Better Living Through Apps

This Week on Function: Behind the Rising Labor Movement in Tech #

On November 1, 2018, thousands of Google employees around the world staged a mass walkout in protest of how the company handled claims of sexual misconduct. While this is not the first time we have seen protests at this scale, it does signal to the larger community that workers at huge tech companies like these are at an inflection point. When is enough, enough?

This week on Function, host and Glitch CEO Anil Dash sits down with Leigh Honeywell, Mark S. Luckie, and Matt Rivitz to take a look at the rising labor movement in tech from those whose advocacy helped set the foundation for what we see today around the dissent from tech workers.

Listen to the episode below, and subscribe to Function on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you find your favorite shows.

Private Playlists, Please #

'Tis the season for holiday cheer, and for a lot of people, that means making and jamming out to playlists on Spotify. Sharing playlists is always great, but since they're public by default, anyone following you can see every playlist you have, including that one for Swedish pop from the 90s called . (Okay, that may just be me.)

But thanks to engineer and Glitch user Eric Lewis (@EricLewis), you can now make all your Spotify playlists private with a single click. Just click the green button to give the app permisions to your Spotify account, and voila -- your playlists are now for your eyes (and ears) only.

Dive Into #

Today's games are a feast for the senses with 4K graphics and killer surround sound. But back when I first started gaming, text-based RPGs were king. All the graphics and sound were in your mind. It sort of gives a new meaning to virtual reality, if you think about it.

Dive: The Game is a callback to those early days of video games. You start off as an intrepid adventure with a calling to the sea. Each choice leads you deeper into the story as you discover the mysteries of the briny deep. Thank you for the trip down memory lane, Eve (@eveahe)!

A Bouquet of Sound #

An app that can "ingest music and generate a field of visualization flowers" sounds pretty trippy, but the effect it creates is stunning. WaveWall is the latest app from technologist and Glitch user Andrew Rodgers (@acedrew), and it turns music into an animated visualization of revolved waveforms. You can upload a song or talk into your microphone, and then download the resulting design as an SVG or PNG file.

Take Your Medicine, Elsie #

As the saying goes, invention is the mother of necessity. What started out as a simple request between two Twitter users ended up becoming a handy way for small farmers to figure out dosage amounts for their livestock. Enter in the weight of your animal along with recommended dosage and preparation strength numbers, and let the calculator do the rest. Thank you Glitch user Adrienne L. Travis (@adrienne) for your ingeniuity!

Watch Your Language #

The best technology doesn't need to smack you over the head to let you know that it's doing its job. Sometimes, a gentle reminder is enough. This is especially the case when it comes to inclusive language, and this app from Glitch user Knut Melvær (@kmelve) is a handy little Slack bot that pops in to suggest alernate terms to use instead of the word "guys". It's quick, non-shaming, and best of all, easy to install. Just click the "Add to Slack" button and start improving your Slack team today.

Featured Illustrator of the Week: Aaron Fernandez #

Aaron Fernandez — also known as "Aaron The Illustrator" — is our featured illustrator on Glitch for this week! His distinct linework, combined with bright, flourescent colors, makes his drawings instantly stand out from the crowd.

Check out more of Aaron's incredible work on his website or on Instagram, and see what he's created for our featured apps.

Our apps for this week's roundup embody the spirit that makes Glitch such a tremendous community for creators. Whether you're collaborating with someone or just whipping up a quick idea for yourself, Glitch has the tools you need to get the job done.