Reviving the Genius Spaced Repetition App for macOS

In a recent blog post, Andrew Shaw shares his journey of reviving the Genius spaced repetition app, a tool that helps users memorize information effectively. Shaw explains his frustration with modern gamified language-learning apps like Duolingo, which, despite offering instant rewards and feedback, failed to help him retain and use the language. His past experience with Genius, a simple yet effective tool for learning via spaced repetition, led him to explore reviving the long-abandoned software. Despite its age and outdated architecture, Shaw was able to get the app working on modern macOS systems, even updating old components and fixing compatibility issues. He highlights the satisfaction of returning to a tool that genuinely helps with memorization and expresses his excitement about software conservation. The project also allowed Shaw to learn more about macOS development, and he even updated the app’s user interface for a more modern look. Shaw’s efforts to bring Genius back to life also showcase the power of tech preservation, paralleling other efforts in preserving vintage games and hardware. The source code for the revived app is now available on GitHub for others to use and contribute to.