Clockwise Podcast Episode 644: “I Saw 'The Dark Knight,' Right?”

Air Date: February 18, 2026

Hosts: Dan Moren & Mikah Sargent
Guests: MB Bischoff (Partner at Lickability, Host of "Absolutely Crushed") & Christina Warren (Senior Developer Advocate at GitHub, MacBreak Weekly panelist)

Episode Overview

In this rapid-fire roundtable, hosts Dan and Mikah are joined by MB Bischoff and Christina Warren to tackle four technology-related topics. This episode covers Apple's rumored AI pendant, the joys of vintage technology, AI-generated playlists, and whether now is the time to buy a Mac mini before the next Apple event. The tone is engaging, candid, and playful, with each participant offering both personal anecdotes and thoughtful analysis.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Apple's Rumored AI Pendant: Would You Wear One?

(Starts at 1:41)

• MB Bischoff:
  • Skeptical; burned by the Vision Pro not taking off.
  • Main hesitation: not privacy, but social awkwardness and fashion.“What would that look like with like a little like Apple pendant on? … The most you'd catch me doing is probably wearing one at... a tech conference.” [2:12]
• Dan Moren:
  • Leery of devices that constantly collect data, even with privacy assurances.
  • Social normalization is key—like AirPods. Only compelling features would sway him.“Apple hasn't had a chance to weave its story about why I will want to record everything happening around me forever and ever. Maybe they'll convince me, maybe not.” [3:45]
• Christina Warren:
  • Initially intrigued by possible camera-equipped AirPods, but uncomfortable with constant body cams and privacy claims.
  • Considers ergonomics (“not designed for people who don’t have flat chests”) and larger privacy implications.“I saw the Dark Knight, right? … We saw how that ended. It was not a good thing.” [4:19 & 6:03]
• Mikah Sargent:
  • Tried a similar device (“the little B”) and it misunderstood TV content as real events, making false summaries and privacy gaffes.
  • Strong on the importance of consent for recording others.“Consent is real good. … What are the bounds around that when it comes to other people being recorded around you?” [6:27 & 7:16]

Memorable Moment

• Christina Warren: “I saw the Dark Knight, right? Like, you know, like, I do understand that at a certain point…do I want everyone to have like a body cam? And the answer to that is like, no.” [4:22]

2. Vintage Technology That Brings Joy

(Starts at 8:04)

• MB Bischoff:
  • Recently published poetry on a Telnet-based publication—nostalgic for old protocols.
  • Loves shooting on a 1950s Nikon F film camera: tactile and built to last.“Every dial, every button, everything on it just feels like it was built to last forever.” [12:34]
• Dan Moren:
  • Returns to simple bedside radio for news—enjoys its reliability and childhood nostalgia.“It's simply turn a knob and everything. Here comes the news…as a thing that requires me to pay no additional money and to use no additional services…” [9:37]
• Christina Warren:
  • Enjoys retro gaming with the Analog 3 Nintendo 64 FPGA—playing childhood classics like Wave Race during recovery.“It's a new device but it's older stuff…I've had a lot of fun playing my old Nintendo 64 games from childhood…” [10:43]
• Mikah Sargent:
  • Admits to being a “ruthless disposer,” but loves physical books for reading and notating as classic tech.“Books, that's an old technology, a classic. … I love a good book and I love notating in a good book.” [11:47]

3. AI-Generated Playlists: Yay or Nay?

(Starts at 15:49)

• Christina Warren:
  • Tested Spotify’s AI playlist and was pleasantly surprised despite some UI shortcomings (i.e., each prompt change makes a new playlist).
  • Appreciates integration with personal listening history and customizability.“Sometimes you just want to have an easier way of just being like, all right, just put together some of my favorite...emo night...songs…” [16:11]
• Mikah Sargent:
  • Likes AI curation; uses Spotify for auto-generated stuff and Apple Music for personal library.
  • Enjoys being able to request mood or context-based lists.“I love the idea of being able to say…it's a rainy afternoon and I'm drinking a cup of coffee and needing to feel inspired. And then it creates a playlist based on that.” [18:12]
• MB Bischoff:
  • Prefers human-curated playlists from musically passionate friends and partners.
  • Found earlier AI attempts uninspired but intrigued by improvements.“I don't think this is for me…there are so many people if I need a playlist that I can just be like, hey, babe, can I get a playlist...” [19:12]
• Dan Moren:
  • Occasionally curates personal playlists for specific writing projects.
  • Sees promise in AI-generated lists for more targeted results, but wary due to mixed past results from Apple’s suggestions.“I'm fascinated by the range here…music is something that is so personal…” [20:01]

4. Is Now the Time to Buy (and Possibly Return) a Mac Mini?

(Starts at 21:33)

• Christina Warren:
  • Shopping strategy: buy a base M4 Mac mini now—potentially return if M5 is a compelling step up after the Apple event.
  • Would consider returning unopened to minimize hassle for employees.“My thought would be if I do do this and buy a secondary Mac Mini, I would not even open it. It would be...returned like completely.” [24:31]
• Mikah Sargent:
  • Approves of the try-and-return tactic, especially if taking advantage of discounts and tax-savings.
  • “If you're in the return window, I don't see why not.” [21:56]
• MB Bischoff:
  • Plays devil’s advocate against unnecessary returns causing retail hassles; advises courtesy to staff if returning.“Please don't do this. When I worked at Apple retail...dealing with the returns is a pain...at least be really, really nice to the person who's handling your return.” [23:01]
• Dan Moren:
  • Sympathetic to both perspectives—okay if a “better than even chance” you’ll keep it; muses on Mac mini’s update cycle.“If it's something that you have a better than even chance of keeping, you know, why not, right?” [23:20]

5. Bonus: Favorite Non-Emoji Symbol or Emoticon (Starts at 25:03)

• MB Bischoff:
  • Custom unicode combo: lower half circle (U+25E1) with combining diuresis (U0308), a unique smiley.“It's a little half circle from left to right and then above it it's two dots. So it's a smile.” [25:38]
• Dan Moren:
  • Loves the typographical dagger/obelisk for dramatic footnotes.“Anything that adds a little drama to text and you know, it's stabbing at the text.” [26:29]
• Christina Warren:
  • Used ASCII shrug emoticon via text expansion: “asterisk, asterisk, shrug” ( ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ).“That would probably be the closest is one that I used to use regularly for a really long time.” [27:21]
• Mikah Sargent:
  • Also partial to the shrug emoticon (auto-expanded from “;shrug”); finds emoji shrugs lacking.“The shrug options in emoji are just not as good. It doesn't quite capture.” [28:02]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Christina Warren: “I saw the Dark Knight, right? … Like I do understand that at a certain point, some of this is all for not if enough other people have it. Whether I have one or don't doesn't matter.” [4:22]
• Mikah Sargent: “Consent is real good. And so what is the…like, what are the bounds around that when it comes to other people being recorded around you?” [7:16]
• Dan Moren: “As somebody who grew up…having his parents would always turning the Radio on and listen to the radio in the mornings. I find that it's like a little bit of continuity with my, with my parents life and my childhood.” [9:37]
• MB Bischoff: “Every dial, every button, everything on it just feels like it was built to last forever. So that's my answer.” [12:34]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:41]: Topic 1 - Apple AI Pendant
• [08:04]: Topic 2 - Vintage Technology
• [15:49]: Topic 3 - AI-Generated Playlists
• [21:33]: Topic 4 - Buying/Returning a Mac mini
• [25:03]: Bonus - Favorite Non-Emoji Symbol

Episode Takeaways

• The panel is skeptical of Apple's rumored AI pendant, citing privacy, social discomfort, and lack of compelling use cases.
• Vintage tech nostalgia is strong—panelists enjoy the reliability and tactile satisfaction of old radios, cameras, old-school gaming systems, and even books.
• AI-generated playlists are embraced by some for convenience and mood-matching; purists still prefer human touch.
• Strategic buying/returning ahead of Apple events is tempting but ethically ambiguous—returns should be handled with empathy for retail employees.
• Unicode creativity and classic ASCII emoticons persist as panel favorites—“the shrug” remains undefeated.

For more details and to check out Clockwise swag, visit the show’s official page.