Will Smith

Will Smith

I've been covering tech since the dawn of the Internet at publications including Ars Technica, Maximum PC, Tested, PC World, Gizmodo, and Wired. I've started a few companies and am currently the co-host of Brad & Will Made a Techpod. I'm always happy to talk about consulting gigs, if what I talk about here resonates!

gamesgames
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This Is Not a Game: Microsoft's "AI Version" of Quake 2

This Is Not a Game: Microsoft's "AI Version" of Quake 2

What looks like a game and kind of moves like a game? An AI model trained to mimic videos of people playing games, of course.

Will Smith
Will Smith
WindowsWindows
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It’s Springtime, Which Is a Great Time to Maintain Your Computers

It’s Springtime, Which Is a Great Time to Maintain Your Computers

Modern computers don’t require much in the way of maintenance, they’re basically electronic cats. But just because you don’t need to maintain your PC doesn’t mean your computer won’t benefit from a little maintenance

Will Smith
Will Smith
privacyprivacy
Should You Break Up With Alexa?

Should You Break Up With Alexa?

Short answer: Yes. Long answer: It depends on how you feel about the current state of the surveillance capitalism state

Will Smith
Will Smith
I Freaking Love Fastmail

I Freaking Love Fastmail

I've spent the last decade thinking of CRTs and email in much the same way, as dead technologies. It turns out, I just needed to find the right TV and email client to get me excited about old tech again.

Will Smith
Will Smith
WebWeb
AI Isn’t Going to Save Us

AI Isn’t Going to Save Us

Generative AI is contributing to unprecedented amounts of webspam, proving once again that it's always easier to add to entropy than it is to fight it.

Will Smith
Will Smith
WindowsWindows
Everything You Need to Know About Windows 10's End of Life

Everything You Need to Know About Windows 10's End of Life

Windows 10 reaches end of life in October, and upgrading is off the table for billions of computers. What’s going to happen? What can you do with your old computers?

Will Smith
Will Smith
AmazonAmazon
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Kindle DRM Deadline is Approaching!

Kindle DRM Deadline is Approaching!

On the 26th (that’s Tuesday), Amazon is disabling a feature that makes backing up your Kindle eBooks fast and easy, so you have a couple of days to download and decrypt them before it’s too late

Will Smith
Will Smith
SmartphonesSmartphones
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Just Say No To (Most) Notifications

Just Say No To (Most) Notifications

Notifications are a Promethean technology. They're incredibly powerful when used responsibly and equally damaging when abused. Here's how to get them under control.

Will Smith
Will Smith
emailemail
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I’m Declaring Email Bankruptcy

I’m Declaring Email Bankruptcy

Email is a vital part of modern life, despite decreasing usability and an enormous threat surface. I’m starting over and I’m going to follow some basic rules that will make things better in the future.

Will Smith
Will Smith
steam decksteam deck
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The Steam Deck Gets a Lot of Stuff Right

The Steam Deck Gets a Lot of Stuff Right

Valve's handheld console makes playing PC games, simple and easy. Let's talk about how they did it.

Will Smith
Will Smith