Reconcilable Differences

Apple TV+ is on the docket, but, first, Merlin wants to share the detailed results of his scientific Apple TV and Siri experiments.

Things kick off with some quick Macintosh and video game nostalgia. John redrew his sprites, and Merlin enjoyed some stolen pinball. Merlin did lots of work this week. Your hosts discuss Sayonara Wild Hearts in particular and Apple Arcade in general.

Merlin's family recently rented a very large automobile, and its various interfaces are reviewed. John declares the vehicle to be as ugly as it is large. Where is innovation welcome, and where is it mostly preferable to avoid? And what happens when that "innovation" was really just kind of a cheat?

This leads to him saying much more than "exactly one thing," and it takes much longer than the promised thirty seconds. Strap in, because this one is quite a ride.

John takes over to talk about his thoughts on the new Apple TV+ shows. Viewers and critics seem to really disagree, but John found things to like. Reviews and ratings come up again. Mikhail Baryshnikov is not the guy from Die Hard, and there is so much TV.

Damon Lindelof seems like a really smart guy. John gives a thumbs-up to The Space Show but feels like Watchmen is still walking a line. John crosses-over with Do By Friday.

(Recorded on Tuesday, November 5, 2019.)

A similar frustration can emerge if the Apple TV tries steering you into the wrong app for given program. After signing up for HBO through Apple TV Channels, for instance, Apple might prompt you to install HBO Go instead of launching shows directly. If this happens, grab the remote and scroll down while viewing the info page for any show until you see the “How to Watch” section. Select your preferred source, and Apple TV should remember it in the future.

The culmination of comfort, luxury, and powerful living is embodied in the BMW X7 – the biggest BMW ever built.

Learn how to use the destination input menu in the iDrive navigation system of your BMW.

BMW ConnectedDrive integrates your BMW's intelligent interfaces, your smartphone, and other technologies to keep you aware and in control of everything going on both in your vehicle and your day-to-day life.

Warning: contains coarse language and words that we don't use any more.

Contents of Merlin's Apple TV experiments using Siri.

Apple TV has finally arrived, and we discuss Apple's first round of new shows--as well as an unimpressive performance from the TV app itself. We've also got reviews of the new AirPods Pro, and Apple's latest financial results reveal that for the iPhone, sometimes down is up.

Flashy, but somewhat frivolous, The Morning Show often feels more like a vanity project than the hard-hitting drama it aspires to be -- but there is pleasure to be had in watching Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon give it their all.

Posing as a CEO of a fictitious direct-mail corporation, Larson infiltrated companies that gather and sell personal information to assist businesses in their marketing campaigns. He discovered the systems used to gather personal data, the staggering amount of personal information companies can gather, and the government’s role in helping companies learn about you.

AppleTV+ initial reviews

With special guest, John Siracusa.

John has questions about Merlin's bizarre obsession with the House of Commons' Brexit proceedings.

John opens with some follow-up questions, and Merlin realizes it's going to be one of those episodes. John calls out Merlin's racism against his people. Both your hosts are now living the arms-free lifestyle.

Merlin has follow-up on his ongoing Siri and Apple TV experiment, and, improbably, this leads to further discussion of Cupertino's frustrating quality slide. Voice dinguses are reviewed, and IMDB is bad.

John has some water issues, and Merlin's lizard apparently has an unconventional face. Then, more with the Apple complaints. Messages is making Merlin look insane.

John has some harsh words about Merlin's Star Wars spoilers, and he doesn't even like those movies anyway. Getting tickets to the movie requires some detailed instructions, but then it ended up being unnecessary. Sometimes, it's just easier to do stuff yourself.

Avoiding spoilers is difficult, because, as stipulated, pretty much everything is a spoiler. Watchmen is lightly discussed. John's level of commitment to media he doesn't actually like is remarkable and weirdly admirable.

To be clear, John is not telling the joke, he's communicating the joke.

(Recorded on Tuesday, October 22, 2019.)

Your hosts return to their Secret Weird Things People Do project.

John has some questions about productivity, and Merlin has realized the new dragon is an attractive nuisance.

Merlin has questions about his costly new chair, and John offers some further arm removal encouragement. John's flying monkeys chime in, and Merlin gets a reference in one. Merlin's family watches some Star Trek, and technical drawings are considered.

John gives Merlin some stick about his entirely proper USPS formatting. Next, John has follow-up on using the Apple TV TV TV app, and Merlin is very impressed with his results.

Believe it or not, this leads to discussion of problems with using the Apple TV. How do you click left on a diving board?

John agrees to skip talking about the new dragon for now, but, somehow, still manages to work in some side dagger.

The PG&E power debacle is discussed. Merlin assures John that his spreadsheets are safe.

You'll have to just listen and judge for yourself: are John and Merlin secretly weird?

(Recorded on Tuesday, October 8, 2019.)

Forgetting why you entered a room is called the “Doorway Effect”, and it may reveal as much about the strengths of human memory, as it does the weaknesses, says psychologist Tom Stafford.

"First published in 1969, this classic manual of automotive repair equips VW owners with the practical skills to keep their Volkswagen running smoothly."

"The incident was every knitter's nightmare…"

"All capital letters."

The Kobayashi Maru is a training exercise in the fictional Star Trek universe designed to test the character of Starfleet Academy cadets in a no-win scenario.

In a side-door main topic, middle school is discussed, and this leads to an exploration of the value of test prep and learning how to understand and exploit systems.

Thanks to everyone who pitched in to raise money for St. Jude!

Your hosts talk about playing Apple Arcade games with a PS4 controller, and Merlin wants to hear John's take on the new Apple TV app functionality. John doesn't want anything to screw up his place, and Merlin never wants to watch something with the Starz app. Believe it or not, this leads to some criticisms of Apple TV.

John thinks he might be getting sick, and Merlin remembers when children were pumped full of cold medicine. John considers mixing up some placebos.

In a mini-topic, your hosts discuss Merlin's chair results. John again makes the case for removing the arms. Games are discussed a little more.

John thinks everyone needs to learn how to find food, and Merlin finally appreciates the gentle wisdom of his high school Drama teacher.

Your hosts return to Secret Weird Things People Do, and this week it's John's turn. Merlin wants to learn about the benefits that John gets from keeping his things nice.

Things kick into gear fast as John interrogates Merlin about his weird reaction to the recent Apple event. Why all the Charlie Brown? John has calibrated his expectations for these things, but Merlin still struggles to articulate what felt so off this time. Maybe it's just not understanding the profile for the Apple customer any more, but who knows?

John's introduces a fascinating new thought technology involving the swirly circles emanating radiation from sources of pleasure and pain. Merlin thinks minimizing entropy can be a great source of pleasure plus a bulwark against madness.

The benefits of the Tiny Life Improvement Project are extolled, and ways of detecting sources of both radiation and weirdness are examined.

(Recorded on Tuesday, September 10, 2019.)

This week's main topic is the backdoor pilot for a multi-episode arc: secret weird things people do. Are we even able to even realize when there's something extremely weird that only we do?

Dan and Merlin discuss the upcoming big Apple event and why this one's potentially interesting.

This week's main topic is the backdoor pilot for a multi-episode arc: secret weird things people do.

After some opening remarks, your hosts reveal the very special guest for their forthcoming member episode. They also invite you to please help Relay with a really cool project to benefit an excellent cause.

Merlin has some follow-up on his Apple TV, and John wants to understand why Merlin overpays his bills. Talk turns to the evolution of ecommerce. John assures Merlin he's still a valuable part of the team.

John critiques how well or poorly Merlin helped Roderick fix his computer. Talk turns to the care and feeding of a Synology NAS running Plex.

Merlin gets John to talk a little about Phoebe Waller-Bridge and her TV show, Fleabag. This leads to a brief, spoiler-free discussion of this terrific series. Two enthusiastic thumbs-up.

Are we even able to even realize when there's something extremely weird that only we do?

The inaugural sub-topic is Merlin's strange obsession with making spreadsheets. What is he tracking and why? Does he really need to know the historical price of asthma medicine he doesn't even use any more? Are Halloween costumes and flashlights the sort of thing a normal person would ever need or want to track?

And, importantly, what sorts of things will John be trying to notice about himself? Does he have anything like separate sock drawers, and how even would he know? Tune in next time to find out!

(Recorded on Tuesday, August 27, 2019.)

Donate on behalf of the event Relay FM for St. Jude.

John interrogates Merlin about his weekly reminder errand.

John wants to take another shot at promoting Relay dot fm, and Merlin admits a shame. In follow-up, John has an update on Millennium Actress. As you know, Satoshi Kon is not the bitcoin guy. Listener response about cast iron skillets was huge.

Merlin has updates on his Apple TV, and John has trouble understanding Merlin's beta obsession. Unsurprisingly, this leads to yet another discussion of the Apple TV's ample room for improvement. Children are not qualified to know which things are good or bad.

John assures Merlin that he does not ever need this reminder, and Merlin assures John he has his reasons why he does things.

Merlin does not like creating unnecessary work for himself, and John has thoughts about the implicit encouragement to overextend oneself. How are you training your audience?

John knows how this book turns out.

(Recorded on Tuesday, August 13, 2019.)

If there is a hard, high wall and an egg that breaks against it, no matter how right the wall or how wrong the egg, I will stand on the side of the egg.

This video demonstrates how to strip a cast iron skillet using Easy-Off Oven Cleaner. Easy-Off contains lye, which is a popular chemical used in stripping cast iron. I also demonstrate my seasoning method along with what I do to maintain my cast iron cookware.

"We have cameras."

Since John has recently returned from his Summer trip, it's time to review his vacation results.

This week kicks off with a critique of Merlin's new haircut and eyeglasses. Also, Happy Birthday to Relay dot fm.

John's recommendation of a movie viewing option is very quickly withdrawn, but then he has an even better recommendation.

Next up, your hosts talk about John's experience with opening his Twitter DMs. This leads to a discussion of PR spam and the people who make it. What are the benefits and risks of making yourself more available? It's important to know what not to needle people about. Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop!

Merlin reads some listener mail, and John briefly disappears down a series of recursive memory holes.

Talk turns to chairs. Late chairs, lost chairs, and extremely coincidental chairs. Chairs!

(Recorded on Friday, August 2, 2019.)

We are thrilled to announce a special live show featuring some of your favorite podcast hosts to mark Relay FM's 5th birthday in August. It's what the kids call a podcasting extravaganza!

The show will be in San Francisco on Thursday the 22nd. The show is all ages, with water and soda being served. Doors open at 7 PM

Join us in celebrating Relay FM's 5th birthday with a special live show featuring some of your favorite podcast hosts for what the kids call a podcasting extravaganza!

When you become a Relay FM member, you’ll get access to exciting bonus content while directly supporting your favorite hosts.

A movie studio is being torn down. TV interviewer Genya Tachibana has tracked down its most famous star, Chiyoko Fujiwara, who has been a recluse since she left acting some 30 years ago. Tachibana delivers a key to her, and it causes her to reflect on her career

Experience the gorgeous new restoration of what many believe to be Satoshi Kon’s (Perfect Blue, Paprika) greatest work, MILLENNIUM ACTRESS. 

John Siracusa joins me to discuss RSI in depth, drawing on both of our experiences we look at what works, what doesn’t and why you should care. Keyboards, trackpads, trackballs, mice, chairs, we cover it all.

John quizzes Merlin about his vacation results.

After the usual quibbling about terminology, Merlin confesses to being terrible at travel. John thinks vacations don't have to be fun for everybody all the time, but Merlin feels like he was definitely a drag. Can't we just have a plan? If you want ice cream, just put it on the dang calendar. Travel anxiety is discussed.

Next up comes an extended meditation on kitchen things. Merlin cleans his pan with chain mail, and John's cheese grater finally died. Knives should not be sharp in the wrong places.

In what becomes an unintentional lightning round, the guys cover internet consumer products, a podcast recommendation, Atari arcade games, more mispronunciation virality, jokes people miss, the Baader–Meinhof Effect, and the pointlessness of asking your family not to talk to you. Merlin tests his wife's mental TiVo-ing skills.

Merlin traveled.

This week’s main topic is the controversial debate over running Apple betas.

Merlin is not mentally-prepared, but John reminds him that preparedness is an illusion. Or is it? The boys try to remember quotes from The Godfather. Sally is a cool name.

Your hosts discuss what happens when your friends have different taste in movies, and then you have to listen to them talk about it on a podcast. I mean, who doesn't like Hot Fuzz?

John and Merlin recall the probematic films of their youth and enumerate several that their kids are specifically not encouraged to watch. John lets his son choose the movie by genre only, and Merlin worries about robbing his kid of a precious film gift. Merlin has thoughts on the humanity of Vines, and John doesn't enjoy Merlin's favorite Vine, although, Merlin really likes John's frog video. Why are the Daddies popping all those cherries, and what's the name of that Ewok guy anyway?

In follow-up, Merlin has some excellent ancillary material on Hamilton, but John just won't let him have this one. Isolated track videos are discussed. Your hosts struggle through various aspects of Boston indie rock history.

Who should and shouldn’t be running them? What are the risks and benefits? And what happens if all your iCloud data gets borked, smart guy?

Things get a little silly, and the guys start doing voices. John has a challenge for Max.

In Super Tech Support, John helps Merlin diagnose a weird iOS audio problem. John struggles with his Console, and Merlin does one last voice.

(Recorded on Tuesday, June 25, 2019.)

Myke at the Movies calls on "Kiki's Delivery Service."

Grab your black cat and portable radio, climb on your mom’s broomstick, and join us for a king-sized discussion of Hayao Miyazaki’s classic animated film “Kiki’s Delivery Service.” This film features a climactic scene featuring an out-of-control dirigible, so you know we love it.

A defense officer, Nameless, was summoned by the King of Qin regarding his success of terminating three warriors.

A young Chinese warrior steals a sword from a famed swordsman and then escapes into a world of romantic adventure with a mysterious man in the frontier of the nation.

From describing and comparing many different examples of invention and discovery, Koestler concludes that they all share a common pattern which he terms "bisociation" – a blending of elements drawn from two previously unrelated matrices of thought into a new matrix of meaning by way of a process involving comparison, abstraction and categorisation, analogies and metaphors.