๐ค AI changed my reading forever
and why this new 60 Hz e-paper caught my eye
Dear curious mind,
Yesterday was Black Friday - or even longer ago, depending on when you're reading this. While my mails and ๐ feed are still flooded with deals and discounts that mostly last until Cyber Monday, I am not promoting my own product. Instead, I'll share with you what caught my eye but didn't convince me to buy - and one special deal I actually went for.
If you're looking for a comprehensive overview of AI deals, I recommend checking out Matt Wolfe's Black Friday Deals For AI Stuff video. He did a great job summarizing the most interesting offers in the AI space.
In this issue:
๐ก Shared Insight
My AI-Enhanced Reading Journey: Why This New 60Hz E-Paper Caught My Eye
๐ฐ AI Update
Claude: Get Responses in Preset Styles or Your Own Writing Voice
The Open Model QwQ from Qwen Is in Math and Coding Ahead of OpenAI
๐ Media Recommendation
The Pathless Path Bundle: A Black Friday Deal for Personal Growth and Body Awareness
๐ก Shared Insight
My AI-Enhanced Reading Journey: Why This New 60Hz E-Paper Caught My Eye
I still remember when I got my first Kindle - it entirely changed how I read. No more carrying heavy books around, especially when I was in the middle of reading multiple titles. The ability to read one-handed and with a later device also the eye-friendly backlight for late-night reading sessions were game-changers. While it's technically a digital screen, it never felt as exhausting or distracting as reading on my phone, tablet or computer.
My next big step forward was switching in 2023 to an Android e-ink device, the BOOX Tab Ultra. This opened up a whole new world of possibilities. Particularly, I love to use the Readwise Reader app, which I already used as a read-it-later-app to read articles. The AI integration named Ghostreader is particularly fascinating as it provides smart summaries of saved articles that sometime helped me to remove an article from my reading list. Quick side note: don't fall into the trap of treating your read-it-later app as a backlog you must complete - it's okay to be selective! One of the big benefits is to save articles at the time you find them for later, ideally with a small note why the article resonated with you. Meanwhile, besides articles, I also read e-books on this device and use Ghostreader to get support by AI to understand difficult passages, sentences or words.
I am happy with my BOOX Tab ultra and my workflow, but there's an interesting device that recently caught my attention: the Daylight DC-1. After six years of development, this small company is trying something different - using LCD technology to achieve paper-like qualities while maintaining a smooth 60Hz refresh rate. The early customer reactions on social media have been quite positive.
Despite all the current hype on social media, there are also critical voices in posts and review videos. The innovation or at least what makes this device different from e-ink devices is the display. If you watch videos comparing the DC-1 to e-ink devices, you will see the display's greenish tint and limited viewing angles.
While they're now taking orders for their next batch (targeted delivery for February 2025), everyone who is interested in this device, should look at the already available reviews on social media and especially YouTube. A good starting point is the initial and follow up video review from Joshua Chang. The price is with more than $700 high, but if your usage benefits from the high refresh rates it might be worth it.
I considered switching from my BOOX Tab Ultra (which, by the way, already has impressive refresh rates for an e-paper display thanks to its special GPU chip), but after careful consideration, I decided against it. For my primary use case - reading through Readwise Reader - I do see more drawbacks than benefits. If you're considering jumping into the e-paper world or upgrading your current device, my advice is to really think about your usage scenarios. While all these new features and capabilities sound exciting, the best device is the one that helps you to achieve your goals while keeping distractions low. Sometimes, less is more, and part of that is not switching to a new device.
๐ฐ AI Update
Claude: Get Responses in Preset Styles or Your Own Writing Voice (@AnthropicAI on ๐)
You can now easily customize Claude's response style with preset options like Concise, Explanatory, or Formal, allowing you to adapt the writing style to get the responses youโre looking for. By uploading writing samples, you can personalize Claude's style to match your unique communication needs. This feature is helpful for everyone using Claude, but itโs especially valuable for writers, as it ensures the responses seamlessly align with their writing style and creative goals.
The Open Model QwQ from Qwen Is in Math and Coding Ahead of OpenAI (Qwen blog)
QwQ is an AI model with only 32B parameters, which achieves top scores in math and science benchmarks. However, there is still room for improvement in common-sense reasoning. This might change with the final release, as this model is as o1 tagged as preview version. QwQ can be run locally on consumer PC with a high-end GPU or Macs with an M-chip, e.g. it is already supported in Ollama.
๐ Media Recommendation
The Pathless Path Bundle: A Black Friday Deal for Personal Growth and Body Awareness
Paul Millerd, author of "The Pathless Path," has put together a compelling Black Friday bundle that combines community access, body awareness training, and insightful books from various thought leaders.
The bundle's cornerstone offering is lifetime access to The Pathless Path Community (normally $150), where 400+ individuals on unconventional career paths can connect and support each other. This also includes the "Art of Strategic Freelancing" course by Paul Millerd which is available to all community members.
A standout inclusion is Michael Ashcroft's Alexander Technique Course (normally $250), which teaches an embodied mindfulness practice for improving posture and movement without traditional meditation. This educational method focuses on reducing tension and promoting natural coordination.
The package includes several digital books:
"The Pathless Path" by Paul Millerd questions conventional career paths and shares a more meaningful, self-directed approach to work and life.
"Good Work" by Paul Millerd is an invitation to redefine work beyond traditional success metrics, challenging readers to seek fulfillment through questioning established narratives about careers.
"Friendly Ambitious Nerd" by Visakan Veerasamy compiles 10+ years of insights on personal growth, creativity, and building meaningful relationships.
"Introspect" by Visakan Veerasamy focuses on self-discovery and mindset transformation.
Also included is Jonny Miller's "Reflecting Forwards" annual review notion template, a structured tool for meaningful year-end reflection based on a decade of his personal experience.
My take: I bought this bundle myself during Black Friday and wanted to share it as I think others might find similar value in it - I'm not earning any commission for sharing. Having read "The Pathless Path" before, I was immediately intrigued by the bundle, especially since I've found great value in Paul's perspective on unconventional career paths. The Alexander Technique course particularly caught my attention as I've personally struggled with posture since childhood, and I'm curious to explore this new-to-me method. While I haven't started working through all the materials yet, the combination of community access, practical techniques, and thoughtful written content struck me as a well-rounded package for personal development.
Disclaimer: This newsletter is written with the aid of AI. I use AI as an assistant to generate and optimize the text. However, the amount of AI used varies depending on the topic and the content. I always curate and edit the text myself to ensure quality and accuracy. The opinions and views expressed in this newsletter are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of the sources or the AI models.
The remarkable pro version not only allows you to read articles You can mark them up, take notes in your own handwriting, and sync to your phone and computer