SSPAI

Category: App Dev

  • SSPAI Review | Apps Worth Checking Out Recently

    SSPAI Review | Apps Worth Checking Out Recently

    Welcome to this week’s Pi Review. You can use the table of contents to jump directly to the sections you’re interested in. And if you discover other apps or topics worth discussing, feel free to join the conversation in the comments.

    Must-See App Updates

    Beyond the “new and shiny,” many long-standing App Store favorites continue to iterate, release updates, and add more useful or delightful features. At Sspai, we want to help you filter through these changes and quickly catch up on the latest app developments worth your attention.

    Moment Pro Camera II: A Classic Third-Party Camera App Reborn — Practicality Above All

    • Platform: iOS
    • Keywords: mobile photography, LUT

    @Vanilla: Most third-party camera apps these days fall into one of three categories:

    1. Filter-driven, featuring LUTs, film simulations, and similar effects;
    2. Design-driven, using custom skins or UI interactions to evoke a mood or aesthetic;
    3. Feature-driven, offering advanced controls to unlock more powerful shooting capabilities on the iPhone.

    The newly released second-generation Moment Pro Camera belongs squarely to the third category. While it doesn’t bring bold innovations in visual design or interaction, it strikes an excellent balance in terms of feature implementation—and crucially, it supports both photo and video workflows. It’s fair to call it a “comprehensive, all-in-one” camera app.

    Opening Moment Pro Camera reveals a familiar interface, with the main area naturally dominated by the viewfinder. On the right side of the viewfinder are two indicators showing the status of the flash and orientation lock. To change either of these settings, simply swipe down on the viewfinder to open the shooting settings panel. This panel is divided into two major sections: shooting functions and viewfinder tools. The former includes options like flash and timer settings, while the latter offers tools such as grids, a level, device orientation, highlight/shadow zebra intensity, focus peaking, and monitor settings.

    At the top center of the viewfinder, you can quickly adjust parameters related to the captured file, with different options available depending on whether you are in photo or video mode. In photo mode, you can modify settings such as processing method, manual exposure, Fusion, encoding format, pixel count, and aspect ratio. In video mode, you can adjust the encoding format, maximum bitrate, chroma subsampling, resolution, color space, and frame rate.

    At the top left and right sides of the viewfinder, you’ll find the software and hardware settings, respectively. In the software settings panel, you can enable options such as mirroring the front-facing camera, locking auto white balance during recording, choosing the Fusion saving format, and toggling geolocation data. In the hardware settings panel, you can configure the audio input source, output source, as well as settings for both the viewfinder and the monitor.

    On the left side of the shutter button, you’ll find buttons for LUTs, white balance, the photo library, and mode switching. On the right side of the shutter button are the controls for adjusting shooting parameters (shutter speed, exposure compensation, ISO), switching parameter modes, and enabling the minimalist mode.

    At the top of the viewfinder, just above the shutter button, you’ll find an indicator displaying the device’s acceleration. Above that is the lens-switching area. The button on the left lets you perform seamless, continuous zoom, while the button on the right enables manual focus.

    Moment Pro Camera II essentially integrates all functions and settings into the main interface, putting everything within easy reach while shooting. The downside, of course, is that the entire interface can look a bit cluttered.

    Moment Pro Camera II is available on the App Store for 68 RMB. It’s a one-time purchase with no subscription required — truly a breath of fresh air among third-party photography apps.

    WaterMinder 7: Let AI Track Your Water Intake for You

    • Platform: iOS / iPadOS / macOS / watchOS / visionOS
    • Keywords: Water intake reminder

    @Snow: In this era where everything seems to be infused with AI, WaterMinder’s major 7.x update this month also puts AI at the center. Its core feature, Gulp AI (AI Swallow Enhancement), is designed to automatically estimate how much water you drink, simplifying the logging process.

    Using Gulp AI is incredibly simple. When adding a record, choose Gulp AI and WaterMinder will automatically activate the front-facing camera. You just need to make sure your mouth, neck, and cup or bottle are within the frame. Tap the record button and start drinking. When you’re done, stop the recording. Gulp AI will analyze the drink type and the amount consumed based on the appearance of the beverage and your swallowing actions. Tap Add to complete the entry.

    In the 7.1 update, WaterMinder also enhanced its voice logging capabilities. When adding data, you can now use either voice or text input with natural language, and the app will automatically analyze the drink type and the amount consumed.

    However, WaterMinder’s AI features are still not performing as well as expected. First, Gulp AI requires your mouth, neck, and a mostly unobstructed view of your cup to be visible at the same time. This basically means you need to face the camera from the side when drinking. And since the front-facing camera’s field of view is limited on all devices except the iPhone 17 series, if you normally use a large cup, your other hand will almost need to stretch out to selfie length just to complete a recording — every sip becomes an arm workout.

    Second, Gulp AI’s ability to recognize bottled beverages is also very limited. I tried Coca-Cola, Oriental Leaf tea, 7UP, and Suntory. Only the slim canned Coca-Cola was correctly identified; everything else was labeled as water. The main issue with voice logging also lies in drink-type recognition. Aside from text containing explicit keywords like “cola” or “milk,” which have higher accuracy, any drink not in the database will still be classified as water — meaning you’ll often have to adjust it manually.

    Some minor tweaks to the icons do offer small usability improvements, such as more milk-related indicators and the ability to quickly find the icon you need through text search.

    You can download WaterMinder in the App Store.

    Noteworthy New Apps

    Although we at SSPAI have always been committed to discovering and introducing high-quality apps across various platforms, there are still many apps with excellent design, functionality, interaction, and overall experience that we haven’t yet covered. They might be long-standing apps, or newly launched ones — and we’ll introduce them to you here.

    Riveo: A Video Creation App Packed with Special-Effects Templates

    • Platform: iOS, iPadOS, macOS
    • Keywords: video creation, special-effects templates

    @ElijahLee: Riveo is a creative app developed by Forge and Form GmbH, focused on video effects and animation editing. It was even shortlisted as a finalist for the Apple Design Awards.

    Riveo’s standout feature is its emphasis on visual effects and creative editing, offering results far beyond typical video-editing apps. First, it provides a rich selection of special-effects templates, including retro styles, beat-synced cuts, action effects, text art, and many other high-quality options. These templates are also very easy to use. In some of them, you simply import photos or videos into Riveo, and the app automatically blends filters and motion effects with your media to create visually stunning videos.

    Riveo lets you dive into advanced creative adjustments for any video you make — including those built from templates. The app offers more than 100 effects, ranging from particle effects (smoke, gas, bubbles, cartoon flames, etc.) to decorative lens effects (shattered glass, pencil sketch, fog), and for subjects within a video, you can even overlay motion-based effects. In terms of filters, Riveo supports a wide variety of color styles such as VHS, retro, glitch, ’90s TV, pixelation, and more. The editor also includes keyframe control, allowing you to customize how each effect moves or changes from start to finish. The masking feature is AI-assisted, letting you use a contour or a person for background replacement or layered effects. Other standard tools — adding text, shapes, subtitles, music, and more — are all present as you’d expect from a full-featured video editor.

    Text-based templates are also one of Riveo’s highlight features. It supports 3D text effects, including materials like metal, glass, and reflective surfaces. In terms of motion effects, it offers a variety of dynamic styles such as entrance, pop-out, floating, and distortion. Paired with beat-synced music or rhythmic tracks, it can easily create the fast-paced, catchy, and eye-grabbing effects often seen in short videos.

    Riveo also provides AI-assisted creative tools. First, there’s AI-powered image transformation: by entering keywords such as “forest,” “universe,” or “anime,” Riveo can transform real portraits or landscape photos into scenes based on the chosen keywords. With the AI generation feature, you simply input a text description of the desired image and Riveo will begin creating. I tried using: “In a magical world, inside a castle, a wand and a wizard hat placed on a thick, vintage patterned tablecloth, with the castle’s stained-glass windows in the distant background.” The generated image had an impressively refined texture, and I was very satisfied with the result. The output can be directly applied to the editor for secondary creation.

    Overall, Riveo allows creators to quickly produce impactful, visually distinctive videos thanks to its rich library of templates and effects. Compared with ordinary editing apps that mainly offer cutting and filters, Riveo feels more like a compact visual-effects compositing tool, and it also supports a seamless workflow that integrates shooting and editing—making it suitable for various creative scenarios. In terms of exporting, it supports multiple aspect ratios and up to 4K @ 60fps, meeting the needs of high-quality rendering as well as fast publishing on social media.

    You can download Riveo for free on the App Store. Setapp users can access it directly at no additional cost.

    Meow: HarmonyOS App Update Tracker

    • Platform: HarmonyOS
    • Keywords: App updates

    @侧脸君： After upgrading to HarmonyOS NEXT, many people find themselves frequently checking the App Store to see whether their commonly used apps have been released or updated. MeoW, a notification subscription tool, taps perfectly into this need. You can subscribe to the app channels you care about, and whenever an app releases an invitation test, public beta, or official update, you’ll receive a notification right away.

    Because the test versions published in App Early Access have limited invitation slots, MeoW has also become a must-have tool for digital content creators, helping them track updates for major apps like WeChat, QQ, Douyin, Taobao, and more. In just one year, it has gained 370,000 installs—a remarkable achievement for a new system whose device base has just passed 23 million.

    In addition, MeoW also supports the creation and subscription of personal channels, which I think is a particularly clever move.

    After subscribing to a channel, any content update will trigger a push notification, with support for jumping directly to the content source — whether it’s a personal website, Xiaohongshu, WeChat Official Accounts, and so on. To some extent, it has become a content distribution platform and a messaging channel within the Huawei HarmonyOS ecosystem, attracting many content creators and independent media bloggers to join. This also opens up more possibilities for future commercialization.

    You can download MeoW from the HarmonyOS App Market.

    Related reading: A HarmonyOS App Developed in Less Than a Month Accidentally Became a Hit

    InkRoot: An Enhanced Note-Taking App Based on Memos
    Platform: Android
    Keywords: Notes

    @化学心情下2: I’ve been using Memos, an open-source and self-hosted note-taking service. By deploying Memos on my NAS, I can use the Memos mobile client to quickly capture fragmented information. And because Memos is open source, there are now many third-party Memos mobile clients available for us to choose from—such as InkRoot, which is developed by a Chinese developer.

    InkRoot builds on Memos and offers users several ways to use the service: if you simply want to store your note data locally without considering sync, you can directly use InkRoot’s local service. Otherwise, you can consider using InkRoot’s official server. Or, if you’re like me and have already deployed a Memos instance on your NAS, you can use InkRoot as the mobile client for your self-hosted Memos service. The only caveat is that InkRoot has version requirements for connecting to Memos—currently, it only supports version v0.21.0.

    Besides the features already supported by Memos, InkRoot also introduces a number of improvements. For example, its recording feature can quickly convert voice into text, and the AI feature can continue and refine the current content.

    InkRoot also offers AI Insight features for organizing notes. By setting keywords, time ranges, and included tags, it helps you quickly extract and summarize the fragmented notes you’ve recorded recently. It also comes with multiple note-view modes, including All Tags, Random Review, and a Knowledge Graph, making it easier to organize your notes in a structured way.

    You can download InkRoot for free from the official website. The app supports both Android and iOS (manual sideloading via AltStore is required).

    Glow HDR: Convert Any Photo into Ultra HDR Format

    • Platform: Android
    • Keywords: Imaging, HDR

    @大大大K： Ultra HDR is a new feature introduced by Google in Android 14. Compared with traditional HDR images, Ultra HDR overlays an additional gain map within the image, allowing for precise preservation of highlights and shadows, while maintaining backward compatibility—displaying as standard SDR on devices that don’t support HDR. Glow HDR takes advantage of this feature, enabling the conversion of regular SDR photos or the editing of images already in Ultra HDR format.

    You need to confirm whether your device is compatible to truly experience the effects brought by Ultra HDR. Glow HDR includes a built-in quick testing tool. From the home screen, enter the Ultra HDR Test feature, where the two logo images at the top correspond to standard SDR output and Ultra HDR output. If your device supports Ultra HDR, the brightness difference between the two images will be very noticeable, and the parameters listed below will also display compatibility reminders. However, keep in mind that the final HDR/SDR ratio may be affected by your current screen brightness and does not represent the final result.

    Glow HDR is compatible with JPEG, PNG, HEIC, and other formats, and it supports adjustments to parameters such as brightness and contrast. By swiping right on the function menu, you can edit image quality and HDR ratio, and you can also save your frequently used parameter settings as presets. The histogram is displayed by default in the upper-right corner of the editing page, allowing you to observe color and brightness information separately within both the SDR and HDR ranges during the editing process.

    Since Ultra HDR’s gain information is essentially an additional gain layer embedded within the original image, the gain editing status shown in the upper-left corner is usually labeled as “Embedded.” To inspect the gain information of an image, you can tap the button at the bottom of the screen—this will display the gain data in grayscale in the preview window. The button on the right allows you to compare the before-and-after effects of your edits. If you notice no significant difference between the two, make sure to check the test tool to confirm whether your device is compatible with Ultra HDR.

    You can verify whether the edited image has successfully applied the Ultra HDR effect by opening it in your system gallery and checking whether the screen brightness is boosted by HDR. Alternatively, you can view the image details in Google Photos to see if the Ultra HDR label is present.

    Besides that, Glow HDR also supports batch image processing and metadata adjustments, though some of these features require a donation to unlock. Additionally, if you need to edit HEIC-format images, you may encounter occasional compatibility issues, but they won’t affect basic usage. If you mind this, you can wait for the developer to release a fix. For now, you can download it for free on Google Play.

    Tack: Putting a Beautiful Metronome on Your Phone

    • Platform: Android
    • Keywords: Metronome

    @Peggy_： My understanding of music has mostly come from what I’ve seen in movies and TV shows. One thing that always intrigued me was the peculiar little device often placed on top of a piano—its pointer swinging rhythmically back and forth, accompanied by an off-screen “tick-tock” sound. Eventually, I learned that this device is a metronome, which helps learners grasp rhythm and improve the effectiveness of their instrument practice.

    Tack is a beautifully designed metronome app, from its icon to its interface. In terms of visual refinement alone, Tack is one of the rare apps this year that truly blends functionality with aesthetics. Its icon is an abstract representation of a metronome, and upon opening the app, you’re greeted with a brief splash animation showing a metronome’s pendulum swinging in steady rhythm.

    Entering the main interface, the most prominent element is the tempo displayed at the center, with arrow buttons on both sides that help users quickly adjust the speed. From top to bottom, there are buttons for increasing or decreasing by 1, 5, and 10 BPM, making tempo adjustments extremely convenient and highly practical. Beyond the basic features, Tack thoughtfully includes visualized beat animations and supports beat cues through both sound and vibration. Additionally, Tack lets you add songs within the app to create your own personal practice playlist. This allows you to save each track’s tempo configuration, eliminating the hassle of reconfiguring your settings every time you practice.

    Before using the metronome, you can further set the duration of your practice. Tack allows timing by measures, seconds, or minutes, letting you personalize your practice sessions. Interestingly, once practice begins, the app’s main interface shows a small metronome animation in the upper-left corner that runs according to your current settings—a thoughtful touch from the developer. If you enjoy this little animation or prefer a more prominent visual beat indicator, you can enable the “Show Large Logo Animation” option in the settings to let the beautifully designed metronome take center stage. Of course, if you care more about battery life, you can toggle on “Reduce Animations,” allowing you to focus purely on the app’s functionality and avoid excessive animation that might drain your phone’s battery.

    Since I’m not a professional, I can’t go into detail about the more advanced features, but if you happen to need a tool like this, you might as well download and try Tack through the Play Store or F-Droid. The app is completely free.

  • Using AI to Clear My Xiaohongshu Favorites: How I Automatically Sorted 1,000+ Saved Posts into Notion

    Using AI to Clear My Xiaohongshu Favorites: How I Automatically Sorted 1,000+ Saved Posts into Notion

    The Pain Point Behind Xiaohongshu Favorites

    My wife is a typical heavy Xiaohongshu user. She has more than 1,000 saved posts—makeup tutorials, outfit ideas, travel routes… you name it.

    A while ago, she decided to finally organize her Favorites. But the moment she opened the first page, she froze—those thousand-plus posts spanned every possible topic, with no groups and no structure. Manually sorting them into folders would be a nightmare.

    She started by creating 37 collections and began moving posts into them. After sorting about twenty-something posts, she understandably gave up the next day. Watching her workflow, I realized the real issue—this is exactly the kind of repetitive task AI should handle, not humans.

    So I built a small tool that automatically classifies her 1,400 saved posts and syncs them into Notion.

    How AI Classification Works

    The general idea is to use each Xiaohongshu post’s title + content + tags as part of a prompt, together with all predefined categories (e.g., travel, movies, makeup, outfits), and let the AI return the most suitable category.

    Because Xiaohongshu’s web version doesn’t allow assigning posts to collections via automation, we need to save both the post data and AI-generated category into our own database—in this case, Notion, which is great for building a personal knowledge base.

    • A simple breakdown of the steps:
    • Call Xiaohongshu’s web API to fetch post content (using a browser extension to access the web interface).
    • Create your own categories inside Notion (the more detailed, the better).
    • Feed the content + full category list to the AI; the AI API returns the best-fit category.
    • Save both the post content and the AI-assigned category into Notion.

    Plugin Usage

    After installing the plugin, follow the steps to fill in your Notion configuration. A detailed setup guide is available here. The plugin will copy a customized Xiaohongshu Knowledge Base template into your Notion workspace:

    In the Xiaohongshu Knowledge Base template, find the “Categories” section and add all the categories you need, as shown below:

    Then go to the plugin settings page. You’ll need to provide your own API key for the AI model. Once the key is configured, start AI classification:

    Return to the sync page, authorize Xiaohongshu, click “Start Sync,” and the plugin will automatically save both the posts and their assigned categories to Notion.

    Final Result

    All post pages:

    Category view in Notion:

    Once auto-classification is enabled, the entire workflow requires zero manual operation—just start the task once and let the system run. Within two days, all 1,400 Xiaohongshu posts were automatically categorized and synced into Notion, with additional support for pinning, playback, note-taking, multi-tag management, and more—done in one go.

    If you were to manually categorize 1,400+ posts, even at 30 seconds per post, you’d need at least 11.7 hours of repetitive work. Now, with just a 10-minute one-time setup, the system handles everything else. You save 95% of your time and gain a 100× efficiency boost.

    Related Links：

    Tool Access
    Detailed Setup Guide

  • Recently, I’ve Been Refining My Work Note-Taking Method

    Recently, I’ve Been Refining My Work Note-Taking Method

    Preface: What’s Been Going On Lately

    Lately, I’ve been completely hooked on browsing stationery stores and ended up buying a few notebooks. Unexpectedly, they’ve turned out to be a big help in organizing my work notes. So, I thought I’d take this chance to organize and share my current note-taking method — partly for reflection, and partly to exchange ideas and learn from others.

    Before We Begin: What Can Work Notes Bring Us

    To be honest, I didn’t have the habit of writing work journals before. But after having my child, I started keeping a personal diary — and soon realized it might be worth writing work notes as well. It’s turned out to be surprisingly rewarding.

    1. Traceable Work, Easier Reflection:
    Everyone talks about “leaving a trail” in their work now. For me, the greatest benefit of keeping a work log is exactly this — it helps me easily recall what I did at a specific time in the past.

    2. Task Planning and Better Efficiency:
    Work notes help me stay aware of my tasks, making it easier to switch smoothly between “work mode” and “life mode.”

    3. Building Experience and Avoiding Mistakes:
    By recording my experiences and lessons learned, I can extract insights from scattered moments in my work. Thanks to digital tools, these notes can be organized efficiently, helping me avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future.

    These are the new insights I’ve gained from using my current work journaling system. People often say that “output is the best form of input,” so I wanted to share this as well — to exchange perspectives and hopefully inspire new ideas.

    Work Note Methodology: Two Legs to Walk On — Planning and Recording in Parallel

    “As the saying goes, to do a good job, one must first sharpen their tools.” Mastering the right methodology is the essential preparation before taking action.

    Work notes differ from personal journals — they are purpose-driven by nature. Work is filled with various tasks and their corresponding results, so we need to record both the tasks and the logs in parallel.

    GTD: The Go-To Framework for Task Planning

    The GTD (Getting Things Done) method has been popular for many years. Here’s a brief overview of the GTD workflow for those who may be interested in exploring it further.

    The GTD workflow consists of five key steps:

    1. Capture: Write down everything that enters your mind.
    2. Clarify: Process each item — what is it? Does it require action? If yes, what’s the next step?
    3. Organize: Place processed items into appropriate lists (Projects, Next Actions, Waiting For, Someday/Maybe, or Reference).
    4. Reflect: Regularly review your system (e.g., weekly) to update and adjust.
    5. Engage: Choose and execute tasks based on context and priority.

    Intermittent Journaling: A Miniature GTD Within the Work Cycle

    The concept of intermittent journaling has been discussed in several articles on SSPAI, and I also mentioned it in my own piece, My Journaling Methods and Practice Path. To borrow a summary from the article Playing with Obsidian 03: Intermittent Journaling, here’s a concise definition:

    Intermittent journaling refers to taking diary-style notes at each work interval, with each entry marked by a timestamp.

    • Work intervals: In most cases, our work is carried out in “segments.” For example, the popular Pomodoro Technique is one way of structuring work into segments. The “work interval” here refers to the short break between two such segments.
    • Timestamps: This means starting each note by writing down the exact time the note is made. This approach is known as the “minimal diary recording method.” It effectively divides the journal into several time-based fragments, making it easier to recall what happened and when.

    The greatest advantage of intermittent journaling is that it frees the brain from cognitive load. By performing this small but symbolic act, you declare that one work segment has ended and the next is about to begin. It’s a way to reset focus — a mental “refresh.” This idea aligns beautifully with the GTD philosophy of “clearing your mind.”

    What I Use to Write My Work Journal

    Let’s start with the tools I use to keep my work journal — a combination of physical and digital, blending simplicity with structure.

    Sticky Notes: Cheap, Versatile, and Surprisingly Effective

    I originally bought a pack of sticky notes on a whim, just as an add-on to another purchase — but they turned out to be unexpectedly useful.

    Convenience at Your Fingertips

    The most basic function of sticky notes is that they’re always within reach. Whenever I need to jot something down — like taking measurements or counting inventory — I can simply grab a note and write. There’s no format to follow, no digital distractions; it serves as a temporary “transfer station” for thoughts, quick and effortless.

    Compared to digital note-taking apps, sticky notes interfere far less with work. Honestly, I often find that reaching for my phone easily derails my attention. Sticky notes don’t have that problem — when you pick one up, there’s only one task: to write. As the input point in a GTD workflow, they’re incredibly handy.

    Stick Them Anywhere!

    Another great thing about sticky notes — they can go anywhere. Every morning, I jot down my to-do list on one and stick it right below my monitor. Throughout the day, a glance at it reminds me of what’s left to do. I also stick them on documents — that way, when I pick up a file later, I instantly know everything related to it.

    A Few Reflections

    I never imagined that such a small tool could have such a big impact on my workflow — until I experienced the satisfaction of crossing off each completed task, one by one, until the entire note was done. The moment of peeling it off and tossing it in the trash brings a sense of closure that’s far more motivating than the cold “ding” of a digital to-do app.

    This little tool has earned my full recommendation — give it a try.

    Top-Flipping, Dual-Column Spiral Notebook: A GTD Tool for Balancing Speed and Structure

    Buying this notebook was an unexpected delight. The moment I saw it in the store, I realized it perfectly matched what I’d always envisioned as the ideal time-management companion for my GTD workflow.

    Why a Dual-Column, Top-Flipping Spiral Notebook

    Spiral Binding: 360° Flexibility
    What sets a spiral notebook apart is its ability to fold completely flat — a full 360 degrees. When opened on your desk, it doesn’t take up extra space, and you can view the contents at a glance, anytime.

    Top-Flipping Design: A More Immersive Flow
    The top-flip layout solves one of the biggest annoyances of spiral notebooks — the rings pressing against your hand while writing. With the spiral at the top, it frees up horizontal space and gives each page a smooth, waterfall-like feel.

    Dual Columns: A Built-In System for Fast and Slow Tasks
    Standard paper proportions (around 1:1.4) often make mid-sized notebooks — like B6 to A5 — feel too wide for comfortable writing. A dual-column layout divides that space into two narrower, perfectly sized sections. This setup fits beautifully with my “fast and slow” task management system.

    How to Use It: Separate Fast and Slow, One Page per Week

    The method is simple: divide your weekly work into three categories — tasks that can be done immediately, tasks to be completed within the week, and long-term tasks that may take more than a week.

    • Tasks that can be done right away stay on sticky notes — like printing a document.
    • Tasks that can be finished within a week go on the left column, leaving a line of space between each day — for example, coordinating files with a supplier.
    • Tasks that take more than a week go on the right column, with a line between each item. You can also jot down extra notes or progress updates in the spaces between tasks.
    My Spiral Notebook

    Eight-Grid Weekly Planner: Creating Complexity as a Form of Intentional Structure

    This notebook was something I deliberately chose to complicate my workflow with — it might sound counterintuitive, but in reality, it serves as a subtle reminder to my brain.

    The Empty Birdcage Effect

    There’s a well-known story in the history of psychology called “The Empty Birdcage.”

    William James of Harvard University once made a bet with physicist Carlson, claiming he could get Carlson to keep a bird. James simply gifted him a beautifully crafted empty birdcage. Carlson placed it in his living room, but soon found himself constantly questioned by guests — “Where’s the bird?” After countless explanations and the uncomfortable glances of others, Carlson finally gave in and bought a bird to fill the cage.

    This experiment vividly illustrates what’s known as the Empty Birdcage Effect: once we possess a “cage,” whether we truly need it or not, we feel an overwhelming psychological urge to fill it. The emptiness itself becomes a persistent source of cognitive dissonance and pressure.

    This weekly planner is exactly that kind of “birdcage” for me — and it works brilliantly. Its eight-grid layout allows me to easily review my entire week at a glance, while the very act of maintaining it keeps me mentally engaged, structured, and aware of my ongoing progress.

    Eight-Section Weekly Planner for a Comprehensive Weekly Overview

    Orca Notes: The Perfect Medium for Work Journals

    I’ve mentioned my journaling method in the articles “My Diary Tool Selection Path” and “My Diary Method and Practice Path.” The core idea behind it is simple: “Timestamp + Content + Tags.” The goal is to create an input environment that feels completely effortless and pressure-free.

    Originally, I used Logseq to implement this workflow. However, a major issue gradually surfaced — its reliance on open Markdown (.md) file storage. As files grew larger, this outdated storage system caused Logseq’s performance to deteriorate significantly.

    Thanks to talented domestic developers, Orca Notes has become my new favorite. With its localized design, database-based storage, and native outliner structure, it perfectly inherits the strengths of Logseq while eliminating the performance bottlenecks caused by Markdown files. In short, it’s a step beyond the original.

    Here, I won’t dwell on all the advantages of Orca Notes, but rather focus on why outliner-based note-taking tools excel for journaling compared to other types of software.

    1. A more effortless input environment: Outliner-style note apps often come with built-in daily notes. You can start writing immediately — no setup, no distraction, pure recording.
    2. A clearer reflection of logical structure: Their inherent hierarchical design allows details to be folded within sub-blocks, keeping logs concise yet complete.
    3. More precise and efficient search: Because every entry exists as an independent block, queries can reach down to the smallest unit of data, resulting in faster, more accurate retrieval.

    The Logging Structure in Orca Notes

    There are three main modules: Tasks, Logs, and Diary.

    1. Tasks: As mentioned earlier — this is the intentionally designed “empty birdcage.” Every morning, I write down the tasks for the day.
    2. Logs: This is about documentation — written in the form of “Timestamp + Content + Tags,” recording what’s happening at that very moment.
    3. Diary: At the end of the day, I write a daily reflection — a space for self-review and organization.
    Orca Diary’s Log Module

    My Work Journal Workflow

    1. Clear Your Mind and Switch Modes
    Every morning when I arrive at the office, the first thing I do is clear my mind. I check my spiral notebook, pick out the tasks I want to focus on for the day, and write them on a sticky note that I place beside my computer screen. I also prepare a duplicate copy to keep on hand.

    It might seem redundant, but this small ritual gives me a clear signal: the workday has begun. It’s like soothing a baby — a way of gently telling my body and mind, it’s time to get into work mode.

    2. Record Promptly, Lighten the Load
    Timely recording has two meanings here:

    First, for any incoming tasks or information during the day, jot them down immediately on a sticky note. This helps reduce external distractions and lessens the cognitive load on your brain.

    Second, after completing a task or finishing a work stage, use an intermittent journal entry to record your results. Summarize what’s been accomplished and define the next action clearly.

    In the first case, keep things simple — just note down what’s been collected without overthinking or editing. Let information flow in one ear and out the other — a pure capture process.

    In the second case, use digital or voice notes to document your work in as much detail as possible — as if you were explaining it to someone unfamiliar with the situation. After all, the “future you” might not remember the full context of what’s happening now.

    3. Create Friction, Review Regularly
    Before leaving work each evening, take a few minutes to organize the day’s events — a quick recap of what happened. It also serves as a symbolic way to end the workday.

    It may sound time-consuming, but it really isn’t. Just jot down a few lines in your notebook about the day. If you ever need to reference it later, you can easily cross-check details in your digital notes.

    Once it becomes a habit, this process feels remarkably smooth — even comforting. The sense of ritual works like a small act of self-soothing.

    A Few Tips

    Keep handwritten logs simple.
    Your handwritten notes shouldn’t be long-winded. Capture only the key points — don’t let writing itself become a burden. If it feels cumbersome, you’ll lose the motivation to continue, defeating the purpose.

    Make digital logs future-oriented.
    The beauty of digital journaling lies in its unlimited space and collapsible structure. Keep titles concise, but when necessary, expand on details and context. Remember — the future version of you might not recall today’s circumstances. A well-documented entry will help you immensely later on.

    References

    Mastering Obsidian 03: Intermittent Journaling – SSPAI

    What Is the True Purpose of GTD (Getting Things Done)? Is It Simply About Using Time Efficiently? – Zhihu

    Why I Gave Up on To-Do List Apps and Returned to Sticky Notes | #UNTAG

  • Deja: A Language Learning App That Truly Completes the Contextual Learning Loop

    Deja: A Language Learning App That Truly Completes the Contextual Learning Loop

    Among all the language learning apps out there, Deja is one of the few that truly caught my eye — or rather, it finally did what I’d always hoped someone would do.

    It doesn’t rely on “word memorization” or “drill exercises” to pile up knowledge. Instead, it builds around context-based learning, bringing language acquisition back to where it naturally belongs — in real, authentic content.

    Deja’s logic is remarkably clear:

    • Authentic content sourcing: Choose materials you’re genuinely interested in directly from YouTube, Bilibili, or podcasts.
    • Layered language information: The system automatically generates subtitles, translations, and phrase breakdowns, while highlighting key expressions.
    • Corpus building: Instantly save selected words, phrases, or sentences to your personal corpus with one tap.
    • Flashcard review system: Saved content is converted into spaced-repetition flashcards to reinforce memory.

    The whole process creates a seamless learning loop — from natural input → precise extraction → personalized review.

    Compared with traditional language-learning apps, Deja’s biggest strength lies in how it systematizes fragmented content. In the past, when watching English videos on YouTube or Bilibili, we could only add new words to a dictionary or vocabulary app. If we wanted to capture the original context, we had to manually enter it — tedious, time-consuming, and hard to maintain. Now, Deja makes it effortless to turn every piece of authentic language material into something you can actually learn from and apply.

    Mobile App – Video and Podcast Subscriptions

    The way you receive contextual input is also fully customizable. Currently, Deja supports content from YouTube, Bilibili, and podcasts, allowing you to choose and learn directly from native videos and audio sources.

    Web Version – Watch Videos
    Chrome extension
    Video websites use plugins
    Web Version – Viewing History

    When it comes to subtitle generation and sentence segmentation, Deja gives you full flexibility. You can directly import the original subtitles from a video, or—if the video has none—use your credits to automatically generate them. On mobile, you can even generate subtitles offline using a local model without consuming any credits. The generated subtitles are not only accurate but also intelligently segmented by meaning, making later corpus organization and study much smoother.

    Native Subtitles vs. Deja-Generated Subtitles

    Deja automatically detects key phrases and collocations within sentences, highlighting them to help learners quickly grasp authentic expressions. If needed, you can also manually select and save specific phrases or sentence chunks. Words you’ve previously saved will automatically appear highlighted in subtitles, allowing you to reinforce vocabulary across different contexts through repeated exposure.

    What’s particularly impressive is that Deja also supports grammatical structure analysis for complex sentences. The system divides intricate sentences into logical chunks and labels syntactic relationships—identifying main clauses, subordinate clauses, adverbials, attributives, and more—then visualizes their hierarchical structure. This helps learners clearly see the logical flow and semantic focus of each sentence. It’s a feature especially valuable for intermediate to advanced learners aiming to strengthen their reading comprehension and writing skills, helping them move beyond the “knowing the words but not the sentence” stage.

    Through this fully automated process, Deja breaks down the most tedious parts of English learning into a true “one-click” workflow, dramatically reducing the manual effort required in the early stages of study organization. You can even export your complete learning records as PDF files—perfect for archiving, printing, or periodically reviewing your progress over time.

    For review sessions, Deja’s phrase library doesn’t just display the phrases you’ve saved—it also brings back the original context in which they appeared, including the source video, sentence position, and corresponding audio clip. This allows learners to easily recreate the original learning scenario, reinforcing both contextual understanding and long-term memory.

    Web-based Phrase Corpus

    In its word library, Deja introduces the concept of “Word Families.” Each entry automatically includes all its common forms—such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs—helping learners not only grasp the meaning of a word but also master its diverse usages. This design makes vocabulary learning more structured, multidimensional, and closely aligned with how language is actually used in real contexts.

    Web-based Word Corpus
    Mobile-End Corpus

    Finally, let’s talk about Deja’s flashcard feature. It’s not about traditional rote memorization, but once again built around authentic language contexts. Based on the words, phrases, and sentences you’ve saved, the system automatically generates flashcards with their original contexts. During review, you don’t just see the meaning—you can revisit the very sentence and surrounding dialogue from the original video or audio where the expression appeared.

    Mobile Flashcard Review

    This design turns review into something far beyond mechanical repetition—it becomes a journey of context recall. When you see a phrase, you instantly remember where it appeared, what tone it carried, and in what situation it was used, subconsciously reinforcing your real-world language intuition.

    Deja’s flashcard system also integrates a spaced repetition algorithm, automatically adjusting review frequency based on your memory curve. Content you’ve mastered appears less often, while words or sentences you’re more likely to forget are intelligently resurfaced. This approach makes memorization feel more natural and efficient, ensuring that every review remains anchored to authentic language experiences.

    As someone who has repeatedly tried to learn English through watching shows and videos—only to give up because manually organizing learning materials was too tedious—I finally found a way to stay consistent. Deja makes the process flow smoothly and naturally: input → refine → review—a complete learning loop that eliminates the old “watch but don’t learn” trap.

    From a product perspective, Deja feels more like a Language Learning Operating System (OS) than a traditional learning app. It transforms fragmented content into an integrated ecosystem, where every act of watching, saving, and reviewing feeds back into genuine progress. While many English learning apps offer example sentences or clips from movies, they rarely become your context. Deja’s brilliance lies in letting you build your language environment around your own interests, materials, and contexts.

    The developer, Steve, continues to expand Deja’s features. Upcoming updates include text reading, shadowing practice, and support for multiple languages—which means Deja won’t just help you understand English, but also use it confidently, and even branch out to other languages.

    After my experience, I immediately subscribed—and honestly, it’s the first time a learning tool made me want to write a full review out of sheer excitement. There’s still room for optimization, of course, but if you’ve been searching for a truly context-based approach to language learning, Deja is absolutely worth trying.

    I sincerely hope that Steve and the Deja team continue to make it better and better.

    Deja is now available on Web, Chrome Extension, iOS, and Android. The iOS China version is under review, but you can join the TestFlight beta program via the official website. The international App Store already offers the full release, and Android users can download the latest APK directly from Deja’s website.

    Official Website: DejaVocab – Every Word You Encounter Counts

  • SSPAI Morning Brief: iPhone Pocket Released, and More

    SSPAI Morning Brief: iPhone Pocket Released, and More

    Morning Highlights

    1. iPhone Pocket Released
    2. Sony Hosts State of Play Showcase
    3. Google Rolls Out November Feature Update for Pixel Devices
    4. Viwoods Launches AiPaper Reader E-Ink Tablet
    5. Google Play Store to Warn Users About Power-Hungry Background Apps
    6. WeChat Announces Crackdown on Six Types of Malicious External Links
    7. Rumors Worth a Glance

    iPhone Pocket Released

    On November 11, ISSEY MIYAKE and Apple jointly unveiled the iPhone Pocket. Inspired by the concept of “a single piece of fabric,” the iPhone Pocket features a ribbed open structure and an integrated three-dimensional woven design. It can hold any iPhone along with various small essentials, and supports multiple carrying styles—including handheld, attached to a bag, or worn directly on the body.

    The short-strap iPhone Pocket comes in eight color options: Lemon, Tangerine, Purple, Pink, Peacock Green, Sapphire Blue, Cinnamon, and Black. The long-strap version is available in three colors: Sapphire Blue, Cinnamon, and Black. The short-strap iPhone Pocket is priced at RMB 1,299, while the long-strap version costs RMB 1,899. Sales begin Friday, November 14, at select Apple Store retail locations and on apple.com.cn in France, Greater China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Source

    Sony Hosts State of Play Showcase

    On November 12, Sony held an online State of Play showcase focused on Japan and other Asian regions, unveiling a variety of new game updates and announcements. Highlights include release dates for inKONBINI: A Small Shop with Many Stories and Coffee Talk: Tokyo, details and launch information for Fatal Frame: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE Deluxe Edition, confirmation that Little Devil Inside will release in early 2026, the second closed beta schedule for Marvel Rivals, and the announcement that Elden Ring: Night Descends DLC will launch on December 4.

    In addition, Sony officially announced a Japan-exclusive PS5 Digital Edition console, priced at ¥55,000. Source

    Google Rolls Out November Feature Update for Pixel Devices

    On November 12, Google announced the November Feature Drop for Pixel devices. This update introduces several new features, including:

    • A new Wicked 2 theme
    • A Nano Banana model–powered photo editing feature within the Messages app
    • AI-generated message summaries for long conversations (available only on Pixel 9 series and newer, and for English users)
    • Personalized photo editing prompts in Google Photos (e.g., “Remove Zhang San’s hat,” currently available only to users in the U.S.)
    • A new always-on navigation mode for Google Maps on the lock screen
    • The Health and Journal apps are now available beyond the Pixel 10 series

    You can view the complete update changelog [here]. Source

    Viwoods Launches AiPaper Reader E-Ink Device

    On November 11, Viwoods launched the AiPaper Reader E-Ink device for overseas markets. Running on Android 16, the device features a dedicated AI button that allows users to engage with AI while reading. The AiPaper Reader comes preloaded with three AI assistants—ChatGPT, Gemini, and DeepSeek. By pressing the AI button, users can ask questions about the content they’re reading, generate summaries, or save selected passages to a personal knowledge base for later reference.

    In terms of hardware, the AiPaper Reader sports a 6.13-inch Carta 1300 E-Ink display, measures 159.39 × 80.27 × 6.7 mm, and weighs 138 g. It is powered by a 6nm octa-core CPU and supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 4G LTE connectivity. However, it does not include built-in speakers—audio can only be output through Bluetooth headphones. The AiPaper Reader is priced at USD 279.99 and is now officially available in international markets. Source

    Google Play Store to Warn Users About Power-Hungry Background Apps

    On November 10, Google announced in an official blog post that “excessive partial wake locks” have completed testing and are now officially included as a core metric within Android Vitals.

    Partial wake locks are a common Android mechanism that allows the CPU to continue running tasks even when the screen is off. However, because this prevents the device from entering low-power mode, excessive use can lead to significant battery drain. Along with user-perceived app crashes, app not responding (ANR) incidents, and excessive power consumption by watch faces, partial wake locks are now part of Android Vitals’ core indicators. If an app exceeds the defined thresholds for poor behavior in any of these areas, Google will issue a warning to users on the Play Store listing page to highlight potential battery performance issues. Source

    WeChat Announces Crackdown on Six Types of Malicious External Links

    On November 10, the WeChat Security Center issued a notice announcing a new enforcement campaign targeting malicious external links shared within the platform. The campaign focuses on links related to fraud, pornography, gambling, illegal livestreaming, and malicious links generated through third-party services or exploited vulnerabilities.

    The Security Center stated that once such content is identified and verified, WeChat will take action in accordance with national laws and regulations, as well as platform policies including the Tencent WeChat Software License and Service Agreement, the WeChat Personal Account Usage Specifications, and the WeChat External Link Content Management Guidelines. If external links are found to contain illegal or non-compliant content, WeChat will restrict access to them. This includes, but is not limited to:

    • Links containing fraudulent content such as fake part-time job scams, trojan downloads, phishing pages, Ponzi schemes, or fake lotteries.
    • Links containing pornographic content.
    • Links containing gambling content.
    • Links to illegal livestreams (including false advertising or unapproved marketing of health products).
    • Links to third-party services abused by malicious actors.
    • Links exploiting vulnerabilities on third-party platforms. Source

    Rumors Worth a Glance

    According to information shared by Coolapk user @微笑假装的很好 and cited by industry analysts, Qualcomm has reportedly added Android 16 support for its Snapdragon X and X Elite chips. The same source also revealed that the next-generation X2 Elite chip will come in two versions: a high-performance model and another variant codenamed “Twist”, positioned similarly to the current Snapdragon X series. Qualcomm had previously confirmed during the Snapdragon Summit that laptops offering a full Android system experience are expected to debut in 2026. Source

  • App Picks | Noteworthy Apps of the Moment

    App Picks | Noteworthy Apps of the Moment

    Welcome to this issue of App Picks. You can use the article’s table of contents to quickly jump to the sections that interest you most. If you discover other apps or topics you’d like to discuss, feel free to share them with us in the comments section.

    New Apps Worth Your Attention

    While SSPAI has always been dedicated to discovering and introducing high-quality apps across different platforms, there are still many apps with outstanding design, functionality, interaction, and overall user experience that we haven’t yet featured. Some may be long-standing hidden gems, while others are brand-new releases. Here, we bring them to your attention.

    Hurricane Camera: Lowering the Barrier for Video Creation, Making iPhone Filmmaking Easier

    • Platform: iOS
    • Keywords: Mobile Imaging, LUT

    @Vanilla: This year, Apple has once again strengthened its dominance in mobile videography with the iPhone 17 Pro series. In addition to hardware upgrades, Apple introduced professional-grade features like OpenGate, Genlock, support for ProRes RAW video recording, and the new Apple Log 2 format.

    Shortly after the iPhone 17’s release, Hurricane Studio launched Hurricane Camera, a third-party video app for iPhone—something that sounds perfectly reasonable at first. But with Apple’s own Final Cut Camera, its “godson” Blackmagic Camera, and a lineup of other third-party apps already targeting advanced mobile videography, one might wonder—is there really room for another one? With that question in mind, I decided to give Hurricane Camera a try. After using it for a while, here’s what I found.

    When you open Hurricane Camera, it defaults to video shooting mode. You can switch to Dynamic Image (Log) mode via the top tab, though this feature requires a paid upgrade. In the video mode, the top-left corner of the viewfinder displays input levels for the left and right microphones, while the top-right corner houses the video format selector. Tap it to choose among different formats, resolutions, and frame rates.

    Inside the format menu, Hurricane Camera clearly labels and explains options like sRGB, HDR, Log, and Log 2—a friendly touch for users who aren’t professional cinematographers. At the bottom of the viewfinder, there’s a row of controls for front/rear camera switching, focus, white balance, ISO (sensitivity), shutter speed, exposure compensation, and settings. From focus to exposure compensation, each parameter can be fine-tuned with a slider or left on Auto. However, it’s worth noting that focus and exposure compensation use circular sliders, while the other three use horizontal ones—this small inconsistency in UI design can feel a bit confusing at first glance.

    The lens switch module and the storage information panel are hidden by default, but you can swipe up on the viewfinder to bring them out, or swipe down to hide them again. Hurricane Camera even adds an animation when switching lenses, though the transition isn’t entirely smooth—it’s unclear whether that’s an intentional design choice or a technical limitation. One thing to note: lens switching is disabled once recording starts, meaning you can’t change lenses mid-shot.

    To the left of the record button is the media library, where you can edit your footage—apply LUTs, make simple cuts, and render the final result for export. You can also export a clip as a dynamic image, though that feature is reserved for Pro members.

    To the right of the record button lies the LUT button. Hurricane Camera offers a selection of built-in LUTs you can apply instantly, with real-time previews displayed directly in the viewfinder.

    In the settings menu, Hurricane Camera provides a variety of practical options. For example, under performance settings, you can limit preview frame rates, enable system overload protection, and toggle LUT preview—all of which can noticeably improve the app’s smoothness. In the recording settings, you can choose to record either the raw footage only or include LUT-applied video simultaneously.

    To me, Hurricane Camera strikes an excellent balance between ease of use and professional-level functionality. It’s powerful enough to handle most shooting needs while remaining approachable for casual users. To reinforce that accessibility, the app even includes a “Simple Mode” toggle in the settings menu, which retains only the core shooting features—further lowering the barrier for everyday creators.

    Hurricane Camera is available for free on the App Store, with a ¥69 Pro membership unlocking features such as dynamic image recording and export. Relation article.

    Wins 3: Efficient Multi-Window Management

    • Platform: macOS
    • Keywords: window management

    @Snow: Earlier this year, I recommended two macOS window management apps—TabTab, known for its minimalism and efficiency, and DockDoor, praised for its gorgeous visual effects. The app I’m introducing today, Wins, feels like a perfect blend of the two while also incorporating some of Magnet’s strengths. With deep system-level integration, Wins helps you manage multiple windows more effectively.

    Like DockDoor, Wins provides multi-window previews for both the App Switcher and the Dock, designed with macOS’s translucent “liquid glass” aesthetic. Animations are fluid, and users can quickly close windows directly from their previews. Wins also enhances the App Switcher with its “Cmd-Tab Plus” feature—after pressing Command + Tab to activate the switcher, you can hold Command and use the arrow keys, or press W or Q, to swiftly switch, close, or quit apps.

    Wins also brings a Windows-like window toggling logic to the Dock: when enabled, clicking the same Dock icon twice automatically minimizes its corresponding window. Combined with the macOS option “Minimize windows into application icon” and multi-window previews, this feature keeps your Dock neat and uncluttered.

    In addition, Wins offers Magnet-level window snapping and split-screen options. You can drag a window to the screen’s edge to snap it to the left, right, or full screen. When dragging a window to the top of the screen, Wins presents four preset split layouts in a floating overlay—just drag the window onto your desired layout to instantly organize your workspace. The app also includes handy shortcuts like hiding all windows, hiding others, and centering windows, all of which can be customized in System Settings > Wins.

    Wins further supports features like shake-to-hide other windows, multi-monitor quick switching, and closing windows from the Mission Control view. However, during testing, I encountered a few issues affecting usability—for example, certain apps like One Markdown failed to display previews, and the integrated settings panel occasionally glitched when switching between light and dark modes.Wins offers a one-day free trial, and it’s best to test it before purchasing.

    A personal license (for one device) costs ¥139, but during the SSPAI App Store Double 11 promotion, you can get it at a 40% discount via the purchase link.

    Hungry: If You Feel Hungry, Go Cook

    • Platform: Android
    • Keywords: recipes

    @Peggy_: I have to start with a confession. During the height of the food delivery boom, I practically lived on hamburgers, barbecue, spicy hot pot, milk tea, beer, and iced Americanos—never leaving home, barely touching my kitchen. Unsurprisingly, I eventually earned myself a bout of gastritis. It’s not that eating delivery food will definitely make you sick, but compared to constantly consuming takeout with questionable hygiene, taking the time to visit a local market and cook something with your own hands is not only healthier, but also a great way to rediscover the joy of everyday life.

    Hungry is a beautifully designed recipe app that helps you organize the dishes you want to cook. As you use it over time and add more content, it gradually solves that eternal dilemma—“What should I eat today?” Let’s walk through the process of creating a recipe to get familiar with how it works.

    Tap the “Add” button in the lower-right corner of the app. You can take a photo of the finished dish or the prepared ingredients to make your recipe look more appealing, then enter the recipe name. In the description field, you can add personal notes or comments about how much you like the dish. If the recipe comes from a creator or YouTuber you follow, you can credit them as the author—or if it’s your own creation, even better; nothing beats the satisfaction of cooking your own recipe. You can also set an estimated cooking time (in minutes by default), though that might be a bit limiting for Chinese dishes that require longer steaming or simmering. Before finishing this setup, you can tag your dish with labels such as “Healthy Meal” or “Vegetarian.”

    Next comes the real work: adding ingredients one by one, including their names and quantities. To keep your prep organized and avoid chaos, Hungry allows you to group ingredients, add dividers between sections, or even use emojis to make ingredients easier to identify—and to add a bit of fun to recipe editing. The app even tries to automatically suggest emojis for each ingredient, but in Chinese, the results are often hilariously off. For example, it once matched “lamb” with “green tea,” which clearly required manual correction. If you’re copying an existing recipe from elsewhere, Hungry also includes a convenient “Paste” button so you can quickly drop in all the ingredient names at once.

    After that, you can begin adding cooking steps. Hungry lets you list each step in order, complete with descriptions, duration, and optional tips. You can even bulk paste instructions if your content matches the app’s formatting requirements. Overall, Hungry has done a good job minimizing the friction of recipe creation—after all, if maintaining your recipe collection is harder than cooking itself, who would bother?

    Hungry is available for free on the Play Store.

    MagicFX Wallpaper: Bringing Pixel’s Exclusive Wallpaper Magic to Everyone

    • Platform: Android
    • Keywords: wallpaper

    @大大大K: On Pixel devices running Android 16, users can create wallpapers with a “Magic Portrait” effect—where the subject of a photo appears to extend beyond its frame. Samsung has introduced a similar feature in newer versions of One UI, but for most other Android devices or older systems, this option simply doesn’t exist.

    To change that, an independent developer created MagicFX Wallpaper, an app that brings the same subject-pop-out effect to any Android phone. The app automatically separates the subject from the background of a photo and lets you export it as a wallpaper with that signature layered look.

    Using it is simple: just select a photo, and the app will automatically handle the background and subject separation. The extracted subject is positioned relative to its base, creating the illusion that it’s “standing inside the frame, with its head popping out.” However, depending on the photo’s composition—such as subject position, size, or angle—the pop-out effect may not always look perfect. In such cases, you can fine-tune the boundaries of the subject under the “Subject” option, cropping out unwanted areas to improve the final result.

    Once you’re done editing, MagicFX Wallpaper’s preview tool allows you to see how the wallpaper transitions from lock screen to home screen. By adjusting the home screen wallpaper’s position and scale, you can achieve a smooth, visually cohesive unlock animation.

    MagicFX Wallpaper supports separating people, pets, and distinct objects from photos as subjects. For more complex images, the developer has promised ongoing algorithm improvements. Some of the frame styles in the editing page require an in-app purchase to unlock, but more designs are already planned for future updates.If you’re curious to try it, MagicFX Wallpaper is available for free on Google Play.

    AutoSnore: Intelligent Snore Tracking

    • Platform: iOS
    • Keywords: Snore Monitoring

    @Snow: When iOS 26 introduced the new sleep score system, many users thought that sleep-tracking apps like AutoSleep were about to become obsolete. But the AutoSleep team clearly had no plans to retire. Last week, they launched AutoSnore, a new app designed to help users understand how snoring affects their health. Unlike other solutions, AutoSnore doesn’t require external devices such as the Apple Watch — simply place your iPhone by your bedside before sleeping, and the app will automatically track and analyze your snoring throughout the night, adding a new dimension to your sleep insights.

    Using AutoSnore is remarkably straightforward. Upon the first launch, you just need to enter your nickname, then before going to sleep, position your iPhone’s microphone toward yourself and tap the Start button. In the morning, tap Stop, and AutoSnore will automatically process your data. It presents your snoring patterns in a visual “Snore Cloud,” where white dots indicate snoring events, categorized by frequency and intensity. Beyond analyzing a single night, AutoSnore also compares your current session with past records, giving you a broader view of your sleep quality over time.

    Within the Snore Cloud view, you can replay recorded sound snippets from your sleep. Thanks to its built-in algorithms, AutoSnore isolates snoring segments and highlights the “Top 10 Snore Moments,” helping you identify periods of severe breathing irregularity so you can take corrective action. The app also tags other detected sounds — such as voices, musical instruments, ambient noise, or natural sounds — allowing you to revisit specific moments and even discover who (or what) you might have “talked to” in your dreams.

    Scrolling down to the main screen, AutoSnore also provides a manual tagging feature. You can log factors that might affect your snoring, such as whether you have a cold, are overly fatigued, switched pillows, or took medication — all of which help refine your personal sleep optimization strategy.

    However, as a newly released app, AutoSnore still suffers from several bugs that affect the overall user experience. The sound analysis algorithm, for example, occasionally misclassifies alarm tones as high-intensity snores. Since there’s currently no way to exclude alarms from detection or manually correct false positives, the analysis results can be significantly skewed. Additionally, due to its strict privacy policy, AutoSnore cannot yet distinguish between different voices. If you share a bed with someone or fall asleep with the TV or a podcast on, your only workaround is to reposition your iPhone or tweak the Sound Threshold setting under Options > Configure My AutoSnore to filter out external noise. Users have also reported playback issues such as overlapping soundtracks and UI glitches with mislabeled tags.

    AutoSnore is now available on the App Store for an introductory price of ¥38. Given the current technical issues affecting its daily usability, it might be wise to wait for a few updates before purchasing.

    Can’t-Miss App Updates

    Besides brand-new apps, many long-standing names on the App Store continue to evolve with fresh, useful features. Here at SSPAI, we aim to help you keep up with the latest updates worth your attention—so you can quickly discover what developers have been up to.

    XMind: AI-Powered Mind Mapping and Brainstorming

    • Platform: iOS / iPadOS / macOS / Android / Windows / Web
    • Keywords: Mind Mapping, Brainstorming

    @ElijahLee: Recently, the veteran mind mapping app XMind rolled out a major update, introducing a suite of AI-powered creative tools. With these new features, users can now leverage AI to automatically generate mind maps, break down projects into tasks, assist in brainstorming sessions, and even spark new ideas.

    In the updated XMind interface, you’ll find a new “One-Click Generate” button in the sidebar—this is the entry point to the AI creation tools. In the pop-up window, you can transform virtually any content—an article, document, website, or even a webpage video—into a structured mind map. This makes the process of mind map creation faster and significantly less tedious.

    In my own quick test, I found XMind’s AI assistance dramatically reduces the manual labor involved in organizing and formatting maps. For instance, I was reading Satantango and asked XMind to create a mind map summarizing each chapter and its main characters. The resulting map looked impressively polished: chapter titles, plot outlines, and character listings were all logically arranged and visually cohesive. The only issue? The AI had completely made up the story—none of the plot points or characters matched the book. Clearly, XMind’s AI had a “hallucination moment.”

    XMind’s AI toolset is surprisingly comprehensive. Within the “One-Click Generate” window, you can upload files like PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint slides, plain text, or Markdown files. You can also select from multiple diagram types—mind maps, logic charts, organizational charts, timelines, and fishbone diagrams. The system supports multiple languages, including English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese.

    The AI Work Breakdown feature automatically decomposes projects into executable tasks, assigning timelines and priorities. You can use it when first generating a map or later, by right-clicking on any node and selecting “AI Work Breakdown.” It effectively transforms a conceptual mind map into a practical action plan.

    The web version of XMind currently offers even more AI-powered features, which will gradually roll out to desktop and mobile platforms. One standout is Brainstorming, which provides five AI-assisted creative modes: Direct, Associative, Analogical, Synthetic, and Exploratory. Essentially, this is an AI chatbot for idea generation—just describe your topic, select a brainstorming style, and the system will generate idea cards and automatically arrange them into an elegant mind map.

    Another feature, Grow Ideas, allows AI to expand on any topic or subtopic within an existing map. The tool icon sits at the far right of the toolbar. You can choose between on-demand or automatic generation, letting the AI analyze the current structure and create new branches of thought in real time.

    You can download XMind from the official website. The AI functions use “AI Points,” with each task consuming a different amount depending on complexity. Free users get 10 AI Points, while upgrading to the Premium plan ($99/year, with a 7-day free trial) grants 500 points per month, unlimited cloud mind maps, AI summaries, Gantt charts, and more.

    DEVONthink 4.1: Expanded AI Model Support and Natural Language Task Creation

    • Platform: macOS
    • Keywords: Knowledge Management

    @化学心情下2: As one of the most established file management tools on macOS, DEVONthink has maintained a steady pace of major version updates. The release of version 4.0 in July 2025 marked a major milestone, introducing support for AI-powered large language models. Now, just a few months later, the 4.x series receives its first minor update—version 4.1—bringing with it a series of meaningful improvements and expanded AI integration.

    Compared with version 4.0, where AI was first introduced, version 4.1’s biggest change is its enhanced openness and flexibility in connecting to AI services. Previously, users were limited to specific AI providers; now, you can connect to your preferred models through OpenRouter or OpenAI (Compatible) endpoints. This means you can integrate models from providers like xAI, Baidu, and Alibaba’s Qwen. On the native side, DEVONthink 4.1 adds support for Claude 4.1 Opus, Claude 4.5 Sonnet, Gemini 2.5 Flash Lite, OpenAI GPT-5, Google Imagen 4, Mistral, Google Nano Banana, and Ollama Cloud. All Perplexity Sonar models now include vision capabilities, giving users the option to work with visual input when needed.

    With these AI integrations, DEVONthink takes automation even further. Users can now use natural language in the Script Assistant to generate executable AppleScript or JavaScript for Automation code. This makes it much easier to automate workflows without manually writing lengthy scripts, reducing syntax errors and improving productivity.

    AI also extends to image generation and editing. You can now adjust or create images through prompt-based editing, using AI to refine visual details or produce entirely new images according to your description. The same principle applies to editing—simply tell the AI to remove unwanted objects or insert new subjects into your scene, and DEVONthink handles the rest.

    Beyond AI, version 4.1 also introduces a Quick Look extension that allows users to preview Spotlight search results directly in macOS. Large Markdown files have also been optimized for better performance and faster editing speeds. If you use DEVONthink for document or note management, this update is worth exploring—it makes organizing, automating, and editing your files more intuitive than ever.

    You can download and purchase DEVONthink from the official website.

    App News Briefs

    • The App Store has officially launched its full web version, expanding access beyond the visionOS-specific web interface previously available.
    • Meanwhile, rumors suggest that WeChat is testing a new feature that would allow users to log into the same account on multiple smartphones simultaneously.
  • SSPAI Morning Brief: Apple Showcases Apple Immersive Video Production Workflow, and More

    SSPAI Morning Brief: Apple Showcases Apple Immersive Video Production Workflow, and More

    Morning Highlights

    1. Musk’s $1 Trillion Compensation Plan Approved
    2. Multiple Departments Issue Notice Calling for Scientific Protection of Children’s Farsightedness Reserve
    3. FBI Investigates the Identity of the archive.today Operator
    4. Meta Earns 10% of Its Revenue from Scam Ads
    5. National Health Commission Issues Negative Behavior List for Medical Staff Providing Online Health Education
    6. E-commerce Sellers Use Oversized Tags to Prevent “Wear-and-Return” Abuse
    7. Just Some Rumors to Look At
    8. Recent Updates from SSPAI
    9. Good Reads You Might Have Misse

    Apple Showcases Apple Immersive Video Production Workflow

    On November 6, during the 10-hour “Create Immersive” developer event, Apple gave its first comprehensive public presentation on the full production and distribution process of Apple Immersive Video. With the official release of Blackmagic’s camera system and added support from DaVinci Resolve Studio, Colorfront, and SpatialGen, third-party studios can now independently film, edit, and publish Apple Immersive Videos. Apple also announced that platforms such as Vimeo will support uploading and streaming immersive content.

    Technically, Apple Immersive Video uses static gaze rendering, delivering a per-eye resolution of 4320×4320 pixels—high enough to simulate human vision while maintaining edge clarity. The production process is complex, demanding meticulous planning, performance coordination, and advanced spatial audio design.Source

    While production costs remain high and the technology is still in its early stages, the NBA has already begun experimenting with immersive broadcasting. Future applications may extend to MLB, F1, and MLS events. Apple hopes to refine the workflow and open up its creative ecosystem to foster innovation and enrich the Vision Pro content landscape.

    Huawei Opens Pre-Orders for Mate 70 Air

    On November 6, Huawei officially began pre-orders for the Mate 70 Air. The phone is available in three colors, measuring 6.6 mm thick and weighing approximately 208 grams. It features a composite back made of fiber material and a metal-polymer frame.The device sports a 7-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2760×1320 and a peak brightness of 4000 nits, supporting 60 / 90 / 120 Hz variable refresh rates. It houses a 6500 mAh battery with 66 W wired fast charging, dual-direction Beidou satellite messaging, IP68/IP69 dust and water resistance, and stereo speakers.

    In terms of the imaging system, the rear camera setup includes a 50MP 1/1.3-inch ultra-sensitive main sensor with an ƒ/1.8 aperture and OIS (Optical Image Stabilization); a 12MP RYYB telephoto lens with an ƒ/2.4 aperture and OIS; an 8MP ultra-wide macro lens with an ƒ/2.2 aperture; and a 1.5MP multispectral channel red maple color camera. The front camera is a 10.7MP ultra-wide lens with an ƒ/2.2 aperture.

    Powered by the Kirin 9020 series, the Mate 70 Air starts at ¥4199 for the 9020B version (12 GB + 256 GB) and ¥4699 for the 9020A version (16 GB + 256 GB). According to Huawei customer service, the 9020A variant offers better performance.Source

    Canon Launches EOS R6 Mark III Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera

    On November 6, Canon announced the EOS R6 Mark III full-frame mirrorless camera, supporting 7K video recording and featuring a new dual-card design. The camera will go on sale in early December for ¥16,999.

    The R6 Mark III uses a 32.5 MP sensor and Canon’s DIGIC X processor. It features an enhanced Dual Pixel CMOS AF II autofocus system capable of tracking humans, animals, and vehicles, matching the focus range of the EOS R5 Mark II and R1. It offers up to 40 fps with the electronic shutter and 12 fps mechanically, with up to 8.5 stops of in-body image stabilization.Video recording supports up to 7K 60p RAW or 4K 120p, OpenGate capture, and Canon Log 2/Log 3 profiles. The camera adds a new recording indicator light, a full-size HDMI Type-A port, and dual slots for CFexpress Type B and SD cards.

    Canon also introduced a new RF 45mm F1.2 STM lens, priced at ¥2,949 and launching in late November. The company claims its optical performance rivals the RF 50mm F1.2L USM, weighing just 346 grams and supporting digital focus breathing correction.Source

    Aqara Releases Smart LED Bulb T2

    On November 6, Aqara unveiled the LED Bulb T2, available in tunable white and RGB color versions. The bulbs are compatible with Apple HomeKit and Aqara’s smart ecosystem but require a gateway hub for use.

    The RGB version supports dynamic lighting effects for parties and gaming setups, while the tunable white model can adjust color temperature from 2000 K to 9000 K and supports Apple Home adaptive lighting to match the time of day and location.With a color rendering index of Ra90 and up to 1100 lumens of brightness, the bulb offers accurate, vivid color reproduction. It can be controlled via Siri, the Aqara app, the rotary cube controller, or through automated scenes.

    Out of the box, it runs on the Zigbee protocol, requiring an Aqara Zigbee gateway. A future update will enable switching to Thread for Matter compatibility. The tunable white version retails for ¥99, and the RGB version for ¥119.Source

    Sony PS Portal Adds Cloud Gaming Support

    On November 5, Sony announced via YouTube that the PS Portal handheld now supports cloud gaming. Players can enjoy certain titles without connecting to a PS5 console, provided they subscribe to the highest tier of PS Plus.Supported games include Astro Bot, Borderlands 4, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and Soul of Mount Yotei, among others.

    The update also introduces a redesigned home interface with improved game selection and search, plus 3D audio support for select titles (requires PlayStation Link wireless or wired headsets). Additional features include device passcode lock and real-time network status in the quick menu.Source

    Shanghai Court Rules on China’s First AI Prompt Copyright Case

    On November 6, the Shanghai Huangpu District People’s Court ruled in China’s first AI prompt copyright infringement case, determining that prompts do not qualify as original works under copyright law.

    The court stated that prompts—being mere combinations of artistic styles, subjects, and material details—lack systemic logic and personalized aesthetic expression, and represent ideas rather than concrete creative expression. Therefore, the plaintiff does not hold copyright over the prompts, and the infringement claim was dismissed.

    The case stemmed from allegations that the defendant used the plaintiff’s prompts to generate and publish AI artworks on Xiaohongshu and in a printed book. The court reaffirmed that ideas and expressions must remain legally distinct in copyright determination.Source

    Great Wall Motors Unveils New Tank 400 Series

    Great Wall Motors has introduced the new Tank 400 lineup, featuring five variants: gasoline, diesel, Hi4-T Standard, Hi4-T Intelligent, and Hi4-Z Intelligent. The series maintains its signature mechanical design with a chrome cross grille, polygonal headlights, infrared night vision, and an external spare tire.The SUV measures 4964 × 1970 × 1905 mm with a 2850 mm wheelbase. The Hi4-T Intelligent version offers 105 km of pure-electric range, while the Hi4-Z Intelligent achieves up to 200 km with dual-motor power. Gasoline and diesel models use 2.0T mild-hybrid and 2.4T diesel engines, respectively.

    Inside, the vehicle comes with a 15.6-inch 2.5K center display, the third-generation Coffee OS, and Coffee GPT voice assistant. The Nappa leather seats feature heating, ventilation, and massage, with a 15.6-inch rear entertainment screen and a 5.4 L mini fridge.Source

    Moonshot AI Launches Kimi K2 Thinking Model

    Moonshot AI has unveiled the Kimi K2 Thinking model, its new open-source “thinking model” built on the concept of “model-as-agent.” It can autonomously perform up to 300 rounds of reasoning and tool use without human intervention, tackling complex cross-domain tasks.

    According to performance benchmarks, Kimi K2 Thinking scored 44.9% on the “Humanity’s Final Exam” and achieved a record 60.2% on the BrowseComp browsing test. It also excelled in multi-domain reasoning, agentic search, and software engineering benchmarks (SWE-Multilingual and SWE-bench).Source

    TÜV Rheinland Unveils 2025 Service Portfolio

    On November 6, TÜV Rheinland hosted its 2025 New Service Launch Conference in Shenzhen, unveiling four key service areas: robotics, artificial intelligence, acoustics, and human-centered display technologies.Under the theme “Technology Empowerment + Human Care,” the company introduced new frameworks for intelligent sensing, AI compliance certification, multimodal acoustic integration, and smart eye protection.

    TÜV Rheinland also announced a joint InnoHub Accessibility Lab with the Information Accessibility Research Association to promote elderly- and disability-friendly product design.Celebrating its 30th anniversary in Shenzhen, TÜV Rheinland emphasized its commitment to integrating advanced testing and certification with frontier technologies to support high-quality industrial development.Source

    Quick Bites

    Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported on November 5 that Apple is considering paying Google around $1 billion annually to integrate Google’s Gemini AI model into Siri. The move aims to enhance Siri’s intelligence and its ability to handle complex data and multi-step tasks.Under the proposed deal, Gemini would assist Siri with summarization and planning functions through the cloud, while most tasks would still rely on Apple’s in-house models—ensuring privacy and system independence.Source

    Separately, Rockstar Games has officially delayed Grand Theft Auto VI to November 19, 2026.Source

  • SSPAI Morning Brief: Xpeng Releases Humanoid Robot IRON, CowTransfer to Shut Down, and More

    SSPAI Morning Brief: Xpeng Releases Humanoid Robot IRON, CowTransfer to Shut Down, and More

    Xpeng Unveils Next-Generation Humanoid Robot IRON

    On November 5, Xpeng Inc. released its brand-new humanoid robot, IRON. Built around a “skeleton–muscle–skin” biomimetic architecture, it comes equipped with a high-performance AI chip and an in-house developed physical-world large model.

    IRON features a human-like spine, bionic muscles and fully-covered flexible skin, with a 3D curved display for the head. Both shoulders and arms adopt agile biomimetic designs, allowing a total of 22 degrees of freedom for fine precision control. Its gait is more natural, and it can perform stable walking, posture adjustments, and fine operations with its hands.

    On the hardware side, it uses three Turing AI chips with a combined computing power of 2250 TOPS, enabling multi-modal conversation, visual recognition and interactive behaviour decision-making. For energy it employs an all-solid-state battery system, achieving lightweight construction and high safety. Its robotic system is based on XPENG’s self-developed physical-world large model architecture, integrating three core capabilities: VLT (Visual-Language-Motion model), VLA (Visual-Language-Action model), and VLM (Visual-Language-Perception model). This allows real-time sensing, inference and response in complex environments.

    XPENG says IRON will first be deployed in commercial service scenarios such as museums, 4S car dealerships, and shopping malls. Meanwhile they are partnering with Baosteel to explore industrial inspection and safety monitoring applications for the robot. Looking ahead, XPENG plans to open an IRON SDK to invite global developers to take part in the humanoid-robot application ecosystem, driving the industrialisation of bionic intelligence.Source

    Product exterior image, photo courtesy of XPeng

    Sora Lands on Android Platform

    Also on November 5, Sora — the AI video-generation app from OpenAI — officially launched on Android, in the U.S., Canada, Japan and other countries. Mirroring the iOS version released a month earlier, the Android version remains invite-only.

    Sora was originally launched on iOS in September; according to official data it reached over 1 million downloads within five days. The app offers a TikTok-style video browsing experience and lets users become the star of AI-generated videos via its “Cameo” feature.Source

    Google Removes Large Bulk of “Anna’s Archive” URLs

    According to a transparency report published November 5 by Google LLC, copyright holders requested removal of 784 million URLs from the notorious pirated-book site Anna’s Archive, of which Google complied with 749 million. The non-removed portion was due to Google not indexing those links.

    The URLs from Anna’s Archive accounted for 5% of all removal requests Google received. Since publishing its first transparency report in 2012, the company has received 15.1 billion URLs flagged for copyright infringement. Among the most active publishers targeting Anna’s Archive are Penguin Random House and John Wiley & Sons; on average copyright holders report about 10 million new Anna’s Archive URLs every week.Source

    Microsoft to Retire Defender Application Guard in Office

    On November 5, Microsoft Corporation announced that beginning February 2026 it will eliminate the “Microsoft Defender Application Guard (MDAG)” feature built into the Office suite. After the removal, protected files will open by default in “Protected View”, which is essentially a read-only mode disabling most editing functions.

    Application Protection Feature Interface, Image from News Source

    According to Microsoft’s published timeline, the removal will begin with the Office 2602 version released in the February update channel and will roll out phase-by-phase across update channels. The full removal is expected by the December 2027 release of Office 2612.Source

    CowTransfer to Cease Service

    On November 5, the file-transfer service CowTransfer’s team announced that the platform will officially shut down on December 8. After that date, login, upload, and download functions will cease. Users are advised to download and back up their important files before December 8. If a user’s membership remains valid past that date, they can log in to the account, read the internal announcement and follow the service’s handling instructions.

    The team stated that they will now focus on upgrading and innovating their sister product Gaoding Design. For users who still need file-sharing, multi-user collaboration, online design or AI-creation support after CowTransfer’s shutdown, Gaoding Design will serve those needs.Source

    SanDisk Launches Extreme Fit USB-C Flash Drive

    On November 5, SanDisk announced the new Extreme Fit USB-C Flash Drive. According to the company, the 1TB configuration is “the world’s smallest 1TB USB-C flash drive,” measuring just 18.50 × 15.70 × 13.60 mm and priced at $119.99.

    Product appearance image, photo courtesy of SanDisk

    Designed with a plug-and-stay concept, the drive is extremely compact—once inserted into a MacBook’s USB-C port, it barely protrudes from the chassis. Beyond Mac devices, it’s also compatible with all iPad and iPhone models equipped with USB-C.The product line ranges from 64GB to 1TB, all supporting the USB 3.2 Gen 1 standard with read speeds up to 400 MB/s.

    However, due to its inability to meet the high sustained write speeds required for formats like 4K 120fps ProRes, it cannot record high-bitrate video directly when connected to an iPhone.Source

    Toshiba Launches S300 AI Surveillance HDD

    On November 5, Toshiba Corporation unveiled its new S300 AI series of mechanical hard drives specifically designed for modern AI video-surveillance workloads. The lineup offers eight capacities: 8 TB, 10 TB, 14 TB, 16 TB, 18 TB, 20 TB, 22 TB and 24 TB. It supports up to 550 TB of annual workload and offers a MTTF (Mean Time To Failure) of up to 2.5 million hours, engineered for mission-critical, 24/7 environments with a five-year warranty.

    Toshiba says the S300 AI series has been optimised to handle the random read/write demands typical of AI workloads in surveillance applications, ensuring fast access to imaging datasets for accurate, real-time AI analysis and insights. It supports up to 64 high-definition camera streams, plus an extra 32 AI streams. Deliveries of the 8 TB and 10 TB models will begin this month, with larger-capacity versions expected in Q1 2026.Source