Josh McConnell
@joshmcconnell.com
Tech and business journalist turned brand and comms strategist.
I write about tech, Al, gadgets, and the culture they create.
Past bylines: Financial Post, Globe and Mail, CBC, CP, Toronto Star, more.
Subscribe → www.ctrlaltdeliberate.com
NYC via Toronto
I write about tech, Al, gadgets, and the culture they create.
Past bylines: Financial Post, Globe and Mail, CBC, CP, Toronto Star, more.
Subscribe → www.ctrlaltdeliberate.com
NYC via Toronto
Reposted by Josh McConnell
Many men feel the stripper really likes them. Scientists say it's time to consider whether they're onto something
November 26, 2025 at 7:27 AM
Many men feel the stripper really likes them. Scientists say it's time to consider whether they're onto something
What a console. It's so gutting to see Xbox fall apart today.
November 22, 2025 at 2:06 PM
What a console. It's so gutting to see Xbox fall apart today.
The more I talk to people, the more I hear the same thing: attention is stretched thin, feeds feel noisy, and we’re all craving a bit more intention in how we use tech.
I pulled together five predictions for where things are headed in 2026:
joshmcconnell.substack.com/p/five-trend...
I pulled together five predictions for where things are headed in 2026:
joshmcconnell.substack.com/p/five-trend...
Five trends that will impact tech and culture in 2026
As technology speeds up, culture slows down. These five shifts reveal how people will reclaim clarity, attention, and connection in 2026.
joshmcconnell.substack.com
November 18, 2025 at 5:32 PM
The more I talk to people, the more I hear the same thing: attention is stretched thin, feeds feel noisy, and we’re all craving a bit more intention in how we use tech.
I pulled together five predictions for where things are headed in 2026:
joshmcconnell.substack.com/p/five-trend...
I pulled together five predictions for where things are headed in 2026:
joshmcconnell.substack.com/p/five-trend...
As a subscriber to the print version, I'm a big fan of this news.
Coming this December: Game Informer will be available in major retailers – including @barnesandnoble.com, GameStop, WH Smith, Books-A-Million and more – in the US and internationally. Learn more: gameinformer.com/letter-from-...
November 17, 2025 at 8:57 PM
As a subscriber to the print version, I'm a big fan of this news.
Interesting. Amazon is starting to chase the used car market in the US, which Canadian startup Clutch will no doubt want to keep an eye on north of the border.
Gift Bloomberg link:
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Gift Bloomberg link:
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Ford Taps Amazon to Let Shoppers Buy Its Used Cars Online
Ford Motor Co. has struck a deal with Amazon.com Inc. to sell certified used cars through its e-commerce website, becoming the second major automaker to reach customers through the massive online reta...
www.bloomberg.com
November 17, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Interesting. Amazon is starting to chase the used car market in the US, which Canadian startup Clutch will no doubt want to keep an eye on north of the border.
Gift Bloomberg link:
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Gift Bloomberg link:
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Reposted by Josh McConnell
Ubisoft just postponed its earnings report and halted the trading of its shares. Unclear why at this point but could indicate a major announcement related to the company.
November 13, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Ubisoft just postponed its earnings report and halted the trading of its shares. Unclear why at this point but could indicate a major announcement related to the company.
Turns out we won a silver Canadian Marketing Association award last week, too. Awards were never the goal, but they’re a meaningful reminder of what can happen when strategy, design, and community all move in the same direction. Proud of the work, and even prouder of the team. Here's to what's next.
Found out we won a Clio Sports Award for the launch of Canada’s first WNBA team, the Toronto Tempo.
Honoured to have been part of the team that shaped the brand and narrative for this historic moment. 🏀🇨🇦
Honoured to have been part of the team that shaped the brand and narrative for this historic moment. 🏀🇨🇦
November 12, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Turns out we won a silver Canadian Marketing Association award last week, too. Awards were never the goal, but they’re a meaningful reminder of what can happen when strategy, design, and community all move in the same direction. Proud of the work, and even prouder of the team. Here's to what's next.
"No, I haven't seen [Wicked]. I have no intention to."
Okay, but why was that necessary to the video? Just a weird subtle reiterating of stereotypes.
youtu.be/G-kYfW0ELQw?...
Okay, but why was that necessary to the video? Just a weird subtle reiterating of stereotypes.
youtu.be/G-kYfW0ELQw?...
November 2025 Pixel Drop: This is HUGE!
YouTube video by 9to5Google
youtu.be
November 11, 2025 at 9:39 PM
"No, I haven't seen [Wicked]. I have no intention to."
Okay, but why was that necessary to the video? Just a weird subtle reiterating of stereotypes.
youtu.be/G-kYfW0ELQw?...
Okay, but why was that necessary to the video? Just a weird subtle reiterating of stereotypes.
youtu.be/G-kYfW0ELQw?...
Meanwhile the Great Deku Tree LEGO set asks, 'what am I? chopped liver?'
November 11, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Meanwhile the Great Deku Tree LEGO set asks, 'what am I? chopped liver?'
Still can't get over the temperature swing between Toronto and NYC. Friends sharing first snowfall photos meanwhile here it's been 18C and sunny.
November 9, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Still can't get over the temperature swing between Toronto and NYC. Friends sharing first snowfall photos meanwhile here it's been 18C and sunny.
Found out we won a Clio Sports Award for the launch of Canada’s first WNBA team, the Toronto Tempo.
Honoured to have been part of the team that shaped the brand and narrative for this historic moment. 🏀🇨🇦
Honoured to have been part of the team that shaped the brand and narrative for this historic moment. 🏀🇨🇦
November 9, 2025 at 2:26 AM
Found out we won a Clio Sports Award for the launch of Canada’s first WNBA team, the Toronto Tempo.
Honoured to have been part of the team that shaped the brand and narrative for this historic moment. 🏀🇨🇦
Honoured to have been part of the team that shaped the brand and narrative for this historic moment. 🏀🇨🇦
The best part of a marathon is seeing so many people come out and cheer on strangers. It's beautiful and shows the good in humanity.
November 2, 2025 at 5:04 PM
The best part of a marathon is seeing so many people come out and cheer on strangers. It's beautiful and shows the good in humanity.
They shut down one of the main streets in LIC last night for kids to trick or treat. Tons came out. Super fun.
#nyc #halloween
#nyc #halloween
November 1, 2025 at 2:53 PM
They shut down one of the main streets in LIC last night for kids to trick or treat. Tons came out. Super fun.
#nyc #halloween
#nyc #halloween
Important PSA for the Blue Jays game in Toronto on Halloween.
October 29, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Important PSA for the Blue Jays game in Toronto on Halloween.
Reposted by Josh McConnell
Apple’s been falling behind in AI. So instead of shouting about intelligence (again), it just whispered about intention.
Its new ad skips demos and buzzwords, asking, “What do you see?”
Maybe it’s strategy. Maybe it’s survival. Either way, it's the most Apple thing done in years. My latest. 👇
Its new ad skips demos and buzzwords, asking, “What do you see?”
Maybe it’s strategy. Maybe it’s survival. Either way, it's the most Apple thing done in years. My latest. 👇
Apple’s new ad feels like a return to intentional tech — whether by choice or circumstance
After years of chasing trends, the company’s latest spot hints that Apple’s next act may be about focus, not intelligence.
joshmcconnell.substack.com
October 23, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Apple’s been falling behind in AI. So instead of shouting about intelligence (again), it just whispered about intention.
Its new ad skips demos and buzzwords, asking, “What do you see?”
Maybe it’s strategy. Maybe it’s survival. Either way, it's the most Apple thing done in years. My latest. 👇
Its new ad skips demos and buzzwords, asking, “What do you see?”
Maybe it’s strategy. Maybe it’s survival. Either way, it's the most Apple thing done in years. My latest. 👇
Apple’s been falling behind in AI. So instead of shouting about intelligence (again), it just whispered about intention.
Its new ad skips demos and buzzwords, asking, “What do you see?”
Maybe it’s strategy. Maybe it’s survival. Either way, it's the most Apple thing done in years. My latest. 👇
Its new ad skips demos and buzzwords, asking, “What do you see?”
Maybe it’s strategy. Maybe it’s survival. Either way, it's the most Apple thing done in years. My latest. 👇
Apple’s new ad feels like a return to intentional tech — whether by choice or circumstance
After years of chasing trends, the company’s latest spot hints that Apple’s next act may be about focus, not intelligence.
joshmcconnell.substack.com
October 23, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Apple’s been falling behind in AI. So instead of shouting about intelligence (again), it just whispered about intention.
Its new ad skips demos and buzzwords, asking, “What do you see?”
Maybe it’s strategy. Maybe it’s survival. Either way, it's the most Apple thing done in years. My latest. 👇
Its new ad skips demos and buzzwords, asking, “What do you see?”
Maybe it’s strategy. Maybe it’s survival. Either way, it's the most Apple thing done in years. My latest. 👇
Toronto is partying like it's 1993 tonight. 🤘
October 21, 2025 at 3:12 AM
Toronto is partying like it's 1993 tonight. 🤘
Hey look, it's me referenced by my friends at BetaKit.
Big #CDNTech stories in The BetaKit Newsletter:
💵 Open banking rules coming in #Budget2025?
🏙️ Lyft to hire hundreds in Toronto
🤖 Alexi's "war" to dominate the #AI legaltech market
PLUS: Bring back tech that's "human-scaled, not habit-shaped" 🤳
💵 Open banking rules coming in #Budget2025?
🏙️ Lyft to hire hundreds in Toronto
🤖 Alexi's "war" to dominate the #AI legaltech market
PLUS: Bring back tech that's "human-scaled, not habit-shaped" 🤳
Gen Z wants BlackBerry back. Why?
A few weeks back, a bunch of gadget heads descended upon a Brooklyn café to kick off the campaign to Bring Back BlackBerry.
betakit.com
October 20, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Hey look, it's me referenced by my friends at BetaKit.
I didn't have Laurene Powell Jobs calling out Marc Benioff for his philanthropy with asterisks (or "quiet corruption" as she calls it) on my Friday morning bingo card, but grab the popcorn.
Beware of philanthropists who want control in exchange for their giving, writes Laurene Powell Jobs.
Essay | Laurene Powell Jobs: Beware of Philanthropists Who Want Control in Exchange for Their Giving
True generosity flows quietly to communities that already know what they need, building capacity not dependency.
on.wsj.com
October 17, 2025 at 4:17 PM
I didn't have Laurene Powell Jobs calling out Marc Benioff for his philanthropy with asterisks (or "quiet corruption" as she calls it) on my Friday morning bingo card, but grab the popcorn.
Brooklyn Comedy Collective gets it.
October 17, 2025 at 12:53 AM
Brooklyn Comedy Collective gets it.
Which one is Trump?
October 16, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Which one is Trump?
Chef's kiss.
cc: @thelouvreof.bsky.social
cc: @thelouvreof.bsky.social
October 16, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Chef's kiss.
cc: @thelouvreof.bsky.social
cc: @thelouvreof.bsky.social
Thought it was just my end, but it seems like the internet has been slow across the board this afternoon? Even downdetector wasn't loading.
October 15, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Thought it was just my end, but it seems like the internet has been slow across the board this afternoon? Even downdetector wasn't loading.
Remember when everything needed Wi-Fi? Toasters, forks, egg trays — all “smart.”
A decade later, the gadgets stopped shouting, but the noise got louder with generative everything.
The Internet of Shit walked so AI slop could run.
My latest piece:
joshmcconnell.substack.com/p/the-intern...
A decade later, the gadgets stopped shouting, but the noise got louder with generative everything.
The Internet of Shit walked so AI slop could run.
My latest piece:
joshmcconnell.substack.com/p/the-intern...
The 'Internet of Shit' walked so AI slop could run
A decade after we mocked Wi-Fi toasters, we’re drowning in AI that generates just because it can. The gadgets got quieter, but the noise never stopped.
joshmcconnell.substack.com
October 15, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Remember when everything needed Wi-Fi? Toasters, forks, egg trays — all “smart.”
A decade later, the gadgets stopped shouting, but the noise got louder with generative everything.
The Internet of Shit walked so AI slop could run.
My latest piece:
joshmcconnell.substack.com/p/the-intern...
A decade later, the gadgets stopped shouting, but the noise got louder with generative everything.
The Internet of Shit walked so AI slop could run.
My latest piece:
joshmcconnell.substack.com/p/the-intern...