Browse my freelance journalism portfolio

As a freelance journalist, I've written for a wide range of publications, including BBC News Online, The MagPi, Melody Maker, and Internet Magazine. Here are some of my favourite articles, representing a cross-section of my work. On this page, external links are marked with a ↗️ symbol.

Looking for something in particular? Try the search or contact me. Check out my blog for the latest updates.

🌍 Tech sustainability

• How can websites cut their carbon emissions? Shortlisted for best feature in the Freelance Journalism Awards 2023.
• What is green software? Discover how software developers can drive down carbon emissions.
• Could digital product passports (DPPs) improve sustainability? DPPs give shoppers and recyclers information about a product's materials and manufacture.
• Why are millions of hard drives are being destroyed? Companies are shredding storage media to stop data leaks, but drives can be securely reused. See my BBC article.

🤖 Artificial intelligence

• How to stop AI agents going rogue I investigate the security challenges of agentic AI.
• Why are firms merging HR and IT departments? A big part of it is to do with the introduction of AI.
• Why are employees smuggling their own AI tools into work? Half of employees are bringing AI to work without permission. I find out why.
• Can AI negotiate contracts? Luminance demonstrated its AI negotiating a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with no human intervention.
• Can coders trust ChatGPT? I investigated the opportunities and risks of using ChatGPT to create computer code, for the BBC's Technology of Business.

👷 Skills and inclusion

• Do you need a degree to work in IT? Discover how apprenticeships, self-learning and start-ups are providing a way in to tech careers.
• Can career changers plug the gap in cyber-security roles? Discover how an astrophysicist, police officer, and personal assistant transitioned into cybersec.

🧑‍💻 Coding with Scratch, Python, electronics and the Raspberry Pi

• Coding Compendium: Download a free 100-page PDF of my coding articles
• Raspberry Pi starter guide (PDF)
• Summer projects for your Raspberry Pi (PDF)
• Learn to code with the Raspberry Pi in Scratch and Python (PDF)
• My event report from PyCon UK 2017 for The MagPi (PDF).
• How to debug Scratch projects (PDF)
• Make a micro:bit audio game with Scratch (PDF)
• MIDI Mutant makes new sounds for the Yamaha DX7 synthesiser (PDF)
• Lego Retro Radio: play your own music using a Raspberry Pi
• ArtEvolver - create endless art with Python
• Raspberry Radio - Turn your Raspberry Pi into a virtual DJ
• More Raspberry Pi tutorials and projects...
• More Scratch tutorials and projects...

💻 More technology topics

• Your personal data all over the web - is there a better way? The Solid data architecture enables people to control who can access their personal data and when.
• What is data sovereignty?
• Why are some companies leaving the cloud?
• Google Glass review Do the eyes have it?
• Could we send smells over the internet? I comment on a patent for sending tastes, smells and weather over the internet.
• A short history of the internet. A timeline of key events.
• An introduction to mass customisation. The future of shopping puts you in control.
• Biometrics: A helping hand for online security? An article from the early days of fingerprint and facial recognition security.

🥼 Science

• Is there anybody out there? Computer users helped search for alien life using Seti@home. I interviewed the scientist behind it.
• How was Ironbridge built? 3D modelling revealed some of the secrets of how Ironbridge was built.
• How do stereograms work? Decoding the popular optical illusion.

🌐 Web design

• Make an awesome 3D anaglyph website using CSS text-shadow
• Count on me: an introduction to web analytics
• Kickbacks for clickbacks: Boost your sales with affiliate marketing
• More web design tutorials and resources...

🎶 Music, arts and entertainment

• My Life Story Christmas 2025 at Dingwalls concert review.
• They Might Be Giants interview "If we were trying to be quirky, we'd be a lot more quirky"
• Colin Vearncombe (Black) reflects on Wonderful Life "Find something you can't do without and do it. Whatever the cost."
• Erasure pioneers customised MP3s. I own a unique official remix of the song Don't Say You Love Me.
• 77 Million Paintings by Brian Eno. Want to see a picture by Brian Eno that he has never seen?
• Entering Mike Oldfield's tubular world. For this Internet Magazine article, I met Mike Oldfield inside his cooperative musical game Maestro.
• Behind the scenes at the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony. I spent a memorable summer as a performer in the spectacular Industrial Revolution sequence.
• Retro Compendium Free 90-page ebook about retrogaming with a focus on the Amstrad CPC computer.
• More music journalism...

🖥️ On writing and journalism

• How to write immersive theatre - Discover the top tips for creating compelling immersive theatre from the team behind Bridge Command.
• How to write a novel. Advice on the logistics of novel writing, and the three ugly truths you must accept if you are to complete your book.
• How to write comedy for TV, radio or stage. Top tips on comedy writing from the London Comedy Writers Festival 2011.
• Writing for computer games. Find out what I learned at Gamecamp.
• Writing for the web. Advice from Internet Magazine.
• Training journalists to work in war zones and other hostile environments. How can journalists stay safe when covering conflict, at home or abroad?
• More articles about writing and journalism...