Issue #219 | Subscribe

Apple announced a few new things at this year’s WWDC, and finally, Siri looks useful.

If Siri AI can reliably do everything Apple demoed at the WWDC, it will be the best-integrated AI tool on an Apple device.

Once I get my hands on the new Siri, I'll adapt some of my workflows to use it instead of relying on third-party apps like Claude or ChatGPT, such as the brain dump workflow I've illustrated in one of the articles today's issue.

As I mentioned in Issue #216, I was hoping for a Wispr Flow-like dictation feature to arrive on Apple devices, and while they did introduce an improved dictation tool, neither my M1 Pro MacBook nor my iPhone 14 can use it because the feature requires more powerful hardware.

Amidst all these, I'm excited about a tiny feature they introduced in the new OSes, which is a system-wide equaliser for the AirPods:

Image Credit: Apple

AirPods already sound great, but with a tiny bit of tweaking, they can sound more tuned to our taste.

While this year's releases are primarily refinements, except Siri AI, I'm still excited to try them out when the public release happens.

What about you? Any new features you're looking forward to?

In Today's Cover: Summer in Japan brings a delightful activity called Hotaru Gari, or firefly hunting. Here's a time-lapse of the illustration being drawn.

Now, while we're on the subject of new things, have you tried init.Habits?

I've seen and tried plenty of habit trackers, but this one's a different experience.

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

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Your Next Read

Science

The Upright Thinkers

Embark on an adventurous journey where Leonard takes you through human progress over centuries, fueled by our unending thirst for knowledge.

Apps & Services

Poke

Get things done through messaging

Think of this as your digital concierge. Add Poke to iMessage and ask it to create tasks, find flight deals, deal with your calendar, and Poke will do that for you and keep you in the loop via iMessage. Available on Apple devices and is free for basic use.
Eloquent

A free AI-powered dictation tool

This one's the closest free alternative I've found to Wispr Flow or Monologue in terms of speed and output. It works with a locally downloaded Gemini model and inserts polished dictated text quite fast. Available on macOS and iOS for free.
Outerline

A minimal, modern notes app

This app feels like a modern mix of Apple Notes, iA Writer, and Obsidian. The interface is clean and inviting, and I like the navigator sidebar that lets you see the table of contents, highlights and links in the current note. Available on macOS on an invite-only basis.

Handy Shortcut

⌘

⌥

V

Move a copied file to a new location instead of pasting it in macOS.

Interesting Reads

How I Turn My Brain Dump into Notes and Tasks using AI

7 min read

Longform

For a while now, I've been having Claude read a messy brain dump of ideas, tasks, quotes, feature ideas for my apps and more every day and organise everything in its right place like a helpful assistant. Here's how that setup works, and how you can do it for your work, too.
6 Secrets From Philosophy on Getting Unstuck

12 min read

A short but powerful list of advice on how to put ourselves in our life’s driver’s seat, instead of letting things happen and surfing the waves every day. This is what I loved the most: “Practice difficulty before life requires it”.
How to Walk Through Walls

12 min read

Sometimes, due to financial or other factors, conventional ways to achieve something seem well out of reach. This is where the “hacker mindset” fits in. This piece illustrates this mindset with good examples.
35 Graphs That Show How Your Spending Habits Change With Age

5 min read

While the data in these charts might not be accurate for your country of residence, they still give a peek into our general spending habits over the years, which might be handy in broader financial planning.

Watch Next

A good video on how luck plays a role in our lives, but why being oblivious to it can also help.

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