Ged Carroll

Month: September 2016

  • Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep? by Philip K Dick and Tony Parker

    Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep

    Like many people I was drawn to Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep by the film adaptation Blade Runner. I originally read the paperback book and found it less satisfying. It is one of the few cases where cinema did a better job than the source material, even though it veered off from the book.

    I re-read the book after I knew about more about Dick’s amphetamine fuelled life and the paranoia associated with speed underpins the story in plot turns affecting our main character.

    I have now had a good deal of time to read the graphic novel adaptation with some distance from the original book. Time has moved along and I think I would be more receptive to the book today.

    Tony Parker’s adaptation of Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep

    Untitled

    Tony Parker has done a really good job of interpreting the original and breathing life into it as a graphic novel. He brings it to life to Dick’s work, in particular the entropy of the environment. In particular the  phenomenon of ‘kipple’ and philosophy of Mercerism which underpins much of the novel. It is a credit to Parker that he managed to keep the visuals distinct from the iconic style of Blade Runner.

    My one criticism of the Parker adaption is that it is an unwieldy book and the  binding comes apart under the weight of the pages. As for the content, I think Parker’s adaption is a great way of taking in Dick’s novel. Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep is important for the way it shaped culture and technology. The book foreshadowed cyberpunk culture.  It has been listed as one of the 100 books you need to read (at least according to the Times Educational Supplement). More on Do Androids Dream… here. More book reviews here.

  • Apple Ireland + more things

    Apple, Ireland and the Spanish connection – RTÉ News – interesting article on how the Irish government and Apple may appeal the EU tax ruling. Apple Ireland was one of the first technology companies to set up shop, so it’s symbolism is as important as its economic impact. More on Ireland related topics here.

    modern day pilgramage 2

    Why are we still using lame lithium-ion batteries after so many promising alternatives? | ExtremeTech – which flies in the face of many smart energy grid claims

    Modern Love: The Internet Thinks I’m Still Pregnant – data has its limits

    Samsung is recalling the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone worldwide – Sep. 2, 2016 – right on the edge of IFA

    Apple is going to remove abandoned apps from the App Store | TechCrunch – interesting as from a marketing perspective Apples app store numbers will drop. But its also good from a compatibility point of view. My favourite to do app ZeptoLiner seems to have been abandoned by the Japanese development house who created it. It will be sad to see it go

    Vice shows how not to treat freelancers – Columbia Journalism Review – interesting business model

    This Mathematician Says Big Data Is Causing a ‘Silent Financial Crisis’ | TIME – interesting reading despite the shrill tone

    Social Mobility Commission | Socio-economic diversity in life sciences and investment banking – they needed a report to tell them what everyone knows, many roles are about socio economic background rather than just ability (PDF)

    Historian: China’s Economic Reforms Actually Started During the Cultural Revolution | Asia Society – interesting hypothesis. I certainly think that thinking about it occurred during this time, whilst leaders bided their time. There were also cross border conversations happening with overseas Chinese carpetbaggers businessmen who smuggled key supplies into China and later pioneered overseas investment in the Pearl River delta

    INTERNET: Microsoft in New China Tack with MSN Spin-Off | Young China Business – careful disengagement from the market presumably to cope with the legislative environment as much as anything else

    Researchers Map Locations of 4,669 Servers in Netflix’s Content Delivery Network – IEEE Spectrum – interesting how much of the servers are sitting in ISP network facilities rather than in Internet exchanges where one would expect them to peer

  • Spain – Madrid trip

    Impressions of Spain

    I got to form some initial impressions of Spain. It has been a while since I have travelled and got to spend more than a flying visit. I got to spend some time in Madrid. Madrid sits on a high arid plain that is cold in winter and hot and dry in summer. It has amazing colonial era architecture and one of the best sets of museums in the world.
    Madrid & Toledo

    Spain and recession

    Spain prior to the great recession was a country on the rise. It had invested in modern infrastructure that would shame the UK, from its buses to its high-speed trains. They are all still in place. The trains have airport-style baggage scanners prior to boarding and the buses are curiously devoid of advertising.

    All of the transport system provided digital signage and mobile apps to keep passengers informed and on the move.

    Web of no web

    When you look beyond the processes and systems things start to get more interesting. QRcodes feature on advertising of all sorts. I saw an ‘erotic massage’ service on a traffic light using them on its fly poster. QRcodes also appeared on FMCG brands in railway station adverts. Part of the reason might be handsets in the Spanish market.

    Looking around by what I saw people use on the street, in public transport and shops, the handset environment was very different to the UK. Well-off people had the latest iPhone, everyone else seemed to have a mid-tier Android handset up to four years old. The likely lack of memory in the handset meant that the mobile web is a more viable option than apps.

    There seemed to be a corresponding lack of m-payments a la ApplePay. Adverts for the Huawei P9 were amongst the most prominent ads that I saw running in out-of-home placements, but I only saw Huawei phones in use one, running ordering software in a restaurant. More related content here.