Amadeus Pagel's Newsletter

Amadeus Pagel's Newsletter covers a broad range of topics, blending technology, social commentary, and cultural analysis. It addresses the nuances of digital culture, critiques modern technological trends, and explores historical context in media and politics. The newsletter examines the implications of technology on society and individual choices.

Technology Social Media Cultural Analysis Digital Culture Historical Context Media Politics Design and User Experience

The hottest Substack posts of Amadeus Pagel's Newsletter

And their main takeaways

Infinitely Nested Window Management

7 implied HN points • 29 Apr 23
🕹 Technology
  1. File systems were limited in nesting depth before Multics and Unix
  2. Current window management is limited in converting between workspaces, windows, and tabs
  3. We need a system where each level of nesting is conceptually different and manageable

The Limits of the Existence Proof Argument for General Intelligence

0 implied HN points • 19 Sep 23
🔬 Science Artificial Intelligence General Intelligence Simulation
  1. The existence proof argument for general intelligence is not conclusive because the existence of something does not prove it can be perfectly simulated by a computer.
  2. Concerns about artificial intelligence should not be based on the assumption that it would be fundamentally different from human intelligence.
  3. The existence of one thing does not prove the possibility of a fundamentally different thing.

Apple is Still Sabotaging Offline-First Apps

0 implied HN points • 09 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Privacy
  1. Apple supports client-server web apps by copying cookies, but not IndexedDB or localStorage.
  2. Offline-first web apps store everything on the client and need the server only for sync.
  3. Apple's decision impacts the privacy and functionality of offline-first web apps.
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Why Germany Quit Nuclear Power

0 implied HN points • 20 Jul 23
🌍 World Politics Germany Nuclear power
  1. Germany decided to quit nuclear power after the Fukushima disaster and subsequent political reactions.
  2. The shift away from nuclear power was influenced by state elections in Germany and public concern for the environment.
  3. Timing played a key role in Germany's decision to phase out nuclear power, as shifting priorities led to a move towards renewable energy.

Dark and light mode are not symmetrical

0 implied HN points • 03 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Design
  1. Dark mode and light mode are not symmetrical in design.
  2. Consider dark mode as either on or off, not as a direct opposite of light mode.
  3. Colors convey meanings, so choose the mode that best aligns with your content's purpose.

YouTube’s TikTok Clone

0 implied HN points • 07 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Social media Mobile technology
  1. YouTube is creating a TikTok clone called 'Shorts' for short videos in portrait mode.
  2. Phones are primarily used in portrait mode, and people prefer not to rotate their phones for various activities.
  3. The success of TikTok and portrait mode mobile games highlights the importance of designing for mobile-first experiences.

The Tragedy of Twitter

0 implied HN points • 24 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Social media Innovation User engagement
  1. Twitter's unique features were thoughts without titles and asymmetric relationships.
  2. Twitter improved replies by making them like regular tweets and only showing them to relevant followers.
  3. The evolution from linking images to quote RTs changed how people engaged with tweets.

The Sheet Music Tradition

0 implied HN points • 06 Sep 23
🎶 Music
  1. Classical composers published sheet music to reproduce music.
  2. Sheet music was the only way to reproduce music in the past.
  3. Today, sound can be reproduced directly without the need for sheet music.