Alan Henry
@halophoenix.bsky.social
Author: Seen, Heard, & Paid: https://amzn.to/4dXOAHv
Now: Managing Editor, @pcmag.com
Then: WIRED, NYT, Lifehacker. Forever: Yours. Recovering physicist. Always: Black. He/Him. 🎨: @mavisdeluna.art
https://www.alan-henry.net | https://www.novawerks.net
Now: Managing Editor, @pcmag.com
Then: WIRED, NYT, Lifehacker. Forever: Yours. Recovering physicist. Always: Black. He/Him. 🎨: @mavisdeluna.art
https://www.alan-henry.net | https://www.novawerks.net
Hey hi there was some fuckass shit on the TL today about AI hype so let me take a sec to re-up what I wrote about where that hype is actually coming from:
buttondown.com/alanhenry/ar...
buttondown.com/alanhenry/ar...
February 11, 2026 at 6:50 PM
Hey hi there was some fuckass shit on the TL today about AI hype so let me take a sec to re-up what I wrote about where that hype is actually coming from:
buttondown.com/alanhenry/ar...
buttondown.com/alanhenry/ar...
Reposted by Alan Henry
A 2022 lawsuit accused G.Skill of misleading advertising because the company claimed that its RAM could "run at the advertised speed out of the box."
Got G.Skill RAM? How to Get a Cut of Its $2.4M Deceptive Advertising Settlement
A 2022 lawsuit accused G.Skill of misleading advertising because the company claimed that its RAM could "run at the advertised speed out of the box." However, "trying to get the advertised speed requires altering the PC firmware," the lawsuit claimed. "And there is a substantial risk that the memory will not achieve the advertised speed or will not run stably."
bit.ly
February 10, 2026 at 11:49 PM
A 2022 lawsuit accused G.Skill of misleading advertising because the company claimed that its RAM could "run at the advertised speed out of the box."
Reposted by Alan Henry
Oh BITCH. Google bent all the way over.
Google Handed ICE Student Journalist’s Bank and Credit Card Numbers
Amandla Thomas-Johnson didn't know how much information ICE requested in a subpoena now. Google never gave him a chance to fight it.
theintercept.com
February 10, 2026 at 9:01 PM
Oh BITCH. Google bent all the way over.
Reposted by Alan Henry
Rep. Delia Ramirez to DHS officials: "I have as much respect for you as I do for the last white men who put on masks to terrorize communities of color. I have no respect for the inheritors of the Klanhood and the slave patrol. Those activities were criminal and so are yours."
February 10, 2026 at 5:11 PM
Rep. Delia Ramirez to DHS officials: "I have as much respect for you as I do for the last white men who put on masks to terrorize communities of color. I have no respect for the inheritors of the Klanhood and the slave patrol. Those activities were criminal and so are yours."
Reposted by Alan Henry
Hey Bluesky! I'm a senior writer at WIRED and I'm shifting beats to cover the tech I'm most obsessed with right now—PREDICTION MARKETS.
Eager to hear tips on the industry at [email protected]
Eager to hear tips on the industry at [email protected]
February 10, 2026 at 3:09 PM
Hey Bluesky! I'm a senior writer at WIRED and I'm shifting beats to cover the tech I'm most obsessed with right now—PREDICTION MARKETS.
Eager to hear tips on the industry at [email protected]
Eager to hear tips on the industry at [email protected]
Reposted by Alan Henry
HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW: “.. In our in-progress research, we discovered that AI tools didn’t reduce work, they consistently intensified it.”
hbr.org/2026/02/ai-d...
hbr.org/2026/02/ai-d...
February 10, 2026 at 1:17 PM
HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW: “.. In our in-progress research, we discovered that AI tools didn’t reduce work, they consistently intensified it.”
hbr.org/2026/02/ai-d...
hbr.org/2026/02/ai-d...
Reposted by Alan Henry
Got a couple of pieces on the go. First, I want to talk to indie developers about accessibility for The Verge: about the process, how daunting it is, the solutions open to you. Second, I want to speak to POC and trans folks in the gaming accessibility space. Hit me up at the contacts in my bio.
February 9, 2026 at 8:01 PM
Got a couple of pieces on the go. First, I want to talk to indie developers about accessibility for The Verge: about the process, how daunting it is, the solutions open to you. Second, I want to speak to POC and trans folks in the gaming accessibility space. Hit me up at the contacts in my bio.
Reposted by Alan Henry
I'm stoked that the Humble Bundle of my and @annaleen.bsky.social's books from Tor has raised nearly $5000 for the TGI Justice Project and Miss Major/Alexander Lee Black Trans Cultural Center.
www.humblebundle.com/books/charli...
Let me tell you about when I went to the TGIJP's anniversary party
www.humblebundle.com/books/charli...
Let me tell you about when I went to the TGIJP's anniversary party
Humble Book Bundle: Charlie Jane Anders & Annalee Newitz by TOR
Don’t miss this bundle of novels and story collections from acclaimed authors Charlie Jane Anders and Annalee Newitz! Pay what you want and support charity!
www.humblebundle.com
February 8, 2026 at 4:53 PM
I'm stoked that the Humble Bundle of my and @annaleen.bsky.social's books from Tor has raised nearly $5000 for the TGI Justice Project and Miss Major/Alexander Lee Black Trans Cultural Center.
www.humblebundle.com/books/charli...
Let me tell you about when I went to the TGIJP's anniversary party
www.humblebundle.com/books/charli...
Let me tell you about when I went to the TGIJP's anniversary party
based chiitan
There are people in the world who say that there are only two genders: male and female.
But the heart and soul have much more personality.
It's very sad that people who can't accept this sometimes utter very harsh words.
You were born to live freely.
Chiitan is an ally of transgender people🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈
But the heart and soul have much more personality.
It's very sad that people who can't accept this sometimes utter very harsh words.
You were born to live freely.
Chiitan is an ally of transgender people🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈
February 8, 2026 at 8:53 PM
based chiitan
I initially started this piece saying "big week for hacks at questionable companies," but I decided I didn't want to make my boss have to take it out.
Anyway, here's this week's infosec roundup:
www.pcmag.com/news/another...
Anyway, here's this week's infosec roundup:
www.pcmag.com/news/another...
Another Week, Another Data Disaster: Substack, Coinbase, and a Malicious Notepad++ Update
If you have accounts on any of these services, now's a good time to check your security settings. Plus more from a busy week in cybersecurity chaos.
www.pcmag.com
February 7, 2026 at 11:29 PM
I initially started this piece saying "big week for hacks at questionable companies," but I decided I didn't want to make my boss have to take it out.
Anyway, here's this week's infosec roundup:
www.pcmag.com/news/another...
Anyway, here's this week's infosec roundup:
www.pcmag.com/news/another...
Reposted by Alan Henry
"This time, they want to build the next big thing with their own interests at heart from the outset, so they can shape it, monetize it" - @halophoenix.bsky.social buttondown.com/alanhenry/ar...
We Need to Talk About Where AI Hype Is Coming From
It’s definitely about “the future,” but it’s definitely not about yours.
buttondown.com
February 6, 2026 at 8:29 PM
"This time, they want to build the next big thing with their own interests at heart from the outset, so they can shape it, monetize it" - @halophoenix.bsky.social buttondown.com/alanhenry/ar...
Speaking of AI nonsense, my latest newsletter is out now! Check it out:
We Need to Talk About Where AI Hype Is Coming From
buttondown.com/alanhenry/ar...
We Need to Talk About Where AI Hype Is Coming From
buttondown.com/alanhenry/ar...
Anyway, I've been thinking about AI boosterism and where it really comes from, so the next newsletter will be about that, and some excellent Black History Month reads.
Sub here to get it for free: buttondown.com/alanhenry
Or support my Patreon for early access: www.patreon.com/halophoenix
Sub here to get it for free: buttondown.com/alanhenry
Or support my Patreon for early access: www.patreon.com/halophoenix
February 6, 2026 at 7:19 PM
Speaking of AI nonsense, my latest newsletter is out now! Check it out:
We Need to Talk About Where AI Hype Is Coming From
buttondown.com/alanhenry/ar...
We Need to Talk About Where AI Hype Is Coming From
buttondown.com/alanhenry/ar...
It is 2008 and legacy media won't call racism what it is.
It is 2016 and legacy media won't call racism what it is
It is 2020 and legacy media won't call racism what it is.
It is 2024 and legacy media won't call racism what it is.
It is 2026 and legacy med-
It is 2016 and legacy media won't call racism what it is
It is 2020 and legacy media won't call racism what it is.
It is 2024 and legacy media won't call racism what it is.
It is 2026 and legacy med-
The New York Times has finally covered the Trump video of Obama as an ape — and they are still providing cover for him. Fuck the Times.
February 6, 2026 at 3:50 PM
It is 2008 and legacy media won't call racism what it is.
It is 2016 and legacy media won't call racism what it is
It is 2020 and legacy media won't call racism what it is.
It is 2024 and legacy media won't call racism what it is.
It is 2026 and legacy med-
It is 2016 and legacy media won't call racism what it is
It is 2020 and legacy media won't call racism what it is.
It is 2024 and legacy media won't call racism what it is.
It is 2026 and legacy med-
Razer, I want to love you so, SO bad, but come on the hell on (this mouse is $1300)
The mouse doesn't come with a laptop, but the PC vendor is betting at least a few customers will pay for its special edition Boomslang model, which it views as a collector's item.
Razer Is Selling Its Revamped Boomslang Gaming Mouse for How Much?!
The mouse doesn't come with a laptop, but the PC vendor is betting at least a few customers will pay for its special edition Boomslang model, which it views as a collector’s item.
bit.ly
February 6, 2026 at 12:16 AM
Razer, I want to love you so, SO bad, but come on the hell on (this mouse is $1300)
Reposted by Alan Henry
You laugh, but I remember the guy whose dong was so huge he lost at pole vault
Times article has an incredible illustration
February 5, 2026 at 11:23 PM
You laugh, but I remember the guy whose dong was so huge he lost at pole vault
Reposted by Alan Henry
Ebenezer's writing is poetic and haunting, and the anonymized interviews in here are gutting. A true privilege to edit this piece.
“You’re playing with people who assume safety. But safety is not universal.” - from Ebenezer Mowete's first byline for Mothership
www.mothership.blog/queer-nigeri...
www.mothership.blog/queer-nigeri...
We spoke to queer Nigerian gamers about the identities they hide online
Voice chat can mean teamwork, coordination, and banter, but for many of the queer Nigerian gamers we spoke to, the mic is a risk assessment tool.
www.mothership.blog
February 5, 2026 at 7:05 PM
Ebenezer's writing is poetic and haunting, and the anonymized interviews in here are gutting. A true privilege to edit this piece.
Hey journo friends thinking about starting newsletters - I know it's trendy, but there are SO MANY reasons to use anything other than Substack, and here's another one on top of the ones I could already list off.
According to an email sent to some Substack users, and first reported by The Verge, the brand's CEO says internal data was accessed by an unauthorized third party in October.
Substack Newsletter Platform Data Breach Saw Phone Numbers, Emails Exposed
According to an email sent to some Substack users, and first reported by The Verge, the brand's CEO says internal data was accessed by an unauthorized third party in October. Substack identified the issue earlier this week and notified affected users within two days of discovery.
bit.ly
February 5, 2026 at 4:09 PM
Hey journo friends thinking about starting newsletters - I know it's trendy, but there are SO MANY reasons to use anything other than Substack, and here's another one on top of the ones I could already list off.
Over the past few days, especially after seeing some of my former coworkers in the files, I knew someone was going to have the brave take that "well being in the files itself isn't bad!"
Looks like that came sooner than I anticipated.
Looks like that came sooner than I anticipated.
I'm not clicking on that "we are all in the Epstein files" article. But if they mean that headline literally - well no we are not all in them.
If they mean that metaphorically - no. And we all know the difference between the peripheral people who pop in the files and the people who supported him
If they mean that metaphorically - no. And we all know the difference between the peripheral people who pop in the files and the people who supported him
February 5, 2026 at 2:35 PM
Over the past few days, especially after seeing some of my former coworkers in the files, I knew someone was going to have the brave take that "well being in the files itself isn't bad!"
Looks like that came sooner than I anticipated.
Looks like that came sooner than I anticipated.
Reposted by Alan Henry
Some years ago, I was chatting with a Retropolis reader, a young history student, and I mentioned there were several dozen people enslaved in New Jersey up until the day the 13th Amendment kicked in in December 1865.
Y’all. He identified every one of them.
njs.libraries.rutgers.edu/index.php/nj...
Y’all. He identified every one of them.
njs.libraries.rutgers.edu/index.php/nj...
February 4, 2026 at 2:45 AM
Some years ago, I was chatting with a Retropolis reader, a young history student, and I mentioned there were several dozen people enslaved in New Jersey up until the day the 13th Amendment kicked in in December 1865.
Y’all. He identified every one of them.
njs.libraries.rutgers.edu/index.php/nj...
Y’all. He identified every one of them.
njs.libraries.rutgers.edu/index.php/nj...
"VLANs are institutionalized discrimination" took me the fuck out
i love dns it always works great for me 👄✨
video was created by the luminary genius @citiesbydiana.bsky.social 🌆
video was created by the luminary genius @citiesbydiana.bsky.social 🌆
February 4, 2026 at 9:18 PM
"VLANs are institutionalized discrimination" took me the fuck out
Reposted by Alan Henry
"Successful anti-authoritarian movements do not win by softening their positions. They win by building unlikely coalitions around a broadly resonant grievance."
Like, say, corruption. Or, unchecked corporate power.
Like, say, corruption. Or, unchecked corporate power.
How Not to Defeat Authoritarianism
Moderation used to help Democrats win, but its advantages now have been greatly exaggerated.
www.bostonreview.net
February 4, 2026 at 6:01 PM
"Successful anti-authoritarian movements do not win by softening their positions. They win by building unlikely coalitions around a broadly resonant grievance."
Like, say, corruption. Or, unchecked corporate power.
Like, say, corruption. Or, unchecked corporate power.
This is the same thing media managers have been saying, talking down to working journalists, for years, while simultaneously laying them off or forcing them out.
But then, I don't think even they expect anyone to actually believe it anymore.
But then, I don't think even they expect anyone to actually believe it anymore.
Speaking to WaPo employees, editor Matt Murray says cuts are about “positioning ourselves to become more essential to people's lives, and what is becoming a more crowded, competitive and complicated media landscape, and after some years when, candidly, the Post has had struggles to do that."
February 4, 2026 at 4:45 PM
This is the same thing media managers have been saying, talking down to working journalists, for years, while simultaneously laying them off or forcing them out.
But then, I don't think even they expect anyone to actually believe it anymore.
But then, I don't think even they expect anyone to actually believe it anymore.
Man I love waking up in the morning, looking at my phone, and after being conscious for all of five minutes thinking "I'm so tired."
February 4, 2026 at 2:22 PM
Man I love waking up in the morning, looking at my phone, and after being conscious for all of five minutes thinking "I'm so tired."
Anyway, I've been thinking about AI boosterism and where it really comes from, so the next newsletter will be about that, and some excellent Black History Month reads.
Sub here to get it for free: buttondown.com/alanhenry
Or support my Patreon for early access: www.patreon.com/halophoenix
Sub here to get it for free: buttondown.com/alanhenry
Or support my Patreon for early access: www.patreon.com/halophoenix
February 4, 2026 at 1:17 AM
Anyway, I've been thinking about AI boosterism and where it really comes from, so the next newsletter will be about that, and some excellent Black History Month reads.
Sub here to get it for free: buttondown.com/alanhenry
Or support my Patreon for early access: www.patreon.com/halophoenix
Sub here to get it for free: buttondown.com/alanhenry
Or support my Patreon for early access: www.patreon.com/halophoenix
Reposted by Alan Henry
Every day I don't run screaming into the forest forever is an act of extreme courage and bravery. The forest never stops calling
February 3, 2026 at 8:36 PM
Every day I don't run screaming into the forest forever is an act of extreme courage and bravery. The forest never stops calling