On Fri, Jun 17, 2016 at 6:59 AM, Udhay Shankar N <[email protected]> wrote:
> Some random thoughts inspired by this blogpost: > > 1. I once said, a couple of decades ago, that "the net is about > sociology, not technology" (which got me quoted, among other places, > in _The Cluetrain Manifesto_). Picking up from there, it seems that > today's devices are more about biology and psychology than technology. > 2. It seems clear, to me, that what enables "licenses" like this is > today's IP law infrastructure, which is likely to collapse under its > own weight at some point. What then? > Tangential Responses since I don't have good answers to your questions There is too much money invested in the intellectual property regime for it to disappear without an almighty fight. I have been doing some patent related work and it is interesting to note that the patent regime has been stifling innovation since the time of James Watt. Apparently, the period of 30-40 years immediately following the expiry of Watt's patent(s) on the steam engine the capacity and efficiency of steam engines improved many times over. 3. The flow of data is too one-way. How might one enable sousveilance > in this context? > In my view, this is the biggest looming battle between individuals and entities of all kinds - whose data is it and who controls it. The current privacy regimes are good in intent but in reality it is quite easy to collect, retain and exploit data - most entities put in a compliant privacy policy in place and then seek consents from everyone, relying on the sheer indifference of most individuals to the consents they provide, in order to do exactly as they please with the information. That includes most of us informed individuals as well - the utility or attraction of what is being offered is seductive enough to ignore the not readily apparent privacy issues. It is changing but it will take time and many Ralph Nader like crusaders to get more effective and collaborative privacy regimes. > > Thoughts, wise ones? > > Udhay > > > http://kottke.org/16/06/cars-are-getting-weird > > Cars are getting weird TIM CARMODY ยท JUN 13 2016 > > Tesla has two cars, the S60 and the S75, that are physically more or > less identical, but one costs $8500 more than the other. The cheaper > car ($66K base price) has a software block on its battery which limits > its range to 208 miles on a full charge. Pay $8500 up front, or $9000 > for an over-the-air update later, and you get an extra 40 miles. > > Same car, same battery. About 20 percent more efficient, for $9000. > Better software license. > > Cars are big computers, and have been for a while, but we're slowly > starting to treat them like it. Different expectations, different > pricing, different ownership structures, different usage; different > everything. > > Here's another story on managing expectations for cars, about steering > wheels. Steering wheels have a basic function; they control the car. > But if a car is capable of driving itself, and is also an interface > for a wide range of general computing tools, what does that mean? > > Volvo's Concept 26 vehicle, which debuted in November at the Los > Angeles Auto Show, features a retractable steering wheel. Robin Page, > Volvo chief of interior design, says Volvo chose to keep the familiar > shape of the steering wheel. > > "We wanted to keep that recognition of a round steering wheel," he > said. "People need to get used to autonomous drive, so being able to > get back to that steering wheel and grab hold of it, that's > comforting. We decided to have it there as a recognizable icon." > > The steering wheel becomes a skeuomorph. It becomes a surveillance > device, registering pressure to tell whether you have both hands > firmly on the wheel, or if you've fallen asleep or are in distress. It > becomes an entertainment console. It transforms and retracts into the > dash to signal when you've shifted between user-controlled and > autonomous modes. Its familiar presence soothes you through the > transition. Eventually, you forget it was ever there at all. > > -- > > ((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com)) > >
