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mariacallous · 6 months ago

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AI projects like OpenAI’s ChatGPT get part of their savvy from some of the lowest-paid workers in the tech industry—contractors often in poor countries paid small sums to correct chatbots and label images. On Wednesday, 97 African workers who do AI training work or online content moderation for companies like Meta and OpenAI published an open letter to President Biden, demanding that US tech companies stop “systemically abusing and exploiting African workers.”

Most of the letter’s signatories are from Kenya, a hub for tech outsourcing, whose president, William Ruto, is visiting the US this week. The workers allege that the practices of companies like Meta, OpenAI, and data provider Scale AI “amount to modern day slavery.” The companies did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A typical workday for African tech contractors, the letter says, involves “watching murder and beheadings, child abuse and rape, pornography and bestiality, often for more than 8 hours a day.” Pay is often less than $2 per hour, it says, and workers frequently end up with post-traumatic stress disorder, a well-documented issue among content moderators around the world.

The letter’s signatories say their work includes reviewing content on platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram, as well as labeling images and training chatbot responses for companies like OpenAI that are developing generative-AI technology. The workers are affiliated with the African Content Moderators Union, the first content moderators union on the continent, and a group founded by laid-off workers who previously trained AI technology for companies such as Scale AI, which sells datasets and data-labeling services to clients including OpenAI, Meta, and the US military. The letter was published on the site of the UK-based activist group Foxglove, which promotes tech-worker unions and equitable tech.

In March, the letter and news reports say, Scale AI abruptly banned people based in Kenya, Nigeria, and Pakistan from working on Remotasks, Scale AI’s platform for contract work. The letter says that these workers were cut off without notice and are “owed significant sums of unpaid wages.”

“When Remotasks shut down, it took our livelihoods out of our hands, the food out of our kitchens,” says Joan Kinyua, a member of the group of former Remotasks workers, in a statement to WIRED. “But Scale AI, the big company that ran the platform, gets away with it, because it’s based in San Francisco.”

Though the Biden administration has frequently described its approach to labor policy as “worker-centered.” The African workers’ letter argues that this has not extended to them, saying “we are treated as disposable.”

“You have the power to stop our exploitation by US companies, clean up this work and give us dignity and fair working conditions,” the letter says. “You can make sure there are good jobs for Kenyans too, not just Americans."

Tech contractors in Kenya have filed lawsuits in recent years alleging that tech-outsourcing companies and their US clients such as Meta have treated workers illegally. Wednesday’s letter demands that Biden make sure that US tech companies engage with overseas tech workers, comply with local laws, and stop union-busting practices. It also suggests that tech companies “be held accountable in the US courts for their unlawful operations aboard, in particular for their human rights and labor violations.”

The letter comes just over a year after 150 workers formed the African Content Moderators Union. Meta promptly laid off all of its nearly 300 Kenya-based content moderators, workers say, effectively busting the fledgling union. The company is currently facing three lawsuits from more than 180 Kenyan workers, demanding more humane working conditions, freedom to organize, and payment of unpaid wages.

“Everyone wants to see more jobs in Kenya,” Kauna Malgwi, a member of the African Content Moderators Union steering committee, says. “But not at any cost. All we are asking for is dignified, fairly paid work that is safe and secure.”

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zootycutieart · 6 months ago

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Making Gadgetini OCs was inevitable for me eventually, and these ideas came surprisingly easy for me. XD

A few years after the Gadgetinis were made, missions got riskier and CPUs slowly got more outdated. While Penny was able to keep the two up to date well enough, technology was still growing. Not wanting to do too risky an overhaul on the Gadgetinis, she decided to test on an additional set of partners for them. Smaller, more compact, and focused more on information than combat, they're the Gadgetinitinies!

Rivet is the eldest of the two, and is the link partner of Digit. What looks like a beauty mark is actually a communication hub, featuring technology from one of Penny's older laptops. As such, she's always connected to the internet. She knows facts about everything, for every location, for every new trend, for every bit of pop culture! One of her biggest flaws, unfortunately, comes from her information. Knowing so much about everything has made her self-conscious about her appearance. As such, she keeps herself meticulous, never missing a beat to make sure she looks her best, and the slightest bit of disarray can cause her to metaphorically bluescreen until she gets to looking the best, much to her detriment on the field.

Widget is the younger of the two, and is the link partner of Fidget. While she lacks her older sisters smarts, she instead makes up for it with better agility. Far more spatially aware, she can calculate the exact way to get into a location, squeeze through hidden spots better than anyone else, and is good at remembering directions. However, despite being able to do all this, she is unfortunately won over very easily by material things. Promise her a Horridoll or some merchandise for Technipets and she's easily distracted. This can work for the side of the heroes to get her motivation going, but it can also be her detriment if the villains try the same.

Gadgetinis © DiC

Rivet, Widget, and artwork © ZootyCutie (that's me!)

#zootycutie's art #inspector gadget #gadget and the gadgetinis #gadgetinis #own characters #fan characters #gadgetinitinies #rivet #widget

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theculturedmarxist · 1 year ago

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SHANGHAI — Over the past generation, China’s most important relationships were with the more developed world, the one that used to be called the “first world.” Mao Zedong proclaimed China to be the leader of a “third” (non-aligned) world back in the 1970s, and the term later came to be a byword for deprivation. The notion of China as a developing country continues to this day, even as it has become a superpower; as the tech analyst Dan Wang has joked, China will always remain developing — once you’re developed, you’re done.

Fueled by exports to the first world, China became something different — something not of any of the three worlds. We’re still trying to figure out what that new China is and how it now relates to the world of deprivation — what is now called the Global South, where the majority of human beings alive today reside. But amid that uncertainty, Chinese exports to the Global South now exceed those to the Global North considerably — and they’re growing.

The International Monetary Fund expects Asian countries to account for 70% of growth globally this year. China must “shape a new international system that is conducive to hedging against the negative impacts of the West’s decoupling,” the scholar and former People’s Liberation Army theorist Cheng Yawen wrote recently. That plan starts with Southeast Asia and extends throughout the Global South, a terrain that many Chinese intellectuals see as being on their side in the widening divide between the West and the rest.

“The idea is that what China is today, fast-growing countries from Bangladesh to Brazil could be tomorrow.”

China isn’t exporting plastic trinkets to these places but rather the infrastructure for telecommunications, transportation and digitally driven “smart cities.” In other words, China is selling the developmental model that raised its people out of obscurity and poverty to developed global superpower status in a few short decades to countries with people who have decided that they want that too.

The world China is reorienting itself to is a world that, in many respects, looks like China did a generation ago. On offer are the basics of development — education, health care, clean drinking water, housing. But also more than that — technology, communication and transportation.

Back in April, on the eve of a trip to China, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva sat down for an interview with Reuters. “I am going to invite Xi Jinping to come to Brazil,” he said, “to get to know Brazil, to show him the projects that we have of interest for Chinese investment. … What we want is for the Chinese to make investments to generate new jobs and generate new productive assets in Brazil.” After Lula and Xi had met, the Brazilian finance minister proclaimed that “President Lula wants a policy of reindustrialization. This visit starts a new challenge for Brazil: bringing direct investments from China.” Three months later, the battery and electric vehicle giant BYD announced a $624 million investment to build a factory in Brazil, its first outside Asia.

Across the Global South, fast-growing countries from Bangladesh to Brazil can send raw materials to China and get technological devices in exchange. The idea is that what China is today, they could be tomorrow.

At The Kunming Institute of Botany

In April, I went to Kunming to visit one of China’s most important environmental conservation outfits — the Kunming Institute of Botany. Like the British Museum’s antiquities collected from everywhere that the empire once extended, the seed bank here (China’s largest) aspires to acquire thousands of samples of various plant species and become a regional hub for future biotech research.

From the Kunming train station, you can travel by Chinese high-speed rail to Vientiane; if all goes according to plan, the line will soon be extended to Bangkok. At Yunnan University across town, the economics department researches “frontier economics” with an eye to Southeast Asian neighboring states, while the international relations department focuses on trade pacts within the region and a community of anthropologists tries to figure out what it all means.

Kunming is a bland, air-conditioned provincial capital in a province of startling ethnic and geographic diversity. In this respect, it is a template for Chinese development around Southeast Asia. Perhaps in the future, Dhaka, Naypyidaw and Phnom Penh will provide the reassuring boredom of a Kunming afternoon.

Imagine you work at the consulate of Bangladesh in Kunming. Why are you in Kunming? What does Kunming have that you want?

The Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore lyrically described Asia’s communities as organic and spiritual in contrast with the materialism of the West. As Tagore spoke of the liberatory powers of art, his Chinese listeners scoffed. The Chinese poet Wen Yiduo, who moved to Kunming during World War II and is commemorated with a statue at Yunnan Normal University in Kunming, wrote that Tagore’s work had no form: “The greatest fault in Tagore’s art is that he has no grasp of reality. Literature is an expression of life and even metaphysical poetry cannot be an exception. Everyday life is the basic stuff of literature, and the experiences of life are universal things.”

“Xi Jinping famously said that China doesn’t export revolution. But what else do you call train lines, 5G connectivity and scientific research centers appearing in places that previously had none of these things?”

If Tagore’s Bengali modernism championed a spiritual lens for life rather than the materiality of Western colonialists, Chinese modernists decided that only by being more materialist than Westerners could they regain sovereignty. Mao had said rural deprivation was “一穷二白” — poor and empty; Wen accused Tagore’s poetry of being formless. Hegel sneered that Asia had no history, since the same phenomena simply repeated themselves again and again — the cycle of planting and harvest in agricultural societies.

For modernists, such societies were devoid of historical meaning in addition to being poor and readily exploited. The amorphous realm of the spirit was for losers, the Chinese May 4th generation decided. Railroads, shipyards and electrification offered salvation.

Today, as Chinese roads, telecoms and entrepreneurs transform Bangladesh and its peers in the developing world, you could say that the argument has been won by the Chinese. Chinese infrastructure creates a new sort of blank generic urban template, one seen first in Shenzhen, then in Kunming and lately in Vientiane, Dhaka or Indonesian mining towns.

The sleepy backwaters of Southeast Asia have seen previous waves of Chinese pollinators. Low Lan Pak, a tin miner from Guangdong, established a revolutionary state in Indonesia in the 18th century. Li Mi, a Kuomintang general, set up an independent republic in what is now northern Myanmar after World War II.

New sorts of communities might walk on the new roads and make calls on the new telecom networks and find work in the new factories that have been built with Chinese technology and funded by Chinese money across Southeast Asia. One Bangladeshi investor told me that his government prefers direct investment to aid — aid organizations are incentivized to portray Bangladesh as eternally poor, while Huawei and Chinese investors play up the country’s development prospects and bright future. In the latter, Bangladeshis tend to agree.

“Is China a place, or is it a recipe for social structure that can be implemented generically anywhere?”

The majority of human beings alive today live in a world of not enough: not enough food; not enough security; not enough housing, education, health care; not enough rights for women; not enough potable water. They are desperate to get out of there, as China has. They might or might not like Chinese government policies or the transactional attitudes of Chinese entrepreneurs, but such concerns are usually of little importance to countries struggling to bootstrap their way out of poverty.

The first world tends to see the third as a rebuke and a threat. Most Southeast Asian countries have historically borne abuse in relationship to these American fears. Most American companies don’t tend to see Pakistan or Bangladesh or Sumatra as places they’d like invest money in. But opportunity beckons for Chinese companies seeking markets outside their nation’s borders and finding countries with rapidly growing populations and GDPs. Imagine a Huawei engineer in a rural Bangladeshi village, eating a bad lunch with the mayor, surrounded by rice paddies — he might remember the Hunan of his childhood.

Xi Jinping famously said that China doesn’t export revolution. But what else do you call train lines, 5G connectivity and scientific research centers appearing in places that previously had none of these things?

Across the vastness of a world that most first-worlders would not wish to visit, Chinese entrepreneurs are setting up electric vehicle and battery companies, installing broadband and building trains. The world that is looming into view on Huawei’s 2022 business report is one in which Asia is the center of the global economy and China sits at its core, the hub from which sophisticated and carbon-neutral technologies are distributed. Down the spokes the other way come soybeans, jute and nickel. Lenin’s term for this kind of political economy was imperialism.

If the Chinese economy is the set of processes that created and create China, then its exports today are China — technologies, knowledge, communication networks, forms of organization. But is China a place, or is it a recipe for social structure that can be implemented generically anywhere?

Huawei Station

Huawei’s connections to the Chinese Communist Party remain unclear, but there is certainly a case of elective affinities. Huawei’s descriptions of selfless, nameless engineers working to bring telecoms to the countryside of Bangladesh is reminiscent of Party propaganda and “socialist realist” art. As a young man, Ren Zhengfei, Huawei’s CEO, spent time in the Chongqing of Mao’s “third front,” where resources were redistributed to develop new urban centers; the logic of starting in rural areas and working your way to the center, using infrastructure to rappel your way up, is embedded within the Maoist ideas that he studied at the time. Today, it underpins Huawei’s business development throughout the Global South.

I stopped by the Huawei Analyst Summit in April to see if I could connect the company’s history to today. The Bildungsroman of Huawei’s corporate development includes battles against entrenched state-owned monopolies in the more developed parts of the country. The story goes that Huawei couldn’t make inroads in established markets against state-owned competitors, so got started in benighted rural areas where the original leaders had to brainstorm what to do if rats ate the cables or rainstorms swept power stations away; this story is mobilized today to explain their work overseas.

Perhaps at one point, Huawei could have been just another boring corporation selling plastic objects to consumers across the developed world, but that time ended definitively with Western sanctions in 2019, effectively banning the company from doing business in the U.S. The sanctions didn’t kill Huawei, obviously, and they may have made it stronger. They certainly made it weirder, more militant and more focused on the markets largely scorned by the Ericssons and Nokias of the world. Huawei retrenched to its core strength: providing rural and remote areas with access to connectivity across difficult terrain with the intention that these networks will fuel telehealth and digital education and rapidly scale the heights of development.

Huawei used to do this with dial-up modems in China, but now it is building 5G networks across the Global South. The Chinese government is supportive of these efforts; Huawei’s HQ has a subway station named for the company, and in 2022 the government offered the company massive subsidies.

“For many countries in the Global South, the model of development exemplified by Shenzhen seems plausible and attainable.”

For years, the notion of an ideological struggle between the U.S. and China was dismissed; China is capitalist, they said. Just look at the Louis Vuitton bags. This misses a central truth of the economy of the 21st century. The means of production now are internet servers, which are used for digital communication, for data farms and blockchain, for AI and telehealth. Capitalists control the means of production in the United States, but the state controls the means of production in China. In the U.S. and countries that implicitly accept its tech dominance, private businesspeople dictate the rules of the internet, often to the displeasure of elected politicians who accuse them of rigging elections, fueling inequality or colluding with communists. The difference with China, in which the state has maintained clear regulatory control over the internet since the early days, couldn’t be clearer.

The capitalist system pursues frontier technologies and profits, but companies like Huawei pursue scalability to the forgotten people of the world. For better or worse, it’s San Francisco or Shenzhen. For many countries in the Global South, the model of development exemplified by Shenzhen seems more plausible and attainable. Nobody thinks they can replicate Silicon Valley, but many seem to think they can replicate Chinese infrastructure-driven middle-class consumerism.

As Deng Xiaoping said, it doesn’t matter if it is a black cat or a white cat, just get a cat that catches mice. Today, leaders of Global South countries complain about the ideological components of American aid; they just want a cat that can catch their mice. Chinese investment is blank — no ideological strings attached. But this begs the question: If China builds the future of Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Laos, then is their future Chinese?

Telecommunications and 5G is at the heart of this because connectivity can enable rapid upgrades in health and education via digital technology such as telehealth, whereby people in remote villages are able to consult with doctors and hospitals in more developed regions. For example, Huawei has retrofitted Thailand’s biggest and oldest hospital with 5G to communicate with villages in Thailand’s poor interior — the sort of places a new Chinese high-speed train line could potentially provide links with the outside world — offering Thai villagers without the ability to travel into town the opportunity to get medical treatments and consultations remotely.

The IMF has proposed that Asia’s developing belt “should prioritize reforms that boost innovation and digitalization while accelerating the green energy transition,” but there is little detail about who exactly ought to be doing all of that building and connecting. In many cases and places, it’s Chinese infrastructure and companies like Huawei that are enabling Thai villagers to live as they do in Guizhou.

Chinese Style Modernization?

The People’s Republic of China is “infinitely stronger than the Soviet Union ever was,” the U.S. ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, told��Politico in April. This prowess “is based on the extraordinary strength of the Chinese economy — its science and technology research base, its innovative capacity and its ambitions in the Indo-Pacific to be the dominant power in the future.” This increasingly feels more like the official position of the U.S. government than a random comment.

Ten years ago, Xi Jinping proposed the notion of a “maritime Silk Road” to the Indonesian Parliament. Today, Indonesia is building an entirely new capital — Nusantara — for which China is providing “smart city” technologies. Indonesia has a complex history with ethnic Chinese merchants, who played an intermediary role between Indigenous people and Western colonists in the 19th century and have been seen as CCP proxies for the past half century or so. But the country is nevertheless moving decisively towards China’s pole, adopting Chinese developmental rhythms and using Chinese technology and infrastructure to unlock the door to the future. “The internet, roads, ports, logistics — most of these were built by Chinese companies,” observed a local scholar.

The months since the 20th Communist Party Congress have seen the introduction of what Chinese diplomats call “Chinese-style modernization,” a clunky slogan that can evoke the worst and most boring agitprop of the Soviet era. But the concept just means exporting Chinese bones to other social bodies around the world.

If every apartment decorated with IKEA furniture looks the same, prepare for every city in booming Asia to start looking like Shenzhen. If you like clean streets, bullet trains, public safety and fast Wi-Fi, this may not be a bad thing.

Chinese trade with Southeast Asia is roughly double that between China and the U.S., and Chinese technology infrastructure is spreading out from places like the “Huawei University” at Indonesia’s Bandung Institute of Technology, which plans to train 100,000 telecom engineers in the next five years. We’re about to see a generation of “barefoot doctors” throughout Southeast Asia traveling by moped across landscapes of underdevelopment connected to hubs of medical data built by Chinese companies with Chinese technology.

In 1955, the year of the Bandung Conference in Indonesia, the non-aligned world was almost entirely poor, cut off from the means of production in a world where nearly 50% of GDP globally was in the U.S. Today, the logic of that landmark conference is alive today in Chinese informal networks across the Global South, with the key difference that China can now offer these countries the possibility of building their own future without talking to anyone from the Global North.

Welcome to the Sinosphere, where the tides of Chinese development lap over its borders into the remote forests of tropical Asia, and beyond.

#china #economics #capitalism #communism #hmm

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cognitivejustice · 4 months ago

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Creating the world’s “greenest” highway in a desert city: URB city design

Bagherian’s concept includes “water-sensitive landscape design” that includes native flora and drought-resistant plants suited to the arid climate, and soil mixed with zeolite, an absorbent crystal that aids water retention.

These “passive techniques” are complemented with smart irrigation technology, he added, “which use real-time data to adjust watering schedules based on soil moisture levels, weather forecasts, and plant needs.”

Smart tech and solar-power

The autonomous solar-powered tram is just one aspect of the proposed highway’s transport system: above the tram line, a network of green areas, parks and overpasses would increase connectivity and walkability of the city, which is currently tough to navigate on foot.

The highway would also integrate smart technology, such as “internet of things” (IoT) sensors, to manage traffic and optimize energy use.

Bagherian’s designs allow for 300-megawatt solar panels and a storage system to be embedded in the tracks, that would power the tram line, as well as generate clean energy for an estimated 130,000 homes.

And the green spaces — including parks and community gardens — would provide space for one million trees, which would also help cool the city and improve air quality.

Source

#solarpunk #solar punk #solarpunk aesthetic #solarpunk city #urb #dubai

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esconpanache · 5 months ago

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Escon Panache: Unmatched Location and Architectural Excellence

Escon Panache, where luxury living meets unparalleled convenience and design brilliance. Our commitment to delivering an extraordinary lifestyle is embodied in two of our standout features: our unmatched location and architectural excellence. Let’s delve into what makes Escon the pinnacle of sophisticated living.

Unmatched Location: The Heart of Convenience

At Escon Panache Villas, location isn’t just about being in a prime area; it’s about being at the epicenter of a vibrant, well-connected community that enhances your everyday life.

Prime Accessibility

Situated in the heart of the city, Escon Panache offers seamless connectivity to major highways, public transportation hubs, and key urban landmarks. Whether you’re commuting to work, heading out for a weekend getaway, or enjoying a night out in the city, you’re never far from where you need to be.

Serene Surroundings

Escon Panache offers a serene environment, providing a peaceful retreat from bustling city life. Our meticulously landscaped gardens and tranquil courtyards create a sanctuary where you can unwind and rejuvenate.

Architectural Excellence: A Symphony of Design and Innovation

Escon Panache's architectural brilliance is not just about stunning aesthetics; it’s about creating spaces that resonate with elegance, functionality, and sustainability. Our architectural team combines cutting-edge technology with timeless design principles to create living spaces that are both beautiful and practical. Each Villa is a masterpiece of design, featuring spacious layouts, high ceilings, and abundant natural light. The seamless integration of indoor and outdoor spaces allows you to enjoy the beauty of nature from the comfort of your home.

Attention to Detail

Every aspect of Escon Panache architecture is meticulously planned and executed. From the grand entrance lobby to the private balconies offering breathtaking views, no detail is too small. Our dedication to quality craftsmanship ensures that every corner of your home exudes luxury and elegance.

Smart Home Integration

Escon Panache embraces modern living with smart home technology integrated into every Villa. Control your home’s lighting, temperature, and security systems with the touch of a button, offering you convenience and peace of mind.

Experience the Difference

Escon Panache is more than just a place to live; it’s a lifestyle choice. Our unmatched location and architectural excellence set us apart, offering you a harmonious blend of convenience, luxury, and innovation. Discover the epitome of sophisticated living at Escon Panache 4 BHK Villas in Greater Noida, where every detail is designed keeping your comfort in mind.

Visit us today and experience the difference for yourself.

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Ref:-https://esconpanachevilla.blogspot.com/2024/06/escon-panache-unmatched-location-and.html

Location: Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

#4bhkluxuryvillas #esconpanachevillas #4bhkvillaingreaternoida #4bhkvillainnoida #smartluxuryvillas

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digitaldetoxworld · 9 hours ago

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Smart Speakers: The Evolution of Audio Technology and Home Automation

Smart audio systems have transformed from mere audio gadgets to imperative tools inside the modern home, serving as hubs for enjoyment, productiveness, and automation. These modern devices are powered with the aid of synthetic intelligence (AI), combining voice recognition with internet connectivity to provide an unbroken person's enjoyment. This essay explores the origins, functions, programs, demanding situations, and future of clever speakers, emphasizing their growing role in improving comfort and connectivity in normal life.

Smart Speakers

The Origins of Smart Speakers

The idea of a clever speaker began with improvements in AI and herbal language processing (NLP). The first and foremost jump came with voice assistants like Apple’s Siri in 2011, accompanied by the aid of Google Assistant, Microsoft’s Cortana, and Amazon’s Alexa. These technologies laid the foundation for voice-interactive gadgets.

In 2014, Amazon delivered the first Echo speaker, presenting Alexa as its built-in assistant. Initially, the Echo became seen as a novelty, allowing customers to invite primary questions or manage a few clever home gadgets. However, its ability to integrate with different clever gadgets quickly gained traction, and main competitors like Google and Apple developed their very own clever speaker traces.

Key Features of Smart Speakers

Voice Recognition and Assistance

Smart speakers depend upon superior microphones and NLP algorithms to system voice instructions. They can solve questions, offer weather updates, examine the information, and perform net searches.

Smart Home Integration

A cornerstone of smart speakers is their potential to govern clever home gadgets inclusive of lighting, thermostats, door locks, and protection cameras. Through structures like Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit, these gadgets act as centralized controllers for a linked home.

Entertainment

From streaming song and podcasts to gambling audiobooks, clever audio systems are designed for leisure. They combine with services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Audible, delivering super sound tailored to users’ choices.

Personalization

Modern clever speakers can understand individual voices, providing customized responses, calendars, and playlists. This characteristic ensures that every person gets a custom-designed revel in.

Multi-Room Audio

Many smart speakers support multi-room audio setups, allowing users to synchronize track playback across more than one gadget in distinct rooms.

Third-Party Skills and Apps

Developers can create "talents" (Alexa) or "moves" (Google Assistant) to enlarge functionality. These range from ordering meals to playing interactive games, making the devices flexible and adaptable.

Applications of Smart Speakers

Home Automation

Smart audio systems serve as the mind of clever houses. They connect with devices like smart bulbs, thermostats, and appliances, allowing users to govern their houses with easy voice commands. For instance, announcing, “Turn off the lights,” can extinguish lighting fixtures within the entire house.

Productivity and Time Management

Users can set reminders, alarms, and timers or control their schedules using a smart audio system. Integration with productiveness apps like Google Calendar and Microsoft To-Do allows users to stay organized.

Accessibility

For people with disabilities, clever speakers offer an available interface for controlling gadgets, gaining access to records, or communicating. Voice commands dispose of the want for physical interaction, making era more inclusive.

Education and Information

Smart audio systems act as educational gear, answering queries on numerous topics, translating languages, and even supporting math problems. They are an increasingly number of used in classrooms to guide learning.

Entertainment and Relaxation

In addition to gambling music, smart audio systems provide meditation guides, bedtime memories, and interactive games. Some models, just like the Echo Show, encompass displays for video playback and recipe tutorials.

Shopping and E-commerce

Users could make purchases through clever speakers, check product availability, or order groceries. Integration with platforms like Amazon permits voice-based total buying studies.

Challenges and Concerns

Despite their several advantages, smart audio systems face demanding situations, specifically around privateness, protection, and consumer acceptance as true with.

Privacy Issues

Smart audio systems are continually listening for wake phrases like "Alexa" or "Hey Google," elevating issues about information collection and inadvertent recordings. Users often worry approximately how their voice facts are saved and utilized by organizations.

Security Vulnerabilities

Being connected to the net makes smart speakers prone to hacking. Cybersecurity professionals have proven how vulnerabilities in these devices can expose touchy information or furnish unauthorized access to smart domestic structures.

Misunderstandings and Errors

Voice reputation era, though superior, is not foolproof. Misinterpretation of instructions can lead to accidental movements, irritating users.

Digital Dependency

Overreliance on smart audio systems might also make contribution to a decline in important thinking or the ability to carry out obligations without technological help.

Compatibility Issues

Not all smart domestic devices are compatible with every smart speaker. This fragmentation can be complicated for consumers looking to build cohesive smart ecosystems.

The Future of Smart Speakers

The destiny of smart speakers lies in more integration, improved AI skills, and stepped forward privateness measures. Key trends shaping their development include:

Advanced AI and Machine Learning

As AI evolves, clever speakers turn into extra intuitive, able to information context and nuanced language. This will permit extra herbal conversations and smarter interactions.

Seamless Integration with IoT

The Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to grow exponentially, and smart audio systems will play a central role in managing interconnected devices. Enhanced interoperability standards like Matter aim to make smart home ecosystems more cohesive.

Enhanced Privacy Features

Future models may additionally encompass on-tool processing, where commands are handled regionally instead of inside the cloud, lowering privateness issues. Companies are also likely to introduce policies that are more transparent regarding records.

Expanded Accessibility

Smart audio systems will continue to cater to diverse populations, with functions like multilingual aid, visible aids for the hearing-impaired, and tactile interfaces for people with constrained mobility.

Immersive Audio Experiences

Advancements in the audio era will make clever audio systems capable of turning in excessive-constancy, 3-D soundscapes, enhancing their role as enjoyment hubs.

Sustainability

With developing environmental attention, manufacturers are focusing on the usage of sustainable materials and strength-efficient additives in clever audio systems.

#Smart Speakers

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argumate · 2 years ago

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(spoilers for Glass Onion)

the first Knives Out told the tragic story of a fucked up family, and family is always a convenient justification for a bunch of messed up people to be hanging out together and one that most of us are all too familiar with in real life.

Glass Onion told the story of a bunch of college (?) friends who hung out together at a particular bar, when one of them brought in a smooth talking idiot loser who must have had superpowers of some kind as he hooked the rest up with successful careers before becoming a billionaire himself based on her work and then betrayed her with the support of the others who defended him in court.

that's already a little weird! "a reclusive rich guy invites a group of people to his private island for a dinner during which someone will be murdered" is a classic premise but having the people all be college friends from way back doesn't add anything when they're already tied together by the fact that they committed perjury to defend the rich guy in exchange for his support!

business partners falling out is a solid premise (The Social Network) and if they were lovers (were they? I'm actually not sure) then that adds even more drama, but having this quite disparate bunch of characters be college friends only matters if you delve into their relationships and group dynamic, which the movie has little interest in doing.

and it's such a wordcel movie, oh my god, it could not be less interested in how a billionaire becomes a billionaire or what distinguishes a good idea from a bad one, it doesn't try to take its own premise seriously at all, unlike the first movie which was at least about a writer who writes books, solid wordcel territory.

look at the characters:

a fashion model / designer who tweets ethnic slurs, except of course she's not racist, she doesn't realise that they're slurs, that's a much worse crime: she's ignorant! she thinks that "sweatshop" is where they make "sweatpants"! classic bluecheck attitude where actual racism doesn't exist and economic exploitation is accidental and the worst crime someone could commit is being unaware of the proper shibboleths.

a Joe Rogan / Alex Jones MRA type ("sorry feminists") who of course is a manbaby pushed around by his mother; obviously he has to die.

the Elon Musk / Adam Neumann billionaire CEO who is both genius opportunist and shambling moron who can barely speak; unclear whether his garbled explanation of "disruption" represents the intellectual bankruptcy of actual disruptors or the writer's lack of comprehension of the term.

a black scientist who is very smart and plays basically no role in the movie; it's unclear why he would commit perjury given that he's the smartest character and could just go work somewhere else, hopefully not the implication that structural racism prevents him from doing so and the bad guy is the only person who will give him a job (???).

a female politician who commits to a (dangerous?) powerplant design in exchange for campaign funding, the closest time the movie comes to actually touching on a meaningful issue before quickly skittering away.

technology is writing "AI" on a napkin and having that be worth billions of dollars, while knowing the right words to say and how to say them is a Prized Skill that is actually Important.

(it's notable that the woman who is supposedly going to start the next Google ("Alpha") moves to the well-known tech hub of New York after finishing high school, not San Francisco!)

now these may seem like silly points to harp on for what is a silly murder mystery movie but the lack of sincere commitment to the premise undermines the emotional arc of the characters: it could be a comedy about them finally breaking free of the self-interest that has kept them loyal to the bad guy, or a tragedy about the ramifications of failing to break free and continuing their descent into hatred for each other and themselves, but both of those possibilities fall flat if the writers don't really care as why should we.

the hero and protagonist of the story ends up being the victim's sister, but the victim herself is barely given the chance to speak, let alone to explain what she saw in the bad guy, why she made that deal with the devil, and what other compromises she made to create a giant AI tech empire (!).

there are better stories here waiting to be told.

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sonetra-keth · 4 years ago

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SMART CITY

A Smart City is an urban development concept that integrates information and communication technology (ICT) and various Internet of Things (IoT) devices to enhance residents' quality of life, improve urban services, and optimize resource efficiency. It is an urbanization that uses innovative technology to enhance community services and economic opportunities, improve city infrastructure, reduce costs and resource consumption, and increase civic engagement. Smart Cities leverage data and technology to address urban challenges and create sustainable, connected, and efficient urban environments.

A smart city is an urban area that uses digital technologies to improve the quality of life for its citizens, promote economic growth, and foster sustainable development:

Uses technology: Smart cities use technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and data analytics to collect and analyze real-time data.

Improves services: Smart cities use technology to improve services like transportation, water supply, waste disposal, and building lighting and heating.

Enhances the urban environment: Smart cities use technology to create safer public spaces and meet the needs of an aging population.

Promotes economic growth: Smart cities use technology to optimize city functions and promote economic development.

Improves quality of life: Smart cities use technology to improve the quality of life for citizens.

Fosters sustainable development: Smart cities use technology to reduce emissions and improve resource use.

IEEE Standards Help Enable Smart City Technologies for Humanity

As cities transform into vibrant centers of technology and creativity, the vertical skyline emerges as an innovative solution to urban issues. This architectural breakthrough changes our perception of space and relationship with the environment. High-rise buildings featuring green terraces and solar panels create a sustainable landscape within concrete jungles. The vertical skyline signifies the blend of nature and technology, with smart structures using sensor-driven systems to enhance energy efficiency and residents' quality of life. Vertical gardens boost air purification and provide peaceful retreats from city life. In this advanced setting, commuting is revolutionized with high-speed elevators and sky bridges, while drones deliver goods, reducing traffic. Community is essential in the vertical skyline, as shared spaces encourage social bonds. Rooftop parks and communal amenities foster relationships and inclusivity in urban planning, ensuring accessibility for all. As we move toward this vision, we must balance innovation with preserving cultural identity and incorporating local art and history into the design. Ultimately, the vertical skyline embodies a forward-thinking approach to building livable, sustainable, and interconnected urban environments, merging the natural world with the urban experience. As we ascend these high-rise structures, we find not only homes and offices but also spaces dedicated to fostering biodiversity. Rooftop gardens and vertical farms contribute to local food production, reducing the carbon footprint associated with transportation while promoting a farm-to-table ethos within the heart of the city.

The integration of smart technologies enhances waste management and resource efficiency, featuring innovations like composting systems and rainwater harvesting that support sustainability initiatives. Additionally, the use of recycled materials in construction reflects a commitment to minimizing environmental impact, allowing cities to evolve without compromising our planet’s future.

Amidst this growth, we recognize the significance of community-driven initiatives that empower residents to participate in urban design. Initiatives that involve local stakeholders ensure that the vertical skyline is not merely a place for habitation but a thriving hub of creativity and collaboration. Public art projects and cultural programming can transform shared spaces into vibrant canvases for expression, reflecting the diverse narratives that shape urban identity.

As we envision this future, we must also address potential challenges, from incorporating affordable housing in these vertical developments to ensuring that technological advancements do not widen the gap between socioeconomic classes. Engagement with diverse voices throughout the planning and implementation processes is vital, resulting in inclusive designs that prioritize equity and accessibility.

This harmonious ecosystem of the vertical skyline fosters resilience against climate change by incorporating nature-based solutions that mitigate urban heat island effects and enhance urban drainage systems. As walls dissolve between urban living and nature, cities can pivot towards models of regeneration rather than mere consumption.

In summary, the vertical skyline represents a holistic vision of urban life—one where innovation, community, sustainability, and culture intersect seamlessly. As we embrace this transformative journey, let us champion a future where vertical living celebrates the past while propelling us forward, crafting cities that are not only habitable but also vibrant and alive.

Key components of a Smart City include:

Smart Infrastructure

Digital Connectivity

Data Analytics

Smart Governance

Sustainable Development

Procedure to Achieve Smart City:

Vision and Strategy

Stakeholder Engagement

Policy and Regulatory Framework

Infrastructure Investment

Pilot Projects

Sonetra KETH (កេត សុនេត្រា) Architectural Manager/Project Manager/BIM Director RMIT University Vietnam + Institute of Technology of Cambodia

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