Danny McGough

About the Author

I am Danny McGough, the founder and editor of Retro Tech Tonic.

For my day job, I work in higher education as an Assistant Professor and Course Director, spending my time designing and managing complex academic structures and modules or exploring into any research that interests me . My latest specialisms are around Building Information Modelling, Construction Innovation and Artificial Intelligence.

Retro Tech Tonic is where I step away from that institutional rigidity. It is my dedicated space to pick up a soldering iron, argue the architectural value of physical game media, and push back against the frictionless convenience of modern tech. I believe technology should serve as an intentional, human-controlled tool, and I write to figure out exactly where those boundaries lie.

Pile of used Xbox One game cases with price stickers, including The Division 2, Evil Dead: The Game and Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection.

Stepping Back From Game Pass: Reclaiming Intentional Gaming

Stepping back from Game Pass wasn’t a dramatic statement — it was me reclaiming intentional play, and dropping the pressure to maximise a subscription.  The breaking point wasn’t one single feature or one rage moment. It was the slow creep. The way the costs stacked. The way the subscription became something I “should” be using, […]

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Student using VR in class

How AI is reshaping education (and what we do about it)

AI has been part of education for longer than most people realise — just usually in the background. Search, spellcheck, recommendation systems, even the way learning platforms flag “at risk” students… it’s all been nudging decisions for years. What’s changed recently is that generative AI has pushed itself right to the front. Suddenly, tools like

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A modern office environment with diverse professionals using AI-powered digital tools. A holographic AI interface is displayed on a desk, showing project 2

Transformative AI in the Construction Industry: How Roles Are Shifting, Where the Value Really Sits, and What Comes Next

AI is changing construction through smarter scheduling, automated progress tracking, and faster design iteration — but the biggest shift is how professionals validate, govern, and apply outputs. This article explores current use cases, limitations, emerging skills, and a realistic 5–10 year outlook.

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