Tech Marches On
This summer I’ve made a lot of new friends and each time I am introduced, someone will either say “we don’t know what he does” or the dreaded “Nick works in tech”.
The truth is these days I feel embarrassed when someone says I work in tech. That hasn’t always been the case. In the early 2010’s when things were ad-less, exciting and expansive, working on various websites and apps felt fulfilling and meaningful.
Today, ‘tech’ has a different meaning. Sometimes it feels like you say you work in oil and gas or something.
Tech feels predatory and monopolistic. ‘Tech won’t save us’ is a common mantra from the left. Its promises to deliver all kinds of social and environmental benefits have fallen flat.
(I suppose a side note here is that I’ve never really thought about my work as being ‘in tech; but rather sometimes applied to tech. I think about myself as someone who likes to solve problems for people by inventing and creating new or improving exiting things. That doesn’t need to to digital.)
However, technology companies continue to march forward with all kinds of new things. Recent notable ones are the Humane AI Pin, Apple Vision Pro and… well all things Generative AI.
This is the new wave, and it’s all going to be AI powered and on our heads or on our shirts or something. No one really knows.
So today I’m sharing some recent things I’ve been reading about all the new things that are coming out.
I've always been keen to try new things. I remember on a trip to NYC in 2016 I walked outside my hotel room onto the busy streets of Manhattan, looked around at everyones ears and immediately darted into the nearest apple store to purchase the gen 1 AirPod’s. I didn’t want to be the only people with the old corded ones.
When I got back to Australia, everyone laughed at me for wearing them around Chapel Street. Fast forward a few years and…well.
Technology is fashion. It’s culture. But it also has to be useful. Things are changing. And today the AI pin does nothing (watch the video below) and the Vison Pro is heavy and you mostly look stupid. But the hot takes will become warm and then cool and then in a few years things will be different and that’s the only thing we know for sure.
I am interested in all of this to the extent that it helps me make things that help other people.
FaceTime is a genuine innovation that I wouldn’t want to live without. Instagram is a different story. But the device is the same.
I’m at risk of ranting so I’ll leave you with some hot takes, videos, meme and other links.
Nick x
Links1985 NYT article explaining why we won't need laptops
LinkApple Vision Pro launch site
LinkVision Pro hardware teardown
Link Humane AI Pin launch site
LinkA very funny video about the AI Pin doing...nothing
Link10 people using Vision Pro in the wild
LinkVision Pro in 'high purchase neighbourhoods' LOL
LinkPerson drive cyber truck while wearing Vision Pro i hate it here
LinkBest of Twitter below :)
