Rough Drafts

You’d think the iPod Shuffle would work just like any other iPod. But there are some inexplicable differences. For instance, most iPods you can plug into any computer and play the music that’s on them through ITunes. Not so with the Shuffle–when you plug it in, your only option is to reload the thin

A friend asked if I could name a few San Francisco-based bloggers. It was harder than I expected, though there are certainly a few. Here’s an off-the-top-of-my-head list of bloggers I know of, in and around San Francisco: Craig Newmark Valleywag (a flagrantly commercial effort to capitalize on a par

I’m spending way too much time listening to MP3s from New York radio station WFMU’s Beware of the Blog. Where else could you find enough versions of Stairway to Heaven and Tico Tico to fill up a Shuffle? Where else could you hear Stephin Merritt playing version after version of Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, in

Escape from Chinatown, uploaded by fueledbycoffee. There’s a certain mad intensity to riding a bicycle in downtown SF–a bit like driving a car in Manhattan. You have to be hyper-alert, and a bit aggressive, in order to stay safe and get to where you want to go. It’s like a high-stakes video game. Al

I’ve started a new job as editorial director of PCMagCast, Ziff-Davis’s online events channel for consumers and small to medium-sized businesses. I’ll be producing, hosting, and appearing in online events and web seminars on a variety of technical topics. PCMagCast is brand new, so don’t be put off

Stopped by the Maker Faire yesterday at the San Mateo Fairgrounds–right in our neighborhood–and checked out some of the amazing contraptions and creations hacked together by amateur inventors, tinkerers, and madmen. Highlights included two huge jets of flame that shot 20′ or so into the air, courtes

Fon founder Martin Varsavsky wants to create a Wi-Fi network with a million hotspots. (By contrast, iPass–currently the largest network–has about 43,500.) He’s got his work cut out for him. Read more in my article for Technology Review, appearing today on the TR home page. Fon Hopes its Hotspots Wil

The daily haiku journal I publish, tinywords — which I like to refer to as “the world’s tiniest magazine” — has resumed publication. I’m working on some enhancements to the site which I hope to be able to announce in the next couple of weeks. I’ve ended a short, ill-conceived flirtation with WordPre

Much as I lean to the left, I have to admit that lefties often make really stupid choices when choosing how to stage their protests. Too often these protests happen out of some vague sense of anger and outrage, with very little attention to the message they’re conveying. ie: Bad branding. Case in po

Xeni has her spiky platinum hair. Cory has his chunky black glasses. Malcolm has his, um, hair. Seth has his ears. I feel like I’m missing a branding opportunity here. What to do: Shave my head? Bleach my hair and spike it up like I did in the 90s? Wear a huge bone through my […]

I’m an “Advocating Leader” according to the website PersonalDNA. This multicolored square represents the different elements of my personality–mouse over the colors to see what each one means. Thank god I’m only very slightly totalitarian. Take your own test here (it takes about 15 minutes and you ge

Putting a waterproof camera in a bathtub and then taking self-portraits with the camera submerged is a great way to make yourself look really FREAKY.