Editor’s Letter from 2016 Jan/Feb Issue
As I scroll through the technology news feed on my iPhone, I can’t help but notice a trend. One headline reads, “RIP Google Glass.” Another, “SF’s First Self-Driving Car Crash.” I can’t help but wonder—are we moving too fast? Are we dotting our I’s and crossing our T’s before launching new technologies? Or are we merely pushing products because it’s what the “consumer wants?”
Call me crazy, but as a consumer, heck, even as an editor for a techbased magazine, I think it’s important for us to occasionally slow down and reevaluate our work. Are we doing our absolute best work? Are we creating technology that users need, or just what we think they want?
Now, don’t get me wrong—I’m a huge believer in new, innovative technology, and I’m all for pushing the envelope (perhaps it should be noted that, ironically, I wrote this column on an envelope), but did Google really think that they could successfully turn the world into an “augmented reality play land” in an instance? Maybe. Unfortunately, I don’t think the world was ready for it (hence Popular Photography’s headline mentioned above). Will we ever be ready for a fully altered world? Who knows. What we do know, however, is that Glass surely didn’t take off the way Google had hoped.
And as for the autonomous vehicle crash, are we really that surprised? Accidents and glitches are bound to happen with new tech, but nevertheless, if more time was spent doing off-road testing, could the crash have been avoided?
I think an important takeaway here is the need (no, not speed) for a little deceleration. 2016 will, for certain, be a year full of breakthrough and innovative new technologies, much like years past, but we should be absolutely sure before deploying new tech that all of our ducks are in a row.
Let this be a small reminder to you, as you’re planning, designing, developing, testing, etc., to take a minute and slow down a bit. Challenge yourself this year to “take time to notice the things that other people are overlooking.” – Jeff Goins
Best,
Janine
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Filed Under: M2M (machine to machine)
