Some work needing some work

This is the first thing I have written since coming to London. The change of pace from Copenhagen has been difficult to adapt too. Every time I step outside the door, it's some new adventure. As I look for jobs, I have been trying to work on some projects.

Ceramic cutter arm on top

Bottle cutter

There is an abundance of material which is sitting around and could be used to create anything e.g. aluminium cans, newspaper, bottles, fag butts (?)...I thought I would start with wine and beer bottles. With a little help from Instructables, I built version 1.0 of the Bottle Cracker because right now the glass keeps cracking. From Youtube I found that to break the glass, you pour boiling water on the crack, followed by cold water (keep doing it until the crack propagates). So far the results have not been great but I think I need to secure the cutter section more and fix the wheels.

Laser wooden pots

TopPot

Currently working with Andy on a plant pot for kids which comes flat packed with all the 'ingredients' (soil, seeds) and instructions. The idea is to get the kids involved to the point where they connect with the pot (not physically). Hoping to make a prototype soon.

Chair and table/foot rest

Furniture

So I had an interesting experience with a furniture company here in Shoreditch. Sadly, I parted ways as the job description was not what I expected. But I really like furniture and it was a cool company. The idea of modular furniture that packs away neatly (especially when you have a small living space) gives me great pleasure and joy.

This app...OHHHH this app!

Android development

I am no programmer but over the last few weeks I have been dabbling in some code using the online training platform codecademy.com. Tried the Python course and now I am working on HTML/CSS in order to redesign the City Music Tours website. I am very excited about working on apps and as I have a shitty Samsung, I thought I would try Android OS by following the Android Developer training instructions. This has proved to be a headache and at this point I have re-installed the ADT (Android Developer Tools) around 4 times. The funny thing is, the app worked fine the first time round. Hopefully with the help of a very intelligent programmer, I can get this Bidoooo app working.

Tiling

Red lines on white tile

After walking past a gallery in Mayfair and seeing some abstract art, I decided to have a go at it. I found some tiles in the house and did some abstract stuff. As my friend pointed out, most of that abstract stuff seems to sell according to size of the piece. This piece is 7m x 7m...any takers?

Big data knows best

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

In 2012, as a student, I signed up as a human guinea pig for a neuro feedback experiment at the Danish Technical University, where 'we will study the effect of a neuro feedback by training the power in the upper alpha frequency band'. Over 5 days of one hour training sessions, I sat each morning in a dark, soundproofed room and looked at a bright laptop screen displaying small block patterns. It looked like a slow motion version of Tetris in zero gravity. A wireless apparatus was placed on my head which contained sensors and these were reading levels from the upper alpha frequency band of my brain. The aim, as far as I was concerned, was to focus on the patterns and concentrate on thoughts which affected the blocks and changed their colour from blue to red. I found this very difficult and various thoughts on different topics, including eating food, playing sport, playing music, playing sex etc. resulted in inconsistent developments on the screen. A pre- and post-training comparison involved some visual problem solving and the thesis student I was working for hoped to show that cognitive ability can be improved with 'brain-training'. I, it seemed, had done worse as the week went on...but my low brain activity is not the focus of this article. Here, I will review some evolving technologies relating to big data including biosensors which can use your brain signals to operate electronics, online shopping websites which will deliver goods before you make an order and contact lens that can read your sugar levels.

Neurowear

Neurocam

In November 2013, I attended a lecture at CPH:DOX called 'Emotional Interface: Bridging the Gap between Physical and Digital' given by Tomonori Kagaya, founder of Neurowear at the Danish National Gallery. His group are developing commercialised neuro headsets including the award winning 'Necomimi', 'Neurocam', 'Zen tunes' and other electronic devices which sense changing frequency patterns in the brain to activate different gadgets. An interesting example is the 'Neurocam', which consists of a headset and camera. When we look at different things, our brain reacts; when we look at things we like, our brain will emit signals which are picked up by the sensor. As we walk down the street, the camera is activated when signals are emitted and then at the end of the day, you can look back over the images and be reminded of your exciting day. This gadget is tapping into the signals that we are sub-consciously emitting. If we bring that concept one step further, we could be seeing wireless sensors in the future that can sense changes in the signals emitted by our brains. Just like the evolution in broadband which saw WIFI replace the need for a physical cable connection, these gadgets will evolve to the point where sensors in our smart phones or other devices can read our brain patterns and a new big data source is born.       

Smart bio-sensor contact lenses

Smart contact lens

Recently, Google[x] labs released news about the development of a smart contact lens that can be worn by diabetics and could mean the end of pin-prick glucose level tests. This smart lens contains a micro-chip and glucose sensor which monitors sugar levels by taking readings from tear droplets and transmitting the data wirelessly to a nearby receiver. Another example of a smart contact lens currently in development is one which will allow doctors manage glaucoma, the second major cause of blindness in the world. The sensors in this lens can read the pressure within the eye and if the pressure gets too high (a symptom of glaucoma), doctors can be warned in advance and carry out corrective procedures. As the components in these devices get smaller, cheaper, more flexible and sensitive, they will become more advanced and begin collecting further information about our bodies to add to the big data machine.  

Buy before you try

Amazon have been developing a lean logistics delivery model called 'anticipatory shipping' which will use the consumer data they collect, including past buys, your 'likes' and even where you click your mouse on their website (mouse tracking), to predict future purchases. The patent for this process has been in development since 2012 and the system would work by sending out anticipated orders to unspecified addresses in the hope that purchases of that same product would be made while in transit. Then, in transit, a specific address would be given to the parcel and it would be delivered to the consumer in what would seem to be a very short period of time. If Amazon's algorithms improve further to take into account user trends, demographics, shipping costs and developing sources of big data, we could watch and enjoy a trailer of some newly released DVD, and 30 minutes later, it is in our hands.

Big decisions

Big data knows best?

The above technologies are described very basically to support my previous comments on big data and the future of how we make decisions. As further technologies emerge such as neuro headsets and smart biosensors, and algorithms continue to churn through the data collected by these devices, predictions made about our needs will be closer to the truth. As scientists and engineers continue to unearth more about how and why we make decisions, how could big data be used to satisfy our needs? As the feedback from our bodies and minds supplement any big data decisions made, we could be certain that big data is making the correct decisions for us but might we begin to rely on big data and other supporting technologies to the point that 'Big Data knows best? 

A future with no decisions.

Words like innovation, green, design, up-cycle, entrepreneurship, creative etc. are used like they are going out of fashion. It took me some time to realise that for the most part they are meaningless words used by businesses and people to sound trendy and look like good guys. There is one 'buzzword' however, which I find very interesting and it is 'BIG DATA'. Not usually written in capitals but it should be, I think. I am no expert in the term but perhaps some of the below might clarify something about big data and what makes it interesting to me.

You might remember in the last US election a guy called Nate Silver who was a blogger and actually did a good job of predicting the results of the US election using mathematical models and statistics. (You can find more info here). That same guy has used past data and math models to predict the outcome of baseball and poker games quite successfully. Methods like these are used by bankers, farmers, weathermen etc. to predict future outcomes, so nothing new there.

Big data is the term used to describe all of that information collected about social network users which includes their 'likes', searching habits, what they eat, where they are (e.g. GPS location and Foursquare) where they are going (various flight booking websites) etc. It might not be restricted to social media data but most people are happy to share this information as it is fun and convenient. They might not necessarily know how this data is used or how it could be used in the future because technology is moving so fast, it is hard to keep up with IT legislation which 'protects' users. It is hard to create legislation for something which is not defined to begin with. Some people are doing research on this issue and how to give users more 'rights' and tools to protect their information and how it is used (interesting articles on this here). For now though, it seems that big data is open to the world and they are inferring or predicting some interesting issues from this data.

To die for.

Facebook and Google have been using search results and big data to be where they are now. At the consumer level, Google is doing well promoting products and services (music, images and video through YouTube) that suit your tastes. From search results, Google can put adverts on a page which are likely to suit your preferences from past searches and online activity. So rather than getting an advert for a pink sequin Dior diamond encrusted Nokia phone, I should be getting a black bullet proof phone of some sort which is cheap and reliable for example (yayyyy!). Supposedly, Facebook can now predict your sexual orientation with 88% accuracy based on whether you like Britney Spears etc. (more information on that crazy idea here). So if you liked that video of Bob Dylan, read that article on the Guardian, booked that flight to Istanbul, read that French article on Sarkozy or had a gander at McEntee winning the Meath election in Ireland, all of these 'data points' could be used statistically to predict or infer something about you. It might not be trying to sell you a product directly but could be used to improve your internet experience in order to make you buy something eventually for example. I find this area to be exciting and also very scary but I am not arguing here whether it is right or wrong.

It is hard to define how, why and who collects data or whether it is a by-product of the internet where data has been hoarded and not used 'effectively' until now. With open information and the continuation of big data gathering as we know it today, let us imagine a scenario. It is 2050 and I come home in the evening and I am hungry. I get to the fridge and open it up to find a fresh stuffed chicken, some 'taters and beans. Perfect. I turn on the telly and my favourite TV show is on that I have not seen in ages. A message pops up on the screen to say that I have a flight booked to visit family some place and concert tickets have been booked for a concert I wish to see (at a cheap price). Suddenly, a video pops up of the election results and I am happy with the results because Jessica Delquenta got elected to the Dail as Taoiseach.

Molecular robots (image credit)

In 2050, your data and online habits are used to predict what you want and when you want it. Since you were young, a biotech microchip has been 'installed' in your body which can read various chemistry such as sugar and serotonin (believed to be one of the chemicals which alters our mood) levels for example. It allows your doctor to ensure that you are healthy and fit and can also be used to predict what your body needs or wants such as a stuffed chicken in the evening (or constituents that make up chicken and satisfy your bodies cravings). In this 2050, you don't have to make any decisions yourself because big data is used effectively to do it for you. There will be no elections as we know it today and people will not have to vote. 'Big data' will make the decision for you and it will always be right or 'feel' right to you. If it is wrong, you or your body dislikes it. No more pink diamond phones. It won't be a cut off world where we are just individuals using Facebook and staring at the world through a screen. Your environment will adapt with your needs and 'likes' and will allow you to spend less time making wrong choices!

Does this mean an end to 'choice' as we know it? Depending on how you define choice, this system could work very well. Imagine in 2050 that the next level of big data gathering works offline as well as online. With biotech, we have the ability to measure responses in our body due to external stimuli, for example; diamond phone makes me unhappy, keeping the elderly off the streets makes me happy. It knows your political preferences and knows that the elderly is a big issue for you and can predict who you would elect for government to improve conditions for the elderly etc. Can big data be used to make more informed decisions for you?! My way of life, interests, habits, health, relationships etc. can all be used to predict what I 'want'. Are we unknowingly, through how we live online, transferring the need to choose and make decisions into the hands of big data? Is it already happening now?