On the Desk of Brian

About On the Desk of Brian

Pull up a chair and take a look at what’s on the desk. Each episode of On the Desk of Brian delivers quick takes and thoughtful commentary on a rotating mix of tech, sports, productivity, entertainment, and economics. With a casual, curious tone and a dash of wit, Brian shares ideas and insights meant to inform, inspire, and occasionally entertain. Whether you’re an educator, a tech enthusiast, a gamer, a sports fan—or just someone who enjoys a smart variety show—you’ll find something worth picking up.

Publisher

Brian

Category

leisure

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

26 May 2025

Latest episode

15 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

38 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   15 Oct 2026

   Episode 038: Reset, Reinvent, Upgrade

   🎙️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://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 (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/ (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 (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://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 (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/nba/phoenix-suns/jordan-ott-evolve-head-coach) https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/torey-lovullo-coming-back (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.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://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 (https://bustingbrackets.com/arizona-state-will-enter-the-2026-27-season-with-a-new-look-basketball) ---------------------------- You & I both get a free month of Setapp with a paid subscription: ⁠https://go.setapp.com/invite/f12ydwun⁠⁠ (https://go.setapp.com/invite/f12ydwun%E2%81%A0) 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/ (https://macstockconferenceandexpo.com/product/macstock-ix-digital-pass/) Please visit my website, brian8944.com (http://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.

2. 

   1 Oct 2026

   Episode 037: Eat the Frog, Sell the Phone

   🎙️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 (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 (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/ (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://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.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.polygon.com/diablo-5-announced-release-date-blizzcon-2026/) https://www.bgr.com/2256738/xbox-series-x-new-features-september-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/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://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.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 (https://www.theringer.com/2026/09/10/nba/nba-owners-steve-ballmer-mark-walter-team-sales-valuation) ---------------------------- You & I both get a free month of Setapp with a paid subscription: ⁠https://go.setapp.com/invite/f12ydwun⁠⁠ (https://go.setapp.com/invite/f12ydwun%E2%81%A0) 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/ (https://macstockconferenceandexpo.com/product/macstock-ix-digital-pass/) Please visit my website, brian8944.com (http://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.

3. 

   17 Sept 2026

   Episode 036: Caps, Costs, Contracts

   🎙️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 (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 (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 (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.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.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/ (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://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/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://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.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 (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 (https://go.setapp.com/invite/f12ydwun%E2%81%A0) 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/ (https://macstockconferenceandexpo.com/product/macstock-ix-digital-pass/) Please visit my website, brian8944.com (http://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.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 27 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

53

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

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