Cip's Clips 🤝 Pixels & Pizza

Hey, how's it going? It's been awhile. That's my fault. But I have good news – I'm writing again. If you're looking for a reliable freelance writer or a mock reviewer for an upcoming product, get in touch.

Before I get too far into this, I want to welcome you to the new home of Cip's Clips: Pixels & Pizza.

I can't take credit for the new site's name. It came from Jason Gerdon in a comment on a LinkedIn post. I bought the domain a week later, intent on returning to my roots: Old school blogging with modern newsletters sprinkled in.

So, here we are.

If you were subscribed to Cip's Clips, I've transferred your subscription to Pixels & Pizza. There will be zero hard feelings if you unsubscribe. It'll be the same content you signed up for originally, only with more pizza from a new domain.

I promise you I won't fill your inbox with spam. Newsletters will be sent sparingly.

A year-long break

In April 2024, I announced I was done with tech journalism, the career that I'd built over 16 years. It was bittersweet, but I'm still confident it was the right decision.

I took a month off, then started a full-time job, while also working on making a lifelong dream of mine come true with opening a mobile pizzeria with my wife.

The last time I sent out a newsletter was November 1, 2024. Shortly after that, I wrote about how impossible it is to fully leave iMessage. Since then, I can't tell you how many times I opened a blank page, confident I'd write something worth posting or sending to your inbox, only to stare at the blinking cursor and feel overwhelmed. Ultimately, I'd close the window and promise myself I'd do it later.

I effectively took a year-long break from writing anything at all.

Shortly before opening our mobile pizzeria in the spring of 2025, I cold emailed the editors of Pizza Today and pitched the idea of me writing a column, detailing the entire process we went through from initial idea to grand opening. Thus, my first non-tech column, Launching a Mobile Pizzeria, was born.

For the next 16 weeks, I recounted the trials, tribulations and triumphs we experienced leading up to opening. I loved every second of it; I'd missed writing, and more importantly – telling stories. I can't thank Jeremy, Denise and Kate enough for giving me the chance to write again.

We opened Sips & Pies on April 17, 2025. It was a whirlwind of a day, with so many emotions. I'll write a Sips & Pies 2025 year in review soon. In summary: We learned a lot last year.

I'm freelancing again

In mid-2025, TechRadar reached out to me and asked if I was interested in doing a couple of sponsored content posts. My good friend Jake knew I was thinking about doing some tech writing again, and I figured what better way to test the waters than by taking on a couple of assignments with guardrails.

I felt right at home writing a couple of roundups (here and here), just like I'd done for years.

After those posts, in addition to a few mock reviews for various companies, I knew I wanted to start doing some freelance writing again, but I just couldn't figure out what it all would look like. I still have my full-time job, in addition to Sips & Pies.

If I started freelancing again, how many articles a week/month did I want to commit to? What categories did I want to cover? Which outlet(s) should I reach out to? And with all of those unanswered questions, I felt paralyzed, just like I did when I opened a blank page to write a post.

Then, near the end of 2025, I got an email from a former editor, asking if I had the bandwidth to review home security cameras for Toms Guide again. I'd reviewed smart home stuff, focussing mostly on security cameras, at Toms Guide before. It was the opportunity I needed.

Over the next few weeks, I installed, tested and reviewed the Wyze Battery Video Doorbell, which I expect to go live any day now. I'm currently testing the Honeywell Home X8S Smart Thermostat and plan on writing that review in the coming days.

All of that to say – I'm freelancing again. Part time, at least.

I now realize just how burnt out I was from the daily grind of chasing the news cycle, the product review cycle and everything else that comes with it.

I started my tech journalism journey viewing it as a hobby, and now I'm returning to that mindset. The thought of not having daily pressure to make money to support my family is a huge relief.

That said, I do want to find consistent work, if for nothing else than to keep a slow trickle of shiny new gadgets showing up at my door. The dopamine rush is something I just can't give up.

My plan for Pixels & Pizza

I have no rules for what I'll write about on Pixels & Pizza. There'll be the obvious tech coverage, mixed in with posts about Sips & Pies and other pizza-related content. But outside of that, who knows what will show up here.

Not everything is going to be sent out as a newsletter, so you'll want to bookmark the site, subscribe to the RSS feed if you still use a news reader, follow me on Mastodon (yup, still there!), BlueSky (also there!), Threads (and there!), or if none of those work for you email me and we'll figure something out together.