Adversarial Interoperability

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So much of what technology does for us is only possible thanks to the concept of “adversarial interoperability”. It’s a weird concept with a simple premise: It’s a system that is wide open enough that other organizations and individuals can use it without permission (via “The Song of Significance“).

The EFF explains it further:

For a really competitive, innovative, dynamic marketplace, you need adversarial interoperability: that’s when you create a new product or service that plugs into the existing ones without the permission of the companies that make them. Think of third-party printer ink, alternative app stores, or independent repair shops that use compatible parts from rival manufacturers to fix your car or your phone or your tractor.

They gave some great examples, but there are simple ones in our lives that we take for granted:

  • Your dishwasher works with any dishes.
  • You can plug any device into your wall outlet.
  • Anyone can give you food that can be heated by your microwave.

In most cases, adversarial interoperability is impossible to avoid. I guess you could build a dishwasher that only works with certain dishes, but that would be really weird.

In the world of tech we see some of this on both sides.

  • Apple fights against it. They don’t allow alternative app stores, they don’t allow other apps to connect to FaceTime, and they work hard to control the system from top to bottom. This is what makes the Apple ecosystem so solid.
  • On the other side you have things like WordPress. Anyone can write a plugin to add functionality (here are 60,000 free ones), anyone can build a new theme (here are 11,000 free ones), you can install it anywhere you want, and you can rewrite any of the code that you wish. They strongly encourage adversarial interoperability, and that’s what makes it so great.

Both sides can work, but you need to be clear about what you’re trying to accomplish. For years, Twitter supported this theory strongly by letting anyone build apps on top of their API, before switching gears and making third-party tools much less viable. Jack Dorsey, a co-founder of Twitter, regrets those decisions and wishes Twitter had become more of an open protocol than a business.

Generally speaking, I prefer to work with applications that encourage adversarial interoperability. I mentioned WordPress above, but Obsidian is a very similar example with lots of free plugins, lots of free themes. Everyone can improve it and make it a better product.

We don’t always get a choice on how the things in our life connect with other things, but when I have a choice I’ll almost always choose the open option.

Can your notes be read on a 60-year-old computer?

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At our technology and tools continue to improve, we’re increasingly losing our ability to own what we create. Not from a legal standpoint, necessarily, but a technical one.

If Squarespace doesn’t agree with your platform, they can delete your site.

If you ever posted on Myspace back in the day, that content is long gone.

Even things like Google Drive, which I use quite a lot, could someday disappear and take all of my files with it.

I try to mitigate some of that risk by using tools such as WordPress and Obsidian, but a recent article caught my eye. Earlier this year, Steph Ango wrote a post called “File over app“, where he argued that we should be more focused on technology that lets us use files versus technology that buries our content in their custom app. The challenge, as he sees it:

Today, we are creating innumerable digital artifacts, but most of these artifacts are out of our control. They are stored on servers, in databases, gated behind an internet connection, and login to a cloud service. Even the files on your hard drive use proprietary formats that make them incompatible with older systems and other tools.

One of his solutions, that I use as well, is Obsidian (for note-taking). It’s a powerful bit of software, but all of the notes are saved as plain text files on your computer. From his post on the Obsidian blog:

Obsidian notes are stored in simple, plain text files, which have been in use since the dawn of computing. If you want your writing to still be readable on a computer from the 2060s or 2160s, we think it’s important that your Obsidian notes can be read on a computer from the 1960s.

As he points out, Obsidian won’t last forever, but your files can. Even if/when Obsidian goes away, you have a folder full of plain text files of all of your notes, and you can use some newer software to view them if you want.

WordPress files aren’t easily read offline, but it’s simple to make a copy of your site and bring it with you (which is far better than Squarespace, Shopify, and most other platforms).

Google Drive keeps things in a proprietary format, but you can (and should!) download backups of your files using Google Takeout from time to time.

Whatever software you’re using, make sure you have a way to take your stuff with you when you leave (or when they shut down). You may not have a concern about your files being viewable in 2160, but thinking that far ahead might keep you more safe tomorrow.

Design is how it works

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Good design can be hard to notice. Not because it’s so beautiful or creative, but because of how well it makes things work. A well-designed product is ideally beautiful and creative, but the true design comes from the function of it.

In an article in the New York Times 20 years ago, just after the release of the first iPod, Steve Jobs put it this way:

”Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like,” says Steve Jobs, Apple’s C.E.O. ”People think it’s this veneer — that the designers are handed this box and told, ‘Make it look good!’ That’s not what we think design is. It’s not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”

The iPod was indeed a great example of that. It was a slick and good-looking device, but the function of it was far beyond any other MP3 players of the time — and it wasn’t even close.

Apple has done this as well as any company in history, but it’s worth remembering for our own work. Make it beautiful, make it creative, but make sure it works as smoothly as it possibly can.

First Encounters is Wii Sports

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When the Nintendo Wii was released back in 2006 it came with the famous game “Wii Sports” included. Wii Sports was intended to essentially be a tech demo to show users how the new control system worked and give them something to play with as they worked their way into the “real” games.

If you were around at the time, you know that Wii Sports turned into something bigger than even Nintendo could have dreamed of. Even though it was simple, it was addictingly fun and people played it for years.

The new Meta Quest 3 virtual reality headset comes with a free game built-in, and it has the same goal as Wii Sports — to introduce people to a new way to play games. While it almost certainly won’t have the lasting appeal of Wii Sports, the new “First Encounters” game on the Quest 3 is much more than just a tech demo.

Augmented Reality

The Quest headsets have always been about Virtual Reality (VR), but the Quest 3 is also pushing the Augmented Reality (AR) features quite a bit. While VR whisks you away to a new world, AR keeps you in your room and then augments it with a game to be played in your space. First Encounters is a fantastic way to introduce this to new players.

First Encounters is a short game (perhaps five minutes) where space aliens break into your room and you need to capture them. As they break in, you’ll see debris landing on your floor (and elevated surfaces like your couch and countertops) and they’ll create holes in your walls to see the outside world. Here’s a video of a guy playing it (slight language warning) to see what I mean:

Like Wii Sports, it’s a great way to learn how the new technology in a fun way, and it tracks your score so you can compete against others. It really just has the one game (and it’s single player), so it won’t have nearly the replayability of Wii Sports, but it’s a mind-blowing experience the first time you try it and will have more lasting appeal than Meta planned for it to have.

From Google Podcasts to Snipd

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If you’ve read many posts on here, you know that I get a lot of great info from podcasts that I listen to. As with reading books, I find that “getting” great info is just the first step, and I need to follow it up with ways to remember and use that information.

I’ve used Google Podcasts for years, but I’ve recently made a switch to Snipd. Google Podcasts does a fine job, but (like most podcast apps) required manual effort to note things of interest. If was driving, I frequently paused the podcast and then said “hey google, take a note, remember x from the x podcast”. It worked pretty well, but could be a little cumbersome.

I also listen a lot while doing yardwork, and it was similar. With yardwork, I’d often pause and then just jot the note down in Google Keep.

That worked well enough, but led to another problem; if I wanted an exact quote from the podcast, it could be tough to find. Most podcasts don’t provide full transcripts, and scrubbing through a 90 minute show to find a single clip could be painful. Enter Snipd.

Snipd

At it’s core, Snipd is very similar to every other podcast app. You subscribe to shows, add ones of interest to your queue, and then listen to them.

The beauty comes in when you hear something that you want to reference later. If you’re using Android Auto or Apple Carplay, they have a single button that you tap to save a Snip. If you’re listening on your headphones, a triple-tap (which typically means “go back 10 seconds”) will now save the section you’re listening to.

Now, you may have the same concern that I did — what is it actually saving? The chunk of audio before the tap? After the tap? What’s being saved? Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter; it saves the audio around the tap, but makes it super easy to listen to a slightly early or later chunk if needed. It puts you in the podcast at that location so you can listen again to what you wanted to save and then make use of the clip elsewhere. They also use AI (in their paid version) to help bring more context to each Snip.

The free version is quite powerful (and the paid is just $9.99/mo for more AI features), so I encourage you to check it out and give it a shot.

The next round of VR will be the one to watch

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The Meta Quest 3 was released last week, and it’s fantastic. It’s a great step up over the Quest 2 in every way, and it makes VR that much more engaging.

Perhaps of greater consequence, the “pass-through mode” on it (where you can see the world around you) is far better than the Quest 2 and it makes AR (augmented reality) games a solid experience on there. You can see your real world around you, but interact with it with things like aliens coming through the walls of the room that you’re in. Here’s a video that shows it off:

Of course, the other big headset getting discussed lately is Apple’s upcoming “Vision Pro“. It looks amazing, and the camera/AR system on the Vision Pro is considerably better than the one on the Quest 3. However, the Vision Pro will be $3500 when it comes out next year (compared to the $500 for the Quest 3), making it an easy decision for people today.

The next round

The next round of these devices, likely coming in 2 or 3 years, is the one that will be super interesting to watch for two reasons.

First, the Quest 4 will presumably have even better pass-through, getting closer to the quality of the Vision Pro.

Second, Apple will likely release a consumer-focused “Vision” (removing the “Pro”) at a reduced price.

It seems likely that those two devices will be far more similar than they are this generation, and that’s when the competition will really heat up. Just like the iPhone vs Android battle has benefitted all of us through the feature battles over the years, we’ll likely see a similar battle with headsets.

For now, I’m going to enjoy using my Quest 3 and really start to get a feel for how AR and VR could impact things in the future, and I’m already looking forward to the next set of devices in the coming years.

USB-C is finally everywhere

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I can’t believe it took nearly a decade since I first told you that USB-C was going to be a great thing, but we’re finally here. The newly-released iPhone 15 changed their port to be USB-C, and they were essentially the last device that needed to change. I know that iPhone users are going to hate changing cords again, but this time it’s worth it. At my house, for example:

  • Both of my laptops are USB-C.
  • My phone (Pixel) has been USB-C for a long time.
  • My Kindle Scribe and my wife’s Kindle Paperwhite are both USB-C.
  • The other laptops in our house (mostly Chromebooks) are USB-C.
  • My iPad is USB-C.
  • If you have a recent Macbook, it’s USB-C.

It’s fantastic!

It’s not perfect, as different USB-C bricks and cables can charge at varying speeds, but at least we’re all on the same plug. I can bring a handful of matching cables and bricks when we go out of town, and every device is covered. Gone are the days of sorting out which cables go with which device.

Portless is next

I think USB-C is the last major change we’ll see to device plugs, as the next move is likely to be no charging port at all — wireless charging will be your only choice. We’re likely a few years away from mainstream devices that do that, but it’s coming. Removing ports on a device gives companies a bit more room for other components on the inside, and it’s far easier to make them waterproof.

I can’t say for sure where things are going, but I’m super pleased that after 8 long years we finally have a standard plug for all devices. It’s time for me to stock up on USB-C cables so I can handle anything the family needs!

Yes, AI will take some jobs

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It’s a foregone conclusion that AI is going to replace some jobs in the coming years. I can’t say whether it’s be a small or large number, and no one knows for sure, but it’s clear that at least some jobs will be replaced by AI.

This sounds like a bad thing, but is it? Maybe so, but maybe not.

Back in 1930, we had 235,000 people that were switchboard operators in the United States, but technology caused almost all of them to lose their jobs in a short period of time. Should laws have been put in place to prevent automatic switching technology in order to save those jobs?

We’ve seen the same thing with inventions across history, from the printing press, to the car, to the computer, to the internet. Each advancement wiped out a batch of jobs, but then also created new ones. AI is likely to be the same.

With AI, we’re likely going to see a big reduction in jobs like copywriting, but we’re already seeing new jobs for “prompt engineers” (people that can write great inputs for AI), including Netflix famously offering a salary of $900,000 to the right person.

I don’t know how all of this will shake out, and I hate that some people will be losing their jobs because of this in the coming years, but in the future with the benefit of hindsight I suspect it’ll be a net positive for all of us.

Technology changes the focus of our brain

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As technology develops, our skills change along with it. Not only does this means we have new skills to learn, but it also means that we have older skills that are no longer needed. When’s the last time you dipped a quill to write a letter?

This kind of thing can lead to memes like this one; while the second half of it is a separate discussion (perhaps caused by the previous generation; after all, “most safety rules are written in blood”), we should be happy that people no longer have to adjust the valves in their car.

In his book “The Design of Everyday Things“, author Don Norman explains how this is a benefit to all of us:

Reliance on technology is a benefit to humanity. With technology, the brain gets neither better nor worse. Instead, it is the task that changes. Human plus machine is more powerful than either human or machine alone.

I agree with Norman’s statement, though I do wonder if we get a little overreliant on technology at times. I know personally that I’d have no idea what tomorrow holds without a digital calendar, and there are few places outside a small radius that I could drive to without GPS.

Ultimately, it feels like a bit of a gamble to rely so much on technology, but it’s likely a gamble that is worth the risk. The gains we get from putting “human plus machine” together far outweigh the outside chance of no longer having GPS to use tomorrow.

My hat goes off to those that knew how to adjust their valves 50 years ago, but I’m thankful that technology has pushed us past that to allow us to work on newer and bigger problems.

Digitally prepping for a trip

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Over the next few months I’ll be heading to both New York and San Antonio for some fun trips. My goal is to work very little on those trips, but I still want to keep up with some of my daily streaks (such as this blog), so preparation is key.

Blogging

I generally stay a week or so ahead on blog posts, but I’ll try to push that even a bit further before those trips so that I’m not out of posts when I get home. Last year when we went to New York, I had enough posts pre-written for the duration of the trip trip, but just barely, and when I came home with COVID I simply had to stop blogging for a week.

While that might largely unavoidable, I still would like to give myself a bit more cushion for these trips. To write more I need to read more, so I’ve been pushing hard to build up a nice buffer.

Anki

The other big one I need to consider is my daily use of Anki (flashcards, as shared here). I’m currently on an 1,930 day streak, and I’d rather not break it. Fortunately, Anki does two things that help.

  1. First, the streak is counted if you review just one card. If things get busy, I can always review a single card.
  2. You can “study ahead” whenever you want. In the week or so before each trip, I’ll study ahead so that my daily card count will be much lower while I’m away.

It also helps that I tend to study Anki cards in fits and starts, which works well for those kinds of trips where I can just slip in a few minutes here or there when time allows.

Duolingo and others

I have other daily tasks that I routinely do, such as Duolingo and Wordle. Those are short and easy and I can likely just knock them out as we get moving in the morning. I also consider them to be less important, so it’s ok if I miss a few days.

In the case of all of these items, it helps that I enjoy them. I wouldn’t have that huge streak in Anki if I didn’t enjoy doing it at least to some degree.

Of course, I haven’t talked about how I plan to handle normal work stuff (emails, meetings, etc), but I think most people already have a solid plan in place for those. The bulk of my time lately is in meetings, whether that is with clients or at Chamber-like events, so blocking those from my calendar takes care of most of it.

Now it’s time to go work a bit further ahead to make my time away that much easier…