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
Pinned
Harry McCracken
@harrymccracken.com
· Jul 16
Here’s a feed of stuff from Fast Company and people who write for it, which I created using Flipboard’s Surf app.
bsky.app/profile/did:...
bsky.app/profile/did:...
I wrote about a battery, a wallet, and a book light—seemingly mundane products I really enjoy using. www.fastcompany.com/91448751/3-t...
November 29, 2025 at 1:34 AM
I wrote about a battery, a wallet, and a book light—seemingly mundane products I really enjoy using. www.fastcompany.com/91448751/3-t...
Reposted by Harry McCracken
Trump has done so many worse things that tear down the East Wing of the White House but each time I'm reminded of it I revert to WTAF fuck mode and think he !!!!demolished the East Wing of the White House!!!
November 28, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Trump has done so many worse things that tear down the East Wing of the White House but each time I'm reminded of it I revert to WTAF fuck mode and think he !!!!demolished the East Wing of the White House!!!
My mother’s grandparents were all born within 125-175 miles of Stephen Miller’s great-grandfather’s hometown, Antopol. They emigrated to the U.S. and settled in Iowa and Indiana about 20 years before he found a home in Pennsylvania. www.politico.com/magazine/sto...
Stephen Miller Is an Immigration Hypocrite. I Know Because I’m His Uncle. - POLITICO Magazine
If my nephew’s ideas on immigration had been in force a century ago, our family would have been wiped out.
www.politico.com
November 28, 2025 at 7:49 PM
My mother’s grandparents were all born within 125-175 miles of Stephen Miller’s great-grandfather’s hometown, Antopol. They emigrated to the U.S. and settled in Iowa and Indiana about 20 years before he found a home in Pennsylvania. www.politico.com/magazine/sto...
Reposted by Harry McCracken
Insulting to have to point this out, but if you have spent even 30 minutes reading US history, you realize that every decade has been dominated by racist hysteria that the "new" people won't ever fit in.
This exact prejudice would have been applied to Miller's forebears, when they fled pogroms.
This exact prejudice would have been applied to Miller's forebears, when they fled pogroms.
Stephen Miller is now arguing that assimilation is fundamentally impossible and that certain cultures are not compatible with Western civilization
November 28, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Insulting to have to point this out, but if you have spent even 30 minutes reading US history, you realize that every decade has been dominated by racist hysteria that the "new" people won't ever fit in.
This exact prejudice would have been applied to Miller's forebears, when they fled pogroms.
This exact prejudice would have been applied to Miller's forebears, when they fled pogroms.
Reposted by Harry McCracken
I don’t know if anyone else notices or cares, but when I see a presentation in which the speaker uses obviously generated-AI images to illustrate their slides, it makes me immediately less confident in whatever other content they’re presenting.
November 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
I don’t know if anyone else notices or cares, but when I see a presentation in which the speaker uses obviously generated-AI images to illustrate their slides, it makes me immediately less confident in whatever other content they’re presenting.
Reposted by Harry McCracken
At long last, here's my conversation with wonderful @elizmccrack.bsky.social, whose wonderful new A Long Game goes on sale (at least in the US) next week!
A Long Game
[my conversation with Elizabeth McCracken]
open.substack.com
November 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
At long last, here's my conversation with wonderful @elizmccrack.bsky.social, whose wonderful new A Long Game goes on sale (at least in the US) next week!
Reposted by Harry McCracken
Worth watching this whole clip. Indistinguishable from Nazi leaders talking about Jews in the 1930s.
TRUMP: If you look at Somalia, they are taking over Minnesota.
REPORTER: What do the Somalians have to do with this Afghan guy who shot the National Guard members?
TRUMP: Ah, nothing. But Somalians have caused a lot of trouble. They're ripping us off.
REPORTER: What do the Somalians have to do with this Afghan guy who shot the National Guard members?
TRUMP: Ah, nothing. But Somalians have caused a lot of trouble. They're ripping us off.
November 28, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Worth watching this whole clip. Indistinguishable from Nazi leaders talking about Jews in the 1930s.
Happy Thanksgiving! Here’s the 1965 Macy’s parade, as seen in two of my father’s photos and one, taken by an unidentified family member, of me atop his shoulders. I still wonder if it’s possible to identify the precise location.
November 27, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Happy Thanksgiving! Here’s the 1965 Macy’s parade, as seen in two of my father’s photos and one, taken by an unidentified family member, of me atop his shoulders. I still wonder if it’s possible to identify the precise location.
Speaking of Deputy Dawg, I sometimes use this question to test AI. Gemini took it more seriously than any other bot I’ve tried, though it seems to have hallucinated the part about the rain dance. (The sheriff made Deputy Dawg release the chief on grounds of jurisdiction and fear of legal issues.)
November 26, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Speaking of Deputy Dawg, I sometimes use this question to test AI. Gemini took it more seriously than any other bot I’ve tried, though it seems to have hallucinated the part about the rain dance. (The sheriff made Deputy Dawg release the chief on grounds of jurisdiction and fear of legal issues.)
I’m a sucker for similes involving and cartoon characters, but I’m sorry, Biden and Trump aren’t Rocky and Bullwinkle. Trump may be Mr. Magoo’s evil twin, though.
(Bill Clinton once compared himself to Baby Huey. Dan Rather inexplicably introduced his colleague Bob Schieffer as Deputy Dawg.)
(Bill Clinton once compared himself to Baby Huey. Dan Rather inexplicably introduced his colleague Bob Schieffer as Deputy Dawg.)
November 26, 2025 at 10:09 PM
I’m a sucker for similes involving and cartoon characters, but I’m sorry, Biden and Trump aren’t Rocky and Bullwinkle. Trump may be Mr. Magoo’s evil twin, though.
(Bill Clinton once compared himself to Baby Huey. Dan Rather inexplicably introduced his colleague Bob Schieffer as Deputy Dawg.)
(Bill Clinton once compared himself to Baby Huey. Dan Rather inexplicably introduced his colleague Bob Schieffer as Deputy Dawg.)
Reposted by Harry McCracken
My obit for DOGE points out that in the end it didn’t even save money. It did kill 430,000 children, though. If the goal was to eliminate foreigners, DOGE was a stunning success. About 64 expired for every AID employee fired or placed on administrative leave.
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
DOGE May Be Dead, But Its Crimes Live On
A now-abolished agency that never was did a remarkable amount of damage—including, surprisingly, to the budget deficit.
newrepublic.com
November 25, 2025 at 1:43 PM
My obit for DOGE points out that in the end it didn’t even save money. It did kill 430,000 children, though. If the goal was to eliminate foreigners, DOGE was a stunning success. About 64 expired for every AID employee fired or placed on administrative leave.
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
I’ve never understood this national tradition of the president pardoning two turkeys every year. Does anyone find it cute or funny? It was brain-dead long before Trump got involved.
Trump on the turkeys he's about to pardon: "I shouldn't say this. I was gonna call them Chuck and Nancy. But then I realized I wouldn't be pardoning them. I would never pardon those two people. I wouldn't pardon them. I wouldn't care what Melania told me."
November 25, 2025 at 5:24 PM
I’ve never understood this national tradition of the president pardoning two turkeys every year. Does anyone find it cute or funny? It was brain-dead long before Trump got involved.
Reposted by Harry McCracken
Every bit of this only reinforces Joyce Carol Oates’ absolute roast of Elon Musk as fundamentally lacking in the ability to enjoy anything normally human. “I built a tool that can insult people in a social setting better than anything ever invented” is a real personal tell.
Everything about this might be the saddest thing I’ve ever seen
November 24, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Every bit of this only reinforces Joyce Carol Oates’ absolute roast of Elon Musk as fundamentally lacking in the ability to enjoy anything normally human. “I built a tool that can insult people in a social setting better than anything ever invented” is a real personal tell.
Reposted by Harry McCracken
lol this rocks
taking my children to see the nativity mural painted on the olde drugstore facade downtown and accidentally giving them PTSD from a hieronymous bosch version of rudolph getting eaten by elves
taking my children to see the nativity mural painted on the olde drugstore facade downtown and accidentally giving them PTSD from a hieronymous bosch version of rudolph getting eaten by elves
November 24, 2025 at 10:15 PM
lol this rocks
taking my children to see the nativity mural painted on the olde drugstore facade downtown and accidentally giving them PTSD from a hieronymous bosch version of rudolph getting eaten by elves
taking my children to see the nativity mural painted on the olde drugstore facade downtown and accidentally giving them PTSD from a hieronymous bosch version of rudolph getting eaten by elves
Now I’m tempted to start flying in slippers and pajamas, and possibly a gaudy nightcap of some sort.
Duffy on his demand that air travelers not wear slippers or pajamas: "It honors our country ... don't take your shoes off and put your feet on the chair ahead of you"
November 24, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Now I’m tempted to start flying in slippers and pajamas, and possibly a gaudy nightcap of some sort.
Reposted by Harry McCracken
Jony Ive and Sam Altman say they finally have an AI hardware prototype
Jony Ive and Sam Altman say they finally have an AI hardware prototype
What does a ChatGPT gadget look like?
buff.ly
November 24, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Jony Ive and Sam Altman say they finally have an AI hardware prototype
Reposted by Harry McCracken
It was five years ago this week that AlphaFold 2’s debut took scientists by surprise. Now that the hype has died down, what impact has AlphaFold really had? How are scientists using it? And what’s next? We talked to John Jumper (as well as a few other scientists) to find out.
What’s next for AlphaFold: A conversation with a Google DeepMind Nobel laureate
“I’ll be shocked if we don’t see more and more LLM impact on science,” says John Jumper.
www.technologyreview.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:29 PM
It was five years ago this week that AlphaFold 2’s debut took scientists by surprise. Now that the hype has died down, what impact has AlphaFold really had? How are scientists using it? And what’s next? We talked to John Jumper (as well as a few other scientists) to find out.
Reposted by Harry McCracken
I wrote about the fake account blowup on X this weekend. A genuine post-truth nightmare and proof that these companies have polluted their platforms so thoroughly and traded reality for profit that they've undermined the very idea of what the internet is supposed to be.
That MAGA Account Might Be a Troll From Pakistan
How X blew up its own platform with a new location feature
www.theatlantic.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:33 PM
I wrote about the fake account blowup on X this weekend. A genuine post-truth nightmare and proof that these companies have polluted their platforms so thoroughly and traded reality for profit that they've undermined the very idea of what the internet is supposed to be.
I’ve been vibecoding in Gemini 3 Pro (using Google’s AI Studio), and it’s really great. Not the richest platform I’ve tried in terms of features, but its ability to write code that actually works without a lot of guidance or mishaps is fantastic so far.
November 24, 2025 at 6:52 AM
I’ve been vibecoding in Gemini 3 Pro (using Google’s AI Studio), and it’s really great. Not the richest platform I’ve tried in terms of features, but its ability to write code that actually works without a lot of guidance or mishaps is fantastic so far.
Reposted by Harry McCracken
Except, of course, it’s *not* all he can say.
Cassidy could concede publicly that confirming Kennedy was a tragic mistake. He could call for RFK Jr's resignation. He could schedule hearings, haul the secretary to Capitol Hill, and demand the CDC’s public resources reflect the scientific cannon.
Cassidy could concede publicly that confirming Kennedy was a tragic mistake. He could call for RFK Jr's resignation. He could schedule hearings, haul the secretary to Capitol Hill, and demand the CDC’s public resources reflect the scientific cannon.
TAPPER: You were the deciding vote that allowed RFK Jr to ascend to the role of Health Secretary. Did you give him too much credit?
CASSIDY: The fact is the scientific community agrees that vaccines are safe. That's all I can say.
CASSIDY: The fact is the scientific community agrees that vaccines are safe. That's all I can say.
November 23, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Except, of course, it’s *not* all he can say.
Cassidy could concede publicly that confirming Kennedy was a tragic mistake. He could call for RFK Jr's resignation. He could schedule hearings, haul the secretary to Capitol Hill, and demand the CDC’s public resources reflect the scientific cannon.
Cassidy could concede publicly that confirming Kennedy was a tragic mistake. He could call for RFK Jr's resignation. He could schedule hearings, haul the secretary to Capitol Hill, and demand the CDC’s public resources reflect the scientific cannon.
Reposted by Harry McCracken
He confirmed RFK Jr. Now still refuses to confront him.
Bill Cassidy Is Still In Denial About RFK, Jr.
"Vaccines are safe. That's the most important message," Cassidy said on CNN Sunday—even though Kennedy's CDC now officially claims otherwise.
www.motherjones.com
November 23, 2025 at 7:15 PM
He confirmed RFK Jr. Now still refuses to confront him.
Reposted by Harry McCracken
An really important thing a lot of people don't realize about Trump is that he doesn't bully people he doesn't think he can bully.
Let’s be clear.
@zohrankmamdani.bsky.social got Trump so charmed that Trump posted two photos of the two of them with Franklin Roosevelt’s portrait behind them AND one of just Mamdani and FDR’s portrait.
@zohrankmamdani.bsky.social got Trump so charmed that Trump posted two photos of the two of them with Franklin Roosevelt’s portrait behind them AND one of just Mamdani and FDR’s portrait.
November 22, 2025 at 8:02 AM
An really important thing a lot of people don't realize about Trump is that he doesn't bully people he doesn't think he can bully.
This guy’s legacy is incredible (and Mr. Machine deserves more than a passing mention). www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/a...
Burt Meyer, 99, Dies; Made Lite-Brite and Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots - The New York Times
Starting in the 1960s, he collaborated on the designs of classic toys like Mouse Trap, Toss Across and Mr. Machine.
www.nytimes.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:30 PM
This guy’s legacy is incredible (and Mr. Machine deserves more than a passing mention). www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/a...
I asked Grok about Elon’s coding skills—I’m genuinely curious!—and it gave what seemed to be a fairly measured response. But I’m not sure if any of it is true. Can anyone verify the verbatim quotes near the end?
November 21, 2025 at 9:50 PM
I asked Grok about Elon’s coding skills—I’m genuinely curious!—and it gave what seemed to be a fairly measured response. But I’m not sure if any of it is true. Can anyone verify the verbatim quotes near the end?