Silver lining: while my broken leg heals, I’m in a good position to reflect on how personal technology can play a role in surgical recovery (or temporary/permanent disability, or quality of life for the elderly). Now that I have the energy to sit at my computer for a while, I’ll reflect on how that technology…
I can’t help it; I’m a complete fangirl about some speculative technologies that could revolutionize the way we interact online and in the real world in the next 5-10 years. Even though Microsoft has broken my heart many times before, the promo video for the HoloLens has me bouncing in my desk chair with excitement. …
Interested in what’s next or simply trying to keep up with impressive-sounding jargon? I’ve compiled a few lists of tech trends that are expected to be hot this year. I agree with some of them, for better or worse, and others are giving me food for thought as I consider the human implications. Click the links for…
The world doesn’t need more expensive pedometers. I have a growing list of wearables I wish existed, though: The Face Whisperer Perfect for people with face blindness, short attention spans, or stressed memory, this device would use discrete audio and video inputs to recognize people nearby. With a subtle gesture, I could trigger the device…
What is the lived experience of increasing home automation? I’ve been thinking about this since reading the Popular Mechanics article “I Automated My Apartment — And It Kind Of Creeped Me Out” and “The Plug-and-Play Luxury Home” from The Wall Street Journal. Is it a relaxing techno-utopia where needs are anticipated, security is improved, and tedious tasks are…
I’ve been watching waves of wearables crash across my screen for the past year or so and I haven’t been very excited. Fitness trackers aren’t all that useful for the mobility-impaired, since they’re best at working like enhanced pedometers. If I wanted to wear something around my wrist, I’d wear a watch now — it…
A mind-controlled exoskeleton piloted by a paralyzed person is scheduled to make the ceremonial opening kick at the World Cup this June. There is some skepticism in the article I linked, but it could bring the idea of assistive robotics to a huge audience. There are a number of companies and research organizations working on…
As personal technology has become ubiquitous, generational stratification in the US is increasingly being defined by how one interacts with tech. My friends of all ages tend to be early adopters and my personal experience is skewed, so sometimes I need to look up from typing, put on my anthropologist hat (a spiffy pith helmet,…