Interface (tech control)

A world of living data - Wikipedia on steroids?

Submitted by Daryl Weade on

Robot wearing a press hatHumans have issues with data. Data on its own is hard to turn into information, which we can understand much more easily. Weather data is a great example, as it is both a global and local phenomenon impacting almost every day of our lives. If my phone's weather app presented data, I would receive information about regional climates as far as the Arctic and Gulf of Mexico. It would be difficult for most anyone but a meteorologist (amateur or otherwise) to make an accurate prediction using this data.

Dan Abelow: The journey to our full potential

Submitted by Daryl Weade on

House comparisonFuturists often explain our potential consumption in the number of planets we would need if everyone lives like a Westerner with large homes, multiple cars, and a dependency on consumerism to drive the economy - the last count I read was six Earths. It's a fair assumption and a questionable habit. In fact, I believe teaching my daughter to control her consumerism will be a key asset in her future no matter where or how she lives.

As part of an ongoing series to introduce his new book, Dan Abelow introduces chapter 1.2 about the Age of Crisis, which he refers to as The Crisis of Success. He sums the crisis up very well in a single sentence:

Our growing Crisis of Success comes from who we are: Everyone wants it all, wants it now, and won’t stop.

A stronger, sexier, younger body

Submitted by admin on

Robot stripper on screenI've been watching this video make the rounds for about two weeks. My first thought upon seeing it was, "How long before Madonna is on the phone with Kurzweil and Kaku to figure out when she can dump her brain into it and plan a new world tour?" Humorous, but hardly kind. Though I'm no fan of Madonna and believe she is narcissistic to the extreme, I also have to admit most of humanity is the same way. If we could push our minds into machines like these, how many of us would and how often?

Ventus

Submitted by Daryl Weade on

Ventus book coverVentus is one of those scifi novels that strikes a great balance between plot, characters and new technologies - and a few old ones. One of my favorites and it's free on his website (or you can donate something for a novel that offers both education and entertainment with 4 stars on Amazon and 4.6 on Manybooks) if you're looking for something to occupy your weekend until winter finally sails away.

Tracking behavior: corporate control or assigning responsibility where it belongs?

Submitted by Daryl Weade on

Car hit treeAs greater details of our lives can be tracked, data analysis can show trends in our behavior against the norm. When I view personal privacy, I ask three things:

  1. Why does someone need to know my preferences and tendencies?
  2. Can this data positively impact myself or my family?
  3. Can this data negatively impact myself or my family?

A future of augmented reality for tourism and education

Submitted by Daryl Weade on

Augmented reality with virtual bear on a handI love history, though I struggle to internalize it without context. I find it challenging to put all those dates and names and places together without a narrative or visual aid. Travelling Europe has helped, especially when I read topical history books before and during the trip, aware of past events and visiting the sites where they occurred. Not everyone can afford the expenses or time to travel, but advancements such as augmented reality may be ready to offer some help.

Augmented reality overlays computer generated images over realtime visuals. The field was limited for mobile use until smartphones with cameras were able to provide a realtime view for a graphical overlay. Phone screens are nice, but limited. Several technologies are coming together to provide data overlays to provide rich environments, including wearable glasses (Google Glass), interactive street views (Google Stretview), and metadata tying content to a space based on both GPS coordinates and date identification. Not the current date, but the time frame the media represents.

A Woman Sold for Her Brains and Body

Submitted by Daryl Weade on

"And this, Mr. Trupp, is our greatest gem."

The attendant led the woman...no, girl this time...by the hand as she had the others. Warren wondered if this 'demo mode' hurt them or if they were even aware of the time passing.

As with the others, the attendant brought her into the room, told her to twirl and sat her on the sofa opposite him. Mr. Lomen reached up to caress her cheek with two fingers. The girl did not flinch or even seem to notice his presence.

Your Drone is Ruining my Buzz

Submitted by Daryl Weade on

Camera droneJester slid the door open and headed for the pool. Nothing like baking in the sun to cure a hangover - if your shades are dark enough and the splif is big enough. His feet danced a bit on the hot concrete, but it still felt good when the rays hit his back.

Sucking in some smoke, he held it in his lungs an extra few seconds before coughing it out. The chemicals hadn't hit yet, but his body knew to relax - help was on the way.

2030: A Day in the Life of Tomorrow's Kids

Submitted by Daryl Weade on

2030 book coverSo much energy goes into the future, both preparing for it and finding ways to retail it, but there aren't many good resources for the kids who will inherit it. 2030: A Day in the Life of Tomorrow's Kids is just that - a resource to help today's kids understand a bit of what their future might hold.

It's a nice resource and at only 30 pages long, it manages to cover a wide range of material, including clothing, communications, living space, careers, our populations, housing developments, transportation, recreation and education. The final page includes a nice list of books, reports and websites the reader can access for additional information.

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