David Pogue

NY Times "Crowdwise" columnist; writer/correspondent for NOVA & "CBS Sunday Morning"

Apr 5, 2020

With more working from home, our Internet undergoes a stress test

Like almost everyone else in America, corporate events producer Mark Felix has been working from home lately. It hasn't exactly been smooth sailing. "This is week three, although it seems like week 33," he said. "And the last week my internet has…

Mar 29, 2020

How to live AND work at home without going stir crazy

Testing, 1, 2, 3. … OK! Welcome to lockdown! Like anyone else who's got the luxury of working at home, I'd been working at home when I got a call from my producer David Rothman. As I recall, the conversation went something like this… Pogue: "Do you…

Mar 22, 2020

Coronavirus and the contagion of fear

Julie Beitman has been correspondent David Pogue's friend and neighbor for over 15 years. But he's never seen her like this – repeatedly washing her hands, or wiping down her counter. "I'm very upset about this," Beitman said. "I'm upset. I watch the…

Jan 26, 2020

Is there a science behind creating pop hits?

When you win a Grammy, the judges tell you that your song or your album was the best of the year. But they don't tell you why. They don't tell you what they liked about it. But surely there's a science to writing a hit song? David Pogue went on a…

Dec 22, 2019

How the crowdsourcing website GoFundMe is changing charity

Morgan Stickney, of Bedford, New Hampshire, has always been something of a mermaid. By age 14, she had a room full of swimming medals. Ranked top 20 in the country, she was dreaming of the Olympics. But one day in eighth grade, her entire life…

Dec 15, 2019

Holiday gift ideas from Techno Claus

Techno Claus, who looks suspiciously like "Sunday Morning" contributor David Pogue (but sounds like no one else), is reading from a Christmas storybook by a crackling fire. "And what, to our wondering eyes should appear, But Techno Claus! Guru of…

Dec 1, 2019

Preparing the next generation of GPS

Thanks to GPS, your car, your phone, even your watch knows exactly where you are on the planet, by listening to a satellite signal from 12,000 miles over your head. GPS is always on, you don't pay anything to use it, and you never need to know how it…

Nov 3, 2019

Jeff Lynne, the reluctant rock star, returns with Jeff Lynne's ELO

In the 1970s and '80s, the Electric Light Orchestra, the British rock band with a string section, lit up the charts. ELO, as fans called it, sold more than 50 million albums, with songs like "Livin' Thing," "Evil Woman," and "Mr. Blue Sky." Jeff…

Nov 3, 2019

Reporter's Notebook: David Pogue on interviewing a musical idol

I'm not gonna lie: Being a "CBS Sunday Morning" correspondent has its privileges. Like getting to meet your musical idol. As a teenager, I was obsessed with the British band ELO, the Electric Light Orchestra. I was a budding composer myself, and the…

Oct 27, 2019

How scary music makes movies scarier

Imagine the 1973 horror movie "The Exorcist" without its ominous score. Would "Psycho" be the same without Bernard Herrmann's music? It's no surprise that a good scare and a good score go hand-in-hand. Michelle DiBucci, a horror film composer and…

Oct 24, 2019

16 Useful Gems in Apple’s New iOS 13

Jason Lee/Reuters Every September, Apple offers the world a new update of its iOS software for iPhones. This year’s version, iOS 13, didn’t exactly have a graceful landing; since its release in September, Apple has produced no fewer than five…

Oct 9, 2019

I Never Wanted (or Liked) the Touchscreen Echos or Google Hubs. Then I Used One.

At this point, let’s assume everyone is familiar with home voice assistants like the Amazon Echo (a.k.a. Alexa) and Google Home. Ask them questions and get news/weather/traffic, order an Uber, have them tell jokes, make free phone calls — and, of…

Oct 4, 2019

10 Tips to Avoid Leaving Tracks Around the Internet

Graham Roumieu Google and Facebook collect information about us and then sell that data to advertisers. Websites deposit invisible “cookies” onto our computers and then record where we go online. Even our own government has been known to track…

Sep 29, 2019

The great electric scooter backlash

In the spring of 2018, the citizens of several American cities awoke to find something new: Thousands of electric scooters, mysteriously deposited all over town, unannounced. They were put there by a new breed of well-funded companies with…

Sep 19, 2019

This Messenger-Briefcase Hybrid Is the Only Work Bag I’ll Carry

The work bag is a highly personal purchase, just as self-expressive as your tote bag or phone case. Beyond phone, keys, and wallet, I suspect the next thing millions of people reach for when they walk out the door (at least on weekdays) is that bag.…

Sep 15, 2019

Inside the pages, and websites, of New York Magazine

Even if you're not a New Yorker, you may know New York magazine. It was the original city magazine, one of the first magazines for both men and women. It's won 48 National Magazine Awards, and not long ago it celebrated its 50th anniversary. The…

Sep 4, 2019

Lo que la gente con una apariencia distinta quiere que sepas

Graham Roumieu Un niño pequeño ve a un hombre calvo en la tienda. “¡Mamá, mira! ¡Ese señor no tiene pelo!”, dice. Su madre lo agarra del brazo y le susurra nerviosa: “¡Cállate! ¡Te puede escuchar!”. El niño, perplejo, mira a su madre y le dice:…

Aug 27, 2019

Fitbit’s Newest (Cheapest) Tracker Is Its Best Marriage of Form and Function Yet

I’ll never forget my astonishment at losing four pounds in the first two weeks of Fitbit-wearing. These fitness trackers translate activity and sleep patterns into graphs and stats (and, if you like, offer prompts to do better); as a result, my…

Aug 13, 2019

What Different-Looking People Would Like You to Know Before You Stare

Graham Roumieu A little boy sees a bald man in the store. “Mommy, look! That man has no hair!” he says. His mother grabs his arm and whispers urgently: “Be quiet! He might hear you!” The boy looks at his mother, puzzled. “Doesn’t he know?” There’s a…

Aug 8, 2019

The Secret History of ‘Easter Eggs’

Every car can accelerate, brake and turn. But only the Tesla Model X can put on a three-minute dance performance. The windows open, the speakers blast a holiday carol, the exterior lights flash in sequence, the front doors open and close, and the…