iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Why the news is going from bad to worse for local media, from my latest free newsletter: danackerman.substack.com/p/a-bloodbat...

danackerman.substack.com

A Bloodbath for Local News

News deserts are about to become drier after major layoffs hit local chains.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

From my latest free newsletter -- the tradtional media bloodbath continues, including deep cuts at two of our remaining local newspaper chains. danackerman.substack.com/p/a-bloodbat...

danackerman.substack.com

A Bloodbath for Local News

News deserts are about to become drier after major layoffs hit local chains.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

From my latest free newsletter: GTA6, a dual-screen laptop that actually makes sense, and why brick-and-mortar retail is still king. danackerman.substack.com/p/is-gta-vi-...

danackerman.substack.com

Is GTA VI Too Big to Fail?

It's hard to take risks when you've got a sure thing.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

From my latest free newsletter: "As [GTA 6] is as close to a guaranteed hit as you can get, do the designers and developers have a responsibility to push the boundaries of gameplay and narrative?" danackerman.substack.com/p/is-gta-vi-...

danackerman.substack.com

Is GTA VI Too Big to Fail?

It's hard to take risks when you've got a sure thing.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

A quick look at LM Studio Bionic, an AI agent hoping to compete with the likes of Hermes and OpenClaw. www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news... via MC News from @micro-center.bsky.social

microcenter.com

Getting Started with LM Studio Bionic

How to use the new local AI agent from the maker of LM Studio.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

From my latest free newsletter: Is there a silver lining to Google Zero for web publishers? Traffic continues to decline, but one key metric is actually going up. danackerman.substack.com/p/maybe-goog...

danackerman.substack.com

Maybe Google Zero is Good for Publishers

There's less of the open web left, but what remains commands a price premium.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

From my latest newsletter, some rare good news for online publishers. Traffic continues to decline at an alarming rate, but the remaining pageviews are being monetized at higher rates, replacing at least some of the lost income from Google Zero. danackerman.substack.com/p/maybe-goog...

danackerman.substack.com

Maybe Google Zero is Good for Publishers

There's less of the open web left, but what remains commands a price premium.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Excited to be back at Open Sauce -- today I'm moderating a panel on the state of PC Building in 2026 @opensaucelive.bsky.social

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

ICYMI: From my free newsletter -- What was a scandal in 2023 is just business as usual in 2026. More AI-powered news is coming, like it or not. danackerman.substack.com/p/more-ai-po...

danackerman.substack.com

More AI-powered News is Coming, Like it or Not

What was a scandal in 2023 is just business as usual in 2026.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

From my latest newsletter: More AI-powered news is coming, like it or not. What was a scandal in 2023 is just business as usual in 2026. danackerman.substack.com/p/more-ai-po...

danackerman.substack.com

More AI-powered News is Coming, Like it or Not

What was a scandal in 2023 is just business as usual in 2026.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

This is a Steam Controller prototype from ~2014 -- more about that, the new Steam Controller, and the latest touchscreen Mac rumors in my occasional newsletter: danackerman.substack.com/p/is-it-fina...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Let's just say my Father's Day tech gift guide for @micro-center.bsky.social is pretty heavy on the 3D printers (but there's other stuff, too). www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

microcenter.com

Father's Day Buying Guide: The Best Tech For Dad

Great gift ideas, from gaming laptops to toolkits to 3D printers.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

ICYMI, in my latest free newsletter, some thoughts on touchscreen Macs, the new Steam Controller, and a throwback to some of the great Steam controller prototypes of 2014/2015, like this guy. Read it here: danackerman.substack.com/p/is-it-fina...

A 2014 prototype of the Valve Steam controller.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

From my latest newsletter -- some consumer tech musings on touchscreen MacBook rumors, the new Steam Controller (and the now-forgotten original Steam Controller from 2015), and more: danackerman.substack.com/p/is-it-fina...

danackerman.substack.com

Is it Finally Time for a Touchscreen MacBook?

The latest leaks say a touchscreen Mac might be here by the end of the year.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

In my latest newsletter, why "The free lunch era of AI may be ending, but the pack-your-own-lunch era is just kicking off," thanks to a mix of subscription fatigue and pay-per-token sticker shock. danackerman.substack.com/p/the-bigges...

danackerman.substack.com

The Biggest Sign of AI Blowback

Pay-per-token billing might be the first big crack in the AI dam.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

ICYMI, from my latest free newsletter: "The free lunch era of AI may be ending, but the pack-your-own-lunch era is just kicking off," as pay-per-token sticker shock upends tokenmaxxing plans. danackerman.substack.com/p/the-bigges...

danackerman.substack.com

The Biggest Sign of AI Blowback

Pay-per-token billing might be the first big crack in the AI dam.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

In my latest free newsletter, why "the free lunch era of AI may be ending, but the pack-your-own-lunch era is just kicking off," as pay-per-token rates send people scrambling to run local AI on their own hardware. danackerman.substack.com/p/the-bigges...

danackerman.substack.com

The Biggest Sign of AI Blowback

Pay-per-token billing might be the first big crack in the AI dam.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

More on my obsession with the origin of AI and robots in the 1920 play R.U.R. in my latest free newsletter. As the robot company CEO says in the play, "Of course, terrible things may happen at first, but that simply can’t be avoided." danackerman.substack.com/p/rur-and-th...

danackerman.substack.com

R.U.R. and The Secret History of AI

My obsession with the 1920 play Rossum's Universal Robots and what it tells us about robots, AI, and economics.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

From my latest free newsletter. Both local AI and actual human employees are going to start looking better once non-subsidized cloud AI sticker shock hits. danackerman.substack.com/p/the-secret...

danackerman.substack.com

The Secret Cost of AI

What happens when AI employees are more expensive than the humans they replaced?

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

I finally got a chance to test drive the Asus ROG Flow Z13-KJP Edition, co-designed by Asus and Kojima Productions. Love the Hideo Kojima vibe, and it's got 128GB of shared memory, so it makes for a great machine for local AI. More at MC News: www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

microcenter.com

Asus ROG Flow Z13-KJP Edition: Hands-on

This Kojima-themed gaming tablet makes for a surprisingly great AI workstation.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

New longform video on one of my obsessions -- the 1920 play R.U.R., which introduced the word "robot" to the world, and predicted much of our current AI era (let's just say the story doesn't end well for the humans in the play). www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxqW...

youtube.com

The Secret History of AI: Episode 1 - R.U.R and the Birth of Artificial Intelligence

YouTube video by Dan Ackerman

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

ICYMI: From my latest free newsletter. Both local AI and actual human employees are going to start looking better after non-subsidized cloud AI sticker shock hits. danackerman.substack.com/p/the-secret...

danackerman.substack.com

The Secret Cost of AI

What happens when AI employees are more expensive than the humans they replaced?

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

New free newsletter out now: "We’re rapidly approaching the point where, for some jobs, going back to human workers will be cheaper (if not necessarily faster) than using AI." danackerman.substack.com/p/the-secret...

danackerman.substack.com

The Secret Cost of AI

What happens when AI employees are more expensive than the humans they replaced?

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

I made a video about one of my long-time obsessions: The 1920 play R.U.R., which not only introduced the word "Robot," but also predicted our AI era -- it's about AI-powered robots that take over nearly every job on Earth, and that's before things go horribly wrong... www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxqW...

youtube.com

The Secret History of AI: Episode 1 - R.U.R and the Birth of Artificial Intelligence

YouTube video by Dan Ackerman

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

Slightly diminish a book: Somewhat Quiet on the Western Front

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

ICYMI: From my latest newsletter on why I'm retiring my smart glasses: "The zeitgeist has decidedly turned against smart glasses in general, and Meta Ray-Ban glasses specifically." danackerman.substack.com/p/why-i-reti...

danackerman.substack.com

Why I Retired My Smart Glasses

The zeitgeist has turned against wearable camera tech like Meta Ray-Ban glasses.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

From my latest free newsletter: "The public has finally concluded camera-enabled smart glasses are still no better, and no less intrusive, than Google Glass was 15 years ago." danackerman.substack.com/p/why-i-reti...

danackerman.substack.com

Why I Retired My Smart Glasses

The zeitgeist has turned against wearable camera tech like Meta Ray-Ban glasses.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

From my latest free newsletter: "For now, the zeitgeist has decidedly turned against smart glasses in general, and Meta Ray-Ban glasses specifically. That’s why, when it was time to update my prescription, I went back to plain old dumb glasses." danackerman.substack.com/p/why-i-reti...

danackerman.substack.com

Why I Retired My Smart Glasses

The zeitgeist has turned against wearable camera tech like Meta Ray-Ban glasses.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

Some updates to my new Shelf Yourself app -- added an info bar with Title/Author and an Amazon search button. Check it out and build your own custom what-I'm-reading sharable bookshelf! www.shelfyourself.app/s/-UmqAACS

shelfyourself.app

Dan's Shelf

Uncanny: The Origins of Fear, 1929, Instant Ramen Kitchen, The Space Merchants, The Future of Truth

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

From my newsletter: "Some say that this AI moment feels like the NFT hype cycle, circa 2020. The implication being that the NFT era was built around a wildly overhyped concept that was, in the end, deeply stupid, and we may come to see AI in the same way." danackerman.substack.com/p/car-mechan...

danackerman.substack.com

Car Mechanics, Coders, and the Next Great Computer Age

Plus the deeply weird Crimson Desert and a surprising new survey on AI trust.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

I used my new Shelf Yourself app to build a bookshelf showing the digital book galleys I'm currently reading. No cover art yet for most, but worth looking up if you're on Net Galley. (Also, try my new book collection app, shelfyourself.app!) shelfyourself.app/s/WiKWZrPt

shelfyourself.app

Dan's Current Galleys

The Ship of Death, The Infinite State, Crone, A Plagued Sea, Ice

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

New from me -- this weekend I made a quick app for visually sharing what books you're currently reading. Like a mini-Letterboxd. No sign-up/membership, but you can save, share, and edit your shelves with static links. www.shelfyourself.app

shelfyourself.app

Shelf Yourself — Your reading stack, visualized

Build a visual bookshelf of what you're reading and share it as a link.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 05/04/2026

Just built a casual app for sharing what books you're currently reading. No account/membership, but it gives you shareable/editable links to save. Hover over each spine to see its cover, reorder the books, name your shelf. This is literally my first test posting from it. shelfyourself.app/s/-UmqAACS

shelfyourself.app

Dan's Shelf

Uncanny: The Origins of Fear, 1929, Instant Ramen Kitchen, The Future of Truth, The Space Merchants

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 05/04/2026

While I’m more optimistic about AI, "people say this AI moment feels like the NFT hype cycle; the implication being that the NFT era was built around a wildly overhyped concept that was in the end, deeply stupid, and we may come to see AI in the same way." danackerman.substack.com/p/car-mechan...

danackerman.substack.com

Car Mechanics, Coders, and the Next Great Computer Age

Plus the deeply weird Crimson Desert and a surprising new survey on AI trust.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

Every line of this article is crazier than the last... Future journalism students should study its careful construction and slow-burn buildup. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/03/u...

nytimes.com

No One at Waffle House Remembers FEMA Official Who Says He Teleported In

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

ICYMI: From my latest newsletter, on what amateur car mechanics from 100-plus years ago tell us about the future of agentic coding. danackerman.substack.com/p/car-mechan...

danackerman.substack.com

Car Mechanics, Coders, and the Next Great Computer Age

Plus the deeply weird Crimson Desert and a surprising new survey on AI trust.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

From my newsletter: "More often, people say that this AI moment feels like the NFT hype cycle; the implication being that the NFT era was built around a wildly overhyped concept that was in the end, deeply stupid, and we may come to see AI in the same way." danackerman.substack.com/p/car-mechan...

danackerman.substack.com

Car Mechanics, Coders, and the Next Great Computer Age

Plus the deeply weird Crimson Desert and a surprising new survey on AI trust.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Another fun hands-on -- I tried out this 18.5-inch (!) Acer PM191Q portable monitor for MC News at @micro-center.bsky.social. Resolution is just 1080p, but its got a 100Hz refresh rate and costs a mere $149. www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

microcenter.com

Acer PM191Q Hands-on: Bigger Can Be Better for Portable Monitors

At 18.5 inches, this oversized portable screen offers a lot of real estate and a surprisingly high refresh rate for a reasonable price.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Maybe the best current workaround for high RAM prices is sticking with Single vs. Dual Channel. We've done some testing in popular games and especially when using an AMD X3D CPU, you don't lose much perf in a lot of cases. Full benchmarks here: www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

How have I never set up a big ol' NAS before? Here's my setup and how-to guide for the Ugreen DXP6800 Pro, a six-bay drive now rocking six 8TB WD Red drives. Read the full buying guide here at @micro-center.bsky.social's MC News: microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

Looking for the Venn diagram of physical book readers and 3D printing enthusiasts -- check out my free app for making custom 4-color 3D printed bookmarks from any book cover. www.3dbookmark.app

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

Saw Project Hail Mary with the family last night -- really amazing, you should definitely go see it. It took a bit of sleuthing to find, but here's the 2017 podcast episode where @scottstein.bsky.social and I interviewed Andy Weir about the use of tech in his novels: open.spotify.com/episode/2dS5...

open.spotify.com

Episode 3: 'Artemis' by Andy Weir

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

From my newsletter: "The dotcom boom and AI boom are bookends for the democratization of content. The first opened the door for anyone to be a publisher. Now the AI boom closes that door, drowning out everyone stuck at producing content at mere human speeds." danackerman.substack.com/p/is-the-ai-...

danackerman.substack.com

Is the AI Boom Like the Dotcom Boom (and Bust)?

New technologies, early adopters, and the fear of an inevitable crash.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

In my latest newsletter: This moment feels like the 1997 of the AI era, a time of massive change that’s inevitable. There are AI naysayers now, just as there were dotcom naysayers then. But despite the dotcom bust, we emerged as an internet-first culture. danackerman.substack.com/p/is-the-ai-...

danackerman.substack.com

Is the AI Boom Like the Dotcom Boom (and Bust)?

New technologies, early adopters, and the fear of an inevitable crash.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

From my latest free newsletter -- everyone in tech media is talking about a recent report that some sites have lost up to 97% of their peak audience. I worry about it means for publishers who have consolidated so many tech sites: danackerman.substack.com/p/the-tech-m...

danackerman.substack.com

The Tech Media Audience Apocalypse is Worse than You Thought

Some key sites have lost 90% (or more) of their peak traffic.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Here's the latest on the colorful new $599 MacBook Neo and everything else from Apple today, including my first hands-on, via @MicroCenter News: www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

ICYMI: When I need a new tool, now I'm just as likely to have AI help me build a new single-serving app than look for an existing software solution. What does that mean for a software industry built on endless subscriptions? From my latest free newsletter. danackerman.substack.com/p/the-rise-o...

danackerman.substack.com

The Rise of Single-Serving Software

I'm building specialized apps that do exactly what I want; no more, no less.

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