Issue #213 | Subscribe

While looking at a new browser called Helium, I came across a built-in feature that lets you use DuckDuckGo-style bangs regardless of your default search engine.

Helium has an extensive list of ready-to-use bangs that are quite helpful in quickly searching many websites like YouTube, Wikipedia, Amazon, Goodreads, etc., right from the browser's address bar:

But you don't need to move to Helium to use this shortcut. In Google Chrome and Firefox, the extension Yang! does a similar job.

On Brave, my daily driver, this is possible when using Brave Search as the default search engine.

Bangs are pretty useful to navigate around the Web faster, and if you aren't already using them, try some out in the browser of your choice.

And if you're looking for a new browser to try, Helium is worth a shot.

Now, speaking of new things to try, have you seen Blank Page?

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

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Your Next Read

Thriving

Validation

Dr Caroline Fleck offers advice and tips on how to be more open-minded to differing viewpoints and have better discussions with others in this book.

Apps & Services

ZimaOS

An operating system for your personal cloud

If you have a NAS or are looking to get one, this operating system will make a beautiful interface to set up a personal cloud. You can control your device, install apps like Nextcloud, Immich, etc., in a few clicks, and access your home cloud from anywhere. Available to install on a NAS and other computing devices for free.
Stampie

Create virtual stamps from your photos

This app is fun. You can create a daily stamps journal by clicking a photo of a highlight of your day and turning it into a virtual postage stamp. You can also group your stamps by folders, which is helpful if you're going for a theme. Available on iOS for a $3.99 one-time fee.
Pica

A modern font manager for your Mac

If you use custom fonts for designing or any other work, this app is one of the best font managers I’ve seen. You can preview fonts with your bespoke text, test them across background and foreground colours and more. Works like Google Fonts and other online font viewers. Available on macOS for free.

Handy Shortcut

⌘

Shift

M

Quickly highlight the selected text in the Bear notes app.

Interesting Reads

So What if They Have My Data?

19 min read

Every time we interact with an online service, we generate personal data that can be used against us, beyond the scope of the service, if the service is built on unethical principles. This piece does an excellent job dissecting this process to help us learn more about how our online data gets passed around for profit.
Everything Has Happened Before, and Everything Will Happen Again

24 min read

History repeats itself. Joan talks about this phenomenon in depth in this enjoyable piece. The loop continues. Maybe we can be better at identifying the ones happening right now?
Avoiding Digital Productivity Traps

2 min read

The need to be faster in producing output has been around for ages, but in recent times, this expectation has skyrocketed, thanks primarily to AI tools in the market. But fast doesn’t always mean good. The three guidelines in this piece can help you keep steering in the right direction.
Change the Course

4 min read

This short piece is a reminder that if you have the option to shake things up in your work life, it might be worth exploring.

Watch Next

An enlightening video about how ancient engineers constructed marvellous architecture without complex science or math.

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