Whose Little Data Base Are You?

It takes an extraordinary person to develop a technological wonder such as opening a door without a key. In the olden days, only burglars knew how to do that.

New generations of computerized home-automated products are now available such as a moisture sensor that detects water heater leaks, and color controls that can simulate a sunrise to awaken you. Of course, that can be quite a letdown if you open the blinds and it’s raining outside.

Facebook Founder, Mark Zuckerberg, and a few other company honchos, have announced a partnership, Internet.org with plans to give access “to the two-thirds of the world who are not connected.” So now, besides searching for clean water, medical care, food, indoor plumbing, electricity, a job and safe shelter, the poor of the world will be able to get online, via mobile phones, and become part of a social network. All this only proves that you can’t program common sense.

Maybe I’m wrong. Stewart Brand said, “Once a new technology rolls over you, if you’re not part of the steamroller, you’re part of the road.” Ouch! I must admit that often I’m just not user friendly.

I worry that soon we will be drowning in technology. Mitchell Kapor said, “Getting information off the Internet is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant.” So who’s the tool around here? The problem arises that no one wants to question information coming out of an expensive machine that, at that price, would never have the nerve to lie to you. For example, my computer recently quoted a woman in the U.S. who said, “Canada isn’t really foreign soil.” Eh!

There is now a computerized headset called Google Glass that sits above the eyes and contains a tiny computer that takes pictures and videos, makes phone calls, sends e-mails and gets directions. This invasive technology will obliterate any privacy people have left. I assume that some smart attorneys will question these privacy issues.

Already, bars and casinos have banned the device. After all, how can casino security folks continue to spy on their gambling customers when these customers are already spying on each other? I thought the singer, Carmen Miranda looked silly wearing fruit on her head, but maybe someday Lady Gaga will wear a Google Glass Bra. “Here’s looking at you kid.”

On August 25, 2013 the television show, 60 Minutes had a segment featuring Facial Recognition Software. Once a person’s face is recognized, products geared for their purchasing habits can be advertised. Manikins in store windows already have facial recognition surveillance. This might be an argument for donning a Berka before shopping. Right now, companies are tracking their customers through credit cards and store cameras. Smart phones are smarter than many of the people who use them, and can make facial recognition as easy as Google can.

So where are we going with all this unbridled data collection? Dave Berry predicts, “One day soon, the Gillette Company will announce the development of a razor that, thanks to a computer micro-chip can actually travel ahead in time and shave beard hairs that don’t even exist yet.”

Esther Blumenfeld (“To err is human, but to really foul things up you need a computer.”) Paul Ehrlich