Mar 1, 2013 | 13:12Spark Wearable Computing AudioSpark Wearable Computing Mar 1, 2013 | 13:12Google Glass is just the latest example of "wearable computing", a concept that's been around for quite a while but hasn't exactly caught on. With big players like Google and Apple getting in on it now, will wearable computing finally make it to the mainstream? Nora heads to the Social Body Lab at OCAD University in Toronto to speak with artist and technologist Kate Hartman about the future of wearable computing.
Mar 1, 2013 | 7:20Spark Crowdworking AudioSpark Crowdworking Mar 1, 2013 | 7:20Today's digital "factory" is in coffee shops and bedrooms - anywhere with an internet connection. Many of us don’t realize that hundreds of thousands of digital labourers are toiling away behind the scenes – doing jobs we might assume are handled by a clever computer algorithm. They're called crowdworkers, and contributor JP Davidson tells us all about the piecework they do, often far under minimum wage.
Mar 1, 2013 | 7:44Spark The Perks of Collaborative Consumption AudioSpark The Perks of Collaborative Consumption Mar 1, 2013 | 7:44People have shared and bartered for ages of course, but the internet lets us do this on a grand scale. We’re now able to deal peer-to-peer to match one person’s “haves” with another’s “wants” in ways and on a scale that is totally unprecedented. From ride sharing, to home-sharing ventures like Air BnB, Rachel Botsman talks about how in an economy built on collaboration, our reputation could be our most valuable asset.
Mar 1, 2013 | 17:14Spark The Pitfalls of Collaborative Consumption AudioSpark The Pitfalls of Collaborative Consumption Mar 1, 2013 | 17:14Even as models of collaborative consumption are starting to explode in popularity, there's some question about whether they are always legal. April Rinne talks about what happens when new modes of collaborative consumption bump up against the law.
Feb 25, 2013 | 17:04Spark Getting Sidetracked AudioSpark Getting Sidetracked Feb 25, 2013 | 17:04Think you're good at making decisions? Able to come up with a goal, and make the choices to realize that goal? It can be tricky, and often we get derailed along the way. Francesca Gino specializes in decision-making and judgment and talks about her new book, Sidetracked: Why Our Decisions Get Derailed and How We Can Stick to the Plan.
Feb 20, 2013 | 21:17Spark Discourse Online AudioSpark Discourse Online Feb 20, 2013 | 21:17Jeff Atwood was one of the people behind the influential Stack Overflow and Stack Exchange question and answer sites. He has a new project in the works called Discourse aimed at re-inventing the online forum to make way for better conversation.
Feb 17, 2013 | 53:59Spark 207: Implants, Cyborgs, Cellphones AudioSpark 207: Implants, Cyborgs, Cellphones Feb 17, 2013 | 53:59Tamir Israel on the CRTC's proposed wireless code for cellphone contracts. David Kattenburg on the use of simulated birthing moms in Canada's far north. Chris Hables Gray on our cyborg present and future. Karen Sandler, Kevin Fu, and Mike Liebhold on hackable medical implants.
Feb 15, 2013 | 8:09Spark Cellphone Code AudioSpark Cellphone Code Feb 15, 2013 | 8:09The CRTC held public hearings Feb 11 - 15 about their proposed "wireless code" a document that would set national, mandatory standards for the content and clarity of cellphone contracts. We talk to Tamir Israel of CIPPIC (one of the interveners at the hearings) about consumer frustration over cellphone contracts, and what the outcome of the hearings could mean for them.
Feb 15, 2013 | 6:05Spark Simulated Mom AudioSpark Simulated Mom Feb 15, 2013 | 6:05Contributor David Kattenburg takes us to Cambridge Bay, Nunavut where a simulated mom and baby (complete with programmable software) are helping midwifery students train.
Feb 15, 2013 | 8:12Spark I, Cyborg AudioSpark I, Cyborg Feb 15, 2013 | 8:12A look at the history of cyborgs, with lecturer and author Chris Hables Gray who says we already are all cyborgs whether we like it or not.
Feb 15, 2013 | 26:05Spark Hackable Hearts AudioSpark Hackable Hearts Feb 15, 2013 | 26:05Implantable medical devices like pacemakers and insulin pumps are becoming increasingly computerized, networked, and wireless. We look at the security and privacy implications of connecting our bodies to the internet of things, with Karen Sandler, Kevin Fu, and Mike Liebhold.
Feb 10, 2013 | 53:59Spark 206: Dating in the 21st C AudioSpark 206: Dating in the 21st C Feb 10, 2013 | 53:59Michelle Parise, Kim Fox, and Mark Ainsley on being divorced and dating again. Sam Yagan on dating data and trends from OKCupid. Laura Anderson on shopping for love online. Kaj Hasselriis on Grindr and geosocial dating. Beth Bailey on the history of dating and tech.
Feb 8, 2013 | 10:03Spark Divorced and Dating AudioSpark Divorced and Dating Feb 8, 2013 | 10:03Michelle Parise talks about what it's like to be recently divorced and back in the dating game, trying to make sense of making connections through online dating sites and texting.
Feb 8, 2013 | 7:09Spark Online Dating Data AudioSpark Online Dating Data Feb 8, 2013 | 7:09Sam Yagan, the co-founder of extremely popular dating site OKCupid talks about recent trends in online dating and statistics around gender differences in the way we interact in online dating spaces.