We have had the capability of Alexa ordering things for us, but I have never used that feature. I would probably like it for taking away mundane activities which I might do from time to time.
Not much info about their Apps SDK integration. Curious about that one.
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One monkey mind's 10 days of silence
Every time I read someone’s account of Vipassana, I feel a longing to enrol myself. One day…
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ChatGPT’s Atlas: The Browser That’s Anti-Web
Anil Dash rips into ChatGPT Atlas after giving it a try. I still like the idea of memories, but all other points are 100% valid.
How do you make a “web browser” that doesn’t let you use the open web?
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App Recommendation: NetNewsWire
Continuing my series of app recommendations, the new one is NetNewsWire. It’s a free, open source software for RSS feeds.
After the death of Google Reader, there has been a surge in RSS services and apps. Many of the apps are great - Reeder and Unread to name a couple. I just like NetNewsWire more because it is and feels native, and it is fast.
Kagi News and NetNewsWire have become my primary source of daily news and interesting things to read. A simple trick I did to invest into these apps rather than Twitter, Bluesky, Reddit, etc. is to simply sign out from them and not install their apps.
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ChatGPT Atlas
First thought, cool name. Second thought, so it begins. We have had AI browsers before - Dia, Comet, etc. But this one feels like the start of an era.
I find the memory feature to be most compelling. I browse a lot, and I’d love to be able to recall and use that information sometime in the future in new ways.
I’m ambivalent to the agent feature. The examples didn’t appeal to me. We have had the capability of Alexa ordering things for us, but I have never used that feature. I would probably like it for taking away mundane activities which I might do from time to time.
Not much info about their Apps SDK integration. Curious about that one.
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App Recommendation: Bear
Apple Notes is free and pretty good. But I have always had an itch to find another note taking app, which I would like better. I explored many apps over a long time - Agenda, Craft, Notion, Joplin, etc. Ultimately, it was Bear that I loved best.
I have previously written about how I love software that is fast, native and has good UX. I have usually found that indie software developers do better in these respects than big companies. Indies stick to the core essence of the app, while the corporations either end up catering to enterprises or come up with a React-based implementation for wider platform support.
Just like Due and Things which I wrote about recently, Bear is an app that just works for me. It looks sleek and pretty, runs very fast, opinionated with its workflows, supports Markdown well, syncs well, works offline, feels native, and more. I love writing in this app. I have been using it for months now, and it has integrated well with my workflows.
It’s the only subscription-based productivity app that I use, and I find their pricing to be reasonable especially because it’s available on all the platforms I care about. It’s a true testament to a piece of software when you pay to use it and there are solid free alternatives available, don’t you think?
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Fika
I came across an Apple Music playlist today called “Fika” which had music to help you slow down and relax. It was a new word that intrigued me, so I had to look it up.
Turns out, it’s a big thing in Sweden. It’s a short break where you take your mind off work or worldly things, and enjoy a cup of coffee and something light to eat.
From my experience, I have found such breaks (though we didn’t call them that) to be so important to nurture friendships and also not burn out. Not surprising that Sweden is one of the happiest countries in the world. I mean, of course I know that it’s not fika alone that makes them among the happiest people on earth. But I’m sure it contributes a big part.
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App Recommendation: Things
Previously, I had written about my preference for Due as my reminder app.
When it comes to task management, Things is my go-to app. I love native apps, especially if they’re fast - both literally and with well-designed flows which take fewer steps. Things ticks all these boxes. That it sports a timeless look with subtle animations is a bonus.
One common complaint is read about Cultured Code, maker of Things, is that they are slow to add features. I couldn’t care less. It has everything I need, and I’d be happy if they just keep maintaining it.
To be honest, there have been periods when my usage of a Things has fallen off. It’s not because of the app, but because of how messy my schedule had become that I wouldn’t have time to use the app. But I always keep coming back to it since I’d inevitably miss something important eventually. I have learnt that the best thing I could do in such situations is to double down on using the app.
So, yeah, I am glad that there is Things. It has saved my day innumerable times at work.
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OpenAI Dev Day 2025
OpenAI Dev Day 2025 feels like a tipping point in AI getting more mainstream in media and people’s attention.
Over the last few years, I’m noticing a waning interest in the traditional hot products. I used to wait impatiently to catch Apple’s WWDC and their October product keynotes. This year, I could happily wait to read a summary the next day. It’s not just me. I don’t see as much chatter on the social media. Live-blogs don’t seem to have as much energy either.
I think it’s mostly because people are much more keen on wanting to know what’s next in the AI space. I’m seeing a live-blog for an AI keynote for the first time. Though the changes are coming at a fast pace, there’s just so much more that’s possible. ChatGPT is now a platform where you can “install” apps. Looks like we are just getting started!
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Apps as Home-cooked Meals
An app can be a home-cooked meal
Love Robin Sloan’s writing. And this one is especially great since he’s writing about building apps. There has never been a better time than now to build quick apps and scratch our own itch. I’m not a front-end or a mobile app developer. But I was able to use Cursor and build a simple UI app which helped me test out some ideas.
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Apple in China
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Just finished reading the book “Apple in China” by Patrick McGee. I learnt a lot about the trajectory of China over the last half century, and how it operates. I’m inclined to say it’s a must read, given the current affairs. China’s might and influence has been steadily increasing, and yet it is vastly misunderstood by most. This book was quite eye-opening.
A great companion book for this would be “Chip War”. While “Apple in China” gave an account of how China became so adept at manufacturing and owned the supply chain, “Chip War” shows the complexity of chip design and fabrication. Ultimately, the whole world is so dependent on China and Taiwan now because the technology and engineering is so complex that so many critical products just can’t be made elsewhere.
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How AirPods Work
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Fast Software, the Best Software
I return to this Craig Mod’s essay now and then. Timeless and a must read for every software developer.
Still, the slowness feels indicative of unseen rot on the inside of the machine. The slowness is like an off smell. I don’t trust the application as much as I would if it didn’t slow down on such a small text file. 5,000 words is nothing. Faith is tested: It makes me wonder how good the sync capabilities are. It makes me wonder if the application will lose data. Speed and reliability are often intuited hand-in-hand. Speed can be a good proxy for general engineering quality. If an application slows down on simple tasks, then it can mean the engineers aren’t obsessive detail sticklers. Not always, but it can mean disastrous other issues lurk. I want all my craftspeople to stickle. I don’t think Ulysses is badly made, but I am less confident in it than if it handled input and interface speed with more grace. Speed would make me trust it more.
But why is slow bad? Fast software is not always good software, but slow software is rarely able to rise to greatness. Fast software gives the user a chance to “meld” with its toolset. That is, not break flow. When the nerds upon Nerd Hill fight to the death over Vi and Emacs, it’s partly because they have such a strong affinity for the flow of the application and its meldiness. They have invested. The Tool Is Good, so they feel. Not breaking flow is an axiom of great tools.
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Why NetNewsWire Is Not a Web App
Pretty solid reasoning by Brent Simmons. Not everything needs to be a web app.
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In Praise of Comfort Films
This resonated a lot with me. It is where I’m in my life right now. I do watch new movies and TV shows, but mostly I crave for comfort films. Because life is busy and has enough stress as it is, don’t want that as part of my downtime too. I avoid news for the same reason.
Some good recommendations in the original video and in the comments section of the linked post too.
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App Recommendation: Due
If there’s one app that I’d lost terribly if ever I move to Android, it’s Due.
Due is the one reminder app that has stuck with me over the last decade, and it’s paid for itself more than 100x by making sure I don’t miss important things in my life.
What makes the app tick for me is twofold:
- Its use of recurring (aka nagging) reminders until I either mark it as done or snooze it.
- Its UX makes it easy to add a reminder quickly. The lack of friction sounds like a minor thing, but I find using other reminder apps to be tedious after using Due.
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Kagi News
Kagi News is going to be my source of news henceforth.
Their philosophy is to comb through many sources and publish one news digest per day. You get to choose the categories you want. You should be able to get through all of the updates in 5-10 minutes. Perfect.
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Mac Utilities I Like
Want to call out a couple of free macOS menu bar apps that I use regularly and appreciate greatly. I love their simplicity and being native.
Both are made by an indie developer named Sindre Sorhus. He makes many more cool apps, give them a try.
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Jane Goodall Dies at 91
Read her famous original article from 1963 here.
Jane spent over 6 months observing and following the chimpanzees respectfully before they would allow her to get close to them. When some of them became “friends” and would visit their camp to steal bananas, blankets, etc. she instructed the staff to never stop or chase after them. If not for these things, she could never have earner their trust.
Very inspiring to read about such feats when the majority of the population wants quick wins.
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Brick Technology
Came across this YouTube channel today - Brick Technology
Watched a few videos, they were made with so much effort and painstaking detail.
Videos I liked:
I’m sure I’ll like most of their videos as I watch more over time.
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Koya Bound
Really cool UX for travel writing (when viewed on a bigger screen than phone) - Koya Bound
As you scroll the page, you go past photos with location pin overlaid on a contour map. Gives a nice sense of time and distance.
I have always admired Craig Mod’s writing, photography and project ideas, this is the first time I’m getting a peek at his design chops.
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TV Recommandation: Rikuoh
I recently read a recommendation for the Japanese Netflix show Rikuoh by an acquaintance who is a runner and a trainer.
Vismay and I watched it, and we were both captivated and impressed. It’s a good watch with earnest characters and capable actors. Kōji Yakusho, of the Perfect Days fame, is in it for crying out loud.
It’s a show about a tabi (Japanese socks) maker who decides to make running shoes amidst all sorts of troubles - financial, villainous corporate competitor, material issues, breakdowns, etc. Everyone loves a good underdog story, and you can say that they’re all ultimately the same story. But the setting and the execution matters. This one is about running and making great shoes. And it made for some inspirational watching.
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Time Under Tension
I recently learnt about the concept of Time Under Tension. When working out, how long you draw out the movements matters. The longer you draw them out, the better the muscle activation and hence the muscle growth. It had never occurred to me before. I used to think that if I’m lifting the weights, that’s all that matters. If someone is doing it slowly, I thought it’s just because that’s the safer way.
I see a parallel to learning here. For many non-fiction books, people argue that you can read a short synopsis and you get the message. But they are missing something important. They get the idea, but it doesn’t take root unless you read the whole book. When you read the book, you go through the journey and understand the nuances. The long time spent reading helps in gaining a deeper understanding, and increases the likelihood of getting value out of it.
Perhaps the same applies to our LLM usage. If we use LLMs to answer all our questions, are we taking a shortcut and not giving ourselves a chance for deeper understanding and growth? Prior to LLMs, whenever we did a web search, we would read through multiple pages and piece together a fuller picture. This journey gave us more insight than what we were looking for. One trick could be to include in our LLM prompt an instruction that it should include more related information than what we asked for. It might not lead to as much serendipity and exploration as before, but could just be enough or close to being enough.
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Eels Shouldn’t be Able to Exist
Eels Shouldn’t be Able to Exist
I didn’t know this about eels - “No one has ever seen an eel reproduce naturally”
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