Quote of the week
Broad dissemination and individual choice turn most technologies into a plus. If only the elites have access, it’s a dystopia.
Articles of the week
- Quartz: How robots are eating the last of America’s—and the world’s—traditional manufacturing jobs
As more and more jobs become automated, an “hourglass economy” is forming where middle-rung jobs are increasingly hard to come by – unless you’re a robot. - Fast Company: Mailbox’s Gentry Underwood: What Hackers Should Know About Design Thinking
An interview with Mailbox’s CEO, who does a good job of explaining the concepts of “lean startup” and Human Centered Design. - MIT Technology Review: Your Body Does Not Want to Be an Interface
John Pavlus on the awkwardness created when technology tries to turn your body into an interface. As he puts it: “Your body isn’t a tool for delivering your experience: it is your experience.” - The Atlantic: How Facebook Designs the ‘Perfect Empty Vessel’ for Your Mind
Alexis Madrigal talks to designers at Facebook about the tricks and decisions behind the interface that encourage users to create as much content as possible. - Medium: Ramblings on Middlemen
How the internet destroys middlemen and creates new ones while simultaneously shortening their potential life cycle.