Column Day [Updated]
My consumer tech column at the Chronicle, which began more than 33 years ago, is ending. Here's what may happen next.
The Workaround
Just gettin by on gettin by s my stock-in-trade.
Latest posts
Why it’s so hard to get image generation models to create pictures of people with eyes aligned vertically, as explained by ChatGPT
(Last updated 3:15 pm CST February 19th, 2026) Me, after trying three times to get ChatGPT to create a picture of a man with eyes aligned vertically: That s correct! Why was that so hard for you to generate in the way I described it? ChatGPT 5.2: Short answer: because image generation models are strongly biased toward human facial anatomy, and “removing” expected features is harder than “adding”…
How I set up a new Mac [Updated x3]
(Last updated 3:07 pm CST February 19th, 2026) [Updated this post on 2/5/2026 to reflect changes in the process, and additional apps I install.] Because I regularly review Apple s Mac laptops and desktops, I ve developed a setup routine for to make them my own for the brief period I have them. It s similar to what I do when I get a new Mac for myself, though that takes place over a period of days…
Ads, overlays and paywalls, oh my! How to get around the web’s worst annoyances (updated x4)
(Last updated 3:16 pm CST February 19th, 2026) (Note: During my brief stint at Forbes, I wrote a newsletter item and subsequent story on how to get around the web s biggest annoyances – intrusive ads, overlays and paywalls. Since that May 2021 piece, I ve found some new tools and strategies. This is an updated version. Content from the original Forbes article is included with permission. ) If you…
Alas, poor Dark Sky! I knew it well.
(Last updated 3:17 pm CST February 19th, 2026) If you re an iPhone user who downloaded and installed iOS 16 after its release on Monday, take some time from learning to configure those nifty customizable lock screens and tap on the included Weather app. On the surface, it looks a lot like the updated version introduced in iOS 15 – but below the surface is where the action is. Tap any one of the…
Help an iPhone user pick an Android phone [Updated]
(Last updated 3:45 pm CST February 19th, 2026) Anyone who reads my columns regularly knows that I m a die-hard iPhone user. Over the years, I ve flirted with Android (and even Windows Phone!) from time to time. But at this point I m neck-deep in Apple s ecosystem lock-in, and as far as I m concerned, the water s fine. That said, I do enjoy playing with and reviewing Android devices, even if they…
Cable modem blues: Unsupported but it feels so good
The discovery that my cable modem was no longer supported by Comcast set me on a journey to replace it.
The next big-screen iMac may be a Pro. As a 27-inch iMac owner, I’m fine with that.
Rumors that the next big-screen iMac will carry a Pro label – with a price tag to match – have me feeling vindicated.
A popularity contest
(Last updated 10:49 am CST February 8th, 2022) Who is the most popular fictional character of all time? And how do you measure that popularity? Gene Park, who writes about video games and game culture for the Washington Post, said on Twitter that it s arguably Spider-man. I replied, asking him what he based that on, and suggesting it maybe it s James Bond, given the books and the longevity of that…
Iconic Houston store Electronic Parts Outlet struggles in ‘survival mode’
In Houston, the go-to place to snag hard-to-find electronic components has long been Electronic Parts Outlet. Founded in the mid-1980s, it s legendary for its parts selection and for its inventory of vintage, even antique, tech. When I set out to do a story about it for the Houston Chronicle, I was amazed that no other media outlet had really covered it in depth. And since I ve been covering tech…