Optimized for Adictiveness
Curiosities, Addictive Media, Sensitive Children, and iPhone Camera Apps
Past week was a week of extensive testing and research about the iPhone 14 Pro camera. I have a pending review on Dehancer for iOS, but coming up from my old iPhone X I had not realized that the new camera had come such a long way. Before reviewing anything I wanted to be familiar with all the ins and outs of this new technology, and I think I’m finally getting there.
I’ll tell you a few things that may be useful if you are on an iPhone… but first lets look at some other areas.
On Productivity and Learning
I just published THIS VIDEO sharing my Alfred and Bear Workflow/Shortcut for quick capture. This is pretty much the same content that I shared HERE a few weeks back. If you want to see it all in action or prefer the video format over reading, then make sure to check it out.
I found The Curious Corner of the Internet newsletter! I try to keep the list of newsletters I follow tight and under control… but this one made the cut. Curiosity feeds my imagination and more often than not turns into inspiration. I just signed up so let’s see how it goes, but the content here looks promising.
By the way, the way I found I about The Curious Corner of the Internet was because I stumbled upon THIS short article that talks about keeping an unread list. Apps like Pocket, Instapaper, and most recently Reader from Readwise totally changed the way I approach reading or consuming any kind of online content. I really like how Joost Plattel talks about his read-it-later list. “The read it later list is a place, not a list that needs to be emptied. A place that could serve inspiration, connect random things together or combine random items to foster ideas.”
On Articles
I read THIS ARTICLE that talks about how ‘addictive media’ is often mistaken as entertainment. “When everything is measured in terms of engagement, content will be optimized for addictiveness. Not entertainment or artistic merit. Not intellectual substance or creativity. Pure, plain addictiveness. That means we, the consumers, get a higher quantity of more predictable, less innovative, less interesting art in our lives.”
I read THIS POST by Austin Kleon which talks about sensitivity in children and how this relates to the need of having particular conditions and the right environment for some to grow to their full potential. The origin of this post is THIS ARTICLE which dives deeper in the topic. I must confess that I have a very negative bias against anything that tries to ‘classify’ personalities; however, I believe there’s truth in saying that some people are more sensitive than others.
On iPhone Camera Apps
This past week I spent some time testing the most popular camera apps out there, finding bugs, contacting several developers, leaving reviews hoping to help other users, and in the end I came back to the iPhone’s camera app. Both the camera and its native app are great for most cases, but the main issue for me is the lack of advanced manual controls and too much Deep Fusion & Smart HDR processing whenever there’s less than ideal lighting situations. There’s workarounds with third apps, but you always end up giving up something, whether it’s processing speed, resolution, or even the computational magic which is not always a bad thing.
So there’s no perfect camera app out there. Not yet, at least. I think I’ll be using the native camera for mostly everything and when I need manual control I’ll be on ProCamera. This app has been going on for about 14 years already and while not perfect, it’s the most feature-packed photo app out there that—in my opinion—doesn’t feel overloaded. I love their fullscreen trigger and shutter priority mode. Also love how you can quickly lock exposure and/or focus. I’ll keep my eye on Halide because I love its minimal and intuitive interface… but I found several bugs with autofocus, capture speed of ProRaw files, and the volume-up shutter.
For basic editing on the go I wanted something that could integrate with iCloud library so that it would allow me roundtripping between desktop and iOS. I tested a lot of apps, but in the end I’m trying to decide between Darkroom and Raw Power. Raw Power seems to have many more advanced options (and it can even process my Fuji compressed RAW files!), but it’s slower and the interface is not as user friendly as Darkroom. I’m not sure yet, but I’m glad to explore the world outside of Adobe—which had been my go-to for years.
For advanced color processing, I’ll stick to Dehancer for iOS, of course.
On Cinema
Close (2022). I didn’t plan for it, but this film has a lot to do with the topic that I was mentioning above (sensitive children). It definitely was a highlight of my week and is one of the top movies I’ve seen recently. The acting alone is totally worth the watch. Let me give you the synopsis: The 13-year-old boys Léo and Rémis have a close friendship at school and in the flower fields where they and their parents pick the harvest for home. When schoolmates shoot a wedge into the relationship, the consequences are fatal.
Ahed’s Knee (2021). I feel like this film tries to say a lot but I’m not sure about whether it succeeds at it. The use of the cinema language itself is very special and made the whole watching experience worth it. I LOVED the camera work. Synopsis: An Israeli filmmaker in his mid-40s arrives in a remote village at the far end of the desert to present one of his films. There, he meets an officer for the Ministry of Culture and finds himself fighting for his freedoms and his mother’s life.
Gosford Park (2001). An oldie that had me guessing all throughout. Synopsis: Sir William McCordle and his family plan a shooting party over a weekend. Their family secrets, lies and deceptions come tumbling out when Sir William gets murdered.
All That Breathes (2022). I love observational documentaries and this one was beatifully crafted. I thought I had absolutely no interest in its subject matter, but then I was surprised at the humanity and tenderness behind it. Synopsis: As legions of birds fall from New Delhi’s skies and the city smoulders with social unrest, two brothers race to save one of the casualties: a majestic black kite, a bird of prey essential to their city’s ecosystem.
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