You might wonder: What's Lowpass?

The one-paragraph answer: Lowpass is a weekly newsletter about the future of tech and entertainment, written by longtime technology reporter Janko Roettgers. With new issues coming out very Thursday, Lowpass delivers scoops, news and analysis about topics including AR, VR, streaming an AI. Paying subscribers get a full newsletter every week, while free subscribers will receive a full version every other week, as well as curated links and more every week.

The slightly longer version:

Who am I, and why am I doing this. My name is Janko Roettgers, and I've covered the intersection of tech and entertainment as a journalist for roughly two decades. I was among the first writers for Gigaom's Newteevee blog in 2007, and later wrote for Gigaom proper, followed by multiple years at Variety, and most recently Protocol. During those years, I've seen and written about streaming evolve into a multi-billion-dollar industry, cord cutting become mainstream, and AR and VR emerge as exciting possibilities for the future of computing and entertainment alike.

But while those industries have flourished, media has struggled to keep up. I was on staff when Gigaom abruptly shut down in 2015, and had a bit of a deja vu when Protocol just as suddenly ceased publication in late 2022. Plenty of other outlets that used to cover this space have also thrown the towel, laid off great reporters, or turned into bland marketing blogs churning out rewritten press releases and affiliate link posts.

I believe there is another way. Streaming, AR, VR, the future of entertainment and the tech industry's quest to find the next big platform succeeding the smart phone deserve serious coverage that goes beyond spec sheets and how-tos. Reporting that goes deep on both the technology powering these industries, and the business decisions shaping their evolution.

I'm inviting you to join me. Reader-supported journalism offers a chance to fill some of the gaps left behind by the retreat of venture-backed media, and a newsletter allows me to speak directly to an audience that cares as deeply about these subjects as I do. The more of you who opt for the paid tier, the more time and resources I will have to make Lowpass the best newsletter for industry insiders and enthusiasts alike.