I study the history of big ideas about technology. My work examines and chronicles key breakthroughs that have shaped digital innovation and continue to yield critical insights on today's Internet of Things, Augmented Reality, and Artificial Intelligence.

My new book -- The Philosopher of Palo Alto: Mark Weiser, Xerox PARC, and the Original Internet of Things -- is due out from the University of Chicago Press in May 2023. A description of the book is available on the publisher's website and on Amazon. I've spoken about the book at Stanford, PARC, and to researcher groups at Google, as well as on ABC7 Bay Area TV.

My recent essays on technology and culture have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Boston Review, and San Fransisco Chronicle, and in numerous academic journals, such as Computational Culture and Convergence. My first book, Actionable Media (Oxford UP, 2018), explored a new wave of digital communication that is emerging with the spread of ubiquitous computing. With Sean Morey, I also co-edited a book called Augmented Reality: Innovative Perspectives across Art, Industry, and Academia.

I am currently an Associate Professor of English and former Director of Digital Studies at the University of Colorado Denver, where I teach courses on histories & theories of technology, digital media, public writing, and narrative nonfiction. I hold a Ph.D. in English from the University of Florida and was recently a Visiting Scholar in Communication at Stanford University.

My literary agent is Deirdre Mullane of Mullane Literary Associates.

Contact me at: john.tinnell [at] ucdenver.edu