Have you ever heard of the Uncanny Valley? Itās the theory that explains why the human race tends to prefer humanoid robots, but only up to a point, after which we find them unsettling. Itās one reason why so many people found the 2019 film Cats bothersome to watch. The Uncanny Valley has also been present in film in recent years, especially when actors who have passed are recreated digitally to make an appearance, or when talent needs to look older or younger than they are.
Who are you? While itās a question thatās been asked in all contexts with all levels of metaphysicality attachedāfrom asking someone their name to prompting someone to follow a path of spiritual self-discoveryāthe growth of the metaverse once again urges us to ask it in a more literal way. When accessing a conglomeration of various services and platforms, how many identities will each user need to juggle?
If Edgar Allan Poe worked in an office, hereās what one of his works would sound like:
True!ānervousāvery, very dreadfully nervous I have been and am, but why will you say that I am mad? The office had sharpened my sensesānot destroyedānot dulled them. Above all was my sense of hearing. I heard all things in heaven and on earth and many things inā¦the other place. So, how then am I mad, especially when I can so healthily and calmly tell you this story?
While we typically focus on how various technologies can be used in business applications as a way to boost a small or medium-sized organizationās capabilities, we occasionally come across a topic that is just undeniably cool (and that we can bring back around to business concerns, to boot). We recently heard about the development of a flexible new wearable that uses AI to monitor the health of the wearer that we wanted to discuss with you.
While remote work has been a relatively new option for many businesses currently using it in their operations, it has already shown considerable benefits. Having said that, it would be incongruous of us if we didnāt also acknowledge one glaring issue that remote work has helped to foster: a sense of disconnect in many of those making use of it.
When you think about the workweek, thereās a good chance that some iteration of the 40-hour week, broken into 9-to-5 shifts on the weekdays is what comes to mind. Itās just the way things are done. However, this may not be a good thing. Letās consider the origins of our modern work schedule, and how changing it could provide us all with some serious benefits.
If youāre familiar with the combination
Up-Up-Down-Down-Left-Right-Left-Right-B-A-Select-Start, chances are good that you grew up in the 80s. This is because this combination of buttons is the infamous Konami Code, a cheat code that video games (and others, including some websites and software) have continued to reference since it first appeared in 1986.
Letās examine the Konami Codeās origins, as well as the various ways it has been used since.
HIPAAāthe Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Actāis a serious concern for all healthcare providers that operate within the United States, and for good reason! Since August 1996, HIPAA has mandated that these healthcare providers comply with various best practices. While HIPAA is relatively familiar to many people for assorted reasons, fewer know about HITRUST (the Health Information Trust Alliance) and how these acronyms ultimately cooperate with one another.
Accessibility to the Internet is a hot topic because, at this point, almost everyone should be afforded Internet access. The fact that some people donāt have access to the Internet puts them at a severe disadvantage. One group that has major problems with accessibility are disabled people. Letās discuss what can be done about that.
Remote work is often lauded for its various benefitsāand donāt get us wrong, there are certainly plenty of them to account for. However, it must also be said that remote work is far from perfect. Take the environmental impacts it can have, for instance. Letās discuss how working from home can prove better for the environment, while also addressing the serious problems it has contributed toāand, just maybe, how we can help minimize some of them.
The United States of America is well into its 2020 election season. Social media platforms, and other online services, are taking notice. Given the misuse of social media and other platforms in past contests, there is little wonder that there is some very real pressure on these platforms to establish policy and security measures to prevent these behaviors this time around.
Here, weāll take a neutral look at the situation, and explain the initiatives that online platforms are now enacting.
In a rare turn of events, Google and Apple have teamed up with local governments to help slow the ongoing spread of COVID-19. How would you like an app that could notify you if someone you had been in proximity to had tested positive for COVID-19? As useful as this collaboration could be to staunching the pandemic, many people are in uproar about it, and have begun to spread misinformation.
With COVID-19 urging people to remain at home, many telecommunications companies have started to make concessions to make life easier for their customers. Whether it is used for entertainment, work, or communication, Internet access is crucial right now, and so ISPs and cell carriers are taking steps to help facilitate this.
Parker sat at his desk looking at a business card. He watched the snow fall lightly outside his window. He was the last person left in the office, as he typically was this time of year. He put down the business card and got up and walked over to the large pane of glass that was the only insulation from the harsh, cold wintery night. He placed his hand on the window and felt the bitter cold meet the palm of his hand. He stood there for a minute; maybe more than a minute. He began to cry. He was so angry at how things were going.
Cybersecurity is becoming a massive issue for every organization due to the immense amount of data breaches that take place regularly. Businesses of all types are looking at strategies to protect their sensitive customer and employee data from hackers, malware, and any other potential danger. The problem is itās not always as simple as just implementing cybersecurity software.
There has been a lot made in the media about the effect that movies and television has had on society. More often than not, the media that is produced is a result of the ebbs and flows that happen in society, which ironically makes the whole notion that television and movies affect society an interesting paradox. The ludicrous portrayal of criminality in media is one issue that is resoundingly debated by lawmakers and sociologists, alike.