Would You Try a Gadget That Bricks Your iPhone?

The $50 Brick has helped CNET’s video producer Jessica Fierro shave hours off of her daily average iPhone screen time.

Published

2 years ago

May 25, 2024

CYBER TECH TV

The $50 Brick has helped CNET’s video producer Jessica Fierro shave hours off of her daily average iPhone screen time.

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21 Comments

@craigwapples4200

May 25, 2024 at 10:04 am

Paying to not be on your phone is crazy

Reply
@HyliasChosenOne

May 25, 2024 at 10:37 am

Can’t you just uninstall the app, or go into your settings and disable the apps(Android)? This sounds like a cheesy cash grab. Do not buy.

Reply
- @bettyh3747
  
  May 25, 2024 at 11:20 am
  
  Would work to reduce interruptions at work or a child at school. Why uninstall then turn around and reinstall.
  
  Reply
- @HyliasChosenOne
  
  May 25, 2024 at 11:36 am
  
  @@bettyh3747 phones have parental features. And even with the clicks for uninstalling/reinstalling it’s still free.
  
  Reply
- @meric12131415
  
  May 26, 2024 at 4:51 pm
  
  Ummmm I don’t think there’s an app for that
  
  Reply
- @HyliasChosenOne
  
  May 26, 2024 at 4:59 pm
  
  Phones have “child mode” and some phones have features like “work mode” or “down time” that can take care of unwanted interruptions. And these are all free.
  
  Reply
- @meric12131415
  
  May 26, 2024 at 5:09 pm
  
  @@HyliasChosenOne most phones have do not disturb a few have a so called child mode work mode though that hasn’t existed since the palm and blackberries
  
  Reply
@diamondDanny12345

May 25, 2024 at 11:17 am

What’s the point of this when screen time exist? Seems incredibly stupid

Reply
@bettyh3747

May 25, 2024 at 11:21 am

This would be of interest reducing social media interactions during school or work time.

Reply
@xX12VincEXx

May 25, 2024 at 11:48 am

50$ is just a scam.. You can do the same with 0.5$ NFC Tags and a free “Task App”

Reply
@maxentityita

May 25, 2024 at 6:15 pm

or you can learn autocontrol or use android do not disturb in custm mode wtf is the point

Reply
@thesubmaster9935

May 26, 2024 at 2:47 am

just write the same code on a nfc sticker, save $49 ????

Reply
@CynthiaZadeh

May 26, 2024 at 9:07 am

Just delete these apps from your phone and dont download them. They are trash.

Reply
@Xtechi

May 26, 2024 at 9:58 am

Changing the mode or scene is Free and does the same thing

Reply
@oceantransistor

May 26, 2024 at 12:03 pm

I did one better. I deleted those apps. ????

Reply
@javtimestwo

May 26, 2024 at 3:15 pm

This item is totally unnecessary. All someone has to do is already use the installed apps to keep your screen time down. NEXT!

Reply
@meric12131415

May 26, 2024 at 4:51 pm

???? ah I thought this would literally brick your phone I’d probably by that though

Reply
@Expl0rer.

May 27, 2024 at 4:03 am

How about focus mode

Reply
@iMoha46

May 27, 2024 at 2:49 pm

paying for this is such a first world problem lmao go spend that money on something else

Reply
@lavaot5207

May 27, 2024 at 4:27 pm

There is an app on android called forest that does pretty much the same thing, but it mostly blocks your acess to aps in general , so I think this could easily be an app

Reply
@juliendepolo4760

May 27, 2024 at 6:19 pm

You could just do a specific focus/do not disturb setting that would be easier to set up than this brick… And cheaper! ????

Reply

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Investors Are Asking AI About Your Startup

What does ChatGPT say about your startup? Dr. Eike Gerhardt explains why founders should think about what LLMs will find when investors use AI to research their companies. Watch the full episode of Build Mode with Eike and Nephrogen founder Demetri Maxim for more advice on building a stronger investor pitch.

Published

10 hours ago

September 3, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

What does ChatGPT say about your startup?

Dr. Eike Gerhardt explains why founders should think about what LLMs will find when investors use AI to research their companies.

Watch the full episode of Build Mode with Eike and Nephrogen founder Demetri Maxim for more advice on building a stronger investor pitch.

Science & Technology

A PhD in Pitching Breaks Down a Startup Battlefield Pitch l Build Mode

There is no such thing as the perfect pitch. But you can get close by implementing a few research-backed methods to your delivery, deck, and message. In this episode of Build Mode, host Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Dr. Eike Gerhardt, who has aPhD in pitching and spent nearly a decade studying the science of…

Published

14 hours ago

September 3, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

There is no such thing as the perfect pitch. But you can get close by implementing a few research-backed methods to your delivery, deck, and message.

In this episode of Build Mode, host Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Dr. Eike Gerhardt, who has aPhD in pitching and spent nearly a decade studying the science of startup pitching before starting Autopoiesis Sciences. And he’s joined by Demetri Maxim, co-founder and CEO of Nephrogen, who came in second at TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 2025.

Together, they break down Demetri’s actual Startup Battlefield pitch to unpack what worked, what could be improved, and what research tells us about how investors respond to founders. Eike explains why credibility signals matter, how technical founders can simplify without oversimplifying, and why Q&A should be treated as a second pitch. Demetri shares how he learned to explain complex biotech to generalist investors, how redesigning his deck changed his confidence onstage, and what he would do differently today.
They also explore how body language and authenticity affect a pitch, how investor questions can reveal bias, and how founders can use AI to prepare for difficult Q&A.

Here are the studies mentioned in the episode:
Kanze, D., Huang, L., Conley, M. A., & Higgins, E. T. (2018). “We Ask Men to Win and Women Not to Lose: Closing the Gender Gap in Startup Funding.” Academy of Management Journal
Figge, P., Graf-Vlachy, L., König, A., Demann, F., & Diessner, M. (2025). “Shades of Grey or Black and White? How Entrepreneurs’ Use of Cognitively Complex Language Affects Investor Funding.” Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice
Clarke, J. S., Cornelissen, J. P., & Healey, M. P. (2019). “Actions Speak Louder than Words: How Figurative Language and Gesturing in Entrepreneurial Pitches Influences Investment Judgments.” Academy of Management Journal
Jiang, L., Yin, D., & Liu, D. (2019). “Can Joy Buy You Money? The Impact of the Strength, Duration, and Phases of an Entrepreneur’s Peak Displayed Joy on Funding Performance.” Academy of Management Journal.
Chen, X.-P., Yao, X., & Kotha, S. (2009). “Entrepreneur Passion and Preparedness in Business Plan Presentations: A Persuasion Analysis of Venture Capitalists’ Funding Decisions.” Academy of Management Journal
Zhu, L. Y., Young, M. J., & Bauman, C. W. (2024). “Linking Anxiety to Passion: Emotion Regulation and Entrepreneurs’ Pitch Performance.” Journal of Business Venturing
Allison, T. H., Davis, B. C., Webb, J. W., & Short, J. C. (2017). “Persuasion in Crowdfunding: An Elaboration Likelihood Model of Crowdfunding Performance.” Journal of Business Venturing
Clark, C. (2008). “The Impact of Entrepreneurs’ Oral ‘Pitch’ Presentation Skills on Business Angels’ Initial Screening Investment Decisions.” Venture Capital

Subscribe to Build Mode:
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New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday.

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Uber, Wayve Unleash Supervised Robotaxis in London

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Published

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Uber now lets you book a robotaxi in London — but you’ll still be joined by a human in the front seat.

Olivia Solon explains why.
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