Occasionally, the browser market introduces interesting new concepts. Recently, a colleague introduced me to the Arc browser. At first, I didn’t see any features that made Arc superior to Safari. I was initially put off by the interface, with everything—tabs, address bar, etc.—positioned in a sidebar instead of at the top. However, I quickly forgot about the browser after the first day. A few days later, I read something about a new überbrowser on my iPhone and decided to give it another try. The app icon of Arc looked familiar, and I was instantly intrigued by its AI-supported features (Arc Max) and the presentation of search results.

With Arc, you type your query into the search bar and click on “Browse for me.” Arc then searches the internet and creates a live website with a summary of your search topic. This approach allows you to find what you’re looking for within seconds, without wading through ad-overkilled websites with SEO text and clickbait headlines. And if you browse the usual “Google” way, a mouse-over on the links will give you a short page summary, the so-called 5 second preview. As a marketeer, I wonder if this does count as a click? However, as a user I found this rather comfortable.

The clean, distraction-free interface is also impressive—just the content and the controls you need. The tab organization is just next level and a killer feature for everyone who has always dozens of tabs open. AI and ChatGPT integration

Arc has many well-designed features, but I won’t go into detail here. You can see for yourself on their website: https://arc.net/.

The one big minus for me is the lack of native support for Apple’s Keychain. Fortunately, I use a third-party password manager, so this isn’t a major issue. Since Arc is based on Chrome, the extensions I typically use work just fine. Although I haven’t set Arc as my default browser yet, I’m very close to doing so. But I can try the integrated “try Arc as default for a week” feature.

I installed both apps and immediately opened Zelda: Link’s Awakening. They both work perfectly. SameBoy has a familiar interface, while RetroArch gives off a more complex, nerdy vibe. However, getting a game running on SameBoy is surprisingly trickier.

Both apps support uploading games via a browser using their IP address. If you have ROM files on your iCloud Drive, simply go to the file manager in iOS, find your ROM file, and long-press it to open the share option. Select SameBoy, and the game will open instantly. From there, the usage is straightforward.

RetroArch isn’t just a Game Boy emulator like SameBoy; it offers many more options and settings. RetroArch supports so many consoles and OS that it leaves me speechless. It seems like there’s nothing it can’t emulate.

Getting used to RetroArch’s UI takes time. It’s not user-friendly and feels like a programmer designed it without much thought to aesthetics. Despite this, I won’t complain too much because the extensive features and settings it offers are worth the effort.

I haven’t tried using a controller with either emulator yet, but that’s the next logical step. I’ll either buy one or try my old Xbox 360 controller. RetroArch can emulate virtually everything, from the Sega Master System to the PlayStation and Atari 2600. Imagine gaming on a big screen with a controller—that would be fun. I haven’t tested AirPlay with the app, but if you own an Apple TV, you don’t need to. The best part? RetroArch is available in the App Store for Apple TV. That’s frigging awesome! I’ll try it soon and keep you updated.

I’m also curious if iCloud savegames will work, allowing seamless switching between devices. That would make sense, and would RetroArch make a retrogamechanger.

I foresee hours of retrogaming ahead—just need to find the time.

Everyone working in the fields of (web) design and/or marketing may have heard of Figma. Figma is a cloud software that is perfect for designing websites or apps, and even print layouts. However, the killer feature of the software undoubtedly is the community. The number of widgets, plugins, and templates for the tool is unbelievably huge. Compared to the big players, such as Adobe (who wanted to buy Figma last year), Figma comes with affordable pricing. However, that is directly connected with a drawback: you can only upload and use custom fonts in the premium package.

While looking for alternatives, I discovered Penpot when it was still in alpha. Now it’s officially version 2.0 and is a very competitive alternative to Figma. Of course, the community is not as big as Figma’s due to the fact that it’s rather unknown.

If you have already worked with Figma, you’ll be ready to work instantly with Penpot. Plus, you can upload your custom fonts without any pricing plan.

While Figma has a desktop app (and a somewhat less useful iOS/iPadOS App), Penpot is still working on a desktop app, but it also works pretty well with Safari on the iPad. Also a file exporter from Figma to Penport is currently being developed.

Considering the software is free, you’ll get a highly professional piece of software.