DISCUSSED: Merlin has an email confession; Dan steps up with a shoulder; listeners have given your hosts a season of the show; praise for HBO's Watchmen; a discussion of curating media for kids; Merlin exercises Personal Privilege; everybody is different!; praise for the new MacBook Pro (and who it may or may not be good for); the beginnings of what could be an extensive series on reclaiming control of your own media; some Plex homework for both listeners and your hosts; a brief rant on the downsides and limitations of renting other people's music; Merlin is birthday-gifted with Planty II plus some awesome @pants materials.

Links for this episode:

• Amazon.com: Inteset 4-in-1 Universal Backlit IR Learning Remote for use with Apple TV, Xbox One, Roku, Media Center/Kodi, Nvidia Shield, most Streamers and other A/V Devices: Electronics
  
• google sheets - how do I find the values that are in one column but not in the other - Stack Overflow
  ISNA
  

Links for this episode:

• STANDARD ISSUE NOTEBOOK No.12 | GREEN – DesignWorks Ink
  
• STANDARD ISSUE NOTEBOOK NO.3 | GREEN – DesignWorks Ink
  
• Having a bad day? Dave Eggers can help. — The Ezra Klein Show — Overcast
  
• Tweet on iOS Voice Control
  
• Use Voice Control on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support
  
• How to use Voice Controls on iPhone and iPad | iMore
  
• The Trick That Lets You Set Your Hotel Thermostat to Any Temp You Want
  
• Amazon.com: WD 8TB Elements Desktop Hard Drive - USB 3.0 - WDBWLG0080HBK-NESN: Computers & Accessories
  
• Seagate Expansion Desktop 8TB External Hard Drive HDD – USB 3.0 for PC Laptop (STEB8000100)
  
• WD 8TB My Book Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 - WDBBGB0080HBK-NESN
  
• Seagate IronWolf 4TB NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD – 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 5900 RPM 64MB Cache for RAID Network Attached Storage – Frustration Free Packaging (ST4000VN008)
  
• “The Theme System Journal” graphic notebook by Cortex Podcast. | Cotton Bureau
  
• Panobook – Studio Neat
  
• Mead Data Center - YouTube
  
• Mead Data Center & The Organizer (1986) Trapper Keeper - YouTube
  
• Amazon.com: Inteset 4-in-1 Universal Backlit IR Learning Remote for use with Apple TV, Xbox One, Roku, Media Center/Kodi, Nvidia Shield, most Streamers and other A/V Devices: Electronics
  

Our worst episode ever. Enjoy!

Links for this episode:

• Mark Text
  
• CommonMark Spec
  
• Venice ‘on its knees’ after second-worst flood ever recorded
  
• Sweeping Study Points To Devastating Impact Of Climate Change On Global Health : Goats and Soda : NPR
  
• Notational Velocity - Wikipedia
  
• Bunch - BrettTerpstra.com
  
• nvUltra - Searchable, portable, MultiMarkdown notes
  
• Accidental Tech Podcast: 352: No One Else Had Calipers
  
• Pi-hole®: A black hole for Internet advertisements – A black hole for Internet advertisements
  
• TitleCase - Text Conversion Solutions
  
• Drafts | Where Text Starts
  
• TableFlip - Simple Table Editor for Mac
  

Dan is getting a Synology, Merlin has been making stuff, plus the return of "Cool Things I Learned This Week."

Links for this episode:

• Keyboards, Computer Keyboards, Wireless Keyboards | Logitech
  
• Shortcuts - Drafts User Guide
  
• Draft It
  
• Merlin's Bluetooth Keyboards - Google Sheets
  
• Keyboard shortcuts for Google Sheets - Computer - Docs Editors Help
  
• Amazon.com: Seagate IronWolf 4TB NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD – 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 5900 RPM 64MB Cache for RAID Network Attached Storage – Frustration Free Packaging (ST4000VN008): Computers & Accessories
  
• TaskPaper – Plain text to-do lists for Mac
  
• Shortcuts Archive - MacStories
  
• iOS and iPadOS 13: The MacStories Review - MacStories - Part 17
  
• Rana Foroohar joins Slate Money to discuss political ads on social media, the NCAA, and the California wildfires.
  
• Matthew Cassinelli (@mattcassinelli) / Twitter
  

DISCUSSED: coincident birthdays; mathowie's gigantism and very online Ex Machina house; extensive actor and media talk; you probably hadn't heard, but, The Revenant was very difficult to make; Apple TV+ is getting…not great notices; success is a great deodorant, but could iPhone : 2010s Apple :: Windows : 1990s Microsoft?; hardware follow-up on Merlin's new modem and UPS setup; the value of always showing hustle, and why you should always run out first base; Dan's in a jam-up with his internet provider over a seemingly unnecessary piece of harware; further hardware follow-up from Merlin on spreading his wings with his Synology; Dan has a new keyboard he loves; praise for several Logitech products; and, finally, why Merlin just can't quit his MX Master Mouse.

Links for this episode:

• Locke (film) - Wikipedia
  
• The Drop (film) - Wikipedia
  
• Amazon.com: Logitech K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard – Windows, Mac, Chrome OS, Android, iPad, iPhone, Apple TV Compatible – with FLOW Cross-Computer Control and Easy-Switch up to 3 Devices – Dark Grey: Computers & Accessories
  
• See on Apple TV+: Less Game of Thrones, more unintentionally funny SyFy | Ars Technica
  
• Amazon.com: APC Sine Wave UPS, 1500VA UPS Battery Backup & Surge Protector, Back-UPS Pro Uninterruptible Power Supply (BR1500MS): Electronics
  
• Amazon.com: ARRIS SURFboard Docsis 3.1 Gigabit Speed Cable Modem, Approved for Cox, Spectrum and Xfinity, (SB8200 Frustration Free): Computers & Accessories
  
• NAS Selector | Synology Inc.
  
• Amazon Prime Now: Logitech K400 Plus Wireless Touch TV Keyboard with Easy Media Control and Built-In Touchpad: Computers & Accessories
  
• 5by5 | Hypercritical #44: A Little Bit More Sad
  

This week, Dan and Merlin dive into the benefits (and fun) of a NAS project. Also, Merlin goes off about the horror show of letting old people determine the future. Also, also, hey, kung fu movies!

Links for this episode:

• Kids these days: Why the youth of today seem lacking | Science Advances
  
• Merlin Mann on Twitter: ""I don't need my Dad to understand why I think 'Future is Good.'" —Andy Greenwald https://t.co/WatUkVcQCl" / Twitter
  "I don't need my Dad to understand why I think 'Future is Good.'"

—Andy Greenwald

It's Infrastructure Week! Dan and Merlin start with California's power crisis and end up pivoting to phones, cable TV, and, of course, Apple.

What happens when a resource we think of as a solved part of our infrastructure suddenly isn't so solved?

And, what would Apple look like if it treated all of its services as seriously as it once treated the Mac?

Also: lizard updates, but please don't Google "hornworms."

Links for this episode:

• Episode 925: A Mob Boss, A Garbage Boat and Why We Recycle : Planet Money : NPR
  
• Episode 926: So, Should We Recycle? : Planet Money : NPR
  
• Episode 926: So, Should We Recycle? : Transcript
  "China was not very careful about what got into their ocean for a long period of time. And if some of the plastic piles were just too corrupted, they could do whatever they wanted with it."
  

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about living in a world of hardware choices.

How do you decide which device is best suited to a given task? Which ones do you find yourself preferring to use because they're friction-free—or just fun?

And, in what ways do our previous behaviors, habits, and expectations end up unconsciously coloring our future decisions?

Links for this episode:

• Spotify rolls out Siri support and new Apple TV app - The Verge
  
• SmartSockets® Table Top Surge Protector with USB | Surge Protector & Power Strips | Smartsockets® - Kensington | Kensington
  
• THE CHURCH | The Blurred Crusade | Live Concert 1982 - YouTube
  
• The Church - Almost With You (Video) - YouTube
  
• KLOE4 Outlet eu - Koogeek.com
  
• Amazon.com: VOCOlinc Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip Multi Outlet, Surge Protector, USB Charging, Timers, Works with HomeKit, Alexa and Google Assistant, No Hub Required, 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, PM2E: Electronics
  
• Amazon.com : Wyze Cam Pan 1080p Pan/Tilt/Zoom Wi-Fi Indoor Smart Home Camera with Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Person Detection, Works with Alexa & the Google Assistant : Electronics
  
• Amazon.com : Wyze Cam 1080p HD Indoor Wireless Smart Home Camera with Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Person Detection, Works with Alexa & the Google Assistant : Electronics
  

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about Apple's OS rollouts, changes in Apple retail, and week two with the new Apple Watch.

Links for this episode:

• Release dates for iOS 13, iPadOS 13, macOS Catalina, watchOS 6, Apple Arcade, Apple TV+, and more | Macworld
  
• Broken iCloud reminders are the latest reason to delay your iOS 13 upgrade - The Verge
  
• This App May Be the Culprit Causing Your Apple Watch's Battery to Drain
  
• Bunch - BrettTerpstra.com
  
• Apple confirms iOS 13 Reminders will be fixed with macOS Catalina rollout
  

This week, Dan and Merlin focus on the new Apple Watch.

Links for this episode:

• New iPhone set up: Transfer data directly to a new iPhone wirelessly, or using a cable
  
• Siri on Apple Watch: The ultimate guide | iMore
  
• What is a Moonphase? | Complete Guide to Moon Phases on Watches
  
• Missing Meridian watch face - Apple Community