Where I’ve written
Gizmodo | TechHive | PCWorld | CNN Underscored | Tom’s Guide | The Inventory | Tom’s Hardware | Wirecutter (two projects underway — not published yet) | The Verge | The Shortcut | Decidedly
Bloggy voice — deals and news
I can do the straightforward stuff, but I deeply prefer a more personable style, with jokes that’re sometimes overt, sometimes the obscure variety that makes people feel like they’re in on something with me. Below is what happens when I’m encouraged to do that. I was especially given a lot of latitude at The Inventory, and I was also writing five articles a day before noon (and making all of the hero images), so some of these get pretty unhinged. Don’t worry, there’s more normal stuff under this section — I promise absurdism isn’t the only thing I can do.
Beard-straightener deal | The Inventory
Inspired by the model’s vacant expression in the product shot, I turned this deal into a short story about a guy who did bad things.
This cast iron deal made Twitter angry | The Inventory
I added cast iron care “tips” to this one accompanied by a photoshop of cast iron pans in a picture of a soap-filled sink. It apparently triggered some people, and Lodge, the company that makes them, got involved.
AirPods Max deal | The Inventory
So about the hero — it was Groundhog Day and I convinced everyone to photoshop Bill Murray and Steven Tobolowski into the images. It was before we all knew Murray isn’t great.
IHOP Gift Card deal for drunk people | Decidedly
I found an IHOP gift card deal that was expiring soon. It was Friday night after work hours but I thought it was funny. I got approval first.
Gaming things my Xennial boss has never heard of | Decidedly
My boss never knew what I was talking about.
Weirdest things readers bought for Prime Day | Decidedly
I don’t remember if this was my idea or someone else’s, but I wrote a follow-up piece after Prime Day about weird stuff we got affiliate money for — it includes my recipe for an old-fashioned cocktail.
Make your morning more complicated (pour-over coffee deal) | The Inventory
The fun part of this deal was figuring out how to photoshop Too Much Coffee man’s face in as a reflection on the coffee pot.
Horrifying robot cat kit deal | The Inventory
It was hard to try to be funny without falling back on the Futurama joke about robots.
Make standing in the corner cool again with this lamp | The Inventory
I actually think this lamp is terrible.
RatVerified hashtag (it should’ve been #ratified | The Shortcut
I was sad #ratified didn’t make it.
Dollar Flight Club deal where I ignored the Fight Club joke | The Shortcut
Not the voiciest thing I’ve written, but the hero image was a good joke to me.
Twitter Blue is terrible and confusing | The Shortcut
Boy, that Twitter transition was good, right?
That time Musk banned twitter celebrities | The Shortcut
There are a lot of good Musk images to use for headline reaction faces.
Less-weird bloggy voice — reviews, etc
Of course, it doesn’t have to be all jokes, all the time. I’ve written reviews that still come across as personable and informative without feeling out of left field. Here are a few.
Devolo Powerline mesh | PCWorld
Powerline is neat, and I wish this mesh system had been a better experience.
Nyxi Wizard (gamecube-style controller) | CNN Underscored
I just want a Gamecube controller on either side of my Switch, and this gave me that.
JBL Quantum 100 Gaming Headset | CNN Underscored
A super cheap wired gaming headset with a weirdly good microphone.
Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 | Gizmodo
This was one of the first few things I wrote, and it shows, but I still think it’s a good piece, even if it’s overlong and has a smattering of small grammar issues.
Roomba G30 Hybrid review | Gizmodo
A robot vacuum review. I constructed a sort of Thunderdome and made it have a vacuum-off with my 5-year-old Roomba 650, in which I made messes with various materials, including broken glass, and watched them clean. The glass made a commenter mad.
Netgear Orbi 6E review | PCWorld
Netgear wants you to give them all of your money.
Ubiquiti Alien AmpliFi mesh router review | Gizmodo
Luxurious soft touch materials, weirdly good built-in speaker for notifications, superior touchscreen interface, haptic feedback… Am I describing a router? Yes, I am.
JBL Quantum 100 gaming headset review | CNN Underscored
Cheap gaming headset is cheap, but good.
Say No! More | HardcoreGamer
I like games that shouldn’t be fun, but are.
‘Regular’ voice
Not every outlet wants a bloggy, humorous voice, and not every story calls for it. Or maybe I’m just not on that day and decide to play it straight. Whatever the case, I’m comfortable taking on a more standard voice that’s informative without taking side roads and muddying the point.
News
Apple to implement new security features | The Shortcut
Apple SOS satellite feature helps save its first person | The Shortcut
FBI reacts to Apple’s end-to-end encryption | The Shortcut
Apple lobbies against Apple Watch ban | The Shortcut
Nothing phone coming to the US | The Shortcut
Wemo pauses Matter development | The Verge
TP-Link new routers announcement | PCWorld
Reviews
Netgear Nighthawk M5 mobile 5G router | PCWorld
Eero Pro 6E mesh routers | PCWorld
Netgear Orbi 6E mesh routers | PCWorld
TP-Link GX90 gaming router | PCWorld
LG UltraFine 4K display | CNN Underscored
HomePod 2 review | The Shortcut
M2 MacBook Air | Decidedly
Samsung Galaxy Book 2 | Decidedly
Ring Alarm Pro | TechHive
Hex Home Security Package | TechHive
Samsung Bespoke refrigerator | Decidedly
Features, guides, explainers
Laptops vs. Desktops | CNN Underscored
How 5G could affect labor | Gizmodo
Where SmartThings fits into Matter | TechHive
Siri on Ecobee SmartThermostat | TechHive
Best gaming routers | Gizmodo
Best Wi-Fi 6E routers | Gizmodo
How to make a Discord bot | Gizmodo
Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E Explained | Tom’s Hardware
Best network switches | Tom’s Hardware
Best Network Attached Storage (NAS) drives | Tom’s Hardware
Best VPNs | The Shortcut
Best streaming device | The Shortcut
Best smart speaker | The Shortcut