Back to Work

TOPIC : The Minimum Viable Waste of Time. Some awesome odds and sods, a great new Markdown editor for OS X, and a main topic on dealing with those aggressive email follow-up people. Dan's Concern™ regarding his annoying smoke detectors Why things seem to get worse and more diverse Evaluate the credulity of Amazon reviews with Fakespot Scary edge cases for Samsung Note fires Cary's great DNS switch...

TOPIC : A Surfeit of Merlin Mannsplaining. This week, Dan and Merlin produce an undisputed instaclassic odds and sods episode. When technology makes you feel crazy. Are retweets endorsements? Universal New Yorker captions. Cursed Images is amazing . Vatican Cameos ! A totally smooth way to stop talking about someone when they walk into the room. iOS 10 call-blocking apps. Do they even? How to send...

TOPIC : The Unreliable Narrator of You This week, Dan and Merlin talk about weather, compost, small changes, plus some Sling TV followup. The main topic involves Merlin helping Dan sanely enter the Philips Hue Light ecosystem. It's not just for nerds any more. ( Although, sure, yeah, it's still mostly for nerds. ) Links for this episode: 80 hi-res, textless posters - Imgur Amazon.com: Fitbit Charg...

TOPIC : Nobody's favorite thing. This week, Dan and Merlin talk about update failures, magic, and attention. Their ongoing dive into the fractured and frustrating world of the modern cord-cutter ecosystem continues. It's ponderous . Links for this episode: Star Wars Stickers on the App Store Sticker Pals: Animate Your Messages! on the App Store Amazon.com: Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router: Electro...

TOPIC : Every week (and every time you think of it) This week, Dan and Merlin start by talking about some of the great updates iOS 10—alongside the usual strident advice about backing up before you do anything . Merlin also shares the late-night debacle of trying to order a new iPhone. There's some talk about weird 80s Budweiser commercials and then a deep dive on how (and whether ) to setup and u...

TOPIC : Find My Mac. Please. With Apple's big iPhone event coming tomorrow, Dan and Merlin discuss what makes this particular day such a black box in Apple's history. This is likely to be the last day for some time when we will know SO very little about where Apple is heading. Also, there's some discussion of which kinds of technology we're most resistant to and maybe why that is. Links for this e...

TOPIC : Frantic SM 10 Pieces This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the problem with wraps, the problem with notebooks, and the problem with Amazon reviews. Links for this episode: Apple Is Working on iPad Upgrades and Refreshed Mac Lineup - Bloomberg Amazon.com : Rocketbook Wave Smart Notebook : Launchpad Rocketbook Wave Smart Notebook Fakespot - Analyze Fake Amazon Reviews - Chrome Web Store Fakes...

TOPIC : Hey, try this. This week, Dan and Merlin have a shortie, so they talk about stuff they're loving right now and make some recommendations on gadgets, music, movies, and more. Also, the scientific link between chemtrails and morgellons can finally be revealed. Links for this episode: NEET Zippered Cable Tie M - Cable Organizer Sleeve designed for all mo | NEET Products The Mindset List: Clas...

TOPIC : Kids don't need VCR Plus+. This week, Dan and Merlin continue their series on updates. The topic this week is all about media consumption—in particular, the massive changes to how they learn about, locate, obtain, schedule, and consume media over the past decade or so. Sure, there's the usual old man talk about how How It Used To Be, but there's a heavy focus on how these changes are chang...

This week, Dan and Merlin open with an unintentionally deep dive on how Merlin has been tricking out his house with home automation stuff. The main topic this week returns to the theme of updates; in this case, how ubiquitous devices have changed pretty much everything. Links for this episode: Weiner (2016) - IMDb 5by5 | Back to Work #280: The Big Filter 5by5 | Back to Work #281: The Mayor of Choc...

This week, Dan and Merlin continue their series on updates, talking about the evolution of electronic task management in their lives. Hint: simplify, simplify . Links for this episode: Ungainly X-Mann Meetup #14 — Merlin Mann MERLIN MANN (Back to Work, Roderick on the Line, Reconcilable Differences, You Look Nice Today, et al.) invites you to drop by Two Cats Comics on the evening of Thursday...

TOPIC : Orinoco Flow This week, Dan and Merlin continue their series on updates, focusing on the difference between the days before and after ubiquitous wifi. Also, lots of fun odds and sods on Scrivener and surviving summer with kids. Links for this episode: Ungainly X-Mann Meetup #14 — Merlin Mann MERLIN MANN (Back to Work, Roderick on the Line, Reconcilable Differences, You Look Nice Today...

TOPIC : Way of the future. This week, Dan and Merlin continue their discussion on updates to their systems and their productivity worlds. In particular: how have new technologies and critical masses of users led to wanting or needing fewer intermediary communications layers? For years, email was more than just the lingua franca ; it was that one internet communication protocol that every user coul...

TOPIC : Updates on Productivity and a modern Kobayashi Maru Scenario This week, Dan and Merlin start a new series on updates . Which sounds really boring, but it isn't, we swear. This time out, the boys start by diving deep on how and why just so much of their productivity systems have changed over the years. Innumerable ways in which technology and life has evolved to where so many of the old sys...

TOPIC : …and, then what happens? This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the unexpected cognitive benefits of ritual, repetition, and thinking through the fascinating question: "…and, then what happens?" Links for this episode: 4th of July Fireworks Photos: 2016! | cabel.me The Wal-Mart Effect: How the World's Most Powerful Company Really Works--and HowIt's Transforming the American Economy: Charles...

TOPIC : People, amirite? This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the complexities of communicating with each other. And, brother, is it ever complicated. Links for this episode: Blood Meridian Audiobook | Cormac McCarthy | Audible.com The Butterfield Diet (Peter Serafinowicz) - YouTube Geek Feminism Wiki - Wikia Resources for allies - Geek Feminism Wiki - Wikia Fox News host Bret Baier “grills” the D...

TOPIC : Varieties of pain. This week, Dan and Merlin talk about Dan's progress on building fireside.io and its imminent beta release. Lots of fascinating details on why he's made it and who it might be great for. Then, there's discussion of the unexpected mental benefits of physical training, and the influence that various sorts of pain (real or imagined) can have on us. Links for this episode: Ly...

TOPIC : Merlin's never sent his heartbeat. This week, Dan and Merlin talk about some of this week's WWDC announcements, the past and future of Apple, and that awkward feeling of wondering whether and when new technology is personally relevant. Links for this episode: Apple Events - WWDC Keynote June 2016 - Apple Chandler (software) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Discover Music via Samples, Cov...

TOPIC : Fill one bag. This week, Dan and Merlin talk about our relationship with the stuff in our lives and how overwhelming it can be. Solutions are offered—throw out that old cinnamon! Links for this episode: The Talk Show ?: Ep. 156, With Special Guest Merlin Mann Merlin Mann returns to the show to talk about artificial intelligence and Eddy Cue’s flip-flops. comiXology Unlimited It's All Too M...

TOPIC : Disruptions in Service This week, Dan and Merlin talk about that ineffable but growing feeling of disconnection from the collections we used to treasure. Music, Photos, Movies, Books—all the stuff we increasingly entrust to The Cloud . Seems like there's a weird confluence of changing culture and buggy technology that makes us feel sadly meh about making everything work. And that feels wei...

TOPIC : True or false dilemmas? This week, things kick off with a discussion of how to be helpful. Especially at your kid's school, but really just in general. This leads to a rumination on "roots" and what makes us feel like we're part of a community. The main topic is about the future of machine learning, voice control, and all things "smart." What do we want, what can we imagine, and how do our...

TOPIC : Such small hands. This week, Dan and Merlin talk about Dan's acquisition of an iPhone SE and how much he's loving it. This leads to some ruminative discussion about how we pick devices based on how we prefer to use them. Also, some love for Spider-Man in the Civil War movie. Links for this episode: Official Google Blog: Meet Gboard: Search, GIFs, emojis & more. Right from your keyboard...

TOPIC : Grow what? Grow HOW? This week, Dan and Merlin have a surprisingly passionate discussion about growth . Companies gotta "grow," right? But…what the hell does that really even mean? Lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what-have-yous. Also, an important update on Pek Pongpaet. Links for this episode: Sherbit “Ding!” graphic designer t-shirt, pullover crewneck, and pullover hoodie by Roderick on the...

TOPIC : Opinion at Scale. This week kicks off with a confession that Dan and Merlin are increasingly less interested in coverage of Apple's finances and the related Kremlinology and blind guessing about the company. Merlin announces the unlikely product he'd love for Apple to create (and why it'll probably never happen). Also, lots of followup on apps and services for fitness and personal tracking...

TOPIC : Finding stories and insights hiding in your data. This week, Dan and Merlin dive deep into the new world of personal tracking. Dan has a new FitBit, and Merlin has a surprisingly complicated system involving many devices and apps. Great stuff you can try for yourself. Also discussed: Merlin's weird cat, Deadpool , Pek Pongpaet the Professional Podcast Pundit, Alexa on Fire TV, a defense of...