Why I Still Care About CES (Even Though Half of It Is Vaporware)
CES 2012 kicks off next week in Vegas, and yes, most of it will be vaporware — here's why I'm still going to obsessively follow it anyway.
Getting Started with CSS Media Queries
A hands-on walkthrough of CSS media queries and basic responsive breakpoints, prompted by rebuilding this blog's layout after testing it on an iPhone 4S and a new Kindle Fire.
CES Next Week: Ultrabooks and Microsoft's Last Dance
CES 2012 kicks off next week in Vegas, and I've got thoughts on the Ultrabook hype machine and what Microsoft might do with its last-ever CES keynote.
Setting Up a Cron Job to Automate Your Backups
A walkthrough of setting up a cron job on a Linux server to automate a nightly backup script, including the gotchas around cron's stripped-down environment and silent failures.
Back at the Desk, 1,000+ Unread
First day back at the desk after the holidays, staring down a thousand-plus unread RSS items, a squeaky chair, and the usual pile of resolutions I probably won't keep.
Looking Ahead to 2012
A New Year's Eve rundown of half-baked guesses about 2012: Siri, Android fragmentation, cheap tablets, the SOPA fight, and Apple without Steve Jobs.
A Year of techpad, More or Less
A look back at a year of running techpad: what got read, what flopped, and the weird month of December that closed it out.
My Actual Top Gadgets of 2011
A personal, opinionated ranking of the gadgets that actually mattered to me in 2011, from the Kindle Fire to the iPhone 4S, plus a rant about Carrier IQ.
Boxing Day Deals and the Great Gadget Return Shuffle
A Boxing Day recap of doorbuster deals, what to do with your new (or unwanted) gadgets, and some grumbling about Carrier IQ, Siri, and SOPA along the way.
Last-Minute Tech Gifts (You've Got One Day Left)
Still shopping on the 23rd? Here's what's actually worth grabbing this week, from Kindle Fires (if you can find one) to why an Amazon gift card isn't a cop-out.
JavaScript Closures, With Actual Examples
A practical look at JavaScript closures using two real examples: a private click counter and the classic loop-variable bug that trips up almost everyone at some point.
A Holiday Gift Guide for Developer Friends
A last-minute holiday gift guide for developer friends: mechanical keyboards, a couple of books worth actually giving, and gadgets to be careful with.