A Wild App from Jack Dorsey and AI That Wants Your Job
This batch is a weird one: a legit useful off-grid chat app, a new way to invest in startups, and a bunch of AI tools trying to do your creative work.
Today's list continues the trend of AI 'interns' taking up tedious tasks, but with a couple of surprises that aren't about AI at all. One, in particular, is about disconnecting entirely.
🎯 Bitchat
An off-the-grid messaging app by Jack Dorsey that uses Bluetooth to create a mesh network. It lets you chat with nearby users without any internet, cellular signal, or data.
Why I'm excited: This one actually got me excited. It's not another AI promising to change the world; it's a simple, practical tool that solves a real problem: what do you do when you have no signal? The idea of a decentralized, private, off-grid communication channel using the phone already in my pocket is genuinely cool.
Who should care: Anyone who's ever been to a concert, music festival, or sporting event and couldn't find their friends. Also for hikers, travelers in remote areas, and privacy advocates. It's a tool for connection when traditional networks fail.
Reality check: Let's be real, a mesh network app is only useful if other people are on it. Its biggest challenge won't be the tech, but getting a critical mass of users to make it work. It's a classic network effect problem.
Other finds worth mentioning
VentureStaking® by Doriot®
This one is different. It lets you buy the *option* to invest in a startup later, if they prove themselves. It's like calling dibs on a future investment. A cool way to get in on early-stage ideas without dropping a ton of cash upfront. Feels smarter than just throwing money at a crowdfund. Careful tho, you might not be able to cash out until IPO (that's a v v long way away)
VMEG
AI video translation and dubbing. It'll take your video and dub it into other languages with AI voices and surprisingly decent lip-sync. For creators trying to reach a global audience, this could be a massive shortcut. Beats trying to manage international voice talent.
Virly
Another AI trying to be your LinkedIn ghostwriter. The hook is that it analyzes your past content to match your 'voice.' I'm always skeptical of these, but if you hate writing posts and want to keep your profile active, it might be worth a look. Could save some time.
Checklist Genie
An actually simple list app. You can use your voice or a photo to create checklists instantly. It's not trying to reorganize your entire life, it just wants to make your grocery or packing list faster. I appreciate that it solves a small, tangible problem without a ton of bloat.
Quick hits
InfographsAI: A Canva alternative that generates infographics and charts from your text. Good for non-designers.
Buildstash: A place to store and share software builds for QA and testing. Super niche.
My takeaway
My honest thought after looking at all these is the weird tension in tech right now. We have this huge push from AI to automate communication and content on a global scale (VMEG, Virly), making us more connected than ever. At the exact same time, you have tools like Bitchat popping up, which are all about local, private, and *disconnected* communication. It feels like for every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction, even in tech.
Catch you tomorrow.
So what do you think? Are you more interested in the AI tools that connect you to the world, or the tech that helps you disconnect?