I have been writing a column about the web, Internet culture, and personal technology for The Star-Ledger, New Jersey’s largest daily newspaper, since 1995. It is the longest-running daily newspaper column about the online world and the way it’s influencing our lives, from friendship to reading—and beyond. The column has often appeared in other newspapers, including The San Diego Tribune, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, The New Orleans Times-Picayune, The Birmingham News, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, The Seattle Times, and many others.
The column appears online at NJ.com.
2013
The ingredients of a great profile pic, May 10, 2013
Google Glass and etiquette, May 3, 2013
How to build a media empire with Flipboard and other online tools, April 26, 2013
Use your phone to relax (really), with meditation apps, April 19, 2013
Is it possible to use apps as a substitute for your monthly mobile phone plan?, April 5, 2013
Angry Birds: Cartoons today, then theme parks and movies tomorrow, March 28, 2013
Skype, Tumblr, and other tools to stay in touch with a faraway friend/relative, March 22, 2013
The Samsung Galaxy Camera and apps on cameras, March 15, 2013
New wave of wireless stereos, March 8, 2013
This may be the year of the wearable computer and Google Glass, March 1, 2013
Making movies with your phone, February 22, 2013
Smartwatches and an Apple iWatch, February 15, 2013
The phenomenon of Apple fandom, February 8, 2013
Micro-communication and micro-style, February 1, 2013
Snapchat and a new era of photo sharing, January 25, 2013
Using a smartphone instead of a PC, January 18, 2013
Standing desks are all the rage, January 11, 2013
2012
My wish list for the technology of 2013, December 28, 2012
Toy companies lure kids with digital add-ons to traditional toys, December 21, 2012
Subcompact publishing and a new era for magazines, December 14, 2012
The end of the handwritten thank-you note, December 7, 2012
An alternative to internet-connected devices for kids’ tech gifts, November 30, 2012
Printing books to preserve memories, November 23, 2012
Confusion (and lots of choices) for computer buyers, November 16, 2012
Smartphones and social media during Hurricane Sandy, November 9, 2012
Hurricane Sandy and the fear of digital isolation, November 2, 2012
The crazy mess of Facebook’s account controls, October 26, 2012
Amazon, Netflix, and the new producers of TV, October 19, 2012
How to stop annoying Facebook notifications and other Facebook tips, October 12, 2012
Happiness (and positive psychology), via the smartphone, October 5, 2012
My kids’ tutor is an iPad, and they don’t even know it, September 28, 2012
Social television will transform how we watch TV, September 21, 2012
Learning a computer language with Codecademy, September 14, 2012
Spots for (legitimate) free music, images, e-books, and more, August 24, 2012
The Curator’s Code and giving credit for links, August 17, 2012
Apple buys Tumblr, Evernote buys Day One, and other fanciful acquisitions, August 10, 2012
Is Facebook headed for the has-been file alongside AOL, August 3, 2012
Will smartphones replace cash and credit cards?, July 27, 2012
You don’t need to appify every part of your life, July 20, 2012
The fascinating world of legal blogs, July 13, 2012
Balancing the books with web-based accounting tools, July 6, 2012
Do-it-yourself tools for creating mobile apps, June 29, 2012
Today’s challenge: whether to get in touch by email, text, Facebook, or another tool, June 22, 2012
Animated GIFs and nostalgia for recent digital technologies, June 15, 2012
BookExpo America, BlogWorld, and the meeting of books and blogs, June 8, 2012
Delicious, Pinboard, and a cautionary tale about Internet acquisitions, June 1, 2012
Socialcam, Viddy, and other video-sharing apps, May 25, 2012
Why big-company websites often fail us, May 18, 2012
Digital apps the future of Moleskine notebooks, May 11, 2012
“Social reading” and how it’s trying to reinvent the reading experience, May 4, 2012
Flipboard, Google Currents, and other apps to reinvent the reading experience, April 27, 2012
Pair and other micro-social networks, April 20, 2012
Acquired startups may soon disappear or fade from view, April 13, 2012
Accessories for our mobile devices, from pillows to blood-pressure monitors, March 30, 2012
Apps a new “board” for games like Monopoly and Life, March 23, 2012
Compared to smartphones, single-use gadgets look ancient, March 16, 2012
Dropbox more than a convenience: cloud storage service a sign of the times, March 9, 2012
Pinning your photos with Pinterest, March 2, 2012
Please, don’t give your 8-year-old an iPod touch, Feb. 24, 2012
Rooting for the underdog—Microsoft, Feb. 17, 2012
Evaluating the Facebook Timeline, Feb. 10, 2012
Specialized writing tools, like Day One, for screenplays, journals, and more, Feb. 3, 2012
“Smart cameras” with apps may be the future of photography, Jan. 27, 2012
A tale of an Apple failure, so far: iCloud, Jan 20, 2012
Watching television shouldn’t be such a challenge, or require so many remotes, Jan. 13, 2012
20 tech battles to watch in 2012, Jan. 6, 2012
2011
Rounding up interesting predictions for 2012, Dec. 30, 2011
Are “smart” tools, autocorrect, and other “smart” technologies making us stupid?, Dec. 23, 2011
The Amazing Typewriter and other apps/tools summoning technologies of the past, Dec. 16, 2011
Are customers getting lost in Google’s rush to bring out services and tools?, Dec. 9, 2011
Kickstarter helps creative types fund their ideas, Dec. 2, 2011
Time-saving tools for the holidays, from comparison shopping to e-cards, Nov. 25, 2011
Kindle Fire offers great tablet computing for the masses, Nov. 18, 2011
Time to retire the term “vanity press” as self-publishing hits the mainstream, Nov. 11, 2011
Gestures, voice commands, and a revolution in interfaces, Nov. 4, 2011
Other companies edging into Apple’s terrain, Oct. 28, 2011
You can create videos with tools like Animoto and iMovie trailers, Oct. 21, 2011
A Google store could be coming to a mall near you, Oct. 14, 2011
Steve Jobs: hero on the level of Springsteen, Oct. 7, 2011
Playing music with apps rather than instruments, Sept. 30, 2011
Yelp can learn a thing or two from Zagat guides (now owned by Google), Sept. 23, 2011
“Smart technologies” getting better, from face recognition to autocomplete, Sept. 16, 2011
The “filter bubble,” Hurricane Irene, and missing the “big picture” in the news, Sept. 9, 2011
Mobile phone cameras come in handy for everything from grocery shopping to web searches, Aug. 26, 2011
Rethinking (and streamlining) word-processing tools, with simplicity, Aug. 19, 2011
Quitting email: Noble experiment, but not a real solution, Aug. 12, 2011
Is Google+ just another step in conversation (and social networking) overload?, Aug. 5, 2011
Preserve your digital photos for posterity (and avoid losing them), July 29, 2011
YouTube is now a terrific resource for video tutorials, July 22, 2011
The self-tracking movement, with gizmos like Fitbit, July 15, 2011
Using Zapd to build a website in 60 seconds, July 8, 2011
Guess what? Google isn’t the only way to search the web, July 1, 2011
Expect smartphone apps right in your car’s dashboard, June 24, 2011
Apple, iCloud, and the shortcomings of cloud computing, June 17, 2011
Internet history is vanishing into thin air, June 10, 2011
Going on a trip? Don’t leave home without a smartphone, June 3, 2011
Reinventing the book, one uncertain step at a time, May 27, 2011
Why I never wrote a column with the headline “100 reasons why I don’t have a blog,” May 20, 2011
Creativity and innovation at startup accelerators and incubators, May 13, 2011
Group messaging with Beluga, GroupMe, and others, May 6, 2011
Building an app with Podio, April 29, 2011
Storify and the art of the tweet, April 22, 2011
All about gadget lust, April 15, 2011
Facebook is a must-have for marketing, April 8, 2011
Bevy of online profiles can be tough to manage, April 1, 2011
Gaming isn’t just for gamers on the Internet, March 25, 2011
First on to-do list: respect low-tech to-do lists, March 18, 2011
Quora vies for hot new startup status, March 11, 2011
Revolution and reliability collide in Libya, March 4, 2011
App issue? Drop a line to the developer, February 25, 2011
Discover your inner auteur, February 18, 2011
Remote controls out of control, February 11, 2011
Online photos have owners, too, February 4, 2011
New devices require new backups, January 28, 2011
YouTube is much more than viral video, January 21, 2011
Free online tools a boon to startups, January 14, 2011
Tips to go paperless, January 7, 2011
2010
2010 was the year we learned what personal computing should really be like, December 31, 2010
Quick ways to donate your money, from SMS to Facebook apps, December 24, 2010
Flipboard and other apps let friends choose the news for you, December 17, 2010
Why I love Tumblr for blogging, December 10, 2010
New alternatives for holiday greeting cards, December 3, 2010
Smartphone apps bring holiday savings, November 25, 2010
For better or worse, you’ve still got mail, November 19, 2010
Why buy when you can “mesh”: ownership vs. sharing?, November 12, 2010
Social networking is not an unvarnished evil, November 5, 2010
iPad, netbooks, and other devices make computer-buying decisions harder, October 29, 2010
On Facebook, privacy is Mission Impossible, October 22, 2010
Before you try to publish, know the ABCs of e-books, October 15, 2010
QR codes bring ‘quick response’ links using smartphone barcode apps, October 8, 2010
Trouble with iPad is having just one, October 1, 2010
Designer duds for gadgets show your style, September 24, 2010
Convergence is here—really, September 17, 2010
Internet TV may have a place in your home, September 10, 2010
Reading is getting too complicated (and distracting), August 27, 2010
Research that won’t leave you Google-eyed, August 20, 2010
Singing a new tune on web music services, August 13, 2010
If the internet controls your brain, take a break, August 6, 2010
Quick advice for creating your own iPhone app, July 30, 2010
Photo booth strips, stickers, and other interesting ways to print photos, July 23, 2010
Google on the brain, July 17, 2010
9 gripes (and 3 fixes) for web site problems, July 8, 2010
Spreadsheets go beyond number-crunching, July 1, 2010
Are your kids ready for tech gadgets?, June 24, 2010
Eventbrite, SignUpGenius.com, Sched, and other tools for event planning, June 17, 2010
Internet Week NY, with the city as the center of tech culture, June 10, 2010
Advances in technology, but often a decline in the quality of phone calls, video, and sound, June 3, 2010
What’s a book, what’s an author, and other up-for-grab questions in publishing, May 27, 2010
The wallet-less future and using your phone for cash, May 20, 2010
Digital sensors and the internet of things, May 13, 2010
Easy blogging tools, May 6, 2010
Going geek when you go outdoors, April 23, 2010
Video chatting is going mainstream, April 15, 2010
The iPad is a great device, but still a work in progress, April 7, 2010
Test-driving the iPad, April 3, 2010
Why you should buy a cheap computer, April 1, 2010
An iPhone camera addict is born, March 26, 2010
Journalism’s new story, March 19, 2010
The litl offers something new in family computers, March 4, 2010
The long view on URL shorteners, Feb. 25, 2010
Searching for the real Google, Feb. 18, 2010
Digital world extends books’ shelf life, Feb. 11, 2010
Apple iPad mania will grow as release nears, Feb. 4, 2010
Apple iPad is an iOpener, Jan. 28, 2010
Finding the key to free old files, Jan. 21, 2010
Lost in the Twitterverse? Here are a few guides, Jan. 14, 2010
Apple tablet rumors garner anticipation, Jan. 7, 2010
2009
Predictions and wishes for the new year, Dec. 31, 2009
Last-minute gifts are just a click away, Dec. 24, 2009
New phones could send computers to the trash, Dec. 17, 2009
An augmented reality: Shop until your phone drops, Dec. 10, 2009
Even with cloud computing, it’s important to back up your data, Dec. 3, 2009
The world of web startups—an alternate reality, Nov. 28, 2009
Web 2.0 Expo and “The Power of Less,” November 19, 2009
Publishing free e-books as marketing or promotional tools, November 12, 2009
Distracted living: You know it when you see it, November 5, 2009
What is an e-book, and how do you read one?, October 29, 2009
Social networking beyond Facebook and Twitter, October 22, 2009
The latest tech industry battle: Facebook vs. Twitter, October 15, 2009
Location-based and GPS tech for phones (via Yelp, Loopt, and other apps), October 8, 2009
The rise of crowdsourcing, October 1, 2009
Mega-zooms, HD video, and other advances in digital cameras, Sept. 24, 2009
Some web diversions, like Twistori and Wordle, can be productive, Sept. 17, 2009
Lean startups + startup incubators = lots of startups, Sept. 10, 2009
Apple rumors roundup, Sept. 3, 2009
Learning via YouTube video tutorials, Aug. 27, 2009
Using Twitter without tweeting, Aug. 20, 2009
Usability testing to improve websites, Aug. 13, 2009
Surfing the web for inspiration, Aug. 6, 2009
7 tips for making the most of LinkedIn, July 30, 2009
The end of the business card and what might replace it, July 16, 2009
Posterous, drop.io, and other very (very!) simple websites, July 9, 2009
Forms, simplicity, and other reasons I’ve come to rely on Google Docs, July 2, 2009
Anyvite and other competitors to Evite for e-invitations, June 25, 2009
The ups and downs of the lifestreaming trend, June 18, 2009
Aviary, Snipshot, and other web-based photo editors, June 11, 2009
The book industry embraces technology at BookExpo America, May 28, 2009
Customer-relationship management (CRM) software, like BatchBook and Highrise, May 21, 2009
Frugality blogs, May 14, 2009
Box.net, Dropbox, and drop.io and cloud computing storage, May 7, 2009
Facebook Connect and a universal log-in for the web, April 30, 2009
Shazam, Songza, and other services for discovering new music, April 23, 2009
The term API actually means something, and it matters, April 16, 2009
An hour-long crash course in learning Twitter, April 9, 2009
Options for monetizing a website, April 2, 2009
Google Voice, GrandCentral, and reinventing phone service, March 26, 2009
Using video tutorials to learn how to use software, March 19, 2009
Managing your money with Mint, Wesabe, and other financial tools, March 12, 2009
My wife’s hard drive woes—and the need to have a backup plan, March 3, 2009
AOL and its niche websites, Feb. 24, 2009
Art being created with the small screen and touch interface of the iPhone, Feb. 17, 2009
Sophisticated and powerful tools for email lists and e-newsletters, Feb. 10, 2009
Facebook is changing the face of friendship, Feb. 3, 2009
Twitter is spawning a fun and wild mix of offshoots and services, Jan. 27, 2009
This will be the year Microsoft becomes irrelevant (sort of), Jan. 21, 2009
The e-reading and e-books experience, with “Call of the Wild” and an iPhone, Jan. 13, 2009
Seven startups to watch in 2009, from Animoto to Yammer, Jan. 7, 2009
2008 (and even earlier)
I don’t have links to columns from earlier than 2008, but I do have a somewhat “raw” list of those columns: Star-Ledgers columns (2008 and earlier).
