Happy birthday. I love giving. They say gifting is a selfish endeavor because the giver receives just as much, if not more, than the receiver. I give two things, things I wish I would own but do not trust myself to own, and things I do own that bring me such pleasures that I want others to own them too.
Your gifts are a mixture of both the things I have used and the things I wish I would own, but instead I feel more comfortable giving away. For one, there is the Dream Tape, because you mentioned reluctance to forego mouth taping at night. Jesse Itzler mentioned Dream Tape, and immediately, between my slide cueing, I made a note to purchase this overpriced novelty, carefully crafted, thoughtfully marketed, breathable bamboo tape that is so extra ($1.20 per) when 20 cents medical tape from CVS would do just as well. Part of Dream Tape's success is the personal investment. Like our clients who spend hundreds of thousands for no more content, their return on investment is promised because of their inordinate financial investment and commitment. They are bought in. Now the question for you. Can a friend buy you in?
The second item is also a personal love, and perhaps a mutual love. Reverse engineering our phones to be less addictive. The Brick is a brilliant idea that mostly works. Here is the elevator pitch. Imagine your phone having a physical key that locks you out of your worst digital habits.
No subscription, just a 3D-printed NFC device. Tap to lock, tap again to unlock. Put the key somewhere inconvenient, like your car. Or leave it at home while on the road, to guarantee an end to your addictions. Lock YouTube, the app, and the website. Lock Instagram. Download only the apps you need for work. Then block the App Store.
The brick turns your phone into a tool. Later this year, macOS will introduce iPhone mirroring, letting you control your phone from your Mac. This will be the actual end of my smartphone. My iPhone will sit in my backpack connected to a battery bank, never to be removed except when boarding or navigating in a new city.
All other iOS tasks, downloading my boarding pass, downloading content, reviewing voicemails will be completed on my Mac during a dedicated work session, not sporadically while restless running errands. Finally, I will give you the gift I love but cannot use: the Boox Palma. I dream of having an e-ink smartphone. The Boox Palma is the closest thing to that future.
Sadly, it does not have a cellular modem, Wi-Fi to connect. However, it runs full Android, unlike Kindle. So any app is yours to download. What's noteworthy is that the Palma supports a 30Hz refresh rate. The standard e-ink Kindle is 1Hz, or refreshing just once every second.
The Palma is actually usable as a smart device. Scroll, type, and even watch videos. Psychologists highlight the impact of setting when defining behavior. I imagine Palma as the perfect media setting. All good media lives on the Palma, music, audiobooks, Kindle books, PDFs, news, journaling, etc. So that the phone is a true tool, boring and casually unnecessary, just as a true tool.
We don't pine for our toolbox when not constructing. The e-inkness means you can spend time outdoors, consuming in direct sunlight with perfect readability. It also means you can consume at night without the adverse effects of blue light. I have already unboxed the device and set up primary apps. Still, an initial demo with me may also be required, for there are some helpful shortcuts to know, especially if you are unfamiliar with Android.
I look forward to this new, tech-liberated version of you. From Quentin.