iPad or iFad?

As a lover of all things Apple, I must say that I'm not sure what to make of the iPad.  And while I love my iPhone, this new device seems to be nothing more than a strange "middle-man" between my iphone and my laptop. 

But without a phone, a camera, or a browser that can handle flash yet, I'm not really sure what the iPad will do that my laptop already can't...or that my iPhone can do better.  And once I saw that the iPad has a real keyboard accessory (huh?!), I'm not really sure if this isn't just a big-ticket vanity item for those who need more of what they already have.  I guess I'm waiting to be proved wrong.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/28/technology/companies/28apple.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60R5J620100128

Internet Freedom Is Not a Universal Value...REALLY?

While there is more to this article than what I will expound upon, I find a few parts quick alarming.  Bruce Nussbaum takes such a strangely conservative stance in this article...one that I cannot agree with.  He says that internet freedom is not a universal value, and that countries like China are fine without it, since many of their citizens have no problem with the censoring of pro-taiwan/pro-tibet articles.


Much like Mr. Nussbaum, I have recently visited China, too...and while I had many conversations with the Chinese people about how Tibet and Taiwan are a part of their country, I would in no way say that these topics should be restricted from their internet access, or that a majority opinion (due to lack of knowledge) should dictate what is and what isn't accessible.

I also find the last line about universal healthcare equally problematic... "European nations mandate universal health care as a "universal" right. How do Americans feel about that?"  I feel that more Americans would believe in universal healthcare if the truth about it was not filtered by our large media-controlling corporations and their multitude of fear-tactics.  If we are kept in the dark here, then just like the Chinese who are being "kept in the dark", I feel someone needs to turn the light on...and at least offer the other side up for consumption.

LINK

The Truth About Robots and the Uncanny Valley

A very interesting article about a theory called "the uncanny valley", which I had never heard of until this Popular Mechanics article.  It surmises that as robots and robotic technology move towards a shared likeness with humanity, the fact these robots will look and act nearly - but not exactly - like us will cause human feelings to move from fondness to revulsion towards the robot.

While the article seems to say that "the uncanny valley" is a very loose theory, and very hard to prove, I find it fascinating to think about.  I have always been a bit unnerved about the way our present-day robots try to be so life-like, yet obviously lack many characteristics that would make them human.  And while I don't think revulsion is the right emotion, there is something a bit "off" about it all.

Imagine one day - there may be classes or companies that will help us to better relate to our robots, whether they be guardians, friends, or helpers.  Counselors to help us deal with our fears of these life-like creatures, at their essence, will be so much like us.

Link