Author

Alex Mercer

Alex Mercer writes about artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the tools reshaping how software gets built. Articles under this byline are produced by Newzlet's AI-assisted editorial process and checked against our published editorial standards; see our AI Disclosure for how the newsroom works.

Areas of focus: AI & machine learning, developer tools, emerging tech

240 articles  ·  Contact the newsroom

Consumer Tech

Zorin OS Is Great — After You Fix These Default Settings
Zorin OS Is Great — After You Fix These Default Settings

The ‘Best Linux Distro’ Label Comes With an Asterisk Zorin OS beats Linux Mint and AnduinOS in direct…

May 30, 2026  ·  8 min read

AI & Machine Learning

Anthropic Nears First Profit as the AI Hype Cycle Fades
Anthropic Nears First Profit as the AI Hype Cycle Fades

The rumor that matters: Anthropic closing in on its first profitable quarter Anthropic is closing in on its…

May 30, 2026  ·  9 min read

Consumer Tech

Spotify’s Podcast Clipping Tool: Who Really Benefits?
Spotify’s Podcast Clipping Tool: Who Really Benefits?

What the feature actually does Spotify’s new podcast clipping feature lives inside the “Now Playing” view, accessible through…

May 29, 2026  ·  8 min read

AI & Machine Learning

Music v2 Brings Genre-Fluid Control to AI Composition
Music v2 Brings Genre-Fluid Control to AI Composition

What Music v2 Actually Does Differently ElevenLabs built Music v2 around a problem that broke most first-generation AI…

May 29, 2026  ·  7 min read

AI & Machine Learning

Heretic Strips AI Safety Guardrails by Editing Model Weights
Heretic Strips AI Safety Guardrails by Editing Model Weights

What Heretic Actually Does — In Plain English Heretic is an open-source tool that strips safety alignment out…

May 29, 2026  ·  9 min read

Gadgets & Reviews

Graphene Power Banks: Marketing Claims vs. Reality
Graphene Power Banks: Marketing Claims vs. Reality

The graphene buzzword problem: hype meets hardware Graphene is real. The hype around it in consumer electronics is…

May 28, 2026  ·  9 min read

Startups & Business

Ferrari and IBM’s F1 AI Deal Targets Fan Loyalty, Not Speed
Ferrari and IBM’s F1 AI Deal Targets Fan Loyalty, Not Speed

The F1 Fan Boom Has a Hidden Weakness Netflix’s Drive to Survive did something no race broadcast could:…

May 28, 2026  ·  8 min read

Consumer Tech

Memorial Day Laptop Deals 2025: Real Savings or Retailer Hype?
Memorial Day Laptop Deals 2025: Real Savings or Retailer Hype?

The Memorial Day laptop sale landscape: what’s actually on offer Memorial Day 2025 has drawn participation from virtually…

May 28, 2026  ·  9 min read

Startups & Business

Musk’s Solar Retreat Is Quietly Killing Tesla’s Master Plan
Musk’s Solar Retreat Is Quietly Killing Tesla’s Master Plan

The Master Plan Promise: What Musk Actually Committed To Tesla’s Master Plans were not marketing documents. They were…

May 27, 2026  ·  9 min read

Gadgets & Reviews

Memorial Day 2026 Tech Deals Worth Buying (and What to Skip)
Memorial Day 2026 Tech Deals Worth Buying (and What to Skip)

Memorial Day Tech Deals: No Longer a Hidden Secret Memorial Day built its retail reputation on mattresses, patio…

May 27, 2026  ·  7 min read

Consumer Tech

EU Breathalyzer Interface Mandate: What Drivers Must Know
EU Breathalyzer Interface Mandate: What Drivers Must Know

What the Rule Actually Says — and What It Doesn’t As of July 1, every new vehicle sold…

May 26, 2026  ·  7 min read

Gadgets & Reviews

Power Banks in 2026: Why Capacity Has Failed to Keep Up
Power Banks in 2026: Why Capacity Has Failed to Keep Up

The Battery Paradox: Smarter Devices, Same Old Power Problem Battery technology moves at a fraction of the pace…

May 26, 2026  ·  9 min read