1 Why 2013 was an amazing year in tech (Vivek Wadhwa in Sydney Morning Herald/Washington Post)
If you go by the headlines, the iPhone 5S and Google Glass were the big
technology stories of 2013, and Twitter’s IPO was the event of the
year. But look again, at the stories we missed. So much happened, in
fact, that I believe we have set the stage for the transformation of
entire industries.
2 When data thieves and snooping captured our lives (John Naughton in The Guardian)
Whatever else 2013 will be remembered for, it will be known as the year
in which a courageous whistleblower brought home to us the extent to
which the most liberating communications technology since printing has
been captured.
Although Edward Snowden’s revelations initially seemed only to document the extent to which the state had exploited internet technology to create a surveillance system of unimaginable comprehensiveness, as the leaks flowed it gradually dawned on us that our naive lust for “free” stuff online had also enabled commercial interests effectively to capture the internet for their own purposes. We now know for sure that nothing that you do online is immune to surveillance, and the only people who retain any hope of secure communications are geeks who understand cryptography and use open-source software.
This is a big deal by any standards and we are all in Snowden’s debt, for he has sacrificed his prospects of freedom and a normal life so that the rest of us would know what has happened to the technologies on we now depend. We can no longer plead ignorance as an excuse for alarm or inaction.
Since politicians on both sides of the Atlantic insist that everything the NSA and GCHQ are doing and have done is/was done under legal authority and democratic (that is, political) control it follows that the excesses unveiled by Snowden are the consequences of political judgments and misjudgments. Which means that the only way back to more sensible regimes is also a political one. Ultimately, in other words, this is about politics, not technology.
3 Populism bubble bursts in India (Neeta Lal in Khaleej Times)
The recent Assembly elections sent out an unambiguous message to the
federal Indian government — populism is no substitute for good
governance. All the populist measures the UPA government initiated — be
it the MNREGA job scheme, farm loan waivers, cheap rations or the 22-US$ billion food security law which professes to feed 800 million Indians — could not avert its rout in four of the five key Indian states. The Congress
has been shown the door for poor political leadership, a shifty
approach to corruption and utter disregard for the wishes of the common
man.
Ostensibly, the party’s approach was to bag votes with largesse at State’s expense rather than through its own administrative acumen. The result is for all to see. They seem to be forgetting that this pseudo-entitlements culture is reminiscent more of medieval rajahs handing out doles to commoners rather than a modern government in tune with its people’s aspirations.
Voters may not understand the complexities of economics, but they’re astute enough to know that cheap rations, free rice and free electricity deliver only short-terms gains. What’s in it for us in the long haul? they seem to be asking now. How about generating employment for us by boosting industrial growth? How about better education for our kids by bringing the country’s colleges and universities at par with global standards? How about better transportation services? And more security for our women?
Electoral sops reinforce the idea that people need to be provided for and that they can’t fend for themselves. What could be more demeaning? This is an antediluvian mindset. Data compiled by independent agencies suggests that most populist measures, profligate and tardily implemented, have led to corruption. Resources cannot be squandered in the name of votes, particularly when people want only lasting benefits.
Smaller
has become cooler in computers. Tablets sales continued to increase and
have eclipsed PCs and desktops. The iPad mini, which at first seemed to
be a disappointment, was a major success. Prices are continuing to
plunge as computing power and functionality grow exponentially. Electric
cars proved their mettle. Tesla achieved astonishing success. All major
car manufacturers are now developing electric cars for a market that
will surely grow.
Technology
is improving health care. Quantified Self devices such as Fitbit and
Nike Fuelband are becoming widely available. Smartphone add-ons such as
the Alivecor heart monitor are being prescribed by doctors.
Interestingly, Apple recently patented a heart monitor sensor for the
iPhone. Our smartphones are destined to become our prime medical
advisers. Rosie the Robot came one step closer to reality. Smartphones
such as the iPhone 5S now have more computing power than the
supercomputers of yesteryear, which fit into large buildings and
required water cooling.
It
is noteworthy that Google just purchased robotics developer, Boston
Dynamics, as well as seven others. With its self-driving car and these
acquisitions, it seems that Google sees robots as big business. Amazon
founder Jeff Bezos said Amazon plans to use robotic drones to deliver
goods. Whether we realize it or not, the robotic revolution is underway.
Robots have advanced to the point that for some types of goods, it is
cheaper to manufacture in the US than China.
The
space race is on again. In 2013, India launched a spacecraft that is
headed to Mars and China landed a six-wheel rover on the moon. Add to
this the success that private companies SpaceX, Virgin Galactic and Moon
Express have had and you realize that we are at the cusp of a new era
in space travel. NASA once again has competition from governments abroad
so there will be a new sense of urgency.
Now
let me give you the bad news: we still have a few more years of
disappointment before we marvel at all these advances. The base of an
exponential curve is flat. When it turns upwards, dramatic developments
happen, but for the longest time nothing seems to change. This is where
we are with robotics, sensors, artificial intelligence, synthetic
biology, 3D printing and medicine – all of which are exponential
technologies. The good news is that the wait will soon turn into
amazement as well. I know because I live in a solar home and drive a
Tesla electric car that I say is a spaceship that travels on land.
Although Edward Snowden’s revelations initially seemed only to document the extent to which the state had exploited internet technology to create a surveillance system of unimaginable comprehensiveness, as the leaks flowed it gradually dawned on us that our naive lust for “free” stuff online had also enabled commercial interests effectively to capture the internet for their own purposes. We now know for sure that nothing that you do online is immune to surveillance, and the only people who retain any hope of secure communications are geeks who understand cryptography and use open-source software.
This is a big deal by any standards and we are all in Snowden’s debt, for he has sacrificed his prospects of freedom and a normal life so that the rest of us would know what has happened to the technologies on we now depend. We can no longer plead ignorance as an excuse for alarm or inaction.
Since politicians on both sides of the Atlantic insist that everything the NSA and GCHQ are doing and have done is/was done under legal authority and democratic (that is, political) control it follows that the excesses unveiled by Snowden are the consequences of political judgments and misjudgments. Which means that the only way back to more sensible regimes is also a political one. Ultimately, in other words, this is about politics, not technology.
Ostensibly, the party’s approach was to bag votes with largesse at State’s expense rather than through its own administrative acumen. The result is for all to see. They seem to be forgetting that this pseudo-entitlements culture is reminiscent more of medieval rajahs handing out doles to commoners rather than a modern government in tune with its people’s aspirations.
Voters may not understand the complexities of economics, but they’re astute enough to know that cheap rations, free rice and free electricity deliver only short-terms gains. What’s in it for us in the long haul? they seem to be asking now. How about generating employment for us by boosting industrial growth? How about better education for our kids by bringing the country’s colleges and universities at par with global standards? How about better transportation services? And more security for our women?
Electoral sops reinforce the idea that people need to be provided for and that they can’t fend for themselves. What could be more demeaning? This is an antediluvian mindset. Data compiled by independent agencies suggests that most populist measures, profligate and tardily implemented, have led to corruption. Resources cannot be squandered in the name of votes, particularly when people want only lasting benefits.
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