Hello all. Hope you’ve all been having a great weekend so far.

I’m here to share some news about Christopher Curates and how this publication is going to work going forward.

I’ve just launched a website for Christopher Curates at christophercurates.com, built to be a place where you can get tips on how to be more productive in your everyday personal and work life. The new site will focus on the best routines and systems you can have in place, useful digital tools and apps you need to try, and everyday AI prompts that you need to start using. There’s also a resource hub coming soon, which will provide you with templates for Canva, Google Sheets and more - all with a productivity focus.

While I’m excited to launch the new website, I’m also pleased to be keeping the Substack going. I’ve rebranded it as The Christopher Curates Newsletter, and starting next Sunday, you can expect a weekly update where I talk about productivity tools, AI tips, and what’s gone on with the website over the past seven days - plus some exclusive bits of content you won’t find on the site.

I’ll also be sharing my journey running ChristopherCurates.com - how it’s going, what I’m learning, how I’m enjoying the new productivity-focused content, and exclusive updates on what’s in the pipeline for it.

Sound good? I hope so, as I’d love for you to stick around as I continue to develop the site and this publication.

I was late to the party with Notion. Lots of people had mentioned it to me, but hadn’t actually said what they used it for. It was only in the past year that I decided it was time to give it a go and see what all the fuss was about. I’m so glad I did, and that’s why it’s earned its space here.

I like productivity apps, and I’d been searching for something where I could keep track of things which was a bit more advanced than the default Notes app. I tried various apps which fell into the notes category and I convinced myself that all I needed was something with a pretty UI, and maybe a date field to keep things organised. After trying various apps, I couldn’t quite find what I was looking for.

After many hours browsing the apps store, I saw Notion’s icon. Before downloading, I read about it in a little more detail and realised the type of things it was capable of. I downloaded it, excited to see how it could work for me.

Being honest, I didn’t know how it worked out of the box. So I had to use AI to actually learn how it worked, and then it turned out to be quite simple. Notion is basically a database platform where you can add whatever fields you need.

I use Notion for three very specific things, and none of them are particularly complicated. I created one for my publications, what to watch on streaming platforms, and logging local food-spots I’ve been to in my local area. Here’s a breakdown of my Notion which will hopefully give you some inspiration if you’re thinking of downloading it.

1. An easy way for me to manage posts in one place

Publishing across two separate Substack publications means ideas get lost quickly if there isn’t one central place to log them. Rather than jumping between note apps, task managers, and countless browser tabs, I run both publications off a single Notion database and I haven’t looked back. I’ve mentioned before that I think every publication should have some sort of content plan, and Notion has become my way of managing mine.

When I get an idea while I’m on the move, I open Notion, drop a potential title into the database, tag the publication, and put my phone away in seconds. I’ll then refer back to the database when it comes to drafting and publishing the post. It means I can capture an idea quickly and come back to it properly when I’m ready to write.

How I’ve set it up

I keep everything in one database, with four main fields:

• Title: The post idea or working headline

• Publication: Which of my two publications it’s for

• Status: Idea, In Progress, Scheduled or Published

• Publish Date: When I’m aiming to publish it

I then have two views that I use most:

• Mobile Inbox: Shows anything still marked as an idea, so I can quickly add things from my phone.

• Pipeline: A board view grouped by status, which lets me see what I’m currently working on and what’s coming next.

That’s it. Nothing particularly complicated, but it gives me one place to keep track of everything I want to write.

2. The Notion watchlist that keeps me on top of my telly

Between different streaming platforms and recommendations from friends, it’s very easy to spend 20 minutes scrolling through menus on a Friday night just trying to figure out what to watch. I replaced scattered bookmark lists and screenshots with a single media tracker. It sounds like a small thing, but it really does make choosing something to watch much easier. There’s a tiny bit of maintenance involved, but I’d much rather spend 30 seconds adding a show to Notion than spend 20 minutes scrolling Netflix, iPlayer and everything else trying to find something.

The moment someone mentions a show or a trailer catches my eye, I log it instantly. When it’s time to watch, we filter by the streaming service we’re on and pick something immediately. It does need a little bit of maintenance, but honestly, it saves so much time when you’re about to endlessly scroll through streaming platforms.

How I’ve set it up

The database is pretty simple:

• Title: The film or show

• Platform: Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Apple TV+, Prime, etc.

• Type: Film or Series

• Status: To Watch, In Progress or Finished

I’ve then got two views I use regularly:

• Couch Quick-Pick: Shows everything I still want to watch, grouped by streaming platform.

• Active Shows: Shows anything I’m currently watching, so I can jump straight back into a series without having to remember where I got to.

It’s one of those things that takes a few seconds to keep updated, but saves a lot more time when we actually want to watch something.

3. Keeping track of food spots I want to try

I’m always saving food spots and places I want to try, whether I’ve seen them on TikTok, Instagram or just spotted them while I’m out and about. The problem is that those saved posts quickly disappear into the abyss. My third essential database is a simple local spots log. It means I don’t have to think about whether I’ve been somewhere before, and I can add notes about what I thought of it.

If we’re out in a specific part of town deciding on lunch or a good coffee place, I can open the list, filter by area, and see what’s nearby that we haven’t tried yet. This saves me and my partner trying to remember places we’ve already been when it comes to date night.

How I’ve set it up

Again, there’s nothing complicated here:

• Name: The restaurant, café or other place

• Area: Where it is

• Category: Coffee, Dinner, Drinks, Bakery, Lunch, etc.

• Status: To Try or Favourite / Revisit

• Notes: Anything I want to remember, such as what I ordered, what we thought of it or whether I’d go back

My two main views are:

• Out & About: Places I haven’t tried yet, grouped by area.

• The Hits: My favourites and places I’d happily go back to.

Keeping It Simple

The reason this system has stuck while others failed comes down to friction. I don’t use Notion to track every minute of my day or build complicated automated dashboards. I use it as a fast, accessible extension of my brain across my laptop and phone.

If you’ve bounced off Notion in the past because it felt like a full-time job to maintain, try deleting the templates and starting with just one simple, mobile-friendly database.

I’m keen to know if you use Notion and if so, what databases have you created? Let me know in the post comments.

Before I get started with Part 1, I just want to highlight that I’ll be breaking these posts into sections so that they’re easier to follow. Rather than making them text-heavy, I invite you to ask any questions in the comments if you’re unsure of anything or would just like a bit more clarity.

What Part 1 Covers

Part 1 is split into two sections, both of which are extremely important. Firstly, we’ll talk about finding a domain name, and what a domain name actually is. We’ll then cover web hosting, and I’ve got a web host that I think you’ll love.

Finding your domain name

I like to explain what a domain name is in my own way, and I relate it to property. You have an address for your home which is completely unique. If someone was coming to visit you, then they’d need your address so they’d know where to go.

Well this is how I think about domain names - it’s an address for your website. A unique location that’s entered into a browser address bar which essentially takes your visitors to your home.

There are different domain name providers out there that you can buy domain names from. There are various domain name extensions you can buy, a few examples being .com, .co.uk, .net and .org. A domain name provider that I’ve used, and that I would recommend, is Namecheap. They have good offers available and right now you can buy domains for a few pounds, depending on the extension you want.

Basically, you’d go to Namecheap or any other domain registrar (you’ll find plenty on Google), search and find your domain, and purchase one that you’re happy with. If you want to protect your personal information, I recommend you buy a domain with WHOIS protection. Namecheap offers this for free as standard.

It might take some time to find your domain as lots out there have been taken already, so be sure to come up with naming options and search to check their availability. It is important to note that some domain hosting providers offer domain names too, but I prefer to use Namecheap as if I was ever to change my hosting provider, then my domain name is available to manage elsewhere.

Once your domain is purchased, you can edit its settings and update what’s called its Nameservers. These are provided by your web hosting provider and they basically point your domain to your web hosting.

Reliable UK Web Hosting

Before I talk about a recommended web host, I’ll tell you how this links to your domain name and how I describe hosting. So we’ve already established that your domain name is your unique address for visitors, but it’s essentially a plot of land with nothing there yet. Web hosting is the place where you’ll host your files that load when someone visits your website address.

Domain name = address. Web hosting = the foundation for your home.

I’m aware that this is probably a unique way to explain it but I hope you get what I mean.

Ok so in terms of web hosting, my favourite provider that I’ve been using for over 5 years is Krystal. Krystal is a UK web host with a focus on offering a fair service while also ensuring that they’re a sustainable company. They have plenty of web hosting plans available, including a dedicated WordPress solution. I want you to keep it budget-friendly at first, though, so I’m not recommending their dedicated WordPress hosting - instead I recommend you sign up for one of their web hosting plans. If you’re just getting started, I’d go for the cheapest Amethyst plan which is £8.40 a month including VAT. Once set up, you’ll get the Nameservers to link your domain, and you’ll be able to access your control panel where WordPress can be easily installed. Installing WordPress is what we’ll go through in Part 2.

Note that I’ve recommended Krystal, but there are so many web hosting providers out there. You could check out GoDaddy, IONOS UK, SiteGround and many more. Once set up, all of the control panels are pretty similar.

As mentioned above, if you’ve got any questions on this series then please ask using the comments section. I hope you’ve found this helpful and I’m looking forward to sharing Part 2 next. So that you know when to come back for the next posts in the series, here’s what’s to come and when it’ll land on Christopher Curates. All of our posts go live at 10am.

Still to come

• Installing WordPress and Finding My Way Around (WordPress Series - Part 2) - Thursday, 3rd September.

• Free WordPress Themes That Don't Look Free (WordPress Series - Part 3) - Monday, 7th September.

• The Only Plugins I've Kept Installed (WordPress Series - Part 4) - Thursday, 17th September.

• What I'd Tell Myself Before Starting a WordPress Site (WordPress Series - Part 5) - Monday, 21st September.

So before the end of September, you’ll know a bit more about WordPress and how you can set up your own site.

I always write posts from my perspective, so for this one I’m going to think a little out of the subscription box. I have Sky TV and this comes with a few streaming services bundled as part of the package, but I’m writing this post from a different perspective: if I didn’t have this bundle, which streaming services would I pay for on their own?

The sheer number of streaming providers out there has ended up making streaming subscriptions feel like a utility bill. Instead of that one-off monthly cost for Netflix, you find yourself wanting Disney+, Apple TV, Prime Video and more. Realistically, you probably don’t need all of those services at the one time, and let’s face it, the cost adds up - before you know it, you could be paying £30+ for streaming services.

The Big 4 UK streaming platforms and their cost

• Netflix (Standard with Ads £5.99 monthly, Standard £12.99 monthly, Premium £18.99 monthly). Netflix is arguably one of the most known streaming platforms, and it comes with some well-established titles including Stranger Things, Wednesday & Bridgerton. New titles are added every week.

• Prime Video (Included with Amazon Prime at £8.99 monthly. This is ad-supported, with an additional cost of £2.99 if you want to remove ads.) Lesser titles than Netflix, but still some big names including Off Campus, Reacher and Clarkson’s Farm.

• Disney+ (Standard with Ads £5.99 monthly, Standard £9.99 monthly, Premium £14.99 monthly) - The home to Disney+ content, probably a must-have if you’ve got Disney fans in your household. Has all the classic titles, plus lots of original content from Hulu, Marvel and more. Home to FX’s The Bear and Star Wars.

• Apple TV (£9.99 monthly) - Apple TV has a smaller library of content, but it has some big, award-winning titles. This includes Ted Lasso, Silo, Widow’s Bay, Slow Horses and many more.

I know there are other platforms available which expand your cost even further, including HBO Max which launched in the UK early this year, Hayu, NOW, Discovery+ and Paramount+.

It’s worth noting that I’ve mentioned the monthly prices above, but these services do have annual subscription options. In my view, if you’re unsure whether you’re going to use a streaming service for a full year, then it might not be worth absorbing the cost for the whole year unless it’s worth it to you. You do get a slight discount for yearly, but if it’s for something you’re not going to use, then technically it can cost you more.

Streaming preferences are individual to you

I wouldn’t do a post saying this is the streaming service you must keep, as we all have different tastes when it comes to TV series and films. I fortunately have a bundle with Sky where I get Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max and Hayu included, as well as some more. These are the standard versions, except Netflix, which is the full plan.

Consider cancelling subscriptions you don’t need

For me, if I didn’t have a bundle and wanted to keep a streaming service, it would always be Netflix that wins, as I can rewatch lots of series that I love.

I cancel Apple TV for a few months at a time if there’s nothing that I want to see streaming. If I didn’t have a bundle, I’d also cancel HBO Max and Hayu, again until I see titles advertised that I want to see.

It’s all down to individual choice though. For example, if you absolutely love reality TV, then it might be a no-brainer to keep Hayu. Or if you love titles like House of the Dragon, The Last of Us and The Pitt, then maybe you’d keep HBO Max.

You can always subscribe as needed

These are all subscription services. If you cancel a monthly subscription, then your account and watch history will still be there until you decide to resubscribe. That’s the beauty of having these subscription services, where you can cancel and reactivate as wanted.

The quarterly switch

One method that you could opt for is what I call the quarterly switch. Referring back to the top 4, you could do something like the following subscriptions throughout the year, keeping only one active per quarter, providing you haven’t paid for the year outright:

• Jan-Mar - Apple TV Only

• Apr-Jun - Prime Video Only

• Jul-Sep - Disney+ Only

• Oct-Dec - Netflix Only

I’m keen to know your thoughts on streaming services and what platforms you’d keep. Also, which ones are must-haves in your opinion? Drop your thoughts in the comments.

I appreciate a lot of the platforms and prices above are UK-focused, but please share your views if you’re in other countries too. I think the general consensus is the same: streaming is costly, and the reality is that not all streaming services are needed at the one time.

I’m in my 30s and I’ll be honest, I didn’t have any sort of skincare routine until 4 months ago. If you had asked me at the start of the year what my routine was then I wouldn’t have had a response, and if you told me I’d be writing a Substack article about my routine later in the year, then I wouldn’t have believed you.

I always liked the idea of having an everyday routine for my skincare, but I honestly didn’t know where to start. I had found myself on Amazon before buying best selling products and attempting to give them a go, but I found this difficult and overwhelming without any guidance apart from the directions of use which were on the packaging.

Now I bet you didn’t think this post was about to go down the AI route, or did you? In February, I was starting to notice my face getting a little flaky and thought to myself that I really needed to start using products, and again I had no idea where to start, but this time I was familiar with AI.

I opened up Google Gemini and began my prompt. I basically gave some context about why I was looking for a skincare routine and told it I had no idea which products to buy. Gemini came back to me instantly with a routine, and I must say I was pretty impressed. I copied it over to my notes, and purchased the recommended products from Amazon. Here is the exact Gemini output I copied into my notes:

Fresh & Clean Daily Routine

AM: Refresh & Protect

• Splash of water to wake up

• CeraVe Foaming Cleanser

• The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid (apply to damp skin)

• Bondi Sands SPF 50+ (the daily MVP)

• Vaseline Lip Balm

PM: Deep Clean & Reset 🌙

• The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser (massage into DRY skin first)

• The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid

• The Ordinary Natural Moisturising Factors

Extras

• Vaseline Cocoa Hydrate Hand Cream

• E45 Daily Care Lotion (best for body after the shower!)

This is a routine that I’ve stuck to for the past 4 months and it has really cleared up my skin. It has also been good just to have something to follow, and I can honestly say these products have been great for me. Admittedly I do swap out the extras from time to time for alternative products, but I’ve stuck to the above-mentioned items in the morning and in the evening.

So in the morning, I head for my shower, and when I’m done, I apply the CeraVe foaming cleanser. This is an essential daily cleanser which is kind to your skin, and is widely recommended. It can be pretty pricey, but it’s worth it and can last several weeks. I then apply The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid while my skin is still damp. It hydrates the skin and contains vitamin B5 to soothe irritation and lock in long-lasting moisture. I finish my morning routine off with some Bondi Sands SPF 50+ which protects my skin and adds some hero nourishers.

My nighttime routine should be sponsored by The Ordinary at this rate as I use 3 of their brilliant products. I start off with a squalane cleanser which effortlessly melts away excess oils and dirt, leaving my face feeling fresh. I then apply a few drops again of the same hyaluronic acid used in the morning before finishing my routine with The Ordinary Natural Moisturising Factors which is a non-greasy surface hydrator.

This isn’t a post to get everyone using my routine, but I just wanted to highlight how AI effectively taught me this routine and how well it’s been working for me. If you’re stuck, then you could use this post as inspiration. All products mentioned are great in my opinion, but of course, read about them if you’re thinking of using them and make sure they’re right for you.

A lot of skincare retail stores, including Sephora, stock these brands and they’ll have staff on hand to offer advice if you’re looking around. They’ll also clearly tell you about ingredients. Remember, AI isn’t always right.

This article was originally published on ChristopherCurates.com—check out the new website for the complete directory of tools, routines, and workflows.

I remember publishing my first Substack post. It was a while ago under a different publication, and I spent a good bit of time writing and defining the article. After publishing it, I didn’t get a single view. I thought it would take some time to reach people, but I left it a few days and there was still no traffic to the article. It was a little bit deflating to be honest, and one of the reasons I left Substack and moved to another platform, thinking that was the answer. But I soon learned that it’s difficult to reach that initial following regardless of where your content lives.

I wish I could give you all the answers to start a successful subscriber-attracting Substack, but I think I’d also need those tips if I knew them. As always, I’m sharing my honest experience of Substack so far, and what I’ve learned along the way. What I would say though is that it involves effort, time and a little bit of luck. Effort in the sense that you need a strategy or even a basic plan - once you’ve picked what your publication is about, then it’s all about planning and writing content that you want to put out there. It needs time in the sense that you won’t be a massive publication overnight - well, that’s highly unlikely - so you need to keep posting and push through those low views. And luck can also play a part; remember Substack has its own algorithm to push posts, and if it pushes yours, this will really help!

Things nobody tells you

Blank subscribers is common - when you first start your publication, you won’t have any subscribers initially unless your first posts get traction. So bear in mind that most people are in the same place when they start Substack, and it may take a while to build up that subscriber base.

Post promises - if you post something and say it’s going to be a series of posts, then make sure you can commit to it. Series posts are good and can do really well, but if it’s going to be in 5 parts for example, make sure you plan those 5 posts and how they’re going to be released.

A good tag structure will help later - before you start your publication, plan your content as well as you can. Think about how you want to organise your posts, making them discoverable by your visitors. This can be changed later, but a few base tags that stay the same is good for your site’s structure.

Don’t compare yourself to established Substack publications - some publications here are really big, but it’s unlikely that they started out that way, so don’t compare subscribers and views to those publications. We’re all on a different writing path and content will grow, it just takes some time. Also, you don’t need to be a huge publication - it’s good having a loyal reader base, even if it’s small.

Use Substack Notes - Substack has its own social features, and with Substack Notes you can post links to your articles, and even general status updates about anything you want. I had noticed a few people posting and asking for people to subscribe to them and share their Substack links. I did the same a couple of times, and then one of my posts got some traction and I started to get subscribers. Give this a go - you might as well make use of Substack’s social features.

I’ve only been on Substack for a couple of weeks this time, but I’m feeling a bit reflective about it. This time around I’ve got over 100 subscribers, which I really appreciate. Last time I joined Substack, I didn’t have any - and I think that’s down to not giving it the time, and not having a better content strategy. This time around, I know what Christopher Curates is, what I want to post, and how often. Honestly, having a clearer vision before you start is definitely a way to help you succeed.

Remember it can take time, so do your best. Be patient and have fun. There’s no pressure to be the next big thing. I’d love to see your Substack publications, so do drop them in the comments so I, and my other subscribers, can check them out.

I know WordPress very well. I’ve used it for years and years on many different website projects. I’ve actually got a blog running on WordPress right now and it gets visitors every day.

This is an introductory post to a series I’ll be sharing in different parts in the coming weeks on Christopher Curates. To tell you a bit more, I’ve noted some of the things we’ll cover below:

Sharing the knowledge

I’m keen to use Christopher Curates as a platform where I can speak honestly and help you. I want to pass on my WordPress knowledge in easy-to-understand posts which will cover everything you need to know. I want to take you through everything - domain registration, reliable affordable hosting, and the quickest way to install WordPress.

Self-hosted is better for most

WordPress is software that you install on your own hosting, or you can get a hosted version. For me, I’m recommending hosting WordPress yourself on a hosting plan, as this works out cheaper and gives you access to the whole suite of features that platform has to offer.

Domain name

For visitors to access your website, you’ll need a domain name - this could be something like yourblog.com. There are many domain registrars out there; I’ll be telling you about an affordable one that offers great prices and is really reliable.

My favourite hosting provider

I’ve tried several web hosting providers in the past and I’ve found one that I like. In fact, I’ve been with them now for over 5 years. They’re a UK-based company that focuses on sustainability.

Navigating the platform

Once we get to installing WordPress, I’ll talk you through the platform and the features you can access via the main navigation menu. The platform is powerful but it is arguably one of the easier ones to use out there, which is why it powers 40% of websites.

Themes

You’ll want your website to stand out. WordPress has a built-in theme store where you can install themes with one click. You can also upload purchased themes. I’m focused on keeping this guide as cost-free as possible, so I’ll be rounding up some of the best free themes.

Plugins

In addition to themes, you can expand WordPress with plugins which can power your SEO presence and add really useful features including things like Jetpack, spam protection, and more.

Please look out for the first post in this series, which will drop next week. I hope you’ll find this useful. If there’s anything in particular you’d like to know about, please let me know in the comments.

Email is still so important and most of us use it every day. I think having a good email client really improves the way you interact with and manage your emails. For me, if the app has a good design and is easy to search, then it ticks the boxes for what I’m looking for in an email client.

In this post, I’ll tell you why I’ve switched from Gmail’s own app to Apple’s Mail app, and it might not be for the reason you’d think.

I love Gmail

Firstly, before I start this post, I just want to make it clear that I love using Gmail. I find the service fast, modern, and reliable. The @gmail.com domain name is short and easy to say when you’re giving your email out. It’s also tied to Google’s own ecosystem, so you can use your account to access YouTube, Docs, Gemini, and much more. Even the Gmail app is great; it’s super fast and obviously works seamlessly with its own email services.

Apple Mail: Look & Feel

In recent years, Apple Mail has continued to get better. In previous iOS releases, it has improved its design, with a stunning edge-to-edge look for emails and great integration with the glass interface. They’ve even introduced categories, making it easy to manage your emails regardless of who your email provider is. You can give emails different flags (which actually works perfectly with starring on Gmail - if you flag an email, it’ll be starred in your Gmail). I also like that Apple Mail has a dedicated app across all of its devices, and if you’re a Mac user, you get access to its stunning desktop app.

Switching ahead of Siri AI in iOS 27

I’ve been using the Gmail app for a number of years. I love it - it’s reliable, fast, and really simple to use. So why have I made the switch to Apple Mail? Well... it’s all because of the new Siri AI launching with iOS 27. The new Siri is heavily integrated with the Apple ecosystem at launch, and you’ll be able to ask it to find emails for you, a feature which I think will be great, as we all know how easily emails can get lost when your inbox is full. As Apple Mail downloads your emails to the device, these will all be indexed by Siri AI, so with the power of Apple Intelligence, Siri will know your inbox and be able to find what you’re looking for, and also take action through the mail app. This is a feature that I really want to make use of, and if I don’t switch to Apple Mail, I won’t get to enjoy it. Apple has announced that third-party apps will be able to link in with Siri, so this feature may well come to third-party mail apps in the future, but after reading some information online, this feature coming to Gmail isn’t guaranteed - and if it does, it might be a few years down the line. So that’s my reason for switching, and I’ve actually done it early so I can get used to Apple Mail before the new iOS launches.

No Push Notifications

Okay, so there’s one downside to having Gmail in Apple Mail, and that’s the fact that it doesn’t support instant push notifications; it only supports fetch. This means that instead of being notified about a new email as it arrives, it can take at least 15 minutes (longer if your settings aren’t set to this minimum time). Gmail only supports push notifications in their own app and select third-party ones - not in Apple Mail. This doesn’t bother me too much, as you can always open and refresh the mail app and it’ll download your latest emails, but I guess it could be quite annoying if you like instant notifications.

Gmail may get better

As mentioned above, the Gmail app might eventually allow integration with Siri AI. If it does, I may consider switching back.

So that’s why I’ve made the switch to Apple Mail, and I’m really enjoying it so far. I’m in the Apple ecosystem, so it made sense for me to switch and get the benefits of the new Apple Intelligence features. If notifications are important to you and you’re a Gmail user, that’s one thing to note - you won’t get instant email notifications. There are some providers out there which support push notifications and will work seamlessly with Apple Mail; these include Outlook and Yahoo. I didn’t want to switch email providers, though, as my Google account is also used for services like Gemini, and should I ever need to use the web, I find Gmail’s web version the best, and I can easily access my docs too.

Are you considering switching to Apple Mail ahead of the new iOS 27 release? Is there another app that you prefer? Please share in the comments - I’d love to know what you’re using and why!

Today is a bit of a nostalgic post for me, and hopefully many of you reading this. I wanted to talk about Bebo, one of the first popular social networking sites, which launched in January 2005.

Founded by Michael and Xochi Birch, Bebo was one of the earliest social networking sites of its kind.

Key Stats

Bebo had 40 million users globally at its peak, with users spending 40 minutes on average per day on the site. By early 2008, it had over 10 billion page views per month - pretty impressive stats for its time.

Popularity

While MySpace was leading the US market, Bebo overtook it in the UK to become the number one social network for teenagers and young adults. Bebo was also extremely popular in Ireland and New Zealand.

Key Features

So why was Bebo so popular? Well, I loved it. I remember checking it every couple of hours to connect with friends. Remember, this was before the newsfeed landed, so it was all fresh and new to us back then. If I ever talk about Bebo with friends, we always think back to how good it was. It’s a proper piece of nostalgia.

In terms of features, here are a few that I can remember, and hopefully you’ll remember these too:

• Custom Skins - You could apply skins to your profile and make it look truly unique with background images, colours, and layouts. There were tonnes of preset designs available to use, or you could make your own. Here’s another bit of nostalgia: I used to use Adobe Fireworks to make my own skins! If you were feeling creative, you could also make skins for your friends too!

• Top 16 friends - On your profile, there was a block for your top friends where you could reorder them to pick 16 friends to feature. This was an interesting feature, especially at a time when this could change quite often.

• Share the Love - Every day, you were given three love hearts which you could give to friends via their profiles. It was the ultimate social validation back then, and some people took it seriously. There were even one-off days when Bebo would make love unlimited, which must have really boosted the site’s usage.

The site allowed HTML too, so you could add videos to your profile. I mean, how cool was it to have your favourite song playing as people browsed your profile!

Bebo ran for about three years before it was sold to AOL in 2008. Bebo continued running for a few years, and I think some improvements were made. However, by 2010, Bebo’s users had fallen and Facebook’s popularity grew. Facebook expanded globally and continued developing its platform.

Bebo was bought back by the original founders in 2013, before the decision was made to close the platform in its then-current form in 2014, to make way for new experimental social projects.

There have been a few new iterations of Bebo in recent times, but these projects have since closed.

I love thinking back to Bebo and remembering the times it gave me all those years ago. I’m hoping this post sparks some memories for you.

I’d like to hear about your experience with Bebo and the features you enjoyed most. Let me know in the comments.

Create a Strategy

Each of your blogs should have a strategy: what you intend to post, who you want to reach, and how you’ll measure success. It doesn’t need to be an overly complex strategy, but it’s good to start with a clear direction.

For example, if you’re about to start a new publication on Substack, think about what you’re going to post ahead of time. Even if you don’t know the specific post topics yet, a rough idea will help immensely when you’re setting up the publication, choosing your tags, and deciding on your navigation menu. For WordPress, there’s even more to consider upfront since you’ll be choosing themes and plugins on top of that.

Let me briefly talk about my other publication, Telly Tap. I knew I wanted to create a space where I could discuss the TV shows and films coming to streaming services. I also knew I wanted to share a weekly post giving readers a preview of what was being released in the week ahead. That’s all I really started with, and now I publish a monthly roundup post as well. Telly Tap is still relatively new, but my strategy is to continue posting those weekly and monthly updates, track my views, and learn from the data.

Build a Content Schedule

Since launching Christopher Curates on Substack, I’ve been mapping out the type of content I want to publish here. I originally opened the Notes app on my phone and started listing potential post titles. I noted down about 30 ideas. Originally, my plan was to delete each title from my notes as I published it, but then I remembered Notion.

If you haven’t used Notion before, it’s essentially an all-in-one workspace for docs and project management, and it even integrates with Claude. I opened Claude and mentioned that I had a list of 30 post titles for my site and wanted to create a content tracker and calendar in Notion to manage them. Within a minute, Claude generated the workspace for me inside Notion. Here’s how it looks:

I don’t want to give away all of my upcoming content, but as you can see, it allows me to log the title, category, target publish date, and whether a post has been scheduled. It’s a seamless way to keep track of the site, and it’s easily accessible through the mobile app. (Note: you can also build this directly in Notion without using Claude). Notion also features a Calendar view, so you can click through days to see what’s due to be posted or what has already been scheduled.

Make it Evergreen

Depending on the niche of your blog, I highly recommend having a strong foundation of evergreen posts. By evergreen, I mean content that isn’t time-sensitive - posts that new visitors can continue discovering months or years after publication. This includes items like how-to guides, recommended places to visit, or seasonal suggestions. The possibilities are endless, but if you can write posts for your niche that won’t expire quickly, get those published. Once your site is indexed, search engine traffic will naturally discover these posts over time.

Set Up & Monitor Analytics

I can’t emphasise enough how valuable it is to have analytics set up across your platforms. If you’re using WordPress, setting up analytics is straightforward. If you go the Google route - which I recommend - check out their Site Kit plugin, which guides you step-by-step through the installation. For Substack, you’ll find built-in analytics on your dashboard, but you can also link Google Analytics if you want deeper insights.

Not every reader will leave a comment or hit the like button; in fact, most won’t. That’s not a bad sign - most visitors simply read the content and move on to the next thing. It doesn’t mean they didn’t enjoy it. By setting up analytics, you can track page views, and with Google Analytics, you can gain clearer insights into demographic patterns and reader behaviour. It’s practical data that signals which content resonates best, providing extra motivation to keep publishing.

Enjoy It

I love blogging. It’s a dedicated space to share my thoughts and connect with readers who share similar interests. I recently rejoined Substack because I wanted to test the platform again. It’s a nice change of pace from WordPress, though my other sites will always remain on WordPress.

Christopher Curates is my space to cover a broader range of topics. I often describe it as a Tech and Lifestyle blog, but it’s really a space for me to share thoughts and build community. Since launching this publication, I’ve reached 151 subscribers - so thank you if you’ve recently subscribed! If you haven’t yet, please do - there’s plenty of great content coming up. I reached many of these subscribers using Substack’s built-in social features, which was a pleasant surprise and one of the primary reasons I wanted to give the platform another try.

As always, I hope you found this post insightful. If you manage multiple blogs or side projects, I’d love to hear how you keep them organised in the comments.

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Rather than keep you guessing until the end of the post, I’m an Apple Music user currently. I used Spotify for several years before deciding to make the switch, and I’m glad I did, especially in recent years as Apple Music has come on a lot, bringing its features on par with Spotify.

Now it’s time to compare the main features of each platform and give my take on the differences in what each platform offers.

Music Discovery

Spotify

Spotify does discovery really well; you get access to daily and weekly mixes, tailored for you. You also have the ability to create blended playlists where it will make recommendations based on what you and others are listening to.

Apple Music

I don’t think Apple Music’s discovery used to be that good, but it’s definitely got better in recent years. There are several playlists made for you, including Your Essentials, which learns from your history. My favourite feature is the stations - you get your own station, playing music you’ve listened to, as well as the discovery station, which is personalised to you, recommending songs you might like.

Audio Quality

Spotify

Spotify offers 320kbps audio quality for premium users, and this is generally very good for most people, unless you’re really looking for the best in the business.

Apple Music

Apple excels at audio quality with lossless and hi-res lossless included, as well as Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos. This, paired with Apple’s AirPods, is the perfect combination.

Music Library

Both platforms have 100M+ songs, so there’s no shortage of tracks to add to your library.

Spotify

Spotify’s library is clean, fast and easy to navigate. You can split between grid and list view, and easily apply filters to keep your music, podcasts and more separate.

Apple Music

I feel as though Apple Music does the library part well. Remember, Apple already had music before streaming subscriptions - it had the iTunes Store, which has evolved into this library. It’s neat, organised, and syncs across your devices. You can even pin your favourite albums.

App Design

This is an interesting point as both platforms are really slick.

Spotify

Spotify has had quite a distinct look for several years. For me, it feels like a social network in ways, as the homepage gives quick links and a sort of feed style at the bottom. The tabs are placed along the bottom, giving quick access to your library and create. One thing I don’t love about Spotify is that the app doesn’t have a light mode - it’s always in dark colours. I like when an app has the option of both.

Apple Music

For me, Apple Music wins at design on iOS. It has a stunning menu at the bottom which fits in with Liquid Glass. The tabs are simple and useful: Home, New, Radio and Library. There’s also a search button too, and the now-playing bar appears here when scrolling. It supports both dark and light mode. The homepage is more of a grid, giving you picks and the top songs at the top.

Device Support

Spotify

Spotify has wide support across many devices, and it offers the same beautiful look and feel across devices, which is probably why it hasn’t adopted Liquid Glass on iOS. One area where Spotify wins is the ability to connect directly to Alexa devices and play music. This isn’t as simple with Apple Music.

Apple Music

Expanding on what I’ve said before, Apple Music is available on Android, but you’re going to get the best experience on iOS thanks to its integration with the platform, using Liquid Glass and stunning home screen widgets. It’s also integrated fully with the Apple ecosystem.

Podcasts

Spotify

Podcasts are integrated directly into the Spotify app, so there’s no additional app needed. You can subscribe to loads of them and they’ll appear in your library, where they can be filtered separately.

Apple Music

Apple has gone for a different approach and has its own dedicated podcast app, keeping your music library completely separate. You may prefer this - the podcasts app is good too!

Social Features

Spotify

As mentioned before, Spotify offers the ability to create blended playlists with partners, family and friends. You can also follow artists, share clips, access merch and see upcoming concerts.

Apple Music

In Apple Music, you can add friends, see what they’re listening to, create shared playlists, view artist concert listings, favourite artists, pin albums and more.

Price

Spotify

Spotify has a free ad-supported version. Premium prices are £12.99 for an Individual account, £17.99 for Duo (two premium accounts), and £21.99 for Family (up to 6 premium accounts). A student plan is available for £5.99, but student proof is required.

Apple Music

Apple Music doesn’t have a free tier. The Individual plan is £11.99 a month, £1 cheaper than Spotify. The Family plan is £19.99 a month, allowing you to share with up to 5 people via Family Sharing - £2 cheaper than Spotify, but Spotify gives you an extra user. Student is priced the same at £5.99, but it comes with free Apple TV+.

You can also get Apple Music as part of Apple One, which starts from £18.95 a month. Apple One offers bundled Apple services at a cheaper overall price.

Final Thoughts

I’ll echo what I said at the start: both of these services are great, but it really comes down to what works for you. I use Apple Music, but I’m also in the Apple ecosystem device-wise - I’m not sure how appealing Apple Music would be on Android, please let me know if it is! Spotify is still very much a market leader, and it does have so many features that users enjoy, including the yearly Wrapped - Apple Music has its own version of this too! If you’d like to try one of the services, if you’ve always been on the other, look out for free trials - just remember to cancel it before the trial runs out.

I hope this comparison post has been interesting. As always, I’d love to hear your views. Let me know which one you choose and why in the comments.

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is probably mentioned every single day in some form - whether it’s on TV, at work, or someone simply refers to it. It continues to be a hot topic and will be for some time as we apply it to the way we do things.

This post is more of an introduction to AI by giving you some insight into how I’m using it at the moment. This will maybe give you some insight if you’re wanting to give it a go but don’t know where to start.

Here are the rules I’m currently applying to AI:

• Don’t pay for it, yet

• Find the best tool for you

• Accept that it doesn’t get everything right

• Don’t just copy, paste and publish

• Use it to sense check

• Be open to trying new AI tools

• Don’t feed it sensitive information

• Get it to teach you

• Have fun

I’d like to expand on each of the above points and just explain what I mean in a little more detail.

Don’t pay for it, yet

Apparently AI is going to become a household bill in the future if you want to use it with fewer usage limits and reduced advertising. If you’re new to AI and just want to try it out, I’d recommend not paying for it yet, not until you’ve learned how it will best work for you. If you have a business, run a website or manage socials then there might be reason for you to pay, but if you’re just using it for everyday personal use then be sure to use the free limits available to you - some of them are quite generous.

Find the best tool for you

I have three AI tools installed on my phone: ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Claude. I use them for different things, and sometimes even to compare responses between them as they’re all different. All of these tools have free tiers so everyone can enjoy them.

I find ChatGPT best for general queries and image generation.

I find Google Gemini more accurate for planning itineraries and seeing what’s on in my area, as it’s backed by Google search.

I find Claude good when it comes to managing my website content, especially for ideas and grammar checking.

Accept that it doesn’t get everything right

Always double check the information that you take from AI tools. Generally it will be correct a lot of the time, but there are definitely times where it isn’t. For example, if you’re researching a trip away, please make sure you’ve verified the information you’ve been given before you book.

Don’t just copy, paste and publish

One thing I don’t recommend doing is copying and pasting content directly from an AI tool. AI can definitely help when it comes to researching content that goes out on your website, blog or socials, but if you want your readers to enjoy your content then in my opinion, you need to be that voice in your space.

Use it to sense check

One thing I find useful is getting AI to read what I’ve written and check that the grammar all makes sense. So I don’t get AI to write my content, but if it has some suggestions to refine a few words and correct my grammar then I use it to do that. Claude is one of the best in my opinion, but it really depends on user preference.

Be open to trying new AI tools

There are a few big names in the AI space right now - some are actually becoming the big names, like Google Gemini, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Claude - but you can be sure that there will be others in the future. This is a highly competitive space, and as AI is developed further, there will be all kinds of companies implementing it into their services.

Don’t feed it sensitive information

AI tools are new, with constantly evolving models. Some are from companies that you’ve heard of and have experience with; others will be from companies completely new to you. While this software is available to the public, there can still be breaches and leaks, so please don’t provide it with any sensitive, identifiable information. With time, I’m sure the security will strengthen, but until then, I’d be cautious about the detail you share.

Get it to teach you

This might sound bizarre, but if you don’t know how to use AI, then ask it. Instead of browsing the web trying to navigate help centres, simply ask the AI tool you’re using what you can ask it, and what it can do for you. You can then ask it to explain further and clearer, so you know exactly what you’re doing.

Have fun

Don’t overthink the use of AI, it can be really fun to use. If you’re into history, try asking it to do some research for you - the results can be impressive. If you’d like to make some fun images too, then ask it to create you some. This can be really good for birthdays and events, especially if you’re doing a theme. For example, say you were having a Traitors-themed party with your friends, you could have them all in a Traitors-themed poster. The possibilities are endless.

If you’re new to AI, I hope this helps you. I’d love to know what your experiences have been with AI so far, please leave a comment below.

Christopher Curates and Telly Tap, my two Substack publications, could have been hosted on another platform. Here’s why, and how I ended up at Substack.

I have created various websites with WordPress, the content management system that powers around 40% of the web, as claimed by the company behind the software. I love WordPress; I am a true fan due to its simplicity and the options to elevate your website through themes and plugins. I actually still have a couple of websites powered by WordPress and they work brilliantly on it, but there is a bit of effort involved in managing social media and ensuring that my posts are discoverable on Google.

I made the decision to relaunch Telly Tap. Oh yes, I’ve tried to launch Telly Tap before but didn’t have a plan in place, so I ended up shelving the project. A lot of this was to do with getting the word out there and coming up with a vision for it on WordPress. To be honest, the launch before was quite rushed.

Around a month ago, I decided that I wanted to find another platform to launch Telly Tap on. I wanted the platform to offer a self-hosted solution, though Ghost can be a little more difficult to set up as not all shared hosting providers support it. Anyway, I found a solution and set up the all-new Telly Tap on Ghost. I actually really enjoyed the setup of the site and giving it a go. The interface is really pretty on Ghost, but they don’t have a dedicated app. They do offer a built-in social feature, but to be honest, I struggled to get any traction on it with my site and its posts. It seemed very quiet, but I don’t know if that’s the software or me just not knowing how to fully use it.

After testing Telly Tap for a week on Ghost, I decided that I still wanted to launch Telly Tap, but I still needed to find the best home for it. I wanted the email functionality, which was offered by Ghost, and somewhere that would be powerful to use, with an app and good social features.

It wasn’t long until I ended up looking up Substack again. I decided to give it a go and had my site set up the same day. It was seamless transferring all my posts from Ghost to Substack. The only thing I couldn’t move over in the same way was the domain name. Ghost charges for custom domains, something I wasn’t willing to pay for right now, and Substack has its own limitations around custom domains too. So I decided to redirect my previous domain and get set up at tellytap.substack.com.

Now that I’m here, I’ve honestly found Substack a breath of fresh air this time around. My site was easy to set up, I’ve got the features I was looking for, and I’ve got the added bonus of Substack’s built-in social networking features. I’ve actually had some engagement on socials, and there’s been a few of you discovering my posts, which I’m really grateful for - it gives me a boost to write more when I see people interacting with what I’m writing. Telly Tap is now live in its new home, with fresh posts going out each week.

Since then, I’ve created Christopher Curates, the publication you’re reading now. This is a fresh idea that I’m excited to have started. This is my space to talk to you all and create conversations around tech, life, projects, ideas, and more. Think of this site as a lifestyle brand for the digital age.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading how I ended up back on Substack. I’d love to know how you ended up here too!

These are questions that many bloggers ask themselves before putting content out there, and I’ve done so myself in the past. In fact, I’ve given Substack a go before and I was nervous about coming back and trying it again. Some creators have really big followings so it is a little scary starting from scratch.

I think it’s perfectly fine to be a bit nervous about posting. It shows that you care and you’re wanting others to discover work that you’re putting out there.

You also don’t need lots of subscribers to get started. It takes time. Thinking about the publication you want to make, and get used to posting first. Substack has the benefit of having an integrated social network so be sure to post notes regularly too, and see if your posts will reach a few members of the community.

This post is about how I create a post and share it on my publications. I wanted to share this with you as I’m keen to know the process you have from getting inspired to tapping that publish button.

Firstly, I start with a checklist:

• Research

• Understand

• Content Alignment

• Subscriber Verified

• Planning & Drafting

• Editing & Grammar Checking

• Publish

• Engage

And here’s how I think about each bullet point:

Research

While some posts will be a little spontaneous and don’t need as much research, like this one. Most of them time, I will have a browse around for some inspiration on what to post on the site. When I write a tech post on the latest iOS release, I will need to understand the facts behind the release before I give my own view.

Understand

If you’re writing about a particular thing, which could be a product, website, experience etc, then having researched it beforehand really helps. It also means you can really understand what you want to write about before actually drafting your post. I recommend doing this before you start to working on how you’d like your content to be.

Content Alignment

My publication is pretty flexible as I’m writing about tech, life, projects and more but I always think about content before I post it and does it fit in with what my site is about. I have another publication called Telly Tap which is purely about TV shows and movies, so anything I share there will specifically focus on this. On Christopher Curates, I lean more towards innovative tech, new developments and genuinely useful productivity tools and products that are worth your money.

Subscriber Verified

I always ask myself before publishing if it’s something that I think my subscribers would like to read. I appreciate I’m new to Substack and I’m still learning my audience, but I have created various WordPress sites in the past, and the same consideration applies to any blog-like software out there. I think it’s important to consider whether content is worthwhile before drafting the post otherwise you could be writing something that won’t make it to your website.

Planning & Drafting

After researching and ensuring that this post is right for my site’s direction, and my subscribers, I will mock up a post template and begin drafting it. If I’m writing about Tech, it needs to be factual but also have my own views otherwise I’d just be writing the same thing as other news sites. Anything that I publish will be from me and it may not be perfect, but it aligns with my site’s direction.

Editing & Grammar Checking

I don’t use AI for any of the content on Christopher Curates. I’ve chosen to do this purposely as this publication is a space for me to write and share my thoughts with you. I do however use AI to check grammar on posts, so it doesn’t tweak any of my content but it will highlight any spelling errors that I should fix. I don’t think that posts need to be perfect, but it does help to have a quick sense check.

Publish

Once my post is ready, I’ll have a proof read over it and make sure I’m happy with it. I’ll do some finishing refinements, making sure there’s a featured image, it’s tagged correctly and the SEO settings are the best they can be. Afterwards, I’ll hit publish and say something about the new post in a note.

Engage

Once a post is published, I won’t edit it but I will engage with anyone who comments on it and shares it. I think posts should be conversation starters which is why you’ll see me encouraging discussion after everything I post.

I hope this post is informative. I’d love to understand what you consider before you hit that publish button. Please share any views in the comments.

I thought it would be good to use this post to introduce you to my other publication called Telly Tap. It’s where you’ll find tv series and movies to watch with weekly and monthly recommendations on the latest releases landing on streaming services such as Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, and even in the Cinema too.

Every Friday at 10am, I’ll share my picks of the best things landing in the 7 days ahead across each of the top platforms. Have you ever found yourself scrolling and scrolling to find something to watch, and in the end you just leave it because the endless browsing of each individual platform has left you undecided? Well, I hope that Telly Tap will help to resolve that by picking a couple of titles from each streaming platform and letting you know when they’ll be available to watch.

In addition the the weekly post, I’ll also share a monthly view which goes live around the beginning of each month. This is a further view where I’ll really call out the best titles which are landing in the next 30 or so days.

Telly Tap is also home to Spotlights which are posts focusing on one individual title. For example, if there’s something coming out that has to feature in its own post, then you’ll find it in Spotlights. See an example of Spotlight post below:

Telly Tap

Ride or Die Just Landed on Prime Video - Here's Whether It's Worth Your Weekend

Read more

2 months ago · Chris

Spotlights can also include recaps of films if there is a new one landing in the Cinema. If you’re heading to see the new Spider-Man this week, then this post is sure to help:

Telly Tap

No Way Home Recap: Everything to Remember Before Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Spider-Man: Brand New Day lands in cinemas across the UK today, so I thought it’d be good to recap what happened in the last film. This should help if you’re heading to see it but don’t have time to rewatch No Way Home first…

Read more

a month ago · Chris

There’s also a lists section of Telly Tap which focuses on seasonal and evergreen content. For example, underrated tv shows on Apple TV+. There’s even a list of must-watch UK cinema releases:

Telly Tap

Every Big UK Cinema Release Left in 2026 (And What's Actually Worth a Ticket)

Last updated: 19 July 2026…

Read more

a month ago · Chris

I like going to the Cinema, so if there’s any good films I’ve seen then you can expect reviews to appear soon too.

You can discover Telly Tap at tellytap.substack.com. If it sounds like something you’d enjoy, then please subscribe.

Telly Tap

The ultimate antidote to endless scrolling. We track down the best series, hidden gems, and must-see movies landing on UK platforms every week, serving up curated lists, deep-dive spotlights, and unfiltered reviews.

By Chris

I love discovering new websites. The internet continues to evolve and it’s a real platform for innovation as developers bring new things to the table. There are sites out there which have features you probably didn’t know you needed, and they’re just waiting to be discovered.

I want to share any finds forward with you, and hopefully there will be something in this post series that you’ll like, and make use of. As I’ve said this is the first in a series of websites as there are plenty more that I’ll share with you in the future.

WindowSwap - windows from around the world

Want to explore the world, one window at a time? This website has a unique concept as it allows you to effectively look out of someone’s window, somewhere in the world. It’s more about being able to see the calming view of somewhere else in the world, through a 10-minute video that loops. When you visit the website, you can click to be taken to a random window. Give it a go and see what you think!

Window Swap

Coolors - create a colour palette for your next project

Creating your own brand? Want to make a pretty marketing graphic? Well, Coolors generates colour palettes which works beautifully together, and it gives you all the hex codes you need so you can apply them to tools such as Canva. Pop over to the website and click ‘Start the generator’, then you can use your space bar to navigate through palettes and find the one that’s perfect for you.

Coolors

Language Tool - check your grammer

This one is perfect if you’re a blogger or evening a Substacker! You can copy over your post and it’ll check your grammar in UK English so you can be sure it’s all correct before hitting that publish button. It’s instant and uses AI to check your content. It’s a good option because it won’t rewrite it for you, it’ll simply tell you what needs updating.

Language Tool

I hope you get use out of one of these tools. I’d love to hear your recommendations in the comments.

There will be more posts like this in future. I have limited this first post to three quality tools that I use.

The benefit of using Apple’s default apps is that they’re fully integrated into the ecosystem. In fact, some apps will talk to each other, and you’ll notice this the more you use them. Most of these apps don’t have any cost associated with them either as they’re already shipped with the device.

I thought I’d put this post together highlighting some of the key default apps, talking about what they can do and how I use them every day.

Calendar

The first app I wanted to discuss in more detail is the Apple Calendar. What a beautiful app this is and it truly helps you to be more organised. It’s a space where you can schedule appointments, birthday’s or simple things you don’t want to forget about. I also find that if you create a schedule in Calendar then your days become calmer as you can see what you’ve got on or coming up at a glance.

In the app, you can actually create other Calendars through your iCloud account. This means you can create separate calendars including a personal, work and shared one. You can even select a custom colour for each calendar so its easy to differentiate them as they appear alongside each other.

You have the ability to share calendars with other people, which works best if the other person has an iPhone. Myself and my partner have a shared calendar set up which we can both see and add to via the Calendar app. This is really useful to schedule plans so you always know when you both have something on. Honestly, I can’t recommend Apple Calendar enough and in my opinion, its much better than third party alternatives on iPhone.

Reminders

I used the use the Apple Notes app to do my shopping list but switching to the Reminders app has been a game change. Did you know that when you create a grocery list on it (there’s a list type for it), then it will categorise your shopping as you add it to the list? It’s really good and helps you stay on top with your regular or top-up shops. Again, for me, this replaces the need of third party apps. You can also share Reminders, which is super useful if you and your partner are going to the shops separately as either of you can check an item off as bought, so the other doesn’t pick up a duplicate item.

Alongside shopping, you can create reminder lists for anything really. If you date items on your list then they appear in your calendar. Let’s say you must pick up an item when you’re in the shop at a specific time, then it can be visible in your calendar.

Reminders get way more cooler too as there are various settings within each reminder you create. One of these options is location, this means you can make a reminder remind you of something when you arrive at a specific location. How cool is that? Reminders is a really good app and if you think about how best it can fit into your life, then it really has so much potential.

Notes

The Apple Notes app is quite simply a beautiful note taking app. If you want to jot something down or plan something in full detail, then the notes app is perfect for both. It has beautiful formatting options, so you can make each note visually appealing. I won’t go too much into shared notes here, but as mentioned above, you can share notes so that multiple people can access them.

You can also scan documents into notes as well, so you don’t need to dust off the printer to use its scanning abilities. The scanner is very good, and you can even take the scanned images outside of notes if you need to upload them or attach them to an email.

Maps

Ok, so I’m recommending Apple Maps, but only partly. I love the design of Apple Maps and I’m trying to use it as my default option, but there are times when I need to switch to Google Maps for the latest information on something I’m looking for. Apple Maps is getting better however and I expect it will continue doing so. Google Maps is more established and has all the information that it can pull in from Google’s services.

So my recommendation here would be to try Apple Maps and see what you think. As I say, it’s getting better and it’ll still direct you were you need to be heading, but for now, I’d keep Google Maps installed as a backup if you ever need it.

Wallet

The way in which we spend has changed so much over the years. Having a debit card and carrying you purse or wallet was a much more common thing than it is now. Apple Wallet allows you to add supported debit and credit cards and when you’re out shopping, you can now tap and pay almost anywhere using Apple Pay. The Wallet is the place that keeps all of these cards together in one place. Note that you do need to authenticate before making a payment so this is a secure way to pay. The app is quickly accessible via your phones side button, and I’ve always found it reliable. It’s my preferred way to pay now, and it offers real simplicity when you’re needing to quickly pay for something.

Passwords

I don’t want to go all security conscious on you, but having strong and different passwords for each site you use is a really good idea these days. If your password was to get leaked, then you’ll be more protected if its only the one account that has been compromised and that’s the only one password you need to change.

The Apple Passwords app is the perfect place to create and store passwords. It’s completely secure on your iPhone, and you’ll find the option to pre-fill your login details on sites you’ve stored the password for. It always generates passwords when you’re singing up for something, and these passwords are well put together so its even difficult for you to remember them - but remember you don’t need to as you’ve got the Passwords app.

Apple Music

Apple Music is a subscription based service and a rival to Spotify. I actually switched from Spotify to Apple Music and that’s nothing bad against Spotify, I just preferred the design and content on Apple Music. If you like the look and feel of Apple’s native apps then you might also like Apple Music. It has a tabbed layout at the bottom, and in particular I like the ‘New’ tab and the options for discovering new music. I use Apple Music every day and always find something new to discover alongside my favourites.

Apple Podcasts is also a fantastic app but I’ll cover this on its own post as Podcast shows is something I’ll be exploring on the site soon.

While I’ll always love discovering new apps via the App Store, I really do love the default apps that come with the iPhone. They’re so powerful and keep getting better with iOS updates.

Do you use any of these apps regularly? What’s your take? I’d love to know in the comments.

Every so often I’ll post an updated list of apps as my favourites will change from time to time. The app store has a huge library of apps with new ones being added every single day, so my favourites will reflect what’s new. I’ll also do my best to recommend apps which are different from each other, for example, if I recommend one AI tool, you won’t find another on the list.

Shall we get on with the list then? Here are 5 iPhone apps that I’m loving right now and a little bit of info on why you should download them.

Meowdoku - the perfect cat themed game

I am obsessed with this game and I think I’m actually a little late to the party in discovering it. In this game, you need to plot cats on a grid using spatial logic to accurately pinpoint their position. The game combines the rules Sudoku, Minesweeper and Queens to come up with this new concept which is highly addictive. You can only place one cat in a row, column and coloured region, ensuring no cats share a line, or diagonally touch each other.

Meowdoku - Apple App Store

Rightmove - find or dream of the perfect home

If you don’t actively browse Rightmove in the same way as you’d scroll Tik Tok then you’re doing it wrong. The app is designed beautifully, allowing you to favourite your dream properties, or even find somewhere ideal to buy or rent if you’re looking for somewhere new. Even if you’re not in the market for a new property, you can always filter the search results out to expensive properties that you could buy when you win the lottery. We can all dream, right?

Rightmove - Apple App Store

Canva - create graphics on-the-go

You’ll probably have heard of Canva as they’re a pretty big company now, providing all the tools you need to design logos, posters, emails, fun images, videos and so much more. I love Canva as it helps me create graphics for my website. Fun fact - the publication logo and word mark on Christopher Curates were designed using Canva. Whether you’re using Canva to support your blog or business, or even if you use it to be creative in your personal life, the app is a must-have.

Canva - Apple App Store

Gemini - AI backed by Google

I can’t put together a list of my favourite apps without mentioning one AI tool. Google Gemini has a simple yet powerful app for iPhone which allows you to quickly start a conversation and get responses. There are lots of great AI tools out there but Gemini is a favourite as it taps seamlessly into the Google ecosystem which includes Google Search.

Gemini - Apple App Store

Pinterest - find, save and share creative ideas

Need some inspiration for your next home project? Perhaps you want to find a new wallpaper for your iPhone? Pinterest is a social hub allowing you to visually discover designs, styles, shopping finds, recipes, travel itineraries and much more.

Pinterest - Apple App Store

I hope one of the above apps has been useful for you to discover. If you have any must-have apps that you’d recommend then please pop them in the comments, I’d love to discover some new ones too.

I wanted a place that encourages conversation, which is why I ended up launching a Substack publication. I want my posts to be discovered through the community, reach new people, and hopefully start some great discussions.

How am I going to achieve this? Well, that’s where Christopher Curates popped into my head. It’s a lifestyle and tech kind of space where I can share knowledge, opinions, and even hear your views on the latest products and developments. I also want to give you productivity tips, whether that’s the best apps to use or seamless ways to manage your day.

Obviously, these are my own views, but I hope they’ll resonate with you. And if you’ve got something to add, the comments section is always open.

I’m also a bit of a tech nerd. I’m obsessed with the Apple ecosystem. Anything Apple launches, I’m all over it, whether it’s software or the latest hardware upgrade. I’m not going to be the person announcing every release, but I’ll definitely be sharing my thoughts and opinions on the ones that interest me.

I also love a good movie, and I don’t see why there can’t be space for that on here too. If I’ve seen something recently that’s a must-watch, you can bet I’ll be recommending it.

Outside of Substack, I’ve been working with WordPress for years. I’ve discovered tonnes of fantastic plugins and can help you get online quickly and easily. I’ll also always consider price whenever I recommend something because, these days, there are plenty of ways to build a great website without spending a fortune.

I hope this sounds like something you’ll enjoy. I’ve got lots of content coming over the next few days, with new articles landing every week after that.

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Christopher

I’m Christopher, and I thought I’d add a little introduction so you know what this publication is all about and why you might want to subscribe.

Over the years I’ve started websites about TV, technology, and all sorts of other interests. But there have always been ideas that didn’t quite fit anywhere.

I realised there were loads of things I wanted to write about that didn’t really belong anywhere else. So I started Christopher Curates.

Sometimes that’s a useful app, sometimes it’s a side project I’m building, a place I’ve visited, a product I’ve tried, or simply an idea I can’t stop thinking about. Basically, this is my space to write about whatever I’ve been nerding out over recently.

You’ll find me writing about the technology I use every day, the projects I’m working on, products I think are worth your time, places I’ve visited, and lessons I’ve picked up along the way. And if I stumble across something brilliant, whether it’s an app, a website, a gadget, a film, or just a great idea, there’s a good chance you’ll read about it here.

Rather than chasing headlines, I’d rather publish posts that are genuinely useful, interesting, or simply enjoyable to read. Some will be practical guides. Others will be reviews, personal stories, or behind-the-scenes looks at the things I’m creating. Most importantly, I want this to be a place where you get to know me through a variety of content, rather than being limited to a single niche.

Everything here falls into five sections:

• 💻 Technology

• 🏡 Life

• 🚀 Projects

• ⭐ Reviews

• 📚 Guides

If that sounds like your kind of thing, I’d love to have you along for the journey.

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