Category: Writing

  • Europe’s Skill Issue

    Europe’s Skill Issue

    There are a lot of opinions out there comparing the innovations in the US, China, and Europe. Some point to the prominent innovators being America’s OpenAI, China’s DeepSeek, and Europe’s non-detachable bottle caps. Some argue that Europe is over-regulated to produce anything remotely competitive with the US, which excels in innovation, and China, which excels…

  • Steamboats and Interfaces

    Steamboats and Interfaces

    Analog or digital? Stavanger hosts a tall ship festival every now and then, bringing majestic sail ships from around the world. Steamboats, though? Not so much. That’s why the Fjordsteam Festival was such a treat this year, filling the city harbor with historic steamers. What a stroll – you could explore ship cabins and even…

  • Age of the Great Imitators

    Age of the Great Imitators

    Some day, people will look back at our era and call it the age of the Great Imitators. That’s what today’s AI engines really are – incredibly skilled at identifying and following patterns, predicting the most probable next word. The next chess move. The next protein fold. The next frame in a video. The next…

  • They Live (In XR)

    They Live (In XR)

    Computers are the windows allowing us to transcend between physical and digital. For years, our laptops and phones have dominated this realm. Let’s not forget tablets – the prodigal son that showed so much promise, but never truly delivered. The iPad launched in 2010 with hopes it would become the new work device for everyone.…

  • Who Lives Under the Sea?

    Who Lives Under the Sea?

    ROVs – remotely operated vehicles – are a huge part of the offshore and industrial world, yet remain practically unknown outside of it. Today, out at sea, hundreds of these remotely controlled robots are at work – inspecting pipelines, installing subsea engineering structures, cleaning offshore platforms, and maintaining mooring lines. The underwater engineering installations they…

  • A Dining Room to Remember

    A Dining Room to Remember

    You can still visit the Titanic today, even though it sank. And I don’t mean diving down in a carbon-fiber capsule steered with a Logitech gamepad. There’s a simpler way. In Bloomsbury, London, stands the Kimpton Fitzroy hotel – formerly the Hotel Russell. Built in 1898, and still operating. A little worn, sure. But who…

  • I’m Guybrush Threepwood, and I Wanna Be a Pirate

    I’m Guybrush Threepwood, and I Wanna Be a Pirate

    I used to play Monkey Island as a kid. And I don’t mean casually – I played the hell out of it. Back then, point-and-click adventure games weren’t just a genre – they were a phenomenon. Full Throttle, Space Quest, Day of the Tentacle, Sam & Max Hit the Road, The Dig. I played them…

  • Industrial XR and Regulation

    Industrial XR and Regulation

    Back at the Agenda Conference in Kongsberg for the second year in a row! This time, I had the privilege of joining a panel on “EU Code of Conduct for Responsible XR Technologies,” moderated by Rigmor Baraas from the University of South-Eastern Norway. It’s a definitely an interesting topic to explore, whether we are close…

  • Guide to Bergen, Norway

    Guide to Bergen, Norway

    Disclaimer: I’ve written this since I’m sometimes asked for travel recommendations in Norway. This post presents a very narrow view onto what Norway has to offer, and does not serve as a comprehensive or objective travel guide. Bergen is Norway’s second-largest city, with a historic center recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of…

  • Guide to Stavanger, Norway

    Guide to Stavanger, Norway

    Disclaimer: I’ve written this since I’m sometimes asked for travel recommendations in Norway. This post presents a very narrow view onto what Norway has to offer, and does not serve as a comprehensive or objective travel guide. The energy capital of Norway, doing oil, doing gas, and now even renewables. What used to be a…