In this episode of On the Desk of Brian, Brian dives into the growing impact of AI in education, including how colleges are bringing back Blue Books to combat AI-assisted cheating and how K-12 teachers are using AI as a thought partner to enhance classroom learning. In the economics segment, Brian reviews creative ways parents can teach kids about money management, including comparison shopping, lemonade stands, and understanding brands vs. ownership.

Sports fans get updates on the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers, trade discussion surrounding Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns, and the Arizona Diamondbacks’ push for a playoff spot despite injury setbacks.

In technology news, Brian highlights new iOS 26 features coming to Apple’s Reminders and Passwords apps, and covers Microsoft’s partnership with AMD for its next-generation Xbox hardware. The episode also features a fun “Not a Sponsor” segment spotlighting Roaring Spring Blue Books, plus streaming picks from Apple TV+ and Hulu, and gaming insights from The Verge.

Subscribe now for the latest on AI, education, personal finance, NBA trades, Apple updates, gaming tech, and more!

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Resources:

https://gizmodo.com/ai-cheating-is-so-out-of-hand-in-americas-schools-that-the-blue-books-are-coming-back-2000607771

https://www.edutopia.org/article/ai-thought-partner-teachers

https://www.drstephenday.com/p/grading-the-experts-money-advice

https://9to5mac.com/2025/06/17/heres-everything-new-in-reminders-with-ios-26/

https://www.macrumors.com/2025/06/13/apples-passwords-app-gains-version-history-feature/

https://www.theverge.com/news/688407/microsoft-next-gen-xbox-cloud-amd

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Please visit my website, brian8944.com so you can keep up with all my ongoing and upcoming projects. You can also contact me there with any feedback you may have.

You can also find me as a panelist most Tuesday evenings on the MacVoices podcast, hosted by Chuck Joiner.

In addition, I’ll be presenting at Macstock in Crystal Lake, Illinois on Sunday, July 13th. If you aren’t familiar, Macstock is a great technology conference focused on the Apple ecosystem. It has an incredible lineup of presenters, who will be presenting over its three days - July 11th through the 13th. If you are interested in attending, and also saving fifty dollars, register using my code, BRIAN8944. This offer expires July 10th.

⁠https://macstockconferenceandexpo.com/register/⁠ - use code BRIAN8944 to save $50 (good through 7/10/2025)

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