In 2022, we rely on algorithms for a lot of things. Think about it: an algorithm can usually tell a bank if they should give you a mortgage, universities use grade prediction software to decide whether or not to enrol applicants, and even your daily bus to work is controlled by mathematical instructions. But should we welcome algorithms into every aspect of our lives? In March last year, a groundbreaking documentary was released by HBO Max called ‘Persona: The Dark Truth Behind Personality Tests
If you’ve been wondering what your Bear Grylls lifestyle has been missing all this while, meet the weird and wonderful BeTriton, the amphibious e-trike that’s a bike, a boat, and… a camper. Behold! Credit: BeTriton Formerly dubbed Z-Triton, the polymorphous tricycle was conceived and created by Aigars Lazuis, designer and entrepreneur, who seeked to upgrade cycle-touring and find a sustainable solution for die-hard travelers that want it all. The man behind this unique vehicle. Credit: BeTriton
A few months ago, Sony released the most interesting earbuds I’ve tested in years. The $180 LinkBuds — a rare Sony product with a pronounceable name — have a ring-shaped design that allows ambient sounds to filter through with perfect clarity. They also feature futuristic controls that allow you to tap the space in front of the earbuds rather than tapping on a tiny surface. As it turns out, Sony had another addition to the LinkBuds family on the way — the $200 LinkBuds S — and it couldn’t be mor
Sony is flaunting its entertainment arsenal in the battle for metaverse supremacy. The company has been diversifying a product portfolio that could lay strong foundations for virtual worlds. The Japanese conglomerate now boasts a revived music business, a movie studio that produces Marvel blockbusters, an immense film library, and the PlayStation gaming platform. The group’s music, movie, and gaming operations drove a fiscal fourth-quarter surge of 67% over the previous year. Sony also plowed $
Cryptocurrencies like bitcoin were meant to be used as digital cash. Instead, they’ve become popular as speculative investments. As well as being resource-intensive and inherently wasteful, cryptocurrencies are also incredibly volatile. Prices for the largest cryptocurrencies, bitcoin and ethereum, have both dropped by over 55% in six months, leading some to suggest that regulation is needed to contain the turmoil. Some are blaming sliding prices on one specific contagion, a collapsing “stableco
The Elon Musk–Twitter saga has reached an extremely weird and uncomfortable point. Literally every few hours, the deal to acquire the social platform switches between full steam ahead to a hold state. If you’re an investor, user, or Twitter employee, it could be a really confusing time to understand where the company’s headed. I want to help you make sense of what’s happening with the deal, and try and understand if it’s going to go through. Here’s my best shot. Elon, Twitter, and robots Last we
Have you heard maximalism is in and minimalism is out? Rooms bursting at the seams with clashing florals, colorful furniture, and innumerable knick-knacks, this is what defines the new interiors trend ‘cluttercore’ (or bricabracomania). Some say it’s a war between generation Z (born 1997-2012) and minimal millennials (born 1981-1996), symptomatic of bigger differences. Others say it’s a pandemic response, where our domestic prisons became cuddly cocoons, stimulating our senses, connecting us wit
Big Tech can be small-minded about the Global South. Products conceived in Silicon Valley don’t always fit the needs and skills of Southern nations. Their launch can also stymie homegrown competitors and fuel accusations of digital colonialism. The need for expertise is particularly vital in data science and AI. “If you’re looking at analytics, for example, getting a data scientist from the UK to come and integrate data in Senegal might give you insights that don’t take account of the local con
Calling a product ‘the best’ of anything isn’t something I take lightly. Everybody has different preferences and needs, so I always try to tailor recommendations to a person’s tastes. But when someone asks “what noise-canceling headphones should I get?” my answer is almost always “the Sonys.” Okay, sometimes one of Bose’s latest models gets the nod too, and I actually tend to find Bose’s sound more neutral out of the box. And there are other excellent options for those on a budget. But Sony has
It’s time to stop training radiologists. AI can predict where and when crimes will occur. This neural network can tell if you’re gay. There will be a million Tesla robotaxis on the road by the end of 2020. We’ve all seen the hyperbole. Big tech’s boldest claims make for the media’s most successful headlines, and the general public can’t get enough. Ask 100 people on the street what they believe AI is capable of, and you’re guaranteed to get a cornucopia of nonsensical ideas. To be perfectly clea