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Nathan Fennel
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Thoughts on technology, creativity, and life. Some posts require login to access.
One-on-one dates: why $5 and 30 minutes beat any toy
How small, focused moments of undivided attention create lasting memories and stronger parent-child bonds
parenting
family
personal
relationships
2025-06-14
RapidReads: Building a Secure Speed-Reading Tool for Everyone
The story behind building a secure, offline speed-reading app that started as an internal tool and became a public Mac App Store application
macOS
iOS
Swift
App Store
Security
Privacy
Speed Reading
Development
Internal Tools
2025-03-01
Less Than 3 Hours To Significantly Improve My Life
16 simple, science-backed habits that can transform your daily life in just a few hours - from mindfulness to sleep optimization
productivity
self-improvement
habits
personal
2024-12-19
The 3-Step Apology: Teaching Kids (and Ourselves) How to Repair
A simple framework for teaching children how to apologize effectively and build stronger relationships through repair
parenting
relationships
personal
communication
2024-07-28
SwiftUI Animation Techniques
A comprehensive guide to creating smooth and engaging animations in SwiftUI
swift
ios
tutorial
swiftui
2024-07-20
Finding Art in Everyday Moments
Exploring urban photography and the beauty hidden in city life
photography
urban
art
creative
2024-07-15
My First iOS App: Endless A-440
The story behind my first iOS app - a simple tuning pitch generator that's still helping musicians today
iOS
Swift
UIKit
App Store
Music
Development
First App
2024-05-22
Four Books That Will Transform How You Live and Love
A curated collection of four essential books that address the universal experiences of health, resilience, connection, and mortality
books
personal-development
health
relationships
philosophy
2024-01-01
Why Audiobooks Are a Game-Changer for People with Visual Impairments and ADHD
How audiobooks provide accessibility and freedom for people with visual impairments and ADHD, opening up new possibilities for learning and enjoyment
accessibility
adhd
audiobooks
personal
reading
2023-10-01
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: Why Talking About Death Will Change How You Live
A review of Caitlin Doughty's powerful book about death acceptance and how confronting mortality can bring clarity to life
books
death
philosophy
personal
life
2023-01-01
How to Talk to Anyone: A Practical Guide to Building Relationships That Last
A review of Leil Lowndes' book on conversation skills and building meaningful connections through genuine curiosity and listening
books
communication
relationships
personal-development
social-skills
2022-01-01
The Emperor of All Maladies: The Biography Everyone Should Read Before They Need It
A powerful recommendation for Siddhartha Mukherjee's Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of cancer and why understanding it prepares you for life's hardest moments
books
health
science
medicine
personal
2021-01-01
Internationalize From Day One: Treat English Like Any Other Locale
Why building internationalization into your app from the start saves time, money, and prevents embarrassing translation fails
development
ios
technical
2020-09-06
Time Zones Are Weird: A Developer-Friendly Tour of Earth's 438+ Local Times
Exploring the fascinating complexity of global time zones, from fractional offsets to daylight saving chaos, and how to handle them in software
development
technical
ios
2020-04-04
Why We Sleep: The Most Important Book You Didn't Know You Needed
A deep dive into Matthew Walker's groundbreaking book about sleep science and why quality sleep is the foundation of everything else in life
books
health
sleep
science
personal
2020-01-01
On Creation: Knowing, Forgetting, and the Leap Into the New
Exploring the paradoxical discipline of creativity: mastering what exists while having the courage to forget and imagine what could be
creativity
philosophy
art
personal
2019-03-14
Two Weeks, Four Time Zones, One Train Seat: My Cross-Country Amtrak Adventure
The epic journey that taught me about America, humanity, and myself—and why I could never do it again in my thirties
travel
adventure
writing
book
self-discovery
2017-08-25
Transforming My Office Into a Camera Obscura: A Study in Optics and Wonder
An exploration of camera obscura physics, aperture theory, f-stops vs t-stops, and diffraction—with my office as the experimental chamber
photography
optics
physics
technical
2016-12-09
California Wedding Season: When All Your Friends Get Married at Once
Reflections on that unique phase of life when your calendar fills with wedding invitations and love is literally in the air
life
weddings
friendship
photography
reflection
2015-09-18
Extension Tubes: Transforming Any Lens Into a Macro Powerhouse
A deep dive into the physics and mathematics of extension tubes, exploring how simple spacers can unlock macro photography capabilities in any lens
photography
macro
technical
optics
physics
2015-07-10
Faultlines Live: When Music Meets Raw Energy
Capturing the intimate performance of Faultlines, where folksy melodies and rich harmonies create pure musical magic
photography
music
live-performance
folk
2015-02-20
Steel and Glass: Exploring Chicago's Architectural DNA
A photographic journey through Chicago's iconic architecture, from historic facades to modern skyline giants
photography
architecture
urban
travel
2013-11-15