The Charged archive, by subject
Charged covered technology from the perspective of people who actually use and build it. These are the practical projects, product reviews, and essays readers still find useful.
Laptops & Windows
Finding a credible alternative to the Mac
Reviews and developer guides from the years when Windows hardware got genuinely interesting—and WSL changed what it meant to build software on a PC.
- Lenovo X1 Carbon review: the best light, portable laptop2019
- Laptop buyer’s guide: the best MacBook alternatives2019
- Surface Book 3: the web developer review2020
- Set up a modern development environment on Windows2017
- Making web development on Windows great with WSL22019
- GitHub Codespaces mean your computer doesn’t matter anymore2020
A smarter home
Useful automation, without replacing everything
The best smart-home technology makes ordinary objects work better. These projects begin with that premise—and usually a screwdriver.
Privacy & platforms
Who benefits when technology fades into the background?
Essays about the bargains hidden inside convenient technology: pervasive tracking, advertising, and platforms powerful enough to shape the web around them.