JustinPot.com

Tech journalism for people.

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  • You don’t need to pay for fancy distraction blocking toys—you can make your own.

    You Don’t Need to Pay for Distraction-Blocking Software

    These free iOS and Android apps create the physical friction you need to put down your phone.

    wired.com

    · October 12, 2026 · 1

  • Productivity systems don’t have to be complicated—this app proves that.

    Tired of Cluttered Productivity Apps? This One’s Just a Text Document

    The totally free macOS app Tasks.txt makes up for missing features with sheer elegance.

    wired.com

    · October 9, 2026 · 1

  • Let's keep in touch.

    My newsletter, Connectivity, offers regular tips and thoughts that help you get more out of technology (and get used less by it). Sign up—it's free.

  • I’ve been in Japan and mostly offline for a little over two weeks. What did I miss?

    · October 6, 2026 · 7

  • Red sky in the morning (but only at certain latitudes) and other weather myths I wrote about for PopSci:

    3 myths about the weather

    Lighting hits the same place twice constantly.

    popsci.com

    · September 14, 2026 ·

  • pro tip: tell your boss the AI said you’ll be more efficient at home and see which one of their irrational beliefs wins out

    · September 10, 2026 · 42

  • I didn’t exactly enjoy writing this for PopSci, but I did learn a lot:

    How gross is biting your fingernails?

    Gotta be honest: Biting your fingernails is as gross as you think it is. Here's what it could be doing and what you can…

    popsci.com

    · September 8, 2026 · 1

  • A French language map of Lac Ontario, from 1670.

    Layers of stupidity

    September 4, 2026 · 1

    Calling Lake Ontario “Lake America” is stupid for the obvious reasons, yes, but also for historical ones.

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

    · September 3, 2026 · 4

  • My Canadian heart feels strongly about this, my latest piece for PopSci:

    How gross is wearing your shoes inside?

    You can’t avoid poop particles or pollen, but you can avoid tracking them everywhere. Here are disturbing reasons to leave shoes at the door.

    popsci.com

    · August 31, 2026 · 2

  • How to actually see posts from your friends and family on Instagram

    August 27, 2026 · 7

    Instagram is a hostage situation. It has photos and videos from the people in your life, but it will only show them to you occasionally—most of the time you get algorithmically-chosen slop. This means you can scroll for hours on this so-called social network and learn very little about the people you care about.  Maybe […]

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