Transcripts & Timestamps
Wisdom bits, using Alter with Hyperduck for AI automations, video thumbnail image generations, YouTube transcript tool, and Readwise new MCP.
Hey guys, here’s some of the stuff that stood out in my past week:
On Growth
Here’s one of those articles that have a lot of short practical wisdom. I read this a few days ago and these are the things that have stuck with me the most:
Uncomfortable facts are often the most helpful ones.
Avoid arguments, embrace conversations.
Write down the things you are sure you will never forget.
Perfectionism is not related to quality.
Trade short-term wins for long-term impact.
On Remote AI Automations
Mid-last week, I shared this quick video about how I trigger AI automations on my Mac from my phone. This all works thanks to Hyperduck, a small utility that works via iCloud. It’s super handy.
You can adapt this to trigger all sorts of automations, not just Alter (as shown in the video). With Alter, it’s just really convenient because it supports URL schemes. With Alter actions (which act like agents) I can have one as entry point that routes my request to other actions (sub-agents). I find this super useful. That said, this isn’t quite the same as something like OpenClaw (which has gained some big popularity lately).
On Image Generation
Talking about the video above, I continue to experiment here and there with image generation. Even though AI models for have gotten so much better at this, I still find it tough to generate a realistic image from just one base profile photo. However, I’ve found that Nano Banana is really good at taking an existing image and editing the same subject into a different setting. So… instead of creating from scratch (or from a reference), this is just doing a bit of editing.
Here’s a quick rundown of how I created the thumbnail above:
First, I grabbed the logos for Alter and Hyperduck. I ran this prompt in ChatGPT:
Make the duck bigger, extend the image, make him wear a T-shirt with Alter’s logo (the "a" image). Basically, just combine both into one.
After I had the duck, I gave that, plus a picture of me at my desk, to Nano Banana (in Google AI Studio). I used the following prompt, and I think the key line here is to tell it that the subject’s lighting and colors should match the environment. This is what brings the whole thing together.
Place the subject in a dark spaceship. Behind him, the duck with same shirt, same glasses, looks over him. Subject has same expression and is on his phone, surrounded by machines. There's 3d particles elevating the atmosphere of the scene. The subject lighting and color should match the environment in this cinematic scene. The tone is mystery and suspense.
By the way, have you seen the new video generations from Kling AI? I saw this video made with it, and thought it was crazy! Yeah, perhaps not as shocking as the first AI videos we all started to see not a long time ago, but the physics and the details just keep getting better and better. Seedance 2.0 which came out just a few days after Kling AI also looks amazing.
On YT Transcripts
There’s another thing I wanted to mention that briefly did an appearance in the video above: how I have an automation set up to remotely ask for a YouTube transcript extraction, summary, and key points. Up until recently, I’ve been doing this directly with IdeaShell. IdeaShell is great, but the issue with most of these apps is that you have to do the request/processing right there in the moment. The whole idea with Alter + Hyperduck is to send a request with just a few taps and move on. Later, I just check my notes and the result’s already there.
To get YouTube transcripts I tried a bunch of tools on GitHub. The best one I found for my use case was this. It lets you pick the language and include timestamps, which is super useful. Next step was making this into an Alter tool.
The code for the tool is this AppleScript, you just need to make sure the path to the binary is correct at the top of the script. Then, in Alter’s description for the tool, you’d put something like this:
Get a YouTube transcript with timestamps for a given YouTube URL or video ID.
USAGE:
youtube-transcripts(
content: string, # REQUIRED. Always pass Youtube URL or video ID.
)With this, I can just attach this tool to any of Alter’s action and instruct it what to do with it. In my case, the system prompt has a couple of lines that say “if the user gives you a YouTube link without any further instructions, use the tool to extract the transcript. Make a detailed summary with key points and timestamps, then save as a new note in Bear.“
I’m planning to share more about the tool I created to use Alter with Bear, but that is more complex. I’m still trying to come up with ideas on how to present it step by step.
On Updatest
I’ve said this before. For a couple of years, MacUpdater was my go-to for updating applications, but it’s gone now. I’ve been using Topgrade for CLI apps and Cork for brew-related updates. I missed a nicer looking UI, so finally caved in and decided to pay for Updatest. I’d tried it before and wasn’t totally convinced, and I’m still not 100% convinced it’s as good as MacUpdater was. But from everything I’ve tested, it’s the one that seems to find more updates and has more active development. Hoping it delivers.
On Readwise
I saw that Readwise is planning to release a new remote MCP server. There’s the previous MCP they’ve had for a while (which connects to the highlights side of the app), but this update seems to be for Reader (the read-it-later side).
Looks like this new MCP server is still in beta, but if you have Claude or ChatGPT you may be able to try it out (I got no subscriptions with those apps, so please correct me if I’m wrong). I never got the previous version to work with third-party apps like TypingMind or Alter, and that’s still the case with v2. Since instructions indicate users will be able to plug this into OpenClaw, I’m keeping fingers crossed that they’ll be more flexible with this.
On Cinema
Strange Days (1995). Loved it. Those POV shots reminded me of Matthew Libatique’s work in Requiem for a Dream… amazing cinematography. Beneath all the chaos and its themes of politics, anarchy, and corruption, the film ultimately circles back to human connection. Synopsis: In the last days of 1999, ex-cop turned street hustler Lenny Nero receives a disc which contains the memories of the murder of a prostitute. With the help of bodyguard Mace, he starts to investigate and is pulled deeper and deeper in a whirl of murder, blackmail and intrigue.
The Mastermind (2025). It’s all about the small details. The rhythm, the silence, the way scenes sit just a beat longer than you think they will. It all builds tension without obvious spikes. You’d imagine a story about a crime to unfold very differently. Synopsis: In a sedate Massachusetts suburb circa 1970, unemployed family man and amateur art thief J.B. Mooney sets out on his first heist. With the museum cased and accomplices recruited, he has an airtight plan. Or so he thinks.
The Perfect Neighbor (2025). A masterclass on editing and how it’s all about sculpting the source material. Synopsis: Police bodycam footage reveals how a long-running neighborhood dispute turned fatal in this documentary about fear, prejudice and Stand Your Ground laws.
The Golden Spurtle (2025). Loved the stylized camera work (it worked really well with the beautiful landscape!), I liked the focus on the diversity of the characters. Even with all the neat symmetry and careful imagery, the personalities come through. Synopsis: In a quaint Scottish village in the Highlands, contenders from around the globe gather to compete for the title of World Porridge Champion armed only with oats, salt and water. As the ailing Porridge Chieftain’s tenure ends, he embarks on a mission to find a successor. Amidst intense rivalries and the charm of eccentric locals, this documentary delves into the legacy of the village and unveils a captivating culinary spectacle.
If you liked this you may also enjoy some content I have up on my YT Channel! I don’t hang around social media a lot, but when I do I’m on IG or Twitter. You can also check out some of my online classes, listen to my music, or in case you haven’t already, subscribe to my weekly newsletter. Thank you for reading!
Hi Robert, my name is Artem. I'm a founder of writingmate.ai and AIDictation.com, a new up-and-coming dictation tool on the market. I really, really like the quality of your videos on YouTube and would like to know if you can partner. Hit me at artem@writingmate.ai