I’m Arun Venkatesan, and this is the arun.is newsletter, where I share my current obsessions, inspiration from around the web, behind-the-scenes content, and more. 

This week’s issue covers a few things:

• What's new
• Apple lost my Apple Watch
• Recommendations

What's new

zen of things

First up, I have been testing objects for the next three guides on zen of things. Look out next week for one about everyday earbuds (think better versions of Apple's EarPods wired headphones).

After that will be utility blades and then coffee drippers.

I hope to also push forward the design of the site. There are still quite a few ideas for branding and interactive elements that need to be implemented.

Keep sending your ideas for new guides. Your input is very helpful in prioritizing my long list of things to test.

The secret formula for Apple's rounded corners

For years, the idea of "closer an object is to the human, the rounder it gets" has been bouncing around my head. Recently, I noticed that Apple was following this idea. I did some research and out came this blog post. It seems to have been well received based on how many people read and shared it.

I still have more to write on the topic. Hopefully I can make some time for more research and writing soon.

What does “Shot on iPhone” mean anymore?

Apple had their late-night event this week. Afterwards, a small controversy materialized in the tech enthusiast world about Apple's use of the term "Shot on iPhone". I read some comments and had the strong feeling that people were all missing how Apple has been shifting the meaning of the term and their focus on the future of iPhone photography. I quickly wrote up a short essay with my thoughts.

Apple lost my Apple Watch

I wanted to upgrade my Apple Watch to one in space black, coated in a scratch-resistant diamond-like carbon. I love how the display and case blend in, looking like a black pebble.

Unfortunately, black stainless steel is only available in the Hermès line since Series 6. So, I got a preowned Series 7 Hermès with box, straps and everything for $400 including tax. It still had warranty since Hermès models come with two year limited warranty.

I noticed the screen lifting off, so I took it to the store. They said they would send it off to get repaired. Then came a few weeks of an annoying time trying to find out the status of my repair, getting bounced between Apple Support and the store. Turned out they somehow lost it.

Finally, they replaced it with a brand new Series 9 Hermès Space Black!

The support experience was the worst I have ever had. I seemed to have got stuck in a rare edge case where no one, including the app, could tell me what was happening. However, all the people were kind and the ultimate resolution was great.

I immediately got AppleCare+ so that if I ever get a problem in the future, I can do Express Replacement and avoid all of this fuss.

The stainless steel Series 9 has been a substantial bump in the quality of the experience from my previous aluminum Series 6. What do you think if I wrote a post about my experience with the new watch and with watchOS 10?

Recommendations

Boku no Natsuyasumi 2 English Patch

Boku no Natsuyasumi 2, developed by Millennium Kitchen, is a Japanese video game set in the 1970s, where players experience a nostalgic summer vacation in a rural village. Activities include fishing, bug catching, and exploring the countryside. It was released for the PlayStation 2 in 2002.

I've been looking forward to this for years after enjoying Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale on the 3DS.

Up until now, Boku no Natsuyasumi 2 was available only in Japanese. Thanks to the hard work of Hilltop, who localizes Japanese-only video games, it's now available in English! I haven't played yet, but am looking forward to starting soon.

John Mayer on Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin

I recently subscribed to Rick Rubin's podcast after finding out that Tyler Cowen was on. I especially enjoyed the episode with John Mayer because their conversation felt more like they were jamming on music. They were practically finishing each other's sentences and got quite deep into the psychology of making music.

The Attention Merchants

The Attention Merchants by Tim Wu is a book that explores the history of advertising and the attention economy. It delves into how businesses and media have vied for people's attention over time, from the early days of newspapers to today's digital age.

I loved how it added historical context to how I experience the world today.

That's it for this issue.

As always, this is my personal email, so feel free to respond directly.

Stay curious,
Arun Venkatesan