On this episode of Spark: Text 2.0, reputation management, and Facebook privacy. Click below to listen to the whole show, or download the MP3 (runs 54:00).
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You can also listen to individual stories below.
Text 2.0
A book is a great technology, isn’t it? Words on a page open up a world of imagination and ideas. But what if the experience of reading could be more dynamic? What if text knew how it was being read?
Ralf Biedert is with the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence. He’s working on a project called Text 2.0, technology that tracks your eye movements while you read. (Runs 7:35)
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Paper maps vs. GPS navigation
Nora goes for a GPS-assisted bicycle ride, only to learn that in some instances, paper maps can be more effective than GPS navigation systems. According to research by Toru Ishikawa at the University of Toyko, “GPS users traveled longer distances and made more stops during the walk than map users.” (Runs 5:46)
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- Toru Ishikawa’s home page
- Wayfinding with a GPS-based mobile navigation system: A comparison with maps and direct experience
A technological roadtrip
Summer’s coming up, and that means the return of a long-standing North American pastime: the summer road trip. There’s always been a sense of adventure when driving out into the great unknown. And much of the classic road trip is all about staring at the yellow line in the middle of the asphalt for hours and making up your own fun. But what happens when technology starts to change that?
Mathew Katz is a Canadian reporter living in Carbondale, Colorado, and he recently took a different kind of road trip — one with constant web access. (Runs 6:03)
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Reputation management and social media
If you worry about your younger relatives oversharing on social networking sites, a new study says they’re probably doing a better job of monitoring their online reputation than you are.
This week, The Pew Internet and American Life Project released a report that looks at reputation management and social media, how people monitor their identity and also search for others online. Nora talked to the lead author of the report, Mary Madden. (Runs 9:34)
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- Nora’s full interview with Mary Madden
- Pew Report: Reputation Management and Social Media
- Mary Madden
Facebook changes its privacy settings
This week, Mark Zuckerberg announced changes to Facebook’s privacy settings. To find out more about the changes, and to get a response to recent concerns about Facebook and privacy, Nora talked to Debbie Frost, Director of International Communications and Public Policy at Facebook. (Runs 11:10)
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The rest saving the west
Technologies have context, and design solutions only make sense when you understand the social context they’re in.
Recently, interaction designer Carolina Vallejo created a project called Design for the First World: The Rest Saving the West. Designers from the developing world help the developing world with its problems — low birth rate and an ageing population, obesity, integration of immigrant populations, and commercialism. (Runs 5:02)
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Episode Details
Music and sound effects used in this episode:
- “Countdown” by Corsica_S
- “Wadidyusay?” by Zap Mama
- “Fantasiasticalisticity” by echoed
- From_Darkness.wav by nathanshadow
-
pjg 79 jungle b.wav by ERH
- scratch243_looped.wav by junggle
- “Down The Road A Piece” by Will Bradley And His Orchestra
- “Boogie Woogie Stride” by James P Johnson
- “Dream of U” by scottaltham
- “Floating Up The Cubicle” and “Raccoon Family Robinson” by Podington Bear
- “free” by airtone
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[Original images by Manitoba Historical Maps, Mi Pah, Dx1W, fhashemi]
GPS directions can be dangerous – there've been several instances of people dying after relying on directions that sent them onto roads that they shouldn't have used. Perhaps paper maps would have been safer. Still, with society and technology as it is today, it might be too much to expect people to use paper maps. Or is this another situation where one's financial situation matters? If you can't afford a smartphone (or don't want to pay for one), you generally rely on paper, or on Google maps or something of that sort.
The GPS roadtrip story was interesting. Coincidently, Nora, my wife & went to Ireland this past March (driving, not cycling). We decided not to use a GPS and just rely on maps & friendly people. It did cause stress, as we were never able to find good city maps, but in the end it was fun because we did have to rely on locals to find places to eat, stop at, etc.
A GPS is simply a tool, I often scope out a route to a new destination on Google Maps first and ignore directions given by the GPS often. For me the GPS is just a safety net and not the last word in driving directions.
That said setting my GPS on 'shortest route' and blindly following it opens up routes that I would never take using a paper map and has added a little fun to routine trips.
One of the biggest things you have to remember with a GPS is that it assumes that there is no traffic and that you will never speed. So while the unit may suggest the highway the backroads are often the fastest route.
Mind maps are best.
Maps drawn in the sand with a stick are 2nd best.
Paper maps are 3nd best
GPS is just a way to get men to admit they occasionally need ditections.
Which isn't true, by the way.
Please do many follow-up stories on this. I really believe the majority-world has much to teach the west. I have often felt that India has forgotten more than North Americans currently know.