Time to use technology for the good (and lazy)

Here are some things that should be automated. It is already 2012 for crying out loud!

1) Cars
Perhaps it's my inability to get a driver's license, or the fact that I find it terrifying to control a large, fast box of metal. However, there is no escaping the necessity of driving a car once you reach a certain age. I think they have already started developing the auto-automobile. We just need to make a judgement call on whether the expected value of accidents would increase with a computer driver instead of a human one. Should be easy.

2) TTC collector booths
Most countries have fully automated fare collectors for their transit systems. The TTC has a few automated turnstiles, but definitely not enough for rush hour. Then there is the collector whose sole job is to make sure people pay correct fare and distribute passes/tokens. Most of the time, they are sleeping or look bored/apathetic. They are also paid $29/hour, and the TTC complains about lack of funds and then increases the fare against the riders. It is time to automate this process with impassable turnstiles/gateways and more pass/token vendors.

3) Fast food restaurants
Making a whopper does not require special skills. The process is also repetitive. Employees do not wash their hands (and possibly spit in the food). Customers choose from a list. I think this is a no-brainer. Replace it all with robots and computers: food quality will remain low while the efficiency goes up.

4) Showers
This may sound like the epitome of laziness and the talk of a slob, but I find this activity one of the most trivial of chores. You are also not going to be able to change the mindset of a slob, so why not make the whole ordeal easy and efficient. This would even benefit those who enjoy taking a shower because it incites the shower-resistant people to take advantage of the technology thereby eliminating B.O. forever from the world. From washing your hair to cleaning your feet, waterproof robots and computers will pamper your body while your mind ponders on about the meaning of life.

5) Job applications

Graduation is almost here. The economy is in the hole with high employment especially among young adults. Job applications are the bane of my existence. They are awkward, trivial, and time-consuming, and the fear of a pauper's life invites a lot of stress. If you can manage to land an interview using a bot, this is perfect material to impress the employer. Now to make a program that can code this program for me because I am still too lazy. It is a vicious cycle.

Won't somebody please think of the children!

An article on the Star caught my attention a few days ago. It was about the Peel Board's policy decision to encourage students to bring any technology to class while the board invests in better wifi networks. It seems to show some potential as students, teacher, parents, and other school boards monitor the program's success.

There are many things to discuss here. First, there is an obvious and inevitable distraction issue as students tune out their teachers and go on Facebook, Twitter, or this blog. Second, it invites jealousy and theft for very expensive items. Third, there is an equity issue since some students and their families cannot afford the technology. Fourth, there will definitely be some boys who look up *ahem* explicit material while at school, I guarantee it.

It is not all doom and gloom. The good points start with embracing the cultural movement towards technology instead of fighting it. In this way, the teacher's and students' time is put to better use for actual learning. Second, an insightful and organized teacher can fully utilize the technology to enhance the learning and promote engagement. This is already implemented with the use of SMART boards and TI-Inspire calculators. However, only one person at a time can use the SMART board (usually the teacher), and there is a high learning curve and little reward for using the graphing calculators. A personal laptop or tablet addresses both of these problems. Third, an even more insightful and organized teacher can observe the independence of students who take control of their learning using technology that they are familiar with and highly interested in.

Since I am in computer science, I am definitely in favour of students becoming familiar with technology, web sites, and most importantly, user interfaces. The best way to design better programs, websites, and UI, is to be an end-user and observe the gaps, flaws, and ways for improvement. For those interested in computer science during high school, it is especially useful to have a personal laptop to be able to code anywhere and gain invaluable experience. Yes, I'm geeky and I know it!

My entitlement is justified by my empty wallet

So the smartphone world has been abuzz lately with the news of the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus over-the-air update to Android 4.0.4. According to Android's Google+ account, the new firmware will be rolling out in the next few weeks which makes it about 3 months since the update was pulled and 4 months since the source code was released. I have pressed the "Check for updates" button at least fifty times now.

Mmmmm only 4 months old, it's still good right?

Software updates are so common these days, so why is this important? Because they are not common enough which infuriates many geeks with expensive phones. Here is a little explanation for the featurephone owner: a smartphone these days can cost up to $700 on the high end and possibly $300 on the low end. These days, customers are paying not just for the hardware and out-of-the-box software but also for updates that will future-proof the phone. Basically, it is all about not feeling inferior to other people who will eventually have newer phones: a version control perspective on socialism.

My phone won't unlock unless I revolutionize the class conciousness 

The problems come from the carriers and OEM's who overlay their own UI or apps into the core Android software. The updates are controlled by the distributors whose interests are about selling new hardware and not updating software on old hardware. The latter does not translate to profit very easily unless customer loyalty is a factor which only Apple has managed to harness and utilize into a cult. In the end, many Samsung, Motorola, HTC, and Sony phones are STILL using 2.x.x or 3.4.x, and the internet proceeds to document all the cursing and ranting from netizens.

There was supposed to be a silver lining in Google's own line of smartphones, the Nexus series. Since they are not tinged with the impurities of the OEM's and carriers, they were supposed to receive updates immediately from Google. One of the main reasons people like myself bought the Nexus S was the promise of glorious updates! What happened?! Android 4.0 was released with the Galaxy Nexus in November/December, and the update for Nexus S was released on December 16. It was shortly pulled due to a battery drainage problem. And then there was not a word from Google until now. 

I paid a lot of money for this phone. I want Google to know that I am a spoiled entitled consumer! It is not just me, however, this is the opinion of the zeitgeist. A recent study shows that nearly 50% of American mobile phone users are now using smartphones, and they are all hungry for some ice cream sandwiches (or apples). We are numerous, we are strong, we have beaten every level of Angry Birds! If this update is not on my phone by the end of April, then vive la revolution!