This MacSparky video showing the Perplexity voice assistant embarrasing Siri is quite impressive. Apple still has time on it’s side to catch up, but I have wondered why they didn’t look to buy something like Perplexity to help them catch up.
It baffles me that none of the AI products have created an app like OpenAI have for macOS. It’s the only reason I use ChatGPT over all the others. There may be better services, but ChatGPT has productised their offering better than anyone else.
“But the angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid. I know you are looking for Yeshua, who was executed on the stake. He is not here, because he has been raised — just as he said! Come and look at the place where he lay.”
Mattityahu (Mat) 28:5-6 CJB
He is risen!
In my work I have to generate a lot of fake data to populate designs, most of the time these have to look like real schools with student data that’s realistic. I used to use Harry Potter characters, but I’ve started to build my own fictional school with houses and key characters. It’s quite fun.
I finished reading: Getting Things Done by David Allen 📚
Today’s coffee is the last dose of an experimental lot from Colombia. It’s co-fermented with peach and smells amazing. ☕️
I really hate Outlook. It’s such a cludgy application, nothing quite works properly and what should be easy (adding a calendar of UK holiday dates) is down right impossible to find.
My data, any app
Interesting post from Jim Nielsen about interoperable apps, although I’m not sure that’s the right term. When I first saw the title and screenshot I thought it would be a post about apps which work together well. Instead it’s more a post about flexible standards allowing for flexible user choices when interacting with that data.
I love RSS for this reason. I use Feedbin to hold my data and then I can choose any RSS app I want so long as it allows me to sign in to Feedbin. It’s why I’m still using Reeder Classic. Likewise with email, I use Fastmail as my data store and then I can use any app that supports IMAP or JMAP to interact with it. I’ve recently switched back to Obsidian again for this reason. The app sits on top of a structure made up of markdown files and folders. I can open the same structure in another markdown app like iA Writer and it will work (mostly) with all my data.
When you take the time to sit down and think about it, there are other systems like this. calendaring (via CalDAV) and contacts (via CardDAV) work this way as well. It would be so great to see this approach adopted for things like tasks, time tracking, and read it later apps. I’d just like a bit more flexibility on how I interact with that kind of data as well.
This article about The design game has changed and I don’t know where I fit anymore has resonated with me more than I expected it too.
Design isn’t just about designing anymore. It’s about playing the online game, building an audience, and becoming a content machine. It feels less about the work and more about marketing yourself.
This is the aspect I’ve always struggled with. There’s always been an element of this, but in recent years it seems to have grown more and more important. Ultimately I want to create things that help people, don’t have loads of corporate tape around them, and are fun to use.
My hay fever seems to be hitting particularly hard this year. My eyes are so gritty and heavy, it’s been a long time since it’s had this effect on me.