Ernie Smith
Close Your Browser Tabs. You Won’t Miss Them.
A case in favor of browser tab minimalism, or closing the tabs you’re not using. Sometimes, information overload has its limits.
Apple Should Make a Mechanical Keyboard
Apple seems to be doing everything in its power to minimize the imprint of the button on its trillion-dollar business, but the company could earn some goodwill from creatives with a fresh take on the mechanical keyboard.
The Company That Makes Mechanical Keyboards Clack
Cherry has been around since the 1950s and is best known for its mechanical keyboard switches, but the company has only been defined by its switches in the past decade. Here’s why.
How Robotic Arms Defined the Industrial Revolution
The evolution of the robotic arm, a product invented in the US that came to define modern factories around the world. It wasn't an easy sell in America.
The First Portable Computers Were the Size of an RV
Why the first 'portable' computers, produced before integrated circuits, would really stretch the term today. Some portables needed a truck to move.
How the Clapper Came to Define Modern Home Automation
The Clapper was in the same category—and owned by the same guy—as the Chia Pet. Nonetheless, the somewhat primitive device introduced millions of people to the idea of simple home automation. Would we have Alexa without it?
How the Music Industry Messed Up Legal Streaming the First Time Around
Lessons from the music industry’s initial consumer-hostile reaction to the Napster saga. Going from $16 CDs to unlimited streaming is really hard.
The Art of Soldering
The story of solder, the unsung hero of the digital revolution that benefits from a low melting point. It’s what keeps the circuits attached to the silicon.
The Real Industry Behind Fake Electronics
The history of the fake electronics that you sometimes see in furniture stores or in houses for sale. No, that 60-inch flat-screen TV doesn’t turn on.
How Did Our Default Ringtones Become So Grating?
The evolution of the modern cell phone ringtone—and the Ukrainian guy who wants to give Apple’s default noises a refresh.
How Did Our Default Ringtones Become So Grating?
The evolution of the modern cell phone ringtone—and the Ukrainian guy who wants to give Apple’s default noises a refresh.
The Military-Industrial Complex Roots of GPS
The evolution of the global positioning system, the greatest non-internet idea to come out of the Space Race, and why the military initially hobbled it.