🧑💻 Noteworthy Bits -- 8/15/22
This week’s highlights epitomize the quote most often attributed to William Gibson, this science fiction writer: “The future is already here. It’s just not evenly distributed yet”. Check it out!
Why does the IRS need $80 billion? Just look at its cafeteria. — Washington Post
If you’ve never had nightmares about paper files, you certainly will after reading this article. As of July 29, the IRS had a backlog of 10.2 million unprocessed individual returns and the agency’s processes are in dire need of a technology upgrade. For example, instead of scanning paper returns into computers, individuals manually type every single number into their system. This article is equal parts 😳 and 🤯.
ADT is betting Google can drag it into the future — Bloomberg Businessweek
A match made in smart home heaven? Time will tell, but a fascinating look at how ADT has leveraged Google’s technology to advance its ambition to become a smart home company and not just a home security company.
To compete with tech companies, ADT would have to try to become one. The Google partnership is only the start of its attempt at transformation. “I tell people all the time,” [ADT CEO, Jim] DeVries says, “it’s like your uncle got cool.”
The End of Manual Transmission — The Atlantic
This hits close to home as my first car was a 4 speed manual transmission VW Fox. We might not like or agree with change, but it’s hard to fight. This piece by Ian Bogost explores the disappearance of the manual transmission and what it means for the relationship between man and machine.
