iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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 · 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

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 · 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 · 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 · 13/02/2026

I don't get to review nearly as many laptops as I used to (back when that was my primary job), but I really liked getting hands on with this super-slim gaming laptop, the Acer Predator Triton 14 AI. Full review on @micro-center.bsky.social's MC News: www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

These are a few of the 3D-printed custom bookmarks for vintage sci-fi paperbacks I made with my new app, which takes any photo and turns it into a 4-color 3mf file (I use a Bambu A1 multi-color 3D printer). Totally free, so try it yourself at www.3dbookmark.app

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

Well, I tried Claude Cowork, and the very first thing I asked it to do, organize the 300+ screenshots in my Documents folder, it hit a usage cap. That's literally the example everyone gives as the perfect task for Cowork. ¯\(ツ)/¯

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

Installed some bias lighting on the TV — dead simple, just a @goveeofficial Govee Neon Rope Light. Ignore the fact that I was watching the remake of The Running Man…

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

Interested in harnessing the power of local AI? This great explainer on Nvidia's NVFP4 dives into some of the complexities of model quantization for specialized hardware: www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

Someone named this character in The Outer Worlds 2 after the nearby Hoyt–Schermerhorn subway station here in Brooklyn…

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

This is fun -- Micro Center and PSA are teaming up to host an in-person event at the Tustin, CA MC store on Jan 31. You can literally rip, pull, and submit right at the store. Details here via MC News: www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

Key number from CES 2026. Get ready to hear about YottaFlops, which is what future AI compute demands may require. That’s a 1 followed by 24 zeroes.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

One of the first big stories from CES 2026: Qualcomm is expanding its PC chip lineup with the new Snapdragon X2 Plus. More at MC News: microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

Don’t let anyone tell you CES don’t “officially” start until Jan 6. It’s Sunday and I’m here with my whole crew and we’re going to meetings, writing articles, shooting videos, etc. (Same as every other year, tbh)

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

Giving a gift card or cash as a gift can feel a little low-effort, but a 3D printed box can turn it into a real holiday highlight. Big trend for this year (and I'm not making this up) -- "annoying" gift boxes sealed shut with sometimes dozens of 3D-printed screws. www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

It’s the most magical time of the year -- that’s right, CES Preview Article Season. ;) My CES 2026 lookahead for Micro Center News is live, with a heavy PC, AI, and gaming focus as I get ready to head to my twenty-somethingth CES next month… www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

If you haven't already heard the rumors, it's true, Micro Center is coming to Austin, sometime mid-2026! Details here via MC News: microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

Circling back on this point, which I don't see enough people talking about -- AI is essentially a commodity product. There will be no loyalty for particular LLM models and versions. More in my most recent newsletter: danackerman.substack.com/p/ai-is-a-co...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

Spotify Wrapped is out. I assume this number means I have younger listening tastes than 73% of listeners, right?

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 15/11/2025

Never change, Google AI overview…

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

Great explainer on LLM quantization: What hardware you're running affects which versions of models you can run, which in turn affects the output. Going to become a bigger deal as people turn to running AI on local hardware b/c of cost, privacy, flexibility, etc. www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

Unintentionally existential SMS spam.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

What happened today at the *official* Grand Opening of Micro Center Phoenix (after two wild VIP Early Access Days)? See it here, from Intel, AMD, and MSI tents outside to @mryeester and @austinnotduncan PC builds inside, all via MC News: www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

Is the future of AI local or cloud? A lot of people are betting on the former, but it requires a big hardware investment, especially an understanding of VRAM and memory bandwidth. This MC News explainer lays it all out: www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

Excited that the Micro Center team just interviewed a group of Nvidia AI experts about the new DGX Spark. We’ve got walkthroughs and demo sessions, including model training, video analysis, and a multi-agent chatbot. Article and full video here: microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

DGX Spark walkthroughs and demo sessions, including model training, video analysis, and a multi-agent chatbot.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 18/10/2025

Someone’s rocking the giant 12-foot Home Depot skeleton right on Smith Street.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

Much more on the DGX Spark from Nvidia, including initial hands-on testing. The Micro Center News crew was at the Santa Clara store today for the launch and not only was there a line outside, I hear someone bought six units. New hands-on video and impressions here: microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

Walking out of the coffee shop in Brooklyn I was working at today, a young dude in a bike rides past me and says, "Dope fit, man." So at least I've got that going for me.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 14/10/2025

ICYMI last night -- Nvidia's DGX Spark has been unboxed, with a release date of Oct 15. Here's some very early hands-on footage and setup info from the MC News team. On sale at @micro-center.bsky.social stores this Weds! www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 14/10/2025

The NVIDIA DGX Spark is officially landing on Oct 15! The Micro Center crew got our hands on one a little early, so please check out this unboxing and a few early details: microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 12/10/2025

ICYMI, from my latest newsletter: danackerman.substack.com/p/the-ultima...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

How we turned a vintage radio into a into a Smart Speaker using a Raspberry Pi Zero W 2 and Adafruit Speaker Bonnet. Great maker project from MC News: www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

Just made a bunch of useful 3D prints for traveling, especially these really cool cable clips. (And a holder so my passport wouldn't just be floating around in my bag). All done on a Bambu A1 with standard PLA filament. Details and STL file links here: www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

That's a big block of text just say $240 -> $360.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

Eshitification continues. One of the more interesting/useful things about HBO Max was that you could watch live CNN. No more, apparently.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

Attended today’s Amazon press event with tons of new stuff, but honestly most excited about the colorsoft version of the Kindle Scribe.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

Another tech project I turned into a how-to article. Took an M4 Mac Mini, with just 256GB of storage, added a 2TB M.2 drive in an external enclosure, mapped my home directory to it, and mounted everything on the back of an Apple Studio Display. via MC News: www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

Never a bad time to sign up for PBS Passport...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

Fantastic deep dive on how to build a PC with hardline water cooling, plus great pics and video. Via @micro-center.bsky.social, MC News, and @helplessskippy.bsky.social: www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

I finally recreated my faux "iMac Pro" (which was an actual Apple product from 2017-2021) by 3D printing a mount to connect an M4 Mac Mini to an Apple Studio Display, and also added an external 2TB M.2 drive. Here's the .stl file I used and other details: www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

My newsletter isn't always media and AI doomerism! This week, I go over rediscovering and framing this classic large-format 1978 Superman vs. Muhammad Ali comic. (Fun fact: In this, Clark, Lois and Jimmy all work for a local TV station, not the Daily Planet.) danackerman.substack.com/p/nano-banan...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

As widely expected, new iPhones (and possibly other stuff) coming Sept 9. I was really going to upgrade this year, but based on the leaks so far, I might just get a new battery for my iPhone 13 Pro Max and wait for the folding iPhone next year. What's everyone else think?

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 21/08/2025

Here's what the upcoming IFC/Shudder film "Good Boy" (a horror film from the perspective of a dog) would look like if the protagonist was a cat.

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

Let's test the new open-weight GPT-OSS-20b AI model on a bunch of different consumer PC hardware... Results here: www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

Did you know... Micro Center is getting into console repairs for PS4/PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Switch/Switch Lite/Switch OLED? It's launching this week in Tustin (LA), Houston, Miami, and Westmont (Chicago), rolling out chain-wide soon. Details here: www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

My latest laptop hands-on, this time with the Alienware 18 Area-51 (Nvidia 5090/Intel Core Ultra 9), via MC News: www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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Dan Ackerman @danackerman.bsky.social · 19/07/2025

At Open Sauce 2025, and this might be the coolest event badge I’ve ever gotten. (The back is circuit board you can build something with!)

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