Ben Gracewood

Chief technology officer

Ben is chief technology officer at The Spinoff, has a bunch of experience building software teams at various technology companies, and once thought Windows Phone was the greatest platform ever.

Image: Archi Banal

Auckland Transport’s selective hearing problem

Across the city, proposed improvements are being delayed and debated to death. But one decision out west shows it doesn't have to be this way.

By Ben Gracewood | 14th June, 2023

Chief technology officer

Almost all MPs from every party own their own home. Image: Tina Tiller

Another urban planning fail, and Auckland’s outer suburbs get shafted

National's about-face has extinguished any hope that Auckland will finally share density fairly across the isthmus.

By Ben Gracewood | 25th May, 2023

Chief technology officer

Helen Clark and her Twitter

Can Twitter survive the Fifa World Cup?

How will Twitter end? Not with a bang but a whimper.

By Ben Gracewood | 18th November, 2022

Chief technology officer

With BenBank, banking finally makes a leap into the 21st century (Image: Getty/Tina Tiller)

I would simply fix banking in New Zealand

BenBank is a cheaper, faster, easier way of doing your daily banking. Now someone just has to create it.

By Ben Gracewood | 15th November, 2022

Chief technology officer

Illustration: Toby Morris

Why is everyone leaving Twitter for Mastodon?

Maybe next weekend we’ll all be back on Twitter, but at least for one glorious weekend we could see another viable option.

By Ben Gracewood | 7th November, 2022

Chief technology officer

Image: Tina Tiller

Making a good website great: a progress report from the nerds at The Spinoff

Behind the scenes with The Spinoff's chief technology officer.

By Ben Gracewood | 26th October, 2022

Chief technology officer

The microwave in question (Image: Archi Banal)

The shiny metal box that changed how I cook

One simple trick for a happier cooking life.

By Ben Gracewood | 12th October, 2022

Chief technology officer

Vision Zero is about caring for more vulnerable road users like people walking or cycling, children and the elderly.

How one broken underpass represents everything that is wrong with Auckland

A surprise underpass closing led to mayhem, frustration and danger for non-motorist commuters.

By Ben Gracewood | 20th September, 2022

Chief technology officer

Image: Tina Tiller

Cheap cheese-buying hack revealed: just wait until next week

In this exclusive report from The Spinoff cheese desk, a curious supermarket pricing pattern is revealed.

By Ben Gracewood | 27th July, 2022

Chief technology officer

tfw falling forward into an unknown future that holds great danger (Image: Tina Tiller)

Has Google really built a sentient AI?

A Google engineer claims a chatbot he's working on might be sentient. Is he right?

By Ben Gracewood | 14th June, 2022

Chief technology officer