Technology journalist. Author of three books: latest is "Social Warming: how social media polarises us all" (hardback, paperback, audiobook, 2021/2). Others are "Digital Wars: Apple, Google, Microsoft and the battle for the internet" (2012) and "Cyber Wars: hacks that shocked the business world" (2018).

I'm interested in how data can tell us what's happening in the world; many of the stories I've found most effective (and other people seem to have found most interesting) emerge from digging into datasets or company financial reports.

Generally sceptical of big claims about new technology, because I've been around for so long that I've seen plenty of those claims crash and burn. So if I'm enthusiastic about something, take that as indicating that something unusual is going on.

We underestimate the climate crisis at our peril, but humans seem to respond to big changes a little too late. I bet the survivors of the Ice Age left behind loads of people who insisted that the cold weather would soon pass and that anyway, who know whether there would be any fruit and berries over there, plus those animal coats were all itchy.

History: got into journalism via tennis, then writing about the computing industry, then business, science and technology. Stints at New Scientist (applied sciences features editor, technology editor), The Independent (technology correspondent, technology editor, science and technology editor) and The Guardian as its technology editor 2005-2014. Now freelance.