Blue Banana Bites #12: What Do We Lose by Storing?

Hello friend,

In August, one question stands out for us: How will we preserve our memories?

It has never been easier to store photos, notes and moments from anywhere, on any device. Technically, storage and access are effortless, but in practice, finding everything again is another story. Do we still remember at least 10 things that gather dust in our digital black hole? Digital overload buries meaningful moments beneath countless updates. What if today’s PNG is tomorrow’s floppy disk? What if today’s Google is tomorrow’s Skype?

Nevertheless, remembering is not just about storing information but also about prioritizing what is dear to us. Is it the perfect snapshot, a special person, a funny situation or a warm-hearted tradition?

What if we consume moments rather than feeling, experiencing, or living them? Will we remember them at all? What if you manage to take the best pictures but miss out on enjoying what you were eager to preserve? Aren't the best moments those where you forget to take out your phone?

Let's explore more of what matters to us.

This video shows a Perseid shower while documenting the videographer's sheer excitement witnessing it in real time. Beyond capturing the spectacle, the video invites viewers to stay present, focusing only on the soothing appearance and disappearance of shooting stars.

On the 9th, we are celebrating over 5,000 Indigenous cultures and their communities in about 90 countries around the world. With so little space and so much worth sharing, here are a few starting points: fantastic books by Indigenous authors and 10 Indigenous photographers you should know, especially our favorite: Brian Adams (not the singer).

Catching meteor showers under a crystal-clear sky feels out of this world. The shower peak hits around August 12th and 13th, when the sky is full of them. Perseid showers keep going until August 24th.

Maybe that explains why there are so many legends and symbols around them. Ancient cultures wove stories into mythology about these streaks across the night sky. Check out the scientific breakdown.

Meteor showers are not that rare, though. About 4.8 tons of meteoric material enters our atmosphere every day and mostly burns up. For the Perseid shower, comet Swift–Tuttle makes all that mess. Most days you just don't see it because daylight hides the show.

Want the best views? Try this light pollution map app for planning your spot.

This month we celebrate both of our dearest pet friends. There is no real winner because we like what we like, but the debate continues. Who takes the crown? (Our Blue Banana team tries to stay unbiased, even though we’re ALL cat parents.)

We call it a tie.

About 10.6% of people (and 33% of the Blue Banana team) are left-handed. And they’re not just using the opposite hand, their interaction with the world is slightly different. Most days, they blend in perfectly, even though everyday objects are designed for right-handed people. But narrow seating in classrooms or at the dinner table gives it away.

Neuroscience shows that left-handed brains connect differently from right-handed ones. Nothing wrong with that. The obvious differences show in motor skills. But it turns out they also have stronger links to the emotional center of the brain, the limbic system. Whether that means expressing emotions more or achieving emotional stability is still up for debate.

Photography does more than create art. It saves memories. That makes it essential to us. We carry our cameras everywhere now, sometimes in our pockets, sometimes built into our glasses. Once a photo goes online, the internet remembers. GeoGuessing has become a sport on social media. In addition, a digital image often holds more information than you can see in the picture.

Talking about photography: All photos in this newsletter are brought to you through the lens of talented Alfo Medeiros (Thank you!). Every picture tells its story on its own, so we chose to let it speak for itself.

In 2020, Spotify let you build playlists for your pet. Even though Spotify’s surveys came back overwhelmingly positive and pet owners claimed playing these while away helped their pets, Spotify discontinued the feature.

So we thought we'd bring the idea back:

Playlist challenges work great with friends or coworkers too. Who can find the most song titles with animals in them?

...why people didn't smile in early photographs?

It took hours to take a picture and to get the right exposure. Nobody could hold a smile for that long.

...why parents were dressed up as chairs in vintage baby portraits?

Someone had to hold the child steady during the shot. They had costumes looking like the back of the chair to stay out of frame. You can still spot ghostly hands in many of these photos.

...the basic principle behind cameras was described over 2,000 years ago?

Chinese philosopher Mozi experimented with light passing through apertures as large as a room.

...there are supposedly 12 Hasselblad cameras left on the moon?

During the Apollo missions, astronauts brought Hasselblad cameras to document their work. They left most equipment behind on return trips to make room for lunar rocks.

...what's the most expensive camera ever sold?

In 2022, a Leica 0-series no. 105 prototype from 1923 sold for €14.4 million at auction in Germany. Whether it still works is doubtful, but its historical value is unquestionable.

…there's a fascinating website where you can go back in time and see what places looked like a long time ago?

It’s called re.photos.

At Blue Banana Software, we love to create, each in our own way. That's why Martin, our CEO, searched for effective, user-friendly apps for music creation. He found them, but wanted to build the perfect one. So he bought the rights and improved them. Let us introduce our newest Blue Banana products: Pocket Jam and Piano Tabs.

Pocket Jam is a mobile music practice app that lets you jam along with songs from Apple Music or your device's audio files. You can transpose pitch and adjust tempo in real time. With section looping, a speed trainer, and custom markers, it helps musicians master any song without retuning their instruments. Martin uses it whenever he finds time to play his piano.

Want to learn piano with Piano Tabs? Skip the sheet music headaches. Color-coded letter tabs show you exactly which keys to press across 600+ songs. Perfect for beginners and anyone returning to play after time away.