"Technology, and the hype that surrounds it, is changing the way we speak. But we don't have to turn into drones, all spouting the latest i-word. Chris Bowlby says it's time for the techno-bullied to fight back with their own subversive speak.
With the online Oxford English Dictionary recently re-launched and on the look-out for new language, maybe it's time for a counter-revolution.
Can we create a new vocabulary that expresses not marketing mania, but the downside, the frustration, the terrible things we sometimes suspect modern technology is doing to us?
When your cursor makes you a curser, do the necessary words come to mind?
Let's start to talk about the crazily fidgetal, the MisApps, mobile drones and Skypeochondria that afflict us all.
Dawn of the age of the robot
The Guardian, Thu 30 Dec 2010 07.00 GMT
The rising popularity of e-books highlights many modern dilemmas, says Bill Thompson
Dr. Meir's research sheds new light on the interrelations between two notions that play an important role in language and communication, iconicity and metaphor. This study shows that the iconicity of a form may constrain the possible metaphorical extensions that the form might take. Put another way, certain metaphorical expressions in spoken language cannot be "translated directly" into sign language if their form is iconic.
Google shows off a notebook running its much anticipated Chrome operating system but says that it will not go on sale until 2011.
USC is starting a social-technology laboratory with a focus on the segments of digital culture that are expected to bring in the big bucks.
They are often accused of being distracting, but recent research has found that action packed video games like Halo and Call of Duty can enhance visual attention, the ability that allows us to focus on relevant visual information. This growing body of research, reviewed in WIREs Cognitive Science, suggests that action based games could be used to improve military training, educational approaches, and certain visual deficits.
Scientists release an improved version of the web program that estimates the scale of disaster following an asteroid or comet impact.
Scientists demonstrate a system to "print" holographic images at a remote location and update them every two seconds.
Got the following email this morning from a Chinese company announcing that they will "persist" to steal our registered brand.What do you think?
Begin forwarded message:From: YangGareth <gareth.yang@hotmail.com>
Date: 21 October 2010 01:08:52 EDT
To: Quantum Brands
Subject: quantumbrandsDavid Luo advise us to change another name, we will persist in this name.Dear Sirs,
We are Hanshin company based in Chinese office. We will register the "quantumbrands" as internet keyword and CN internet domain names. We have handed in our application and are waiting for Mr. David Luo's approval. We think this name is important for our products in Chinese market. Even though Mr.
Best regardsGareth Yang
The findings raise the question: "Does the heart fall in love, or the brain?"
Commercial space travel takes a step closer with the opening of the runway at the world's first spaceport in the US state of New Mexico.
ScienceDaily (Oct. 20, 2010)
Got the following email this morning from a Chinese company announcing that they will "persist" to steal our registered brand.What do you think?
Begin forwarded message:From: YangGareth <gareth.yang@hotmail.com>
Date: 21 October 2010 01:08:52 EDT
To: Quantum Brands
Subject: quantumbrandsDear Sirs,
We are Hanshin company based in Chinese office. We will register the "quantumbrands" as internet keyword and CN internet domain names. We have handed in our application and are waiting for Mr. David Luo's approval. We think this name is important for our products in Chinese market. Even though Mr. David Luo advise us to change another name, we will persist in this name.
Best regardsGareth Yang
