Hipsta Espresso #3: Quack
The last issue turned out to be super packed.
And then, well, things happened, and I ended up taking a little break. Technically, this is where I'm supposed to bow and apologize, but real ones don't apologize.
I finally submitted my thesis and got my degree, so evenings are officially less stressful now. Let's see where this goes. I'm thinking about tweaking some technical stuff on the site, but we'll see. You've probably already noticed my recent design experiments (man, I love doing this). On mobile, I ditched the standard header and built a handy bottom menu instead. At the same time, I threw out the old modal-it was opening terribly on different devices and drove me crazy. So, we're rolling with this for now, and who knows, maybe I'll design something even more satisfying later.
UPD: While I was writing this post, I managed to do a little gig as what I call a "full-stack jack-of-all-trades": edited some videos, wrote some code, and tweaked some designs. The task tracker was bursting at the seams, but I loved it! Honestly, a YouTube channel doesn't feel that far off now... Just kidding. Or am I?
Anyway, let's dive in! As usual, we'll start with a solid TV show.
The 8 Show
A South Korean series about a brutal reality show where participants are paid for every single minute they spend in the game.
Rules of time and big money-everything we love. And really, who else but Koreans can flip these concepts inside out so well that you literally cannot look away?
At first glance, you might think it's a "Temu version" of Squid Game, but don't rush to conclusions-it has a completely different message and depth. Long story short, highly recommended!
Can't Go Without Games
Mouse: P.I. for Hire
A chill first-person shooter. It might seem like nothing extraordinary, if not for the mind-blowing atmosphere created by the visuals and the soundtrack. Sure, the graphics aren't exactly next-gen, but damn, the style! Cartoonish animations in the spirit of good old Disney, heavily mixed with noir vibes in a way that your childhood memories turn into straight-up flashbacks. Gameplay-wise, it might not be a Game of the Year contender, but come on, who said every title has to reinvent the wheel? It's perfect to just run around and have a blast.
This Is Fine: Maximum Cope
Everyone remembers that legendary meme with the dog drinking coffee in a burning room, right? Yeah, the one from The Pills Are Working comic strip. Well, they recently released a game based on it, and it looks incredibly fun. It's a platformer with very neat hand-drawn graphics. I don't know why, but I have a strong feeling it's a perfect time-killer for mobile. Yes, the project seems childish and lighthearted, but doesn't everyone have an inner child waking up once in a while?
A quick thought: I have some questions for the gaming industry. Why do developers so stubbornly ignore mobile? Meanwhile, the fresh Nintendo Switch 2, which had so much drama around getting dev kits, manages to snatch almost every single new release. Looks like Nintendo stepped up and made the right moves early. But this total neglect of iOS and Android remains a mystery to me.
What's on the Software Front?
Apollo
An absolute must-have photo editor that literally "recalculates" lighting in your portrait shots. The app grabs the depth map from Portrait Mode and lets you add virtual light sources directly onto the finished photo. The lighting setups look incredibly realistic-for mobile photography, this is pure magic.
Recrop
An old-school but still incredibly useful utility that "fills in" the borders of your photos. It doesn't do it perfectly, of course, but on simple shots, it delivers a very decent result in just a couple of clicks.
It's not an everyday tool, but it can be a lifesaver. I used it just the other day at work: I needed to insert a photo into a layout, but it was cropped too tightly on the sides. Instead of spending half an hour fighting with AI prompts trying to explain what I wanted, I just opened Recrop, extended the background on the required side in two taps, and boom! Saved me time and nerves.
Drill Simulator
A drill simulator-the perfect digital payback for that neighbor. The only downside is the ads, but that automatically turned into a plus because the app stays free. While I was writing this article, the app got updated, they added other tools, and-our favorite thing ever-a subscription! But it's not all bad; the drill and the rotary hammer are still free.
Pro tip: Before giving your neighbor a session of acoustic therapy, just turn off the internet on your phone. You know what to do next.
DockDoor
An absolute game-changer for the Mac dock. The app shows neat previews of open and minimized windows when you simply hover your cursor over them. And for the default "Calendar" app, it even displays today's to-do list, even if the app itself is closed. It's not just about aesthetics; it's a massive boost to convenience and productivity. Plus, it's completely free-definitely grab it.
Bauhaus Clock
A beautiful piece of software that I've been following since its Mac release. Back then, it cost half as much, but due to constant bank issues (that's a whole different story), I never bought it. Luckily, there's an awesome person (Sanya, sending you positive vibes and a huge thank you! 👋) who shared this masterpiece with me. It's basically a screensaver, but it brings so much aesthetic pleasure every time it turns on that you can get lost staring at it-minimalism and geometry in their purest form. Recently, the app finally launched on iPhone and iPad. I've already added it to my wishlist, waiting for a discount to complete my collection.
Download on App Store ✦ Go to Website
Cotypist
Honestly, I have no idea how I lived without this utility before. Looking back, I realize it saved me tons of time while I was churning out massive texts for work and finishing my thesis. The magic is simple: the app scans the text right on your screen and suggests word completions or contextual replies on the fly.
For instance, if you need to reply to a work email, Cotypist reads the incoming message and generates ready-to-use reply options that you can insert with a single tap of the Tab key. If you want, you can configure how many words ahead the software will suggest. Right now, the app is completely free, but they plan to introduce a subscription later (while keeping a basic free tier, according to the developer). In short, it's a must-have for anyone who writes a lot.
Moods faster
A new release from the creator of the legendary Remind Me Faster. The goal of the app is simple-to let you log your current mood in a single tap. The developer took the working rapid-input concept from his previous hit and packed it into a new project. It looks super-minimalist and stylish, in the best traditions of digital minimalism. These micro-utilities are what make life so much easier. The only downside is the price tag for the in-app purchase, but it doesn't seem to affect basic usability at all, so you can safely test the free version.
NeatPass
I stumbled upon this utility completely by accident, and right when I needed it most: I had to add a paper ticket for a conference to Apple Wallet, but... drumroll ...it didn't have a standard QR code on it.
That's where the magic of NeatPass comes in. You just feed the app a photo of the ticket or a PDF file, and the built-in AI scans the document on the fly, recognizes barcodes, dates, locations, and builds a beautiful card for Apple Wallet in one tap. Also, a huge plus for privacy-all the AI processing happens locally on the device, nothing gets uploaded to the cloud. It supports pretty much everything: concert tickets, train passes, movie tickets, museum entries, and even parking slips. The full version without limitations is only 5 euros, and honestly, for such an upgrade to my Wallet, the price is totally justified.
Time for Some Fun
Bacon in Zane
With all the craziness around my thesis and the new job, I didn't have much time for serious gaming. But then I saw an announcement for this new release and instantly remembered the legendary game series from this developer. And yes, these are games about... bacon. Seriously, fried bacon! It's probably the most addictive and absurd time-killer I've ever played.
Just a couple of weeks ago, they released Bacon in Zane. This time, we have to guide a piece of bacon through... the human body. But it's done with highly hilarious humor. You aren't just crawling through a boring digestive tract-you travel through unexpected organs, eyes, ears, and God knows what else. The app has a single in-app purchase to disable ads, otherwise, it's completely free.
Download on App Store ✦ Download on Google Play
Zip-Zap
Actually, this developer has a ton of brilliant and fun indie projects (and not all of them are about meat). Most of them are free, the mechanics are simple, but they hook you instantly. Here is my personal top list that belongs on every smartphone:
- Zip-Zap - the ultimate physics-based mechanical puzzle where you control toy construction parts.
Download on App Store ✦ Download on Google Play
Bacon The Game
A timeless classic. Your only task is to flip a piece of bacon onto the most unsuitable objects (from the Statue of Liberty to a glass of whiskey) with an elegant pan flip.
Download on App Store ✦ Download on Google Play
see/saw
A hardcore and incredibly stylish platformer where you'll have to suffer, die in pixels, and jump onto saw blades just to pass the level. It's impossible to put down.
Download on App Store ✦ Download on Google Play
Drova: Forsaken Kin
A dark pixel-art Action-RPG with a thick atmosphere ready to pull you in for about 40 hours (as promised by the developers) of pure, hardcore gameplay. The visuals and vibes pay heavy tribute to old-school classics (hey there, Gothic), and the combat system will make you sweat. If you miss deep RPG worlds where nobody holds your hand-this is my absolute 100% recommendation.
Download on App Store ✦ Download on Google Play
Gambonanza
Literally Balatro on chess-themed steroids. An incredibly addictive roguelike where classic chess mechanics are mixed with pure excitement and combo magic. The ultimate destroyer of your free time.
Download on App Store ✦ Download on Google Play
MicroMacro: Downtown Detective
This is a very unusual detective hit that suddenly helped me... practice foreign languages! Sure, there's plenty of specific crime-related vocabulary, but the game also boosts sentence structure understanding, real grammar, and context. It's my personal life hack for combining business with pleasure. The game itself is super interesting-you sit over a massive map searching for clues. The only thing is that it lacks localization in many languages, making it a perfect trainer for English or German.
Download on App Store ✦ Download on Google Play
Bonus
Finally, sharing some gold for those who need to get into deep, focused work mode.
I used to listen to LofiGirl, but recently I stumbled upon a couple of cool channels: "quiet please." and "chill chill journal". They offer perfect tracks for working. I absolutely love putting them on: the music is super pleasant, immersive, and completely unobtrusive. Your head won't feel heavy, and your productivity will skyrocket.
Links to chill chill journal: Youtube ✦ Apple Music ✦ Spotify
P.S. Software and technology are moving at warp speed right now: things get hyped up, others push giants aside, and we easily get lost in all the noise. Our brains literally melt from the information chaos and fail to filter out what actually brings value to daily life.
As a result, many people trigger a defense mechanism and fall into "baby duck syndrome" (long story short, the name comes from baby ducks taking the first moving object they see as their mother). In our context, this cognitive bias makes you believe that the very first UI or app you used is the absolute best, leading you to completely reject any alternatives.
In short, let's keep our balance, avoid raising a inner duck, and stay open to progress-but without falling for every single app whipped up on a knee. Value your time and choose only what truly makes your life easier! Hugs.
Stuff: The things that change us
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