Back to Work
1,203 episodes - English - Latest episode: 26 days ago - ★★★★★ - 2K ratingsBack to Work is an award winning talk show with Merlin Mann and Dan Benjamin discussing productivity, communication, work, barriers, constraints, tools, and more.
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Episodes
Episode 644: A Tony Bennett Hair Hat
April 03, 2024 15:00 - 1 hour - 41.8 MBAn important discussion about aging as examined and explained through the lens of James Howlett.
Episode 643: The Price of Lies
April 01, 2024 22:00 - 1 hour - 61.2 MBMerlin thinks LLMs have raised the bar for voice assistants in general and Siri in particular. Dan and his kid watch the excellent HBO series, Chernobyl. Merlin’s weird, truncated contexts in Things.
Episode 642: A Better Roll of Toilet Paper
March 20, 2024 17:30 - 1 hour - 70.5 MBYour hosts discuss facial hair, notebooks, the metric system, flexing about local weather, and becoming the bathroom supplies you want to see in the world.
Episode 641: Germans in the Wild
March 13, 2024 01:00 - 1 hour - 53 MBTravel is not always about traveling, but it is definitely always about your life.
Episode 640: Bob's Big Mess
March 12, 2024 23:00 - 1 hour - 54.7 MBA classic odds n' sods episode. Plus, Merlin has thoughts about memory and ecosystems, and Dan is considering jetting through an eclipse. e640 Bob Evans https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/3/316b04e9-2b1f-4ccb-98f1-28fe023874a8/9RoymJk5.jpeg
Episode 639: The Commodore's Club
March 05, 2024 22:00 - 1 hour - 52.1 MBDan talks about what he's learned from traveling a bunch, and Merlin thinks a lot of weirdness comes from our twin fears of boredom and inconvenience.
Episode 638: A New Kind of Bullet
January 23, 2024 22:00 - 2 hours - 123 MBA classic odds n' sods episode.
Episode 637: The Minimally Viable Log Cabin Channel
January 17, 2024 14:00 - 1 hour - 87.1 MBMerlin conducts a deep dive on being busy versus being time-constrained, and Dan has some updates on his task management odyssey.
Episode 636: Honoring My Pivot Table
January 09, 2024 23:45 - 1 hour - 74.5 MBDan is navigating the landscape of task management apps, and, shockingly, Merlin has some thoughts.
Episode 635: Buffet de Canard
January 03, 2024 04:00 - 1 hour - 73.5 MBDan and Merlin kick off the new year with a wide-ranging look at how tools and motivations evolve with how we work.
Episode 634: Nominally Future-Resistant
December 13, 2023 02:15 - 1 hour - 73.8 MBA fairly epic episode covering health tracking and self-quantization. Remember: data doesn't have to hurt.
Episode 633: A Self-Aware Old Man
December 05, 2023 20:45 - 57 minutes - 52.9 MBYour hosts talk about how we perceive the world and the challenge of mindfully updating our perceptions.
Episode 632: Big Strong Beef Boy
November 28, 2023 21:00 - 1 hour - 76.2 MBDan and Merlin are excited about technologies that have found a place in their lives. What a blessed season of thanks! Runner-Up Titles: A Lot of Their Unhappiness Came from Me The Smell of a 15-Year-Old My Trans Daddy is a Fox Las Vegas Poops
Episode 631: Little Bit of Dirty Grey
November 14, 2023 20:45 - 1 hour - 64.9 MBMerlin has more on generative AI, and Dan has a sweet new watch.
Episode 629: Benjamin Franklin's Disease
October 24, 2023 20:00 - 51 minutes - 46.9 MBAnd and Merlin have a wide-ranging discussion.
Episode 628: Beating Yourself Up at Scale
October 11, 2023 00:00 - 58 minutes - 53.6 MBTalk of eyes, intentionalities, and HDMI.
Episode 627: Unscheduled Dirt Event
October 03, 2023 22:30 - 1 hour - 61.1 MBMerlin claims he's not going to do any work for this one, and Dan has some advice for travelers.
Episode 626: Chekhov's Lightsaber
September 26, 2023 21:00 - 1 hour - 64.8 MBYour hosts catch up on some great media, and Merlin expounds on the magic of Channels. Also, Merlin logrolls a recent podcast episode and re-extolls the power of dictation.
Episode 625: Chapters of Madness
September 06, 2023 01:00 - 44 minutes - 41.2 MBDan and Merlin have a wide-ranging discussion.
Episode 624: Rectangle Time
August 29, 2023 20:00 - 54 minutes - 49.8 MBDan and Merlin have a wide-ranging discussion about technology, and Merlin lays the groundwork for several spirited rants.
Episode 623: My Terrible Adhesion
August 22, 2023 21:00 - 1 hour - 55.5 MBOver the course of this classic Odds n' Sods episode, it becomes clear that all Merlin cares about is babies and 3D printing.
Episode 622: A Gentleman's Malt Liquor
August 15, 2023 23:30 - 1 hour - 68.2 MBDan returns from a nice trip, and Merlin has been printing lizards.
Episode 621: Hairy Legs and the Whole Nine
July 18, 2023 22:00 - 1 hour - 63.9 MBYou’re either early or you’re late; leave time for a flat tire; have you tried melatonin?; a new search engine and some enthusiasm for blogs.
Episode 620: Happy to be a Chair
July 11, 2023 21:30 - 58 minutes - 53.2 MBWith Merlin on the mend, your hosts discuss actors named Hurt, comic books, and old Macs.
Episode 619: A Beautiful Jam-Up
June 27, 2023 20:00 - 1 hour - 51.8 MBDISCUSSED: A self-hypnosis recommendation leads to another look at meditation (as well as not-meditation), plus Merlin has a few more beta finds that contribute to the Tiny Life Improvement Project.
Episode 618: The Living Room Test
June 13, 2023 21:30 - 1 hour - 46.2 MBDISCUSSED: Dan sets up his little office, your hosts talk about the new Apple dingus, and Merlin highlights some strong OS updates.
Episode 617: Trailer for the Future
June 06, 2023 20:00 - 1 hour - 49 MBDan needs your help with a flooring dilemma, and your hosts share some thoughts on WWDC announcements.
Episode 616: Archipelagos of Functionality
May 23, 2023 20:45 - 1 hour - 48.7 MBDan dives deep on his Sonos setup, and Merlin explores official state things.
Episode 615: An Attractive Nuisance
May 17, 2023 15:00 - 1 hour - 52 MBDISCUSSED: Merlin's family doesn't understand him; an extremely funny TV show is recommended; your hosts address some of the trade-offs that continue to hinder easy smart home adoption; Dan teases a big smart audio episode next week; and Merlin starts trying to tackle an unusual Thought Technology that's become very important to him: First, Make a Hole. e615-herzog https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/3/316b04e9-2b1f-4ccb-98f1-28fe023874a8/b_p4tcMq.jpg
Episode 614: Sloppy Boy
May 03, 2023 16:00 - 1 hour - 57 MBTry to make sure fear is always preceded by curiosity.
Episode 613: That's Hair and That's Robot
April 18, 2023 20:00 - 1 hour - 44.6 MBMerlin has a lot of thoughts about AI stuff.
Episode 612: See All of Your Face
April 12, 2023 20:00 - 1 hour - 58.7 MBDan's house continues to get smarter, and Merlin has some very good media picks.
Episode 611: Running FFMpeg on Myself
April 04, 2023 23:45 - 1 hour - 81.4 MBDan has big updates about his smart home setup, and Merlin is getting intimate with a robot.
Episode 610: Hero Light
March 23, 2023 00:00 - 1 hour - 82.8 MBDISCUSSED: 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
March 14, 2023 05:00 - 1 hour - 63.8 MBDan is curious about AI voice transcription, and Merlin has yet more smart home advice for a new homeowner.
Episode 608: Charles Entertainment Berry
March 01, 2023 18:00 - 1 hour - 58.9 MBDISCUSSED: Merlin has some been analyzing a very misleading song about beaches, and Dan has been visiting more with ChadGPT.
Episode 607: Age of Garbage
February 21, 2023 22:30 - 1 hour - 68.1 MBDISCUSSED: Dan has a new iPad keyboard, and Merlin is intrigued by ChatGPT. Also, Merlin almost tunes his guitar.
Episode 606: Goodnight, Night
February 07, 2023 22:00 - 1 hour - 66.5 MBDISCUSSED: 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
January 31, 2023 23:15 - 1 hour - 59.2 MBDISCUSSED: 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
January 24, 2023 22:15 - 59 minutes - 54.3 MBDISCUSSED: 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/fi...
Episode 603: A Jaws of Life for Playgrounds
January 17, 2023 23:30 - 1 hour - 64.2 MBDISCUSSED: 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
January 11, 2023 01:00 - 1 hour - 57.4 MBTyping on an iPad, rhyming compulsively, default media, and taking a young foodie out on the town.
Episode 601: Big Broom
January 04, 2023 01:00 - 1 hour - 66.4 MBDISCUSSED: Merlin is excited about reading, and Dan sometimes puts his time in a box. Also: Breaking Bad.
Episode 600: The Trauma of My Chumby
December 20, 2022 22:30 - 1 hour - 67.3 MBDISCUSSED: 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
December 06, 2022 22:30 - 1 hour - 64.5 MBDISCUSSED: 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
November 29, 2022 22:45 - 54 minutes - 49.7 MBMerlin 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
November 16, 2022 01:45 - 1 hour - 61.1 MBDISCUSSED: 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
November 08, 2022 23:30 - 1 hour - 70.5 MBDISCUSSED: 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
November 01, 2022 22:45 - 1 hour - 74.6 MBDISCUSSED: 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.