The Top 5

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Art by Clark Miller
The Top 5

The Best High-Tech Protective Gear for Skiers and Snowboarders

By Brigid Mander · Feb 8, 2025 5:00am PST · 1 comment
My first ski helmet was ridiculous. Whenever I wore it, it looked like I had an upside-down fruit bowl on my head. I initially bought it back around 2002, a time when just a quarter of skiers wore helmets, according to the National Ski Areas Association’s annual survey. And no wonder: Back then, ski goggles and helmets were often shaped... My first ski helmet was ridiculous. Whenever I wore it, it looked like I had an upside-down fruit...
Art by Clark Miller
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Where Tech Leaders Travel After the World Economic Forum

By Todd Plummer · Jan 11, 2025 6:00am PST · 3 comments
The World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos is the Super Bowl of schmoozing. And let’s face it, after a week of nonstop on-calendar panel discussions, off-calendar networking and late-night parties—Google and McKinsey & Co. are known for throwing some of the best ones!—even the most extroverted movers and... The World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos is the Super Bowl of schmoozing. And...
Art by Clark Miller
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How Techies Stock Their Disaster Kits

By Todd Plummer · Dec 14, 2024 5:00am PST · 2 comments
A twofold panic washed over Northern California last week. The first was very immediate when everyone’s phones got the same alert: an unexpected tsunami warning sparked by a rare 7.0 magnitude earthquake 40 miles off Cape Mendocino. In the end, it was a false alarm, and the warning was canceled. Yet that’s when the second panic hit,... A twofold panic washed over Northern California last week. The first was very immediate when...
Art by Clark Miller
The Best New Corporate Merch and Gifts
By Todd Plummer · Dec 7, 2024 5:00am PST
Art by Clark Miller
The Top 5

The Best New Corporate Merch and Gifts

By Todd Plummer · Dec 7, 2024 5:00am PST
It’s often said that ’tis better to give than to receive, but more often than not, corporate swag leaves both giver and recipient cold. How many times have we left a conference with the same old leaky commuter mug? Or received some drab pen along with a forgettable pad of sticky notes? Swag need not be a source of dismay,... It’s often said that ’tis better to give than to receive, but more often than not,...
Art by Clark Miller
The Top 5

Best AI Books of 2024: How to Use and Understand the Tech

By Rocket Drew · Nov 23, 2024 5:00am PST · 7 comments
Ray Kurzweil’s predictions about technological advancements have intrigued—and unnerved—people for decades. At 76, he’s still quite up to the task and threw out a whopper within minutes of sitting down with me. “When we achieve AGI in the 2030s, we’re going to actually merge this intelligence with... Ray Kurzweil’s predictions about technological advancements have intrigued—and...
Art by Clark Miller
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The Personal Trainers Tech Execs Trust

By Annie Goldsmith · Nov 16, 2024 5:00am PST · 6 comments
Ozempic be damned. Silicon Valley is holding on tight to its love of the personal trainer. These are people like Matt Dixon, a San Francisco–based trainer and former professional triathlete whose clients include billionaire Max Levchin. After several decades of whipping folks like Levchin into tip-top shape, Dixon has a thesis for why so... Ozempic be damned. Silicon Valley is holding on tight to its love of the personal trainer. These...
Art by Clark Miller
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The Best Tools for Sensibly Introducing Kids to AI

By Paris Martineau · Oct 26, 2024 5:00am PDT · 1 comment
Children and teens are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence tools for homework help and entertainment, as well as to seek out new information: In fact, a recent survey of more than 1,000 young people (and their parents) by Common Sense Media found that seven in 10 teenagers have already used generative AI tools. The survey found that... Children and teens are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence tools for homework help...
Art by Clark Miller
Podcasting’s $400 Million Man—and the Best New Tech and Business Podcasts of 2024
By Abram Brown · Oct 19, 2024 5:00am PDT · 2 comments
Art by Clark Miller
The Top 5

Podcasting’s $400 Million Man—and the Best New Tech and Business Podcasts of 2024

By Abram Brown · Oct 19, 2024 5:00am PDT · 2 comments
For years, Harry Stebbings, the hit British podcaster and venture capitalist, fired off emails to Marc Benioff—no fewer than 53 of them—hoping to cajole the billionaire into appearing on his show, “20VC.” “I emailed him every week with no response, and then he finally did reply,” said Stebbings, 28. Finally,... For years, Harry Stebbings, the hit British podcaster and venture capitalist, fired off emails to...
Art by Clark Miller
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There’s an Arms Race for the Next Million-Dollar Protein Bar

By Ashwin Rodrigues · Oct 12, 2024 5:38am PDT · 3 comments
The macro of the moment is protein, and it’s not much of a competition. Everyone is paying attention to their protein intake for one reason or another: The longevity movement’s practitioners are focusing on it for strength training. Anyone on a GLP-1 has likely gotten a doctor’s lecture on getting the right amount of protein.... The macro of the moment is protein, and it’s not much of a competition. Everyone is paying...
Art by Clark Miller
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Where Techies Who Love E-Bikes Should Travel

By Todd Plummer · Sep 28, 2024 5:00am PDT · 7 comments
You’ve seen them everywhere—and have probably even dodged a couple while crossing Market Street in San Francisco or Fifth Avenue in New York. Electric bikes have become a de rigueur mode of transportation for the office-going set, affording even those who routinely skip leg day at the gym the ability to sail through SoMa without... You’ve seen them everywhere—and have probably even dodged a couple while crossing...
The Top 5

So You Wanna Be A Whistleblower?

By Paris Martineau · Sep 21, 2024 5:00am PDT · 1 comment
Shortly after Libby Liu joined Whistleblower Aid as CEO in spring 2021, the legal nonprofit got a new client: Frances Haugen, a former Facebook product manager who, with the organization’s help, would soon become quite famous (or infamous—depending on your point of view). Founded in 2017, Whistleblower Aid is dedicated to supporting... Shortly after Libby Liu joined Whistleblower Aid as CEO in spring 2021, the legal nonprofit got a...
Art by Clark Miller
What Silicon Valley Buys to Spoil Its Pets
By Annie Goldsmith · Sep 14, 2024 6:00am PDT · 1 comment
Art by Clark Miller
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What Silicon Valley Buys to Spoil Its Pets

By Annie Goldsmith · Sep 14, 2024 6:00am PDT · 1 comment
Penny Lane, a Boykin spaniel living in the East Bay, is a bolter. It comes naturally to her: The Boykin, which is the state dog of South Carolina, was bred to fetch game during a hunt. “We live in the suburbs, so there’s some retrieving to be done, but not as much as one wishes,” said Penny’s owner, Allison Braley, a Bain... Penny Lane, a Boykin spaniel living in the East Bay, is a bolter. It comes naturally to her: The...
Art by Clark Miller
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What Tech Moguls Should Wear for Fall Conference Season: The Summer’s Red-Hot Power Color

By Antonina Jedrzejczak · Sep 7, 2024 5:00am PDT · 5 comments
White for summer is nothing new, but 2024 embraced the hue at a whole new level. From sandals to sun hats and everything in between, shades of white dominated the most stylish wardrobes over the past three months. And, no, we’re not about to tell you to put away all those whites with Labor Day behind us. In fact, as you get ready to think... White for summer is nothing new, but 2024 embraced the hue at a whole new level. From sandals to...
Art by Clark Miller
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The Board Games That Techies Can’t Stop Playing

By David Ewalt · Aug 10, 2024 6:00am PDT · 6 comments
Matt Calkins sees a parallel between the best board games and the best software. “What I like is efficiency, the simultaneous utilization of the time of everyone at the table,” said Calkins, founder and CEO of Appian, an enterprise software company. “I like a game with high throughput.” Calkins is the author of several... Matt Calkins sees a parallel between the best board games and the best software. “What I...
Art by Clark Miller
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Silicon Valley Is Out for Blood

By Ashley Mateo · Aug 3, 2024 6:00am PDT · 4 comments
After the initial onslaught of Covid-19, 40-year-old Derrick Johnson made a deliberate decision to be more intentional regarding his health. “Both my mother and my father passed early—from lung cancer and a heart attack—and there’s been various cancer deaths in my family,” he said. “I really wanted to become... After the initial onslaught of Covid-19, 40-year-old Derrick Johnson made a deliberate decision...
Art by Clark Miller
The New Water Toys That Tech Moguls Love
By Annie Goldsmith · Jul 27, 2024 6:00am PDT · 2 comments
Art by Clark Miller
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The New Water Toys That Tech Moguls Love

By Annie Goldsmith · Jul 27, 2024 6:00am PDT · 2 comments
Look past Crissy Field on the Presidio shoreline, and you might spot Ariel Poler, co-founder of Reveri Health, and some of his friends—10 to 20 small sails dotting the San Francisco Bay, riding a cargo ship’s wake. They’re not kitesurfing or windsurfing: They’re wing foiling. It’s a new water sport that’s made a real splash over the past... Look past Crissy Field on the Presidio shoreline, and you might spot Ariel Poler, co-founder of...
Art by Clark Miller
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Silicon Valley’s Must-Have Fashion Item: A Leather Jacket as Cool as Jensen’s

By Antonina Jedrzejczak · Jul 20, 2024 6:00am PDT · 1 comment
A statement leather jacket is arguably one of the most fundamental pieces in any wardrobe. Just ask Jensen Huang. It’s close to impossible to find a photo of the Nvidia CEO from the last decade in anything other than a black classic zip-up or a more lightweight café racer-style jacket. He occasionally gets a little more... A statement leather jacket is arguably one of the most fundamental pieces in any wardrobe. Just...
Art by Clark Miller
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Silicon Valley Moguls’ Favorite Fellowships

By Julia Black · Jul 13, 2024 6:00am PDT · 7 comments
Picture this: A founder of a buzzy Silicon Valley startup, a top Wall Street executive and the head of a world-changing nonprofit walk into a bar. No, it’s not the setup for a joke. It’s the type of everyday happening that participants in high-profile programs like the Aspen Institute’s Henry Crown Fellowship and the Forum of... Picture this: A founder of a buzzy Silicon Valley startup, a top Wall Street executive and the...
Art by Clark Miller
The Top 5

The High-Tech Spas Well-Pampered Techies Love

By Annie Goldsmith · Jun 29, 2024 6:00am PDT
A massage, then maybe a dip in the pool? If that’s your idea of a spa day, then this will really get your brain twisted into knots: These days, the coolest, most exclusive spas are downright space age and come complete with amenities like high-definition cameras to assess scalp health, compression suits to promote healthy drainage of... A massage, then maybe a dip in the pool? If that’s your idea of a spa day, then this will...
Art by Clark Miller
Downloads for the Backroads: A Techie’s Guide to the Best Apps for Exploring Nature
By Brigid Mander · Jun 22, 2024 6:00am PDT · 4 comments
Art by Clark Miller
The Top 5

Downloads for the Backroads: A Techie’s Guide to the Best Apps for Exploring Nature

By Brigid Mander · Jun 22, 2024 6:00am PDT · 4 comments
Modern technology is everywhere, often in various forms of screen time. That makes it a popular scapegoat for the increasing, collective loss of our human connection to the natural world. It’s not just that time spent using technology has replaced time in nature, it’s also that for many nature is farther away: Over half the... Modern technology is everywhere, often in various forms of screen time. That makes it a popular...