Along with other improvements today, I updated the home page for Inkwell so it’s a little less plain. Now includes a screenshot and download links for all the platforms. For iOS, still linking to the TestFlight version while we wait for Apple.

Inkwell

Spurs vs. Timberwolves game 6 tonight is going to be big. Nice article at ESPN on the organization’s culture and longevity: "On any given day at the facility, a current Spur can walk into a room filled with championship players from the past. It’s not uncommon to go to lunch and find Ginobili dining with three-time champion Bruce Bowen, whose No. 12 jersey is retired in San Antonio. Duncan, who once had a space in the coaches’ locker room at the old facility, is a fixture at the new spot, too, along with two-time champ and 10-time All-Star David Robinson and Sean Elliott…" https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/48770686/spurs-young-team-learns-san-antonio-legends-nba-playoffs

Now four days since I appealed the Inkwell rejection. I’ve drafted a full blog post explaining all the problems I’ve run into with app review. Going to hold the post until Monday, just to give Apple a little more time.

Brian Schrader mentions the A Very Short Introduction books in a blog post about learning: "The books are, as expected, very short (~100 pages) and cover a quick survey of the topic at hand and its various sub-disciplines. They’re approachable, quick to read, and the chapters are organized by discipline." I’ve seen these little books many times and sometimes flip through them in a bookstore. I think I will pick up a couple of them. Great idea to have approachable books that are longer than a blog post or AI prompt, but not as long or dry as a textbook.

A Field Guide to Learning

YOLO-ing with Codex computer use. I shouldn’t trust these tools as much as I do, but it still feels like magic, and I want to see the show.

Ben Thompson on the latest Dithering: "I do feel one of the challenges I have with people talking about how AI is making them so much more productive, is because these were some of the most unproductive people in the world previously." 🤣

John Gruber commenting on a blog post from Terry Godier: "Imagine being in a restaurant, and in the middle of your entree, the server comes to your table and hands you an iPad and asks you to rate the joint on Yelp. That’s what using most apps is like." We are pretty close to that restaurant reality already! Rating prompts are out of control.

Daring Fireball

App Store Reviews Are Busted

Link to: https://blog.terrygodier.com/2026/04/13/app-store-reviews-are-busted.html

App Store Reviews are Busted

Reviews on the App Store have bothered me for a long time. Review systems in general, really. People leave reviews to give feedback to developers, ...

Manton Reece

I’m bringing a new server online today to improve background queue performance. If you see Lilly in the logs, that’s it. Follows our train naming theme.

Disney History

Walt’s Lilly Belle — Disney History

A replica of Walt Disney’s “Lilly Belle” steam locomotive

Updating version strings today, so here’s my official guide to acceptable version numbers: ❌ 0.1 ❌ 1 ❌ 1.0.0 ✅ 1.0b1 ✅ 1.0 ✅ 1.0.1 ❌ 2 ✅ 2.0 ✅ 2.0.1 ✅ 2.1 ✅ 2.1.1 ❌ 2.1.10 ❌ 2.123 ❌ 2026.1.2 ❌ 2026.123456789 I’ve been versioning apps like this for 30 years. It’s just how it is. 🙂

Back in the United States after my extended trip across the ocean by ship, around Spain and France by train, and back to Malaga for Release Notes. Had an incredible time. I feel very lucky to be able to do this. I also got a bunch of work done. Inkwell for mobile is looking great, beta this week.

Got a drink at Le Train Bleu. Beautiful old restaurant from 1901, inside Gare de Lyon.

I thought it was fine that they left Tom Bombadil out of The Lord of the Rings movies, but great to hear that Stephen Colbert’s script will give more attention to those early chapters of Fellowship. Could be fun. https://www.npr.org/2026/03/25/nx-s1-5760799/stephen-colbert-lord-of-the-rings

Sam Altman blogged last year about Sora: "The majority of users, looking back on the past 6 months, should feel that their life is better for using Sora that it would have been if they hadn’t. If that’s not the case, we will make significant changes (and if we can’t fix it, we would discontinue offering the service)." Guess what? That was written almost exactly six months ago. They tried it, it was a distraction, too expensive to run, and now the experiment is over. Good call not dragging it out. I wouldn’t be surprised if the video model returns later, just without the social app.

Sam Altman

Sora 2

We are launching a new app called Sora. This is a combination of a new model called Sora 2, and a new product that makes it easy to create, share, ...

We are pretty much done clearing out my mom’s house. I’ve found many little memories, keepsakes, books, and other things. One surprise was this letter my mom wrote from Greece in 1980. Preserving it here on my blog as a snapshot in time.

Manton Reece - Mom's letter from Greece

This is my new favorite article from The Onion. Southwest Airlines Begins Assigning Chores: "For instance, everyone in row 18 might now be in charge of trash on this flight, while those in the fire exit rows will push the beverage cart. Chore assignments will be clearly printed on all boarding passes for ticketed travelers 2 years old and above. Those flying standby may refer to the chore wheels posted at fore and aft of the plane. Of course, you will have the option to pay extra if you want a more comfortable job."

The Onion

Southwest Airlines Begins Assigning Chores

DALLAS—Saying the decision had been reached following an extensive internal review of the company’s boarding procedures, Southwest Airlines con...

Amazon is working on a new phone: "According to people familiar with the new phone, “integrating artificial intelligence capabilities into the device” has been a central focus, which could mean “Transformer” may rely on mini apps like those available in ChatGPT, rather than a fully-fledged app store." This might work. Alexa and mini apps could be the core UI, while still allowing Android apps and the web where needed.

The Verge

Amazon is making an Alexa phone

The Fire Phone rises from the ashes… with AI?

Patrick Rhone interviewed for the People and Blogs series: "…that’s exactly what a blog should be — a reflection of one’s interest and attention over time. A reflection of who one is right now and where they’ve been. Blogs are living things that should grow at the same rate we do."

People and Blogs: Patrick Rhone | Zachary Kai

People and Blogs interview with Patrick Rhone about their personal blog and writing online.

At my mom’s house taking care of things. All the furniture is gone except the piano, so it’s now a sort of standing desk when I need to work.

Looks like ChatGPT is back at #1 in the App Store. Claude had bumped it out of that spot for about a week. App Store rankings are just recent trends, so maybe we’ll see some flip-flopping going forward based on the news cycle.

Started watching House of Guinness. Really like the look of the show. Good so far. 🍺

The Movie Database

House of Guinness

Dublin, 1868. The Guinness family patriarch is dead, and his four children — each with dark secrets to hide — hold the brewery