This AI trend at #4S and in #STS seems to be confirmed in the list of panels for Toronto 2026. Trying to find a home for a non-AI tech paper is tricky business.

Makes you think how much more efficient and satisfied we might all be if we had more control over our technology.

Popped into a London gallery (virtually) on Saturday to talk about Y2K tech culture and nostalgia. Big thanks to Anna Moss, Juliet Wilson, and all the artists in the INTERNET CAFE show at Hypha Gallery 1 for inviting me!

Had the great pleasure today of discussing ethical tech design and findings from Needy Media @mcgillqueensup.bsky.social to 150+ engineering students in Chennai, India, through the PALS workshops @ the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras.

Today's episode of Turning Pages is with scholar @stephenmonteiro.bsky.social discussing Needy Media ( @mcgillqueensup.bsky.social ). Airs 11:30 am CT on UMFM 101.5 but is online now to stream/DL. umfm.com/programming/...

A great Turning Pages interview with MQUP author Stephen Monteiro on his recent book, Needy Media: How Tech Gets Personal. Check it out:

I’ve noticed gen AI abstracts are creeping into nearly every web-based search I do these days, veiling legit research under a distorting veneer. But this is especially sad.

Hey Montrealers, I’ll be part of the non-fiction lightening round at the Read Quebec Book Fair, Saturday at noon. Stop by! Copies of Needy Media available at the @mcgillqueensup.bsky.social table.

CBC’s Daybreak Montreal has a great weekly column on the smartphone’s hold on us, reported by Gabriel Ellison-Scowcroft. I shared insights from Needy Media @mcgillqueensup.bsky.social on the Nov. 28th episode. URL below.

This one - Needy Media: How Tech Gets Personal - came out just 2 months ago, but it’s gotten me more media attention than I’ve ever had, because we all can relate to device dependency & data extraction.

Yes! I’ve been advocating for default off settings as the smallest/easiest step tech giants could take. “1. Ban Addictive and Manipulative Design - Features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and nudging loops should be off by default”

After years of digging through PDFs of back issues…

Had a great conversation a few days back about device dependency and Needy Media with David Cooper on @lastshow.bsky.social. @mcgillqueensup.bsky.social

“Investors turning down acquisition bids in pursuit of bigger offers is another sign that we’re in – or at least headed for – an AI bubble.”

The idea that automation would produce a 3-4 day workweek was the rage in the first decade or so of digital computing. How’d that turn out?

What’s the link between Tamagotchi and the phone you’re reading this on? See my essay in @thewalrus.ca, adapted from my book, Needy Media @mcgillqueensup.bsky.social

As an advocate for local media, it’s been wonderful appearing on local radio shows nationwide this week to talk about Needy Media @mcgillqueensup.bsky.social. Thank you CHED Edmonton, CHQR Calgary, CKGL Kitchener, CFUV Victoria, and CHLY Nanalmo for listening!

Interested in how iPod personalization practices - the engravings, the tattoos, the skins - helped set the stage for today’s device intimacy? Check out the Toronto Star’s excerpt from Needy Media, my new @mcgillqueensup.bsky.social book. www.thestar.com/news/insight...

“But unresolved issues around the device’s ‘personality,’ how it handles privacy, and computing infrastructure might delay the launch.” Probably not.

Proud to be among this group.

It’s here! Look for it at your local bookshop or library. Or get the ebook online.

Great historical research here - we should be wary of privacy concerns even with our less sophisticated personal media.

In case you missed it, here’s my Needy Media conversation with CBC’s David Common on smart device intimacy, its historical roots, and its role in data extraction.

How did our smart devices get so needy? Listen to my discussion on CBC’s The Sunday Magazine this weekend. And for a deeper dive, check out my book, Needy Media, out Sept. 16 from @mcgillqueensup.bsky.social

Just days until publication, Needy Media makes @quillandquire.bsky.social Fall nonfiction list. Too cool. @mcgillqueensup.bsky.social

New book out this fall - Needy Media: How Tech Gets Personal (@mcgillqueensup.bsky.social) - explores how sensory cues drive tech intimacy & data exploitation. www.mqup.ca/needy-media-...

Looking forward to sharing “The Wellness Game: Digital Toys, Biometrics, and Networked Self-Care” (Think Tamagotchi+Fitbit=Us?) today @ 3:30 on the Care, Connection, and Autonomy panel of CCA. #congressh

Just heard a great panel - Tech and Power: Global Political Economic Perspectives - at Congress/CCA #congressh

Excited to see—and pleased to share—that The Fabric of Interface (my earlier book on mobile interactivity and craft culture) is now out in paperback. Thanks @mitpress.bsky.social !