Nostr notes by harry

Never blame anything on a staffer or an intern. Particularly if ...

2026-02-06T22:49:41Z

Never blame anything on a staffer or an intern. Particularly if you did it.

Among the Super Bowl’s many impressive qualities is that it’s ...

2026-02-06T21:18:47Z

Among the Super Bowl’s many impressive qualities is that it’s managed to make driving impossible in San Francisco this whole week, despite the fact that it’s not happening for another couple of days and won’t be played here.

I forgot I wrote this story, in a very different time. (Offering ...

2026-02-06T17:10:05Z

I forgot I wrote this story, in a very different time. (Offering its CMS as a service didn’t end up bolstering the Post’s fortunes.) https://www.fastcompany.com/40495770/the-washington-post-is-a-software-company-now

I wrote about AI taking over software development in general, my ...

2026-02-06T17:06:31Z

I wrote about AI taking over software development in general, my experience with Claude Code in particular, and this guy named Edsger Dijkstra who thought normal people shouldn’t even try to program computers. https://www.fastcompany.com/91485494/vibe-coding-with-claude-code

“Democracy Dies in Darkness” now seems like a tagline that ...

2026-02-04T23:02:43Z

“Democracy Dies in Darkness” now seems like a tagline that can’t be shed—no matter what—because of what people would day if it went away.

I’m hoping that “it” is my sanity back. (All of a sudden, ...

2026-02-04T22:50:32Z

I’m hoping that “it” is my sanity back.

(All of a sudden, I’m getting daily Trumpy texts like this. I’m not sure if they’re scammy or just spammy.)

What are the chances that the people currently running the ...

2026-02-04T20:43:28Z

What are the chances that the people currently running the company will lead it out this this? https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/business/media/washington-post-layoffs.html?unlocked_article_code=1.JlA.MfCF.jQ5uqT7LjKBH&smid=bs-share

What are the chances that the people currently running the ...

2026-02-04T20:43:01Z

Claude Coats painted backgrounds for Disney cartoons and went on ...

2026-02-03T16:30:30Z

Claude Coats painted backgrounds for Disney cartoons and went on to help design Disneyland. I think of him whenever I think of Claude Code.

I’m having a lot of fun with Claude Code (and wrote something I ...

2026-02-03T16:25:40Z

I’m having a lot of fun with Claude Code (and wrote something I plan to share soon), but I’m not sure why it’s suddenly decided someone is using prompt injection to interfere with my project.

Describing Trump as someone who speaks his mind seems like a ...

2026-02-02T20:03:21Z

Describing Trump as someone who speaks his mind seems like a total misreading to me. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/world/americas/colombia-petro-trump-white-house.html

It was a great day when Lola Heatherton and Lorna Minelli met. ...

2026-01-30T20:23:09Z

It was a great day when Lola Heatherton and Lorna Minelli met. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIXxHC4B6c0&list=RDMIXxHC4B6c0&start_radio=1

“May each new friend you meet/Bring you more body heat…” ...

2026-01-30T20:16:15Z

“May each new friend you meet/Bring you more body heat…” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liOtOSR_Pp0

Brooke Shields interviewing Tip O’Neill will never not make me ...

2026-01-30T19:07:14Z

Brooke Shields interviewing Tip O’Neill will never not make me laugh. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eV6vRLDj_s

For this week’s Plugged In newsletter, I wrote about the end of ...

2026-01-30T19:02:51Z

For this week’s Plugged In newsletter, I wrote about the end of Amazon Go and dashed expectations for cashierless retail in general. I was a fan, but but the pieces may never come in place to make it real, beyond certain niches. https://www.fastcompany.com/91483585/amazon-go-closing

I’m so sorry to hear about the death of Catherine O’Hara. She ...

2026-01-30T18:49:42Z

I’m so sorry to hear about the death of Catherine O’Hara. She was unbelievably brilliant on SCTV as Lola Heatheron, Dusty Towne, a particularly uncanny Rona Barrett, Brooke Shields, Lucille Ball, and so many more. A one-woman comedy hall of fame. RIP. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=990OaFr8EYw

The saving grace is that watching a movie about Melania Trump ...

2026-01-25T03:45:39Z

The saving grace is that watching a movie about Melania Trump does sound like being subjected to a form of torture. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/white-house-vip-melania-screening-mike-tyson-tim-cook-1236484037/

Turns out you can declare war on your own country and still get ...

2026-01-25T03:43:43Z

Turns out you can declare war on your own country and still get CEOs to come to your party. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/white-house-vip-melania-screening-mike-tyson-tim-cook-1236484037/

It’s the 42nd anniversary of Steve Jobs unveiling the Mac, so ...

2026-01-25T01:56:27Z

It’s the 42nd anniversary of Steve Jobs unveiling the Mac, so here’s my 2014 article on him showing it off at the Boston Computer Society six days later, with video. (It’s better quality than the video of the earlier event, which was so bad John Sculley apologized for it.) https://time.com/1847/steve-jobs-mac/

Have any of these paragons of ethical leadership and corporate ...

2026-01-24T19:16:13Z

Have any of these paragons of ethical leadership and corporate citizenship had anything to say about the crisis unfolding?

RIP, Uncle Floyd, the last of the great local kids’ show hosts. ...

2026-01-23T19:55:53Z

RIP, Uncle Floyd, the last of the great local kids’ show hosts. Please tell me some of his stuff is on YouTube. https://nypost.com/2026/01/23/entertainment/legendary-nj-comedian-floyd-vivino-aka-uncle-floyd-dead-at-74/

I talked with Woz about where great products come from, why he ...

2026-01-23T16:50:31Z

I talked with Woz about where great products come from, why he became an inventor, how people’s personalities are shaped, the link between jokes and creativity, and more. https://www.fastcompany.com/91477114/steve-wozniak-woz-apple-the-tech-interactive-humanitarian-award

I don’t have anything in any of my AI chatbot histories I’d ...

2026-01-22T22:29:32Z

I don’t have anything in any of my AI chatbot histories I’d be traumatized to lose. I WOULD be bummed out by my vibecoding projects or their data getting blown away, but that’s already happened, and I was lucky enough to be able to restore stuff. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-04064-7

I need your help for a newsletter I’m writing: Give me some ...

2026-01-22T01:53:38Z

I need your help for a newsletter I’m writing:

Give me some examples—ANY examples—of people from Silicon Valley and the tech industry at large who are famous for having great senses of humor. It may not be a very long list!

Now I’m having these horrible visions of this failing so badly ...

2026-01-21T23:30:43Z

Now I’m having these horrible visions of this failing so badly that Apple has to sell itself to HP.

https://www.theinformation.com/articles/apple-developing-ai-wearable-pin?rc=nbbkkl

A confession: I have long believed that when I was 8, our family ...

2026-01-21T23:09:41Z

A confession:

I have long believed that when I was 8, our family flew from NYC to Paris via Greenland, and I got off the plane and set foot in the country for about 15 minutes. But apparently that’s very unlikely and we probably flew through Iceland on our way to Luxembourg?

I’m looking forward to trying this. ...

2026-01-21T16:25:26Z

I’m looking forward to trying this. https://www.fastcompany.com/91470191/fizzy-is-37signals-fix-for-boring-complex-ai-infested-productivity-apps

Courage is contagious, but it has to start somewhere. ...

2026-01-20T21:14:56Z

Courage is contagious, but it has to start somewhere.

https://wapo.st/3NvYdEk

Courtesy of @newyorkbob, a photo of my CES chat with will.i.am on ...

2026-01-15T05:02:07Z

Courtesy of @newyorkbob, a photo of my CES chat with will.i.am on topics ranging from how he uses AI to make music (spoiler: he doesn’t) to his micromobility startup to his favorite teachers. I hope they post the session online, if only so I can grab a shot of him hugging me, which I did not expect.

In other CES news, I’m looking forward to chatting with ...

2026-01-06T17:39:03Z

In other CES news, I’m looking forward to chatting with will.i.am on the Foundry stage at the Fontainebleau at 4:30pm on Thursday. If you’re here, hope you’ll attend! https://www.ces.tech/schedule/how-ai-can-be-more-inclusive/

In other CES news, I’m looking forward to chatting with ...

2026-01-06T17:37:53Z

If you like magic, this show currently playing in New York is ...

2025-12-28T03:29:26Z

If you like magic, this show currently playing in New York is really good, and has one or two truly jaw-dropping moments. (Also, lots of stuff to entertain gadget nerds.) https://amazemagic.com/new-york/

If you like magic, this show currently playing in New York is ...

2025-12-28T03:28:47Z

If you like magic, this show currently playing in New York is ...

2025-12-28T03:28:08Z

From 1991, my friend Maurice Noble, who designed How the Grinch ...

2025-12-25T04:43:45Z

From 1991, my friend Maurice Noble, who designed How the Grinch Stole Christmas, on A Charlie Brown Christmas. (The rest of the interview: https://harrymccracken.com/blog/stepping-into-the-picture-an-interview-with-maurice-noble-1991/)

From 55 years ago, a letter from Grandmother Jacobson to her ...

2025-12-25T04:35:08Z

From 55 years ago, a letter from Grandmother Jacobson to her clothing store’s customers.

RIP. “Yummy Yummy Yummy” is a great song, and 1910 Fruitgum ...

2025-12-25T04:12:27Z

RIP. “Yummy Yummy Yummy” is a great song, and 1910 Fruitgum Company has always been one of my favorite band names. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/22/arts/music/jerry-kasenetz-dead.html

For Christmas: Grandma McCracken’s chocolate cookies, the best ...

2025-12-25T03:34:02Z

For Christmas: Grandma McCracken’s chocolate cookies, the best in the world.

Overheard at this street corner: “This is where they make my ...

2025-12-25T02:06:17Z

Overheard at this street corner:

“This is where they make my articles?”

“Yup.”

In the end, DOGE will be remembered for the many deaths and other ...

2025-12-24T03:25:53Z

In the end, DOGE will be remembered for the many deaths and other forms of misery it needlessly inflicted on the U.S. and the world, not whether it saved any money. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/us/politics/doge-musk-trump-analysis.html

In the end, DOGE will be remembered for the many deaths and other ...

2025-12-24T03:25:40Z

Here’s my colleague Rebecca Heilweil with some new reporting on ...

2025-12-23T18:39:54Z

Here’s my colleague Rebecca Heilweil with some new reporting on why Waymos were confounded by the San Francisco blackout, and what the company is doing to prevent it from happening again. https://www.fastcompany.com/91465377/waymo-san-francisco-outage-robotaxi

My last story of 2025 (probably): A look at Olive, an AI startup ...

2025-12-23T17:39:44Z

My last story of 2025 (probably): A look at Olive, an AI startup founded by Silicon Valley veteran Bill Nguyen (Lala, Color, etc.) and five Georgia Tech students. https://www.fastcompany.com/91464353/olive-is-bill-nguyen-voice-ai-education?mvgt=dGCknsv0gSJR

Great job, everyone. ...

2025-12-23T02:33:16Z

Great job, everyone. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/spiked-60-minutes-segment-posted-online-airs-canada-1236457731/

And here I am on Inside the Media Minds. ...

2025-12-22T06:45:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…9xpf
_________________________

And here I am on Inside the Media Minds. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-the-media-minds/id1439481439?i=1000740412077

I forgot to mention a couple of podcasts I’ve guested on ...

2025-12-22T06:45:41Z

I forgot to mention a couple of podcasts I’ve guested on recently. Here I am on William Cooper’s Books & More. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/books-and-more-with-william-cooper/id1812487408?i=1000740679673

Is there any law conclusively prohibiting a president from ...

2025-12-19T22:03:16Z

Is there any law conclusively prohibiting a president from renaming a country after himself?

I do think we might all be better off if chatbots were trained to ...

2025-12-19T19:24:23Z

I do think we might all be better off if chatbots were trained to be anodyne, not friendly. I love Google’s AI Studio in part because it just does what I tell it to do, and is devoid of manufactured charm. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/technology/why-do-ai-chatbots-use-i.html

For my last newsletter of the year, I looked at why I’m finding ...

2025-12-19T16:13:10Z

For my last newsletter of the year, I looked at why I’m finding AI more useful than ever (but also why a lot of it still is an obstacle to my productivity). https://www.fastcompany.com/91462254/ai-productivity-2025

Anyone who’s trusted Farmers for nearly 100 years should ...

2025-12-18T02:02:25Z

Anyone who’s trusted Farmers for nearly 100 years should probably not be driving anymore.

The very first Barstool Sports video I watched, one of ...

2025-12-17T22:42:58Z

The very first Barstool Sports video I watched, one of Portnoy’s pizza reviews, had a bizarre, unrelated, and vile racist aside partway through. I haven’t been back. https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/netflix-dave-portnoy-barstool-sports-exclusive-video-podcasts-1236610822/

Our WeWork plays background music continuously, and today it’s ...

2025-12-17T20:48:34Z

Our WeWork plays background music continuously, and today it’s included my favorite Christmas song four times.

(No, it’s not Jingle Bells, White Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, I’ll Be Home For Christmas, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, or Silver Bells.)

I attended a recent Vision Pro developer event at Apple Park and ...

2025-12-17T17:36:05Z

I attended a recent Vision Pro developer event at Apple Park and talked to a bunch of folks about the rewards and challenges of creating immersive media for the platform. https://www.fastcompany.com/91461534/apple-vision-pro-immersive-video

I’m sorry to hear about the death of Norman Podhoretz, who was ...

2025-12-17T17:13:40Z

I’m sorry to hear about the death of Norman Podhoretz, who was my father’s editor for years, and who wrote this customer-service letter to my grandmother in 1971.

I spoke with Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe about why it designed its own ...

2025-12-16T17:57:31Z

I spoke with Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe about why it designed its own autonomy platform down to the chip level, and lots more. https://www.fastcompany.com/91459861/rivian-ai-autonomy-self-driving-lidar-rj-scaringe?mvgt=nW2JdStgctsg

I’m sorry that Brett Schlender’s death in October didn’t ...

2025-12-16T17:41:28Z

I’m sorry that Brett Schlender’s death in October didn’t get more attention. He was a remarkable journalist. https://salsop.substack.com/p/remembering-brent-schlender

Is everyone drowning in odd spam emails purporting to be from ...

2025-12-16T03:54:38Z

Is everyone drowning in odd spam emails purporting to be from SendGrid, or just me?

(I have a SendGrid account, but that might just be a coincidence.)

All media products are imperfect. AI doesn’t have to be ...

2025-12-16T01:49:01Z

All media products are imperfect. AI doesn’t have to be flawless to be useful. But you can’t ship anything you know fabricates quotes, any more than you’d knowing employ a reporter who did so. https://www.semafor.com/article/12/14/2025/iterate-through-why-the-washington-post-launched-an-error-ridden-ai-product

Today I learned that Joan Javits and Philip Springer, who wrote ...

2025-12-15T22:36:30Z

Today I learned that Joan Javits and Philip Springer, who wrote “Santa Baby” for Eartha Kitt in 1953, are both still with us. https://youtu.be/Mk_GmhD053E?si=XajRd6h7zzs0nAYh

As with Elaine May’s Ishtar, I am somewhat baffled by why ...

2025-12-15T16:56:53Z

As with Elaine May’s Ishtar, I am somewhat baffled by why people find Rob Reiner’s North to be such an awful movie.

I see abandoned electronics on sidewalks fairly often. But this ...

2025-12-14T22:53:49Z

I see abandoned electronics on sidewalks fairly often. But this is the first 16mm projector I recall. (It was near an antique store, though maybe that was just a coincidence?)

Like me, Dick Van Dyke is an Amiga fanatic. I’m sorry our paths ...

2025-12-13T18:27:34Z

Like me, Dick Van Dyke is an Amiga fanatic. I’m sorry our paths never crossed through that connection. But here he is with NewTek’s legendary Kiki Stockhammer, who I have met. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1J9kfDCAmU

Very early in his career, Dick Van Dyke worked with Heckle and ...

2025-12-13T18:23:44Z

Very early in his career, Dick Van Dyke worked with Heckle and Jeckle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk0SNY_aIyw

Overall, The Comic (1969) is not that great. But the fake silent ...

2025-12-13T18:15:21Z

Overall, The Comic (1969) is not that great. But the fake silent movies with Dick Van Dyke, Michele Lee, and Michele Lee are a joy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDFOg7Wcr6s&t=68s

Happy Dick Van Dyke’s birthday! Cold Turkey provided him with ...

2025-12-13T18:11:06Z

Happy Dick Van Dyke’s birthday! Cold Turkey provided him with one of his best roles, and one the most unusual ones in that he’s not terribly sympathetic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMEMp6I4lSQ

Dear world, I don’t need any more pitches involving predictions ...

2025-12-13T00:40:56Z

Dear world,

I don’t need any more pitches involving predictions for any stories I may be working on involving predictions. I’m not working on any prediction stories.

Best, Harry

It took two rounds of updates, but Apple has now restored almost ...

2025-12-12T22:33:06Z

It took two rounds of updates, but Apple has now restored almost all of the iPad Split View/SlideOver multitasking features that iPadOS 26 removed. I’m not sure why they didn’t stick around in the first place, but this is a massive relief to me. https://www.macrumors.com/2025/12/12/apple-releases-ipados-26-2/

For this week’s Plugged In newsletter, I wrote about why the ...

2025-12-12T16:40:57Z

For this week’s Plugged In newsletter, I wrote about why the tech industry is enchanted with the idea of building Jane and George Jetson’s robotic maid, and still hasn’t completed the job. (It was fun having to watch old cartoons to research this piece.) https://www.fastcompany.com/91457374/rosie-the-robot-jetsons

For this week’s Plugged In newsletter, I wrote about why the ...

2025-12-12T16:39:54Z

For this week’s Plugged In newsletter, I wrote about why the ...

2025-12-12T16:39:34Z

I have been remiss in not yet posting photos from Jonathan ...

2025-12-10T17:42:34Z

I have been remiss in not yet posting photos from Jonathan Rotenberg’s extraordinary Apple garage gang panel at the Byte Shop 50th birthday party last weekend. Rod Holt, Bill Fernandez, and Dan Kottke were onstage, Chris Espinosa zoomed in, and Woz made a surprise guest appearance.

Here’s my look at Astranis, an innovative space company ...

2025-12-10T15:48:16Z

Here’s my look at Astranis, an innovative space company that’s not only based in San Francisco but manufacturing satellites there. https://www.fastcompany.com/91456505/astranis-microgeo-satellites-john-gedmark?mvgt=xRg2mwIRxJoT

I am certainly enjoying the Byte Shop 50th anniversary event here ...

2025-12-07T06:51:45Z

I am certainly enjoying the Byte Shop 50th anniversary event here in San Jose, an incredible industry reunion. Among other things, I chatted with two of Apple’s cofounders tonight at the opening cocktail party. (Here I am with Ron Wayne; I didn’t get a photo with Woz, but he was in fine form.)

Sorry, there’s no such thing as refounding a company. ...

2025-12-07T05:49:53Z

Sorry, there’s no such thing as refounding a company. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/06/business/refounding-startups-ai.html

Nostr event nevent1qqsy4mp8gr82azu56zv36mg29ejytdnra6u5sjm58xwej9hqewc7y5czyzdzhj3t0v050wj02lvd4z5pvzt6lhhpfxe6s4y8j32fyzqrygeuck0n964

2025-12-06T00:21:33Z

The feds should only approve this deal if Netflix rebrands as Max.

I wrote about how incredibly easy it is to move from ChatGPT to ...

2025-12-05T17:15:41Z

I wrote about how incredibly easy it is to move from ChatGPT to another AI chatbot (Gemini, in my case), a fact Sam Altman seems to know and be concerned about. https://www.fastcompany.com/91454222/chatgpt-vs-gemini

The media business doesn’t need any more consolidation, but ...

2025-12-05T07:41:03Z

The media business doesn’t need any more consolidation, but this might be the least bad of the likely outcomes? (Of course, Warner Bros. is doomed to be sold every few years, so everyone will get their chance.) https://deadline.com/2025/12/netflix-wins-bidding-for-warner-bros-discovery-1236637057/?fbclid=IwY2xjawOfaxNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETExOE9BdUlMVThlbFR4SEhkc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHjOnU1mvxUH74VRFtoOYuxIIU52yXdgO7Zw107FdqEp4b8zTfd7nGHGnPsuB_aem_SC9J2oEG-0Vda892M9XSAw

I’m excited to be one of the people helping to put together ...

2025-12-04T17:02:06Z

I’m excited to be one of the people helping to put together this 50th birthday party for the Byte Shop in San Jose this weekend. It’s free and open to the public, and will be an extraordinary opportunity to mingle with some of the folks who invented the PC age. https://byteshop50thyearbirthdayp.rsvpify.com

Here’s our Fast Company AI 20 list for 2025! Twenty of the ...

2025-12-04T15:48:50Z

Here’s our Fast Company AI 20 list for 2025! Twenty of the people shaping our technological future in intriguing ways, and not one of them is someone you’d call one of the usual suspects. https://www.fastcompany.com/91428488/fast-company-ai-20-2025

I also used what looked like a leather portfolio, with a video ...

2025-12-04T05:31:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…9mc8
_________________________

I also used what looked like a leather portfolio, with a video camera built into it. NBC had a whole department with Q-like tech wizards who came up with this gadgetry.

When I did a hidden-camera investigation into PC repair shops ...

2025-12-04T05:31:15Z

When I did a hidden-camera investigation into PC repair shops with Dateline NBC many years ago, I wore a baggy sweatshirt with a purposefully ugly giant logo on it, concealing a tiny hidden camera. It connected to a video recorder I wore on my belt. https://petapixel.com/2025/12/03/tiny-camera-hidden-in-mickey-mouse-t-shirt-leads-to-couples-arrest-over-787k-casino-win/

I also used what looked like a leather portfolio, with a video ...

2025-12-04T05:31:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…uap0
_________________________

I also used what looked like a leather portfolio, with a video camera built into it. NBC had a whole department with Q-like tech wizards who came up with this gadgetry.

When I did a hidden-camera investigation into PC repair shops ...

2025-12-04T05:31:04Z

I also used what looked like a leather portfolio, with a video ...

2025-12-04T05:30:40Z

In reply to nevent1q…9mkk
_________________________

I also used what looked like a leather portfolio, with a video camera built into it. NBC had a whole department with Q-like tech wizards who came up with this gadgetry.

When I did a hidden-camera investigation into PC repair shops ...

2025-12-04T05:30:38Z

Personally, I think the Vision Pro is Apple’s best new software ...

2025-12-03T22:45:55Z

Personally, I think the Vision Pro is Apple’s best new software design work of the past decade by quite a bit. Certainly other good stuff scattered throughout other experiences, but it’s been a somewhat listless era. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-12-03/apple-design-executive-alan-dye-poached-by-meta-in-major-coup

There are some wonderful remasterings and restorations. But also ...

2025-12-03T06:48:47Z

There are some wonderful remasterings and restorations. But also so many that make the work worse. https://www.wired.com/story/hbo-maxs-mad-men-barf-scene-proves-remastered-doesnt-mean-better/

If Warner Bros. ends up being sold for parts, there are a few ...

2025-12-02T19:58:44Z

If Warner Bros. ends up being sold for parts, there are a few forgotten cartoon characters I’d happily buy at the right price. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-12-01/warner-bros-gets-mostly-cash-netflix-offer-in-new-round-of-bids

During Giannandrea’s tenure, I kept expecting there to be a ...

2025-12-01T23:51:25Z

During Giannandrea’s tenure, I kept expecting there to be a WWDC where Siri finally took a great leap forward. That finally happened last year. Except it still hasn’t shipped. https://www.macrumors.com/2025/12/01/apple-ai-chief-retiring-after-siri-failure/

For Fast Company’s new print issue, I wrote about Ed Zitron and ...

2025-12-01T23:32:36Z

For Fast Company’s new print issue, I wrote about Ed Zitron and talked to the man himself, fans, and critics about his stance that the AI industry as we know it is doomed to collapse, his dual life as AI cassandra/PR man, and more. https://www.fastcompany.com/91448284/ed-zitron-ai-bubble-chatgpt-prophet-of-doom-wheres-your-ed-at-better-offline?mvgt=AANCBLWasHu4

Fred C. Trump was also awful, but talked a better game than his ...

2025-11-29T18:59:32Z

Fred C. Trump was also awful, but talked a better game than his son.

HBO Max’s willingness to laugh at itself is possibly admirable, ...

2025-11-29T06:49:17Z

HBO Max’s willingness to laugh at itself is possibly admirable, but feels like it’s just confusing matters: I thought for a moment they meant they’d decided to stay Max after all.

I wrote about a battery, a wallet, and a book light—seemingly ...

2025-11-29T01:34:21Z

I wrote about a battery, a wallet, and a book light—seemingly mundane products I really enjoy using. https://www.fastcompany.com/91448751/3-tech-products-that-quietly-made-my-life-better-in-2025

My mother’s grandparents were all born within 125-175 miles of ...

2025-11-28T19:50:03Z

My mother’s grandparents were all born within 125-175 miles of Stephen Miller’s great-grandfather’s hometown, Antopol. They emigrated to the U.S. and settled in Iowa and Indiana about 20 years before he found a home in Pennsylvania. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/08/13/stephen-miller-is-an-immigration-hypocrite-i-know-because-im-his-uncle-219351/

Happy Thanksgiving! Here’s the 1965 Macy’s parade, as seen in ...

2025-11-27T18:20:31Z

Happy Thanksgiving! Here’s the 1965 Macy’s parade, as seen in two of my father’s photos and one, taken by an unidentified family member, of me atop his shoulders. I still wonder if it’s possible to identify the precise location.

Speaking of Deputy Dawg, I sometimes use this question to test ...

2025-11-26T22:20:39Z

Speaking of Deputy Dawg, I sometimes use this question to test AI. Gemini took it more seriously than any other bot I’ve tried, though it seems to have hallucinated the part about the rain dance. (The sheriff made Deputy Dawg release the chief on grounds of jurisdiction and fear of legal issues.)

I’m a sucker for similes involving and cartoon characters, but ...

2025-11-26T22:09:25Z

I’m a sucker for similes involving and cartoon characters, but I’m sorry, Biden and Trump aren’t Rocky and Bullwinkle. Trump may be Mr. Magoo’s evil twin, though.

(Bill Clinton once compared himself to Baby Huey. Dan Rather inexplicably introduced his colleague Bob Schieffer as Deputy Dawg.)

I’ve been vibecoding in Gemini 3 Pro (using Google’s AI ...

2025-11-24T06:52:42Z

I’ve been vibecoding in Gemini 3 Pro (using Google’s AI Studio), and it’s really great. Not the richest platform I’ve tried in terms of features, but its ability to write code that actually works without a lot of guidance or mishaps is fantastic so far.

This guy’s legacy is incredible (and Mr. Machine deserves more ...

2025-11-21T23:30:45Z

This guy’s legacy is incredible (and Mr. Machine deserves more than a passing mention). https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/arts/design/burton-meyer-dead.html

I wrote about Google’s Gemini 3 Pro, which did a lot of the ...

2025-11-21T18:48:10Z

I wrote about Google’s Gemini 3 Pro, which did a lot of the stuff I tried really well. But it also hallucinated with great gusto and sometimes behaved strangely when I pointed out its errors. https://www.fastcompany.com/91444721/googles-gemini-3-pro-benchmarks-hands-on