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A dozen dope articles from Public Access' first year

Amber Bouman
Associate Editor, Parenting
Updated ·4 min read
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In the twelve months since Public Access' initial launch, we've seen stories published on every aspect of technology, computing, science, entertainment, and internet culture. We've thrown GIF parties, asked for your geek origin stories, created streaming playlists, discussed gaming hardware, given out tips and tricks, spouted off on security flaws and debated on drones. Public Access was created as a place for members to explore the ways in which technology intersects with their lives, to analyze the ramification of lives that are increasingly lead online and behind screens and to give a space to real users with real life experiences; and each and every story that is published grows that community and enhances its voice.

Below, we've listed the 12 most-read, most popular articles from the first twelve months of Public Access -- stories that range in topic from smartphones and apps, to virtual reality and video games, each one examining a particular facet of the overlap between our gadgets and our lives. Congratulations to the authors on the list, and to all Public Access members! We cannot wait to see what you'll do in the next twelve months.

  • Does your iPhone have a good or bad A9 CPU? by Abdul Dremali. This post on the discrepancies in battery performance between A9 chips manufactured by Samsung vs those manufactured by TSMC is not only the most-read Public Access article over the past 12 months: It got the scoop on us by getting posted two days before our news coverage.

  • Why I Won't Purchase the New Galaxy S7 (or Edge) by Richard Heby. One of the first four Public Access articles to get cross-posted to the Engadget home page so far, this is also the article I point to every time someone asks me for an example of a perfect Public Access article: The author has an opinion which is clearly stated and supported throughout the article, an eye-catching headline AND he personally replied to the over 100 comments on this piece. Applause.gif.

  • We're shutting down our comments...see you next week by Amber Bouman. Our decision to take a comment hiatus was, perhaps unsurprisingly, a wee bit controversial. In retrospect, the only thing I would have done differently is get that Douglas Adams' quote correct.

  • Get the most our of your next vacation with these 12 apps by Edward Watkinson. Another Public Access article that also appeared on the Engadget home page, this solid story lists a dozen apps that are valuable to have on-hand while traveling. Although many of them are well-known (Instagram, Uber) there are a few new gems in there, too (Bonjournal, PackPoint).

  • How to get more space on iPhone by George. This primer has been a popular story since its publication in September, probably because it contains instructions clear enough for entry-level users and smart tips from the obvious to the often overlooked.

  • Virtual Reality Is Coming and It Will Change The World in 2016 by Eric Lancheres. THREE. Three of Mr. Lancheres' Public Access stories appear on this list. Three! That is quite the accomplishment, and I tip my hat to you sir.

  • Double Play: How sports games reach deeper into gamers' pockets by Ricahrd Starr. Another cross-posted article, this is one of my personal favorites (and actually made me laugh out loud). Mr. Starr has a strong voice and writes with a sense of humor about the subtle ways that advertising is finding ways to work its way into sports games.

  • Steam Machine? Pff.. I'll keep my Alienware Alpha by Travis Dilts. Published on June 4th, 2015, this was one of the first articles to hit Public Access when it launched. It compares and contrasts the differences in offerings from the popular gaming manufacturer.

  • The Science Behind the Superheroes: Can Superpowers be Created? by Cormac Reynolds. Yet another article to be cross-posted to Engadget's home page, this piece explores the various biological and technological developments that could potentially be used to create a race of mutants, a la X-Men. (I call dibs on Rogue.)

  • Maximize Performance By Using The Best Browser For The Job by Eric Lancheres. If you've ever wondered which browser is best for Twitch (or Netflix. Or YouTube.), then you're in luck! Mr. Lancheres has already done some of the heavy lifting for you by testing out three different browsers abilities to run each of the aforementioned streaming platforms.

  • Is a Star Wars Reboot good for the Fans? by Eric Lancheres. Do remakes ruin the original magic for fans? Could any reboot ever be good enough? How does a story contained within a fully imagined universe attempt to tell the other tales of that world? An analysis of geek culture and the entertainment that we obsess over.

  • What do your app shortcuts say about you? by Eoin Bathrust. One geared to the Android users in the audience, this article taught me that BeyondPod is a great podcast app... and that the person at my mobile retail store is probably judging me on how my handset is organized.