I’m not a big YouTube watcher, but if I were going to subscribe and consistently follow anyone’s channel, it would be Bon Appétit’s sommelier André Mack. He is incredibly likable and nothing like what I imagine when I think of a traditional wine expert. He’s naturally charming and generous in the way he shares his knowledge about wine and spirits, along with practical advice on how to buy, pair, and taste wine. I have an upcoming trip to Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail, and I’ve learned so much from him about what makes bourbon truly “bourbon.” I highly recommend checking out his entire playlist on YouTube. — CD

I‘ve been using my left pinkie to support my Kindle for so many years that it feels permanently damaged. Recently, I noticed my sister had an elastic hand strap on her Kindle. It lets you slip your hand between the strap and the Kindle, so you don’t have to grip the Kindle. I bought one made by Kowjaw, but there are many different designs available. Too bad I didn’t learn about this sooner; I wouldn’t have ende up with a sore pinkie. — MF

The Dark Patterns Hall of Shame was created by a team of researchers and designers to raise awareness about manipulative design techniques used by companies and websites. There are lots of visual examples of dark patterns — including hard-to-cancel subscriptions, hidden costs, nagging, and tricky wording. I wasn’t at all surprised to see Amazon Audible as a repeat offender. Although it’s called a “hall of shame,” the aim isn’t just to call out bad companies. The website serves as a cautionary guide, offering suggestions for better approaches, examples of what to avoid, and explanations of what isn’t a dark pattern (and why). — CD

A sensible little book is The Great Mental Models (Vol.1) by Shane Parrish. It presents nine different “General Thinking Concepts,” or what I might call, best practices for critical thinking. You may already use some of these when approaching unknowns, but others may be unfamiliar. The tone and strength of this book are ideal for young people and students, starting out on their journey of lifelong learning. It is a great little chest of handy tools for grappling with complexity. These are all post-AI skills. — KK

I’m enjoying Curated Supply’s once-a-week email because I get to discover beautiful tools and objects selected by Justin, the curator, who prioritizes design and utility over disposable consumer goods. While there are always links to buy, I don’t feel like that’s the purpose of this newsletter. It’s an appreciation of craftsmanship, timeless design, and beautiful form. — CD

Scriber Pro is a $3.99 macOS app that delivers incredibly fast, private audio recording transcription. It processes everything locally on my Mac. Unlike cloud services charging $10+ monthly, Scriber Pro requires no subscriptions and never uploads your files. It supports all common audio/video formats and has multiple export options. — MF

Adolescence, on Netflix, is one of the most intense, surprising, and satisfying dramas I’ve ever seen. It deserves all the Emmys it’s won. The story explores the consequences of crime on an accused family. Filmed in northern England, you should keep the subtitles on. The drama’s self-imposed, innovative constraint of containing no cuts, no editing (!), for each of its four hours, means that each episode is like a theatrical performance but incredibly intimate via a camera. It is mesmerizing and heartbreakingly memorable. Highly recommended. — KK

Directories like the OpenWebcam Database always help me reset between tasks. This website has more than 2,000 live cameras streaming daily from over 50 countries, all searchable by category. You’ll find natural landscapes, airports, construction sites, and warehouses like this one. I love these windows into everyday life around the world. — CD

While exploring Berlin, my phone battery was draining fast from constant Google Maps use and museum audio guides. I had a portable charger and cable, but they were awkward to use while walking. I stepped into Berlin’s Apple Store and walked out with an Anker 621 MagGo magnetic portable charger. This slim 5,000mAh power bank magnetically snaps to newer iPhones. No more fumbling with cables and separate battery packs. It warms slightly during use, but the convenience far outweighs this minor issue. Perfect for travel, it slips easily into any pocket. — MF

Here’s a new hack for me. I occasionally want to capture a moment I heard while a podcast is playing on my phone. I’d like to keep that passage as a note. So when I hear something I want to keep I yell to my phone “Siri (or Google), take a screenshot.” It captures an image of my podcast app (Overcast) with a timestamp showing. Later I forward that image to a certain email and within a minute I get back the text transcript of the previous 90 seconds, which I can file. This service, called Podcast Magic, requires no app, no sign-in, no ongoing subscription. In the beginning they are free; at some point they ask for a one-time $20 lifetime fee if you use it a lot. — KK

I’ve tried many different T-shirt brands, and I’ve finally found one that checks all the boxes — Pair of Thieves. Their shirts are soft, very thin, slightly stretchy, and breathable. I bought a 3-pack on Amazon, gave them a test run, then bought two more 3-packs. — MF

Long before plastic, the Japanese developed innovative ways to package goods using materials at hand: straw, bamboo, leaves, vines, paper. This peculiarly named book How to Wrap Five Eggs ($25) is a stunning gallery of everyday examples of this traditional Japanese packing, which has long disappeared. Photographed with studio black and white in the 1960s, each object is exquisite in its clever design. This thick book with two hundred examples is one that I return to often. The beauty never gets old. If you are at all partial to product design, or any type of presentation, this is a classic research source, a motherlode of how to think different. — KK

This blog post, “How To Become Wiser,” offers a great list of questions for reflection, organized around three main purposes: Seeking Perspective, Examining Yourself, and Developing Compassion. Introspection is my favorite tool for cultivating self-awareness and emotional regulation, and you don’t need a therapist or coach to develop your own practice—just a good set of questions. I wish I could memorize all 25, but instead, I’ve bookmarked them for those times when I’m confused, stuck, or need a journaling prompt. Here are a few of my favorites:

• What do I need in order to see this situation from a wiser perspective?

• Is this choice helping me move closer to my values or further away from them?

• What assumptions am I making right now?

• What needs is this person trying to fulfill right now?

— CD

When I want to check the speed of my internet connection (or if I’m connected at all), I use Fast.com. It starts testing instantly with no ads, measuring download speeds (plus upload and latency if needed) on any device, globally. — MF

This website is my favorite internet find this week. Offline.church can only be accessed on your mobile device, and you can only enter the church by switching to airplane mode. Inside, you’ll find a meditative space and music, and an opportunity to be with yourself offline. It reminds me of the pocket shrines I used to carry as a child and it feels like a digital room of silence, or one of those interdenominational prayer rooms found in airports. — CD

Three digital artists that I follow on Instagram. Each of their work is hard to explain in words:

Andy Thomas creates weird biological-like abstract shapes which move and behave with life-like energy; it’s a brilliant fusion of high tech and nature.

Zach Lieberman produces programmatically generated patterns, rich in color and light, that are animated with patterns of motion as well.

Adam Hale manufactures strange shifts in perspective, playfully collapsing dimensions, and toying with visual norms.

All three of these artists create art that is in motion, that are in between gifs and video, and are therefore ideal to catch on a social media stream. And while they are “generated” they are not generated with AI. — KK

Here are some quotes I’ve carried with me for years—reminders that keep me aligned with my heart. — CD

• “When you meet the monster, anoint its feet.” — Bayo Akomolafe

• “Birds born in a cage think flying is an illness.” — Alejandro Jodorowsky

• “We hardly ever realize that we can cut anything out of our lives, anytime, in the blink of an eye.” — Carlos Castaneda

• “I recommend the freedom that comes from asking: Compared to what?” — Gloria Steinem

• “In order to experience true freedom, we need to be able to welcome everything just as it is. To welcome everything is an act of love.” — Frank Ostaseski

• “We are as personally free as we can permit the autonomy of others.” — Antero Alli

• “I kept looking for a logic that would explain life. It never occurred to me that instead love is the vital synthesis.” — Jane Roberts

• “I’m not one of those people with their heads in the clouds; I’m one of those whose entire body has been consumed by the clouds.” — Antero Alli

• “I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive… so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive.” — Joseph Campbell

Uri at Atom Vs Bits has written up the 21 essentials of hosting great parties. Tested tips include starting at quarter to the hour for better timing, using party apps to display guest lists, and having close friends arrive early to set the mood. Parties are a “public service” — good gatherings create meaningful connections that can change lives. Top tip: Don’t stress out; “it’s better to have mediocre pizza from a happy host than fabulous hors d’oeuvres from a frazzled one.” — MF

I spend way too much time zooming, often at night (because most of my audience is in China), so I needed a way to fill in good flattering light at my computer. The solution which has been working for a couple of years is a small, cheap LED ring light that clips onto my monitor on USB. These are generic commodities; brands don’t matter. I use something like a Cyezcor ring light ($19), which lets you set the color temperature. I usually set mine to warm. — KK

The Scale of Life is a website that visualizes worldwide statistics in real time, displaying a live count of everyday events, things made, and natural phenomena the moment you open the page. It’s fascinating to watch the spectrum of activity—from packages delivered and lightning strikes to new trees sprouting. It’s not 100% accurate, but if you are curious can click on counters views sources and explore deeper. — CD