My Work

Below is a small sample of my work. You can see more at my author page for the publications I work for, all of which are linked to here. But for some highlights from the recent past, try these articles:

  • Why HDR Looks Too Dark on Your TV, and How to Fix It [Wired]: Step aside, 4K: High Dynamic Range (HDR) is the most exciting jump in picture quality since the transition to HD, and it’s available on more TVs than ever. But if you bring home your shiny new HDR TV only to find that shows are too dark to see, you might think there’s something wrong. Here’s what’s going on and what you can do to brighten the picture.
  • Apple MacBook Pro M1 Review [IGN]: Apple has finally pulled the lid off its new M1 Macs, with the company’s own ARM-based processors built-in. The 13-inch MacBook Pro is currently the highest-end model with an M1 chip inside, starting at $1,299 and going up to $2,399, depending on the RAM and SSD configuration you choose. We tested a model with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage to see how it held up in everyday workloads, professional tasks, and gaming.
  • How to Buy a Gaming Chair [NBC News]: Thanks to a certain pandemic, many people have spent the better part of the year working from home — often in less-than-ideal situations. If you’ve finally decided to build a more long-term home office, a desk chair is one of the most important purchases you’ll make. But as you browse, you’ll probably see a lot of snazzy “gaming” chairs lumped in with the more boring, traditional office chairs — if you’re looking for the latter, there are some things to keep in mind before adding it to your cart.
  • 11 Xbox Series X, Series S Tips to Customize Your Console [PCMag]: Microsoft’s latest consoles are more versatile than ever, with dozens of settings and features to tweak to your heart’s desire. The Xbox Series X offers 4K gaming and fast loads, with the Series S providing a more cost-conscious alternative with nearly all the same features. If you were able to get your hands on one of the new machines, here are some tips every Xbox owner should know.
  • Your Cheap Mechanical Keybaord Deserves a Makeover [The Inventory]: Once you get used to the feel of a mechanical keyboard, it’s hard to go back to cheap membrane models. And while the best mechanical keyboards can cost hundreds of dollars, there are plenty of affordable, sub-$50 keyboards that are very pleasant to use—and upgrade for a higher-end feel.
  • Build a Wireless Charger Right Into a Table [Popular Science]: Ever since I got a phone with wireless charging, it’s been hard to go back. Plugging my phone into the wall feels time-consuming and archaic, and with rumors of a port-less iPhone on the horizon, it’s clear that wireless charging is here to stay.
  • Show off Your Dolby Atmos Surround Sound With These Room-Rumbling Films [The Inventory]: So you went and got yourself a fancy new Dolby Atmos surround sound setup, and you want to see what it can do. Or maybe you want to show it off to your friends and family, but need the perfect scene to really drive it home. You have more options than you might think.
  • The Principles of Buying Tech that Lasts, According to an Expert [NBC News]: Buying eco-friendly tech is about more than seeking out recycled or renewable materials, low power consumption and sustainability promises. One of the best ways to lessen your impact on the environment is to keep your gadgets longer so new ones don’t have to be manufactured at such a quick-fire rate.
  • The Best True Wireless Earbuds That Won’t Break the Bank [The Inventory]: When Apple killed the headphone jack and introduced AirPods, they changed the earbud game forever. Today, “true wireless” earbuds have trickled down to the budget realm, and the market is flooded with affordable alternatives.
  • How to Buy Refurbished Tech at Amazon, Walmart, Apple, and More [NBC News]: With phones and laptops reaching staggering $1,000+ price tags, it feels like you need to scrimp, save and hunt for coupon codes just to save a few bucks off the latest and greatest phone. But there’s a much better way to save money: Buy a refurbished model instead.
  • The Best Laptops Under $1,000 This Year [Reviewed]: These days there’s a laptop for just about every budget, whether you need an inexpensive Chromebook for browsing the web or a high-powered machine for video editing or gaming. But for most people, the sweet spot is about a grand.
  • How to Optimize Your Home Network [IGN]: You may be willing to put up with half-baked Wi-Fi when you’re sitting around browsing Facebook, but when you start working from home, the stakes change. Now your network is more important than ever – so here’s how to improve your Wi-Fi speed and keep your network stable and secure.
  • The Three Tiers of Dolby Atmos: In-Ceiling, Up-Firing, and Virtual Surround Compared [The Inventory]: Dolby Atmos is the new hotness when it comes to home theater gear, but there are a lot of different ways you can incorporate Atmos into your setup. Let’s talk about the difference between “virtual” Atmos, up-firing drivers, and dedicated in-ceiling speakers.
  • How to Deal with Movies That Bounce from Too Quiet to Too Loud [Popular Science]: I love big movie explosions as much as anyone, but I have a bone to pick with movie studios: It feels like every time I watch an action movie, I have to turn the volume way up just to hear the characters speak, then quickly turn it down every time something explodes. And when I’m not quick enough on the draw, my sleeping wife gets very angry.
  • How to Find an Apartment When You’re Moving Across the Country [New York Times]: Apartment hunting can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack, but put 2,000 miles between you and the haystack, and it turns into a seemingly impossible quest. If you’re moving to a faraway city, some careful planning can help you find a place to live.
  • How to Get Better Graphics on Old PC Games [PCMag]: Even though my Steam library is overflowing with new games I bought on impulse, it’s hard to resist the allure of the classics. But running old games on your modern PC is more complicated than you might think. While the pixelated graphics of the ’80s and ’90s are charming, the dated polygons of early 3D games can sometimes hamper the experience.
  • How to Build a Killer Gaming PC for $100 [Popular Science]: Building your own computer from scratch allows you to craft the perfect rig for your needs, but if you’re on a super-strict budget, a shiny, new, custom-built PC isn’t always feasible.
  • Google’s Apparent Plan to Tackle Lag on Stadia, Explained [IGN]: Google’s Stadia game-streaming service is a fascinating leap into the future of gaming. But in a world of varying internet speeds, restrictive data caps, and the worrying loss of “ownership,” it has a few challenges to overcome. Stadia engineers think they can at least conquer the input lag problem with what Google calls “negative latency.”
  • What Is Ray Tracing, and Should You Care? [IGN]: We just learned a whole lot more about the upcoming PS5, thanks to another interview with system architect Mark Cerny. In it, he delved a bit more into how the PS5 will deal with ray tracing⁠—the ultra-realistic lighting effects that have been all the rage on gaming PCs this year⁠.
  • How to Use Your iPad as a Second Monitor on Any Computer [PCMag]: Two monitors are better than one, and with macOS Catalina, you can turn your iPad into a second display with just a few clicks thanks to a new feature known as Sidecar. But Sidecar is limited to certain Macs and iPads, which is a bummer if you have an older device (or a Windows PC).
  • The Sometimes Circular Logic of Twitter’s Trending Timeline [OneZero]: Every time a celebrity’s name pops up in Twitter’s trending timeline, I like to play a little game: are they actually dead, or, did they make a politically controversial statement? Unfortunately, that game is sometimes hard to play, since clicking on the person’s name inevitably brings me to a feed of reaction GIFs that offer no context as to what happened.