Matthew S. Smith
@mattontech.bsky.social
Tech journalist and author of book on EverQuest
https://mattontech.me
https://www.computergamingyesterday.com/index.html
https://mattontech.me
https://www.computergamingyesterday.com/index.html
Reposted by Matthew S. Smith
This looks cool! Great cover, too.
Excited to announce that my next book, I AM THE NIGHT, not only has a great cover but is available for pre-order now: us.macmillan.com/books/978125...
February 6, 2026 at 8:18 PM
This looks cool! Great cover, too.
I noticed today that Introversion Software has released its latest game, The Last Starship. Their prior work includes Defcon, Prisoner Architect, Darwinia, Uplink...going to check this out tonight. #indiedev #steam #spacegame
store.steampowered.com/app/1857080/...
store.steampowered.com/app/1857080/...
Save 15% on The Last Starship on Steam
The Last Starship is a 2D space construction game where you design and upgrade your starship. Choose your path: pirate hunter, miner, engineer, spacebus driver, and more, whilst exploring vibrant star...
store.steampowered.com
February 6, 2026 at 4:38 PM
I noticed today that Introversion Software has released its latest game, The Last Starship. Their prior work includes Defcon, Prisoner Architect, Darwinia, Uplink...going to check this out tonight. #indiedev #steam #spacegame
store.steampowered.com/app/1857080/...
store.steampowered.com/app/1857080/...
Reposted by Matthew S. Smith
This is one of my favorite Hands On we've ever published: did you know that with a General-class Ham license and less than $100 bucks you can build, launch, and monitor a globe-circling balloon? #amateurradio #hamradio #picoballoon #citizenscience spectrum.ieee.org/explore-stra...
Build Your Own Pico Balloon and Explore the Stratosphere
A $4 Raspberry Pi Pico can help you track a DIY balloon around the world.
spectrum.ieee.org
February 4, 2026 at 3:39 PM
This is one of my favorite Hands On we've ever published: did you know that with a General-class Ham license and less than $100 bucks you can build, launch, and monitor a globe-circling balloon? #amateurradio #hamradio #picoballoon #citizenscience spectrum.ieee.org/explore-stra...
Bezos 100% bought WAPO just to ruin it, didn't he
February 4, 2026 at 4:22 PM
Bezos 100% bought WAPO just to ruin it, didn't he
There’s so much irony in reading the comments section of articles like this. Ars is a website for technologists, but when it comes to one of most striking computing innovations of the past 10 or 20 years, most readers are in full curmudgeon mode.
arstechnica.com/features/202...
arstechnica.com/features/202...
So yeah, I vibe-coded a log colorizer—and I feel good about it
Some semi-unhinged musings on where LLMs fit into my life—and how I'll keep using them.
arstechnica.com
February 4, 2026 at 3:08 PM
There’s so much irony in reading the comments section of articles like this. Ars is a website for technologists, but when it comes to one of most striking computing innovations of the past 10 or 20 years, most readers are in full curmudgeon mode.
arstechnica.com/features/202...
arstechnica.com/features/202...
Oh yea, there’s no chance a ChromeOS and Android merger goes well. And from the sound of it calling it a merger may be charitable.
www.theverge.com/tech/869659/...
www.theverge.com/tech/869659/...
Aluminium: Why Google’s Android for PC launch may be messy and controversial
Aluminium isn’t here to save today’s Chromebooks.
www.theverge.com
February 4, 2026 at 2:53 PM
Oh yea, there’s no chance a ChromeOS and Android merger goes well. And from the sound of it calling it a merger may be charitable.
www.theverge.com/tech/869659/...
www.theverge.com/tech/869659/...
finally started Hogwarts Legacy last night after having picked it up when it was free on Epic..and I think I’m going to like this game
February 4, 2026 at 2:48 PM
finally started Hogwarts Legacy last night after having picked it up when it was free on Epic..and I think I’m going to like this game
Yes. Federal agents are gassing children. And to be frank, to say "children protesting" is kinda overselling what they were doing. It's more like a community march got vaguely near the ICE facility and so ICE decided to gas them (and, like, the entire south side of Portland) for no reason.
ICE is afraid of children protesting
“Next time, I’ll be back with a gas mask.”
www.theverge.com
February 3, 2026 at 6:22 PM
Yes. Federal agents are gassing children. And to be frank, to say "children protesting" is kinda overselling what they were doing. It's more like a community march got vaguely near the ICE facility and so ICE decided to gas them (and, like, the entire south side of Portland) for no reason.
My first review of a laptop with Intel's new Panther Lake architecture, and whew, yes...it is worth the hype.
#consumertech #intel #amd #pantherlake
www.pcworld.com/article/3044...
#consumertech #intel #amd #pantherlake
www.pcworld.com/article/3044...
I took this Asus laptop for a spin. Panther Lake makes it fly.
The Asus ExpertBook Ultra benefits from the performance of Intel’s new Panther Lake architecture, but it’s also a great premium business laptop in its own right.
www.pcworld.com
January 30, 2026 at 7:06 PM
My first review of a laptop with Intel's new Panther Lake architecture, and whew, yes...it is worth the hype.
#consumertech #intel #amd #pantherlake
www.pcworld.com/article/3044...
#consumertech #intel #amd #pantherlake
www.pcworld.com/article/3044...
Why is it that some people are convinced modern generative AI agents will change just about everything we do...and others are convinced they're a literal technological dead end?
It's a puzzle. But I think there's an answer.
#aiagents #llms #ai #agentics #agents
It's a puzzle. But I think there's an answer.
#aiagents #llms #ai #agentics #agents
Was 2025 Really the Year of AI Agents?
2025 promised to be the year AI agents entered daily life and work. Was it?
spectrum.ieee.org
January 30, 2026 at 7:01 PM
Reposted by Matthew S. Smith
they went to an emergency room seeking help for their 7 year old child.
ICE arrested the 7 year old and her parents.
the family is here legally.
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
ICE arrested the 7 year old and her parents.
the family is here legally.
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
ICE detains family seeking emergency care for child at Portland hospital
The Venezuelan parents and their 7-year-old daughter entered the U.S. legally.
www.oregonlive.com
January 24, 2026 at 12:06 AM
they went to an emergency room seeking help for their 7 year old child.
ICE arrested the 7 year old and her parents.
the family is here legally.
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
ICE arrested the 7 year old and her parents.
the family is here legally.
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
Reposted by Matthew S. Smith
I will never pay a subscription fee to unlock features the hardware I paid for already supports. Didn’t BMW already FAFO with this? Goes for PC stuff too arstechnica.com/cars/2026/01...
Tesla kills Autopilot, locks lane-keeping behind $99/month fee
With falling sales and shrinking profits, the recurring revenue will be most welcome.
arstechnica.com
January 23, 2026 at 9:41 PM
I will never pay a subscription fee to unlock features the hardware I paid for already supports. Didn’t BMW already FAFO with this? Goes for PC stuff too arstechnica.com/cars/2026/01...
In all seriousness. Who is like, omg, yes, Dairy Queen! it hasn’t been good for a couple decades now...
www.oregonlive.com/retail/2026/...
www.oregonlive.com/retail/2026/...
A SE Portland Dairy Queen could finally reopen this year; here’s what we know
The site has sat empty since 2019, when the Dairy Queen was demolished after 50 years in business.
www.oregonlive.com
January 23, 2026 at 3:00 PM
In all seriousness. Who is like, omg, yes, Dairy Queen! it hasn’t been good for a couple decades now...
www.oregonlive.com/retail/2026/...
www.oregonlive.com/retail/2026/...
Reposted by Matthew S. Smith
Presenting Shadow of the Colossus by @bossfightbooks.com : buff.ly/x62Lsey
January 20, 2026 at 8:30 AM
Presenting Shadow of the Colossus by @bossfightbooks.com : buff.ly/x62Lsey
It is beyond stupid to insist on registration for ebikes and other small electrical vehicles.
If NJ would like to actually address road deaths maybe try regulating the 6,000 pound SUVs with 5-foot-tall hoods.
Oh, but that would actually require some backbone...
#ebikes
If NJ would like to actually address road deaths maybe try regulating the 6,000 pound SUVs with 5-foot-tall hoods.
Oh, but that would actually require some backbone...
#ebikes
Why Every E-Biker Should Be Worried About NJ's Proposed Micromobility Insurance Law — Streetsblog USA
Instead of ensuring safety on Garden State roads, requiring bikers to carry insurance could make roads more dangerous, inequitable and polluted.
usa.streetsblog.org
January 20, 2026 at 5:45 PM
It is beyond stupid to insist on registration for ebikes and other small electrical vehicles.
If NJ would like to actually address road deaths maybe try regulating the 6,000 pound SUVs with 5-foot-tall hoods.
Oh, but that would actually require some backbone...
#ebikes
If NJ would like to actually address road deaths maybe try regulating the 6,000 pound SUVs with 5-foot-tall hoods.
Oh, but that would actually require some backbone...
#ebikes
Gamers won't learn to live AI. Gamers* will buy games that use AI while also swearing that actually no one will ever buy games that use AI. Same as it ever was.
*who actually counts as "gamers" is a mysterious and always will be
*who actually counts as "gamers" is a mysterious and always will be
January 20, 2026 at 5:01 PM
Gamers won't learn to live AI. Gamers* will buy games that use AI while also swearing that actually no one will ever buy games that use AI. Same as it ever was.
*who actually counts as "gamers" is a mysterious and always will be
*who actually counts as "gamers" is a mysterious and always will be
Fixed a bug in my tabletop RPG combat tracker and assistant, the Remove button, for removing characters from the initiative order, should now work properly.
ttrpg-tools.online
#ttrpg #dnd #pathfinder
ttrpg-tools.online
#ttrpg #dnd #pathfinder
Tabletop RPG Combat Tracker
ttrpg-tools.online
January 17, 2026 at 6:40 PM
Fixed a bug in my tabletop RPG combat tracker and assistant, the Remove button, for removing characters from the initiative order, should now work properly.
ttrpg-tools.online
#ttrpg #dnd #pathfinder
ttrpg-tools.online
#ttrpg #dnd #pathfinder
Oregon State University is a leader in robotics and AI research, and also very close to my doorstep. So, I've been writing a few articles for them, highlighting the work of professors and students.
This piece about Devin J. Roach, PhD dives into AI, 3D printing, and frickin' laser beams.
This piece about Devin J. Roach, PhD dives into AI, 3D printing, and frickin' laser beams.
Devin Roach uses 3D printing, AI, and lasers to revolutionize manufacturing | College of Engineering
Oregon State’s professor of mechanical engineering, Devin Roach, works at the crossroads between materials science, manufacturing, and artificial intelligence. Roach’s Versatile Additive Manufacturing...
engineering.oregonstate.edu
January 16, 2026 at 3:56 PM
Oregon State University is a leader in robotics and AI research, and also very close to my doorstep. So, I've been writing a few articles for them, highlighting the work of professors and students.
This piece about Devin J. Roach, PhD dives into AI, 3D printing, and frickin' laser beams.
This piece about Devin J. Roach, PhD dives into AI, 3D printing, and frickin' laser beams.
For PC World I took at look at Acer's Predator X27U F5, yet another 500Hz OLED monitor. Already, these are rapidly dipping in price...and the motion clarity is spectacular.
#consumertech #displaytech #pcmonitor #oled
www.pcworld.com/article/3011...
#consumertech #displaytech #pcmonitor #oled
www.pcworld.com/article/3011...
Tested: Acer's X27U F5 makes 500Hz OLED more affordable
The Acer Predator X27U F5 is yet another 1440p 500Hz OLED monitor that delivers great motion clarity, and it cuts some less essential features to lower the price.
www.pcworld.com
January 16, 2026 at 3:43 PM
For PC World I took at look at Acer's Predator X27U F5, yet another 500Hz OLED monitor. Already, these are rapidly dipping in price...and the motion clarity is spectacular.
#consumertech #displaytech #pcmonitor #oled
www.pcworld.com/article/3011...
#consumertech #displaytech #pcmonitor #oled
www.pcworld.com/article/3011...
Looks like what I feared is happening...
Nvidia's less expensive 16GB video cards are getting the axe.
If you picked up one of those RTX 5060 TI 16GB cards for like, less than $400 around Black Friday, you did good.
#nvidia #rtx #consumertech #memoryshortage
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yteN...
Nvidia's less expensive 16GB video cards are getting the axe.
If you picked up one of those RTX 5060 TI 16GB cards for like, less than $400 around Black Friday, you did good.
#nvidia #rtx #consumertech #memoryshortage
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yteN...
The RTX 5070 Ti Has Been Killed Off
YouTube video by Hardware Unboxed
www.youtube.com
January 15, 2026 at 4:35 PM
Looks like what I feared is happening...
Nvidia's less expensive 16GB video cards are getting the axe.
If you picked up one of those RTX 5060 TI 16GB cards for like, less than $400 around Black Friday, you did good.
#nvidia #rtx #consumertech #memoryshortage
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yteN...
Nvidia's less expensive 16GB video cards are getting the axe.
If you picked up one of those RTX 5060 TI 16GB cards for like, less than $400 around Black Friday, you did good.
#nvidia #rtx #consumertech #memoryshortage
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yteN...
At #CES 2026 I spoke with Eric Migicovsky, once and current founder of Pebble, about the future of the pioneering smartwatch and its operating system which, in case you haven't heard, is now open source.
spectrum.ieee.org/open-source-...
#opensource #wearables #smartwatch #consumertech
spectrum.ieee.org/open-source-...
#opensource #wearables #smartwatch #consumertech
Pebble Returns to CES With a New Line of Wearables
Pebble was back at CES 2026 with wearables that prioritize simplicity and long battery life. See how the gadgets blend nostalgia and modern AI features.
spectrum.ieee.org
January 14, 2026 at 6:42 PM
At #CES 2026 I spoke with Eric Migicovsky, once and current founder of Pebble, about the future of the pioneering smartwatch and its operating system which, in case you haven't heard, is now open source.
spectrum.ieee.org/open-source-...
#opensource #wearables #smartwatch #consumertech
spectrum.ieee.org/open-source-...
#opensource #wearables #smartwatch #consumertech
Yet another unacceptable example of Portland police letting a driver off the hook for reckless behavior because they appeared apologetic.
And we wonder why traffic deaths are so high...
bikeportland.org/2026/01/13/d...
#pdx
And we wonder why traffic deaths are so high...
bikeportland.org/2026/01/13/d...
#pdx
Despite clear evidence, officer's lack of citation illustrates discretionary loophole
A clear-cut case that illustrates how some laws only matter if police choose to enforce them.
bikeportland.org
January 13, 2026 at 9:53 PM
Yet another unacceptable example of Portland police letting a driver off the hook for reckless behavior because they appeared apologetic.
And we wonder why traffic deaths are so high...
bikeportland.org/2026/01/13/d...
#pdx
And we wonder why traffic deaths are so high...
bikeportland.org/2026/01/13/d...
#pdx
Made some updates to my #ttrpg combat tracker.
Added a new note system to make it easier to see, and save multiple notes.
Updated the dice roller so that it can collapse and is easier to identify.
Added a new note system to make it easier to see, and save multiple notes.
Updated the dice roller so that it can collapse and is easier to identify.
January 10, 2026 at 10:10 PM
Made some updates to my #ttrpg combat tracker.
Added a new note system to make it easier to see, and save multiple notes.
Updated the dice roller so that it can collapse and is easier to identify.
Added a new note system to make it easier to see, and save multiple notes.
Updated the dice roller so that it can collapse and is easier to identify.