On the Desk of Brian

🎙️Episode 038: Reset, Reinvent, Upgrade

🍫 Hershey’s Relevance Play: Hershey CEO Kirk Tanner on staying relevant, from the Reese’s Oreo’s $188M in sales to a Hershey Movie coming in November. (Fortune)

🏷️ Walmart’s Digital Shelf Labels: Electronic price tags are coming to Walmart and Sam’s Club. The CEO says they won’t be used for surge pricing. (Inc)

🎯 Pink’s Productivity Questions: Daniel Pink says two questions drive productivity: why does this matter, and who benefits? (Upworthy)

📱 iPhone 14 Pro vs. 18 Pro: Is upgrading from a four-year-old phone worth it? Design, display, AI features, and price all get a look. (Cult of Mac)

🎬 Theater Comeback?: Moviegoing is inching back toward pre-pandemic levels in some places. Theater or stream at home? (Daily Tarheel)

🎮 Xbox Studio Shake-Up: Part of the 3,200 job cuts means Activision takes over Rare and World’s Edge, Bethesda takes Obsidian, and Playground and Turn 10 merge. (PureXbox)

😄 Not a Sponsor: The Merge-O-Matic Eighteen Pro is a snack, a phone, and a restructuring plan in one. Please upgrade.

🏀 Suns Face New Challenges: Coach Ott’s team is coming off a playoff berth but is missing Mark Williams, traded two key players, and needs better three-point shooting. The opener against the Thunder is Saturday, October 24th. (Arizona Sports)

⚾ Lovullo Stays in the Desert: The D-backs gave Torey Lovullo a two-year extension after ten seasons and 86 wins. (Arizona Sports)

🏈 Next Five Super Bowl Winners: ESPN’s Ben Solak makes tongue-in-cheek picks, starting with the Seahawks in 2026. (ESPN)

🏟️ No Lambeau Expansion Coming: Even with a 163,000-person season-ticket waiting list, extra seats wouldn’t pay for themselves with only 10-12 events a year. (Pro Football Talk)

🔱 Sun Devil Hoops Reset: New coach Randy Bennett arrives, only Bryce Ford returns, and the exhibition at New Mexico is October 25th with the home opener November 2nd. (Bustling Brackets)

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

Sources:

Economics

https://fortune.com/2026/09/26/hershey-legacy-brands-consumer-relevance/

https://www.inc.com/kevin-haynes/walmart-embraces-new-digital-shelf-labels-not-dynamic-pricing-we-wont-do-it-ceo-vows/91410956

Productivity

https://www.upworthy.com/behavior-expert-says-discipline-isnt-the-key-to-productivity-instead-ask-these-2-questions/

Technology

https://www.cultofmac.com/top-stories/iphone-18-pro-vs-iphone-14-pro-comparison-upgrade

Entertainment 

https://dailytarheel.com/482976/lifestyle/lifestyle-movie-theaters-trending/

https://www.purexbox.com/news/2026/09/xbox-announces-four-major-studio-changes-and-cuts-286-jobs

Sports

https://arizonasports.com/nba/phoenix-suns/jordan-ott-evolve-head-coach

https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/torey-lovullo-coming-back

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/50022570/next-five-super-bowl-winners-2027-prediction-solak

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/despite-revenue-concerns-packers-dont-plan-to-expand-lambeau-field

https://bustingbrackets.com/arizona-state-will-enter-the-2026-27-season-with-a-new-look-basketball

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

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🎙️Episode 037: Eat the Frog, Sell the Phone

Please note, due to some technical difficulties while recording, Personal Voice was used for some of the recording.

📱 Economics (TechRadar): AI chip shortages are driving up resale value of old/broken phones — Q2 2026 prices rose for Apple/Samsung devices, making salvage more profitable and encouraging longer device ownership.

🥦 Productivity (Apartment Therapy): Cheryl Fenton's husband tackles least-favorite chores ("vegetables") first thing each morning — the "eat the frog" method — making the rest of the day feel lighter.

🍏 Technology (9to5Mac): Apple Retail may add pickup/Today-at-Apple bays, drop the big video walls, and bring back dedicated Genius Bars.

🐎 Entertainment (9to5Mac/Digital Trends): Slow Horses renewed for two more seasons right before its S6 premiere; Apple TV shows won 29 Emmys total, with Winter's Bay taking 14.

⚔️ Gaming (Polygon): Diablo V announced for 2029, set ~100 years after Diablo IV in a world where Diablo has won.

🎮 Gaming (BGR): New Xbox Series X/S updates: 1440p remote play, AI voice clarity, custom startup animations/badges, faster search, and background downloads during cloud sessions.

🏀 NBA (The Ringer): Owners making bad headlines — Clippers/Ballmer scandal, Portland layoffs under Dundon, and Suns owner Ishbia's $600M loss.

⚾ Diamondbacks (Arizona Sports): 25th anniversary of the 2001 World Series title, timed with a series against that same Yankees team, featuring player interviews.

🏈 NFL (ESPN): New rule bans misleading videoboard angles on field goals, after revelations the Patriots used an optical-illusion trick on opposing kickers for years.

🔴 ASU (Arizona Sports): Sun Devils' 2026-27 schedule opens vs. BYU (Jan 2), with home games vs. Houston (Jan 23) and Iowa State (Feb 19), road trip to Kansas (Feb 9), and Arizona meetings in Tucson (Jan 16) and Tempe (Feb 13).

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

Sources:

Economics

https://www.techradar.com/pro/good-for-mother-nature-ram-pocalyse-encourages-millions-to-recycle-their-old-devices-as-expert-says-economics-of-component-recovery-are-changing 

Productivity

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/eat-the-frog-eat-your-vegetables-rule-37690349

Technology

https://9to5mac.com/2026/09/13/apple-planning-three-major-changes-for-its-retail-stores-per-report/

Entertainment 

https://9to5mac.com/2026/09/15/slow-horses-season-6-debuts-on-apple-tv/

https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/apple-tv-lands-a-record-28-emmy-wins-cementing-its-entertainment-powerhouse-status/

https://www.polygon.com/diablo-5-announced-release-date-blizzcon-2026/

https://www.bgr.com/2256738/xbox-series-x-new-features-september-2026/

Sports

https://arizonasports.com/ncaa/arizona-state/arizona-state-basketball/big-12-reveals-asu-arizona-basketballs-2026-conference-schedule

https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/2001-diamondbacks-champions-to-reunite-at-chase-field-on-saturday

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49979831/nfl-changes-rules-governing-video-board-displays-kicks

https://www.theringer.com/2026/09/10/nba/nba-owners-steve-ballmer-mark-walter-team-sales-valuation

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

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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.

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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.

🎙️Episode 036: Caps, Costs, Contracts

📊 National Debt & Voters — 83% of voters worry about the $40 trillion national debt, but Newsweek's Aliss Higham notes abstract numbers rarely beat kitchen-table concerns at the ballot box.

🪟 Windows 11 Snap Layouts — PCMag's Michael Muchmore and Chris Hoffman break down how Snap Layouts and Snap Assist let you instantly arrange windows without manual resizing.

🔋 The Death (and Return) of Removable Batteries — Slashgear's Alvin Wanjala explains why thinner devices killed swappable batteries, but new EU rules bring them back starting 2027.

📺 Streaming's Growing Price Gap — PCWorld's Jared Newman shows the ad-free vs. ad-supported price gap jumped 60% since 2022, now $87.50/month apart.

☁️ Xbox Cloud Gaming Gets Capped — PC Gamer's Lincoln Carpenter reports hour limits (5–15/month) are coming to Game Pass cloud gaming in November.

⚔️ Fable's Playtime Revealed — Polygon's Tomas Franzese and Ford James report Fable's main quest runs 15–20 hours, with unlimited life-sim replayability beyond that.

🏀 Clippers Hit With Historic Penalties — Bleacher Report's Scott Polacek details the NBA's massive punishment over Kawhi Leonard's off-court dealings — draft picks, fines, and suspensions across the board.

🏥 Mark Williams Injury — Arizona Sports' Dylan Kane reports the Suns center had shoulder surgery and faces a 5+ month recovery after a big offseason contract.

🏟️ Chase Field Lease Stalls — Arizona Sports' Alex Weiner covers the Diamondbacks' stalled lease extension threatening the ballpark's $500 million renovation timeline.

🏈 Tucker Kraft Cashes In — ESPN's Rob Demovsky reports the Packers TE signed a 4-year, $75 million extension, making him the NFL's third-highest-paid tight end.

🧱 ASU Prof Builds Giant Sparky — Fox 10's Steve Neilsen profiles ASU's Tim Gomez, building a 30,000-piece, six-foot Lego Sparky statue for homecoming.

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

Sources:

Economics

https://www.newsweek.com/americans-are-concerned-about-ballooning-us-national-debt-12379246

Productivity

https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/stop-resizing-windows-this-built-in-windows-11-trick-will-double-your-productivity

Technology

https://www.aol.com/articles/why-did-many-tech-companies-154500000.html

Entertainment 

https://www.pcworld.com/article/3226121/how-ad-free-streaming-became-so-much-less-affordable.html

https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/microsoft-announces-cap-on-xbox-cloud-gaming-hours-for-game-pass-subscribers-admits-most-arent-using-it-much-anyway/

https://www.polygon.com/fable-game-length-interview-xbox/

Sports

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25495625-nba-punishes-kawhi-leonard-steve-ballmer-clippers-uncle-dennis-after-salary-cap-investigation

https://arizonasports.com/nba/phoenix-suns/mark-williams-undergoes-left-shoulder-surgery

https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/diamondbacks-didnt-think-chase-field-lease-extension-would-be-so-difficult

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49914334/sources-packers-tucker-kraft-agree-4-year-extension

https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/life-size-lego-sparky-statue-coming-tempes-mill-avenue

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

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.

🎙️Episode 035: Read, Lease, Retire

💰 A comfortable retirement now runs about $1.16M for couples ($579K each) vs. $898K for singles — and where you retire swings that number by hundreds of thousands (Investopedia/Peter Gratton)

😴 Sleep isn't just rest — it's a second state of consciousness where the brain consolidates memory, processes emotion, and works through stress via dreams (Discover Wild Science/Sameen David)

📖 Reading fiction (not just nonfiction) boosts empathy, social cognition, and gives your brain a bigger workout than TV or film (Washington Post/Richard Sima)

📱 Apple's new Klarna-powered leasing program offers 0% financing on iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Watches — but you never own the device and AppleCare isn't included (ZDNET/Maria Diaz)

🎓 AI is reshaping the classroom this school year, with Gemini in Classroom, Microsoft Copilot's Study and Learn coach, and Canva's Learning Grid leading the charge (Forbes/Dan Fitzpatrick)

📺 Peacock is raising prices across all tiers effective now for new subscribers, September 17 for existing ones (9to5Mac/Zac Hall)

🍎 Apple TV is also getting pricier, plus a bump for Apple One's Individual tier — though a Peacock + Apple TV bundle at $15/mo softens the blow (9to5Mac/Chance Miller)

🎮 Xbox now lets you unlock a digital copy of a game just by inserting your physical disc — ownership perks stay tied to that disc, even if you sell it (Xbox Wire/Jason Ronald)

🏀 The Suns and Mercury are getting the NBA's largest exterior LED display — a massive 226x41-foot transparent screen at the Mortgage Matchup Center (Sports Illustrated/Donnie Druin)

🏈 The NFL is bracing for new Nielsen ratings methodology changes after a record-breaking 2025 season, with the league unsure how the shift will affect viewership numbers (ESPN/AP)

🛠️ ASU's indoor practice facility has a new name and a much bigger budget: the Invisalign Performance Center, now a $55M build with 100,000 sq ft of turf (Arizona Sports/Ethan Kinney)

🏀 ASU basketball added Valley native and former Grand Canyon/Oregon standout Casey Bensen as an assistant coach (Arizona Sports/Bailey Leasure)

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

Sources:

Economics

https://www.investopedia.com/how-much-a-typical-couple-needs-to-retire-in-every-state-and-the-size-of-the-nes-12036523

Productivity

https://discoverwildscience.com/some-researchers-propose-that-sleep-is-not-rest-for-the-brain-but-a-second-form-of-consciousness-running-in-parallel-and-the-two-systems-may-have-entirely-different-purposes-1-412942/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2026/08/18/reading-fiction-is-good-your-brain-here-why/

Technology

https://www.zdnet.com/article/leasing-iphone-right-how-apples-upgrade-program-works/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/danfitzpatrick/2026/08/22/10-back-to-school-ai-updates-for-educators/

Entertainment 

https://9to5mac.com/2026/08/18/peacock-is-the-latest-streaming-service-to-increase-prices-details-here/

https://9to5mac.com/2026/08/28/apple-announces-price-increase-for-apple-tv-and-apple-one-subscriptions/

https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/08/26/your-discs-now-also-digital/

Sports

https://www.si.com/nba/suns/onsi/phoenix-suns-will-set-new-nba-record-elevate-fan-experience

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49673448/nfl-complains-changes-nielsen-tv-ratings-measurements

https://arizonasports.com/ncaa/arizona-state/arizona-state-football/asu-football-new-practice-facility-name-invisalign

https://arizonasports.com/ncaa/arizona-state/arizona-state-basketball/asu-basketball-hires-casey-benson-assistant-coach

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

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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.

🎙️Episode 034: Recharge, Rewatch, Re-sign

💻 MacBook Air Shortages Persist — Despite raising prices from $1,099 to $1,299, Apple still can't keep up with demand — buyers face 2-6 week waits, longer for higher-RAM configs.

✈️ The Science of Avoiding Burnout — Dr. Brittany McGeehan's research says 7-8 day vacations (not shorter trips) create lasting psychological resets — and the third day is when relaxation actually kicks in.

📺 Your Smart TV Is Watching You — Automatic Content Recognition tracks everything on your screen, from streaming to Blu-rays — here's how to shut it off across FireTV, LG, Roku, Samsung, Sony, and Vizio.

🖖 Lower Decks Cast Still Holding Out Hope — Jerry O'Connell says the voice cast stays in touch via group chat, and creator Mike McMahon reportedly has two more seasons mapped out in his head.

⚽ Ted Lasso Season 4 — A Redemption Arc — Episode one felt flat, but episode two brought the charm roaring back.

🎙️ Not a Sponsor: MacBook Air Executive Vacation Package — This episode's satirical ad mashes up laptop delays, mandatory burnout vacations, spying TVs, and phantom TV seasons into one gloriously fake pitch.

🏀 Way-Too-Early NBA Award Predictions — Wemby sweeps MVP and DPOY, Cameron Boozer takes Rookie of the Year, Ajay Mitchell gets Sixth Man, Naz Reid is Most Improved, and Erik Spoelstra is Coach of the Year.

🔥 Dillon Brooks Signs Extension with the Suns — Three years, $73 million — despite leading the league in technical fouls and missing a third of the season.

🏆 Suns Legends Enter the Hall of Fame — Amar'e Stoudemire and Mike D'Antoni were inducted, both spotlighting the "Seven Seconds or Less" era and its 232-96 record.

🏟️ Bills' New Stadium Gets Mixed Reviews — Players love the field, but fans are griping about blocked sightlines, tiny scoreboards, and brutal treks to concessions and restrooms.

🏕️ ASU's Camp Tontozona Traditions — Kenny Dillingham reflects on his fourth year at the retreat — and the detail that stuck with him most wasn't the lack of WiFi, it was the printer running nonstop.

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

Sources:

Economics

https://www.macrumors.com/2026/08/02/macbook-air-shortage-report/ 

Productivity

https://parade.com/living/how-many-vacation-days-to-take-to-avoid-burnout-according-to-psychologist 

Technology

https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/yes-your-tv-is-spying-on-you-heres-how-to-stop-it 

Entertainment 

https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-lower-decks-future-update-jerry-o-connell/ 

https://tv.apple.com/us/show/ted-lasso/umc.cmc.vtoh0mn0xn7t3c643xqonfzy

Sports

https://fansided.com/nba/way-too-early-nba-award-predictions-mvp-roy-and-more-after-offseason 

https://arizonasports.com/nba/phoenix-suns/dillon-brooks-signs-contract-extension

https://arizonasports.com/nba/phoenix-suns/suns-hall-of-fame

https://talksport.com/nfl/4501620/bills-new-stadium-design-flaws-seats/

https://www.nfl.com/schedules

https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/college/asu/2026/08/16/asu-football-wraps-up-annual-trek-to-camp-tontozona/91280366007/ 

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

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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.

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🎙️Episode 033: Pi Prices, Packer Deficits, and Prime Time AI

💰 Economics — Back-to-school shoppers tighten budgets as 57% of parents expect the economy to worsen (Scripps News); families lean on supply drives and secondhand deals.

📊 Productivity — Quartz shares 20 Excel tricks to save hours every week, from shortcuts to conditional formatting.

🥧 Tech — Raspberry Pi prices soar, opening the door for cheaper x86 mini PCs (MakeUseOf).

⚽ Ted Lasso — Season 4 kicks off August 5; here's what to remember before it drops (Yahoo).

🤖 Prime Video — Amazon deepens Alexa/AI integration for search and NFL highlights (Reuters).

🍎 The Morning Show — Apple confirms Season 5 (2027) will be its last (9to5Mac).

📢 Not a Sponsor — Introducing the BudgetBox 5, the mini PC nobody asked for.

🏀 Suns — Amar'e Stoudemire heads to the Hall of Fame (Sporting News).

🧀 Packers — Record NFL revenue, rising local income, but still an operating deficit (NYT).

🔱 ASU Football — Wide-open QB battle and a brutal schedule ahead of the Wembley game (Arizona Sports).

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

Sources:

Economics

https://www.scrippsnews.com/politics/economy/parents-are-stretching-back-to-school-budgets-amid-growing-economic-concerns

Productivity

https://qz.com/excel-and-spreadsheet-shortcuts-and-formulas#20-excel-and-spreadsheet-skills-that-will-save-you-hours-every-week

Technology

https://www.makeuseof.com/raspberry-pi-no-longer-obvious-diy-choice/ 

Entertainment 

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv/article/ted-lasso-is-coming-back-everything-you-need-to-remember-before-season-4-080228246.html 

https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/amazons-bezos-pushes-prime-video-redesign-focused-ai-2026-07-23/

https://9to5mac.com/2026/07/23/apple-announces-the-morning-show-is-ending-after-season-5/

Sports

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/phoenix-suns/news/amare-stoudemires-incredible-basketball-journey-ends-hall/538515794225286df3aa6371 

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7468730/2026/07/24/green-bay-packers-financial-revenue-nfl/

https://arizonasports.com/dan-bickley/can-kenny-dillingham-overcome-challenges-to-keep-momentum-going-at-arizona-state

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

Interested in Setapp?  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, and soon the Macstock X pass will be, too! https://macstockconferenceandexpo.com/product-category/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.

🎙️Episode 032: Delete Your Movies, Cap Your Loans

🎓 Grad School Loan Caps — New federal caps ($20,500/year, $100K total) aim to pressure schools to lower tuition, though researchers are split on whether the strategy will actually work — or just push students toward pricier private loans.

🍽️ The Psychology of Clearing Plates — Stacking plates after a meal might look kind, but a psychologist says it can mask insecurity — though the same "helper" instinct boosts workplace productivity by 16%, per Harvard Business School.

🔌 WhatCable App — A new Mac app turns your computer into a cable tester, showing whether slow charging or data speeds are the cable's fault, the charger's, or the Mac's.

📺 Paramount-WBD Merger Lawsuit — A dozen state attorneys general, including Arizona, are suing to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, arguing it'll raise prices and hurt quality.

🎮 PlayStation Disc Backlash — Sony's plan to phase out game discs is sparking boycott threats over pricing, lost resale value, and trust — especially after Sony deleted 500+ purchased digital movies from users' libraries.

🤖 Not a Sponsor: OwnIt+ — A fake subscription parody stitching together the episode's stories: capped tuition pricing, vanishing digital ownership, cable anxiety, and megamerger legal teams.

🏀 Suns Summer League Standout — Rookie Maluach dominated Summer League, averaging 19.5 points, 12+ rebounds, 2 blocks, and a steal in just 27 minutes a game, while also flashing leadership on the floor.

⚾ Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV — Apple TV's August lineup includes matchups like Orioles-Rangers, Yankees-Blue Jays, and Red Sox-Yankees across four Friday doubleheaders.

🏈 Packers' 2026 Outlook — ESPN ranks Green Bay among the NFL's best entering 2026 thanks to a strong safety trio, but key injuries and offseason departures (Wicks, Doubs, Walker x2) raise questions.

🔥 Dillingham on NIL & ASU's Future — ASU coach Kenny Dillingham says he'll keep fighting publicly for NIL money even if it means getting booed, believing more funding could turn ASU into a Big 12 powerhouse.

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

Sources:

Economics

https://www.npr.org/2026/06/28/nx-s1-5805988/cost-education-student-loan-tuition-graduate-school

Productivity

https://www.talkandroid.com/527776-what-stacking-your-plates-at-a-restaurant-really-reveals-about-your-personality-according-to-psychologists-87321/

Technology

https://9to5mac.com/2026/07/13/free-mac-app-whatcable-tells-you-what-each-of-your-usb-c-cables-can-really-do/

Entertainment 

https://www.engadget.com/2213857/states-sue-to-block-paramount-warner-bros-discovery-merger/

https://www.techradar.com/gaming/ps5/the-playstation-physical-games-debacle-is-taking-over-everything-sony-does

Sports

https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/suns-summer-league/108011/khaman-maluach-summer-league-bright-side-baller-development-confidence

https://9to5mac.com/2026/07/09/apple-tv-unveils-august-friday-night-baseball-schedule/

https://sportsnaut.com/nfl/green-bay-packers-roster-espn-ranking-2026

https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/arizona-state-football-hc-kenny-dillingham-gets-real-on-his-role-in-nil-era

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

Interested in Setapp?  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-category/digital-pass/Please Also, check back frequently, for the Macstock X 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.

🎙️Episode 031:Malware, Matches, and Missing Discs

🌍 World Cup Economics — Vancouver may lose big hosting matches: $685-729M in costs vs. only $250M projected in tax revenue, per Pique Newsmagazine.

⏳ The Power of Waiting — Fast Company piece argues patience, not constant action, is an underrated leadership trait (see: JFK, Cuban Missile Crisis).

🚨 World Cup Piracy Bust — DOJ seized ~500 illegal streaming domains, per Reuters, which were also exposing users to malware.

📡 Starlink Goes Mobile — Motley Fool reports SpaceX may launch retail mobile service, riding Starlink's ~50% revenue growth.

📺 Silo Season 3 Shakeup — 9to5Mac breaks down big changes, including a blended timeline pulling from two different books.

🏢 Comcast Splits Off NBCUniversal — Engadget: Comcast spinning off NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Sky, keeping Xfinity.

🎬 Sony Deletes 551 Movies — Nerdist: PlayStation libraries lose 551 films (including Terminator 2) on Sept. 1, no refunds.

💿 End of PlayStation Discs — Physical PS game production ends January 2028; brands like Domino's and KFC mocked the news online.

🏀 Suns Offseason Moves — Arizona Sports recaps: traded for Miles Bridges, signed Kennard, drafted Koa Peat.

⚾ MLB All-Star Week Preview — Philadelphia hosts July 10-14, featuring the Futures Game, Home Run Derby, and All-Star Game.

🏈 Sorsby Banned from CFL — ESPN: CFL won't register Sorsby amid gambling scandal, closing his last pro pathway.

🎓 ASU Heads to London — Arizona Sports covers Sparky's London tour ahead of ASU's Sept. 19 game and new London campus.

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

Sources:

Economics

https://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/local-news/opinion-the-baffling-economics-of-hosting-the-world-cup-12469937

Productivity

https://www.fastcompany.com/91563632/the-leadership-skill-no-one-teaches

Technology

https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/us-seizes-nearly-400-websites-that-were-illegally-streaming-world-cup-doj-says-2026-06-26/

https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/06/26/spacex-might-soon-launch-a-starlink-mobile-internet-service-competing-directly-with-att-and-verizon/

Entertainment 

https://9to5mac.com/2026/06/24/silo-returns-next-week-with-three-major-changes-for-season-3/

https://www.engadget.com/2203860/comcast-spins-off-nbcuniversal-as-it-exits-media-entirely/

https://nerdist.com/article/playstation-deleting-551-movies-from-customers-libraries/

https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/legal/psvideocontent/

https://blog.playstation.com/2026/07/01/physical-disc-production-ending-in-january-2028-for-new-games-releasing-on-playstation-consoles/

https://www.deseret.com/business/2026/07/02/companies-troll-playstation-for-stopping-production-of-physical-discs/

Sports

https://arizonasports.com/nba/phoenix-suns/2026-phoenix-suns-offseason-how-moves-viewed-so-far

https://www.mlb.com/phillies/fans/all-star-game

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/49188893/cfl-says-brendan-sorsby-allowed-join-league

https://arizonasports.com/ncaa/arizona-state/arizona-state-football/sparky-trip-asu-london-union-jack-classic 

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

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🎙️Episode 030:Coal Is Out, Knicks Are In

💡 Economics

• 🌞 Solar surpassed coal in U.S. electricity generation for the first time ever in May (12.8% vs. 12.2%), making it the third-largest energy source nationally and the fastest-growing, with 7.8 gigawatts added in Q1 2026 alone.

⚡ Productivity

• 📋 AI can help manage overwhelming to-do lists through five prompts: Triage, Eisenhower Matrix, Energy Budget, Ruthless Elimination, and 15-Minute Momentum — each designed to help prioritize, sort, and finally tackle avoided tasks.
• 📶 Boost hotspot speeds by switching to the 5GHz band and selecting 5G Auto on your iPhone for faster data without sacrificing connectivity.

📱 Technology

• 🍎 AT&T launched an Unlimited iPad Day Pass — $3 for 24 hours of data, first day free, no existing account needed. Requires a cellular, eSIM-capable iPad.
• 🚗 iOS 27 brings CarPlay upgrades including parked video playback, audio scrubbing, a Dashboard mini-player, and Siri AI conversation history for iPhone 15 Pro and newer.

🎬 Entertainment

• 📺 Fox is buying Roku for $22 billion, combining Roku's 100M streaming households and connected TV platform with Fox's sports, news, and Tubi. Deal closes first half of 2027; Roku stays open for streaming partners.

🏀 Basketball/Suns

• 🏆 The New York Knicks are NBA Champions, defeating the Spurs 4-1. No repeat champion since 2019 — will the Knicks buck that trend next season?

⚾ Baseball/D-backs

• 💰 Pirates ace Paul Skenes slammed the MLB owners' CBA proposal as "very, very bad," with the Players Association estimating it could cost players $500M. The current deal expires December 1, 2026, and players say they're willing to let games be cancelled.

🏈 Football/Packers

• 💚 Minicamp standouts included Lukas Van Ness, MarShawn Lloyd, Josh Whyle, and Isaiah Neyor — with pass rush depth especially critical given Micah Parsons' expected early-season absence.

🎓 College/ASU

• 🏈 Texas Tech QB Brendon Sorsby has decided to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft after being at the center of a major eligibility controversy regarding gambling.
• 🏀 ASU basketball's Randy Bennett has nearly completed a roster overhaul featuring three 7-footers, eight international players, and a shift to a slower half-court style — with 10 of 14 players having eligibility remaining.

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

Sources:

Economics

https://sherwood.news/world/solar-generated-more-power-than-coal-in-the-us-for-the-first-time-ever/

Productivity

https://www.earthsattractions.com/what-to-do-when-your-to-do-list-is-too-long/

https://www.makeuseof.com/i-stopped-setting-up-my-hotspot-the-default-way-and-got-noticeably-faster-speeds/

Technology

https://9to5mac.com/2026/06/10/att-launches-new-3-unlimited-day-pass-plan-for-ipad-cellular/

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/everything-new-coming-to-carplay-with-ios-27/

Entertainment 

https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/fox-acquiring-roku-1236781308/

Sports

https://www.nba.com/news/history-nba-champions

https://www.sportskeeda.com/baseball/news-there-s-line-going-cross-pirates-ace-paul-skenes-makes-feelings-crystal-clear-mlb-s-first-cba-proposal

https://thepackerspost.com/these-packers-players-have-stood-out-at-mandatory-minicamp/ 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/big12/2026/06/15/big-12-filing-texas-tech-brendan-sorsby-punishment/90556918007/

https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/college/asu/2026/06/09/asu-basketball-roster-news-updates/90463487007/

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

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.

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.

🎙️Episode 029: Subject to Change

Economics

• 💼 Most Americans retire earlier than planned, often due to health issues, layoffs, or caregiving responsibilities
• 📅 Workers expect to retire at 65, but many end up retiring closer to 62
• 🗂️ Experts recommend having a backup retirement plan in case life intervenes

Productivity

• 🏆 Simon Sinek believes failure is a common thread among the world's most successful people
• 📉 Research from Northwestern University suggests failure can increase future success when lessons are learned from it
• 🍎 Steve Jobs being ousted from Apple in 1985 before his legendary return is cited as a prime example

Technology

• 👓 Smart glasses like Meta's Ray-Ban and Oakley models are becoming harder to spot in public
• 💡 Look for small lenses near the hinges and recording indicator lights to identify camera-equipped glasses
• 🕵️ Some hidden-camera glasses use tiny pinhole lenses, making them even more difficult to detect

Entertainment

• 🕷️ Spider-Noir starring Nicolas Cage released early on MGM+, then on Prime Video, and features both color and black-and-white versions
• 🍎 Apple TV+ has maintained a quality-over-quantity approach over its 6+ years, resisting ads and focusing on creator-driven projects
• 🚀 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 debuts July 23rd on Paramount+, with a focus on supporting characters as the series winds down

Sports

• 🏀 The NBA overhauled its Draft Lottery system starting in 2027, rewarding competitive play and discouraging tanking
• ⚾ MLB is anticipated to expand from 30 to 32 teams around 2032-2033, with Nashville and Salt Lake City as frontrunners
• 🏈 An NFL stadium ranking highlights the Commanders, Bears, and Browns as needing upgrades, while Lambeau Field and others are considered untouchable

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

Sources:

Economics

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2026/05/25/early-retirement-job-loss-health-layoffs/90218745007/

Productivity

https://fortune.com/article/simon-sinek-successful-people-failure-hit-zero/

Technology

https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/are-you-being-secretly-recorded-heres-how-to-spot-smart-camera-glasses

Entertainment 

https://movieweb.com/spider-noir-mgm-plus-early-release-prime-video-schedule/

https://www.macworld.com/article/3142153/how-apple-tv-changed-streaming-forever.html

https://www.cinemablend.com/streaming-news/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-4-feature-more-varied-stories

Sports

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/48903380/sources-nba-bog-votes-expand-lottery-disincentivizes-tanking

https://www.thebiglead.com/possible-mlb-expansion-has-2-cities-as-heavy-favorites/

https://www.totalprosports.com/nfl/5-nfl-teams-that-desperately-need-a-new-stadium-and-5-whose-stadiums-are-untouchable/

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

Interested in subscribing to Setapp?  If so, you & I both get a free month of Setapp with a paid subscription at this link: 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.