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, August 4th to hang out, talk about comics, and just say, “Hi.” How Exhaustion Became a Status Symbol | ...
Aug 02, 2016•2 hr 37 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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, et al.) invites you to drop by Two Cats Comics on the evening of Thursday, August 4th to hang out, talk...
Jul 26, 2016•1 hr 16 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 could be counted upon to have and use. But, today? Options, baby, options ! Sometimes for worse, but, so...
Jul 19, 2016•2 hr 43 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 systems seem fiddly, unnecessary, or both. [This is a good one.] Links for this episode: Ungainly X-Man...
Jul 12, 2016•2 hr 38 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Fishman: 9780143038788: Amazon.com: Books Gravity Falls | Official Site | Disney XD Gravit...
Jul 05, 2016•2 hr 42 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Dalai Lama: “Have you ever seen the movie ‘Caddyshack’?” - Salon.com Apple doesn't understand ph...
Jun 28, 2016•2 hr 31 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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: Lying in repose - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Shop Tommy Bahama | TommyBahama.com Fireside - Podc...
Jun 21, 2016•2 hr 38 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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, Cover Songs and Remixes | WhoSampled Izzo (H.O.V.A.) - Jay Z | WhoSampled Do You Even Lift? | Know Your...
Jun 14, 2016•2 hr 36 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff: Peter Walsh: 9780743292658: Amazon....
Jun 07, 2016•2 hr 37 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 weird. Also? Don't be Randyll Tarly. That guy's a total choad. Links for this episode: Roller Coasters ...
May 31, 2016•2 hr 36 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 own biases and habits constrain our sense of possibility? Links for this episode: Coherence (2013) ...
May 24, 2016•2 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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. Call Recorder for Skype - The Skype Audio/Video HD Call Recording Solution for Mac - Ecamm Network...
May 17, 2016•2 hr 43 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Line. | Cotton Bureau: hand-picked tees, tanks, and hoodies for people of all ages. Submit yours to...
May 10, 2016•2 hr 53 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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. Links for this episode: Put It On the List: Kristen Darbyshire: 9780525479062: Amazon.com: Books K...
May 03, 2016•2 hr 36 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Reed Richards, and Dan's advice on how to setup your own VPN. Links for this episode: Architecture ...
Apr 27, 2016•2 hr 54 min•Transcript available on Metacast TOPIC : Putting an Overt Stake in the Ground. This week, Dan and Merlin end up talking about the surprising stuff a Fitbit can do for you. Dan even buys one. Also, some discussion of pope hats, NASCAR, (the amazing ) Screens 4, and that failing restaurant by Dan's office that kinda looks like Terminus . Links for this episode: Screens - Control Your Computer Remotely - Edovia Screens 4 brings one-touch passwords, groups, redesign - Six Colors Leaving Everywhere (hilarious open letter/quit genera...
Apr 19, 2016•2 hr 47 min•Transcript available on Metacast TOPIC : But, alas. This week, Dan and Merlin talk about Smile's updated announcement about TextExpander and the ugly problem of blind internet rage. Also, lots of talk about ponderous 80s movies and old TV shows, including Dan learning which program had that tiny tabletop robot. Also, we are endeavoring, ma'am, to construct a mnemonic memory circuit using stone knives and bearskins. Links for this episode: TextExpander Adjustments | Smile The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - Quotes - IMDb iOS 8, iP...
Apr 12, 2016•2 hr 39 min•Transcript available on Metacast TOPIC : Wow, times change. This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the challenges and opportunities of subscription-based payment models. When do they work (or not) and how quickly does autopay fatigue kick in? Links for this episode: Ungainly X-Mann Meetup #13 — Merlin Mann Starz Launches Standalone Streaming Service | Variety The New TextExpander | Smile TextExpander Updates Focus on New Service – MacStories The biggest changes to TextExpander on the Mac and iOS are not the apps themselves, but t...
Apr 05, 2016•2 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast TOPIC : Welcome to Costco. I love you. This week, Dan and Merlin talk about breakfast sandwiches, the pain and suffering of dealing with Apple IDs, managing kids and their iOS devices, Merlin's weird week with Playstation Vue, and the science (or otherwise) behind iOS's Night Shift. The main topic this week focuses on quality, values, and self-improvement. Are Dan and Merlin just cloud-yelling old men for wishing writers (and everyone for that matter) would try a little harder? Maybe. Maybe not....
Mar 29, 2016•2 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast TOPIC : Serving the super-motivated super-fan. This week, Dan and Merlin talk about: a modest request from Merlin some interesting new options for viewing OTA broadcast television on Apple TV the evolution (and often lost opportunities) of media delivery highlights of yesterday's Apple event Links for this episode: Ungainly X-Mann Meetup #13 — Merlin Mann PlayStation™Vue | PlayStation™Network MrMC media center Hilo Book 1: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth: Judd Winick: 9780385386173: Amazon.com: Boo...
Mar 22, 2016•2 hr 59 min•Transcript available on Metacast TOPIC : No one cares about your demo anymore. This week Dan & Merlin talk about realizing when life isn't all about you and getting better at learning how to say " thank you ." Also, lots of great practical ( and philosophical) suggestions for getting started with or back into comics. Links for this episode: Ungainly X-Mann Meetup #13 — 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...
Mar 15, 2016•2 hr 7 min•Transcript available on Metacast TOPIC : Staying out of Technology Detention This week, Dan and Merlin do another giant-size grabbag episode that covers a lot of ground, including: movies, kids, and ratings, oh my ! better text editing on iPad, faster typing on iOS complexities of picking the right pairings of Apple devices what's up with apps not launching in iOS? Hound , and the future of voice-controlled computing staying provisionally joyful about the possibilities of new technology exploring Merlin's early experience with ...
Mar 08, 2016•2 hr 24 min•Transcript available on Metacast TOPIC : That's Not How the Future Works. This week, Dan and Merlin talk about evolving technology culture, the weird landscape of semi-smart devices, and why Merlin does and kinda doesn't do Getting Things Done so much anymore. Links for this episode: Unjustly Maligned | "R.E.M., early" with Merlin Mann (Episode 48) On a day that shouldn’t exist comes a podcast equally paradoxical. Merlin Mann joins Antony to sit still, garden at night, and talk about the passion of rock band R.E.M.’s ...
Mar 01, 2016•2 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast TOPIC : Grab Bag. This week, Dan and Merlin cover the waterfront. This wide-ranging episode covers lots of listener feedback, corrections of egregious errors, D&D alignment, the danger of guessing why people are how they are, some fun Tumblr recommendations, considering the yak-shaving ordeal of time-shifting broadcast TV, plus further discussion of last week's topic re: kids and computer access. Links for this episode: Ed Brubaker - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia “Did You Lose the Keys He...
Feb 23, 2016•2 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast TOPIC : Epistemology and Parenting as Dumpster Fire This week, Dan and Merlin end up talking a lot about what they don't know and how they know they don't know it. The biases, errors, and frames that make us feel wiser than we probably are. Sometimes it pays to learn how to be a dummy. Also, Dan learns what a "film projector" is. Links for this episode: Heraclitus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Pottermore Sorting Hat Quiz Amulet (comics) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Everyone’s offended...
Feb 16, 2016•2 hr 44 min•Transcript available on Metacast TOPIC : Feelings, Slide Rules, and The Franklin Test This week Merlin hasn't had enough coffee and may have early-onset toxoplasmosis, so he and Dan respond to great feedback from listeners, mostly on feeling feelings. Links for this episode: High-grade Amazing Fantasy #15 Anchors Heritage February Comics & Comic Art Auction - In The News Three Ring Binder Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite THREE RING BINDERMerlin Mann and Scott Simpson talk to each other and to you. "Maybe My Brain W...
Feb 09, 2016•2 hr 45 min•Transcript available on Metacast TOPIC : Information, Context, and Courage. This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the reaction to last week's episode about work and identity and respond to follow-up questions from listeners. Also, Merlin buys a faucet. Links for this episode: 5by5 | Back to Work #256: Every Minute Weighs the Same TOPIC: Coder, Kayaker, Father, Person.This week, Dan and Merlin talk about Dan's attempt to vastly rejigger his schedule in the interest of mental and physical health.This leads to a long discussion of ...
Feb 02, 2016•2 hr 35 min•Transcript available on Metacast TOPIC : Coder, Kayaker, Father, Person. This week, Dan and Merlin talk about Dan's attempt to vastly rejigger his schedule in the interest of mental and physical health. This leads to a long discussion of work, identity, expectations, and choosing which of the voices in your head to listen to and when. Links for this episode: Ungainly X-Mann Meetup #12 — Merlin Mann Costumed character - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Zentai - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ultraman - Wikipedia, the free ency...
Jan 26, 2016•2 hr 37 min•Transcript available on Metacast TOPIC : Say something funny. This week, Dan and Merlin talk about entertainment as a career and how difficult it can be to know whether you're suited for it. Plus, discussions of X-Men, San Francisco's collapse, and the best way to get vomit out of the bathroom sink. Links for this episode: Zentangle | Amazon.com: Design Originals, Joy Of Zentangle (0023863053983): Marie Browning CZT, Suzanne McNeill CZT, Sandy Bartholomew: Books Studio Series Artist's Tiles: White (75 pack): Peter Pauper P...
Jan 19, 2016•2 hr 46 min•Transcript available on Metacast TOPIC : Budgeting the Primary Secondary Project This week, Dan and Merlin do a deep dive on a very old and very thorny topic: managing time. Thing is: this is not about bookkeeping—it's about accounting . Being honest, humble, and diligent in mindfully applying your time and seeing how it went. (This is a good one.) Links for this episode: Fixed point in time - Tardis - Wikia Fixed points in time were moments in the space-time continuum at which events were set in stone and could never, ever be ...
Jan 12, 2016•1 hr 13 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
