Very interesting article on Apple in the Guardian today

[Macintosh101]

Here’s the link: https://www.theguardian.com/technol...-machine-is-apple-turning-us-all-into-cyborgs

I am a huge user of Apple gear, but the glasses idea deeply worries and disconcerts me personally (I know for others it is a very exciting prospect).

With my iPhone, iPad and Macbook, I enjoy the sense that there is some kind of physical distance between myself and the device I’m interacting with. The glasses concept is dangerous in my view, becuase it would overlay something directly on top of our vision and I don’t believe that “augmenting” our reality in that way is sensible, or desirable. Yes, you can argue you could choose to take the glasses off, but once people have become acclimatised to using them, once they become second nature and woven into our lives, why not then have contact lenses that do the same thing, or implants of some kind? It almost seems inevitable that this is where technology is heading, and I don’t want Apple to be part of that. I would like Apple to continue to create technology that serves as a separate ‘tool’ for us employ (and enjoy), but not something tha becomes ‘part’ of us.

Just my thoughts on it. I would be interested to hear what others think of the article.

 

[Tekguy0]

Stumbled across the same article while checking my morning news.

I worry less about the existence of the technology for that, and more about how it is designed and used. Technology products, especially social media platforms and others that sell you/your data as the product engineer their platforms to keep you engaged as long as possible. The Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma is excellent and goes into detail on this. I view technology as a tool, but not something I would want to be connected to.

Apple has taken a very different path from the other tech giants, and still tries to make tools, though some of their products (esp. Apple News and other services) cross the line for me on what is a tool. The Apple Watch, with its constant monitoring of vitals is an incredible medical device, but I am still satisfied with any of my analog/digital watches.

In my view, these devices, especially with biometrics, create an incredible surveillance platform for an authoritarian government (or even authoritarian companies that could arise) to repress people and stifle individual freedoms.

These tools are incredible and can be used for good but only as long as we, the people, only use them this way, and as long as companies envision themselves selling products, not data gathered from these platforms. Otherwise, we could soon end up living in 1984, which already has striking parallels with some nations.

 

[Macintosh101]

Stumbled across the same article while checking my morning news.

I worry less about the existence of the technology for that, and more about how it is designed and used. Technology products, especially social media platforms and others that sell you/your data as the product engineer their platforms to keep you engaged as long as possible. The Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma is excellent and goes into detail on this. I view technology as a tool, but not something I would want to be connected to.

Apple has taken a very different path from the other tech giants, and still tries to make tools, though some of their products (esp. Apple News and other services) cross the line for me on what is a tool. The Apple Watch, with its constant monitoring of vitals is an incredible medical device, but I am still satisfied with any of my analog/digital watches.

In my view, these devices, especially with biometrics, create an incredible surveillance platform for an authoritarian government (or even authoritarian companies that could arise) to repress people and stifle individual freedoms.

These tools are incredible and can be used for good but only as long as we, the people, only use them this way, and as long as companies envision themselves selling products, not data gathered from these platforms. Otherwise, we could soon end up living in 1984, which already has striking parallels with some nations.

Yes I agree with this wholeheartedly. I also feel the same as you about the watch.

 

[weaztek]

In my view, these devices, especially with biometrics, create an incredible surveillance platform for an authoritarian government (or even authoritarian companies that could arise) to repress people and stifle individual freedoms.

I have used heart rate monitors extensively in my triathlon training over the years and posted the data to strava like millions of others. I'm curious why you think biometrics are more dangerous than say location tracking or facial recognition technology? Both of which are currently being overused.

 

[Tekguy0]

I have used heart rate monitors extensively in my triathlon training over the years and posted the data to strava like millions of others. I'm curious why you think biometrics are more dangerous than say location tracking or facial recognition technology? Both of which are currently being overused.

I think that biometrics, when tied to other data points such as location, movement, and speed, can really give too much away about a person, and of course the more you know about a person, the easier it is to manipulate them into doing something (eg. buying something, engaging on a platform, etc.) I also recognize how useful these can be when used for athletic training purposes.

 

[Diskutant]

I am a huge user of Apple gear, but the glasses idea deeply worries and disconcerts me personally

Same here.

The glasses concept is dangerous in my view, becuase it would overlay something directly on top of our vision and I don’t believe that “augmenting” our reality in that way is sensible, or desirable. Yes, you can argue you could choose to take the glasses off, but once people have become acclimatised to using them, once they become second nature and woven into our lives, why not then have contact lenses that do the same thing, or implants of some kind? It almost seems inevitable that this is where technology is heading, and I don’t want Apple to be part of that. I would like Apple to continue to create technology that serves as a separate ‘tool’ for us employ (and enjoy), but not something tha becomes ‘part’ of us.

That's a good point, and I agree with it.
Another point, and my main reason to be worried about the glasses idea is that others will record me when I'm talking to them, or from afar. Some argue if I don't do anything illegal there is nothing to worry. But that's not the point. Sometimes something embarrassing happens, now a few people might see it and will forget about it. Or you say something stupid, you learned from it and changed your opinion. But now with glasses everywhere it will get recorded, and saved for everyone to see. Now you go on a date, or you want to get a new job, the persons glasses check your face and sees a ton of stuff you did or said, the most embarrassing ones, the one you hate the most will be "liked" the most and will be seen first by the person you just met.
It's not far of from Black Mirror's Nosedive episode, maybe even worse.
Not much good can come out of it, but many many bad things. I wouldn't want to live in a world like that. Do you?