Rob Pegoraro
@robpegoraro.com
D.C.-based freelance technology journalist covering, and often vexed by, computers, gadgets, and other things that beep. May or may not be notable. He/him. Read: PCMag, Fast Company, etc. Write: [email protected]
Pinned
Rob Pegoraro
@robpegoraro.com
· Jan 16
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🔎 disclosures: robpegoraro.com/disclosures
📷 photos: flickr.com/robpegoraro
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🧾 resume: linkedin.com/in/robpegoraro
➕ B-sides, outtakes, other extras: patreon.com/robpegoraro
🔎 disclosures: robpegoraro.com/disclosures
📷 photos: flickr.com/robpegoraro
🤳 less-edited photos: instagram.com/robpegoraro
🧾 resume: linkedin.com/in/robpegoraro
➕ B-sides, outtakes, other extras: patreon.com/robpegoraro
Wikipedia is finally old enough to rent a car at a standard rate and run for Congress. HBD!
wikipedia turns 25 today! the last unenshittified major website! backbone of online info! triumph of humanity! powered by urge of unpaid randos to correct each other! somehow mostly reliable! "good thing wikipedia works in practice, because it sure doesn't work in theory" - old wiki adage
January 15, 2026 at 3:27 PM
Wikipedia is finally old enough to rent a car at a standard rate and run for Congress. HBD!
Another thing I don't know about that long Verizon outage is what caused it. But it's not too late to round up the usual suspects:
• yet another case of AI gone awry
• fiber-seeking backhoe hungry again
• squirrel vs transformer
• North Korean/Russian/Iranian hackers
• DNS, it's always DNS
• yet another case of AI gone awry
• fiber-seeking backhoe hungry again
• squirrel vs transformer
• North Korean/Russian/Iranian hackers
• DNS, it's always DNS
January 15, 2026 at 5:19 AM
Another thing I don't know about that long Verizon outage is what caused it. But it's not too late to round up the usual suspects:
• yet another case of AI gone awry
• fiber-seeking backhoe hungry again
• squirrel vs transformer
• North Korean/Russian/Iranian hackers
• DNS, it's always DNS
• yet another case of AI gone awry
• fiber-seeking backhoe hungry again
• squirrel vs transformer
• North Korean/Russian/Iranian hackers
• DNS, it's always DNS
I can get a random person hitting me up on X today with a tech-support question. But somebody doing PR in the tech industry? That is a bit of a self-own.
(Question was about why his coworker's iPhone had Verizon service and his did not when they were sitting at the same table. My honest answer: 🤷.)
(Question was about why his coworker's iPhone had Verizon service and his did not when they were sitting at the same table. My honest answer: 🤷.)
January 15, 2026 at 4:08 AM
I can get a random person hitting me up on X today with a tech-support question. But somebody doing PR in the tech industry? That is a bit of a self-own.
(Question was about why his coworker's iPhone had Verizon service and his did not when they were sitting at the same table. My honest answer: 🤷.)
(Question was about why his coworker's iPhone had Verizon service and his did not when they were sitting at the same table. My honest answer: 🤷.)
Monday: Verizon gets the FCC to drop its requirement to unlock phones it sells after 60 days, which will impede subscribers hoping to augment or temporarily replace its service via eSIMs.
Today: massive, nationwide Verizon outage.
The writers of this season are laying it on a little thick...
Today: massive, nationwide Verizon outage.
The writers of this season are laying it on a little thick...
FCC Unties Verizon From 60-Day Phone-Unlocking Rule
The waiver lets Verizon enforce the same unlocking policy as its rivals: pay off the phone first.
www.pcmag.com
January 14, 2026 at 10:10 PM
Monday: Verizon gets the FCC to drop its requirement to unlock phones it sells after 60 days, which will impede subscribers hoping to augment or temporarily replace its service via eSIMs.
Today: massive, nationwide Verizon outage.
The writers of this season are laying it on a little thick...
Today: massive, nationwide Verizon outage.
The writers of this season are laying it on a little thick...
Sometimes starting to write an e-mail with questions for a possible subject matter expert only makes you realize that you should have started writing a different message to a different potential expert.
January 14, 2026 at 9:36 PM
Sometimes starting to write an e-mail with questions for a possible subject matter expert only makes you realize that you should have started writing a different message to a different potential expert.
Looks like another case of AI content moderation gone awry: One admin, who had his own account locked, says members would post old photos of school sports teams and comment "on things like how cute the child was or about their uniform, which he believes AI wrongly identified as child solicitation."
Arlington-focused Facebook group with 25,000 members is removed, angering moderators
Arlington-focused Facebook group with 25,000 members is removed, angering moderators | ARLnow.com
Moderators are crying foul over the removal of a popular, longstanding Facebook group where Arlingtonians have shared memories of growing up in the county. "I Grew Up in Arlington," a 15-year-old group...
www.arlnow.com
January 14, 2026 at 9:14 PM
Looks like another case of AI content moderation gone awry: One admin, who had his own account locked, says members would post old photos of school sports teams and comment "on things like how cute the child was or about their uniform, which he believes AI wrongly identified as child solicitation."
The FCC chairman testifying to his own utter detachment from the reality of American media. Seems bad!
Carr just said in one of the wildest lies I have ever heard in a hearing room that “Disney and Comcast are providing almost 100 percent” of the programming that Americans get. Even if he meant on broadcast, that’s insane. Never Fox, of course! Just the evil woke ones. #FCCOversight
January 14, 2026 at 5:37 PM
The FCC chairman testifying to his own utter detachment from the reality of American media. Seems bad!
A tiny bit of good news for Nats fans: MASN is officially dead, with streaming available throughout DC, VA, MD and DE as well as a bit of PA and WV and most of NC at $99.99 a season or $19.99 a month with subscriptions available in February. (Value to be gained from viewing the onfield product TBD.)
Nationals Streaming Coming in 2026 | Washington Nationals
Beginning this season, fans can watch Nationals.TV on cable, satellite or in the MLB App.
www.mlb.com
January 14, 2026 at 4:03 PM
A tiny bit of good news for Nats fans: MASN is officially dead, with streaming available throughout DC, VA, MD and DE as well as a bit of PA and WV and most of NC at $99.99 a season or $19.99 a month with subscriptions available in February. (Value to be gained from viewing the onfield product TBD.)
This certainly looks like an attempt at Nixon-grade intimidation of the press. How will the Post's editorial page spin it as a good thing?
FBI executes search warrant at Washington Post reporter’s home
The search came as part of an investigation into a government contractor accused of illegally retaining classified government materials.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 14, 2026 at 3:24 PM
This certainly looks like an attempt at Nixon-grade intimidation of the press. How will the Post's editorial page spin it as a good thing?
I had missed this last week--for the obvious reasons of CES and not subscribing to Matt Stoller's newsletter--but it is hilarious that the guy wraps up a post about the need to bring back posted prices by saying he's looking to hire a freelance reporter without posting a salary or rate.
The One Simple Thing That Makes the U.S. Economy Unmanageable
We used to be able to answer the question "How much does that cost?" But prices in America are not only high, but increasingly hidden. Fortunately, there's pushback.
www.thebignewsletter.com
January 13, 2026 at 9:13 PM
I had missed this last week--for the obvious reasons of CES and not subscribing to Matt Stoller's newsletter--but it is hilarious that the guy wraps up a post about the need to bring back posted prices by saying he's looking to hire a freelance reporter without posting a salary or rate.
A publishing giant on the scale of Condé Nast letting the trademark for one of its most storied magazines lapse is hilarious. And somewhat comforting to all of us who struggle to manage our cognitive load. (via @kottke.org)
Gourmet Magazine
Gourmet is a worker-owned publication about food and the people who make and consume it.
gourmetmagazine.net
January 13, 2026 at 8:32 PM
A publishing giant on the scale of Condé Nast letting the trademark for one of its most storied magazines lapse is hilarious. And somewhat comforting to all of us who struggle to manage our cognitive load. (via @kottke.org)
Put down whatever you're doing and read this essay from @lopatto.bsky.social while it's outside the Verge paywall. She is a damn good writer, especially when faced with self-serving nonsense from tech CEOs: "I never want to hear any moral grandstanding from these boys ever again."
Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai are cowards
Once you’ve traded your principles for proximity to power, do you even run your own company?
www.theverge.com
January 13, 2026 at 6:54 PM
Put down whatever you're doing and read this essay from @lopatto.bsky.social while it's outside the Verge paywall. She is a damn good writer, especially when faced with self-serving nonsense from tech CEOs: "I never want to hear any moral grandstanding from these boys ever again."
I saw this Apple announcement and thought "iLife, but for your work life?" Then I threw out my back reaching for the mouse. 👨🦳
Introducing Apple Creator Studio, an inspiring collection of creative apps
Apple Creator Studio is a collection of powerful creative apps for making music, video editing, creative imaging, and visual productivity.
www.apple.com
January 13, 2026 at 2:31 PM
I saw this Apple announcement and thought "iLife, but for your work life?" Then I threw out my back reaching for the mouse. 👨🦳
Once again irked by an event's media-registration UX requiring an upload of a "press credential" or "supporting document." A link to my author page at a client should suffice, given that a) standardized press credentials don't exist in the U.S., and b) a PDF of the author page usually works anyway.
January 13, 2026 at 2:24 PM
Once again irked by an event's media-registration UX requiring an upload of a "press credential" or "supporting document." A link to my author page at a client should suffice, given that a) standardized press credentials don't exist in the U.S., and b) a PDF of the author page usually works anyway.
It's cold outside, but the keyboard is made of warm.
January 13, 2026 at 1:37 AM
It's cold outside, but the keyboard is made of warm.
Good. Now let's see the same resume-work ruling for Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, because this administration has no evidence-based argument to bring against wind power.
(Five days until we have a state AG who will join the lawsuits brought by other states.)
(Five days until we have a state AG who will join the lawsuits brought by other states.)
*ORSTED WINS RULING TO RESUME US WIND PROJECT HALTED BY TRUMP
January 12, 2026 at 9:13 PM
Good. Now let's see the same resume-work ruling for Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, because this administration has no evidence-based argument to bring against wind power.
(Five days until we have a state AG who will join the lawsuits brought by other states.)
(Five days until we have a state AG who will join the lawsuits brought by other states.)
Dear @airtable.com: Stop acting like LinkedIn by sending notification e-mails that say somebody mentioned me but don't reveal anything else about their input.
January 12, 2026 at 8:31 PM
Dear @airtable.com: Stop acting like LinkedIn by sending notification e-mails that say somebody mentioned me but don't reveal anything else about their input.
Today in unsurprising FCC plot twists: Commission ends the 60-day phone-unlocking rule that Verizon had agreed to as part of a 2007 spectrum purchase, freeing the carrier to adopt the same policies (pay off the phone or, in prepaid, wait one year) as AT&T and T-Mobile.
www.fcc.gov
January 12, 2026 at 7:41 PM
Today in unsurprising FCC plot twists: Commission ends the 60-day phone-unlocking rule that Verizon had agreed to as part of a 2007 spectrum purchase, freeing the carrier to adopt the same policies (pay off the phone or, in prepaid, wait one year) as AT&T and T-Mobile.
At the dentist: Would you like a flouride treatment today? You're due for one.
Me: Yeah, might as well get that in before they outlaw it.
Me: Yeah, might as well get that in before they outlaw it.
January 12, 2026 at 5:42 PM
At the dentist: Would you like a flouride treatment today? You're due for one.
Me: Yeah, might as well get that in before they outlaw it.
Me: Yeah, might as well get that in before they outlaw it.
Possible next steps on data centers: requiring State Corporation Commission review and approval before connecting new ones to the grid, requiring data-center operators to underwrite more generation and grid upgrades, adding new requirements to the current tax incentive to build them.
The Virginia General Assembly convenes for the 2026 session on Wednesday. Lawmakers will debate hundreds of bills, including a new state budget, and are expected to advance constitutional amendments on abortion, voting rights and redistricting. Key info to know: virginiamercury.com/2026/01/12/w...
What to watch as Virginia’s 2026 General Assembly returns to Richmond • Virginia Mercury
With Spanberger taking office, lawmakers reconvene this week to tackle abortion, voting rights, redistricting and a new state budget amid fiscal headwinds.
virginiamercury.com
January 12, 2026 at 2:35 PM
Possible next steps on data centers: requiring State Corporation Commission review and approval before connecting new ones to the grid, requiring data-center operators to underwrite more generation and grid upgrades, adding new requirements to the current tax incentive to build them.
Schrödinger-esque scenario in supporting good journalism: Paid for a year's subscription at @theverge.com, saw a message that there was "a problem" setting up my subscription (with instructions to follow up via e-mail), and now my account shows me as a subscriber but I still hit the paywall.
January 12, 2026 at 2:12 PM
Schrödinger-esque scenario in supporting good journalism: Paid for a year's subscription at @theverge.com, saw a message that there was "a problem" setting up my subscription (with instructions to follow up via e-mail), and now my account shows me as a subscriber but I still hit the paywall.
Meanwhile, politicians in the U.K. and everywhere else have a much easier decision: Do they keep X as their primary network for text updates, supporting a toxic platform and providing exclusive content to the world's richest man for free, or do they give their constituents other options?
Good luck to Ofcom, who have a massively consequential decision to make about Grok and X, with no good options www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Ofcom investigates Elon Musk's X over Grok AI sexual deepfakes
The watchdog said it had received reports of the platform's Grok AI chatbot creating undressed images of people.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 12, 2026 at 12:31 PM
Meanwhile, politicians in the U.K. and everywhere else have a much easier decision: Do they keep X as their primary network for text updates, supporting a toxic platform and providing exclusive content to the world's richest man for free, or do they give their constituents other options?
If you're among the dwindling demographic who get the print edition of the Washington Post, you may have seen one death notice in what's left of the Metro section that ran longer than usual. (I didn't, but my wife did.) It is some remarkable testimony about mental illness and well worth reading.
Carol Sauer Obituary (2026) - Arlington, VA - The Washington Post
View Carol Ann Sauer's obituary, send flowers and sign the guestbook.
www.legacy.com
January 12, 2026 at 3:55 AM
If you're among the dwindling demographic who get the print edition of the Washington Post, you may have seen one death notice in what's left of the Metro section that ran longer than usual. (I didn't, but my wife did.) It is some remarkable testimony about mental illness and well worth reading.
I endorse this story assignment.
I hope the Financial Times circles back with this jagoff. www.ft.com/content/cf87...
January 12, 2026 at 2:51 AM
I endorse this story assignment.
Powell reports that the DOJ is threatening him with a criminal indictment for his Senate testimony over the Fed's office-buildings renovation, says this is really about whether the Fed will stay independent or if "monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation." 🚨
Video message from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KckG...
www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KckG...
www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
Statement by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell
YouTube video by Federal Reserve
www.youtube.com
January 12, 2026 at 1:01 AM
Powell reports that the DOJ is threatening him with a criminal indictment for his Senate testimony over the Fed's office-buildings renovation, says this is really about whether the Fed will stay independent or if "monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation." 🚨