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Tag: Technology

Good news for low and no mobility people (and sci fi nerds!) – brain chips are officially science FACT. This breakthrough isn’t exactly new, but it’s expanding at a mind-numbing (get it?) rate. Less than a hundred people worldwide have functioning brain-computer interfaces installed, but these folks are able to live with comparative ease. They can scroll the web, make calls, turn lights on and off, and play games – all without having to move a muscle. Instead, the chip installed in the top of the head reads brain signals and sends the messages to their computer. With efforts to take the hardware worldwide underway, we’re looking at a future where tech is quite literally a part of us. Your kids might opt into a computer in their brains as easily as they would a new cell phone. 
You may have heard something this week about what appeared to be the crypto apocalypse, (and the millennial founder of a massive cryptocurrency exchange as one of the four horsemen). Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) has fled the US following a total meltdown of his platform FTX, and is in custody in the Bahamas. $10 Billion (with a B) in user funds have been wiped from the slate. Whispers of political corruption, money laundering, and worse have been making the rounds on every social media platform. The US government is stepping in, and we are witnessing the dawning of a new age of digital currency. This Enron-level catastrophe might be the canary in the coalmine – or it could signal a radical shift in public awareness and understanding. We’re talking about Decentralization, of course – and this might sound familiar to you. We’ve covered the broad strokes in past issues, and now we see an opportunity to give you a little more context. Before we dive in, there’s a silver lining to this thundercloud: the first-ever member of Gen Z is making his way to congress. This means that the generation that will be most affected by these radical changes is already stepping up to do their part.
Ahh, the car of the future. We probably won’t be in Jetsons territory for a few years yet, but…we’re getting there. In the early 2000s, folks were a little freaked out by the Prius. A few years ago, the Tesla seemed like an alien spacecraft. And tomorrow…well, we might be looking at some unusual designs and features that make the old school look like they came from the stone age. But will the novelty trend catch? Or will we see a wave of nostalgia like we are now, a longing for manual shift drive and good old fashioned gasoline power? Gen Z is quick to adopt new technology, but they’re also a thoughtful and poignant generation. They don’t seem as easily wooed as one might expect. So where are we going from here? Hop in, and we’ll take a peek.
Did you know most people spend around seven hours a day on their devices? Whether it’s a phone, a computer, or a TV, “screen” technology has become a major part of our day-to-day lives. Now what if we told you that this would lead to your great-great-grandchildren having hunchbacks, clawed hands, and a second eyelid…for the screen-brightness, of course. A depiction of this “future human” has gone viral on social media, and while it is rather unsettling (it’s horrifying), it’s raising awareness to the very real damage we do to our bodies while enjoying our modern lives. 
Elon, Elon, Elon…after what feels like an eternity, Elon Musk’s purchase of social media platform, Twitter, is complete. As promised (dare we say feared), so too came the structural changes that may quite well signal the end of an era. Content moderation reforms, advertiser exits (right behind executive firings), and questions about the company’s ability to sustain itself financially are at the forefront of most news sources this week. Oh…did we mention that you’ll probably be able to buy a “blue-check” verification soon. As a subscription service, of course. We’re sureeeeee spending money on a previously free (and exclusive) feature is exactly what’s going to keep users happy. Just kidding – Twitter has seen a steady decline in users for the past couple of years, with their already low Zoomer demographic decreasing even more (not to mention the decline of Twitter in general). Click over to the full article to learn more about the status of this dumpster fire.
Any guesses who’s next up on the creative chopping block? It might be musicians. When traditional artists saw what Dall-E and Midjourney were doing to the world of digital art, many of them panicked and pushed back. The AI art boom is still going, and now the next wave of Artificial content is on the rise. Meet AI generated music – algorithms are stripping lyrics and vocals from popular artists and handing over the tools to anyone who cares to learn how to use them. This means that the Drake song you’re hearing might not be sung by Drake. Anyone with a keyboard can co-opt Beyonce. Like with other legal disputes within the sphere of Artificial Intelligence, there are no guardrails in place yet. But we might see some interesting developments in the next generation of music: namely, artists may seize this opportunity to make some cash, and any blossoming musician might be able to sound just like their heroes.
The future of relationships is looking mighty strange, folks. About a decade ago, it was a little funny to hear that a couple had met online and were going strong. “How are you supposed to make genuine connections through the internet?” was a common enough question. Then online dating and matchmaking became deliberate, and apps like Tinder and Plenty Of Fish took off. According to statistics, almost 40% of couples today met digitally. So what will the future hold? There’s a new trend emerging in the world of URL-to-IRL romance – one where the partner isn’t a real person at all. Does this signal the rise of one-sided relationships? Or will the trend collapse and be nothing more than an internet historical footnote? One thing is clear: the traditional guidelines for dating are becoming more blurred than ever.
Rarely do we stop and actually say “what the”, but during this week’s meeting the staff had an extended conversation with many iterations of WTF being expressed. And how could we not when weaponized robotic dogs are being deployed ever so casually, via drone, in China. It’s a WTF moment if there ever was one. What’s even crazier is that Netflix has a show that predicted this mechanical monster’s creation (with surprising accuracy) all the way back in 2017…if you want us to get really weird, we can do a deep dive on how that show has a habit of predicting more than a few dystopian events. The full article takes you to more about these four legged robo-fiends, just click through!
The world of work is getting weirder, and is showing no signs of returning to normal anytime soon. As Gen Z prepares to leave home or college, they’re entering into uncharted territory where the workforce is concerned. So what kind of wackiness is unfolding inside the corporate machine?
Kim K is the latest in the celebrity world to land in hot water following a foray into cryptocurrency. She's been slapped with a hefty fine from the SEC, and it’s cost her some street cred. Are we witnessing a heightened awareness from younger generations where their celebrity idols are concerned?

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