My recurring guest-host stints on the Minnov8 Gang Podcast are always memorable.

Co-host Phil Wilson always has me in stitches. He and the other regular gangsters (Steve Borsch, Tim Elliott and Graeme Thickins) are supersharp dudes, so discussing tech trends with them is a privilege and a joy.

And, perhaps best of all, Steve Borsch hits his Mac immediately after we are finished recording an episode to fashion ingenious blog-post art that riffs hilariously on something I said.

During this morning’s episode, for instance, we happened to touch on the fact that I have always craved one of those stereotypical reporter fedoras with the “press” card.

Sure enough, Steve whipped up the above image.

Read more ›

My son, now a high-school sophomore, has a lengthy history of one-upping the old man.

When I was his age, I listened to John Williams’ “Star Wars” soundtracks but could not play them. I was terrible at music lessons and never really mastered a musical instrument.

My son, also a nerd, does not just listen to the Imperial March from “The Empire Strikes Back” but effortlessly belts it out – among others, like “Fiddler on the Roof” – on a violin.

When I was young, I devoured science-fiction novels featuring robots. My son? He builds robots.

In fact, my son and his fellow robot builders at Central High School have pulled off quite a feat: Their MinuteBots team placed second in a regional competition at the University of Minnesota, which qualifies them for an upcoming national competition in St. Louis.

Now, since the MinuteBots blew their budget on their champion robot, they’re crowdfunding the trip. Look for the GoFundMe widget on the upper-right corner of this site, or read on for more information — plus video and audio.

Read more ›

MacBreak Weekly, the Apple-themed TWiT podcast, noted in this week’s episode the imminent demise of the Minneapolis-based FirstTech independent Apple reseller.

FirstTech in 1977 became the first-ever such dealer, claiming the fifth Apple II to roll off the assembly line, and selling it in short order.

In the MacBreak Weekly episode, host Leo Laporte refers to my article on the subject.

Read more ›

I talked car sharing earlier this week on Minnesota Public Radio’s The Daily Circuit.

By “car sharing,” I largely mean services like Lyft and UberX that field fleets of citizen drivers. These supply their own wheels to earn extra money.

These services compete with traditional taxi companies, which don’t like them at all.

Read more ›

I pulled a Pioneer Press weekend shift on Sunday, which is something all the newspaper’s reporters have to do several times per year. The prospect of this usually is underwhelming, but this time I had a … blast.

I was asked to go grab some quick smartphone footage of a big smokestack demolition not far from the paper’s digs in downtown St. Paul and near the Mississippi riverfront.

Phone video? Hah, I had higher ambitions for this assignment, which got the tech geek in me pumped.

Read more ›

I’ve had an awesome few weeks in freelance tech writing (which I do in my time off from my day-job tech writing).

First, I’ve been writing for TidBITS, the highly respected Apple-enthusiast site and e-mail newsletter, which is one of the longest-running Internet publications.

I’m a huge TidBITS fan, so being a contributor is a big honor. The editors are among the best in tech journalism, too, and working with them in Google Docs and Trello is a lot of fun.

Read more ›

Google has just thanked me for thanking them. Cue Barney! “I love you, you love me …”

All kidding aside, this is kind of cool.

I’m a big fan of Google Apps, largely because of their killer phone-based tech support, and I have said so on a number of occasions.

One of Google’s enterprise tech-support people noticed this and thanked me for my patronage … but that’s not all.

Read more ›

I shot this video the day before the 2014 Twin Cities Auto show opened.

I recorded all the footage on a Nokia Lumia Icon smartphone, which wasn’t as good as my regular Sony camcorder but did a not-bad job.

Who isn’t sick of winter (the unusually tiresome 2013/12014 edition)? I certainly am.

So I fired up Final Cut Pro X this afternoon to work on a project I had been meaning to complete for months.

I shot the video you see here last summer with the Windows Phone 8-based Nokia Lumia 1020, a smartphone that is is notable for having an unusually good still and video camera.

Read more ›

Old Man Winter, you’re no match for my neatnik tendencies.

I’ve been obsessed this winter with having the cleanest, tidiest sidewalk on my street regardless of what the season throws at me. I want the concrete showing through at all times — edge to edge, corner to corner. I crave perfection.

The just-past superstorm presented a challenge, to be sure.

Read more ›

Thank you, Minnov8 Gang, for having me on the podcast again. Comcast’s proposed merger with Time Warner Cable figured prominently in the conversation. From the show notes:

The biggest story of the past week surrounds Comcast/Xfinity and their merger with Time Warner Cable. Will this place the combined company in a position to wield unprecedented control over the internet pipe in to our homes and businesses?

And, I know I’m repeating myself here, but Steve Borsch again outdid himself with the episode artwork. Just call me Neo.