Yes! There's so many cool apps on there! I wish the play store was similarly browsable.

I use Typewise, with its default hexagonal layout that's supposedly based on the frequency of letters in English. I've gotten alright with it - ~60 WPM on Monkeytype, which is enough that it doesn't feel clunky to use it. And it's quite fun to practice, too!

While I'm pretty sure it's quite possible to write faster with more predictive keyboards, I really appreciate the precision this one allows. Especially since I'm bilingual, which leads to autocorrect and swype getting quite confused sometimes.

I'm still in the market for a better keyboard app. Another interesting one I've tried was MessagEase. It looks really cool and arcane to use, but I found it to be slower in spite of me putting more effort into mastering it.

Been doing this too! Embarrassingly I still need to refer to my washing machine manual occassionally.

It's a really useful habit!

In a similar vein, I've also got a receipt scanner app - to make sure I've got 'em saved if I need to return or service something.

I had initially mentioned the custom keyboard app I was using. I have since edited the post to remove that, since I'm genuinely interested in people's answers and don't want them to think this is an ad.

This is definitely a huge one in my experience as well. Speech isn't great at communicating visual detail. It's amazing how the moment you start drawing you can just see it click in the other person's mind.

I've never had a phone with a stylus before, but you make a good case for it!

The phone flashlight is absurdly useful to me. I think I end up using it almost every single day.

Another use that comes to mind is google lens. Really easy and quick translation, and it helps me figure out what various random items are called - thrifting finds or plants, for example.

In the same way that computers are basically advanced abaci.

Don't confuse a simplification made to demonstrate the basic functioning to a layman with how things actually work.

LLM's are neural networks, which are based on a model of brain function. There's little reason to believe that we cannot eventually reach similar levels of effectiveness as human brains.

Hell - reaching the levels of pigeon brains would already be absurdly useful.

Ehhh. I get that exploitative techbros and cryptobros have confused the issue by latching onto the AI bubble.

But at the same time generalized artificial intelligence is very likely possible and will be an absolute game-changer if and when it happens. It's easily of similar value to fusion technology.

And it is already bringing truly impressive results into reality - protein folding and diagnostic medicine come to mind.

What a cool question, actually.

In my current situation? Probably a coffee date with someone new.

In a hypothetical "blank slate" scenario? Some easy way to play music. An mp3 player or something among those lines.

Alternatively - I could absolutely purchase a used dumb phone for that amount of money, as well as free calls within network for a year (in my country).

You're right, I hadn't actually realized how small a number that was. That's almost suspiciously small, given the sanctions against Russia.

Mind you, I was also thinking of the sheer amount of brain drain and population drain Russia's war has resulted in for them.

Also, USA's spending on its military-industrial complex compared to its spending on every other part of its government is destroying its population, but that's another issue.

That was the final straw for me. I don't much care about Apollo, but the behavior spez displayed there sends a clear message.

He will lie, cheat, and do whatever the hell he needs to, so long as it results in profit, or he believes that it does.

There's genuine intention to cause harm, there. And since that's the approach reddit takes to the literal foundation of their community? Fuck 'em.

Yep. Spez and the reddit admins have gone full mask-off, realpolitik, "do what we say or get the fuck out".

The platform still functions, for now, but this is genuinely the beginning of the end as far as I can tell.