Harry McCracken
@harrymccracken.com
Fast Company global technology editor. Boy journalist. Bon vivant. Lefthander. Westcoastian. 🇺🇦 Sign up for my free Plugged In newsletter: https://www.fastcompany.com/section/plugged-in
It’s Petula Clark’s birthday! She signed my iPod, as did Burt Bacharach. (And then I ran out of room, which was OK.)
November 16, 2025 at 6:19 AM
It’s Petula Clark’s birthday! She signed my iPod, as did Burt Bacharach. (And then I ran out of room, which was OK.)
Web Summit has self-serve beer dispensing stations. I didn’t partake and am not sure if they somehow card you. Then again, everyone here seems to be adults and I’m not sure what the drinking age is in Portugal.
November 12, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Web Summit has self-serve beer dispensing stations. I didn’t partake and am not sure if they somehow card you. Then again, everyone here seems to be adults and I’m not sure what the drinking age is in Portugal.
This humanoid robot from China’s Unitree is attracting a crowd in the Web Summit speakers’ lounge. It’s whipping about VERY quickly, in a way that’s a little unsettling.
November 11, 2025 at 12:42 PM
This humanoid robot from China’s Unitree is attracting a crowd in the Web Summit speakers’ lounge. It’s whipping about VERY quickly, in a way that’s a little unsettling.
I’m among the throngs attending Web Summit’s opening night.
November 10, 2025 at 6:17 PM
I’m among the throngs attending Web Summit’s opening night.
I’m in Lisbon at Web Summit’s Future of Media Summit. NPR’s Katherine Maher is kicking it off.
November 10, 2025 at 10:14 AM
I’m in Lisbon at Web Summit’s Future of Media Summit. NPR’s Katherine Maher is kicking it off.
Are we supposed to be impressed when our airline app says it uses generative AI to provide flight status? Or concerned?
(So needy.)
(So needy.)
November 6, 2025 at 1:23 AM
Are we supposed to be impressed when our airline app says it uses generative AI to provide flight status? Or concerned?
(So needy.)
(So needy.)
Happy Halloween. (This is the tallest pumpkin I’ve ever carved, by a lot.)
November 1, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Happy Halloween. (This is the tallest pumpkin I’ve ever carved, by a lot.)
My best Halloween costume, which I apparently put back on at Christmas to impress my grandmother.
October 31, 2025 at 8:47 PM
My best Halloween costume, which I apparently put back on at Christmas to impress my grandmother.
My Aunt Elizabeth dressed as a bullfighter for a Greenwich Village Halloween party, 1965.
October 31, 2025 at 8:42 PM
My Aunt Elizabeth dressed as a bullfighter for a Greenwich Village Halloween party, 1965.
Working on a newsletter, I was trying to remember when I got my first digital camera, My ancient email told me it was May 1999. I was impressed by the 12MB of onboard RAM and the (I don’t remember what this was) “sun window.”
October 30, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Working on a newsletter, I was trying to remember when I got my first digital camera, My ancient email told me it was May 1999. I was impressed by the 12MB of onboard RAM and the (I don’t remember what this was) “sun window.”
Nolan Bushnell’s 1983 ad for his Topo home robot is still one of my favorite things ever, from the photo to the gold-plated statuett to the fact you mailed the order form to Nolan himself.
October 24, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Nolan Bushnell’s 1983 ad for his Topo home robot is still one of my favorite things ever, from the photo to the gold-plated statuett to the fact you mailed the order form to Nolan himself.
BASIC has always improved my mental state, so this checks out. www.thebulwark.com/p/bizarre-he...
October 21, 2025 at 1:43 AM
BASIC has always improved my mental state, so this checks out. www.thebulwark.com/p/bizarre-he...
Drove by the Palo Alto Apple Store tonight and there was a small but not completely tiny protest going on outside, with an obligatory frog.
October 19, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Drove by the Palo Alto Apple Store tonight and there was a small but not completely tiny protest going on outside, with an obligatory frog.
Your work reminds me of a real touchstone of my youth, Munro Leaf.
October 19, 2025 at 6:19 AM
Your work reminds me of a real touchstone of my youth, Munro Leaf.
Not a third-party likeness, Sora. Last time I checked, I was me.
October 15, 2025 at 7:33 AM
Not a third-party likeness, Sora. Last time I checked, I was me.
Dear video-calling platforms,
YOU ALL WORK PRETTY WELL NOWADAYS AND CAN STOP ASKING US THIS AFTER EVERY CALL.
Best,
Harry
YOU ALL WORK PRETTY WELL NOWADAYS AND CAN STOP ASKING US THIS AFTER EVERY CALL.
Best,
Harry
October 13, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Dear video-calling platforms,
YOU ALL WORK PRETTY WELL NOWADAYS AND CAN STOP ASKING US THIS AFTER EVERY CALL.
Best,
Harry
YOU ALL WORK PRETTY WELL NOWADAYS AND CAN STOP ASKING US THIS AFTER EVERY CALL.
Best,
Harry
Speaking of protesters in Portland, my father took these evocative pictures many years ago. They might be protesting the Vietnam War, and I think they’re in Portland. Can anyone verify location based on the building in the background?
October 12, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Speaking of protesters in Portland, my father took these evocative pictures many years ago. They might be protesting the Vietnam War, and I think they’re in Portland. Can anyone verify location based on the building in the background?
But I didn’t have anyone in particular in mind.
October 7, 2025 at 3:01 PM
But I didn’t have anyone in particular in mind.
One ride in a Tesla robotaxi, and I’m already in debt to Elon Musk.
October 7, 2025 at 5:49 AM
One ride in a Tesla robotaxi, and I’m already in debt to Elon Musk.
I finally got off the waitlist for Tesla’s robotaxi service and took one. Not very exciting—there was a guy behind the wheel just in case—but about 80% cheaper than a Waymo.
October 7, 2025 at 5:26 AM
I finally got off the waitlist for Tesla’s robotaxi service and took one. Not very exciting—there was a guy behind the wheel just in case—but about 80% cheaper than a Waymo.
As far as I can tell, ChatGPT made up most or all of this advice. Googling easily provided the correct fix, which is unrelated to all this.
October 6, 2025 at 4:57 PM
As far as I can tell, ChatGPT made up most or all of this advice. Googling easily provided the correct fix, which is unrelated to all this.
Getting whiplashed by Sora flipping from being an IP free for all to a party pooper.
October 5, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Getting whiplashed by Sora flipping from being an IP free for all to a party pooper.
Playing around with Sora.
October 3, 2025 at 12:58 AM
Playing around with Sora.