Emasculation

The whole trend of innovation now in mobile electronics technology seems to be to integrate the thing into our bodily functions. Move your head, or even your eye, and it does something, believing you to have instructed it. Speak a few particular words and it's off again, assuming, like your most boring friend, that you just must be speaking to it. The logical extension is just to implant the thing in our heads, like that man from the BT research lab did all those years ago. How far we have advanced from those early cumbersome back-packs that the pioneers of electronic extension of our thoughts and perceptions so bravely shouldered for the future benefit of humanity. (Unfortunately, according to my link, the future seems to have run out in 2009.)

The future - gloves included

The man from Google, and perhaps others, think this is the way forward and that it is less 'emasculating' than having the thing at arm's length.



The present - always more scarey

Yet perhaps I am wrong about the future logical extension: there is clearly an appeal in the demonstrable gadget, in fiddling with things (it is well known that part of the appeal of smoking is being able to do something with one's hand all the time) and showing them off to others. Put it in the brain and all the person is left with is having to demonstrate by what they do, rather than what they have, that they are smarter than the next person. How unsatisfying is that? It would be taking us right back to the days of differential and unalterable innate human intelligence amongst individuals. Anyway, what about the yearly upgrades? Just keep your head up and don't move your eyes.