Wired 12.05: The Kingmaker [Walt Mossberg]

Wired 12.05: The Kingmaker [Walt Mossberg] "Disarmingly bright, blunt, fervent, and combative, Mossberg was an investigative reporter for two decades before becoming a tech pundit, and he has a heady sense of his ability to keep the industry chieftains in check. His MO: posing as the champion of the "normal" or "average" tech consumer, though he's hardly one himself. Close friend and Journal reporter Kara Swisher calls him "a freakish geek."
Still, his success comes from demystifying the digital realm for readers who aren't regular Slashdot contributors. He's on a mission to remake the tech world according to his own fetish for simplicity, reliability, effectiveness, and great design. Chances are he has influenced the look, feel, and performance of your laptop, mobile phone, and MP3 player."

Interesting multi-page background on Walt Mossberg. I often enjoy his WSJ column, but he was simply wrong (and alarmist) on Microsoft smart tag technology, and it's unfortunate that this article (twice) reinforces his error.