Dan Ackerman

The latest AI models are also incredibly capable, whether for good or ill. Much of the "AI doesn't really work" vibe comes from peoples' impressions from 2023/2024, when most models really were pretty unreliable.

Something Big Is Happening A personal note for non-tech friends and family on what AI is starting to change.

Good point from this essay on the current state of AI: "The gap between public perception and current reality is now enormous." It's true that much of the public's perception of AI is based on 2023/2024 versions that are nowhere close to the latest models. shumer.dev/something-bi...

The One Media Model that Makes Sense Unless you fully own your audience, you're only renting success.

From my latest free newsletter: "You own your ideas. You own your content. You don’t own the algorithmically determined slot machine of search engine, AI overview, or social media platform promotion." danackerman.substack.com/p/the-one-me...

The One Media Model that Makes Sense Unless you fully own your audience, you're only renting success.

"This is the newsletter I didn’t want to have to write." In the wake of yet another wave of journalism job cuts, it’s important to look at what has a chance of working (owning your eyeballs) and what doesn't (depending on a platform you don’t control). danackerman.substack.com/p/the-one-me...

Washington Post Begins Laying Off More Than 300 Journalists

Here's the real key point behind all this: "Online search traffic, partly because of the rise of generative A.I., had fallen by nearly half in the last three years." That inescapable decline is what makes me dubious of almost all media biz models right now. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...

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

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)/¯

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…

Clicking Into Nowhere: Where Will Web Traffic Go in 2026? The Google Zero effect is just getting started.

With more tech media layoff news looming, I went back to this advice on navigating a Google Zero world: "Create something that a reader/viewer/listener can consume and feel like their time and attention was well-spent. That’s it. That’s the gig." More here: danackerman.substack.com/p/clicking-i...

YouTube video by Dan Ackerman I Vibe-Coded a 3D Printing App...and it Doesn't Suck

I wanted to try vibe coding, so I made an app that takes any image and turns it into a 4-color 3mf bookmark design for 3D printing. I've been using it to make custom bookmarks for vintage scifi paperbacks. Check it out at 3dbookmark.app -- and here's video explainer: www.youtube.com/shorts/xjQbW...

Clicking Into Nowhere: Where Will Web Traffic Go in 2026? The Google Zero effect is just getting started.

ICYMI, from my latest free newsletter on navigating news media in a Google Zero world: "Create something that a reader/viewer/listener can consume and feel like their time and attention was well-spent. That’s it. That’s the gig." danackerman.substack.com/p/clicking-i...

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...

Clicking Into Nowhere: Where Will Web Traffic Go in 2026? The Google Zero effect is just getting started.

Writing about the crisis in search traffic for media in my newsletter: "I generally take a long view, as I’ve been doing this since before web traffic was a thing. And it looks like I’ll be here after, as well, if the Google Zero train keeps rolling." More: danackerman.substack.com/p/clicking-i...

Clicking Into Nowhere: Where Will Web Traffic Go in 2026? The Google Zero effect is just getting started.

Google Zero is just getting started. The media math for 2026 is grim and search traffic is expected to plummet even further over the next few years. My latest newsletter digs into some historical context to explain what really matters for writers and editors. danackerman.substack.com/p/clicking-i...

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

I always explained it as: a writer has about a dozen exclamation points to use during their entire career…so choose where to spend them wisely.

The New York Game Awards The New York Videogame Critics Circle (NYVGCC) is going big for the 2026 New York Game Awards with a two-day festival hosted at the renowned SVA Theatre in Manhattan on Sat…

The New York Game Awards are this weekend! It's the show's 15th year, so watch online Sunday evening or come see it in person at the SVA Theater in Manhattan! (Also cool gaming stuff going on at the same venue Saturday.) Detail and tix: nygamecritics.com/awards/

15th NY Game Awards + GG Fest + Supergiant Concert! Get ready for two unforgettable days celebrating the artistry, creativity, and community of video games! The 15th NY Game Awards + GG Fest!

I've been so busy with CES that the 15th Annual New York Game Awards has kinda snuck up on me! The NY Game Awards show is Jan 18, and GG Fest, a new mini game festival is Jan 17, both at the SVA Theater in Manhattan. Details, sked, tix, etc. are here: www.eventbrite.com/e/15th-ny-ga...

IDC says, "Global PC shipments grew 9.6% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2025." And there was a lot of positive PC energy on display at CES 2026. New chips, new laptops, etc. Speaking of CES, here's a recap of what my team saw on the ground last week: www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

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...

YouTube video by Dan Ackerman CES 2026 in 90 Seconds!

Wrapping up yet another CES! And a pretty good one, too. Here’s my very quick recap of some of things I liked the most, from laptops with expanding screens to a crazy plate-spinning dinner show, all boiled down to 90 tight seconds. youtube.com/shorts/zncH3...

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.

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...

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)

Not Another Gift Guide: My Indispensable Gear of 2025 I look at a lot of products, gadgets, and tools every year. Here's what I actually end up using.

I really liked what the @tested.com team did with their “Favorite Things of 2025” video series, so I did something similar in lieu of a year-in-review post. I called it "My Indispensable Gear of 2025" and its in my latest free newsletter: danackerman.substack.com/p/not-anothe...

YouTube video by Micro Center Building the New Vegas Strip at Micro Center! Fallout Maker Project Episode 1

Check out this epic video from the @micro-center.bsky.social team -- designing and building a huge 3D-printed Fallout: New Vegas setup with a Vegas strip diorama, working Raspberry Pi Pip Boy, Fallout gaming PC, etc. www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGCb...

Not Another Gift Guide: My Indispensable Gear of 2025 I look at a lot of products, gadgets, and tools every year. Here's what I actually end up using.

A year-end recap (aka not a gift guide!) of what I find to be my most indispensable gear, via my latest free newsletter. danackerman.substack.com/p/not-anothe...

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...

Too late…

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...