30 2022 December
The Most Popular Non-Obvious Stories of 2022 (Based On Reader Feedback)
Based on this combination of quantitative and qualitative data, here is a partial list of some of the most popular stories of the year, based on what my readers shared.
Read Now29 2022 September
The Danger of Falling In Love With a “Petbot”
When you give your heart to technology, it's best to be prepared for the reality that just because it could last forever doesn't mean it will.
Read Now01 2022 September
Why Microsoft’s Clippy Is Now a Pop Culture Icon
Clippy's newfound popularity seems to reflect a hunger for the good old times when assistants might be annoying, but were also easily switched off and lived without. Unlike the ubiquitous voice assistants of today.
Read Now11 2022 August
Why I Will Never Buy a Macbook
I am a writer, so my keyboard is pretty important to me. It's the reason why my computer of choice for the past two decades has consistently been a Lenovo Thinkpad. They have the best keyboards.
Read Now16 2022 June
How To Archive Yourself In the Digital Age
This article helped me consider the value of discarding that archive so I can move beyond the past version of myself that it commemorates. No doubt it is easier to become a better person when your past self isn't just a resurfaced tweet away.
Read Now03 2020 September
The Non-Obvious Insights Show – Episode #233
This week’s stories will include desperate airlines selling in-flight meals online, the LA Olympic committee’s brilliantly inclusive new logo, how to use stupidity to get...
Read Now02 2020 August
The First Robot Many People Loved Is Getting a Second Life
Last year in I wrote about a story from WIRED about the unexpectedly real sense of loss that many owners of the Jibo robot were feeling...
Read Now25 2020 July
How Ultra-Niche Phones Are Going Tiny, Rugged and Bringing Back Keyboards
Each time a “game-changing” new mobile phone is announced with a camera that has incrementally more megapixels, it sparks another moment of tech envy. Every...
Read Now23 2020 July
5 Virtual Presentation Lessons From Comic-Con
I have wanted to go to the Comic-Con event for years, but never quite managed to make it. This year, I finally can – because the...
Read Now21 2020 July
How Researchers Trained and Created AI With Psycopathic Tendencies
What happens when you train an AI algorithm only with murderous images from horror films or macabre photos from the Internet? A seriously disturbed AI,...
Read Now18 2020 July
5 Ways To Conquer Zoom Fatigue
We are tired of Zoom. It’s not just Zoom, but the idea of being on video all day that is straining our relationship with the...
Read Now17 2020 July
How Afrofuturists Think Different and Why the Questions They Ask Matter
“Futurists labor over questions about the nature of Android consciousness and empathy. Afrofuturists ask how race might be wired into Android consciousness and whether the...
Read Now30 2020 March
10 Futuristic Ideas Becoming Reality Faster Because Of COVID-19
For the past ten years I’ve been a collector of innovative ideas. When I write about them and interview the people behind them, I know...
Read Now