Episode 614: Sloppy Boy
Try to make sure fear is always preceded by curiosity.
Episodes
Back to Work
Back to Work is an award winning talk show with Merlin Mann and Dan Benjamin discussing productivity, communication, work, barriers, constraints, tools, and more.
Episodes
Episode 613: That's Hair and That's Robot
Merlin has a lot of thoughts about AI stuff.
Episode 612: See All of Your Face
Dan's house continues to get smarter, and Merlin has some very good media picks.
Episode 611: Running FFMpeg on Myself
Dan has big updates about his smart home setup, and Merlin is getting intimate with a robot.
Episode 610: Hero Light
DISCUSSED: Steve Buscemi is celebrated, and The Big Lebowski is congratulated; the guys continue their dive into the state of smart home hardware with a focus on switches. e610-buscemi https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/3/316b04e9-2b1f-4ccb-98f1-28fe023874a8/4yea3CGk.jpg (https://twitter.com/MichaelWarbur17/status/1637904652061777920)
Episode 609: A Reverse Egg
Dan is curious about AI voice transcription, and Merlin has yet more smart home advice for a new homeowner.
Episode 608: Charles Entertainment Berry
DISCUSSED: Merlin has some been analyzing a very misleading song about beaches, and Dan has been visiting more with ChadGPT.
Episode 607: Age of Garbage
DISCUSSED: Dan has a new iPad keyboard, and Merlin is intrigued by ChatGPT. Also, Merlin almost tunes his guitar.
Episode 606: Goodnight, Night
DISCUSSED: Dan's takes some smart baby steps into home automation, and Merlin has a lot to say about everything.
Episode 605: A Case for a Life
DISCUSSED: Dan begins a new journey into smart home living, and Merlin is excited about common misconceptions. e605-infants https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/3/316b04e9-2b1f-4ccb-98f1-28fe023874a8/_kkzmi44.jpg (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_common_misconceptions)
Episode 604: Grandpa's Automation
DISCUSSED: After settling some confusion about Anna Borg, the boys settle into an amble about the state of voice assistants and the future of the theoretically smart home. As ever, Merlin is pretty excited about music, but he also needs your help figuring out where in the hell he got this new software keyboard. Alexa is doing great. https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/3/316b04e9-2b1f-4ccb-98f1-28fe023874a8/hmTv2yDH.jpeg TeeKay keyboard in action https://files.fireside.fm/file/...
Episode 603: A Jaws of Life for Playgrounds
DISCUSSED: Merlin is extremely happy with a suggestion that Dan made, and Dan has a bunch of apps he's excited about. e604-adam-12 https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/3/316b04e9-2b1f-4ccb-98f1-28fe023874a8/GIyvad17.jpg
Episode 602: Apple Juice Flood
Typing on an iPad, rhyming compulsively, default media, and taking a young foodie out on the town.
Episode 601: Big Broom
DISCUSSED: Merlin is excited about reading, and Dan sometimes puts his time in a box. Also: Breaking Bad.
Episode 600: The Trauma of My Chumby
DISCUSSED: Merlin recommends an exciting new beta; Dan gets a new e-reader; and Merlin has a lot to say about taking notes. e600-notebook https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/3/316b04e9-2b1f-4ccb-98f1-28fe023874a8/Rvq_tvqm.jpg
Episode 599: Self-Involved at Scale
DISCUSSED: a classic odds n' sods episode encompassing a missing remote (and a failed system), some wallet FU, cool help with playlist management, unsubscribing in dribs and drabs, and a big-ass RV.
Episode 598: Chewbacca Credit Union
Merlin is still on Island Time, so discussion is mostly limited to Columbo, Star Wars, Merlin's playlists, Ellsworth, and, of course, wallets. We almost talked about _Triangle of Sadness_ https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/3/316b04e9-2b1f-4ccb-98f1-28fe023874a8/zO-NbGOf.jpeg
Episode 597: The Bronze Hour
DISCUSSED: Dan has a new concern; some thoughts on resistance; Merlin shares a new insight on creativity and sleep; Dan has FU directly from the Nosferatu band; Merlin serves a turducken of suggestions related to text editing; and, finally, Dan needs your advice on wallets, while Merlin makes a case for currency. e597-calamari https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/3/316b04e9-2b1f-4ccb-98f1-28fe023874a8/kitCpEKp.jpg
Episode 596: Turkey Legs in the Renaissance
DISCUSSED: Merlin is playing with his new dingus; Dan almost talks about wallets; try Tailscale to make your stuff work better together; why you (yes, you) need a VPN; Dan is getting enthused about Obsidian; Merlin is freshly re-enthused about Daytum; and finally Dan is very excited about a Dracula he saw.
Episode 595: Blessèd Vessel
DISCUSSED: Halloween Follow-Up; exit interview for Season 4 of What We Do in the Shadows; how Apple could build users' confidence and stimulate their curiosity with better documentation; Merlin makes his case for spreadsheets as your potential place where stuff goes.
Episode 594: Honey Sun Bear
Fortunately, Merlin had thoroughly prepared for 62 minutes of lizards, Morgellons, animal powers, and Tom Cruise. e594-bears https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/3/316b04e9-2b1f-4ccb-98f1-28fe023874a8/NQ9f9_D-.jpeg
Episode 593: One of the Eel Women
Sleep, practice, infrastructure, power, and OCD are themes. As per usual. e593-power https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/3/316b04e9-2b1f-4ccb-98f1-28fe023874a8/gu-haXo7.jpg
Episode 592: Dirt Cat
Dan has Covid, so Merlin agrees to carry him, and yet Dan improbably carries them both....
Episode 591: A Closeted Magical Thinker
There are a few odds and sods, but, yeah, it's mostly about adjudicating Peak Cruise. Runner-Up Titles Bespoke Slime Hole Gavin Assumed Nom De Repair Species-Ending Annoyance Mosquito Tasks One Set of Footprints The Thing You Do Before It Breaks Creating Conditions Old People Jam-Up Don't Give Me Notes The Boston Janitor Movie
Episode 590: A Load-Bearing Feeling
Feeling bad about feeling bad is ultimately optional. 2022-09-13 Rhys Darby https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/3/316b04e9-2b1f-4ccb-98f1-28fe023874a8/2S54RNRq.jpg
Episode 589: The Outgassing of Ancient Woods
From choosing a pencil to relocating your ladder, one big and complex part of Knowledge Work is deciding how to do what you do.
Episode 588: Quid Pro Crow
DISCUSSED: Your hosts talk about some of their favorite Mac apps available via Setapp (https://setapp.com/). TK e588 https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/3/316b04e9-2b1f-4ccb-98f1-28fe023874a8/3yl4LC40.jpg
Episode 587: I'm a Map
We've got a man on the boat.
Episode 586: We Have Met the Audience, and He Is Us
DISCUSSED: A very moist man's lawyer learns how Dropbox works; Merlin introduces "The Bump"; Dan has a cool new calendar technology; and Merlin speed-rounds some odds and sods....
Episode 585: The Wahlberg Uncertainty Principle
Frankly, it was a bit of a fever dream, but your hosts discuss sportsball, collective singular nouns, Coleridge's trap street, LEGO, and a handful of Merlin's recent wins. Lego https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/3/316b04e9-2b1f-4ccb-98f1-28fe023874a8/nko9p8p_.jpg...