Issue #179 | Subscribe

I usually listen to music while coding, assembling this newsletter, or at the gym, and I listen through my AirPods instead of using speakers.

While I typically listen at safe audio levels, I sometimes get carried away and pump up the volume to really feel the music.

That, however, is not a wise choice.

When we expose our ears to loud noise or music repeatedly, the hair cells in our ears are likely to get irreversibly damaged, leading to noise-induced hearing loss.

Therefore, when I found out about an iOS feature called Headphone Safety, I knew I had to try it out.

You can access this feature on an iPhone via Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Headphone Safety → Reduce Loud Audio:

What this setting does is that anytime you have a music app or another app playing audio higher than what you choose in the slider here, iOS will automatically reduce the volume to fall under the set audio limit.

This also works if you try to manually crank up the volume. When I tried doing this, the volume meter went up, but the audio output remained under my set limit.

80 dB is a generally accepted safe sound limit, and so I chose to set mine to that level. But you can go lower if you prefer.

If you use an iPhone and listen to music, podcasts, etc. with your earphones on, try this setting.

It will prevent you from accidentally going above a safe hearing level and contribute to protecting your hearing over the long term.

Shakkei got quite a warm welcome last week in this newsletter and on social media, and I worked on integrating it with the Shortcuts app for automation support.

If you didn't get a chance to try the app, check out the latest version here.

Now, before you move on to the rest of this newsletter issue, here are a few words from me as:

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Your Next Read

Mindset

The Expectation Effect

What we believe and expect to happen can greatly influence the actual outcome. David talks about how we can reframe situations, and to an extent, an outcome, through adjusted expectations.

Apps & Services

Monotype

Write stuff using a virtual typewriter

This is the most fun writing app I’ve tried. There are no formatting or advanced document options, but the app simulates typing on a traditional typewriter through animations and sounds. It even simulates a nifty carriage return animation. Available on macOS for free.
Cove

A shared AI-powered canvas for planning

I had previously shared Kosmik in Issue #170, which does a similar job as this app. But what I like in this one is that apart from getting an AI-powered infinite canvas to research a topic, plan your travel, etc., you can also generate mini apps right on the canvas to interact with your collected information. Available on the Web and is free to start.
Parachute Backup

Backup your iCloud files and photos

Cloud storage is fantastic for storing our files and photos. But it can get expensive, and ties us to a perpetual subscription to keep our files safe. This app will help you back up high-res iCloud photos and files to a local drive for safekeeping. Available on macOS for a $4.99 one-time fee.

Handy Shortcut

+

Quickly mark the open email as important in Gmail.

Interesting Reads

How to Pay Attention Again

6 min read

Our attention spans have shortened over the years. I feel it. You might feel it, too. This article talks about the crisis from a neuroscientific angle and shares tips to gradually rebuild a sustained attention span, which ultimately helps us focus better on the things that matter.
When The Digital Nomad Dream Turns Sour

11 min read

I’ve long heard and read about the freedom of being a digital nomad. This article tells the story from the other side. The loneliness and hassles we don’t see in the glorified photos on social media.
Impact, Agency, and Taste

12 min read

Ben Kuhn from Anthropic, the makers of Claude AI, shares his insights on what gives people that magic touch to unearth and chase high-impact ideas at work. Although written from an engineering perspective, the ideas apply to other fields, too.
Why Would Anyone Run a Marathon?

10 min read

While most of us love shortcuts, I've noticed that the problems or tasks that have made my mind sweat and have been an overall high-effort challenge have made me feel the most satisfied afterwards. This article explores this phenomenon further.

Watch Next

This documentary of doing slow, boring tasks for a week pairs well with the article about rebuilding our attention spans.

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