Spark tag:www.cbc.ca,2012-06-12:/spark//840 2013-05-24T20:45:28Z An ongoing conversation about technology and culture, hosted by Nora Young Movable Type Enterprise 4.37 218: Big Data, Small Data, Datification, Corellation versus Causation, Stock Market Trading, Health Informatics, Open Knowledge tag:www.cbc.ca,2013:/spark//840.309107 2013-05-23T15:51:30Z 2013-05-24T20:45:28Z This week on Spark - "Big Data" is a huge buzzword right now. But how do you explain this technological trend in a way that actually makes sense, or matters? We take a look at collecting, storing, and processing massive... Michelle Parise This week on Spark - "Big Data" is a huge buzzword right now. But how do you explain this technological trend in a way that actually makes sense, or matters? We take a look at collecting, storing, and processing massive amounts of data, and why, as more and more aspects of the real world are becoming "datified", we should care.

Just click the Listen button, or click here to download the mp3.

Hey, have you checked out Spark on Tumblr? You should!

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Rick Smolan
Author of The Human Face of Big Data

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Viktor Mayer-Schonberger
Co-author of Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work and Think

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Carolyn McGregor
Canada Research Chair in Health Informatics, on neonatal data.

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Danielle Bochove
Business reporter and host for CBC News, on big data and stock market trading.

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Rufus Pollock
Founder and co-director of the Open Knowledge Foundation, on why the real revolution is small data.

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]]> Repeat - Spark 186 from June 2012 tag:www.cbc.ca,2013:/spark//840.307472 2013-05-17T19:50:29Z 2013-05-21T12:39:31Z This week, a repeat of one of our favourite episodes from last June - Spark 186: Attentive computing, digital fabrication, Good Products Bad Products, GIFs as art, and the physical internet. Click here for the original show notes and... Michelle Parise This week, a repeat of one of our favourite episodes from last June - Spark 186: Attentive computing, digital fabrication, Good Products Bad Products, GIFs as art, and the physical internet.

Click here for the original show notes and to stream the audio.

Next Friday, a brand new -and special!- episode of Spark: all about Big Data. What happens when we collect so much data about the world around us, that our usual ways of making sense of it fall short? Researchers are finding new ways to crunch those massive sets of data, and they're coming up with some surprising answers. We'll hear from the prophets - and the skeptics - to find out how Big Data is going to change their world and yours.

]]> 217: Estrangement Online, Unexpected Friend Suggestions, Communication Tech and Identity, 3D Scanning and Printing, Piracy and Copyright Law tag:www.cbc.ca,2013:/spark//840.305581 2013-05-10T18:19:34Z 2013-05-24T17:18:21Z This week on Spark - Social media is great for staying in touch, but what happens when you don't want to be in touch? And, inside the 3D revolution - 3D scanning and printing are becoming commonplace. But is the... Michelle Parise This week on Spark - Social media is great for staying in touch, but what happens when you don't want to be in touch? And, inside the 3D revolution - 3D scanning and printing are becoming commonplace. But is the law ready for it?

Just click the Listen button, or click here to download the mp3.

Spark listeners shared the most unexpected friend suggestions they've been given by a social media network.

Hey, have you checked out Spark on Tumblr.? You should!


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Estrangement Online
Becca Bland is a freelance journalist in London, England who is estranged from her parents. She's written about her experience and campaigns to break down the stigma of estrangement and help people better understand the impact of social media on family relationships.

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We Asked the Question: Unexpected Friend Suggestions
Social media has given us this weird, virtual proximity to people who we may otherwise have never seen again. It can be a great way to reconnect, or it can be a bitter reminder of something you would rather let go of. Spark Senior Producer Michelle Parise asks the question: What's the most unexpected friend suggestion you've been given by a social media network?

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Living in Two Worlds
Communication technology is such a huge part of everyday life, that sometimes it can begin to affect your physical reality. It does for freelance journalist Caro Rolando, who finds herself spending more time online with her family and friends in Venezuela than giving herself the chance to get closer to people in her new home base of Toronto.


3D Scanning
The people behind Toronto company Matterform have created a 3D scanner. Now you can take any object, turn it into a digital 3D model, then print it out on a 3D printer. Spark Producer Dan Misener got a first hand look.

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3D and the Law
As 3D printing and scanning become more commonplace, will patent and copyright law be able to keep up? We'll do some futurecasting with technology lawyer Paul Banwatt.


3D Piracy
Matt Mason is the author of The Pirate's Dilemma. As 3D printers continue to expand the realm of digital goods to the physical world, will piracy finally be seen as legit or will the fight get bigger?

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]]> What's the most unexpected friend suggestion you've been given by a social media network? tag:www.cbc.ca,2013:/spark//840.305231 2013-05-07T16:44:44Z 2013-05-24T17:02:48Z Hey! Michelle here. A little while ago on Facebook, I got a pretty funny recommendation. It said People You May Know, and below it was a photo of my ex-husband. And below that, a photo of my dad. Oh, modern... Michelle Parise Hey! Michelle here. A little while ago on Facebook, I got a pretty funny recommendation. It said People You May Know, and below it was a photo of my ex-husband. And below that, a photo of my dad. Oh, modern hilarity! Facebook was right - I did know them. And lucky for me, I have a good relationship with both of them, so I could laugh it off. But as you'll hear on this week's Spark, sometimes that can be a negative experience. We'll be talking to Becca Bland, a journalist in London, England who has written about her estrangement from her parents, and the impact of social media on family relationships.

]]> Social media has given us this weird, virtual proximity to people who we otherwise may have never seen again. Now, they pop up in our newsfeeds, Twitter streams, and in recommendation boxes. It can be a great way to reconnect, or it can be a bitter reminder of something you would rather let go of.

So we want to hear from you - What's the most unexpected friend suggestion you've been given by a social media network? Leave us a comment here, or call the Spark hotline at 1-877-347-7275 (toll free in Canada). You can also check out what other people are saying over on our Facebook page.

]]> 216: Texting, Over-the-top Messaging, Race and Online Dating, Preserving Virtual Worlds, Emulation and Preservation of Video Games tag:www.cbc.ca,2013:/spark//840.302855 2013-05-03T17:32:43Z 2013-05-06T16:38:19Z This week on Spark - Preserving the experience of video games. When online dating preferences tip over into racism. And, free texting apps know more about you than you think!Just click the Listen button, or click here to download... Michelle Parise

This week on Spark - Preserving the experience of video games. When online dating preferences tip over into racism. And, free texting apps know more about you than you think!

Just click the Listen button, or click here to download the mp3. For related links...


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Arithmetech
Dan Misener brings us the week's tech highlights, through a numerical lens, including the news that the number of over-the-top messages (through free texting apps) we send, has now surpassed traditional SMS texting.

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Race and Online Dating - 1
Back in February, we dedicated an entire Spark episode to dating in the digital age, including a story by Kaj Hasselriis, all about Grindr, a geo-social dating app for gay men. Kaj is back to talk about another, and ugly, side to online dating - racism.

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Race and Online Dating - 2
Christian Grov on how preference-setting in online dating has changed the way gay and bisexual men present themselves to potential partners.

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Game On 2.0
Patrick Moran takes Nora on a chronological and nostalgic tour of video games at the Ontario Science Centre's Game On 2.0 exhibit.

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Lost in Emulation
Your shiny new laptop can pretend to be a vintage Commodore 64! Jason Scott on re-creating the experience of a game on new piece of hardware, through emulation.

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Preserving Virtual Worlds
Jerome McDonough on the cultural importance of preserving virtual worlds - like World of Warcraft, or Second Life and the applications beyond computer games.

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]]> Big Data: A Revolution tag:www.cbc.ca,2013:/spark//840.302350 2013-05-01T19:43:45Z 2013-05-24T16:54:11Z According to Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, big data is "so fundamental a change... that it is important not just for every business, for every organization, for every government agency to look at big data... but also for society at large, because we... Dan Misener According to Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, big data is "so fundamental a change... that it is important not just for every business, for every organization, for every government agency to look at big data... but also for society at large, because we need to put safeguards in place to make sure that big data does not control us."

Recently, Nora interviewed Viktor about his new book, Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think.

]]> 215: Limits of Crowdsourcing, E-Library Letdown, The Story of Noise, What Modern Noise Annoys You? tag:www.cbc.ca,2013:/spark//840.301162 2013-04-26T17:09:38Z 2013-04-29T13:00:04Z This week on Spark - The use of crowdsourcing in trying to find the perpetrators of the Boston bombings resulted in an online witch-hunt. This has us asking: what are the limits to crowdsourcing? Also, library e-books, and the story... Michelle Parise This week on Spark - The use of crowdsourcing in trying to find the perpetrators of the Boston bombings resulted in an online witch-hunt. This has us asking: what are the limits to crowdsourcing? Also, library e-books, and the story of noise.

Just click the Listen button for individual stories, or click here to download the mp3 of the whole show. For related links...

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E-Library Letdown
A story about the frustration of borrowing an e-book from the public library, has us take look at the lessons of digital adaptation with a panel of book, library, and policy experts.

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We Asked the Question: Noise
 From inane cellphone conversations to headphone bleed, there's a lot of noise around us! So we drew up a funny diagram depicting noise and rage levels, posted it to the web, and asked the question: What noise, thanks to modern tech, really annoys you?

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The Story of Noise
 Mike Goldsmith, on his book Discord: The Story of Noise. In it he paints a picture of the history of noise and how much it's connected to the history of technology and progress!

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The Limits of Crowdsourcing
Social news site, Reddit has formally apologized for its role in crowdsourcing that resulted in falsely identifying innocent people in the search for the Boston bombing suspects. Zeynep Tufekci talks about the limits of crowdsourcing, and how we can improve it.

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]]> The History of Noise tag:www.cbc.ca,2013:/spark//840.299331 2013-04-25T15:17:06Z 2013-05-06T16:09:15Z Mike Goldsmith, in his book Discord: The Story of Noise, paints an historical picture of how and why external noise annoys us so MUCH. Mike argues that noise has been tied to technology and also to class because it's tied... Michelle Parise Mike Goldsmith, in his book Discord: The Story of Noise, paints an historical picture of how and why external noise annoys us so MUCH. Mike argues that noise has been tied to technology and also to class because it's tied up with ideas about progress.

And we're talking about the modern noise that annoys us here, here and here!

]]> The Human Face of Big Data tag:www.cbc.ca,2013:/spark//840.299016 2013-04-24T16:10:01Z 2013-05-06T16:09:28Z Rick Smolan says that Big Data is like "watching the world come alive and develop a nervous system. It's unlike anything we've ever seen before."... Dan Misener Rick Smolan says that Big Data is like "watching the world come alive and develop a nervous system. It's unlike anything we've ever seen before."

]]> Rick's book The Human Face of Big Data aims to make what is sometimes a nebulous concept concrete and understandable. It's a collection of photos, stories, and essays that explore the growing trends of self-tracking, quantification, and data mining.

Nora interviewed Rick for an upcoming episode of Spark that will take a deep dive into Big Data. In it, he talks about several real-world examples of Big Data, and discusses his concerns around privacy and personal information.

]]> What noise, thanks to modern tech, really annoys you? tag:www.cbc.ca,2013:/spark//840.298488 2013-04-22T18:58:10Z 2013-04-26T16:12:34Z Hey, Michelle here. It's pet peeve time, and we need your help. In a few days we're going to interview Mike Goldsmith about his book Discord: The Story of Noise. It got us talking around Spark HQ, about how thanks... Michelle Parise Discord: The Story of Noise.

It got us talking around Spark HQ, about how thanks to our modern tech, there's a lot of noise that really annoys us now!

From headphone bleed to loud keyboard smashing to inane cellphone conversations, we had a lot of grievances. And we want you to hear from you: What noise, thanks to modern tech, really annoys you?

Call the Spark hotline at 1-877-347-7275 (toll free in Canada) or leave a comment below.

Check out what other people are saying over on our Facebook page

]]> 214: Listen, Touch, Command tag:www.cbc.ca,2013:/spark//840.297632 2013-04-19T18:52:22Z 2013-04-19T19:21:16Z This week on Spark: touch, voice, gesture, sound - bringing the senses back into tech. An online audio resurgence, the deep dark history of the Qwerty keyboard, and a look at the good and bad of voice and gesture commands.... Michelle Parise This week on Spark: touch, voice, gesture, sound - bringing the senses back into tech. An online audio resurgence, the deep dark history of the Qwerty keyboard, and a look at the good and bad of voice and gesture commands.

Just click the Listen button, or click here to download the mp3. For related links...
]]> Sound On


Keyboarding 101


Gestural Computing


Museum Tech


]]> Twitter #music tag:www.cbc.ca,2013:/spark//840.297895 2013-04-18T20:50:44Z 2013-05-06T16:10:18Z Earlier today, Twitter launched its new #music service, which aims to help you find and listen to music, based on artists you follow, and what other Twitter users are listening to.... Dan Misener Earlier today, Twitter launched its new #music service, which aims to help you find and listen to music, based on artists you follow, and what other Twitter users are listening to.

]]> To talk more about Twitter #music, and online music discovery more broadly, we called up Jay Frank.

Jay is the author of two books about making and marketing music in the digital age: FutureHit.DNA and Hack Your Hit. He's also the founder of DigSin, a record company focused on digital singles.

]]> 213: Longevity, Integration, Disposal tag:www.cbc.ca,2013:/spark//840.293577 2013-04-12T20:03:50Z 2013-04-15T13:05:56Z This week on Spark - What happens to our digital stuff when web services shutdown? We take a look at data longevity online. Also, virtually staging our homes, what to do with e-waste, and integrative thinking in the classroom. Just... Michelle Parise This week on Spark - What happens to our digital stuff when web services shutdown? We take a look at data longevity online. Also, virtually staging our homes, what to do with e-waste, and integrative thinking in the classroom.

Just click the Listen button, or click here to download the mp3. For related links...

]]> E-waste Disposal in Canada

Integrative Thinking


Virtual Staging


Data Longevity


]]> Repeat - Spark 185 from June 2012 tag:www.cbc.ca,2013:/spark//840.293416 2013-04-05T18:10:47Z 2013-04-05T18:15:49Z This week, a repeat of one of our favourite episodes from last June - Spark 185: Robot Pebbles, the Loyalty Leap, and Online Hoaxes. Click here for the original show notes, or download the MP3 (runs 54:00). Next Friday, a... Michelle Parise This week, a repeat of one of our favourite episodes from last June - Spark 185: Robot Pebbles, the Loyalty Leap, and Online Hoaxes.

Click here for the original show notes, or download the MP3 (runs 54:00).

Next Friday, a brand new episode of Spark will be ready for your ears...a look at data longevity online. What happens to our digital stuff when web services shutdown?

]]> E-book Lending in Libraries tag:www.cbc.ca,2013:/spark//840.294583 2013-04-03T15:11:37Z 2013-04-25T13:53:33Z In many different ways, electronic books are different from their paper counterparts. But as Peter Rukavina (Hacker in Residence at the University of PEI Library) argues, "for some reason, we've opted to acquiesce to a system that takes the regular... Dan Misener In many different ways, electronic books are different from their paper counterparts.

But as Peter Rukavina (Hacker in Residence at the University of PEI Library) argues, "for some reason, we've opted to acquiesce to a system that takes the regular old model we're all used to for managing and circulating physical objects and, absurdly, applies it to digital objects."

]]> Back in February, Peter wrote about how he kept fellow Prince Edward Islanders from borrowing an electronic edition of Learn Norwegian - Level 1: Introduction to Norwegian from the public library, in part because the Mac version of Overdrive's software didn't allow him to return it. "This is crazy, and we must demand better, more rational systems from our library, if only because we're making up systems and processes here that will be with us for generations."

Intrigued by Peter's experience, Spark assembled a panel to discuss e-books, public libraries, and artificial scarcity. On the panel:

We plan to air a shorter version of this panel on an upcoming episode of Spark, but the whole thing was so interesting we wanted to publish it here in a longer form.

]]> 212: Get it, Keep it, Fix it tag:www.cbc.ca,2013:/spark//840.291690 2013-03-28T17:00:00Z 2013-03-28T17:01:35Z This week on Spark - Gadgets, and the endless cycle of upgrading to the latest shiny toy. How can we be more thoughtful about our tech devices? The Get it, Keep it, and Fix it guide to gear! Just click... Michelle Parise This week on Spark - Gadgets, and the endless cycle of upgrading to the latest shiny toy. How can we be more thoughtful about our tech devices? The Get it, Keep it, and Fix it guide to gear!

Just click the Listen button, or click here to download the mp3. For related links...


]]> Keeping Your Gadgets

Getting Good Gadgets


Our Unwanted Gadgets


Fixing Your Own Gadgets


]]> 211: Smart Elevators, Design Fiction, Internet Centrism tag:www.cbc.ca,2013:/spark//840.290170 2013-03-20T18:43:07Z 2013-03-22T22:24:30Z This week on Spark - Riding in smart, responsive elevators. Getting skeptical about the internet as a single, abstract force. And designing technologies that don't even exist yet! Just click the Listen button, or click here to download the mp3.... Michelle Parise This week on Spark - Riding in smart, responsive elevators. Getting skeptical about the internet as a single, abstract force. And designing technologies that don't even exist yet!

Just click the Listen button, or click here to download the mp3. For related links...

 

 

]]> Crowdsourcing Secure Elections

Smart Elevators


Design Fiction, Part 1


Design Fiction, Part 2


Internet Centrism


]]> 210: Surveillance, Sharing, Colour tag:www.cbc.ca,2013:/spark//840.288526 2013-03-15T18:50:07Z 2013-03-15T19:16:25Z This week on Spark - We question the modern compulsion to share all the details of our lives with others. A look at surveillance concerns as we continue to capture everything going on around us. And inside colour forecasting. Really!... Michelle Parise This week on Spark - We question the modern compulsion to share all the details of our lives with others. A look at surveillance concerns as we continue to capture everything going on around us. And inside colour forecasting. Really!

Just click the Listen button, or click here to download the mp3. For related links...


]]> Surveillance Society

Colour Forecasting


Public, Private, Sharing


Additional Links

  • During the show you heard brief clips from a Spark interview with author Gary Shteyngart

]]> 209: Distraction, Willpower, Creative Coding tag:www.cbc.ca,2013:/spark//840.286785 2013-03-08T22:00:42Z 2013-03-08T22:29:06Z This week on Spark - Getting things done! Can you outsource your willpower? Is there a way to make a plan and stick to it? Also, designing civil discourse online, and learning to code...creatively! Just click the Listen button, or... Michelle Parise This week on Spark - Getting things done! Can you outsource your willpower? Is there a way to make a plan and stick to it? Also, designing civil discourse online, and learning to code...creatively!

Just click the Listen button, or click here to download the mp3. For related links...


]]> Outsourcing Willpower

Getting Sidetracked


Creative Coding


Discourse Online


]]> The Wirecutter tag:www.cbc.ca,2013:/spark//840.294590 2013-03-08T16:37:54Z 2013-04-25T13:46:11Z Shopping for gadgets can be crazy-making. If you're in the market for a new camera, or monitor, or TV, there's no shortage of ways to get product recommendations. There are tech blogs, and product review sites, and user reviews on... Dan Misener Shopping for gadgets can be crazy-making.

If you're in the market for a new camera, or monitor, or TV, there's no shortage of ways to get product recommendations. There are tech blogs, and product review sites, and user reviews on Amazon. In the past on Spark, we've covered personalized recommenders like Measy and Hunch. There are well-established players like Consumer Reports. And many of us have geeky friends we turn to when we want to know what we should buy.

Brian Lam's site The Wirecutter aims to cut through all that:

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Consider it a Billboard for electronics; a Casey Kasem Top 40 if Casey Kasem were a geek; a wink and a nod to those engineers who have built something wonderful. The point is to make it easier for you to buy some great gear quickly and get on with your life.

Quite simply, it's a well-researched, opinionated list of what you should buy, category by category.

Need some HDMI cables? There's an article for that. Same for umbrellas. And cheap headphones.

Nora called up Brian Lam to talk about The Wirecutter, why he left Gizmodo, and what's wrong with tech writing in 2013.

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