An interesting piece by Matt Reynolds in New Scientist describes work that aims to make algorithms fair. A team of computer scientists at the Alan Turing Institute in London defines a fair algorithm as follows:
[a fair algorithm is] one that makes the same decision about an individual regardless of demographic background.
Mark Sullivan at FastCompany reports that Apple is planning its entry into the augmented reality market. In rough terms, augmented reality (AR) involves layering computer-generated graphics over live views of a given scene.
I recently discussed the matter of authenticity in connection with soymilk. I asked: Is soymilk milk? Fake milk?
Adrienne Lafrance at the Atlantic has raised a similar issue regarding a basketball game. The first half of a recent Knicks-Warriors NBA game was played without the usual sound effects: Music, entertainment, sound effects, etc. It was described by management as an opportunity to enjoy the game "in its purest form."
Candice Choi published an interesting article in STAT about a controversy regarding "fake milk". Dairy producers in the USA are asking the Food and Drug Administration to crack down on products with names such as "soymilk", arguing that they are not really milk under FDA rules.
“Mammals produce milk, plants don’t,” said Jim Mulhern, president of the National Milk Producers Federation.
Timothy Revell reports on a system named "CarNote" that allows drivers to send each other messages while underway. The basic idea is that drivers can explain their behavior to others, thus reducing the risk of aggressive interactions, e.g., "road rage".
A brief article in the Journal of the American Medical Association raises a significant issue related to app-enabled baby monitors. Bonafide et al. draw attention to the increasing popularity of wearables for infants that supposedly monitor their health status and report it to parents via their smartphones.
Noted industrial designer Dieter Rams insisted that good design is honest. He formulated this idea in the sixth of his Ten Principles of good design:
It does not make a product more innovative, powerful or valuable than it really is. It does not attempt to manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be kept.
A piece by Sewell Chan in the New York Times notes that Dutch authorities have pulled the plug on computerized ballots and ballot counting for their next national election.
The move was prompted by concerns over the integrity of the election in the face of hacking concerns. In particular, allegations of tampering in the recent US election have caused the Dutch government to re-examine their setup, which was found wanting:
Mike Hanlon posted an interesting article centered on the upcoming auction of a 1952, Type 1 Volkswagen Beetle. This particular Beetle is distinguished by the fact that it has had only one owner since it was made and has been in storage for forty years. Thus, it is in good shape with just the sort of wear that would be expected from a few years' normal usage.
It is expected to fetch between €55,000 to €80,000 ($60,000 to $85,000), considerably more than it cost the original owner.
Mark Scott notes that use of ad blocking software is on the rise world-wide. The software attempts to prevent advertising on a web site from loading and displaying on a viewer's computer.
Recent research suggests that 11% of Internet users globally employ one kind of this software or another. That represents a 30% increase over its prevalence from a year ago.