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Newsletter Archive
The latest five issues are available to everyone. Time Travelers have access to every issue.
The Longform
A deep dive into a single topic.
The latest issue of The Longform is available to everyone. Time Travelers have access to back issues.
- Perpetually UpdatingLater, later, later. That's what we always say to those annoying popups. They hound us. They implore us to act on them. In the end, we find them supremely intrusive and frustrating. But it's the world we now live in.…
- All The DataThe same news comes around every few years: Friends, the TV show that shows no slowing down in popularity, moves to another streaming service. From Netflix to HBO Go Max, this is one show that always makes headlines when it…
- The Discman was amazing. The Discman was awful.When it comes to music in the โbefore timesโ prior to the iPod, there was a huge boon when Sony introduced its Walkman portable cassette player. It was the first time someone could go anywhere and hear their music without…
- I Spy With My Little TVThe march of technology is inevitable. As time passes, components get cheaper. Manufacturing costs dwindle as efficiencies get established. What was once an expensive device to build can get lower in price with better ways to do things. From computers…
- Reboot MadnessClicking around the internet, you may be looking for something new to watch. Some TV shows look interesting while some have run their course, yet continue for another season. But then you spot it. Something familiar. A title that hasn't…
- Next Of KinThe unveiling of a new product is a milestone for any company. Years of R&D, hundreds of hours in meetings, immense time and money spent, all to coalesce into a single moment: the launch. Every company has high hopes for…
- Walking The CatalogIt's a normal Saturday afternoon of browsing shelf after shelf of items for sale. Some displays are elaborately laid out. Other sections have setups that feature wonderful layouts on the walls. In the middle of it all is a jewelry…
- Permanent DeletionWe scroll and eventually pause. Is it a funny photo that caught the eye? Perhaps it's a memory that the algorithm has surfaced. Or maybe it's simply some piece of content that's got way too many likes and comments for…
- Page ‘EmIt's a beautiful day in the woods. Far off the grid, away from stores, people, or even shelters more stable than a tent, Jeff Wilson is backpacking through deep woods. It's a return to nature that brings him enjoyment and…
- Nuggets and NomsA pizza box sits on a table. Moments later two curious faces enter the frame, excited by its contents. The two keep glancing at each other while building their anticipation for what lies inside. Each speaks in a gibberish only…
- The Paid Social Network Nobody WantedIn the early 2010s there were two mighty giants in the social media landscape: Facebook and Twitter. One behemoth was scrapping its way in an attempt to be a third. This company was backed by lots of money, a thoughtful…
- The Contest to Steal Your Art"Win an iPad!" the flyer said. Quite the prize and one that immediately enticed my kids to read on. In only a few paragraphs it was evident what was being proposed to school-aged children: they draw and design something that…
- Dial I for InformationIt's the top of the 5th inning and the NY Mets have a runner on first. I'm sitting with three of my closest friends at Yankee Stadium, enjoying a crisp summer evening when suddenly it hits me: I didn't check…
- Twenty One Years and Waiting: The Fans Keeping Sliders Alive"What do we do now?" Those were the final words uttered by a character in the final scene of the final episode, The Seer, of the final season of the 90's sci-fi adventure show Sliders. The fate of humanity was…
- The PC Game That Stalked YouYou log on and check your inbox. A new message has been sitting for a few hours and you anxiously click on it. It begins: Due to a fire at our Anim-X studios, we at Electronic Arts are forced to…
- Streaming Movies at Home Will Always Be Better… and it’s Theater’s FaultForget about COVID. This is the real reason I never go to the movies Itโs the summer of 2008. I'm sitting in a packed theater waiting for The Dark Knight to begin. Knowing how awesome Batman Begins told the Batman…
- Hello, WristEvents happen during our lives shaping how we live from that moment on. Steve Jobs introducing the iPhone in 2007 changed everything we do. The Nintendo Entertainment System hitting the US in 1985 revived a dying industry and set off…
Main Posts
Interesting and quick reads about whatโs going on. The latest 25 posts are below.
Use the search at the top of the page or browse the Deep Archive to find older posts.
- Surge Fry PricingIn a world where companies rake in a whole lot of money and lay off employees in order to appease shareholders, we now get another nonsense tactic from companies to…
- Old Timey TikTokIf I asked you to think of any movie or recording from the early 1900s you would likely think the same as me: something with a lot of grain or…
- Laid Off Guy Hides Undetected in Company SlackThe remote work era means companies are completely reliant on chat and communication apps. Slack and Microsoft Teams are the two big companies in this space. To me, Teams still…
- Apple’s Big Baby MomentsIt's weird to see companies having public temper tantrums. The year is not even two months old and Apple has been on a tear with taking its ball and going…
- Raccoon Causes Power OutageSometimes the headlines write themselves. A power outage in downtown Toronto earlier this month was the result of a raccoon coming in contact with "equipment". Alex Arsenych at CTV has…
- Walmart Buys VizioWhat does a cool $2.3 billion get you? A well-established TV manufacturer if you're Walmart. Just announced this morning, Walmart is acquiring Vizio in a deal to expand its ad…
- Outhorse Your EmailOne things Americans have been accused of is never being fully disconnected while on vacation. We sorta have a reputation for continuing to check email, dialing into calls, and overall…
- No, Mr. Bond. I Expect You To PrintPrinters suck. You know this. I know this. It is a universal truth. Aside from paper jams and managing setups that are complicated, the modern printers are even worse than…
- Clean MailNearly a year after the USPS announced it would shift a sizable portion of its delivery fleet to electric vehicles, the first signs of this are coming to fruition. A…
- Right to Repair’s Moment to ShineThe ability to fix your own stuff is the core of Right to Repair. The movement to compel companies to provide parts and schematics that enable people to repair the…
- A Roller Coaster For OneFor those of you that enjoy theme park rides then you'll want to check this out. The Massachusetts Museum of Modern Art in North Adams faced a daunting challenge: how…
- The Power of TayTayOnly a few months ago I wrote about the incredible proliferation of Taylor Swift and her music. Her business acumen has propelled her into superstardom. But last week a flood…
- The Touchscreen iMacOn the 40th anniversary of the Macintosh computer, I thought it would be interesting to look back on an oddity in the history of this machine: a touch screen version.…
- The First WebpageTons of things online are lost to time, but one of the most important things ever continues to live on: The first webpage. Even better, the announcement of said webpage…
- Surprising Nobody, A Zelda Movie Is ComingNintendo has learned a thing or two about making movies. Its first outing back in 1993 was somewhat absolutely a disaster. A confusing live-action flick starring Bob Hoskins and John…
- Inhumane PinI continue to be skeptical about AI and that skepticism extends to the "AI-focused" products that are coming out this year. Case-in-point: a pin from an unknown company called Humane.…
- Mercedes + Buc-eeโs = EV LoveMercedes is getting serious with electric cars and, even more important for those on road trips, public charging where it's needed. Late last year the automaker opened a flagship charging…
- Selling AI NonsenseIt's been pretty obvious for a few years that Amazon's marketplace is filled with no-name products from no-name brands peddling questionable quality. Buying on Amazon is a roll of the…
- Amazon Ditching AndroidAmazon pushes its physical products all the time on its website. Fire sticks, Fire TV, Echo, etc. The list of hardware it offers is pretty extensive. Amazon takes the approach…
- Airport SquirrelsSquirrels may be just another part of nature walks or excitement out a window, but here's something quite fascinating: a group is dedicated to helping the European Ground Squirrel population…
- Kid Defeats TetrisTetris news, like the game itself, never seems to end. The classic puzzle game returned to the news last week because something new with the game had been accomplished for…
- Bidding on The EnterpriseeBay is always filled with various bits and bobs of movie and TV memorabilia. Scripts, set pieces, small trinkets from the entertainment industry always find their way to the 'world's…
- Half-Life at 25Late last week, I had the pleasure of immersing myself in Valve's 25th anniversary hour-long documentary, which focuses on the remarkable journey behind the creation of Half-Life. The game turns…
- Florida Man: The SportImagine this: You're being chased by the police. There's fences you must jump in order to evade capture. Or you're in a booth with money being blown all around you…
- Rivian Delivers ExpansionRivian, the automaker who makes the quite-cool-looking fully-electric delivery vans for Amazon, has gotten its wish. The company has ended its exclusivity with Amazon and is ready to expand its…