Sampling & Mortality
Creativity and small ideas, an AI subtitle translator, a massive Keyboard Maestro course, falling in love with Koala Sampler, my new fascination with Letterboxd, and building a simple profile page.
Hey guys, here’s some stuff that has stood out from my previous few weeks.
On Creativity
One of the major factors that differentiates creative people from less creative people is that creative people give themselves a license to pay attention to their small ideas. Even though they don’t know where one of these will lead, they know that a small idea could lead to a big breakthrough, and they believe that they are capable of making it happen.
I’ve been reading A Whack on the Side of the Head for a couple weeks now, and this quote keeps coming back to me :)
On SRT Translation
A lot of transcription apps give you SRT files, but not many handle translation well. With some transcription models (whisper) you do get “some” translation capabitilites but it’s not natural sounding at all. Something feels off right away with direct translation, so you can’t just dump everything in and expect good results. I was happy to discover this Chat GPT Subtitle Translator . Not sure how it handles the whole aspect of providing enough context for the LLM to understand what’s going on without getting confused, but it works pretty well!
On iOS Backups
For years I’ve been using iMazing to access files from my iPhone’s system and create backups. Super handy. This past week I discovered that a few months ago they went fully subscription-based. Before, you had to buy licenses per device, which wasn’t ideal but manageable. Now you got no option but to pay annually.
It’s a great app, but I use it maybe once a month. My use case is mostly for exporting iMessages/WhatsApp threads as PDFs and exporting all the attachments. I also use it to transfer big video files or large amounts of photos via USB-C without waiting for everything to sync via iCloud or AirDrop.
It’s hard to justify the sub price. I’m looking at two alternatives: iExplorer and TouchCopy. Haven’t tested them in depth yet, but I will when as soon as my current iMazing license runs out (probably when I get a new device). If you know of anything else like this it’d be great to know!
On Automation
Found this almost 6-hour Keyboard Maestro course by accident. If you’re new to automation, it’s a solid guide. Keyboard Maestro is powerful but doesn’t have to be complex. The key is getting familiar with what it can do, then automating things specific to your workflow. This video can help you with that.
Now, if you’re already into automation and have some experience, I saw that Better Touch Tool recently added an interesting AI integration. You can connect it to MCPs or use tools/agents. I’m adding this to my list of stuff to explore for when I have some extra time.
On Sampling
I’ve spent the last several weeks re-exploring sampling for music. I discovered Koala Sampler for iOS. I’d heard about it before, but the first few things I saw a few years back didn’t seem that impressive. I stumbled upon this video on how to achieve a granular effect and a few videos later I was totally hooked.
The app itself is $5, but there are two more add-ons that make it a lot better, so about $15 total. What you get for that is amazing. I’d been looking into getting a PO-24 (a pocket percussion machine with a sequencer and some sampling capabilities) but after finding Koala, I don’t think I need it anymore. At least not right now. Maybe that’s why the algorithm started recommending Koala videos to me in the first place.
Oh, and if you are into ambient music, Koala is also great for that.
On Memento Mori
One thing that can push you toward personal growth is remembering you will die. Being aware of your mortality makes you more conscious of your time and decisions. Along those lines, I discovered WeCroak, which has widgets that remind you of your mortality throughout the day 😄
Also found The Life Calendar—an automation that will post a minimalist calendar on your home screen showing about how many years you got left. If you’re into minimalism and “memento mori” stuff, this might be for you. It also offers a day-of-years calendar wallpaper.
On Letterboxd
I’ve had a Letterboxd account for about five years. I logged a few films back in 2024 but quickly abandoned the practice, I never made it into a habbit. I’m a cinephile. I watch a lot of cinema and have been keeping track of that in an old txt file for years. In the middle o 2021 I was starting to get deep into journaling so I also started logging stuff in Day One.
I’ve been diving back into the platform this past week. First thing I did was ask AI to write a script to import the 700+ films I’d logged in Day One in the last few years. I normally use this Day One shortcut that pulls metadata from TMDB. Since Letterboxd can import films using those same IDs, the AI script worked great! It imported everything with ratings intact.
I started seeing connections between films and finding people with similar interests, so… I looked at my longer text file and got AI to write me another script. That’s how in a matter of hours (because I did spend some time checking matches), I got about 2,950 films total in Letterboxd. A few hundred got lost in the transition, but suddenly I have this incredible resource.
I bought the pro subscription to support the platform and remove ads. Plan to keep logging films throughout the year. It’s a bit frustrating that there’s no way to automate this so that my same log goes both to Day One and Letterboxed. I got some ideas to explore to help with this.
Here are very my first two lists: Top 10 Favorite 2025 Releases and Top 2025 Discoveries (excluding the top 10).
Found a couple of good resources on using Letterboxd: general tips, list usage, and tag management. I’m surprised there isn’t a lot more content created by power users about it outside Reddit.
On File Transfers
A few days back I discovered Gofile. A website that allows for transfering up to 10GB files for free. For free users, files are kept temporarily and removed unless actively downloaded. You get a 100GB traffic budget per month but overall I think it’s pretty awesome. I’ve tested it and download speeds are also great!
After some quick research I also found Swiss Transfer which claims to do even more for free. Unfortunately, the app is not available in my home country, so I cannot test it. It does have very good reviews.
On Online Profiles
This past week I needed a way to put multiple links in one page. Link tree is popular for this but it has pretty bad reviews. I looked around for alternatives but couldn’t find something convincing, I ended up making a Craft document with my most important links. Also included affiliate links to stuff I’ve recommended before and a couple other things that interest me.
I’m not very active on social media overall. I plan to be consisten with Letterboxd, but still sharing in case you want to find me on other platforms (or if you want to take a look at the tools I recommend)
On Cinema
The nice thing about having everything on Letterboxd now is I can just pull links directly from there. I’m still going to be more selective about the recent watches I recommend here, but if you want the full list, you can check my diary .
It Ends 2025. Thought it had said everything in the first 30 minutes, then it spiraled into a deep existential plot. A good surprise. Synopsis: A group of recent grads head out on a late night drive for grub, hoping to enjoy one final hangout before their paths diverge. Instead, they accidentally turn onto a never-ending, two-lane hellscape surrounded by untold horrors and cosmic forces beyond their understanding. Cramped together inside a Jeep Cherokee and with the miles stretching infinitely ahead, they face a choice: embrace their new existence or fight to escape it.
Sentimental Value 2025. I am familiar with the work of Joachim Trier . Still, I didn’t expect this one to be as good as it was. It felt so much more personal than all the other works I’ve seen of him. I could relate a lot. Loved it. Synopsis: Sisters Nora and Agnes reunite with their estranged father, the charismatic Gustav, a once-renowned director who offers stage actress Nora a role in what he hopes will be his comeback film. When Nora turns it down, she soon discovers he has given her part to an eager young Hollywood star.
No Other Choice 2025. 100% Park Chan-wook. Seems this director can’t make a bad film. Synopsis: After being laid off and humiliated by a ruthless job market, a veteran paper mill manager descends into violence in a desperate bid to reclaim his dignity.
It Was Just an Accident 2025. Usually the works of Jafar Panahi are a blend of fictional and reality. It’s great to see him exploring different paths. Synopsis: Vahid, an Azerbaijani auto mechanic, was once imprisoned by Iranian authorities. During his sentence, he was interrogated blindfolded. One day, a man named Eqbal enters his workshop. His prosthetic leg creaks, and Vahid thinks he recognizes one of his former torturers.
Wake Up Dead Man 2025. Brilliant mystery film. It’s amazing to see a director that has such mastery of the cinema language, and at the same time has a big budget to explore it. Synopsis: When young priest Jud Duplenticy is sent to assist charismatic firebrand Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, it’s clear that all is not well in the pews. After a sudden and seemingly impossible murder rocks the town, the lack of an obvious suspect prompts local police chief Geraldine Scott to join forces with renowned detective Benoit Blanc to unravel a mystery that defies all logic.
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