When the world of tech is so dynamic, there’s always a story to spark debate in our office. Do you trust banks with your data? Can broadband providers keep up with your lifestyle? Is there a 'robodog' heaven?
That’s when I thought it’s time to take our Intercity chit-chat about the tech stories that drive our industry public. Every two weeks, I’ll be sharing my top 5 tech news stories that are changing the way I see the world.
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TalkTalk is trying to not be the talk of the broadband town…
In our digital age, we expect to be able to load up our laptops, tablets and mobiles, and seamlessly connect to our Wi-Fi. But when instead we’re greeted with slow speeds, patchy coverage, and poor customer service, we’re more likely to get a bit tetchy rather than techie.
This week, as part of Ofcom’s broadband service annual report, it was announced that TalkTalk have come last for the second consecutive year, particularly in relation to the reliability of their service, and how they handle complaints when things go wrong. With Ofcom’s report tasked with encouraging consumers to shop around for the best deals, how do we know we’ll get what is advertised to us?
We’re demanding of our technology, and as a wireless generation, we want to know that when we go to the effort of changing our broadband supplier, we’re going to get the speed and reliability that suits our fast-paced lifestyles. Can your broadband keep up with you?
When your bank doesn’t invest in your data…
Imagine if your bank admitted to losing track of your name, address, account numbers, and statements. If you’re a customer of the Commonwealth Bank in Australia, this is a potential reality. A subcontractor was supposed to destroy two magnetic tapes containing the confidential data of 20 million people.
The error lies in the fact that the Bank hadn’t received confirmation that the data had been destroyed, but also failed to tell its customers. As Australia’s largest lender, you’d expect greater scrutiny, especially now when we’re so conscious of data security and the importance of keeping our records protected.
An independent forensic investigation did reveal that it was likely that the missing tapes had been disposed of, but that couldn’t be guaranteed. In the context of greater scrutiny being levied at Australian banks after it was revealed that the Commonwealth Bank had been collecting fees from customers who had died, how do we make sure that banks put a premium on our personal data?
Are you a WhatsApp warrior fighting for justice?
A student at Exeter University recently took to Twitter to reveal some of the racial slurs being casually thrown around in a WhatsApp group with his fellow law society members. We’ve all sent some questionable memes and messages to friends that we probably wouldn’t want to be aired to the population of the world wide web. But when you’re part of a network of aspiring lawyers, you’d maybe think twice before floating the idea of a ‘South Africa social’, and ‘buy[ing] blacks in bulk’. Exeter
University has suspended, imposed other sanctions and expelled the students involved (though the exact numbers remain unknown). What does it teach us? It teaches us that being socially responsible extends beyond our day-to-day real-time interactions, but makes us question the things that people might send us on social media. It also teaches us that whilst WhatsApp might end-to-end encrypt our conversations, you probably should watch what you say in a group chat.
Robot dogs getting a Buddhist send-off
In Japan, a memorial for 114 deceased Sony Aibo robodogs took place this week. At the Buddhist temple, priests held a ceremony, complete with incense, and chanted sutras to send the robotic dogs to ‘doggy heaven’. Each dog had its own tag complete with its own name and the name of its owner. Despite the initial release of 150,000 robotic dogs retailing for $2,000 each, in a bid to cut costs, Sony decided to cease production. That left a lot of owners with no robo-vet to take their dogs to if they were feeling under the weather. Kofukuji, a temple over 450 years old, held services for the dead Aibo dogs, where it’s believed that ‘All things have a soul’… Are our fluffy friends likely to go out of fashion like their robotic counterparts?
Can VR technology help us to recognise inappropriate workplace conduct?
Especially in the wake of Weinstein, women are being their own best advocates, taking a stance and not accepting treatment that previous generations might have brushed aside ‘just the way things are’.
But what can VR teach us about dealing with unwanted advances and comments in the workplace? Vantage Point have introduced VR training geared at making us more aware of conduct that’s definitely not within professional realms in the workplace. Their goal is to teach colleagues about communal accountability when it comes to workplace harassment: it doesn’t mean because you didn’t say it that you get to ignore it once you’ve seen it.
Their training programme covers ‘bystander intervention’, ‘identification of sexual harassment’ and ‘learning to respond to harassment when it happens to you’. Learning about how to help colleagues, and also how to be the best colleagues in a safe environment has to be a better alternative to experiencing it first-hand. Could VR training breathe life into the dreaded induction programmes we’re all subjected to? Only time and tech will tell…
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