technology
Portland Women in Technology (PDXWIT) reboots
Post pandemic, we saw a number of beloved local events reboot. But we’ve never seen one quite this big. Portland Women in Technology (PDXWIT) — one of the largest and most beloved tech organizations in the community is back. And it’s holding a gathering on January 27, 2026.
On the Molecular Turn
If neuromorphic hardware encodes learning directly into material structure, does it answer biological computationalism's objections - or does 'biological' mark something essential?
Silicon Forest Tech Summit 2026: It’s back and promising to be bigger than ever
People always ask me, “What is the one ‘must attend’ event in the Portland tech community…?” And while there are awards shows and pitch competitions galore, if I’m forced to only pick one, it’s actually pretty easy:
SaaS is Becoming Restaurants
On the commoditization of software and what persists when building gets cheap.
Don’t Forget The Forgotten Tech User
Windows 10’s end-of-life points to the sheer neglect that computer users face when their world isn’t completely defined by technology.
Taking The Machine Out of The Man
AI is reshaping video production workflows -- from instant audio cleanup to auto-reframing. Here's how to leverage it without losing the human touch.
Missing The Human Touch
Tech and creativity once had a symbiotic relationship in the push towards innovation. As generative content matures, it feels like they’re starting to diverge. And that’s bad for creative people.
The Science Oven
A reflection on the microwave oven, perhaps the most important invention to come out of a World War that sparked a lot of them.
Social Gloss
In continuing with our long series of glossary entries, let’s take a look at some online-community-related terms hiding in the archives.
Disposability Interchange
Considering the tension between disposability and interchangeable parts, and how right to repair opponents are trying to have it both ways.
Free As In Internet
In the '80s, a defining online phenomenon—being able to use the internet for free—came from (of all places) Cleveland. Here’s the story of the Free-Net.
The Central Question
What is the difference between centralization and decentralization, and what should you know? I was asked this question recently; here’s my attempt to answer.
You Know, For Kids
Pondering the uncomfortable relationship kids and parents have with technology—and making a case that kids deserve the chance to fall in love with gadgets.
Vestigial Tales
Why the products you use every day, especially electronics, might come with parts or functions you weren’t expecting or have no actual use for.
So Much Stuff Out There
It’s been a while since we’ve done a grab bag, so let’s grab that bag and see what’s inside.
No More Eternal Septembers
For decades, technical users looking down on the less knowledgeable have set the stage for a lot of bad online discourse. Can those users break the chain?
Now You’re Playing With Power
How I found home networking nirvana with a powerline connection, a form of home networking that might be called poor man’s ethernet. No drilling involved.
The Email Appliance
The story of the MailStation, an information appliance that didn’t do much, really, except send email. That, somehow, makes it even more interesting today.
Mistakes Were Made
Technology vendors like SAP may rake in billions of dollars a year helping big companies build complex tech infrastructures, but they screw up—often, at scale.
My Modular Mind
What makes modular designs great for consumers often makes them troublesome for businesses, or why you can’t upgrade an iPhone these days.