We saw a lot of indifferent ideas in 2013. That's not too surprising in any tech field, but it's entirely predictable in something as new and fluid as wearables. But we were kind of shocked (if you'll forgive the unfortunate pun) to see one idea that genuinely carried the potential for evil. The "reality mediator" prototype -- a chilling euphemism right there -- built by … [Read more...]
Wearable Skinner Boxes
Here's a particularly creepy adaptation of wearable tech: if it doesn't think you're focussing or being active enough, it can hand you a shock. Generations of psychology students (and the English majors who were paid as their research subjects) know that "operant conditioning chambers" are devices that dole out rewards and punishments according to behavior. If the research … [Read more...]