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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 Updating
    Later, 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 Data
    The 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 “before times” 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 TV
    The 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 Madness
    Clicking 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 Kin
    The 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 Catalog
    It'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 Deletion
    We 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 ‘Em
    It'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 Noms
    A 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 Wanted
    In 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 Information
    It'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 You
    You 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 Fault
    Forget about COVID. This is the real reason I never go to the movies It’s 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, Wrist
    Events 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…

The Stream

Interesting and quick reads about what’s 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.

  • Getting Cozy With Games
    The first thing people generally think of when they hear "video games" is Mario or shooters such as Halo or Call of Duty. While these are wildly-popular types of games,…
  • Chromebook Trash
    One interesting part of the 2020 COVID lockdowns was the frenzy of school districts to procure computers to facilitate remote learning for all students. There were months-long waits for Chromebooks…
  • Half-Life’s Dream
    Half-Life is one of the most successful video games of the early 2000s. The introduction of supreme storytelling into a shooter while adding exploration elements flipped an industry on its…
  • Galactic Starcrasher
    In not-so-surprising news, Disney has announced they're shutting down its Galactic Starcruiser hotel and experience in September. You know, the two-night immersive Star Wars hotel that costs $2500 per night.…
  • Cooking With Brian Baumgartner
    Brian Baumgartner's character of Kevin from The Office is legendary. There are many reasons, but of course, his chili segment is The One that everyone remembers. Even Peacock put the…
  • The Lisa That Started It All
    Every time Apple talks about its history during a keynote, they focus on the Macintosh. Its 1984 debut was industry-shifting. However, nearly every groundbreaking idea it embodied stood on the…
  • FaceTime For The Birds
    When Steve Jobs debuted FaceTime back on the iPhone 4, it felt like the future had arrived. For decades we dreamed of portable video calls that The Jetsons had promised.…
  • Phone Crocs
    Crocs are all the rage right now. Collabs with 7-Eleven and Wu-Tang Clan are some of the unforeseen ways in which these kinda-ugly clogs have struck gold. Hoping to piggyback…
  • More People Reach the Tipping Point
    Tipping. We all hate it. I've talked about it in the past. It's out of hand and as time goes on, we're seeing more examples of people that are simply…
  • A Brydge Too Far
    In late-breaking news last week, I was stunned to find out that iPad accessory maker Brydge had closed up shop, ceasing operations immediately. On its own, this is a sad…
  • DPReview’s Shutdown is a Reminder That the Internet is Ephemeral
    I'm the first to admit I'm not a camera buff. When my kids were born I splurged on a Canon T2i DSLR camera because I wanted to take the best…
  • Belkin May Not Matter
    Matter, a common language for smart home tech, faces issues with Belkin pausing adoption. Belkin's devices don't offer anything unique and can become commodities, making it hard to stand out. The company plans to differentiate its products, but it is unclear when.
  • Pepperoni Hug Spot
    I know there is endless hype around AI. And as I've said previously AI chatbots are nothing more than a next-word-prediction algorithm (that loves to lie). But sometimes when you…
  • Tiny Desk, Big U2
    The NPR series "Tiny Desk" is really fun. The small space made to look like a busy cubicle is set up for big-name musical acts to perform. It's an intimate…
  • Voice Password Failure
    AI-powered voice cloning technology has advanced to the point where scammers can now easily create convincing fake audio of someone's voice. In a proof-of-concept video, Watch how Joseph Cox from Vice demonstrates how he was able to access his bank account by simulating his voice using AI.
  • Cupertino Savings
    It's no secret that Apple is making many inroads in the financial sector. I would guess it's a lucrative place for them to focus now that services are fully established…
  • AI Attempts Seinfeld Recreation
    Nothing, Forever is an AI-generated stream that recreates Seinfeld, the hit 90s sitcom, with a fully-automated system. Created via machine learning and AI algorithms, the always-on show creates & delivers new content every minute on the fly.
  • The Old and the New NYC Subway
    NYC's subway system is a blend of old and new design elements, and a century of history. Architect Michael Wyetzner explores the fascinating cues that exist in the world-renowned subway system. For a quick history lesson, check out Architectural Digest's fun video.
  • Sustainable Ancient Roman Design
    In an effort to ensure sustainability and reduce costs, invisible solar panels have been installed on ancient Roman ruins in Pompeii. Created by Dyaqua, the traditional PV tiles mimic materials like terracotta, stone, wood, concrete, and brick. This upgrade not only provides sustainable energy but also blends seamlessly into the historic site's aesthetic, preserving its authenticity for millions of annual visitors.
  • Jack Black: Commercial Actor
    Jack Black, the actor loved by many, is set to voice Bowser in the new Super Mario Bros movie. But did you know that forty years ago, he starred in a commercial for Pitfall? Pitfall was a popular adventure game for Atari 2600 and featured advanced graphics for its time. Now, you can enjoy Black's past work before seeing his new performance in 2023.
  • People Don’t Want Car Subscriptions
    Investors demand automakers adopt in-car connected features for recurring revenue, but a survey by AutoPacific shows car buyers aren't interested. Of 11 features, only 30% want to pay for a $15/month data plan for their car's Internet access. Built-in feature subscriptions are a stupid idea that needs to stop.
  • Remix That Ringtone
    A fun gem I found where musician Tony Ann has taken the iconic ringtone we all know from the iPhone and turned it into a complete song. It's not the…
  • High School Pinball Throwback
    Arcades, dominant in the 80s are something of a bygone era. While there is a resurgence in places to play video games in the modern era, no 80s arcade is…
  • Rivian’s Fork on Amazon’s Route
    The future of delivery trucks should be electric. The USPS is finally going to head into this direction. Amazon has been part of this change too. Their 2019 deal with…
  • Voice Scammed
    Over the years we've grown skeptical about text messages and unknown callers. Unsolicited calls informing us our car's warranties are expiring are a joke now and it is becoming well…