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January 2017

AI, you and your work

Tuesday, January 31, 2017 by Cameron Shelley

The adoption of computers has profoundly impacted work. It gave rise to a new class of laborer, e.g., the "knowlege worker". It also replaced certain kinds of work, e.g., through automation. Trade-offs of this type are a normal result of technological changes.

Currently, artificial intelligence is assuming a greater role in work. Three recent article illustrate this trend and the sorts of trade-offs that come with it.

work

trade-offs

stv 302

Cities of cars?

Monday, January 23, 2017 by Cameron Shelley

There has been much dicussion of self-driving cars and their pros and cons. How will they handle impending accidents? Who will own them? How will they affect traffic?

cities

cars

utopianism

More efficiency, more consumption?

Friday, January 20, 2017 by Cameron Shelley

Developers of technology pursue efficiency relentlessly. This is done for a variety of reasons: Efficiency is readily quantified and lends itself to comparison between designs; a preference for efficiency seems simply rational (who wouldn't prefer a more efficient car over a less efficient one?); increases in efficiency increase sustainability.

What is a gimmick?

Thursday, January 19, 2017 by Cameron Shelley

Posts in this blog sometimes relate to a some design and pose the question, "Is this a gimmick?" A recent example concerned a speaker-battery combination pack for electric bikes.

gimmick

honesty

stv 202

GMO agriculture 2.0?

Wednesday, January 18, 2017 by Cameron Shelley

I was interested to read in a recent Nature Genetics editorial that maybe the public could participate directly in pursuit of the genetic editing of agricultural crops.

This statement, in particular, is striking:

Eyeglasses are not just for seeing

Monday, January 16, 2017 by Cameron Shelley

One of the most famous dictums associated with Modernist design is that "Form follows function." Typically, what modernists mean by this expression is that the design of a product should be dictated by the job it is to perform for users—and nothing else!

However, Modernists tended to take a narrow view of what a function is. In their view, this was limited to physical services that a product might perform for its users.

style

modernism

stv 202

Should the Indian flag be a Canadian doormat?

Friday, January 13, 2017 by Cameron Shelley

Amazon Canada got into some trouble recently when it was found that a vendor was using its web service to sell doormats decorated with the Indian flag. India's external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj was alerted to the matter by vigilant Twitter users, who consider this usage an insult to their national flag.

culture

stv 202

Should a fitness tracker look like a ring?

Wednesday, January 4, 2017 by Cameron Shelley

For our first posting of 2017, consider a new fitness tracking device in the form of a finger ring. The Motiv Ring tracks sleep patterns, heart rate, steps and other activities, all while looking chic. It will officially debut at this year's Consumer Electronics Show and is priced at $199 (USD).

The Ring contains some technological innovations, including optical heart rate tracking and impressive miniaturization.

honesty

style