Relationships (matrimony)

Can technology help dementia sufferers maintain independence?

Submitted by Daryl Weade on

Elderly woman with hands over faceWhile medicine looks for both the cause and cure of dementia, millions of elderly around the world begin feeling the symptoms every year. New technologies, some existing now and some maturing towards consumer products, offer not only real-time information, they also include ways to inject this information into human interaction with their surroundings. Visual overlays in Google Glass, context aware assistive services such as Google Now, and our ever-present GPS location awareness can combine to provide supportive interactions with our world.

While these advancements are being developed for mass consumer adoption, they can also provide support for individuals who live with limitations such as dementia. I've been working on some ideas on how our elderly might use these devices, struggling to get traction beyond what is easily described and would be used by individuals, whether healthy or dealing with dementia. Then I recently heard about VocalID, a group collecting a range of human voices for the use of those without a voice of their own. In the past, individuals unable to speak were limited to a very small set of digital voices - most of them identical to the voice used by Stephen Hawking. To provide semi-unique voices, Dr Rupal Patel founded the Communication Analysis and Design Laboratory (CadLab) and the VocalID organization - the latter which collects 2-3 hours of donor voices to provide options for individuals suffering from severe speech impairment.

Will social media splinter (us)?

Submitted by Daryl Weade on

Social media appsMathew Brian Beck offers a look into the future of social media and forecasts new forms of digital tribalism. About this, he says,

"Every platform will be socialized, but every user base will be judged on quality of life, not sheer numbers. Big data will not matter as much as small relationships."

His is an interesting idea about how social media will change our relationships and our choices will reflect our interests and lifestyles. As social creatures, we have circles of relationships in which we are members and which in turn influence our lives.

Future Babble

Submitted by Daryl Weade on

Future Babble coverWhy do we try to predict the future? According to Dan Gardner, it's because of our human need to protect ourselves that we are constantly attempting to recognize risk before the lions, tigers and bears descend upon us. In Future Babble: Why Expert Predictions are Next to Worthless and You Can Do Better, Gardner provides historical insights on the types of futurists able to make the most reliable predictions. Guess what? Those predictions don't come from experts in a field, they come from people with a wide range of knowledge looking at trends from different angles.

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.

New technologies allow us to track everything: should your employer?

Submitted by Daryl Weade on

Screen capture from the film Modern TimesA short article from Popular Science reports how companies are using new technologies to track employee work habits and lifestyles in order to mold a better employee. Part of the age of new life tracking termed the 'quantified self', they reference three articles on the subject. Here is a list of what is being tracked:

    Sleep
    Distance walked or run
    Diet
    Time spent sitting at their desk
    "Happiness"
    "Performance data" on how well employees communicate with each other and shoppers
    "Tone of voice, movement and even posture when communicating with others"

Familial harmony in a minivan with a space next to the park

Submitted by Daryl Weade on

Vanagon on beachWhen his grandparents decided to move to the city, they did so for the future of their children. The farm kept them fed and clothed, but the lifestyle seemed stagnant enough to keep their children's children's children poor. It was a growing issue when compared to the rising wealth of the cities, where they decided life offered more opportunity. They moved as a family, three generations together.

As we add more automation to our lives, will it hurt those around us?

Submitted by Daryl Weade on

Kid texting while walkingEvan Selinger at Wired gives us an interesting look at how the automated communication in our world can go too far and separate us from the value of an act, instead turning it into a regular switch thrown by a perfectly timed computer system. In his words -

We’re observing the emergence of tech that doesn’t just augment our intellect and lives — but is now beginning to automate and outsource our humanity.

Artifact from the Future: Choice Reducer 5000

Submitted by Daryl Weade on

Choice reducer 5000 viewThere has been quite a bit of debate over adding facial recognition and allowing pop-up marketing on devices such as Google Glass - think iBeacon updates as an overlay on your vision. Today's IFTF artifact gives some control back to shoppers, using information overlays to help us identify the risk/reward for snacking.

Though I have to wonder if facial recognition could be just as useful. Walk in to a party and get an overlay of someone's real age, Facebook relationship status, favorite book or film, and how many times they've been married. Oh, and throw in their credit rating and you might fend off the jackals.

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