November🦃
A fresh newsletter just in time for Turkey Day.
November 2020
Hi everyone,
Welcome to the second edition🎉 of my new monthly newsletter. If you're just tuning in (ie you didn't see last month's newsletter) then you may have missed the context about what this is and what I'm trying to do. Luckily, you can find October's email online, so you can get all those groovy details if you so choose.
A lot has happened in the past month. And so much of it out of our control. If you think about it too much, it'll drive you crazy. I took a staycation for the first week of November, which allowed me to almost-completely unplug, both from work and the news cycle. It was amazing. I've since been trying to lower my news intake and focus on things that are within my control. Many of which I share in this email.
No other major updates, except that I think this month's newsletter turned out pretty swell. I hope you agree.
-Dann
Pushing ARM-ward
💻Apple announced a new Apple-branded, Arm-based computer chip this month, the M1. Moving SoC in-house is a smart move for Apple, and the technology seems very impressive. But I will admit I was a little disappointed. Deep down, what I was really hoping for was a surprise Apple TV with the new A14 chip, alongside an announcement that Apple was doubling-down on gaming (AAA games via Arcade). I guess we’ll have to wait a bit longer for that one.
Pop-culture
🌽We eat a lot of popcorn in our household, mostly thanks to this reusable glass microwave popper (affiliate link). The quality difference over bagged popcorn is huge. Here's the trick: it actually tastes better without butter or oil. Who would have thought?
Battle of the content giants
📺When Apple announced Apple TV+, I didn't really get it. Why did we need another paid streaming content service? But then it clicked:
Apple TV+ isn’t trying to out-Netflix Netflix. They’re out-HBO-ing HBO — while HBO, newly-owned by AT&T...is hamfistedly pissing away what made HBO HBO by trying to out-Netflix Netflix. I swear that’s probably half the reason they went with the name “HBO Max” — Netflix has an X at the end of their name, so should we.
We recently watched TV+'s On The Rocks and Boys State (both enjoyable, but I really only recommend the latter). Apple TV+ still has a ways to go, but I do feel like I get it now.
The Great Warming
☀️In case you missed it, New York City is now officially subtropical, so I'm not holding my breath for any big winter snowstorms anytime soon. As someone that moved to New York and fell in love with the snow, it's more than a little disheartening.
Like a phoenix...
✈️Speaking of NYC, the latest predictions are saying that our economy (so much of which is tourism) may not fully recover until 2025. Even after a vaccine is widely distributed, it'll be longer yet before we're getting the same number of international travelers (who spend ~4x more than domestic tourists).
This means income inequality is going to be even more extreme than it already was. A robust tourist economy is the biggest driver of pay increases and quality-of-life improvements for less-educated New Yorkers. It's going to be a rough few years.
But if you live here and do have the means, this will be the perfect opportunity to do all the touristy things you've always wanted to do. There will be less crowds, and every dollar spent will be helping to revive the local economy. Empire State Building, anyone?
Quick bites (the dust)
💀In news that should surprise no one (except maybe one person), the streaming service Quibi (short for Quick Bites) is officially caput. I'm always fascinated with founders that are able to raise vast sums of money without any sort of proven business. Anyone remember Color?
It's incredible to me how much of life is all about sales. A great idea is worthless unless you're able to sell it. But a terrible idea can we worth millions with the right hype-person. I'm not mad, I just want to see Quibi's pitch deck.
Perks of Late Stage Capitalism
🛍In a move that’s strictly for laughs, I launched Dann Berg Sells You Things, the official source for all your Dann-merch needs. I don't expect anyone to actually buy anything (especially as I'll continue giving everything away for free) but doesn't my personal website look so much better with a Shop link the the nav bar?
Sneeze Louise
💨As temperatures drop and coronavirus numbers steadily rise, it's important to think about how aerosols spread so you can properly assess the risks of certain activities. El País has a great illustration of how the virus spreads over time in different spaces with various safety precautions in place. It's worth a gander.
End note
If you've enjoyed this, I'd love it if you shared it with a friend. You can send them here to sign up.
I'll be sending out these emails once per month, and I'm happy you're along for the ride. I'm trying to make it one of the best things that arrives in your inbox each month, so thoughts and feedback are always appreciated. Just reply to this email and give me the good word.
Also, if you find anything interesting this week, feel free to send it my way.
Thanks for reading. Until next time,
Dann