For this Puerto Rican, living in Minnesota can be a trying experience.
Oh, summers are just fine, especially when deliciously wet, Caribbean-like air slaps me in the face. (Once, when I was visiting friends in San Juan, the weather was hotter and more humid in St. Paul, which sounds crazy but is not uncommon.)
Minnesota winters, though? I have been in the Twin Cities for three decades now, and I still have my “dear God, what have I done?” More …
As a Twitter power user, I’m in mourning because my favorite Mac-based software for accessing the popular social network will soon be no more.
That application, also called Twitter, is an elegant one-column construct that for years has permitted me to effortlessly and enjoyably access my various accounts. Now, though, Twitter is killing off the Mac app. That’s a shame. More …
Of the many, many tech gadgets I’ve tried over several decades as a tech writer, a few stand out in my mind because of their ingenuity, beauty or both.
The TDK Wireless Charging Speaker is one of these. Made by then-Minnesota-based Imation in a licensing deal with Japan’s TDK, the compact audio gizmo kicked out nice sound.
But what made it unusual was it’s top surface, which incorporated a wireless-charging technology call Qi (“chee”). More …
Here are my #bestnine Instagram photos for 2017:
1, 6 and 8: Mississippi River Boulevard vistas taken while on bicycling excursions
2: My neighbor Colleen’s backyard while she was working an an interesting, unusually colorful project
3, 4: St. Paul-skyline shots taken from the Pioneer Press’ 7th-floor outdoor patio
5: Me and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman just before the St. More …
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times — There’s a cliché for you, but I can’t think of a better way to describe my 2017.
The year started with the death of my brother, who was hit by a car while crossing a busy street. I spent the rest of the year agonizing about what to write on this topic — but realized I got it exactly right with my initial Facebook announcement:
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I’m not crazy about Facebook, which is so chaotic and convoluted that it does a number on my OCD.
Oh, but I love Facebook on my birthday as best wishes pour in by the dozens.
Among those are bursts of creativity I cherish. The above, by my always–ingenious friend Steve Borsch, is a wonder.
Here are a few others, some of which also tap into my nerdy tendencies. More …
Apple’s new TV spot about a roving girl and her iPad is one of my favorite Apple ads of all time — and I do not say this lightly since the company’s advertising has always been top-notch.
Initially, I couldn’t quite nail down why this spot so resonated with me, and then it hit me. That girl is me — and not just because she’s wearing nerd spectacles like mine, or rides her bicycle everywhere as I do with my bicycle. More …
Instagram is a passion of mine. It is my favorite social network even though I’m sometimes more active on Facebook and Twitter.
Instagram’s simplicity — a grid of squares representing carefully curated pictures I want to share — appeals to me.
The service has lately added other bells and whistles, such as a “stories” feature for sharing ephemeral photos and videos in a Snapchat style, but my emphasis still is on the traditional photo posting. More …
My St. John’s University alma mater recently profiled in its glossy magazine a number of alumni who have worked as professional journalists.
Writer Dana Drazenovich whipped up a bunch of bios that are brilliant in their brevity and yet sum up professional lives perfectly.
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I’ve been having all kinds of weird health issues lately.
About two months ago, I got whammied by severe fatigue, headaches, back pain and a weird, persistent watery sensation in the back of my throat — with a bit of fever thrown in.
About a month ago, I began experiencing severe discomfort in my lower abdomen, making it difficult for me to sit or otherwise bend at the waist without cussing. More …
As a tech journalist in recent years, I’d periodically serve as a guest host on the Minnesota-based Minnov8 Gang Podcast with regular hosts Steve Borsch, Tim Elliott, Graeme Thickins and Phil Wilson.
That was fun, but the best part came after the show.
Steve, who is a whiz with image-editing software, would often insert my likeness into hilarious graphics that echoed a topic on the day’s program or something memorable I uttered as the episode was being recorded. More …
Today's Joy of Tech comic!
