Why handwriting still matters

Plus, for the paying folks, the top places in the US to work from home. Also, a My Home Office Flashback: AI and Empathy.

Studies show that people remember things better when they write things out by hand rather than type on a keyboard—phone or desktop. But what about digital pens?

Why it matters

More and more people are using tools like Remarkable. But is there a drop-off in retention and learning?

Going deeper

Productivity Stacks’ Jenae Spry recently shared a study that put all that to the test. According to the post:

“In this study, 33 participants, some who were regular users of digital pens (familiar group) and some who were regular ink pen users (unfamiliar with digital pens group), were tasked to study foreign words. Each group spent ten minutes ‘writing’ the foreign word by typing on a keyboard, writing with a digital pen, and writing with an ink pen. 

They were then assessed based on: 1) how many times they were able to ‘write’ the foreign word within the ten-minute learning period, 2) their mood after the writing exercise, 3) accuracy in a post-test where they were asked to write the local language equivalent of all the foreign words learned, and 4) by a computerized ‘true/false’ test where they indicated if the foreign and local words being presented matched in meaning while their brain wave activity was tracked.”

Spoiler alert: this pen snob was stunned by the results. Click the link below for more.

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Take a stand!

One way to mix it up while working from home is to give yourself a different view. The hassle of setting up somewhere different and not having all your stuff keeps people from trying a new spot for an hour or two. Enter:

Intention Design’s TRIPOD STANDING DESK PRO

You get ample desk space for a laptop, mouse, notepad, and more.

What seals the deal for me are testimonials from fellow tall guys like this one:

“As someone who's 6′ 6″, I've struggled to find a standing desk that works for me, but Pro desk fits the bill and could even go up another few inches if I want. Overall, I'm extremely happy with my purchase and experience with Intension Design. The product is well made and the customer service is even better. Jonathan, from their support team is extremely responsive and answered all my questions in great detail which put me at ease before purchasing.” —John S.

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Flashback: Does AI lack empathy

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Today’s vibe: Everyday People