Writer Profile
Marcus Hale
Senior writer — Tech & Money
Senior writer covering tech and money.
Marcus Hale covers technology and personal finance for AlphaMode. He spent nine years inside the consumer-tech industry before journalism — first as a product manager at a US-based wearables company, then as a head of growth at a fintech app that processed payments for small businesses. That decade shaped a hard-nosed view of how products and money actually work behind the marketing: which features ship because users need them and which ship because a roadmap demanded movement; which financial products quietly transfer wealth from customers to issuers and which actually compound for the holder.
He writes from that operator's perspective. The tech beat focuses on tools, gadgets, software, and the systems behind them — Marcus tests every product he reviews himself, including the ones he likes least, and his hands-on cycle is measured in weeks, not afternoons. The money beat sits next door because the two questions ("does this thing work?" and "is it worth the money?") share a method. Expect taxonomies of options, honest verdicts on what to buy and what to skip, and the occasional opinionated rant about subscription pricing.
Marcus reads every reader email sent through info@luba.media. Tips, factual corrections, pitches, and on-the-record interviews all reach the same inbox. The standards he writes to are published on the editorial standards page.
Responsibilities
Researches, drafts, and publishes the tech and money beats. Hands-on testing on every product review; reads the financial primary sources directly. Reports to the Editor-in-Chief.
Press inquiries
For product review queues, fintech and consumer-tech tips, or on-the-record commentary: info@luba.media. Marcus answers his own mail.
Recent work
All stories →- tech·
The Dumbphone Comeback Isn't What You Think
Light Phone, Punkt, Nokia. I lived with all three for thirty days each. The pitch is "your attention back." The reality is more interesting, more compromised, and — for most people reading this — almost certainly not the answer to whatever they think it's the answer to.
- money·
How to Pick the Right Sunglasses for Your Face
I spent ten years buying sunglasses that made me look like a confused insect. Then I learned three simple rules about face shapes, and now I actually look forward to sunny days instead of squinting through them.
- tech·
Productivity Systems That Actually Work for Normal People
You don't need a color-coded Notion dashboard or a second brain to get stuff done. Here's what actually works when you're a regular person with a job, a phone addiction, and finite willpower.
- money·
Investing for Beginners Without the Wall Street Jargon
I spent years thinking investing was for finance bros and trust fund kids. Turns out it's mostly just not touching your money and resisting the urge to do something stupid. Here's the plain-English version.
- tech·
I Tracked My Screen Time for 30 Days and the Results Were Horrifying
I thought I was 'pretty normal' with my phone usage. Then I actually tracked it. Seven hours and 23 minutes a day. Here's what I learned and what I did about it.
- tech·
Every Gadget in My EDC Kit and Why I Can't Leave Home Without Them
I've spent an embarrassing amount of money dialing in my everyday carry over the past five years. Here's what survived the cut and what got relegated to the junk drawer of shame.
See the full team on the masthead.