newsonaut
Turning inner space into outer space
Saturday, February 7, 2015
When creating empathy, technology just comes along for the ride
Last week I talked about how Bill Gates, the entrepreneur and philanthropist, would like to see technology used more creatively to encourage empathy between and rich and poor parts of the world.
Gates may be looking at this problem from the wrong angle. Technology is a set of tools at our disposal — used as needed, not as an end in itself.
The first thing we should look at is empathy itself, because we already know how that works. The people we care about are those closest to us — family, friends, neighbours, co-workers. We develop feelings for almost anyone we are in regular contact with. Admittedly, they are not always positive feelings, but that’s a different story.
But what about people who are far away? It gets harder to keep in touch with friends and family when there is distance involved, but it’s certainly possible with some effort.
In Kamloops, we do this on an institutional level in our sister city relationship with Uji, Japan. Through cultural exchanges, we have come to know each other better. And I’m willing to bet that if Uji were to suffer some misfortune, people in Kamloops would feel concerned and want to help out.
Of course, Uji is in a rich country with plenty of resources at hand if it were to suffer some sort of disaster. And day-to-day, the residents there likely enjoy a good quality of life.
But what if Kamloops were to establish a sister city relationship with a city in, for example, Haiti? The relationship would no doubt be different as that city’s challenges came to light. As we got to know them better, we would feel compelled to help with things like ensuring there is clean drinking water or school supplies for the children.
If sister city status became official, then City Hall, the school district and the hospital might set aside a small part of their budgets toward improving services in the Haitian city. Or they might facilitate volunteer efforts.
What would we get out of it? Helping others is a good way to boost morale, but beyond that there may be opportunities for education, skills training and business.
And what about technology? We might wind up using old-fashioned technology, such as an exchange of letters between school children. More probably, communication would take the form of email exchanges, a Facebook page, Skype calls or videos posted to YouTube. That’s something we would figure out as we go along — moulding technology to overcome obstacles.
The tough part would be finding a sister city. I thought of Haiti because it is one of the poorest countries in the world. It’s located in the Caribbean Sea, which is close to North America. The main language is French, which is familiar to many Canadians.
But it could just as easily be some other city. And who knows? If we put together a good plan, maybe Bill Gates will pitch in.
More posts in the Technology category
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Bill Gates is right about 'missing creativity' in use of technology to create empathy
As an Internet forum, it’s hard to take Reddit seriously. As I write this, one of the top posts is a picture of a hamster poking its head out of a little wooden house and appearing to wave hello. (Go ahead and look, but come back because I have a point to make.)
Where Reddit really shines is with a regular feature called Ask Me Anything. Some genuinely important and interesting people volunteer to answer questions from the public, including the president of the United States.
Bill Gates, the philanthropist and founder of Microsoft, was back for his third AMA on Thursday. No doubt he keeps coming back because he knows it’s a good way to connect with the public about his work with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It’s a cause definitely worth supporting, but Gates noted a problem that I’m sure is common to many charitable organizations.
Here’s the question, typical of the breezy Reddit style:
Hi bill! First off, thanks for being an awesome human being!!! But onto my question: What innovation has been brought to you but sadly never worked out for what ever reason, but you really wanted it to work? Thanks! And keep being awesome!
And the answer:
So far we have not (been) able to use technology to connect people to the needs of the poorest in countries that are far away to tap into their empathy. I think this can be done but it needs some missing creativity.
Indeed, this is a conundrum that many journalists have wrestled with. How do you make people care about the troubles of their fellow human beings — whether they live in the same community or in a village half way around the world?
You can’t overdo it, because people will get tired of the whole thing and tune it out. There is even a term for this: compassion fatigue. In fact, journalists are sometimes blamed for creating the situation by flooding us with images and stories of suffering and crisis. Journalists themselves fall victim to this syndrome when they become cynical and use expressions such as “sob story” or “disease of the week.”
It’s tempting to point the finger at modern technology for making the saturation of tragic news possible, but this is a quandary that was recognized even in George Orwell’s time.
In response to Gates’ comment on Reddit, another person posted a quote from Orwell that was published in 1947 — referring to the aftershocks of the Second World War. Here it is in part:
Tales of starvation, ruined cities, concentration camps, mass deportations, homeless refugees, persecuted Jews — all this is received with a sort of incurious surprise, as though such things had never been heard of but at the same time were not particularly interesting. The now-familiar photographs of skeleton-like children make very little impression. As time goes on and the horrors pile up, the mind seems to secrete a sort of self-protecting ignorance which needs a harder and harder shock to pierce it, just as the body will become immunised to a drug and require bigger and bigger doses.
Part of the problem is that even if we do allow ourselves to think about such things, a sense of hopelessness can sink in because there is little we can do about them. When Ebola broke out in West Africa, many people seemed more concerned about stopping its spread to North America than about those who were actually afflicted with the disease. It might seem like the height of selfishness, but in a way it is understandable. Eradicating a disease in a far-off land is really hard and may not be possible. Stopping Ebola victims from entering Canada seems a lot more do-able, and of more immediate benefit.
I agree with Gates that there is some “missing creativity” when it comes to using technology to create caring connections between citizens of rich and poor countries. Anyone have some ideas?
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Saturday, September 20, 2014
Virtual reality will make the Internet seem old fashioned
The Internet is getting old. Here we are clicking on computer screens, tapping on pieces of glass — reading, looking at pictures, watching videos. This is supposed to be high tech? It’s just a new way of doing old stuff.
Luckily, some truly new stuff is coming our way. Soon, games, entertainment and the news will be a whole new experience.
I’m talking about Oculus Rift, a virtual reality system that was recently bought by Facebook and is being developed in partnership with Samsung. Facebook released a new prototype on Saturday with major audio advances. And Samsung has released Gear VR, a system powered by smartphones.
Oculus started out as an immersive way to play video games, but it turns out that may be just the tip of the iceberg.
How about strapping on the head gear and taking in a concert? You wouldn’t be stuck in a chair like an ordinary member of the audience. You could fly around the venue and look at it from multiple angles, maybe go on stage and get the view of the performer.
Rolling Stone imagined such a thing in an interview with Jeremy Bailenson, founding director of Stanford University’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab:
“Now, because cameras are so cheap and can be so tiny, you can flood a concert hall with them — imagine that every single person at the concert had these cameras on them. If they were networked, it could all be stitched into one unified 3D model of the concert.” So you could view the show from almost any angle. Add in haptic feedback (which the Rift doesn’t have), and you could even experience the sensation of slamming into someone in the pit.
A demonstration of a concert similar to this took place in April at the Sundance Film Festival.
I press a button, and suddenly I’m in the back of the audience, slowly revolving counterclockwise around this circuit. I’m free to turn in any direction so I can inspect the artists when I move past, or watch Beck on stage.
Or how about if you didn’t want to just watch a TV show, but actually be part of it. One fan has created a VR of Jerry’s apartment from Seinfeld. You can’t interact with the characters, but I predict that won’t be far off.
NBC went on the road earlier this month with an Oculus Rift experience that allows fans to sit in the judges’ chairs in The Voice. Imagine interacting with fellow judges Gwen Stefani, Pharrell Williams, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton.
And soon it will be possible for virtual reality to take us on virtual travels. Marriott Hotels is already offering something like it:
Suddenly, I’m drawn into the map. The terrain lines warp around me, creating a tunnel. With a whoosh, I shoot through the wormhole onto a black-sand beach. The sky is blue, the palms are swaying, the ocean laps at the shoreline. For a moment, everything is completely, utterly serene. I am in Maui.
Journalists had better pay attention to virtual reality because people will soon expect more than just being told about an event — they will want to be there and have the reporter give them a guided tour.
If it can be done with travel and concerts, why not with major events such as a royal wedding or the opening ceremonies at the Olympics. Many people would be willing to pay to be virtual spectators.
The next step might be to make it possible for sports fans to take the virtual seat of their choice at the Super Bowl or the World Cup final.
Something similar could be done with documentaries. We could walk among the penguins in Antarctica, run with the rebels in Syria, watch the votes being counted in the Scottish referendum. Or experience life as a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay. Oh wait — it’s already been done by Nonny de la Peña from USC School of Cinematic Arts:
With his hands tied behind his back and muffled sound deliberately made to sound like he had a hood over his head in his ears, one participant quickly ended up in a stress position.
In our times, people line up to buy an iPhone whose most amazing trick is the ability to swipe an image and make it seem like the wind is blowing through picture of trees. In the future, we’ll feel the chill of the wind on our bodies as we trek along on a virtual expedition at the North Pole.
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Tuesday, September 9, 2014
New technology all about making it effortless to spend our money
Spending is about to become more fun than ever.
Apple showed off its new iPhones and Watch on Tuesday, along with a new payment system called Apple Pay.
They prefaced the announcement by showing a video of how people currently pay for things. Oh, the tedium of digging in a purse to fish out a credit card only to have it not work the first time. If only someone would deliver us from this vexing problem.
Then they showed Apple Pay in action. A tap of the iPhone along with a satisfying beep — and that was it. Ahh, payment satisfaction at last.
Well, that’s one way of looking at it. Another way might be: Holy cow! Money is going to be slipping through my fingers faster than ever!
Actually, that may a side effect that Apple is hoping you’ll overlook. They’ve partnered with all the major credit card companies plus most of the big U.S. banks to take a cut of every transaction. As CEO Tim Cook pointed out, the transaction business numbers in the trillions of dollars every year in the U.S. alone.
He also noted, of course, that Apple is working hard to bring its payment system to other countries. Hold onto your wallets, Canadians!
Oh, and by the way, one of the first things you could buy with Apple Pay is an Apple Watch, which also uses the new system. You won’t even have to bother pulling your phone out of your pocket. A simple flick of the wrist and you’re done.
And Apple’s not the only company coming up with innovative ways to rack up our credit bills. On Monday, Twitter started experimenting in the U.S with a Buy Now button.
If, for example, you see a T-shirt on Twitter that looks cool, there will be no need to ponder whether you actually have room in your drawer for yet another top that will hardly ever be worn.
Just tap a button and buy now!
According to The Associated Press, Twitter’s experiment will include partners such as the musical groups Soundgarden and Panic! At The Disco, retailers Home Depot and Burberry, and nonprofits The Nature Conservancy and GLAAD.
I have to wonder how these initiatives can possibly work. I don’t question the technology, but haven’t consumers already been sucked dry? Isn’t the middle class already up to its eyeballs in debt?
We’ll find out soon enough.
Image Credits: Twitter and Apple
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Thursday, January 2, 2014
Even iPhone lovers should be rooting for BlackBerry
John Gruber, at Daring Fireball, counters those in the technology press who seem bored with technology:
There’s a nihilistic streak in tech journalism that I just don’t see in other fields. Sports, movies, cars, wristwatches, cameras, food — writers who cover these fields tend to celebrate, to relish, the best their fields have to offer. Technology, on the other hand, seems to attract enthusiasts with no actual enthusiasm.
He makes a compelling argument and I agree with almost every word.
I was struck, though, by the word “nihilistic” because it seems to apply to some of the comments Gruber has made himself. How else to explain the unseemly way that he rubs his hands with glee whenever there is bad news about BlackBerry.
On Dec. 20, under the heading BlackBerry Posts Huge Loss, he writes: “Last one to leave, please turn out the lights.”
On Aug. 13, under the heading How the iPhone and Bad Decisions Killed BlackBerry, he writes: “I hate to toot my own horn, but I called it back in 2008, while BlackBerry’s (née RIM’s) share price was still over $150, and where by ‘hate’ I mean ‘smugly enjoy’.”
It would be easy to conclude that nothing less that non-existence for BlackBerry would make him happy.
I’ve notice similar comments at The Loop by Jim Dalrymple:
On Feb. 8, under the heading Eulogy for BlackBerry, he writes: “Hey, what’s that noise? BlackBerry circling the drain.”
To be fair, his blog sometimes shows some sympathy. On July 25, under the heading More layoffs at BlackBerry, he writes: “Not a big surprise, but I always feel bad for the workers. I hate seeing anyone lose their job, especially when it’s because a company is being mismanaged.”
I don’t mean to pick on these two writers — it’s just that I’m a fan of their blogs and I take notice of what they have to say. Remarks such as these are found on many blogs about the smartphone industry.
Here’s what I think is going on.
Because smartphones are fairly new, it’s still up in the air as to who will “win” the platform wars. Apple fans would love to see iOS dominate, especially having “lost” the Windows vs. Mac war. Android fans have their own reasons for hoping their system of choice will come out ahead. There are even people cheering for Windows and and BlackBerry.
I’m convinced, though, that the competition among smartphone systems is not the zero-sum game many people think it is. It has matured to the point where iOS and Android will for sure continue to thrive, and Windows has a fighting chance. I know the odds are against it, but I’m hoping BlackBerry makes a comeback. And I like seeing efforts such as the Firefox OS getting some traction.
Why? For the same reason I hope Nintendo hangs in there as a gaming platform. Choice is good for consumers and it compels developers to keep innovating.
I don’t like it when I occasionally see a cool feature in an Android phone that is not available for the iPhone. But I know that if it becomes popular enough, Apple or a third-party developer will — in many cases — bring it over to iOS.
So let all the systems and platforms flourish — even BlackBerry.
More posts in the Technology category
Monday, December 16, 2013
How to set up VIP email alerts on iPhone
Good old-fashioned email remains one of the best ways to keep up with the news. Many press releases, for example, come this way.
So wouldn’t it be great if your phone could alert you when it receives a potentially important message. With the iPhone, this is possible with a combination of the VIP folder in the Mail program and a setting in Notifications.
First, you have to make sure the VIP folder is active. It should be at the top of the inboxes with a star beside it. If not, tap edit, then tap a check mark beside VIP and tap Done.
To the right of the VIP inbox, there should be an “i” in a circle. Tap this, and you are presented with options for adding people to your VIP list from your contacts. As an example, if you get press releases from the local police, it would be a good idea to add them to your list. If they aren’t in your contacts, you’ll have to go to the Contacts app and add them.
Once that’s done, scroll to the bottom and tap VIP Alerts. From there you can decide how you would like to be notified if an email arrives from the VIP list. I’ve got my alert sound set to Vibrate Only, because the phone charger is in the bedroom and I can’t think of any email so important that I would want it to wake me up in the middle of the night.
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Monday, June 11, 2012
FaceTime goes big time
There was a ton of stuff announced at Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference on Monday, but there was one that stood out for mobile journalists: FaceTime. In the upcoming update to the operating system for iPhone and iPad, the video chatting feature will work over a cellular connection, not just wifi.
That means if you have an iPad with cellular functionality, you can make free calls to the newsroom from wherever you happen to be — assuming they’re on Macs, which is common these days.
Think about being able to not only talk about what is happening at the scene, but also being able to show it. Even better: how about streaming?
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