Monday 21 May 2018

Interesting Reads – 2018-05-16


Interacting with personal fabrication devices

Personal fabrication tools, such as 3D printers, are on the way of enabling a future in which non-technical users will be able to create custom objects. However, while the hardware is there, the current interaction model behind existing design tools is not suitable for non-technical users. Today, 3D printers are operated by fabricating the object in one go, which tends to take overnight due to the slow 3D printing technology. Consequently, the current interaction model requires users to think carefully before printing as every mistake may imply another overnight print. Planning every step ahead, however, is not feasible for non-technical users as they lack the experience to reason about the consequences of their design decisions. In this dissertation, we propose changing the interaction model around personal fabrication tools to better serve this user group. We draw inspiration from personal computing and argue that the evolution of personal fabrication may resemble the evolution of personal computing: Computing started with…

Smart Parks study

Our Smart Parks programme supports innovation through the adoption of the latest information and communications technologies including the Internet of Things (IOT) and integration with Big Data. The results from our year-long study of national parks and the opportunities created by new IOT technologies are presented in our Smart Parks report

There are no age restrictions for gambling in video games, despite potential risks to children         

According to a 2018 report by Digital Australia, 97% of Australian households with children have at least one device for playing video games. More than 60% of households have five or more devices. Since the early 2000s, the boom in mobile technology has seen the spread of video games from desktop PCs to the pockets of young people everywhere. But with that spread has come new hazards, in the form of online social gambling.

Gender is personal – not computational

Imagine walking down the street and seeing advertising screens change their content based on how you walk, how you talk, or even the shape of your chest. These screens rely on hidden cameras, microphones and computers to guess if you’re male or female. This might sound futuristic, but patrons in a Norwegian pizzeria discovered it’s exactly what was happening: Women were seeing ads for salad and men were seeing ads for meat options. The software running a digital advertising board spilled the beans when it crashed and displayed its underlying code. The motivation behind using this technology might have been to improve advertising quality or user experience. Nevertheless, many customers were unpleasantly surprised by it.

10 digital transformation tips to help your business compete in the modern age

Digital transformation has taken ahold of nearly every industry, as enterprises battle for competitive edge in a newly digital age. However, enterprises still struggle with a number of common issues as they begin to transition legacy equipment out and more customer-focused tools in. Here are 10 TechRepublic articles with digital transformation tips and advice that will help enterprises better make the transition.