Clockwise Episode 648: “My Couch Doesn't Get Updated”

Date: March 18, 2026
Hosts: Dan Moren & Mikah Sargent
Guests: Casey Liss & Brian Guffey
Theme: Four people, four tech topics—fast-paced discussion on the intersection of technology and daily life.

Episode Overview

This week, Dan Moren and Mikah Sargent are joined by guests Casey Liss and Brian Guffey for another quickfire round of four timely tech questions. The panel dives into the realities and challenges of full self-driving cars, the frustrations of disruptive software updates in everyday devices, the role of app launchers on the Mac, and the growing universe of AT Protocol-powered applications beyond just Bluesky. They close with a fun bonus about the enduring memory (or not!) of learning to whistle.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Full Self-Driving Cars: How Close Are We?

Host: Mikah Sargent
[01:56]

• Cases for & Against Readiness
  • Casey: Believes full self-driving is still 10-20 years away, not 2-5. Safety improvements excite him, especially living in suburbs.
    • “I think it's further away than everyone claims it is.” [03:44]
    • Laments losing the experience of manual driving: "I'm already lamenting the time when I eventually stop…"
  • Dan: Sees tech and safety potential, but emphasizes human/computer unpredictability; full benefits only when all cars are autonomous.
    • Notes accessibility for aging parents as a major plus.
    • “It probably works better in a system where either everything is self driving or nothing is self driving…” [04:52]
  • Brian: True benefits require 100% adoption; partial rollout keeps “crazy people” behind the wheel.
    • Imagines individuals may leapfrog to new transport tech: “What if not cars, but still personal conveyances…” [06:12]
  • Mikah: Stresses that human driver error still vastly outweighs current self-driving failures, appreciates future safety, but enjoys the driving experience.

Memorable Moment:
Dan: “From the outside it might seem like, oh, it's great, the computer… There’s no way the computer could be worse than the people. And… the computer can definitely be worse people at times now...” [03:44]

2. “My Couch Doesn't Get Updated”: The Pain & Joys of Software Updates

Host: Casey Liss
[08:01]

• When Updates Hurt More than Help
  • Casey: Facing a significant infotainment update in a Volvo XC90, worries about muscle memory loss and safety risks from on-screen UI changes.
    • Wishes for software systems to let you “opt in” or at least “roll back” if an update doesn’t work for you.
    • “It's a safety issue if you're hunting around to change the station and you knew exactly where the button on screen used to be… now it's somewhere totally different.” [12:21]
  • Dan: Points out consistency is key with critical devices like cars and appliances—disruptive updates can cause accidents or confusion.
    • Sees diminishing returns in endless “tweaking” by some companies.
    • “Disruption can still be unwarranted and cause problems…” [09:10]
  • Brian: ADHD makes frequent changes enjoyable—loves rediscovering devices after updates. Quick to adapt.
    • “It's just a hit of dopamine every time things change. So I'm like so excited by it.” [10:37]
  • Mikah: Loves updates in his own tech, but wishes tech support targets could “pause” updates until they're ready.

Notable Quote:
Mikah: “My couch doesn't get updated unless you buy a new one.” [11:15]

3. App Launchers on Mac: Are You a Die-Hard or a Dabbler?

Host: Dan Moren
[14:15]

• Personal Workflow Preferences
  • Brian: Raycast loyalist, the first launcher that’s “stuck.” Would complain if it was taken away.
    • “If anybody ever told me that I couldn't have it, I would whine a lot.” [14:40]
  • Mikah: Classic Spotlight devotee, prefers the default over learning third-party tools.
    • “Spotlight is the way to go… I didn't get engaged with [Raycast] early enough.” [15:10]
  • Casey: Alfred user for as long as he can remember—deeply ingrained muscle memory.
    • Shares quick command tips: “Command Space, then Space bar again… lets you search for a file.”
    • Tried, but didn’t stick with Raycast; acknowledges Spotlight keeps improving.
    • “That muscle memory is deeply ingrained.” [16:34]
  • Dan: Uses Spotlight for hands-on experience with default tools, but criticizes current bugs (e.g., opening Zoom in iPhone mirroring by mistake).
    • “Surprises me that Apple can't make this work a bit better…” [18:27]

Memorable Moment:
Dan: “The number of times I want to open a file from Spotlight—vanishingly small, but apps, literally all the time.” [19:07]

4. The AT Protocol Universe: Beyond Bluesky

Host: Brian Guffey
[19:43]

• Exploring Protocol-Centric Social Platforms
  • Mikah: Only uses Bluesky, little awareness of AT Protocol apps beyond it.
  • Casey: Uses Bluesky alongside Mastodon (“nerdy things on Mastodon, everything else on Blue sky”). Experimenting with Indigo, a universal client.
    • “In a perfect world, I would love for that to be just one service… but I'm not grumpy about [having both].” [21:07]
  • Dan: Finds the concept of an entire OS running on AT Protocol cool, but personally not essential. Sees it as a neat proof-of-concept.
    • “Trying for me to shoehorn, like why I want a browser operating on it is something that I struggle with…”
  • Brian: Deep in the AT Protocol ecosystem—praises portability of social graph/data, openness, developer community. Working on his own moderation app.
    • “What I particularly like about the app protocol ecosystem is how open and welcoming it is from both the developer standpoint and the community.” [24:12]
    • Explains the difference from Mastodon: personal data servers vs. instance-based architecture.
    • “They can't take my friends away from me.” [26:49]

Memorable Moment:
Brian: “I can take my social identity with me wherever I want… they can't take my friends away from me.” [26:49]

Bonus: Whistling Talent

Host: Mikah Sargent
[26:58]

• Can you whistle?
  • Casey: Can do melodic whistling, not the loud “come home, kids” whistle.
  • Dan: Learned first by inhaling—had to train to whistle while exhaling.
  • Brian: Can “half whistle,” doesn’t remember when he learned.
  • Mikah: Can whistle and do the “hand flute.”

Notable Quotes

• Dan Moren [03:44]: “The computer can definitely be worse people at times now…”
• Mikah Sargent [11:15]: “My couch doesn't get updated unless you buy a new one.”
• Brian Guffey [24:12]: “What I particularly like about the app protocol ecosystem is how open and welcoming it is…”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Full Self-Driving Discussion: [01:56–08:01]
• Software Updates Pain/Preferences: [08:01–13:00]
• App Launcher Preferences: [14:15–19:43]
• AT Protocol & Beyond: [19:43–26:58]
• Whistling Bonus: [26:58–29:00]

Tone & Language

The episode is fast-moving, friendly, and candid, with tech-focused but highly relatable language. The guests balance technical insights with personal anecdotes, and inject humor (and some nostalgia) throughout. The general tone is conversational—part deep-dive, part light-hearted reflection.

For Listeners New & Old

If you missed the episode, this summary captures the fast-paced exploration of current tech anxieties and delights—everything from our collective nerves about self-driving cars and app updates sneaking into our dashboards, to the passionate minutiae of launchers, and the mysterious, hopeful abstraction of decentralized social protocols.

“Watch what you say and keep watching the clock.”