Issue #181 | Subscribe

Last week, I tried something new.

I swapped out Google Search from my laptop and phone's browser with a relatively lesser-known counterpart called Ecosia.

For as long as I can remember, I've used Google Search as my primary search tool, occasionally dipping my toes into other engines, such as Bing and DuckDuckGo. I thought it was time to explore what's on the other side of the fence.

I've been seeing people find my blog through this search engine called Ecosia, and it seemed like a good option to experiment with.

At first glance, the search results page is much cleaner than Google and is quite similar to what Google Search used to be before all the AI summaries, questions, tweets, etc. on the results page:

Then, there's the feel-good factor, because Ecosia is a non-profit organisation that uses its proceeds from ads to plant trees and install solar panels around the world.

Therefore, every time I search here and see sponsored results, a part of that ad revenue is spent towards restoring balance in our ecosystem, which is a nice little incentive:

Regarding the search results quality, I haven't noticed much of a difference from Google Search because Ecosia serves results from either Google, Bing or European Search Perspective based on location and other factors.

You can check which search index served the results by clicking the options menu beside a search result, like this:

In the short time I've used Ecosia, I haven't missed much apart from Google's rich knowledge card feature.

I often look up movies and books to see their streaming availability, cast and similar movies and books at a glance:

While Ecosia does have a knowledge card, it's nowhere near what Google shows. But that hasn't been a blocker, because I could navigate to the IMDb or Goodreads link from the search results and find what I was looking for.

I'll be trying Ecosia for another week, and then move on to DuckDuckGo or Brave Search for further comparison.

Let's see how that goes.

By the way, which search engine do you use for your everyday search queries?

Last week, I added a new scene to the Shakkei app called Icelandic Falls:

You can try this new scene in the latest version of the app.

Now, speaking of trying new things, have you tried the Focus app, yet?

Before you move on to the rest of this newsletter issue, here are a few words from:

This Week's Sponsor

Struggling to stay focused with endless digital distractions?

Focus is a Mac app that blocks distracting websites across all your browsers.

Built-in Pomodoro timers, flexible schedules, and different profiles let you craft your perfect productivity routine.

Lock your sessions to stay committed, and use scripting to integrate seamlessly with your workflow.

Try it free for 7 days with a 30-day money back guarantee.

Sponsorships are paid callouts seen by over 4,362 people every Friday. Promote your product or service.

Your Next Read

Thriving

Why We Remember

Human memory is seldom perfect. And with every recollection, our memories distil and mutate, forming new memories based on older ones. This book explains how that works to our advantage.

Apps & Services

Yume Journal

A beautiful dream journaling app

I’m not much of a dream journal guy, but if I were, I’d use this app. The app’s beautifully designed, and you get a 3D-ish journal, which you can tap to open, flip pages and write or record your dreams. Available on iOS for free.
WikiTok

A better distraction for you

This is what Wikipedia on a TikTok or Instagram Reels interface looks like. Instead of seeing more and more videos on swiping up, you see random Wikipedia articles to spark your curiosity. You can then click on an article preview to open it in Wikipedia. A better alternative to TikTok for when you’re bored. Available on the Web for free.
Redirect Web for Safari

Set up redirect rules for pages in Safari

On the surface, this is a basic redirect extension that lets you create rules to redirect from one site to another. But those rules could be handy. For example, you could set a rule to always open Google search without AI summaries, or use memorable names for your local Web servers, etc. Available for Safari on macOS and iOS, and is free for up to 2 rules.

Handy Shortcut

⌘

;

Quickly insert today's date in the active cell in Google Sheets.

Interesting Reads

The Lifestyle Changes That Help Me Sleep Well Every Day

10 min read

Longform

Around 2022–2023, I was having a hard time sleeping. The surface-level internet advice didn't work for me, so I tried a few lifestyle changes that did the job well. In this blog post, I've talked about my story and the changes I made, which could be helpful to you, too, if you're in the same boat. No supplements or fancy sleeping pods involved. These are natural lifestyle and habit changes that work wonders.
Yin Productivity

6 min read

Coincidentally, I had a somewhat similar flow last Saturday as Steve talked about in this article. Instead of solely focusing on preparing the outline for my next post, I alternated between reading The Convenience Store by the Sea and formulating my ideas. It went great.
How to Instantly Be Better at Things

9 min read

This approach to improving our existing skills or picking up new ones through third-person mimicry sounds pretty good and attainable. I need to experiment with it. Maybe you can, too.
How to Make Your Own Luck

9 min read

Luck can hit anyone. You just need to cast a wider net to catch some. This piece by Mark Manson is an excellent explanation of how to systematically increase your surface area of luck.

Watch Next

Sometimes, a third-person view is what we need to understand where we were going wrong. This video is an example of that.

Want to join my inner circle?

Join a club that pays you back handsomely through knowledge and skills that help you get 1% better every day.

For a one-time fee, yes, not a subscription, you get:

Become a Member