Posts Categorized: social impacts

Welcome to the neighbourhood. Have you read the terms of service?

Posted by & filed under Civil Liberties, Ethical Issues, Smart Home, social impacts.

It’s already hard enough to get people to read the terms of service for the apps they use, and experts are skeptical we could expect any better of someone crossing into the boundary of a smart city neighbourhood, where sensors and data collection abound. Source: CBC News Date: January 18th, 2018 Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/smart-cities-privacy-data-personal-information-sidewalk-1.4488145 Discussion 1) “Sidewalk Labs is… Read more »

U.S. President-elect Trump’s Labor secretary is no stranger to debate over jobs and robots

Posted by & filed under Automation, Emerging Technologies, Ethical Issues, IT Trends, social impacts.

Donald Trump’s nominee for Labor secretary is well-acquainted with one of the hottest debates about work today: automation.  Andrew Puzder, the chief executive of CKE Restaurants, has extolled the benefits of automation, while also criticizing government for pushing businesses to use machines instead of humans. (CKE Restaurants is the parent company of Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s,… Read more »

Minority Report’s “Pre-Crime” is almost reality

Posted by & filed under ethics, Privacy, social impacts.

Description: LA City Council Considers Sending ‘Dear John’ Letters To Homes Of Men Who Solicit Prostitutes Source: Washington Post Date: December 1, 2015 Los Angeles is considering sending “Dear John” letters to the homes of men who solicit prostitutes hoping the mail will be opened by mothers, girlfriends or wives. Read More. Questions for discussion: 1…. Read more »

Hack Your Brain to Boost Productivity

Posted by & filed under Biometrics, brainwave technology, social impacts, technology.

Description: This guy wears a helmet to make his brain more productive. Source: CNN Money Date: December 2, 2015 Andrew Vladimirov wants to hack his own brain to increase productivity, sharpen attention and improve memory by applying electromagnetic and laser stimulation to his head. Questions for discussion: 1. Would you trust this type of technology for… Read more »

Uber Not Just Taking Customers from Taxis – It’s Creating a New Market

Posted by & filed under Business Intelligence, e-payment, industry analysis, social impacts, Uber.

Description: Has Uber created a customer base of riders that might not have existed otherwise? Source: Tech Vibes Date: October 29, 2015   Uber isn’t just taking business from taxi companies, it might also be creating a new market, according to a new report commissioned by the City of Ottawa. Read More Questions for discussion: 1…. Read more »

App for Rating People Draws Withering Scorn

Posted by & filed under app, blogging, business models, cyber bullying, ethics, free speech, Sentiment Analysis, social impacts.

Description: An extremely negative response may have derailed the launch of people-rating app Peeple. Source: Tech News World Date: October 7, 2015   Canadian businesswoman Julia Cordray’s plan to launch Peeple, a Yelp-like app that would let people post reviews about other people, has drawn fierce criticism in the tech press and the blogosphere, including a petition against… Read more »

How Facebook is Using AI to Help Bring Photos to Life for the Blind

Posted by & filed under Artificial intelligence, digital divide, FaceBook, health, Personalization, social impacts, Social Media, System development, telecomunications.

Description: New AI technology can interpret the content of photos and provide more context than was possible before. But there’s still a long way to go. Source: Fast Company Date: October 16, 2015 Trevor Thomas is a professional hiker. Heading out on some of America’s most famous trails with his dog, Tennille, for treks of up to six… Read more »

This App Is Building a Giant Network for Free Messaging

Posted by & filed under app, bandwidth, industry analysis, national culture, smartphones, social impacts, telecomunications, texting, WI-Fi, wireless networks.

Description: Manila is using the FireChat app to build a city-wide mesh network. Source: Wired Date: October 12, 2015 Last fall hundreds of thousands of pro-democracy protesters took to the streets of Hong Kong and encountered a serious logistical issue: Their phones weren’t working. The sheer number of people concentrated in the area crushed the network,… Read more »

The Fashion Item That Reacts When Someone Looks At It

Posted by & filed under Biometrics, disruptive technology, industry analysis, Sentiment Analysis, social impacts, System development, technology.

Description: Technically Incorrect: How dull if people were the only ones to respond to your gaze. This 3D printed cape can too, with a mind and soul of its own. But is it slightly creepy? Source: CNET Date: Sept 26, 2015   Soon we won’t know what is clothing and what is tech. Just as we won’t know what… Read more »

New Roomba Knows Its Way Around

Posted by & filed under app, Cloud Computing, Hardware, industry analysis, robotics, social impacts, technology, wireless networks.

Description:”Since it was introduced, [the Roomba] has been increasingly packed with some cool technology,” said Susan Schreiner, senior analyst with C4 Trends. Source: TechNewsWorld Date: Sept 17, 2015 The device combines adaptive navigation with visual localization, cloud-connected app control and increased cleaning power. It is the most capable model to date, according to the company, which… Read more »