Brave newer world

The gap in technical knowledge in America is sometimes so wide that it seems to represent two completely different cultures. As technically minded people (I assume this because you are reading this magazine), you probably meet people whose technical literacy is frightening. I'm sure many of you have experienced the fun of having to explain to others the simplest of electronic device concepts. For example, as a frequent traveler I marvel at the lack of knowledge about electronics that expresses itself in airline customer service and security. Many of us have experienced the inconvenience of having to explain a device in our luggage to the screener who has no clue, or the stewardess who insists that we put away our IR-based wireless keyboard because there can't be any RF devices used while the plane is in flight. This gap is only likely to increase as time and technology march on. As the digital convergence continues–and devices become more integrated in our homes and pockets–they will present fresh challenges to the user.

Technical illiteracy is
a sad reality, but we have to be
careful that any solutions we
develop wind up serving
us instead of the other way around.
If we're lucky, technology itself will present a solution, making the gadget maze a bit easier to navigate. For example, Sony has proposed one possible solution in what the company calls “Sensing Computer” (SC) technology. A key aspect is an advanced user-worn PDA-style computer that remembers everything about the user–friends, favorites, tastes, and activities–so it can prompt the user whenever a need arises: sort of an intelligent system about you. If properly implemented, the SC could free many from the need to think about the technology about them, as the device would run interference for them, dialing, keeping passwords, making reservations, keeping up with friend's information, and in general acting as a true “digital assistant.” Of course, this may cause a person to become too reliant on technology, as they would be clueless without it. It also smacks a little of “Big Brother.” Ironically, the government is working on similar technology, but theirs is not focused on individual service. The LifeLog project being researched by Darpa intends to track all of your life's experiences–from the TV shows you watch to the purchases you make and the people you talk to–in order to make a predictive model. The problem with technical illiteracy is that to make decisions about the development of technology, the public must be able to understand it. But if that understanding is lacking, the danger is that we may lose control of the very technology designed to serve us. Alix L. Paultre, Senior Editor