Part 1: Read Ch. 4 from Chipchase Hidden in Plain Sight.  Write a response and two questions and post it by midnight on Saturday to OSS.

The reading this week touches upon the behaviour of people to their belongings. The subjects being discussed are really relatable and interesting to rediscover, as I did.

As I was reading the chapter whilst commuting back from school, I naturally reached for my school bag as I try to uncover what is in my bag. Firstly, I realised that I had my laptop clutched very closely to me using my arm as I held onto my iPhone on one hand (I was reading the passage through it). My bag was placed on the ground in between my legs. As I would find out later, my range of distribution is pretty short. Anyway as I proceeded to check my bag, I realised that almost all the stuff in my bag were redundant. Apart from my laptop, I almost didn’t use any of the stuff I brought to school. My water bottle was still mostly filled (I had purchased 2 drinks from the vending machine), I had a notebook and a foolscap pad, and a file filled with notes from different modules. Also, my pencil case was filled with 5 pens. I realised all these does is merely to keep my sanity at ease, which is pointed within the chapter as the point of reflection.

It is mentioned that the redundancy is an opportunity to make the system more efficient. Digitalised platforms offered solutions by allowing people opportunities to carry less. Examples given are mostly used in Japan like the fare service. However, the same solution worked really differently in a really different society, of which Afghanistan has shown in the example of M-Pasia whereby if you can’t see it, you don’t own it. Another point to ponder in carrying less, is the question are we truly carrying less? Think about the coils of wires we are inclined to bring along with us, portable chargers, plugs etc.

Seemingly, another proposed solution is the idea of rental rather than owning through mesh. Whereby the idea of not owning is attractive as responsibilities are shared. An example would be AirBnB, whereby rents of   apartments are able to be made over a large distance over continents.

Ultimately at the end of the chapter, it is mentioned that the whole point of advancing digitalise technology is to aid in our survival. However, as human beings, we already have traits of adaptability inbuilt in us. In fact,  through adaptability had enabled our evolution into who we are today and what we are capable of. One point to pick is the  over-reliance  of technology (as our eyes are seemingly stuck onto the screens of smartphones) necessary a good thing? I find myself over relying upon technology so much, it actually scares me. For instance, times where I forgot the meaning of the words, I would almost skip the notion of thinking, and go straight to google. Now with the advancement of technology being able to ‘guess’ or ‘recommend’ our experience based on our digital footprints, how much of a decision can we make in the future?

Q1. In the notion of carrying less, technology has played a fundamental part in reducing the number of items carried. However, Is there a limit in technology where it becomes too much and in it lead to being a hindrance in our physical reality?

Q2. As adaptable beings, how much has the influx of technology influence/ limit our thinking?

Part 2: Based on the lecture on Place, Location and Ubiquitous technology, post an example of a product, service or design concept and post it on OSS.

This week’s lecture about Place, Location and Ubiquitous technology has been interesting to see the myriad possibilities of infusing technology into and to aid in our everyday lives.

One interesting idea is ‘hololens’ hologram whereby the use of augmented reality is really pushed to the limits.

Author: Heng Tong Foo

in pursuit of happiness. View all posts by Heng Tong Foo