Justin Pot

This 25 year old MacRumors thread, from the launch of the iPod, is a reminder that the consensus opinion you read online is often extremely wrong. https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apples-new-thing-ipod.500/

I’m a nonprofit theater executive. Actually. Not a joke. To prove it I’m offering free tickets to this show tonight only—if you live near Portland’s west side let me know if you want a coupon code. https://bagnbaggage.org/event/the-woman-in-black/2026-10-15/ #PDX

Debunking a few myths lots of people (read: managers) believe about remote work: https://www.popsci.com/health/myths-about-working-from-home/

Does making your computer look like paper help with focus? I looked into this for WIRED: https://www.wired.com/story/paperman-makes-your-laptop-screen-look-like-paper/

I contributed a few blurbs to this TIME roundup of interesting new technologies. It was fun! https://time.com/collection/best-inventions/2026/

You don’t need to pay for fancy distraction blocking toys—you can make your own. https://www.wired.com/story/you-dont-need-to-pay-for-distraction-blocking-software/

Productivity systems don’t have to be complicated—this app proves that. https://www.wired.com/story/productivity-app-tasks-txt-is-just-a-text-document/

Red sky in the morning (but only at certain latitudes) and other weather myths I wrote about for PopSci: https://www.popsci.com/environment/3-myths-about-the-weather/

I didn’t exactly enjoy writing this for PopSci, but I did learn a lot: https://www.popsci.com/health/how-gross-is-biting-your-fingernails-bacteria-fungus-saliva-gums-teeth-damage/

It's like a Temu listing for a lake.

What’s the most complex “app” you’ve replaced with a text document?

My Canadian heart feels strongly about this, my latest piece for PopSci: https://www.popsci.com/health/how-gross-is-wearing-your-shoes-inside-poop-germs-lead-poisons-allergies/

Get your timeline back.

“It might sound like I’m demeaning the executive class, and I am.” 😂

One thing I do not miss about Twitter is the brands. I hope they never find us here.

What I learned from the most depressing conversation of my life.

Worried about toilet germs on your toothbrush? You can relax (mostly). https://www.popsci.com/health/how-gross-is-it-to-leave-a-toothbrush-exposed-bathroom-toilet/

Most of the internet is bad, yes, but some of it is Actually Good™.

Lately I’ve been drifting in the morning instead of finding joy in my writing. What helps you find yourself at the beginning of the day?

I’m never dragging an icon to /Applications again. Ever. https://www.wired.com/story/easydmg-finally-fixed-installing-apps-on-a-mac/

Transcription, the best tool the AI age has brought us, doesn’t need to cost anything. https://www.wired.com/story/meetily-lets-you-transcribe-and-summarize-meetings-without-a-subscription-heres-how/

Google doesn’t make it easy to ditch Gemini in Googel Docs, but you can do it. I outlined how for WIRED: https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-disable-the-gemini-ai-features-in-gmail-and-google-docs/

My latest newsletter is out! Subscribe to get all my posts here delivered to your inbox, if you like that sort of thing. https://buttondown.com/justinpot

Enough is enough.

It turns out sirens have a pretty interesting history, as I wrote for PopSci: https://www.popsci.com/technology/history-of-police-sirens/

You don't have to put up with it.

Friction is fun, actually.

Humans are very bad at knowing what they want. A dive into the science of happiness, for PopSci: https://www.popsci.com/health/ways-science-can-help-you-feel-happier/

Finally, a meditation app that doesn’t bombard you with pop-ups and upsells: https://theintelligence.com/43688/meditation-app/

Annoyed by all the animations and music videos in Spotify? I explain how to turn them all off over at WIRED: https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-disable-all-the-music-videos-in-spotify/

The only teams left in the World Cup are England and countries who upset about England controlling nearby islands.

What’s your most unnecessarily elaborate tech workaround?

Plex keeps getting worse but Jellyfin, the main open source alternative, has a few real downsides. I break things down for WIRED: https://www.wired.com/story/plex-keeps-getting-worse-is-jellyfin-a-decent-replacement/

Cursive isn’t faster, and a few other handwriting myths I debunked over at PopSci: https://www.popsci.com/diy/cursive-myths/

Science shows rest makes you more productive (but that's not why you should rest).

USA Today may pull their articles from search results to avoid feeding the AI machine. Other publications could follow.

I spent way too much time thinking about a video game from 1993 and now you have to read about it. Sorry. https://justinpot.com/zork-and-the-social-impact-of-design-choices/

Both Bluesky/ATProto and Mastodon/Fediverse posts show up on my posts, alongside traditional WP comments, and I can reply to them all in one place. Feels like the future, somehow. https://justinpot.com/15363-2/

What’s an under-appreciated productivity tool? Non-AI answers only.

Anyway I think the LLMs are giving people acedia, for real

Zork and the social impact of design choices A bad game from 1993 taught me that humanity isn't necessarily doomed. https://justinpot.com/zork-and-the-social-impact-of-design-choices/

Multi-tasking isn’t real, and other productivity myths I wrote about for PopSci: https://www.popsci.com/diy/productivity-myths-open-offices-brainstorming/

Zork and the social impact of design choices A bad game from 1993 taught me that humanity isn't necessarily doomed. https://justinpot.com/zork-and-the-social-impact-of-design-choices/

Added the round of 32 games to my #worldcup TV schedule tool. Every game is available with an antenna in the USA; very different situation in Canada. Check it out: https://justinpot.com/worldcup/