The hottest Smart Devices Substack posts right now

Consider using a separate phone for your morning routine to avoid distractions
Design systems to shape your behavior and become the person you want to be
Create a morning phone with essential apps like music, calendar, and meditation, while avoiding social media and other distracting apps

Apple is looking to upgrade the Apple Watch with smart fabric bands that can track health metrics like blood pressure and ECG readings. This could change how we monitor our health with wearable tech.
A new patent suggests Apple is considering a modular iPhone design, allowing users to swap out components like batteries or cameras. This would make phones more customizable and easier to repair.
Apple is working on enhancing Siri with advanced AI to have more natural conversations. This could improve how people interact with their devices and compete with other smart assistants.

Current technology differs greatly from past futuristic visions, focusing on multi-purpose devices rather than specialized tools.
The centralization of technology into smartphones sacrifices excellence in favor of mediocrity.
Efforts should be made to create devices that excel at specific tasks rather than trying to do everything.

Samsung is introducing a new smart ring for wearables.
Tech news includes updates on Apple, Google, TikTok, and Amazon.
Exciting developments in AI, audio-video calls, and movie rentals are happening in the tech world.

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Notifications play a significant role in shaping our daily lives and habits.
Event-driven systems are prevalent in various aspects of technology, such as communication between processes and UI design.
The utility and impact of notifications are crucial, from connecting us with loved ones to potentially influencing our purchasing decisions.

Experimenting with using a basic phone instead of a smartphone to reduce screen time and regain focus.
Comparison of features and trade-offs between an iPhone and a basic Nokia phone for different user needs.
Challenges and benefits of transitioning to a basic phone, like missing out on certain apps but gaining better focus and less distraction.

Smart devices with practical uses enhance lives, like doorbells or thermostats.
Be cautious of useless smart features that can lead to unnecessary data collection.
Companies are adding non-essential smart features to products to charge extra and surveil users; consumers can push back by being selective in purchases and expressing opinions.

The Apple Watch offers useful features like Siri, timers, weather updates, and fitness tracking.
The 'Raise to Speak' feature for Siri and the new double tap gesture on the Apple Watch can be frustrating due to inconsistencies and delays.
Reliability is key, with both features on the Apple Watch not working consistently, making user experience less than optimal.

HDMI CEC makes my life easier by turning on my receiver when I turn on my TV and switching inputs automatically.
When I turn off the TV, the receiver also turns off, so I don't have to control them separately.
I can control the sound with either remote without worrying about two different volume levels, which makes it much more convenient.