Stream

Realizing I use Procreate because it has double/triple tap for redo/undo & rotation of canvas; use Notion because it is a webapp, multi platform, block based with interesting blocks.

I've lost all rights to suggesting that people shouldn't have UX as a main deal breaker 🤦🏾‍♀️

I like it a lot but it needs a ton of stuff to be my day-to-day app.

I got access to Superlist about a month ago. I generally don't write about apps unless I've spent some quality time with them. The core concept of Superlist is like if Notion or Apple Notes had calendar views, scheduling, and checkbox assignments. It reminds me a lot of ColumnsApp.

What I appreciate about it is the focus on collaboration; I can't really work with a personal to-do app. Plus, it's multi-platform, which is a must for me. On the integrations side, it's decent; my go-to app, Todoist, doesn't offer much beyond Google Calendar integration.Tasks, Notes (including files and attachments), and Comments are all centralized, which is honestly fantastic. This is the core reason I wanted to check out Superlist, and it delivers.

The UI for managing tasks, comments, scheduling, tags, and lists is really well done. Everything shows up in an Inbox that can be filtered, scheduled, and tagged, making task management a breeze.

So why am I not committed yet? The app lacks export options, activity logs, watch apps, task statuses beyond a basic checkbox, quick capture options (Todoist really spoiled me there), limited keyboard shortcuts, and doesn't display subtask progress. It also has some syncing issues similar to Todoist.

Despite these drawbacks, I think it's a pretty solid app. It treats tasks as first-class citizens, unlike many note-taking apps, while still maintaining a lot of to-do app features.

Once it's out of beta, I think it's going to attract a lot of attention. I'm eager to see how it evolves.

I have several reasons for liking Google Workspace: it functions offline, almost everyone has a Google account, and its integration with Bard ( Jul 13, 2024, 06:14 PM: Gemini) is seamless-ish. Features such as toggles, previews, markdown-based writing, and rich text are also invaluable.

The tasks functionality, although not free, is impressive as they can be linked with Google tasks, mentioned in chats, and synced from documents. I find Sheets+API information straightforward, and the ease of handling data through inline dropdowns & places is superior to Notion. Its offline capability, compatibility with Google Calendar, Meet, Keep, Google Apps Script, Gmail integrations, outline on the side pane, and summary are features Show information for the linked content I truly adore.

However, there are some areas where Google Workspace falls short for me. I prefer the toggles in Notion, as Google Docs' toggles are restricted to headings. The use of embeds, callouts, and block-based editors is something I am accustomed to and enjoy in Notion. I miss features like synced blocks and block mentions, and I'm not a fan of viewing Google Drive as a cluttered space with numerous files. Notion's user experience, especially when opening a page with the same sidebar, feels more cohesive (Update: Google Docs is getting something similarShow information for the linked content). Another concern is the storage aspect; uploading to Google consumes my storage while Notion offers it for free. I'm more familiar with the Notion API, making it easier for me than Google Docs API. Public content presentation in Notion also feels superior to GDocs.

Perhaps in the future, if I become more comfortable with the editor and the absence of certain block features, I might reconsider Google Workspace. It encompasses many features I desire from Notion, particularly task collection and an advanced AI search via Bard (now Gemini) for GDrive. This post did enlighten me: if I could ever tolerate the sight of 10k randomly scattered files, Google Workspace would be my go-to. Surprisingly, I even prefer it over Obsidian, which further narrows down my options.

I think it is the concept of defaults. If you have time to add cute animations, you have time to make it accessible.

As someone who never thought about accessibility when I was in India, it took me time to come around to the idea that accessibility needs to be the default.

For example, yes, looking for color blind palettes and textures adds time to your graphing process, but that time should have been factored in. Considering non-color blind friendly graphs as a completed task was the problem for me. 😅

And now we have the vision API! If you can use AI to write your content, you can use AI to add alt for the images in the content.

If you use Chrome and envy the vertical tabs that Arc has, I just modified a few lines in Polychrome to support side panel:

GitHub - nerdymomocat/polychrome-sidepanel-crx

Contribute to nerdymomocat/polychrome-sidepanel-crx development by creating an account on GitHub.

https://github.com/nerdymomocat/polychrome-sidepanel-crx/tree/main

Supports tab groups, multiple windows, search, drag and drop, pinned tabs, and duplicate tabs removal!

It has been so darn irritating realizing that I click on, consume, understand, think about, create, and recall information in different ways.

This is possibly the most irritating realization I have had about myself. It contextualizes so much, but I wish I was not this way.

AI Email Labeller is a nifty Google Apps Script that allows you to automatically label your emails based on your prompts. It’s hosted on Google Apps Script, enabling users to leverage the Gmail API directly, even those in a managed workspace like .edu domains. The only cost involved is the OpenAI API.

Check it out here:

GitHub - nerdymomocat/gas-openai-gmail-labeller

Contribute to nerdymomocat/gas-openai-gmail-labeller development by creating an account on GitHub.

https://github.com/nerdymomocat/gas-openai-gmail-labeller

and watch a preview here:

The one major thing GPT has enabled me to do is be able to create UIs for scripts that I would have just relied on code/spreadsheet for. Makes it much more likely that I will actually end up using something too!

Sketchnotes catch my eye but don't hold my attention

I've always been a fan of the concept of sketchnoting, but I have realized I don't consume information that way. And it really makes it much more unlikely for me to sketchnote, which honestly is sad. What I actually like consuming information from are infographics or supporting images, not icons.But, sketchnotes serve a different purpose for me. I don't know what part of sketchnotes makes me want to click on the link so much, but I do not actually want to learn or read the illustration? (Or maybe it is just that I have run out of ADHD meds at the moment, and have 0 visual focus, but that's unlikely).They are so irresistible for my mind. It's very much as if my mind goes Oooh, a pretty well thought-out illustration, that must have required so much effort. Let's click the link and read the article. They are the definition of possibly me judging a book by its cover.

Ever so often, I come across an app, I think I need, and it works perfectly, but I end up not needing it, at least not in the way I thought I'd need it. The latest app in the list is browser.horse, thanks to PascalPixel who very kindly allowed me to test the app a few months back. Browser horse claims to do one thing: create trail-like navigation structure to your tabs. And it does it perfectly.

On the worst of days, I have had 200+ tabs open in Horse; on the best, at least a 100. And it has been pretty stable for all of it. It is especially useful for situations where I open multiple references from a paper; if I'm deep diving into that paper. It feels like creating a flowchart, but in your browser.

So, why don't I use it? Tree-based navigation is not a new paradigm. SigmaOS and Stack_HQ are two other main browser apps that do something similar. And my lack of usage is not due to the shortcomings of browser horse; but rather due to my browsing pattern.

• Anything I browse does not get added to Google browsing history (and I want that - Yes, I know the privacy concerns; and I choose convenience and recall)
• Lack of extensions, so I cannot quick add to readwise, copy all links, quick add to todoist etc.
• But most importantly, I realized that I'm not really looking for an origin → tree structure when I want tab organization (aka trails).

Unfortunately, I am often deep diving into multiple parent papers/objects with overlapping concepts; and that is where the pattern breaks. I am looking for auto-organize and auto-deduplicate based on set of NLP kind filters.

If paper on A; ≤3 months, group it. I have multiple parent saplings and have overlapping leaves; with weird usage constraints - and if you don't have those; you'll enjoy Horse. It of course has some drawbacks - I wish it had full support for extensions + customizable navigation.

I, personally, won't pay for a browser, but if that is something that you're open to; and you often find yourself dead in 200 tabs, you should see if Horse is up your alley.

I have three reading models:
1. Skimming (50%)
2. Reading for pleasure (40%)
3. Understanding and dissecting a research paper (10%)

Contrary to popular advice, I don't take any notes for the first two categories, which make up 90% of my reading. I simply highlight and quote. Oh, and I also don't do booknotes.

When reading on my Kindle, I sometimes highlight stuff and sync it through Readwise. I don't do podcast notes either, opting for podcast snips instead. For the 3rd model, most of my 'note-taking' is actually replaced by AI extraction. For example, I ask what the Research Questions (RQs) are in a particular paper.

The only notes I do write are focused on processes (how to do something), understanding (what's involved), or questions/ideas related to my work. For me, any other written notes just serve as search pointers. I do write a lot outside of note-taking, like blogs, journals, letters, and academic papers.