I had a great time writing about what to do if you find a shipwreck over at PopSci. The good news: it’s not impossible! The bad news: you don’t get to keep any treasure. I’ve had a really great time lately writing these sorts of articles, well outside of my wheelhouse. I hope you like it too. […]

Imagine that you, as a philanthropist or activist who wants to help spread democracy across the world, read about a country described as a “flawed democracy.” The report describes the problems that country is facing in this way:  low levels of trust in political institutions and the media; institutional gridlock; excessive influence of lobbyists, interest […]

I regret to inform you that someone made an actual AI Clippy. The application, which is more art project than useful application, run an actual local large language model right on your computer, allowing you to have the conversations with Clippy you once dreamed about. It’s complete with Windows 98-style graphics for period accuracy. I highly […]

​​I write a lot. I’ve finished just shy of 150 articles so far this year between Lifehacker, PopSci, WIRED, and PCMag, an average of 25 articles a month. I love it.  The best part of being a freelancer, to me, is that I don’t have to do anything but write. Yes, there is a little […]

I think dishwashers are great, so I wrote about the science of why you should use your dishwasher over at PopSci. It’s easier to do and better for the environment than hand washing. A point I want to emphasize is that study after study shows that pre-rinsing dishes isn’t necessary, assuming you scrape off excess food and […]

“Technology makes everything more complicated,” an elderly relative said to me. It’s hard to argue with.  In this specific situation she had paid to reserve a parking spot that, it turned out, she didn’t need. She tried to get a refund only to find out that’s not possible—all you can do is try to sell […]

The internet used to be exciting—its potential to make the world better seemed endless. In the early 2010s it felt inevitable that innovation would make us happier, more productive, more connected, and all-around improve our lives.  It doesn’t feel that way anymore.  Some technologists blame the media for this. I’ve worked in the media too […]

More people use Windows 10 than Windows 11, but later this year Windows 10 will stop getting security updates. What does that mean? I explained over at WIRED and outlined your options. In summary: you can upgrade, you can get a new computer, or you can switch to a different operating system. I also wrote a few articles […]

It’s been over a decade since Microsoft removed Minesweeper from Windows. If you don’t go a single day without thinking about this loss you might want to read How to get Minesweeper and seven other classic games back in Windows 11 over at Lifehacker. Here’s a few other things I published in the last week.  Stuff to check […]

The more you learn about a subject the less capable you are of understanding what the average person knows about it. In journalism this can result in articles that are incomprehensible to anyone who doesn’t have the proper background. It can also result in information not being published because it seems too obvious.  For example: […]