What people recommend, in their own words, with the receipt.
Technology journalist and founder of Platformer, an independent newsletter about AI, social platforms and the people shaping technology; co-host of the Hard Fork podcast.
20 things
RaycastSoftware Raycast
Raycast, a launcher app that replaces Spotlight, remains my preferred way to navigate a computer.
His annual productivity post, running down the software he still uses, what he dropped, and the LLM wiki he built. The post carries his standing disclosure that his fiancé works at Anthropic.
platformer.news ↗·2026-08-19
User MagOther Taylor Lorenz
Taylor Lorenz is my personal internet culture queen, and I simply follow wherever she leads.
Platformer's standing page of the newsletters and podcasts Casey Newton recommends, each with a note signed by him. The page carries no publication date; captured 2026-09-04.
platformer.substack.com ↗·2024-01-16
Search EnginePodcast PJ Vogt
It's a deeply humane project that also manages to be formally inventive; I never feel like I'm in surer hands as a podcast listener than when Vogt is telling me about what he has learned.
Platformer's standing page of the newsletters and podcasts Casey Newton recommends, each with a note signed by him. The page carries no publication date; captured 2026-09-04.
platformer.substack.com ↗·2024-01-16
CapacitiesSoftware
You could easily do this with any number of apps, but after three years I still find myself appreciating the simplicity and calm of Capacities.
His annual productivity post, running down the software he still uses, what he dropped, and the LLM wiki he built. The post carries his standing disclosure that his fiancé works at Anthropic.
platformer.news ↗·2026-08-19
GlazeSoftware
Sometimes I use Glaze, another app from the maker of Raycast; it excels at design and polish.
His annual productivity post, running down the software he still uses, what he dropped, and the LLM wiki he built. The post carries his standing disclosure that his fiancé works at Anthropic.
platformer.news ↗·2026-08-19
The Long GameOther Molly Knight
Molly Knight has enviable access to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and she uses it to write deeply humane, beautifully written explorations of sports and fandom. A newsletter that belongs in the inbox of any baseball fan.
Platformer's standing page of the newsletters and podcasts Casey Newton recommends, each with a note signed by him. The page carries no publication date; captured 2026-09-04.
platformer.substack.com ↗·2024-01-16
The Pragmatic EngineerOther Gergely Orosz
Gergely brings an incredible amount of reporting depth to every edition of this newsletter about the nuts and bolts of building technology. A must-read for the tech rank-and-file and their managers.
Platformer's standing page of the newsletters and podcasts Casey Newton recommends, each with a note signed by him. The page carries no publication date; captured 2026-09-04.
platformer.substack.com ↗·2024-01-16
Big TechnologyOther Alex Kantrowitz
Alex Kantrowitz's weekly dispatches on the tech industry show off a genuine curiosity and knack for putting events in their broader context. The accompanying podcast, which features an eclectic mix of newsmakers and journalists, is well worth a listen.
Platformer's standing page of the newsletters and podcasts Casey Newton recommends, each with a note signed by him. The page carries no publication date; captured 2026-09-04.
platformer.substack.com ↗·2024-01-16
CommuniquéOther David Adeleke
David Adeleke's dispatches from the African tech scene introduce me to companies and entrepreneurs who are as fascinating as they are unfamiliar. The sharp analysis and quality-over-quantity approach to newslettering makes it stand out.
Platformer's standing page of the newsletters and podcasts Casey Newton recommends, each with a note signed by him. The page carries no publication date; captured 2026-09-04.
platformer.substack.com ↗·2024-01-16
NewcomerOther Eric Newcomer
Eric Newcomer is the rare Substack journalist who thrives on breaking news. His dispatches from Silicon Valley and beyond have the knowing voice of a veteran observer, but with the open-mindedness that defines a great reporter. The accompanying podcast is also well worth a listen.
Platformer's standing page of the newsletters and podcasts Casey Newton recommends, each with a note signed by him. The page carries no publication date; captured 2026-09-04.
platformer.substack.com ↗·2024-01-16
SupervisedOther Matthew Lynley
Longtime tech reporter Matt Lynley offers an uncommonly technical assessment of new AI developments in his newsletter Supervised. Original reporting and a fast cadence help this one stand out from other AI newsletters.
Platformer's standing page of the newsletters and podcasts Casey Newton recommends, each with a note signed by him. The page carries no publication date; captured 2026-09-04.
platformer.substack.com ↗·2024-01-16
Design LobsterOther Ben Strak
Ben Strak's short and sweet Monday newsletter offers weekly inspiration to designers and anyone else curious about the world around them. A good example of how newsletters thrive on the authentic curiosity of the people who write them.
Platformer's standing page of the newsletters and podcasts Casey Newton recommends, each with a note signed by him. The page carries no publication date; captured 2026-09-04.
platformer.substack.com ↗·2024-01-16
DALL-E 3Software OpenAI
I suggest using a text-to-image generator like DALL-E 3. However you feel about synthetic media, the pace of improvement is readily apparent from a single prompt
x.com ↗·2023-10-24
RecallSoftware
its Chrome extension provides near-instant text summaries of YouTube videos. Over the past year, I’ve saved myself many hours by dumping podcasts I feel like I should listen to for work into Recall and simply skimming the summaries.
His annual productivity post, running down the software he still uses, what he dropped, and the LLM wiki he built. The post carries his standing disclosure that his fiancé works at Anthropic.
platformer.news ↗·2026-08-19
GhosttySoftware Mitchell Hashimoto
I pasted the result into the terminal (I use Ghostty), and before too long I had created a new folder of Markdown files in Obsidian.
His annual productivity post, running down the software he still uses, what he dropped, and the LLM wiki he built. The post carries his standing disclosure that his fiancé works at Anthropic.
platformer.news ↗·2026-08-19
ObsidianSoftware Obsidian
I pasted the result into the terminal (I use Ghostty), and before too long I had created a new folder of Markdown files in Obsidian.
His annual productivity post, running down the software he still uses, what he dropped, and the LLM wiki he built. The post carries his standing disclosure that his fiancé works at Anthropic.
platformer.news ↗·2026-08-19
Claude CodeSoftware Anthropic
Like seemingly everyone else at the end of last year, I began messing around with Claude Code, and have since made a small handful of apps that I really do use all the time.
His annual productivity post, running down the software he still uses, what he dropped, and the LLM wiki he built. The post carries his standing disclosure that his fiancé works at Anthropic.
platformer.news ↗·2026-08-19
GPT-5.5 InstantSoftware OpenAI
And thanks to a paid upgrade, I do tons of simple AI searches in the Raycast window. (I use GPT-5.5 Instant here for the high quality-to-speed ratio.)
His annual productivity post, running down the software he still uses, what he dropped, and the LLM wiki he built. The post carries his standing disclosure that his fiancé works at Anthropic.
platformer.news ↗·2026-08-19
GranolaSoftware
Pedregal is the co-founder and CEO of Granola, which has been my own AI notetaker since shortly after it launched.
His interview with Granola's CEO, introduced with his own account of using the app.
platformer.news ↗·2026-07-30
DALL-E 3Software OpenAI
And finally, we use DALL-E 3 to make HOT DADS.
x.com ↗·2023-10-27
AI pinHardware Humane
I tried out Humane's long-awaited new AI pin. While there are some undoubtedly novel new features in its interfaces, I think "AI hardware" may turn out to be a dead end
x.com ↗·2023-11-10
Every entry is a verbatim quote and a link to the public post it came from. Nothing is paraphrased. If it is not on record somewhere public, it is not here.
The verdict is what they actually said: loved and liked are explicit; recommended means they told others to get it; uses means they only say they use it; read is a book on their public shelf with no verdict; mixed and disliked are kept too.
A dashed affiliate link, sponsored or their own label means the post disclosed a relationship. It is shown, never hidden.
The small bar beside a date shows how dated a recommendation is for its kind of thing.
The bar shows how dated a recommendation is, for its kind of thing. Full and green is recent. It drains, and turns amber and then grey, as the post gets older.
What counts as old depends on the thing. A laptop praised four years ago has been replaced twice; a book loved twenty years ago is probably still loved. The bar is empty after about:
A striped bar means the post carries no date and the date shown is an estimate. No date at all, no bar.