So far in 2015, I’m doing a great job of keeping my only resolution – to give up coffees. Not coffee, the staff-of-life-steaming beverage. (God forbid, no.) But those meaningless,… Read More
It’s not whether you embrace the light side or the dark side. It’s how you dress the part. That, in a nutshell, sums up Rebel, Jedi, Princess, Queen: Star Wars and… Read More
Education technology is a weird little industry. But you may never fully appreciate exactly how weird until you start to dig into the numbers for 2014 — a record year for investment… Read More
All hail paper, the book reading technology resurgent. Eight years after the first Amazon Kindle and five years since the first Apple iPad, lowly pressed wood pulp is on the… Read More
I have seen the future. And it looks a bit ratty. That was my not-so-charitable reaction when I got up-close with eyewear from the 1995, post-apocalyptic Kevin Costner film Waterworld… Read More
At one end of the intelligent audio spectrum is the gadget that hangs on to your every word, a vocal personal assistant role to which Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana and… Read More
This month marks the 50th anniversary of one of the technological marvels of modern geek culture. I am, of course, referring to the animated Rankin/Bass television special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed… Read More
I’ll never forget the gift I unwrapped last Christmas. It came by digital delivery: A colorful package of incendiary words from an anonymous giver, conveyed with the care one would… Read More
Dear Santa Tech, I won’t humblebrag: I’ve been good this year. Very good. I didn’t click on links in email sent by people I don’t know, I maintained unique passwords… Read More
We are living in the era of artificial scientific literacy. And for that I blame iPhones, geek culture, and STEM. Especially the term “STEM.” My recognition of the pervasiveness of… Read More
Sure, Interstellar is smart spectacle. But is it good science fiction? In short: Interstellar tries hard. Maybe a little too hard. As a one-time writer of the form, I use… Read More
I am not the me that others think I should be. Especially if you judge my identity by those who co-opt my name and personal details – or put my… Read More
As a species, we don’t seem to get any smarter about rumors and misinformation – even if our technology evolves. Take Ebola and compare its scares to those of another… Read More
How much perceived privacy are you willing to give up to reduce pain? That’s one of the questions Alaska Airlines is wrestling with when it comes to bringing biometrics –… Read More
Thought experiment: You have developed a groundbreaking computing device, a worthy hardware challenger to every laptop, tablet, phablet, and phone known. Through a totally unrealistic quirk of licensing fate, you… Read More
I’m about to overshare on sharing. I have good reason. In mid-June, my wife Dee Dee was diagnosed with breast cancer. Among the many hard decisions we had to make… Read More
Educators had the right to feel a little freaked out about Microsoft’s announcement that it was acquiring Minecraft maker Mojang. Microsoft’s news release stated, “The Mojang team will join Microsoft… Read More
When I first heard Apple was making a Big Announcement on September 9, I thought it was great that a Cupertino-based company was honoring California statehood day. It was more… Read More
At times, the coolest technology isn’t the bright-shiny object that glares at you demanding recognition of its awesomeness. It’s the type that quietly and discreetly makes your life easier. Even… Read More
We have a special episode of the GeekWire radio show for you this week, featuring columnist Frank Catalano revisiting some of his most popular columns from the past few months. First: What is… Read More
A month ago I did the unthinkable. I quit Facebook. There’s a lot you might learn from my experience, even if you never follow me. I didn’t bail in a… Read More
It was like witnessing the creation of a “generation ship” — a vessel that requires multiple human lifespans to reach its destination. Fifteen of us were gathered in the room.… Read More
Dear Seattle Times executives, I’m writing you in the traditional letter-to-the-editor format because it’s one with which I’m certain you’re familiar. After all, you recently used it in your “Dear… Read More
An early and persistent myth of the web is that the Internet levels the playing field for commerce and content. Does the Internet democratize access? Yes. But does it guarantee attention?… Read More
Friends, and you are my “friends:” I’m giving up on Facebook. No more status updates, no more vacation photos, no more links to interesting columns (even those I haven’t written).… Read More
There are words that are dead. They just don’t know it yet. The advance of technology has left, in its wake, zombie terminology. It’s the verbal equivalent of junk DNA, inserted… Read More
It started at that stage in a relationship where the exhilaration and newness wears off. After eight months, I could no longer ignore worrisome behaviors. They’d become patterns. I finally had to… Read More
It’s not easy being the big kid at the popular children’s pool. Yet that’s exactly where Microsoft finds itself with today’s launch of Office Mix into the now-hot education technology… Read More
Hey, thanks for your tweet asking if you should do an edtech startup based on what I saw at this year’s ASU+GSV Education Innovation Summit in Scottsdale, Ariz., the so-called… Read More
When it comes to tech scams, in the immortal words of Antonio Banderas’ Puss in Boots, I have shamed myself. It was probably only a matter of time. Hadn’t I… Read More