1. One thing that helps
Let’s get rid of the keyboard, the mouse, and the joystick. These things have been around without much change for 50 years or longer. The future is touch-free and hopefully, eventually, screen-free. As well as releasing us from repetitive strain injuries and a lifelong chiropractor bill, these methods of control can be restrictive for those with physical impairments.
NAQI Neural Earbuds are promising to change the way disabled people experience tech. These earbuds are wireless controllers for computers, wheelchairs, and even drones! They have gyroscopic sensors for detecting head movement and position, while biosensors detect muscle and air pressure changes. Movements like turning the head, blinking or clenching the jaw are matched to a specific command and sent to any device NAQI is connected to. Because of this, users can control smart-home devices and robots, navigate their wheelchairs and even play games without needing a controller.
It’s Neuralink, but without any implants! While you need to be able to move your head to use NAQI, this noninvasive approach to controlling gadgets will benefit many people. I am sure my use of a mouse causes a lot of tension in my shoulders and soreness in my hands. The sooner I can control the cursor with my eyes or small head movements, the better.
2. One to be wary of
In a depressing indictment of the male species, 16 “undressing” websites offering nude deep-fakes from submitted photos have been visited 200 million times in the first half of this year.
Regulation is so complex in this global, digital world. This disgusting kind of service that abuses people’s privacy so directly and has the potential to cause serious harm cannot be allowed to be offered so freely.
It is good to see politicians trying to shut these sites down, although I am not convinced they will succeed. If the government can’t do it, I think it is a good case for ethical hackers to take down these sites whenever they pop up. We can stop this.
3. One to amaze
It took forever, but driverless cars are now becoming a reality. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, has announced that its autonomous taxi Waymo has reached 100,000 passenger-carrying trips per week. Autonomous vehicles are proving themselves extremely capable, and more people are starting to trust them. It’s not just Waymo. Recently, WeRide was granted a permit to offer autonomous passenger rides. Meanwhile, Uber and GM are partnering to put driverless cars on the road.
In the next year or two, I’m counting on driverless cars picking my kids up from their part-time jobs at night. I’d also love to catch up on sleep while driving long distances to see family.
However, one thing giving me “cause for pause” is this hysterical video of Waymo cars getting confused and honking at each other all through the night. I could watch this for hours, but I wouldn’t want to live near that parking lot.