A column on computers, engineering, and automation, free of jargon.
(About)
(LinkedIn)
(Substack)
Perception and Reality
Why our software needs to get back to reality
(2024-10-27)
Behold the GPU
The mis-named, misunderstood chip from a three trillion-dollar corporation
(2024-06-23)
The Gold-Bug
Edgar Allan Poe's story that taught me about cryptography
(2024-01-21)
A Systems Lesson
What should the world's worst industrial disaster from four decades ago teach us?
(2023-12-17)
Memories of a Disaster
Remembering 1984 and Bhopal
(2023-12-10)
In Memoriam
My dad built something cool but didn't boast about it
(2023-04-23)
Hardware, Software
How software people are different from hardware people
(2023-01-15)
Ex Tempore
What makes AI chatbots so fluent and quick on their feet?
(2022-12-18)
Time for Civility
Save civil time, and be kind to our engineers
(2022-11-20)
Grand SLAM
One feature puts Amazon's Astro ahead of other mobile robots.
(2022-10-16)
Shining City On A Hill
Be aware of what Tesla is selling
(2022-10-02)
Level-3 Autonomy
This might be the most significant milestone in self-driving cars for decades
(2021-12-12)
My Old Phone
Why AT&T is sending me a free mobile phone.
(2021-11-14)
File Not Found
What is a file? What is a folder? And should you care?
(2021-10-22)
Blame And Shame
That's not how web pages work, Governor.
(2021-10-14)
Trouble On the Mountain
Why Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram went dark yesterday.
(2021-10-05)
Bread and Butter
Automation proceeds not in flashy leaps, but step by step
(2021-09-19)
Musk's Humanoid Robot is Another Robotaxi
Why Elon Musk still doesn't know what he's talking about
(2021-08-29)
Coffee Control
Does your espresso machine need a PID controller?
(2021-07-25)
Why Buildings Don't Fall
Structural designers have to think through every scenario, and they do.
(2021-07-04)
Secure By Design
Why we shouldn't focus on cyberattacks
(2021-05-30)
Do Not Buy
Why you should not buy an NFT
(2021-05-02)
Loading... Loading
How do you send a software update to a robot--- on Mars?
(2021-04-18)
Tide Us Over
We almost couldn't dislodge the Ever Given from the Suez Canal, until we got some help from the moon.
(2021-03-28)
Why Ishiguro's Robot Is a Pipe Dream
How Klara could be improved. Part 2 on Klara and the Sun, Kazuo Ishiguro's latest book.
(2021-03-14)
Klara and the Sun
How should novelists write about robots? Part 1 on the character Klara in Kazuo Ishiguro's latest book.
(2021-03-07)
Ingenuity
When Ingenuity leaves its nest, let us hope it perseveres and thrives.
(2021-02-21)
Sharing Your Messages
The medium dictates that anyone can see the message.
(2021-01-31)
A Question of Trust
We all need to take security seriously. It is mostly a question of trust.
(2021-01-24)
Fixing the Languages
Communicating clearly via computers is hard work, much of it in clarifying our languages.
(2021-01-10)
Do You Love Me?
Whether delightful or horrifying, these robot dances aren't really adding anything to the conversation.
(2021-01-03)
In Real Time
Some things in the real world can't wait for a computer to make up its mind.
(2020-12-20)
The Robotic Gaze
You call an agent intelligent if it's aware of its surroundings. But how can you tell?
(2020-12-13)
Strong-Armed
Apple will use Arm's architecture for its new line of Macs. Software vendors will need to do their part.
(2020-12-06)
When AI Was Old-Fashioned
Neural networks are hot, but AI programmers have other tools in their arsenal.
(2020-11-29)
In An Ideal World
The way computer programs solve problems might not be good enough for the real world.
(2020-11-22)
Many Hands Make Light Work
Some tasks are so big that a computer cannot do them fast enough. This is why Google needs so many computers.
(2020-11-15)
The People's Librarian
Similar to a librarian, Google can find documents containing the words you're thinking about.
(2020-11-08)
What To Do After You Detect A Face
How a quick makeover strings together computer vision, geometric modeling, and computer graphics.
(2020-11-01)
Tangible Illusions
How the ideas behind the graphical user interface also created whole new visual media.
(2020-10-25)
Can You Hear Me Now?
The excitement over 5G cellular networks is about latency, and it will help robots improve our lives.
(2020-10-18)
The Proof Of The Pudding
The surprising Nobel connection between black holes and robot programming.
(2020-10-11)
Content Is King, Or Maybe Not
A history lesson: while Machine Learning can find content for you, the content itself can get left behind.
(2020-10-04)
Finding Yourself
How Netflix learns what you like.
(2020-09-27)
Being Intelligent About AI
What the term "artificial intelligence" really means, how it is used, and whether you should be worried.
(2020-09-20)
The Little Engine That Could
How microcontrollers are ideally adapted to their niche.
(2020-09-13)
Super-spreader
Why the Linux kernel is now running the world.
(2020-09-06)
A Brain In a Jar
How can a computer program make something happen in the real world?
(2020-08-30)
Your Cool Uncle Sam
How we take for granted the best thing to come out of the Cold War
(2020-08-23)
Telepresence Versus Model Worlds
When was the last time you checked out a painting in real life?
(2020-08-16)
Nuclear-Powered Robots
When you're extremely isolated, sometimes you go nuclear.
(2020-08-09)
Industrial Safety
Big robots are safest in cages, but they want to be free.
(2020-08-02)
Tracking NEOWISE
How does an astronomy app work? Using the magic of sensors.
(2020-07-26)
Segway Closes Its Doors
How a Segway is similar to a walking robot.
(2020-07-19)
The Intelligence In the Warehouse
Robots are the face of automation. But the intelligence lies in the software.
(2020-07-12)
How Amazon Robots Work
How do Amazon's robots work? Kiva Systems improved the workflow in warehouses with a trick.
(2020-07-05)
Spot for Sale
With the robot dog "Spot," Boston Dynamics has achieved something remarkable. But their real test is still ahead.
(2020-06-28)
(About)
(LinkedIn)
(Substack)
