> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.hiro.report/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # ⚡ 27SEP2026: A bad metaphor - URL: https://www.hiro.report/27sep2026-a-bad-metaphor/ - Published: 2026-09-28T00:00:29.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-28T00:00:28.000Z - Description: My new favorite pen, a delightful record player, dialing in espresso, eink fun, and analog tech throwbacks... - Author: Hiro Happy Sunday, everyone! This week I've been revisiting the original [Akira](https://amzn.to/3T3zJWk?ref=hiro.report) manga, contemplating grabbing a [Ting](https://www.tingfire.com/?ref=hiro.report) to monitor our home for electrical fire risk, listening to the audiobook for [This Is About Running, This Is Not About Running](https://amzn.to/3TlM3Bm?ref=hiro.report) by Coach Chris Bennett, Nike's global coach for running, and sharing about this fun [e-ink display for my record player](https://www.threads.com/share/FNV6-p4%5FI/?ref=hiro.report) that I built. *Note that some of the links in this issue of the Hiro Report are affiliate links and may earn me a small commission at no additional cost to you.* **On to the good stuff!** 🖊️ [**LAMY dialog cc Fountain Pen**](https://www.lamy.com/en-us/p/lamy-dialog-cc-fountain-pen?ref=hiro.report) \- [I made a short video](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DduYyr-PNLw/?utm%5Fsource=ig%5Fweb%5Fcopy%5Flink&stkn=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==) about this pen this week! I recently returned to my journaling and affirmations habit and took advantage of the momentum to grab a pen I've had my eye on for a while—the LAMY dialog cc. It's got a really unique, modern-looking design featuring a capless twisting mechanism that lets you twist out the 14K gold nib to write and then twist it back behind a small ball valve that keeps it from drying out. It's a shorter, wider design, almost reminiscent of a fat marker, but with some slight heft due to the all-brass body. It's absurdly pricey for a pen, but if you're into fountain pens and buy-it-for-life analog tools, I highly recommend checking one out. ☕ [**beans: dial your espresso**](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/beans-dial-your-espresso/id6811413849?ref=hiro.report) \- This indie app stealth-released this weekend, focused on letting you capture photos of your coffee bags, which get saved to a coffee shelf along with all your notes on dialing them in perfectly. It's got a lovely, clean design, and I really appreciate all the data it lets you collect: logs on every shot you pull and reminders for things like what grind setting, temperature, and extraction time you prefer. It's also a one-time purchase, which is a rare delight these days. As a bonus, you can also make 3D renders of your favorite coffee bags for the collectors out there. 🖱 [**Keychron Nape Pro Wireless Trackball**](https://www.keychron.com/products/keychron-nape-pro-wireless-trackball-mouse?ref=hiro.report) \- If you miss the old laptops with a trackball built in, Keychron is here with a crazy modern analog. This trackball mouse has a 25mm trackball in the center of it, along with six programmable buttons and a rotatable control dial that give you a ton of control over your computer from one ergonomic grip. The whole thing works over 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, or a USB-C connection. I am sorely tempted to try it out. 📷 [**Camp Snap 110D**](https://www.campsnapphoto.com/products/110d?ref=hiro.report) \- Camp Snap makes really fun, low-resolution digital cameras that are like the digital equivalent of disposable point-and-shoot cameras... just not disposable. You can keep using them. OK, maybe it's a bad comparison. You get the idea, though: fixed lens, low resolution, (comparatively) cheap. They look super fun and great for taking on adventures where you don't want to risk your high-end camera gear. They've just announced a new camera that brings an amazing 1970s camera aesthetic in a form factor that kind of reminds me of the old Minox spy cameras. It has built-in "film-like" filters and can take 500 photos on one charge. 🔈 [**Tinyl Play Pro Record Player**](https://www.tinyl.co.jp/products/play-pro?ref=hiro.report)\- I saw this Japanese record player this past week and immediately fell in love with it. It has a loud, playful look with bright reds, yellows, and blues like a Fisher-Price phonograph; built-in speakers; a switchable phono preamp; Bluetooth; and a pretty legit Audio-Technica cartridge. It's only $199 and seems like it would be a really fun starter record player. Even if you have zero interest in vinyl records, go take a look at it—it's so cute! That's it for this week. May you build one new thing you're excited to share with others.