Writing Samples

Editorial

The Smartest Thing at CES Doesn’t Have Electronics In It

Manufacturers are really pushing the envelope to “smarten up” their products, whether or not those products actually need to be smart. And since I’m currently at CES—the largest consumer electronics trade show in the world—I’m at the heart of the world’s feverish effort to connect all of our stuff to the internet.

I kicked off my adventure last night at CES Unveiled, a media-only event where manufacturers pitched their newest gadgets and gizmos. As expected, the majority of the products were no

Things That Go Bump in the Copyright

My first DIY iPhone repair was replacing the battery in my 6s. If I’m being honest, it was kinda terrifying. My hands got so sweaty that the driver kept slipping out of my fingertips. But I had to do it—a simple battery replacement is like a rite of passage around here. Despite my fear, the repair went off without a hitch. The whole thing took about 45 minutes (although, half that time was spent compulsively studying the repair guide, trying to muster up the courage to get started). But I did it.

Batterygate Is Over, But the Need For Battery Replacements Is Still Here

Another year, another “gate.” It’s become an unexpected tech industry tradition to be accused of a major design flaw after the launch of a flagship device, and Apple has gotten the lion’s share of the attention: Antennagate. Bendgate. Flexgate. While these scandals received public backlash, they were quickly resolved and forgiven without much financial penalty to Apple. That was until Batterygate—the gate that slowed every iPhone owner in their tracks. Literally.

Batterygate was different.