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DIY-IT

David Gewirtz warps space/time with neat hacks, cool do-it-yourself projects, business survival tips, and commentary that peels paint.

David Gewirtz

In addition to hosting the ZDNET Government and ZDNet DIY-IT blogs, David Gewirtz is an author, U.S. policy advisor, and computer scientist. He is featured in The History Channel special The President's Book of Secrets, is one of America's foremost cyber-security experts, and is a top expert on saving and creating jobs. He is also director of the U.S. Strategic Perspective Institute as well as the founder of ZATZ Publishing. David is a member of FBI InfraGard, the Cyberwarfare Advisor for the International Association for Counterterrorism & Security Professionals, a columnist for The Journal of Counterterrorism and Homeland Security, and has been a regular CNN contributor, and a guest commentator for the Nieman Watchdog of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. He is the author of Where Have All the Emails Gone?, the definitive study of email in the White House, as well as How To Save Jobs and The Flexible Enterprise, the classic book that served as a foundation for today's agile business movement.

Latest Posts

Why the open source mindset can be crazy-making for IT professionals

This is the environment many IT managers are stuck working in. No wonder many sites run out-of-date software. The updates break too much.

August 21, 2012 by David Gewirtz in Open Source

What not to do when doing tech PR

It's hard for a manufacturer to design a product, produce it, bring it to market, support all its employees, and make a success. PR professionals on its team should be doing everything to help make that success happen, not tear it down.

August 21, 2012 by David Gewirtz in SMB

True confessions of a former iPhone developer

As of last Wednesday, I am officially no longer an iPhone developer -- which frees me up to tell you about my sordid experiences as an iPhone developer.

August 17, 2012 by David Gewirtz in Apple

Consumer-friendly products suck and post-PC is a fantasy

While consumers are ready for post-PC, and while vendors are kinda-sorta offering solutions they say are suitable for average consumers, the system is still very flawed.

August 13, 2012 by David Gewirtz in SMB

Does your email address say you're a rube?

Opinions are often formed by many subtle factors. Can your email address sink you in the eyes of the tech glitteratti?

August 9, 2012 by David Gewirtz in SMB

The weirdly obvious Windows security flaw no one ever seems to talk about

The flaw is right there, right on the first page that IE launches, the default page as it's shipped from Microsoft.

August 3, 2012 by David Gewirtz in Windows

How to decide: should you buy the Nexus 7 or the Kindle Fire?

The two devices are the same size and the same price. But there are differences. Which should you choose?

July 26, 2012 by David Gewirtz in Mobility

Digg wasn't outmaneuvered. Greed and poor management buried it

It wasn't that Twitter and Facebook outmaneuvered Digg. The difference was maturity. Twitter and Facebook kept their eye on their corporate mission and their message discipline.

July 16, 2012 by David Gewirtz in SMB

Building a 3D milling robot with LEGO (Oh, so cool video)

Here's a DIY device that carves a face. Very creative and interesting use of consumer robotics.

July 11, 2012 by David Gewirtz in Consumerization

Microsoft takes no prisoners with $39 upgrade price

Microsoft has apparently grown some serious stones. Ballsy move, Ballmer.

July 3, 2012 by David Gewirtz in Windows

How to decide: should you buy an iPad or wait for the Microsoft Surface?

Even though we still don't know much about the Surface models, I can give you some advice, at least within certain basic parameters.

June 26, 2012 by David Gewirtz in iPad

Heating up the debate over public vs. private clouds

This is not an argument for the faint of heart. There are strong benefits to running your own IT infrastructure, and equally strong benefits to letting it be someone else's problem.

June 25, 2012 by David Gewirtz in Legal

Ten techie homeowner tips for Jason's new house

Ten bits of wisdom earned the hard way: from making mistakes and learning from them.

June 22, 2012 by David Gewirtz in Google

Okay, let me get this straight. Did Microsoft just kill the Windows tablet OEM market?

Quite honestly, this is as baffling as New Coke was to Coca Cola consumers worldwide.

June 18, 2012 by David Gewirtz in Hardware

Kinect-based robot follows you around (Oh, so cool video)

Watch a 4-minute video of a Kinect-based robot built with Microsoft's robotics kit, designed to follow its owner around the house. Of special note are the cans of Kinect-branded soda.

June 17, 2012 by David Gewirtz in Innovation