Hey there, tech enthusiasts! It’s your funny guy, Nuked, here to sprinkle a bit of humor on the wonderful world of productivity. Buckle up as we dive into the insights of Google’s very own Laura Mae Martin!

Laura Mae Martin, Google’s executive productivity advisor, is a huge fan of the settings menu. She believes that taking a few moments to explore the options available on our devices can really pay off. “With your phone, email, and Slack, all these features are there waiting for us,” she says. The catch? We often forget to actually dig into them! In fact, Laura suggests that maybe we should have to spend some time understanding an app’s capabilities before diving in. Imagine that—no access until you’ve spent 10 minutes figuring it out!

In a recent episode of The Vergecast, which kicks off a three-part miniseries focused on productivity, Laura shares her perspective on how work dynamics have shifted since the pandemic. Are we finally getting the hang of remote and hybrid work? Are managers starting to realize that just showing up at a desk isn’t the best way to measure productivity? And could we be moving away from the relentless hustle culture toward a more balanced approach? Laura offers a treasure trove of insights on everything from communication styles to energy management.

We also dive into the surge of digital productivity tools like Notion and Slack while still acknowledging that email, despite its flaws, remains essential. As part of her role at Google, Laura consults with teams developing Workspace apps like Docs and Gmail. She has plenty of ideas on improving these tools and discusses whether artificial intelligence will reshape our workflows or simply add to our to-do lists.

Alongside these discussions, Laura shares practical tips for managing our digital lives more effectively. Simple steps like charging your phone outside your bedroom, declaring no-tech Tuesdays, and sprucing up your email labels can make a world of difference. And if you’re drowning in notes scattered across different platforms, it might be time to create a Main List!

If you’re curious about all the topics discussed in this episode, check out these helpful links: Laura Mae Martin’s website, her book *Uptime: A Practical Guide to Personal Productivity and Wellbeing*, the Google Workspace guide for productivity and wellbeing, The Verge’s favorite organizational tools, and some top-notch note-taking apps.

And let’s be real—who doesn’t dream of finding that one magical productivity app that can do it all? Keep dreaming, my friends!

Now, shifting gears a bit—let’s talk tech! The new Pixel 9 Pro has hit the market with a triple rear camera system featuring a 50-megapixel wide lens, a 48-megapixel 5x telephoto lens, and another 48-megapixel ultrawide lens. It comes in two sizes: the 6.3″ Pixel Pro for $999 and the 6.8″ Pixel Pro XL for $1,099. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Pixel launch without some snazzy new software features like text-prompting AI in Magic Editor and an Add Me feature that ensures even the photographer can join in on the fun!