Something about AI, "synergy," and building cool / new stuff.

See why Beefree acquired RGE

Offscreen

From:
Offscreen
Subject:

6 / The new Offscreen is here!

I'm so happy to announce that the new Offscreen has finally launched! Issue 16 and ongoing subscriptions are now available. The new issue will start shipping from Berlin late this and early next week! To make sure you're part of the first big shipment, place your order within 48 hours of receiving this email. 

I've written a short blog post about the many changes this relaunch brings about. The new issue we're launching today features a wonderful mix of people with a diverse range of backgrounds and perspectives. If you enjoy the Perusal section of this newsletter make sure you grab of a copy of the magazine too. Offscreen is all about buzzword-free, thoughtful, big-picture conversations about how we shape technology and how technology shapes us. And by buying a copy or subscribing to the magazine you are helping me bring you more of that in the future.

Thanks for your ongoing support and please don't hesitate to reply if you encounter any problems with the new site. ❤️  – Kai

Sponsor

Tired of boring note-taking apps that provide only blank pages? Try Coffee Note for a change. Coffee Note is a workflow driven note-taking app that aims to streamline your processes with templates.

Apps

Another Gmail plugin, this time for adding GIFs to your emails with just a few words. :: gif me impressed.

Diffeo indexes all your cloud storage and communication accounts (like Dropbox, Drive, Evernote, Gmail, Slack, etc.) and provides an overarching, intelligent search. It sure is convenient, you just have to disregard any security or privacy concerns that come from storing that much information in one place.

I'm a Tweetbot user myself, but I've always had a lot of respect and love for the team behind Twitterrific – not least because I interviewed one of its makers (Gedeon Maheux) all the way back in issue 2 of Offscreen. The team is now trying to give its dated Mac app a big refresh. Consider supporting them.

Zoomy is a Windows/Mac/Linux app that helps you locate photos licensed under Creative Commons Zero and/or Public Domain. I'm wondering why this is a standalone app and not just a website – perhaps to be able to charge the small initial fee of $5?

Gear

The new Offscreen has been more than six months in the making. It all started with a fundraiser in September last year. After two rounds of delays – first because of some production hiccups, then because bug fixing the new site took longer than expected – issue 16 is finally available! We also launched a new subscription model with ongoing, pay-per-issue subscription tiers.

Perusal

"When tech people casually reference empathy they’re treating it like just another commodity. This isn’t intentional or malicious. It’s a by-product of living in a world of ultimate convenience and privilege. But you can’t order up empathy the way you can order a ride or dinner. Empathy takes practice."

This keynote by Jeffrey Bleich at Universities Australia’s higher education conference in Canberra is one of the best summaries of the status quo and future of politics, technology, and education I've come across recently. Worth a read/listen/watch!