🎙️Episode 024: Convenience Has a Cost

💳 BNPL lets shoppers split payments over time—convenient 📱 but still debt that requires caution.

🪙 Arizona will phase out pennies, using rounding to 5¢ ⚖️ to speed checkout and cut costs, though critics worry about small price increases.

🗄️ NAS tips: label drives 🏷️, back up configs 💾, use QR cheat sheets 📲, enable alerts 🚨, and organize cables 🔌 for smoother recovery.

🗒️ Discord works as a note app 🧠 using private servers, channels, search, pins, and cross-device syncing.

🎨 Creativity is a habit 🔁—small daily practice builds skill, reduces stress, and boosts flexibility.

☀️ Solar roads struggle with efficiency, durability, and cost 🚧⚡ despite early hype.

🍏 Apple leans into “Think Different” again 🎯, blending legacy branding with ecosystem growth.

⚾ MLB viewing in 2026 is fragmented 📺 across MLB.TV, Apple TV+, Peacock, and ESPN.

🎮 Forza Horizon 6 sets Tokyo as a massive, detailed open world 🏙️🚗.

😂 BNPL “Not a Sponsor” jokes about stacked payments turning into financial chaos 💳😅.

🏀 NBA expansion draft lets new teams pick unprotected players while existing teams protect key rosters.

⚾ MLB 2026 adds earlier Opening Day, Rivalry Weekend, and major events 🌸🔥.

🏈 ASU WRs show depth and competition, signaling offensive improvement 💪.

----------------------------

Sources:

Economics

https://www.stlouisfed.org/publications/page-one-economics/2026/jan/buy-now-pay-later-a-credit-alternative

https://hoodline.com/2026/03/hobbs-gives-pennies-the-boot-as-arizona-stores-start-rounding-cash/

Productivity

https://www.howtogeek.com/simple-nas-upgrades-that-cost-almost-nothing/

https://www.makeuseof.com/discord-is-secretly-one-of-the-best-note-taking-apps-ive-ever-used/ 

https://bookoftheday.nextbigideaclub.com/p/creativity-is-a-habit-not-a-talent 

Technology

https://www.bgr.com/2121938/why-solar-roadway-projects-failed-worldwide/

https://www.macworld.com/article/3082226/at-50-apple-really-is-starting-to-think-different.html

Entertainment 

https://mashable.com/article/how-to-watch-mlb-2026-streaming-guide

https://www.ign.com/articles/forza-horizon-6s-tokyo-city-is-so-big-and-detailed-that-it-had-its-own-development-team-ign-first

Sports

https://www.totalprosports.com/nba/how-nba-expansion-draft-work-key-rules-explained/

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-releases-2026-schedule-opening-day-kicks-off-earlier-than-ever-rivalry-weekend-returns-more-dates/

https://www.si.com/college/arizonastate/sun-devils-wide-receivers-make-undeniable-first-impression-spring-

----------------------------

If you would like to support my work, please consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/brian8944 

You & I both get a free month of Setapp with a paid subscription: ⁠https://go.setapp.com/invite/f12ydwun⁠⁠

If you liked what you heard today, please be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss any episodes.  If you want to find me between episodes, I am often on MacVoices Live, which records on Tuesday evenings 8PM eastern, 5PM pacific.

Macstock 9’s Digital Pass is now available!  https://macstockconferenceandexpo.com/product/macstock-ix-digital-pass/

Please visit my website, brian8944.com so you can keep up with all my ongoing and upcoming projects.  You can also contact me there with any feedback you may have.