tag:theconversation.com,2011:/id/topics/consumer-electronics-2225/articlesConsumer electronics – The Conversation2024-02-12T01:33:48Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2229852024-02-12T01:33:48Z2024-02-12T01:33:48ZAI is everywhere – including countless applications you’ve likely never heard of<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574806/original/file-20240211-28-c36zto.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=74%2C86%2C3696%2C2723&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/red-and-black-abstract-illustration-aQYgUYwnCsM">Michael Dziedzic/Unsplash</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Artificial intelligence (AI) is seemingly everywhere. Right now, generative AI in particular – tools like Midjourney, ChatGPT, Gemini (previously Bard) and others – is at the peak of hype.</p>
<p>But as <a href="https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2017/history-artificial-intelligence/">an academic discipline</a>, AI has been around for much longer than just the last couple of years. When it comes to real-world applications, many have stayed hidden or relatively unknown. These AI tools are much less glossy than fantasy-image generators – yet they are also ubiquitous.</p>
<p>As various AI technologies continue to progress, we’ll only see an increase of AI use in various industries. This includes healthcare and consumer tech, but also more concerning uses, such as warfare. Here’s a rundown of some of the wide-ranging AI applications you may be less familiar with.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/2023-was-the-year-of-generative-ai-what-can-we-expect-in-2024-219808">2023 was the year of generative AI. What can we expect in 2024?</a>
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<h2>AI in healthcare</h2>
<p>Various AI systems are already being used in the health field, both to improve patient outcomes and to advance health research.</p>
<p>One of the strengths of computer programs powered by artificial intelligence is their ability to sift through and <a href="https://www.eiopa.europa.eu/browse/digitalisation-and-financial-innovation/artificial-intelligence-and-big-data_en">analyse truly enormous data sets</a> in a fraction of the time it would take a human – or even a team of humans – to accomplish.</p>
<p>For example, AI is helping researchers <a href="https://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2022/06/10/using-ai-to-find-disease-causing-genes/">comb through vast genetic data libraries</a>. By analysing large data sets, geneticists can home in on genes that could contribute to various diseases, which in turn will help develop <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-can-doctors-use-technology-to-help-them-diagnose-64555">new diagnostic tests</a>.</p>
<p>AI is also helping to speed up the search for medical treatments. Selecting and testing treatments for a particular disease can take ages, so leveraging AI’s ability to comb through data can be helpful here, too.</p>
<p>For example, United States-based non-profit Every Cure is using AI algorithms to search through medical databases <a href="https://www.labiotech.eu/trends-news/ai-discovers-existing-drug-rare-disease/">to match up existing medications</a> with illnesses they might potentially work for. This approach promises to save significant time and resources.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/artificial-intelligence-is-already-in-our-hospitals-5-questions-people-want-answered-217374">Artificial intelligence is already in our hospitals. 5 questions people want answered</a>
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<h2>The hidden AIs</h2>
<p>Outside of medical research, other fields not directly related to computer science are also benefiting from AI.</p>
<p>At CERN, home of the Large Hadron Collider, a <a href="https://www.staffs.ac.uk/news/2022/09/new-research-will-assist-further-exploration-of-the-universe">recently developed advanced AI algorithm</a> is helping physicists tackle some of the <a href="https://atlas.cern/node">most challenging aspects</a> of analysing the particle data generated in their experiments. </p>
<p>Last year, astronomers used an AI algorithm for the first time to <a href="https://www.space.com/ai-finds-first-potentially-dangerous-asteroid">identify a “potentially hazardous” asteroid</a> – a space rock that might one day collide with Earth. This algorithm will be a core part of the operations of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory currently under construction in Chile.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-dangerous-asteroids-heading-to-earth-are-so-hard-to-detect-113845">Why dangerous asteroids heading to Earth are so hard to detect</a>
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<p>One major area of our lives that uses largely “hidden” AI <a href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2019/635609/EPRS_BRI(2019)635609_EN.pdf">is transportation</a>. Millions of flights and train trips are coordinated by AI all over the world. These AI systems are meant to optimise schedules to reduce costs and maximise efficiency.</p>
<p>Artificial intelligence can also manage real-time road traffic by <a href="https://today.usc.edu/usc-engineers-use-artificial-intelligence-to-reduce-traffic-jams/">analysing traffic patterns</a>, volume and other factors, and then adjusting traffic lights and signals accordingly. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/04/14/youre-already-using-ai-heres-where-its-at-in-everyday-life-from-facial-recognition-to-navigation-apps/?sh=62ab6a1627ac">Navigation apps like Google Maps</a> also use AI optimisation algorithms to find the best path in their navigation systems.</p>
<p>AI is also present in various everyday items. Robot <a href="https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/navigation-in-robot-vacuum-cleaners">vacuum cleaners use AI software</a> to process all their sensor inputs and deftly navigate our homes.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574798/original/file-20240211-16-z7khhk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A shiny round vacuum cleaning up popcorn crumbs under a person on sofa wearing purple socks" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574798/original/file-20240211-16-z7khhk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574798/original/file-20240211-16-z7khhk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574798/original/file-20240211-16-z7khhk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574798/original/file-20240211-16-z7khhk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574798/original/file-20240211-16-z7khhk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574798/original/file-20240211-16-z7khhk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574798/original/file-20240211-16-z7khhk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Robot vacuums use AI to navigate our homes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-girl-eating-popcorn-during-movie-787348768">Diego Cervo/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>The most cutting-edge cars use <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tenneco-supplying-intelligent-suspensions-for-new-mercedes-amg-sl-class-roadsters-301545384.html">AI in their suspension systems</a> so passengers can enjoy a smooth ride.</p>
<p>Of course, there is also no shortage of more quirky AI applications. A few years ago, UK-based brewery startup IntelligentX <a href="https://d3.harvard.edu/platform-digit/submission/intelligentx-changing-the-world-one-beer-at-a-time/">used AI to make custom beers</a> for its customers. Other breweries are also using AI to help them optimise beer production.</p>
<p>And <a href="https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/meet-the-ganimals/overview/">Meet the Ganimals</a> is a “collaborative social experiment” from the MIT Media Lab, which uses generative AI technologies to come up with new species that have never existed before.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/snapchats-creepy-ai-blunder-reminds-us-that-chatbots-arent-people-but-as-the-lines-blur-the-risks-grow-211744">Snapchat's 'creepy' AI blunder reminds us that chatbots aren't people. But as the lines blur, the risks grow</a>
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<h2>AI can also be weaponised</h2>
<p>On a less lighthearted note, AI also has many applications in defence. In the wrong hands, some of these uses can be terrifying. </p>
<p>For example, <a href="https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/biosecurity-age-ai-whats-risk">some experts have warned</a> AI can aid the creation of bioweapons. This could happen through gene sequencing, helping non-experts easily produce risky pathogens such as novel viruses. </p>
<p>Where active warfare is taking place, military powers can design <a href="https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/military-review/Archives/English/JA-20/Crosby-Operationalizing-AI-1.pdf">warfare scenarios</a> and <a href="https://cetas.turing.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2023-06/cetas_research_report_-_ai_in_wargaming.pdf">plans</a> using AI. If a power uses such tools without applying ethical considerations or even deploys autonomous AI-powered weapons, it could have catastrophic consequences.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-killer-robots-mean-for-the-future-of-war-185243">What killer robots mean for the future of war</a>
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<p>AI has been used in <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/2730215/vice-admiral-discusses-potential-of-ai-in-missile-defense-testing-operations/">missile guidance systems</a> to maximise the effectiveness of a military’s operations. It can also be used to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-02/australia-to-test-tracking-chinese-submarines-with-ai-via-aukus/103181178">detect covertly operating submarines</a>.</p>
<p>In addition, AI can be used to predict and identify the activities and movements of terrorist groups. This way, intelligence agencies can come up with preventive measures. Since these types of AI systems have complex structures, they require high-processing power to get real-time insights.</p>
<p>Much has also been said about how generative AI is supercharging people’s abilities to produce fake news and disinformation. This has the potential to affect the democratic process and sway the outcomes of elections.</p>
<p>AI is present in our lives in so many ways, it is nearly impossible to keep track. Its myriad applications will affect us all.</p>
<p>This is why ethical and responsible use of AI, along with well-designed regulation, is more important than ever. This way we can reap the many benefits of AI while making sure we stay ahead of the risks.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-plans-to-regulate-high-risk-ai-heres-how-to-do-that-successfully-221321">Australia plans to regulate 'high-risk' AI. Here's how to do that successfully</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222985/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Niusha Shafiabady does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Artificial intelligence has been around for decades, and is much more than just ChatGPT. Here’s a rundown of some lesser known AI applications.Niusha Shafiabady, Associate Professor in Computational Intelligence, Charles Darwin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2135492023-09-15T03:52:14Z2023-09-15T03:52:14ZiPhone switching to USB-C is a win for consumers and the environment – but to what extent?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/548447/original/file-20230914-15-ceu4aq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=237%2C342%2C3571%2C2237&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/0809-poland-europe-lighting-usbc-cable-2359875069">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>This week, technology news has been abuzz as <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/technology/everything-you-need-to-know-about-apple-s-new-iphones-20230908-p5e386.html">Apple introduced its latest iPhones</a> into the market. Among the usual new feature announcements, one stunning change has stood out in particular. The long-standing rumours are true – the new iPhone 15 series has USB-C standard charging ports.</p>
<p>The ditching of Apple’s proprietary Lightning port, which was <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2012/09/12/apples-new-lightning-connector-what-it-does-and-doesnt-change/">first introduced in 2012</a>, means iPhone users will finally be able to recharge their phones with the same chargers they use for other devices.</p>
<p>But what does this major change really mean for Apple, consumers and the environment?</p>
<h2>Apple marched to its own beat until now</h2>
<p>Since the inception of Apple, the company has been well known to develop <a href="https://eshop.macsales.com/blog/76594-apple-cables-interfaces-connections/">various proprietary connectors</a> in lieu of adopting tech standards used elsewhere in the industry.</p>
<p>As one of the major players in the mobile market, the iconic brand has relied on the loyalty of its customers, dictating they have no choice but to use Apple’s proprietary cabling and charging technologies to run their products. As a result, they could retain control of their product ecosystem.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, there is also the USB (Universal Serial Bus), an industry standard designed to standardise the many connections we need on personal computers – to plug in a keyboard or a mouse, for example. The group that develops and maintains the standard <a href="https://au.pcmag.com/laptop/29054/what-is-usb-c-an-explainer">includes more than 700 tech companies</a>, including Apple, Microsoft and Samsung. USB-C is the latest iteration of this widely accepted standard.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-usb-c-a-computer-engineer-explains-the-one-device-connector-to-rule-them-all-213447">What is USB-C? A computer engineer explains the one device connector to rule them all</a>
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<p>Even while maintaining proprietary standards, in recent years Apple has also rolled out USB-C ports on several of its products, <a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2022/07/26/five-apple-products-rumored-to-switch-to-usb-c/">most notably all Macs and several iPads</a>.</p>
<p>However, when the European Union proposed in 2020 that all consumer devices should use a universal standard charger, Apple <a href="https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/01/23/apple-says-a-common-charger-would-handicap-innovation-inflate-waste">hit back with claims</a> a single connector standard would stifle innovation and create further electronic waste or e-waste.</p>
<h2>The EU demands USB-C</h2>
<p>It is now apparent Apple lost that battle. The iPhone 15 switch to USB-C comes less than a year after <a href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20220930IPR41928/long-awaited-common-charger-for-mobile-devices-will-be-a-reality-in-2024">the EU passed legislation</a> to require all smartphones, tablets, digital cameras and other small devices to support USB-C by the end of 2024.</p>
<p>The rules also impose a requirement for “<a href="https://www.engadget.com/eu-usb-c-port-charging-requirement-approved-141546579.html">fast charging</a>”, to ensure devices can be charged at the same speed no matter which charger is used.</p>
<p>The purpose behind the move is to mandate a single standardised port so consumers don’t need to carry different cables for different devices. It also means fewer cables need to be manufactured and supplied with new products, thus reducing the e-waste created by discarded electronic goods.</p>
<p>Given the size of the EU market, the new rules may lead to other countries introducing similar legislation. Some <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/european-parliament-rules-for-universal-charging-ports-on-all-portable-electronic-devices/">exceptions will exist</a> for devices that are too small to have a USB-C port, such as smart watches or health monitors.</p>
<p>Apple also has a history of removing popular ports, such as when it removed the headphone jack from the <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2016/9/7/12823596/apple-iphone-7-no-headphone-jack-lightning-earbuds">iPhone 7</a>. However, it’s too early to know whether the USB-C port on the iPhone could suffer the same fate in favour of wireless charging in the future. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/548473/original/file-20230915-27-9ds1y6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A pile of broken mobile phones" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/548473/original/file-20230915-27-9ds1y6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/548473/original/file-20230915-27-9ds1y6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/548473/original/file-20230915-27-9ds1y6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/548473/original/file-20230915-27-9ds1y6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/548473/original/file-20230915-27-9ds1y6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/548473/original/file-20230915-27-9ds1y6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/548473/original/file-20230915-27-9ds1y6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">E-waste is a growing problem, and limited repair options for consumer electronics are a contributing factor.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/electronic-scrap-different-phones-smartphones-not-1571752867">Shutterstock</a></span>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/apples-iphone-12-comes-without-a-charger-a-smart-waste-reduction-move-or-clever-cash-grab-148189">Apple's iPhone 12 comes without a charger: a smart waste-reduction move, or clever cash grab?</a>
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<h2>How much of an e-waste savings is it, really?</h2>
<p>E-waste is one of the <a href="https://waste-management-world.com/resource-use/e-waste-recycling/">fastest growing waste streams globally</a>. This is due to the shortened lifespan of our electronic devices, limited repair options and growing consumer demand for the newest high-tech products.</p>
<p>The EU’s decision to demand USB-C is part of a greater effort to tackle e-waste. Ironically, it could generate more e-waste in the short term as individuals phase out their Lightning cables and old iPhones. However, the EU claims the new regulation could save almost <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/50321">1,000 tonnes of e-waste annually</a>.</p>
<p>On the grand scale, that’s actually not much, considering Europe <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1219417/per-capita-ewaste-generation-europe-by-country/">generated 12 million tonnes of e-waste in 2019</a>.</p>
<p>The inclusion of a USB-C port probably will not be enough of an incentive for people to upgrade to the iPhone 15, but the move by Apple could in fact be more attractive for those consumers who have been resistant to the iPhone in the past over its charging limitations.</p>
<p>Since there are more than <a href="https://www.demandsage.com/iphone-user-statistics/">one billion iPhones and iPads</a> with Lightning ports in the world right now, you’re likely to find Lightning cables and accessories for a few years to come.</p>
<p>Depending on how long you’re planning on keeping your current iPhone, chances are Lightning chargers will be more difficult to find in the not-too-distant future.</p>
<h2>What can you do about e-waste?</h2>
<p>If you’ve switched to a new device with a different charging port, it renders your old collection of proprietary charging cables virtually useless. So, what should you do when it’s time to clean out the drawer full of old devices and cables?</p>
<p>In Australia, there is a <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/protection/waste/product-stewardship/products-schemes/television-computer-recycling-scheme">National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme</a> (NTCRS) to give “Australian households and small businesses free access to industry-funded collection and recycling services”, but the drop-off points may not be nearby.</p>
<p>In addition to the NTCRS, many state and local governments have their own recycling schemes or collection services. For example, the <a href="https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/waste-recycling-services/recycle-e-waste">City of Sydney Council</a> provides a free collection of all e-waste at recycling stations for residents.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.officeworks.com.au/campaigns/how-to-recycle-e-waste">Officeworks</a> have also been recycling e-waste with their “Bring It Back” policy, which provides consumers with the opportunity to drop off devices and cables at their stores. Other organisations like <a href="https://www.mobilemuster.com.au/">MobileMuster</a> offer a similar service where they will recycle mobile phones, chargers and accessories at no cost. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/if-you-buy-it-why-cant-you-fix-it-heres-why-we-still-dont-have-the-right-to-repair-203236">If you buy it, why can't you fix it? Here's why we still don't have the 'right to repair'</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213549/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tyrone Berger does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Apple just announced its latest suite of iPhones will not use the proprietary Lightning charger. This isn’t a surprise due to EU regulations announced last year.Tyrone Berger, Lecturer in Law, Deakin Law School, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1619032021-06-02T03:20:02Z2021-06-02T03:20:02ZYes, the global microchip shortage is COVID’s fault. No, it won’t end any time soon<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403919/original/file-20210602-21-qvc35t.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=20%2C372%2C6689%2C3360&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Extron_DMP_128_-_board_-_Microchip_24LC512-9701.jpg">Raimond Spekking/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The manufacturing world is facing one of its greatest challenges in years — a global shortage of semiconductors — and there doesn’t appear to be an end in sight any time soon. </p>
<p>According to Acer, one of the world’s largest laptop manufacturers, companies will still be affected by this shortage <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jun/01/acer-says-global-chip-shortage-to-slow-laptop-production-until-at-least-next-year">until at least the first half of 2022</a>. </p>
<p>Semiconductors are an essential component of electronic devices, found in everything from cars and factory machinery to dishwashers and mobile phones. They harness the conducting properties of semiconductor materials (such as silicon), through the use of electric or magnetic fields, light, heat or mechanical deformation, to control the electric current flowing into a device. </p>
<p>Like many current global challenges, this shortage initially began as a result of the COVID pandemic. Staff at semiconductor foundries in China and around the world were unable to go to work, plants were closed and production halted, which led to a <a href="https://theconversation.com/high-tech-shortages-loom-as-coronavirus-shutdowns-hit-manufacturers-131646">lack of supply</a>. The movement of that supply was also slowed down by tighter restrictions at ports and international borders. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/high-tech-shortages-loom-as-coronavirus-shutdowns-hit-manufacturers-131646">High-tech shortages loom as coronavirus shutdowns hit manufacturers</a>
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<p>At the same time, employees started working from home, children and students started studying from home, and many of us were confined to our homes for long periods. New equipment was needed to support these changes, establish makeshift offices and classrooms in our homes, and upgrade our existing home entertainment options. This prompted a sudden increase in demand for many of the devices that rely on semiconductors. </p>
<p>However, the industries that make these devices also had to stop production for a time, and during that period they stopped ordering semiconductors. This meant there was a sudden increase in demand for goods, but the companies that manufacture these products weren’t making as many as they normally do, or ordering enough components to enable them to meet a rise in demand later. </p>
<p>This is a classic example of the “<a href="https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/abs/10.1287/mnsc.43.4.546">bullwhip effect</a>”, in which inventory levels suddenly fluctuate in response to unexpected changes in customer demand further along the supply chain.</p>
<p>This didn’t just happen in the electronics sector; it has affected every industry that uses semiconductors in their products, from health care and cosmetics to construction and defence. According to analysis by investment bank Goldman Sachs, this shortage has already impacted <a href="https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/these-industries-are-hit-hardest-by-the-global-chip-shortage-122854251.html">at least 169 different industries</a> to some extent.</p>
<h2>No time to panic</h2>
<p>Unfortunately, panic-buying isn’t restricted just to the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-people-stockpiling-toilet-paper-we-asked-four-experts-132975">toilet paper aisle</a> in Coles and Woolworths. Once rumours of a shortage began to emerge, companies that use semiconductors started panic-buying and stockpiling them. This behaviour adds to the overall impact of the shortage, reduces what little supply is available, and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/why-is-there-global-chip-shortage-why-should-you-care-2021-03-31/">drives up costs</a>. </p>
<p>The automotive industry has been hit particularly hard, illustrating perfectly the scale and complexity of modern supply chains. A car is made of <a href="https://www.toyota.co.jp/en/kids/faq/d/01/04/">about 30,000 components</a>, sourced from thousands of suppliers around the world. If even one of these components isn’t available at the time of assembly, the system grinds to a halt and new cars can’t be finished or shipped. </p>
<p>General Motors had to stop production at some of its manufacturing facilities as a result of the chip shortage earlier this year, costing the company <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-gm-results-idUSKBN2AA0E4">at least US$2 billion</a>. </p>
<h2>What happens next?</h2>
<p>The impact of the microchip shortage is already being felt by consumers all over the world, including Australia. Customers hoping to buy a new car or replacement parts can expect to wait <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-21/tax-writeoff-extended-as-car-shortages-see-long-wait-times/100149068">up to six months</a>. </p>
<p>Computer manufacturers Dell, HP and Lenovo have <a href="https://www.techradar.com/au/news/dell-hp-warn-pc-prices-could-rise-due-to-global-chip-shortage">warned</a> their prices are likely to rise, and retailers such as JB Hi-Fi have <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2021-03-26/computer-chips-what-the-global-shortage-means-for-you/100027500">told shoppers</a> to expect shortages of televisions and other electronic goods “for the foreseeable future”. </p>
<p>Even before this crisis, the demand for semiconductors was growing steadily, as products become more sophisticated and technologies such as 5G and the “internet of things” become ever more integrated into our world. The only realistic solution is to increase the supply of semiconductors, and chip maker Intel has already announced plans to scale up its manufacturing of semiconductors, with <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/white-house-zero-chip-shortage-meeting-with-company-officials-2021-04-12/">new factories opening in the United States and Europe</a>.</p>
<p>However, this will take time, so consumers will likely still be feeling the impact of this shortage well beyond Christmas 2021.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/high-tech-consumerism-a-global-catastrophe-happening-on-our-watch-43476">High-tech consumerism, a global catastrophe happening on our watch</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/161903/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>John L Hopkins does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Shutdowns at microchip factories, panic-buying by electronics manufacturers, and legions of workers and home-schoolers needing new devices, have put a global squeeze on the electronics market.John L Hopkins, Innovation Fellow, Swinburne University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1518032020-12-10T18:08:02Z2020-12-10T18:08:02ZWhy are the European energy labels changing (again)?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373957/original/file-20201209-21-1n6hsgc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1500%2C772&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The information sticker was introduced in the EU in the 1990s. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you went shopping for a refrigerator or a washing machine in Europe these past weeks, you might have noticed that some appliances have a new energy label. This is not the first time these labels change, why is this happening? The short answer is very simple: because they work! A more complete response below.</p>
<h2>Why an energy label?</h2>
<p>Household appliances and lighting are responsible for about 60% of total EU residential end-use electricity consumption (<a href="https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=File:Final_energy_consumption_in_the_residential_sector_by_type_of_end-uses_for_the_main_energy_products,_EU-27,_2018_.png">Eurostat, 2019</a>. To accelerate the diffusion of energy-efficient appliances, the EU and other countries have long relied on minimum energy performance standards and energy labels.</p>
<p>Minimum standards remove the worst energy performing appliances from the market. A way to protect consumers from purchasing appliances that may have lower purchasing costs but higher costs of total ownership (therefore higher costs once taking into account the costs of using the appliances over the years) than more energy-efficient appliances.</p>
<p>Labels are meant to help consumers make more informed choices by showing them the relative energy efficiency of appliances through the provision of observable, uniform, and credible information. Energy labels typically show a rating of the appliances on energy efficiency classes, along with expected energy use in kWh/year. The current EU energy label comprises of seven energy efficiency classes visualized by horizontal bars of different colors and length. In the EU, 28 product groups are currently covered by minimum standards and 16 product groups by mandatory energy labels.</p>
<p>Recent research shows that both labels and MEPS have been effective. For instance, evaluating the previous major change in appliance regulation, an <a href="https://www.isi.fraunhofer.de/content/dam/isi/dokumente/sustainability-innovation/2020/WP-18-2020_How_effective_are_EU_minimum_performance_standards_jos_dua_brh.pdf">2020 empirical study</a> conducted in eight EU countries finds that the combination of a tightening of the minimum standards in 2010 and the introduction of the A+++ to D labelling scheme in 2011 helped increase the market share of cold appliances (refrigerators and fridge-freezer combinations) with an energy label of A+ and better between about 15 and 38 percentage points depending on the country.</p>
<h2>A quick history of the energy labels in Europe</h2>
<p>When the energy labels were introduced in Europe in 1992, absolute criteria were defined for different types of appliances to determine the energy class of each appliance to be sold in Europe, ranging from A (best energy performance) to G (worst energy performance). After several years of use, for some types of appliances such as refrigerators, technological progress brought the labels to their limits because, when applying these criteria, most appliances on the market were classified in the highest energy classes.</p>
<p>To avoid this problem, in 2011 the European Union kept the same criteria but introduced three new energy classes A+, A++, and A+++. Since then, the energy classes have ranged from the dark green class-A+++ label (best energy performance) to the red class-D label (worst energy performance). When the change was made in 2011, appliances that were classified B or worse kept the same classification (since the same criteria were applied), but many appliances classified A got the chance to move up to A+ or better.</p>
<p>In recent years, it has become clear that these labels have again reached their limits for certain types of appliances. First, under the combined effects of technological progress and minimum standards, for some appliances (especially cold appliances), the least energy-efficient appliances currently available on the market are classified A+. This means that the classes A to E are empty. Second, consumers are convinced that the label classes A+ to A+++ are all very efficient. With grades better than an A and a green colour, a refrigerator labeled A+ seems to be a good choice, whereas in fact consumers who buy this appliance buy the worst available appliances on the market as far as energy efficiency. For these types of appliances, the labels therefore no longer fulfill their function of informing consumers.</p>
<h2>New labels in 2021</h2>
<p>To take care of these problems, the European Union has scheduled a replacement of the current energy label for March 2021; the replacement process officially started throughout the EU on November 1, 2020. During these four months, both labels may be used on the appliances concerned (refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, dishwashers, TVs and screens).</p>
<p>Easy to recognise thanks to new icons and the addition of a QR code to access a database of appliances, the new label will rescale all existing appliances on the familiar A to G scale (the categories A+ to A+++ will no longer exist). Instead of keeping the 1992 criteria, the criteria have been updated to reflect technological progress. An appliance that was classified A+++ in 2020 will likely be classified B or C in 2021, one classified A++ likely classified D or E, and the lowest performance appliances currently classified A+ will find themselves at the bottom with an F or G label class. This is therefore the first time that the label will be rescaled, and that all appliances on the market will receive a new label class.</p>
<p>To account for future technological progress, the best label classes will first be left empty: there will therefore be no refrigerator or washing machine with a label class A in 2021 under the new label. This will provide time for manufacturers to make progress and fill up the better energy classes in the coming years. Once the top energy classes fill up again (specifically, once more than 20% of the appliances on a given category achieve the energy class A), a new rescaling will be undertaken. </p>
<h2>But how effective are they?</h2>
<p>In a <a href="https://www.isi.fraunhofer.de/content/dam/isi/dokumente/sustainability-innovation/2020/WP-11-2020_Effects%20of%20rescaling%20the%20EU%20energy%20label.pdf">recent study</a> conducted within the H2020 project <a href="https://www.briskee-cheetah.eu/cheetah/">CHEETAH</a>, we investigated whether the new label will be effective. Using a representative sample of more than 1000 German consumers, we studied through experiments the refrigerator choices made by consumers exposed to the current labels, the new labels, or both labels simultaneously. </p>
<p>Our results clearly show that the new rescaled labels help increase the value that consumers give to top rated appliances and that the label change should therefore help the adoption of more energy-efficient appliances. However, our study also shows than when both labels are shown simultaneously (as might be the case during the transition period), the positive effects of the new labels disappear and consumers make their choices based on the old labels. We therefore recommend limiting the transition periods as much as possible for future rescaling efforts of the labels.</p>
<p>In summary, the energy labels need frequent updates because they work so well that they quickly become obsolete.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/151803/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Corinne Faure has received funding from the European Commission.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joachim Schleich received funding from the European Commission. He is a member of the Fraunhofer Institute Systems & Innovation Research, Karlsruhe, Germany.</span></em></p>The increasing energy performance of household appliances makes it necessary to re-evaluate these informative stickers.Corinne Faure, Professor of Marketing, Grenoble École de Management (GEM)Joachim Schleich, Professor of Energy Economics, Grenoble École de Management (GEM)Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/939042018-05-15T22:58:46Z2018-05-15T22:58:46ZAlmost everything you know about e-waste is wrong<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/218830/original/file-20180514-100725-k2trzz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">There's more to e-waste than the discarded monitors, cell phones and other electronics. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Many of us think we know what electronic waste is because we wonder what to do with devices we no longer want or need. </p>
<p>It’s the old cellphone and its charger stuffed in the drawer. </p>
<p>It’s that old laptop, monitor or printer packed behind the door or in the basement. </p>
<p>It’s also all those things we throw out that are exported overseas, and picked over by people who are either <a href="https://discardstudies.com/2015/06/23/sweeping-away-agbogbloshie-again/">desperate for work, despite the health and environmental risks</a>, or at the <a href="http://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/ewaste-repair/">forefront of a new green economy</a>, depending on the narrative you hear.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/218866/original/file-20180514-100703-4z0o94.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/218866/original/file-20180514-100703-4z0o94.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/218866/original/file-20180514-100703-4z0o94.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=342&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/218866/original/file-20180514-100703-4z0o94.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=342&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/218866/original/file-20180514-100703-4z0o94.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=342&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/218866/original/file-20180514-100703-4z0o94.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/218866/original/file-20180514-100703-4z0o94.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/218866/original/file-20180514-100703-4z0o94.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Domestic e-waste generated per country (in kilotons) in 2016. Data from Global E-Waste Monitor 2017.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Josh Lepawsky</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But it is far more than all of that. </p>
<p>Waste arises ubiquitously, but unevenly, throughout the lives of electronics, not only when users discard their devices. No amount of post-consumer recycling can recoup the waste generated before consumers purchase their devices. </p>
<h2>Waste from mining</h2>
<p>Data on waste generation typically separate producer wastes, such as those from mining, and consumer wastes such as those from households. But there are <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1068/a42122">problems with such division</a>. </p>
<p>It makes the mistake of thinking producer waste and consumer waste are two separate things instead of flip sides of the same coin in <a href="https://discardstudies.com/2014/07/09/modern-waste-is-an-economic-strategy/">industrial systems</a>. It also makes the mistake of presuming consumers have much in the way of meaningful choice in what their electronics are made of.</p>
<p>Electronics contain a wide variety of materials. One important example is copper. The electronics industry is the <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/copper/">second-largest</a> consumer of copper. Only the building and construction sector uses more. </p>
<p>About <a href="https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/mining-materials/facts/copper/20506#L6">30 per cent of world copper consumption</a> is satisfied from recycling copper scrap. The rest needs to be mined. <a href="https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1395/2004-1395.pdf">A United States Geological Survey (USGS) study</a> claims that for every kilogram of copper mined, at least 210 kilograms of mine waste arise.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/218119/original/file-20180508-34021-a49x3y.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/218119/original/file-20180508-34021-a49x3y.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=299&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/218119/original/file-20180508-34021-a49x3y.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=299&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/218119/original/file-20180508-34021-a49x3y.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=299&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/218119/original/file-20180508-34021-a49x3y.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/218119/original/file-20180508-34021-a49x3y.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/218119/original/file-20180508-34021-a49x3y.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A panoramic view of Chuquicamata, a copper mine in Chile. It is one of the world’s largest open-pit copper mines, measuring 4.5 kilometres long, 3.5 kilometres wide and 850 metres deep.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mina_de_Chuquicamata,_Calama,_Chile,_2016-02-01,_DD_110-112_PAN.JPG">(Diego Delso/Wikimedia)</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>The same study reports that one of the largest copper mines in the world, Chuquicamata in Chile, generates a daily average of more than 298,000 metric tons of mine waste. </p>
<p>At that rate, it only needs to operate for about 12 hours before it generates <a href="https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Climate-Change/Pages/Global-E-waste-Monitor-2017.aspx">as much mine waste by weight as Chile</a> does e-waste in a year. After a little over 48 days of operation, the Chuquicamata mine generates about the same amount of mine waste by weight as the total annual <a href="https://public.tableau.com/views/Data-2017-Global-Ewaste-Monitor-TheConversation/Sheet1?:embed=y&:display_count=yes&publish=yes">e-waste arising in China and the United States</a> combined.</p>
<h2>Waste from manufacturing</h2>
<p>Manufacturing digital devices entails <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es025643o">substantial tonnages of discards</a> that, by weight, far exceed what consumers dispose of as e-waste. For example, in 2014, about 3.1 million metric tons of e-waste was <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/data/database">collected from households in the European Union</a>. Yet five times more waste, 16.2 million metric tons, arose from electronics manufacturing within the EU. </p>
<p>This means that even if all household e-waste collected in the EU is recycled, waste from manufacturing electronics in the same region far outstrips <a href="https://discardstudies.com/2014/02/10/solutions-to-waste-and-the-problem-of-scalar-mismatches/">the scale</a> of household e-waste.</p>
<p>Data from <a href="http://scalar.usc.edu/works/worlding-electronic-waste/figure-65?path=chapter-6--weighty-geographies">manufacturers of phones</a>, <a href="http://scalar.usc.edu/works/worlding-electronic-waste/figure-66?path=chapter-6--weighty-geographies">laptops</a>, <a href="http://scalar.usc.edu/works/worlding-electronic-waste/figure-67?path=chapter-6--weighty-geographies">desktops</a> and <a href="http://scalar.usc.edu/works/worlding-electronic-waste/figure-68?path=chapter-6--weighty-geographies">tablets</a> show that in most cases the CO₂ released over a device’s lifetime predominantly occurs during production, before consumers buy their devices.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-smartphones-are-heating-up-the-planet-92793">How smartphones are heating up the planet</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<p>Similarly, the manufacture of flat panel displays, like those that go into televisions and computer monitors, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/climateleadership/center-corporate-climate-leadership-sector-spotlight-electronics">releases fluorinated greenhouse gases</a> (F-GHGs), some of the most powerful and persistent of the heat-trapping emissions.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/212236/original/file-20180327-109199-14cbt71.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/212236/original/file-20180327-109199-14cbt71.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212236/original/file-20180327-109199-14cbt71.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212236/original/file-20180327-109199-14cbt71.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212236/original/file-20180327-109199-14cbt71.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=547&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212236/original/file-20180327-109199-14cbt71.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=547&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212236/original/file-20180327-109199-14cbt71.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=547&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Global emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases from flat panel display manufacturing, including projections under moderate growth and high growth scenarios.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Large volumes of other chemicals used in device manufacturing also don’t make it into the final device. The volume of these chemicals may be <a href="https://www.chemicalfootprint.org/assets/downloads/BizNGO_CF2015_ASchmidtPres.pdf">four times greater than what is included in the product itself</a>.</p>
<p>Some of these chemicals are <a href="http://scalar.usc.edu/works/worlding-electronic-waste/figure-4">released into the environment</a>, and <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-06-15/american-chipmakers-had-a-toxic-problem-so-they-outsourced-it">make their way</a> into <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0123679">workers’ bodies</a>.</p>
<h2>Waste from use</h2>
<p>Once they’re in use, it can be <a href="http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/11/10/103001/pdf">tricky to measure</a> the environmental impact of energy use by electronics. The electricity the device uses may be generated by coal, hydro or solar power plants. But <a href="https://vimeo.com/30642376">it’s clear that the environmental impact of cyberspace is anything but “virtual.”</a></p>
<p>Minting a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/13/business/bitcoin-mine-china.html">new bitcoin</a>, for example, can produce <a href="https://digiconomist.net/deep-dive-real-world-bitcoin-mine">seven to 12 tonnes</a> of CO₂ per coin.
<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1530-9290.2010.00278.x">Researchers estimate</a> that electricity use for electronics in businesses and homes are responsible for about two per cent of total global greenhouse gas emissions. By 2040 those emissions could account for <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S095965261733233X?via%3Dihub">six to 14 per cent</a> of total global greenhouse gas releases.</p>
<h2>Fixing the e-waste issue</h2>
<p>Post-consumer recycling of electronics will never be enough, we need to be able to repair — and upgrade — the devices we already have, if we are to slow our production of e-waste.</p>
<p>Innovative initiatives that facilitate <a href="https://therestartproject.org/">reuse and repair</a> while also <a href="http://worldloop.org/about-worldloop/">finding ways</a> to <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/africa-ewaste-offset-launch">offset e-waste</a> that arises do exist. More are needed.</p>
<p>In the U.S., the <a href="https://repair.org/">Repair Association</a> is doing the hard work of advocating for consumers to have the right to repair the devices they purchase by enshrining those rights into law. That said, an e-waste recycler in California now <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/true-crime/wp/2018/04/24/recycling-innovator-eric-lundgren-loses-appeal-on-computer-restore-discs-must-serve-15-month-prison-term/?utm_term=.7e4f34f87d41">faces a 15-month prison sentence and a US$50,000 fine</a> in his efforts to extend the lives of computers.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/transition/understanding-national-highway-traffic-safety-administration-nhtsa">automobile</a>, <a href="https://www.fda.gov/downloads/AboutFDA/WhatWeDo/History/FOrgsHistory/HistoryofFDAsCentersandOffices/UCM582569.pdf">food and pharmaceutical</a> industries have to show their products meet certain safety standards before they are put on the market. Why not demand the same of the electronics industry?</p>
<p>Requiring electronics manufacturers to make products that are materially safer, durable and repairable would be important steps in mitigating waste from electronics throughout their life cycle in ways that post-consumer recycling on its own will never achieve.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/93904/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Josh Lepawsky receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. He is also a voluntary member of the United Nations University's Solve the E-waste Problem (STEP) initiative. His book, "Reassembling Rubbish: Worlding Electronic Waste" is available from the MIT Press.</span></em></p>No amount of post-consumer recycling can recoup the waste generated before consumers purchase their devices.Josh Lepawsky, Associate Professor of Geography, Memorial University of NewfoundlandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/814732017-08-11T01:59:59Z2017-08-11T01:59:59ZPowerful and ignored: the history of the electric drill in Australia<p>Portable electric drills didn’t always look like oversized handguns. </p>
<p>Before Alonzo G. Decker and Samuel D. Black intervened <a href="https://www.google.com/patents/US1245860">in the 1910s</a>, the machines typically required the use of both hands. The two men, founders of the eponymous American company Black & Decker, developed a portable electric drill that incorporated a pistol grip and trigger switch, apparently inspired by Samuel Colt’s pistol.</p>
<p>We are documenting <a href="http://powertoolstudy.blogspot.com.au">a collection</a> of more than 50 portable electric drills made roughly between 1930 and 1980. </p>
<p>Seen as part of a history of technology, they have a lot to teach us about function and form, masculine values and the history of Australian craft.</p>
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<p>The collection also represents an important chapter in Australian manufacturing, and includes drills produced by local companies such as <a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/sher-william-peter-11679">Sher</a>, KBC and <a href="https://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/1722135">Lightburn</a> that have since disappeared. It also features models made by Black & Decker, which <a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences-and-law/economics-business-and-labor/businesses-and-occupations/black-decker-corp">once had</a> manufacturing operations in Australia.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/181479/original/file-20170809-26006-a25r4t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/181479/original/file-20170809-26006-a25r4t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=537&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181479/original/file-20170809-26006-a25r4t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=537&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181479/original/file-20170809-26006-a25r4t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=537&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181479/original/file-20170809-26006-a25r4t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=674&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181479/original/file-20170809-26006-a25r4t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=674&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181479/original/file-20170809-26006-a25r4t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=674&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The CP2 manufactured by Black & Decker in Croydon, Victoria. There is evidence of this model being on the market from 1963 to 1966, although we suspect it was available earlier and for much longer.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://powertoolstudy.blogspot.com.au/">Berto Pandolfo</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Design historians and collectors have paid little attention to the electric drill. It’s seen as an object of work, unlike domestic items such as the tea kettle, which can be statements of taste and luxury.</p>
<p>But the device deserves our attention. It’s considered the first portable electric power tool, and arguably helped to democratise the industry, putting construction in the hands of everyone from labourers to hobbyists.</p>
<h2>The electric drill in Australia</h2>
<p>Australia once played a significant role in producing the portable electric drill.</p>
<p>Ken Bowes & Co. Ltd, known as KBC, was a South Australian manufacturing company founded in 1936. Although it produced domestic appliances such as the <a href="https://ehive.com/collections/3977/objects/668137/bean-slicer">bean slicer</a>, die casting of military components such as ammunition parts (shell and bomb noses) and tank attack guns kept the company busy during World War II.</p>
<p>It appears that KBC entered the hardware market in 1948 with its first portable electric drill, designed for the cabinet maker and general handyman. The body of the drill was made from die-cast zinc alloy and it had a unique removable front plate on the handle to allow the user easy access to the connection terminals.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179574/original/file-20170725-23039-p81iw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179574/original/file-20170725-23039-p81iw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179574/original/file-20170725-23039-p81iw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179574/original/file-20170725-23039-p81iw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179574/original/file-20170725-23039-p81iw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=624&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179574/original/file-20170725-23039-p81iw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=624&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179574/original/file-20170725-23039-p81iw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=624&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">KBC drill and label (note the lack of integration between handle and body), circa 1950s.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://powertoolstudy.blogspot.com.au/">Berto Pandolfo</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In 1956, Black & Decker established an Australian manufacturing plant in Croydon, Victoria, where drills such as <a href="http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/107032038">the CP2</a> were manufactured. </p>
<p>Between 1960 and 1982, many power tool brands had a media presence. KBC sponsored a radio program called, appropriately enough, That’s The Drill. Wolf power tools were awarded as prizes on the television program Pick-A-Box.</p>
<p>Black & Decker ran advertisements that appeared during popular television programs and used endorsements by sporting celebrities such as cricketer Dennis Lillee.</p>
<p>While the popularity of portable power drills has endured, the manufacture of these objects in Australia more or less vanished by the end of the 20th century.</p>
<h2>Why we value some objects and not others</h2>
<p>The portable electric drill has been poorly documented by designers, historians and museums. </p>
<p>Obvious repositories for their collection, such as museums of technology or innovation, are increasingly challenged by space and funding pressures. Apart from a few token examples, many everyday objects have not managed to establish a museum presence. </p>
<p>The Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Sydney holds at least two vintage portable electric drills: one is a <a href="https://collection.maas.museum/object/231009">Desoutter</a>, made in England, and <a href="https://collection.maas.museum/object/33415">another drill</a> of unknown origin. Museums Victoria has one <a href="https://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/414882">example of a Black & Decker</a> electric drill from the 1960s in its digital archive.</p>
<p>The crude utility of the portable drill is part of the reason why it has escaped much academic scrutiny.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179379/original/file-20170724-29742-12f5hiu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179379/original/file-20170724-29742-12f5hiu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=640&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179379/original/file-20170724-29742-12f5hiu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=640&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179379/original/file-20170724-29742-12f5hiu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=640&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179379/original/file-20170724-29742-12f5hiu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=805&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179379/original/file-20170724-29742-12f5hiu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=805&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179379/original/file-20170724-29742-12f5hiu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=805&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Black and Decker U-500 drill. The first drill to be completely manufactured in Australia at the Crodyon factory in Victoria.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://powertoolstudy.blogspot.com.au/">Berto Pandolfo</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Design studies and collections tend to focus on luxury objects such as Ferrari sports cars and Rolex wristwatches. Even kitchen and home appliances get more attention, especially those designs associated with high-end companies such as <a href="http://www.alessi.com/en/products/detail/9093-kettle">Alessi</a> and designers such as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2009/dec/04/dieter-rams-design-museum">Dieter Rams</a> and <a href="https://www.designboom.com/design/jasper-morrison-schiffini-lepic-kitchen-milan-design-week-05-06-2016/">Jasper Morrison</a>. </p>
<p>By contrast, the electric drill remains a B-grade object. It is a stock weapon in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079082/">horror films</a>, although even there it lacks the status reserved for the more sublimely threatening implements of violence such as swords, spears and guns.</p>
<h2>The case for the drill</h2>
<p>Hard yakka and aesthetics have not typically been happy bedfellows. However, <a href="http://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/43/jasper_ngai.php">labour and its associated objects</a> can provide a compelling look at contemporary life.</p>
<p>Like the laptop computer, the shape of which is tied to the <a href="http://excelsior.biosci.ohio-state.edu/%7Ecarlson/history/PDFs/laptop-atkinson.pdf">“macho mystique” of the briefcase</a>, the pistol form of the portable drill seems to be significantly influenced by ideas of power and masculinity.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/tools-ads-1920s/2">The symbolic association with the pistol</a> is also practical, and would have no doubt eased the burden for those early users struggling with the device’s weight. </p>
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<p>A recent <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books/about/The_design_of_everyday_life.html?id=9qMSAQAAIAAJ">turn towards the everyday</a> as a site for design anthropology will hopefully shift focus towards inconspicuous yet important technologies like portable electric drills.</p>
<p>These objects are part of a rich history that will be forgotten if institutions focus exclusively on luxury items, big name designers and cultures of display and ornament. </p>
<p>Even our most anonymous objects are sources of cultural expression, and they should not be overlooked.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/81473/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tom Lee works for the University of Technology Sydney and at times receives funding and support for his research and writing.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Berto Pandolfo works for the University of Technology Sydney, and at times he receives funding to support his research and writing. </span></em></p>Even our most anonymous objects, like the portable electric drill, are sources of cultural expression. It’s time to learn their history.Tom Lee, Lecturer, Faculty of Design and Architecture Building, University of Technology SydneyBerto Pandolfo, Director Industrial Design, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/776012017-07-12T00:35:00Z2017-07-12T00:35:00ZWhy can’t we fix our own electronic devices?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/176259/original/file-20170629-16051-lydbvr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Fixing electronics devices doesn't need to be difficult.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/electronics-repair-607246958">Krashenitsa Dmitrii/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Traditionally, when a car breaks down, the solution has been to fix it. Repair manuals, knowledgeable mechanics and auto parts stores make car repairs common, quick and relatively inexpensive. Even with <a href="http://blog.caranddriver.com/automakers-agree-to-fix-your-car-anywhere-in-right-to-repair-pledge/">modern computer-equipped vehicles</a>, regular people have plenty they can do: change oil, change tires and many more advanced upgrades.</p>
<p>But when a computer or smartphone breaks, it’s hard to get it fixed, and much more common to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.09.119">throw the broken device away</a>. Even small electronic devices <a href="https://unu.edu/media-relations/releases/e-waste-in-east-and-south-east-asia-jumps-63-percent-in-five-years.html">can add up</a> to <a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/americas-television-graveyards">massive amounts of electronic waste</a> – between <a href="http://www.electronicstakeback.com/wp-content/uploads/Facts_and_Figures_on_EWaste_and_Recycling1.pdf">20 million and 50 million metric tons</a> of electronic devices every year, worldwide. Some of this waste is recycled, but most – including components <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/16/e-waste-levels-surge-in-asia/">involving lead and mercury</a> – goes into landfills.</p>
<p>Bigger equipment can be just as difficult to repair. Today’s farmers often can’t fix the <a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/farmers-right-to-repair">computers running their tractors</a>, because manufacturers claim that farmers <a href="https://copyright.gov/1201/2015/comments-032715/class%2021/John_Deere_Class21_1201_2014.pdf">don’t actually own them</a>. Companies argue that specialized software running tractors and other machines is <a href="https://www.wired.com/2015/04/dmca-ownership-john-deere/">protected by copyright and patent laws</a>, and allowing farmers access to it would harm the companies’ intellectual property rights.</p>
<p>Users’ <a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/farmers-right-to-repair">right to repair</a> – or to pay others to fix – objects they own is in jeopardy. However, in our surveys and examinations of product life cycles, my colleagues and I are finding that supporting people who want to repair and reuse their broken devices can yield benefits – including profits – for electronics manufacturers.</p>
<h2>A corporate quandary</h2>
<p>At least eight states – Nebraska, Kansas, Wyoming, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York and Tennessee – <a href="https://www.wired.com/2017/03/right-to-repair-laws/">are considering laws</a> that would require companies to let customers fix their broken electronics. The proposals typically make manufacturers sell parts, publish repair manuals and make available diagnostic tools, such as scanning devices that identify sources of malfunctions. In an encouraging move, the U.S. Copyright Office suggested in June that similar rules should <a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/d3zbnz/the-government-wants-to-permanently-legalize-the-right-to-repair">apply nationwide</a>. And the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that companies’ patent rights <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/30/business/supreme-court-patent-rights-lexmark.html">don’t prevent people from reselling</a> their electronics privately.</p>
<p>Seen one way, these regulations put manufacturing companies in a tough spot. Manufacturers can <a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/fight-right-repair-180959764/">earn a lot of money</a> from selling authorized parts and service. Yet to remain competitive, they must constantly innovate and develop <a href="https://qz.com/1011782/iphone-8-apples-aapl-next-iphone-may-have-new-full-screen-design-new-video-shows/">new products</a>. To keep costs down, they can’t keep making and stocking parts for old and <a href="https://9to5mac.com/2017/05/27/apple-moving-macbook-pro-air-and-iphone-to-obsolete/">outdated devices forever</a>. This leads to what’s called “<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19397038.2015.1099757">planned obsolescence</a>,” the principle that a company designs its items to have relatively short useful lives, which will end roughly around the time a new version of the product comes out.</p>
<p>However, our research suggests that companies can take a different approach – designing and building products that can be refurbished and repaired for reuse – <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.02.014">while building customer loyalty and brand awareness</a>. By analyzing surveys of hobbyists and the repair industry, we’ve also found that there are barriers, such as a lack of repair manuals and spare parts, that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.09.013">impede the growth of the repair industry</a> that can be improved upon.</p>
<h2>Consumers want to fix their devices</h2>
<p>Even as machines and devices have become less mechanical and more electronic, we have found that customers still expect to be able to repair and continue using electronic products they purchase. When manufacturers support that expectation, by offering repair manuals, spare parts and other guidance on how to fix their products, they build customer loyalty.</p>
<p>Specifically, we found that customers are more likely to buy additional products from that manufacturer, and are more likely to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.02.014">recommend that manufacturer’s product</a> to friends. The math here is simple: More customers using a company’s products, whether brand-new or still kicking after many years, equals more money for the business.</p>
<p>Our research also shows that the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.02.014">failure of most electronic devices</a> is due to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.09.013">simple accidents</a> such as dropping a device or spilling water on it. The most common problem is a broken screen. There are other issues, too – such as batteries that no longer hold their charges or circuit boards that just stop working.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/176258/original/file-20170629-16091-cq0ywx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/176258/original/file-20170629-16091-cq0ywx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/176258/original/file-20170629-16091-cq0ywx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176258/original/file-20170629-16091-cq0ywx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176258/original/file-20170629-16091-cq0ywx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176258/original/file-20170629-16091-cq0ywx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176258/original/file-20170629-16091-cq0ywx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176258/original/file-20170629-16091-cq0ywx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Simple repairs don’t require much work, nor many tools.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/smartphone-broken-small-screwdrivers-repair-on-521520520">arrowsmith2/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/02/repair-or-replace/index.htm">Even nontechnical users</a> often want to pay someone to clean their devices and replace parts such as damaged screens and old batteries. If manufacturers provided access to replacement parts, more damaged items could be repaired, extending their usefulness. Apple could seize an opportunity here: It has just begun <a href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/05/17/apple-commences-iphone-se-production-in-india-with-assembly-partner-wistron">assembling older iPhone models in India</a>, which means it is still making parts that others could use to fix the devices they already have.</p>
<h2>Helping consumers, companies and the environment</h2>
<p>Technology manufacturers should take steps to promote customers’ right to repair their broken devices, which helps cut down on electronic waste and boost brand loyalty. But if they won’t, laws and regulations can help.</p>
<p>In France, for example, a 2015 law requires manufacturers to tell customers – before they purchase an item – for <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/3043252/this-new-french-law-is-designed-to-make-products-easier-to-repair-so-th">how long repair parts will be available</a>. That lets consumers decide how much they want to factor in the possibility for repairs when deciding whether to buy something new.</p>
<p>Supporting repair rights can also bring economic benefits to more than just the technology sector. There were 4,623 consumer electronic repair and maintenance companies in 1998 in the U.S. By 2015, that number <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.09.013">had dropped to 2,072</a>. Independent vendors are creating online marketplaces where people can buy and sell used <a href="https://www.newegg.com/Refurbished/Store">and repaired</a> gadgets. Other companies like <a href="https://www.ifixit.com/">iFixit</a> and <a href="https://repaircafe.org/en/">Repair Cafe</a> are creating networks of people who share information on repairing electronics, and even <a href="https://www.ubreakifix.com/">getting groups of people together in person</a> to work on their devices. </p>
<p>Meanwhile 3-D printing continues to make it easier and cheaper for people to produce <a href="http://www.ubergizmo.com/2016/08/asus-3d-print-parts-for-motherboard/">replacement parts</a> for older devices. </p>
<p>Companies shouldn’t fear people taking too much into their own hands, though: While it’s been possible for a few years to 3-D print and hand-assemble <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/11217005/Make-your-own-computer-worlds-first-3D-printed-laptop.html">entire computers</a>, they’re <a href="https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/2/3/14501812/olimex-teres-i-open-source-diy-laptop">not very good</a>. People are much more likely to buy corporate-made devices; they just <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2017/02/22/you-gotta-fight-for-right-repair-your-digital-devices/rEDZDfIAdMeRejijuprdIO/story.html">want to be able to repair them</a> when they break down.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/77601/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sara Behdad receives funding from National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. </span></em></p>Many companies are working to prevent customers from fixing broken smartphones and tractors. By doing so, they’re missing out on an opportunity to build customer loyalty and boost profits.Sara Behdad, Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University at BuffaloLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/610482016-06-29T13:19:20Z2016-06-29T13:19:20ZThe next wearable technology could be your skin<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/128697/original/image-20160629-15274-10c0124.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Chris Harrison, Scott Saponas, Desney Tan, Dan Morris - Microsoft Research</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Technology can be awkward. Our pockets are weighed down with ever-larger smartphones that are a pain to pull out when we’re in a rush. And attempts to make our devices more easily accessible with smart watches have so far <a href="https://theconversation.com/apple-delivers-smart-watch-but-you-might-want-to-think-twice-about-getting-one-31526">fallen flat</a>. But what if a part of your body could become your computer, with a screen on your arm and maybe even a direct link to your brain?</p>
<p>Artificial electronic skin (e-skin) could one day make this a possibility. Researchers are developing flexible, bendable and even stretchable electronic circuits that can be applied directly to the skin. As well as turning your skin into a touchscreen, this could also help replace feeling if you’ve suffered burns or problems with your nervous system.</p>
<p>The simplest version of this technology is essentially an electronic tattoo. In 2004, <a href="http://informationdisplay.org/IDArchive/2014/JanuaryFebruary/FrontlineTechnologyImperceptibleElectronic.aspx">researchers in the US and Japan</a> unveiled a pressure sensor circuit made from pre-stretched thinned silicon strips that could be applied to the forearm. But inorganic materials such as silicon are rigid and the skin is flexible and stretchy. So researchers are now looking to electronic circuits made from organic materials (usually special plastics or forms of carbon such as graphene that conduct electricity) as the basis of e-skin.</p>
<p>Typical e-skin consists of a matrix of different electronic components – flexible transistors, organic LEDs, sensors and organic photovoltaic (solar) cells – connected to each other by <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4531887/">stretchable or flexible</a> conductive wires. These devices are often built up from very thin layers of material that are sprayed or evaporated onto a flexible base, producing a large (up to tens of cm<sup>2)</sup> electronic circuit in a <a href="http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2014/cs/c3cs60235d">skin-like form</a>. </p>
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<p>Much of the effort to create this technology in the last few years has been driven by robotics and a desire to give machines human-like sensing capabilities. <a href="https://spie.org/membership/spie-professional-magazine/spie-professional-archives-and-special-content/2011jan-archive/better-electronic-sensors-skin">We now have</a> e-skin devices that can detect approaching objects and measure temperature and applied pressure. These can help robots work more safely by being more aware of their surroundings (and any humans that might get in the way). But if <a href="https://micro.seas.harvard.edu/papers/Menguc_ICRA13.pdf">integrated with wearable technology</a>, they could do the same for humans, detecting, for example, harmful movements during sport.</p>
<p>The technology has also led to the creation of <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-flexible-computer-screens-taking-so-long-to-develop-53143">bendable screens</a>, while at least <a href="http://www.cicret.com">one company</a> is hoping to turn the skin into a touchscreen using sensors and a pico-projector rather than a display.</p>
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<p>But will we one day come to build this technology directly into our bodies, and how common will it be? The problem with organic electronics at the moment is that they aren’t very reliable and give relatively poor electronic performance. Just like real skin, the e-skin developed so far <a href="http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/14/7/11855/pdf">eventually develops wrinkles</a>. These cause its layers to come apart and the circuits to fail. Plus, atoms in organic materials are more chaotically organised than the inorganic materials used to make traditional electronics. This means electrons <a href="http://inside.mines.edu/%7EZhiwu/research/papers/G02_charge_transfer.pdf">move 1,000 times slower</a> in organic materials, so devices made from them will operate much more slowly and would’t deal as well with the heat the circuits generate.</p>
<h2>Bio-compatibility</h2>
<p>The other big issue is how to integrate e-skin with the human body so that it doesn’t cause medical problems and so that it can interface with the nervous system. Organic materials are carbon-based (like our bodies) so in some senses are more likely to be biocompatible and not rejected by the body. But carbon particles are good at passing through the cells that make up our body and this would likely to lead to inflammation, generating an immune response that could even, according to <a href="http://www.materialstoday.com/carbon/articles/s1369702112701013/">certain unverified theories</a>, generate tumours. </p>
<p>However, scientists have already had some success linking electronic devices to the nervous system. Researchers at the <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285999946_Ultrathin_short_channel_thermally-stable_organic_transistors_for_neural_interface_systems">University of Osaka</a> are leading pioneering research to develop a brain implant from a flexible matrix of organic thin-film transistors that could be activated just by thinking. The difficulty is that such an invasive approach could lead to further problems, especially when we start testing the technology on humans. </p>
<p><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.201303349/full">In coming years</a> we are are likely to see prototype e-skin devices gaining momentum in the form of wearable bodily sensors, and potentially as a way to harvest energy from the body’s movement. What will take much longer are the more complicated circuits such as those found in smartphones. And the other big question we’ve yet to answer is how many people will accept permanent or semi-permanent electronic implants. Would you be willing to effectively become a cyborg?</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/61048/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Luca Santarelli is funded by a EC Marie Curie ITN-CONTEST project (n. 317488).
</span></em></p>Imagine if your smartphone was built into your arm. Flexible organic electronics could one day make artificial skin displays a reality.Luca Santarelli, PhD Candidate, UCLLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/531432016-01-18T11:59:02Z2016-01-18T11:59:02ZWhy are flexible computer screens taking so long to develop?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/108409/original/image-20160118-31811-wdnbcm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">LG</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s common to first see exciting new technologies in science fiction, but less so in stories about wizards and dragons. Yet one of the most interesting bits of kit on display at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas was reminiscent of the magical <a href="http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Daily_Prophet">Daily Prophet</a> newspaper in the Harry Potter series.</p>
<p>Thin, flexible screens such as the one <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-35230043">showcased by LG</a> could allow the creation of newspapers that change daily and display video like a tablet computer, but that can be rolled up and put in your pocket. These plastic electronic displays could also provide smartphones with shatterproof displays (good news for anyone who’s inadvertently tried drop-testing their phone onto the pavement) and lead to the next generation of flexible wearable technology.</p>
<p>But LG’s announcement is <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2013/jan/11/ces-2013-samsung-bendy-screen">not the first time</a> that flexible displays have been demonstrated at CES. We’ve seen similar technologies every year for some time now, and LG itself unveiled another prototype in a <a href="http://www.lgdisplay.com/eng/prcenter/newsView?articleMgtNo=4874">press release</a> 18 months ago. Yet only a handful of products have come to market that feature flexible displays, and those have the <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/03/samsung-galaxy-note-edge-hands-on/">displays mounted</a> in a <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/sony-promises-an-end-to-the-a4-notepad-with-flexible-digital-paper-9227913.html">rigid holder</a>, rather than free for the user to bend. So why is this technology taking so long to reach our homes?</p>
<h2>How displays work</h2>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/108079/original/image-20160113-10417-sqrkbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/108079/original/image-20160113-10417-sqrkbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/108079/original/image-20160113-10417-sqrkbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/108079/original/image-20160113-10417-sqrkbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/108079/original/image-20160113-10417-sqrkbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/108079/original/image-20160113-10417-sqrkbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/108079/original/image-20160113-10417-sqrkbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/108079/original/image-20160113-10417-sqrkbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Magnified LCD screen.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Akpch/Wikimedia Commons</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Take a look at your computer screen through a magnifying glass and you’ll see the individual pixels, each made up of three subpixels – red, green, and blue light sources. Each of these subpixels is connected via a grid of wires that criss-cross the back of the display to another circuit called a display driver. This translates incoming video data into signals that turn each subpixel on and off.</p>
<p>How each pixel generates light varies depending on the technology used. Two of the <a href="http://www.cnet.com/uk/news/led-lcd-vs-oled/">most common seen today</a> are liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). LCDs use a white light at the back of the display that passes through red, green and blue colour filters. Each subpixel uses a combination of liquid crystals and polarising filters that act like tiny shutters, either letting light through or blocking it.</p>
<p>OLEDs, on the other hand, are mini light sources that directly generate light when turned on. This removes the need for the white light behind the display, reducing its overall thickness, and is one of the driving factors behind the growing uptake of OLED technology.</p>
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<h2>The challenges</h2>
<p>Whatever technology is used, there are many individual components crammed into a relatively small space. Many smartphone displays contain more than three million subpixels, for example. Bending these components <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369702106714468">introduces strain</a>, which can tear electrical connections and peel apart layers. Current displays use a rigid piece of glass, to keep the display safe from the mechanical strains of the outside world. Something that, by design, is not an option in flexible displays.</p>
<p>Organic semiconductors – the chemicals that directly produce light in OLED displays – have the additional problem of being highly sensitive to both water vapour and oxygen, gases that can pass relatively easily through thin plastic films. This can result in faded and dead pixels, leaving a <a href="http://www.olednet.com/en/encapsulation-technology-that-can-greatly-increase-oled-lifetime-unveiled/">less than desirable-looking result</a>.</p>
<p>There’s also the challenge of the large-scale manufacturing of these circuits. Plastics can be tricky materials to work with. They often swell and shrink in response to water and heat, and it can be difficult to persuade materials to bond to it. In a manufacturing environment, where precise alignment and high temperature processing are critical, this can cause major issues.</p>
<p>Finally, it’s not just flexible displays that need to be developed. The components needed to power and operate the display also need to be incorporated into any overall design, placing constraints on the kinds of shape and size currently achievable.</p>
<h2>What next?</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/108078/original/image-20160113-10419-ox462b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/108078/original/image-20160113-10419-ox462b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/108078/original/image-20160113-10419-ox462b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/108078/original/image-20160113-10419-ox462b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/108078/original/image-20160113-10419-ox462b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/108078/original/image-20160113-10419-ox462b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/108078/original/image-20160113-10419-ox462b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/108078/original/image-20160113-10419-ox462b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Circuits patterned on a plastic substrate.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Stuart Higgins</span></span>
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<p>Scientists in Japan <a href="http://www.nature.com/nmat/journal/v9/n12/abs/nmat2896.html">have demonstrated</a> how to make electrical circuits on plastic thinner than the width of human hair in an attempt to reduce the impact of bending on circuit performance. And research into <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-32204707">flexible batteries</a> has started to become more prevalent, too.</p>
<p>Developing solutions to these problems is part of a broader area of active research, as the science and technology underlying flexible displays is also applicable to many other fields, such as <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/what-is-nano/nanotechnology-so-good-you-can-eat-it">biomedical devices</a> and <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/10/solar-energy-cells-you-can-print-out-catching-commercial-eye-says-csiro">solar energy</a>. While the challenges remain, the technology edges closer to the point where devices such as flexible displays will become ubiquitous in our everyday lives.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/53143/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stuart Higgins works on the joint academic/industry project 'Security tags Enabled by near field Communications United with Robust Electronics' (SECURE), funded by Innovate UK. His PhD in the field of plastic electronics was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).</span></em></p>Displays you can roll up and put in your pocket are routinely touted as the next advance in screen technology. So why don’t we have them in our homes yet?Stuart Higgins, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Optoelectronics, University of CambridgeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/523302015-12-14T18:34:49Z2015-12-14T18:34:49ZWhat’s the real risk from consumer drones this holiday season?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/105825/original/image-20151214-9501-zxvied.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Yay, a holiday drone! What could possibly go wrong?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/photonquantique/11538153286">PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>This holiday season, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is estimating that <a href="http://aviationweek.com/commercial-aviation/faa-nightmare-million-christmas-drones">over one million</a> small “Unmanned Aerial Systems” (sUAS’s) – drones, to the rest of us – will be sold to consumers. But as hordes of novice pilots take to the air, just how safe are these small bundles of metal, plastic, video cameras and whirling blades?</p>
<p>A few weeks ago, a British toddler lost an eye as an <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-34936739">out-of-control drone sliced into his face</a>. It may have been a freak occurrence, but it hammered home the message that sUASs – at least in some hands – can be accidents waiting to happen.</p>
<p>This hasn’t escaped the attention of the FAA. Earlier this year, the agency <a href="http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/rulemaking/committees/documents/media/Registration%20ARC%20Charter.pdf">convened a task force in the US</a> on overseeing UAS safe use with a legally enforceable registration system.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/105834/original/image-20151214-9531-163qtwx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/105834/original/image-20151214-9531-163qtwx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/105834/original/image-20151214-9531-163qtwx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=808&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/105834/original/image-20151214-9531-163qtwx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=808&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/105834/original/image-20151214-9531-163qtwx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=808&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/105834/original/image-20151214-9531-163qtwx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1015&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/105834/original/image-20151214-9531-163qtwx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1015&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/105834/original/image-20151214-9531-163qtwx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1015&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Let’s get this thing in the air!</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/franklyrichmond/8637772670">Cola Richmond</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
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<p>Tracking who’s doing what with drones makes sense for commercial users. But there are fears it could put the brakes on a booming consumer drone market. So the task force set out to determine where a line could be drawn between safe (and therefore not regulated) drones and those that required more oversight.</p>
<p>In an impressive display of numerical dexterity, the task force – which included manufacturers and retailers like Parrot, Best Buy and Walmart – calculated the likelihood of a small consumer drone <a href="https://www.faa.gov/uas/publications/media/RTFARCFinalReport_11-21-15.pdf">inadvertently killing someone</a>.</p>
<p>Through their mathematical machinations, they concluded that a drone weighing 250 grams (just under nine ounces) is likely to kill fewer than one person per 20 million flight-hours.</p>
<p>Putting aside the many assumptions made to reach this figure, the risk sounds pretty low. That is, until you consider that a million new drone operators this holiday period each wouldn’t need to rack up that many flight hours before the chances of someone being killed got serious.</p>
<p>The FAA has <a href="http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=19856">just announced new drone registration guidelines</a> based on the task force recommendations – and yes, if you own a drone weight less that 250 grams, you don’t need to register it. (If it’s between 0.55 pounds and 55 pounds, though, you’ll have to <a href="http://www.faa.gov/uas/registration/">register online</a> before taking to the air.) </p>
<p>The registration weight cutoff is based on the calculated chances of a fatal drone encounter. At least as worrying, though, are the nonfatal threats – the chances of physical injury from out-of-control or badly operated drones, or the much talked about Peeping Tom users who treat their sUAS as a second pair of prying eyes.</p>
<p>And then you have the dangers of drones getting where they were never meant to be – into the flight paths of aircraft, for instance. In under two years, <a href="http://dronecenter.bard.edu/drone-sightings-and-close-encounters/">246 manned aircraft close encounters with quadropters</a> were recorded by the Bard College Center for the Study of the Drone. And that’s before the surge in drone ownership we’re expecting to see over the next few weeks.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mV2qASDQuYA?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Drone operators likely aren’t too adept for their first flights.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Retailers and professional organizations – and to give them their fair dues, the FAA – have been quick to try to fill safety gaps around lightweight consumer drones. Best Buy, for example, has recently teamed up with the Academy of Model Aeronautics to provide new drone customers with a <a href="http://www.modelaircraft.org/gov/docs/safetyinsert-bestbuy.pdf">guide to responsible flying</a>. And the FAA has a <a href="http://www.faa.gov/news/updates/media/2015-FAA-383-UAS_Holiday_Pre-flight-checklist_1200x627_ae05.pdf">preflight checklist</a> to encourage safe use.</p>
<p>These voluntary initiatives will certainly help reduce the chances of emergency care visits this holiday. But they work on the assumption that consumers actually want to be responsible in the first place.</p>
<p>As drone popularity increases, we’re going to have to get more creative if the risks to people and property are to remain acceptable. Despite the new registration requirements for larger drones, regulations are going to remain several steps behind the technology for some time, and “guides to responsible flying,” while laudable, won’t do much to curb an excess of irresponsibility – or simple lack of awareness – in some pilots.</p>
<p>Instead, manufacturers, retailers, regulators and other organizations need to get better at finding innovative ways to create a culture of safe use. It isn’t enough to tell consumers to be responsible this holiday; safe flying needs to become the norm.</p>
<p>Of course, it’s possible to argue that the odd eye, or the occasional death, is a worthy price to pay for what the Academy of Model Aeronautics calls <a href="http://www.modelaircraft.org/gov/docs/safetyinsert-bestbuy.pdf">“The most fun you can have (without a license)”</a> – so why be a party pooper with all this talk of risk and responsibility?</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/105835/original/image-20151214-9515-1n05s9h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/105835/original/image-20151214-9515-1n05s9h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/105835/original/image-20151214-9515-1n05s9h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/105835/original/image-20151214-9515-1n05s9h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/105835/original/image-20151214-9515-1n05s9h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/105835/original/image-20151214-9515-1n05s9h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/105835/original/image-20151214-9515-1n05s9h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/105835/original/image-20151214-9515-1n05s9h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">What did you see up there?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Quadcopter_landing_at_Head_of_the_Charles.agr.jpg">ArnoldReinhold</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Unfortunately, the more drones are involved in accidents, the harder it will become for manufacturers to keep the market for their products buoyant. And the more likely it will be that regulators end up acting to limit the technology’s use.</p>
<p>This doesn’t bode well for the future of amateur drone operators. But there’s a more worrying potential consequence, and that’s to future socially beneficial uses of drones.</p>
<p>Commercial drones are getting increasingly close to providing services such as helping <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/08/science/as-aging-population-grows-so-do-robotic-health-aides.html">care for the elderly</a>, or getting <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/drone-delivers-medicine-to-rural-virginia-clinic-1437155114">medical services and supplies to remote locations</a>, or <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2015/08/22/agricultural-drones-change-way-farm/WTpOWMV9j4C7kchvbmPr4J/story.html">improving crop yields</a>. Even Amazon’s much-touted <a href="http://www.amazon.com/b?node=8037720011">drone delivery service</a> is likely to be advantageous to some.</p>
<p>Yet if public perceptions and regulations end up being swayed by amateur users, applications like these are likely to hit a roadblock in their development.</p>
<p>And this is perhaps the most important safety issue this holiday season – not the small chance of injury, but the bigger risk of losing the best the technology can offer in the future. All because we were having the most fun we could without a license, without thinking about the consequences.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/52330/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
New FAA guidelines call for consumers to register drones over a certain weight. As more and more drones take to the skies, we’ll see how amateur use influences the development of UAS technologies.Andrew Maynard, Director, Risk Innovation Lab, Arizona State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/434762015-09-11T01:11:24Z2015-09-11T01:11:24ZHigh-tech consumerism, a global catastrophe happening on our watch<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/90285/original/image-20150730-25773-1112kjw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">In the era of wearable technology, we live as devices of our own devices. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/keoni101/7069578953/in/photolist-bLHrwi-5ntdzL-5qW2q-6ZhePB-5mo5q-6prZBn-8cHBq1-6RyMSK-7QKCJQ-dm2Wju-7oGyQh-xtTEs-asVkus-7FHSdd-5XX9UJ-2383EM-9vXVVN-qLK3CV-6zYmR4-5QUfs5-BFEVZ-iM1ePo-5LatvK-2hhW2r-nzas6V-hw5VD3-2hhWr2-hGQzPW-5ndB3s-ecWhUK-9ZFP1U-ndA6My-9QKZQA-747ahf-bkRgK-nDCDKL-nXUssa-dm2SAB-2hngmw-2hnmFS-Lptp5-dm2Wgu-iHAcP-6stsEb-7BCEtP-9524fF-3P5ho6-2hhX8n-eWVoyn-2hngUh">flickr/Keoni Cabral</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This article is part of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/democracy-futures">Democracy Futures</a> series, a <a href="http://sydneydemocracynetwork.org/shortcodes/images-videos/articles-democracy-futures/">joint global initiative</a> with the <a href="http://sydneydemocracynetwork.org/">Sydney Democracy Network</a>. The project aims to stimulate fresh thinking about the many challenges facing democracies in the 21st century.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Smart wearable technologies, such as the <a href="https://theconversation.com/apple-watch-why-are-so-many-prepared-to-pay-so-much-without-even-knowing-why-40059">Apple Watch</a>, are this year’s “must have” item – their makers are banking on it. Apparently, there is a model for everyone. As always, professional high-tech-trend watchers (a pun now worn on their wrists) are not just selling the commodity; they are also spreading the faith in the magic of the machine, the gadget’s enveloping mist of enchantment that compels us to buy it.</p>
<p>Ironically, electronic consumerism has erased any connection we might once have had to notions of earthly plenitude. We now live as <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-apple-watch-heralds-a-brave-new-world-of-digital-living-41171">devices of our own devices</a>, not as inhabitants of a living planet. The <a href="http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21645180-smartphone-ubiquitous-addictive-and-transformative-planet-phones">pace of our high-tech evolution</a> has rapidly crossed the line of <a href="https://theconversation.com/anthropocene-raises-risks-of-earth-without-democracy-and-without-us-38911">environmental sustainability</a>, ravaging any sense of balance between what the Earth can give to support human activity and what the Earth can safely re-absorb from those activities.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/90975/original/image-20150806-19628-bw5v8v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/90975/original/image-20150806-19628-bw5v8v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/90975/original/image-20150806-19628-bw5v8v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=669&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/90975/original/image-20150806-19628-bw5v8v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=669&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/90975/original/image-20150806-19628-bw5v8v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=669&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/90975/original/image-20150806-19628-bw5v8v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=841&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/90975/original/image-20150806-19628-bw5v8v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=841&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/90975/original/image-20150806-19628-bw5v8v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=841&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Customers queue overnight at an Apple store in Australia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/halans/2589471751/in/photolist-4WPHJF-4WPHNa-4WPHVH-4WPHYv-4WU1gU-4WPHPg-8p1aY1-5a4prq-7PW6WR-phC12c-4WU1aG-6b33D7-4ZbLRs-4ZbLMq-6aXWpP-4WbgPq-vRiJRr-vQGwuE-phMdYY-p1kcLR-4XoCnr-p1gTVB-uUjp8f-vyHxa7-vRH5FX-6b38gd-detm1d-phy3VM-6zwWic-55iSp7-p1kmMY-phxpUn-4XoCR4-avpvZT-phxZMc-4XsUjU-pfMEEd-phPNVK-4XgGeg-vQHGcU-vRjMX4-uUiUgY-uUrMHk-uUi2nd-uUhP7b-vQH3Gd-p1jfTN-p1j6wa-phxjyc-phP8Sp">flickr/Halans</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As a species-for-things, we spend about <a href="http://variety.com/2015/digital/news/electronics-biz-posts-record-1-trillion-in-sales-driven-by-new-smartphones-tablets-1201392613/">US$1 trillion a year</a> on consumer electronics. According to the International Energy Agency, the <a href="https://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/MoreData_LessEnergy.pdf">more than 14 billion</a> network-enabled devices in use today account for 15% of global residential energy use.</p>
<p>If this trend continues, the residential electricity needed to power our digital gadgets will rise to 30% of global consumption by 2022, and 45% by 2030. On top of this, every time we create and receive data on the move, electricity <a href="https://theconversation.com/sorry-the-wireless-cloud-isnt-green-its-an-energy-monster-13295">runs</a> through the data centres and telecommunication networks that connect mobile devices to service providers and <a href="http://au.pcmag.com/networking-communications-software-products/29902/feature/what-is-cloud-computing">the cloud</a>.</p>
<p>When we join all the dots between our high-tech lifestyles and the power grid, a carbon footprint the size of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/airline-emissions-are-set-to-rise-and-people-are-threatening-to-sue-30774">aerospace industry’s</a> emerges. If we do not seek out green alternatives to fossil fuels to deal with the rising energy burdens of our mobile devices, our digital consumption will continue to contribute massively to environmental ills.</p>
<h2>E-waste in other people’s backyards</h2>
<p>Our love affair with high-wattage goods is also the leading cause of electronic and electric waste. Consumers produce e-waste at an annual rate of <a href="http://i.unu.edu/media/unu.edu/news/52624/UNU-1stGlobal-E-Waste-Monitor-2014-small.pdf">up to 50 million tonnes</a> worldwide. </p>
<p>In the last decade or so, e-waste became the fastest-growing part of all the stuff we throw away. And this stuff is full of <a href="http://ewasteguide.info/hazardous-substances">toxins</a> that if not properly removed, re-used or recycled, can poison the land, air and water, as well as the bodies of workers exposed to the chemical contents.</p>
<p>While waste is a problem throughout the life cycle of any electronic device, from over-used and contaminated water in the production process to discarded solvents, it is also designed into high-tech goods. The pernicious business strategy of <a href="http://www.economist.com/node/13354332">planned obsolescence</a> dominates corporate thinking – yet it seems we don’t really care as long as the mist of enchantment surrounds our consumption.</p>
<p>But this destructiveness makes for a searing reality for those working in the world’s e-waste dump sites. Wealthy high-tech nations dump 80-85% of their e-waste in Latin America, Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia. Recent estimates from the United Nations suggest that China <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/30/world/asia/china-electronic-waste-e-waste/">receives 70%</a> of all e-waste.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/90288/original/image-20150730-25753-8qdajz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/90288/original/image-20150730-25753-8qdajz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/90288/original/image-20150730-25753-8qdajz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=335&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/90288/original/image-20150730-25753-8qdajz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=335&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/90288/original/image-20150730-25753-8qdajz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=335&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/90288/original/image-20150730-25753-8qdajz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/90288/original/image-20150730-25753-8qdajz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/90288/original/image-20150730-25753-8qdajz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Low-skilled workers sort e-waste plastics for melting in Guangzhou, China.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/basel-action-network/9263497084/in/photolist-f7zQWY-9uzbYk-5HTN9k-aFVfWP-8ffP5F-8ffNYn-4DLJdP-6fSRFs-qj7KD2-8fj5FW-8ffNZF-8ffP1R-8ffP3v-8ffNWx-8fj5yo-h2yReB-8hM18n-369qap-9VrQck-64MPkc-7n3aTR-5HDgAD-C7bYr-bkgVDp-6TBw1h-7BANyK-7C6izC-6TxtR8-5riA2f-eoQMEn-eoQJ7V-fykzrZ-7BEANQ-fxNJeq-i3Nf5D-63AASo-fxpvRn-7NxFZ8-6tdnVU-6tdnYu-6tzi7c-6t99NB-JrJYq-FW9PU-8SxdnK-6B8hgb-fykemX-i5d6Wt-7qsXKd-6tneK1">flickr/Baselactionnetwork</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In these low-tech salvage yards, low-skilled workers <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/dec/14/toxic-ewaste-illegal-dumping-developing-countries">are exposed</a> to heavy metals (lead, cadmium, chromium and mercury), burnt plastics and poisonous fumes. They risk vertigo, nausea, birth defects and disrupted biological development in children, along with brain damage and diseases of the bones, stomach, lungs and other vital organs. The ecological impact is also profound. </p>
<p>Consider <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com.au/photos-of-chinas-electronic-waste-dump-town-guiyu-2015-7#guiyu-employs-thousands-of-people-to-recycle-the-truckloads-of-electronic-waste-that-arrive-daily-including-hard-drives-mobile-phones-and-computers-from-around-the-world-according-to-reuters-here-a-recycling-factory-is-seen-in-the-distance-1">Guiyu</a> in Guangdong Province, China, where 80% of local families now work in recycling e-waste. Guiyu was once a farming town, but contaminants from recycling have saturated the human food chain. Persistent organic pollutants in the soil and water prohibit the safe return of affected agricultural lands to future generations. Even if people wanted to go back to a mixed economy that included agriculture, they would produce poisoned crops.</p>
<h2>Break your gadget addiction</h2>
<p>All this might seem to be taking place beyond the horizon of our electronic lifestyles. But people are beginning to wise up to what labour and environmental activists and activist scholars have known for a long time. </p>
<p>More and more consumers are re-evaluating their love of the machine and starting to reduce their buying of new gadgets. They are also recycling old electronics as another routine duty of <a href="http://www.cep.unt.edu/citizen.htm">environmental citizenship</a>.</p>
<p>In a growing number of workplaces, schools, residential buildings and neighbourhoods, green is the new normal. Many states, municipalities, national governments and regional blocs have passed laws to <a href="http://anzrp.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Global-e-waste-systems-A-Report-for-ANZRP-by-EIU-FINAL-WEB.pdf">ensure the safe disposal</a> of e-waste. New organisations are forming to stop digital devices from poisoning ecosystems in their place of manufacture; to push for more extensive end-of-life management for e-waste; and to press for ecologically sound manufacturing that protects the biophysical rights of all the Earth’s inhabitants.</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/90289/original/image-20150730-25762-13qkjns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/90289/original/image-20150730-25762-13qkjns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/90289/original/image-20150730-25762-13qkjns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/90289/original/image-20150730-25762-13qkjns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/90289/original/image-20150730-25762-13qkjns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/90289/original/image-20150730-25762-13qkjns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/90289/original/image-20150730-25762-13qkjns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Greenpeace launched the Green my Apple campaign in 2007 to encourage Apple to reduce its e-waste.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">flickr/justHugo</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We still have the social agency to escape from the vibrations and ringtones that sing our body electric into misty slumber. We can wake up to the challenges of climate change, ocean acidification and a planet overdosed with nitrogen. </p>
<p>We know how to reduce the massive levels of conventional pollution. We may not be able to reverse the <a href="https://theconversation.com/earths-sixth-mass-extinction-has-begun-new-study-confirms-43432">“sixth great extinction”</a>, but we can conserve habitats and mitigate the rapid loss of biodiversity.</p>
<p>All of us, through our teaching, activism and research, can demand a culture of sustainability over the prevailing one of consumerism. Any ideas of sustainability based on the understanding that the Earth has limited resources to support human activity should be built on an ethics of intergenerational care. </p>
<p>The Apple Watch and its many siblings are here. But what we really need is a materialist ecological politics and ethics to help us navigate out of the present eco-crisis.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/43476/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Richard Maxwell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>To be good global citizens, we must stop churning through energy-hungry devices. Earth cannot cope with the burdens, including mountains of e-waste, that electronic consumerism creates.Richard Maxwell, Professor of Media Studies, Queens College, City University of New YorkLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/363372015-02-06T06:15:45Z2015-02-06T06:15:45ZC2C: the next frontier in mobile payments is all about trust<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/70978/original/image-20150203-25557-1jn47nr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A tap dance.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Mobile payments will be one of the hottest businesses in 2015 as consumers increasingly swap cash and credit cards for their smartphones. How fast the mobile payment market segment grows, however, will depend on consumer trust, security and ease of use.</p>
<p>While consumer-to-business (C2B) payments have taken off with companies like Apple Pay and PayPal, consumer-to-consumer (C2C) payments are the next frontier. </p>
<p>Reliable statistics on C2C mobile transaction growth are hard to come by. But <a href="http://www.gartner.com/document/2484915?ref=grrec&refval=2484915%22%22">according to Gartner Research</a>, by 2017 the total worldwide mobile payments market is expected to reach 450 million users (18% growth a year) and be worth $721 billion (35% a year). </p>
<p>Meanwhile, <a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/denee_carrington/13-01-16-us_mobile_payments_forecast_2013_2017_mobile_payments_to_reach_90b_by_2017">Forrester Research predicts</a> “mobile payments adoption will be fueled by unprecedented growth in proximity payments.” Forrester adds that mobile proximity, or in-store, payments, are expected to be the fastest-growing category of mobile payments through this period.</p>
<p>Predictably, this growth is being fueled largely by younger consumers. Ernst & Young <a href="http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/EY_-_Mobile_money_-_the_next_wave_of_growth_in_telecoms/$FILE/EY-mobile-money-the-next-wave.pdf">reports</a> that millennials are more receptive to mobile money than their older counterparts. Its recent survey of 6,000 consumers in 12 countries showed that 11% of those aged 25–30 regularly use device-based money transfer, compared with only 4% in the 46–65 age group.</p>
<p>Mobile payments aren’t likely to entirely replace cash in these person-to-person transactions, but they do have the potential to make some major headway, especially among millennials.</p>
<p>Why is this important? Such a sea change in how transactions are done at both the macro level (how consumers buy from established businesses) and the micro level (how money changes hands between individuals) will open up exciting new technological opportunities.</p>
<p>Software (particularly open source) will be at the center of these developments. More on that shortly – but first, let’s look at the generational shifts that are prompting these changes.</p>
<h2>Millennials will lead the way</h2>
<p>Why millennials? Because that is the generation most likely to congregate socially in groups, split checks or to rent apartments together. They’re also the generation that’s already <a href="http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/millennials-abandon-cash-mobile-payment-apps-159569">leaving wallets behind</a> in favor of carrying smartphones. When millennials owe one another money – whether it’s $20 from a group dinner or $100 towards a utility bill – it’s not uncommon for them to use a platform like Venmo to settle up.</p>
<p>Making C2C mobile payments more enticing to this generation is its social aspect. Not only do they want to leverage social networks for payment (think Facebook), platforms like Venmo publish announcements when transactions occur, like a financial selfie or a personal declaration of solvency. Millennials use technology differently than previous generations – to this group public recognition carries great import. Witness how millennials covet “likes” on Facebook.</p>
<p>As a result, traditional players in financial services are hurrying to catch up in the C2C space and build solutions tailored to millennials. This segment stampede will put major pressure on companies like Venmo to innovate and stay ahead of the pack.</p>
<p>This area is <a href="http://www.mobilepaymentstoday.com/news/study-examines-efforts-to-regulate-mobile-payments-standardize-technology/">fertile ground for regulation</a> – still in its infancy – as governments around the world start to pay attention. Mobile payments should increase the velocity of transactions, given the attachment of many users to their phones.</p>
<h2>Beyond social</h2>
<p>To really expand C2C solutions, companies will have to look beyond user social networks for payments. Successful C2C solutions will also need to support moving funds from mobile payment accounts to other types like savings and/or competing mobile wallets. This kind of flexibility requires new levels of trust on the payment journey. Companies need to convincingly prove that they provide secure paths for these transactions.</p>
<p>An important key to building trust is open source software (OSS). Why? Quality and transparency.</p>
<p>Major companies already know that OSS confers applications and networks with better security than legacy/proprietary software. A recent survey shows 75% of enterprises rate Linux as more secure than other platforms (<a href="http://www.linuxfoundation.org/news-media/announcements/2014/12/linux-foundation-releases-report-detailing-linux-user-trends-among">The Linux Foundation 2014 End User Survey</a>), and a study of more than 1,200 open source and proprietary software projects (Coverity) found that OSS code exhibited 18% fewer defects (the cause of many vulnerabilities). And when security vulnerabilities are detected in OSS code, they are addressed 1.3 times faster than vulnerabilities in internal enterprise projects and 2.3 times faster than with commercial or proprietary software.</p>
<p>On the side of transparency, savvy individual and corporate end-users as well as developers know that they, their friends and colleagues always have the option of vetting OSS for themselves.</p>
<h2>Ease of use matters</h2>
<p>While consumers aren’t likely going to use Venmo and other emerging C2C platforms for major financial transactions, they are forcing other payment segments to improve their ease of use. </p>
<p>In the same way that Amazon ushered in the “consumerization of IT,” forcing existing IT vendors to improve the ease of use of their products, simple C2C payment systems like Venmo teach the rest of the market that ease of use and ease of access matter.</p>
<p>Venmo is simple to use - in fact Venmo’s transaction rates already match payments going through the Starbucks app, even though the Seattle-based coffee chain has spent a lot more promoting its software</p>
<p>Ultimately, C2C market growth is limited only by consumer trust – trust of the platforms, the services and of the code that implements them.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/36337/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lou Shipley is CEO of Black Duck Software.</span></em></p>Mobile payments will be one of the hottest businesses in 2015 as consumers increasingly swap cash and credit cards for their smartphones. How fast the mobile payment market segment grows, however, will…Lou Shipley, Lecturer, MIT Sloan School of ManagementLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/359532015-01-07T20:32:26Z2015-01-07T20:32:26ZAre quantum dot TVs – and their toxic ingredients – actually better for the environment?<p>Earlier this week, <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-future-is-bright-the-future-is-quantum-dot-televisions-35765">The Conversation</a> reported that, “The future is bright, the future is … quantum dot televisions.” And judging by the buzz coming from this week’s annual Consumer Electronics Show (<a href="http://www.cesweb.org/">CES</a>) that’s right – the technology is providing manufacturers with a cheap and efficient way of producing the next generation of brilliant, high-definition TV screens.</p>
<p>But the quantum dots in these displays also use materials and technologies – including engineered nanoparticles and the heavy metal cadmium – that have been a magnet for health and environmental concerns. Will the dazzling pictures this technology allow blind us to new health and environmental challenges, or do their benefits outweigh the potential risks?</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/68360/original/image-20150107-1995-9a8g1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/68360/original/image-20150107-1995-9a8g1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/68360/original/image-20150107-1995-9a8g1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/68360/original/image-20150107-1995-9a8g1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/68360/original/image-20150107-1995-9a8g1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/68360/original/image-20150107-1995-9a8g1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/68360/original/image-20150107-1995-9a8g1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/68360/original/image-20150107-1995-9a8g1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Vials of quantum dots producing vivid colors from violet to deep red.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Quantum_Dots_with_emission_maxima_in_a_10-nm_step_are_being_produced_at_PlasmaChem_in_a_kg_scale.jpg">Antipoff</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Answer’s not black and white</h2>
<p>Quantum dots are a product of the emerging field of nanotechnology. They are made of nanometer-sized particles of a semiconducting material – often cadmium selenide. About 2,000 to 20,000 times smaller than the <a href="http://www.nano.gov/nanotech-101/what/nano-size">width</a> of a single human hair, they’re designed to absorb light of one color and emit it as another color – to fluoresce. This property makes them particularly well-suited for use in products like tablets and TVs that need bright, white, uniform backlights.</p>
<p>There are of course other chemicals, such as phosphor, that fluoresce and are used in consumer products. What is unique about quantum dots is that the color of the emitted light can be modified by simply changing the size of the quantum dot particles. And because this color-shifting is a physical phenomenon, quantum dots far outperform their chemical counterparts in brightness, color and durability.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the heavy metal cadmium used in the production of many quantum dots is a health and environmental hazard. Under the <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/rohs_eee/legis_en.htm">European Restrictions on Hazardous Substances</a> directive, its use is restricted in electronic equipment. And cadmium and cadmium compounds have been classified as <a href="http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol100C/mono100C-8.pdf">carcinogenic to humans</a> by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.</p>
<p>On top of this, the potential <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/kfq372">health and environmental impacts</a> of engineered nanoparticles like quantum dots have been raising concerns with toxicologists and regulators for over a decade now. Research has shown that the size, shape and surface properties of some particles influence the harm they are capable of causing in humans and the environment; smaller particles are often more toxic than their larger counterparts. That said, this is an area where scientific understanding is still developing.</p>
<p>Together, these factors would suggest caution is warranted in adopting quantum dot technologies. Yet taken in isolation they are misleading.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/68381/original/image-20150107-2005-10h10nk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/68381/original/image-20150107-2005-10h10nk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/68381/original/image-20150107-2005-10h10nk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/68381/original/image-20150107-2005-10h10nk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/68381/original/image-20150107-2005-10h10nk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/68381/original/image-20150107-2005-10h10nk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/68381/original/image-20150107-2005-10h10nk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/68381/original/image-20150107-2005-10h10nk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Cadmium selenide nanocrystals on top of a silicon wafer. Each hexagon is 45 microns across.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/argonne/8023118362">Argonne National Laboratory</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Quantum dots under glass</h2>
<p>The quantum dots currently being used in TVs are firmly embedded in the screens – usually enclosed behind multiple layers of glass and plastic. As a result, the chances of users being exposed to them during normal operation are pretty much nil.</p>
<p>The situation is potentially different during manufacturing, when there is a chance that someone could be inadvertently exposed to these nanoscopic particles. Scenarios like this have led to agencies like the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health taking a close look at safety when <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/nanotech/">working with nanoparticles</a>. While the potential risks are not negligible, good working practices are effective at reducing or eliminating potentially harmful exposures.</p>
<p>End-of-life disposal raises additional concerns. While the nanoparticles are likely to remain firmly embedded within a trashed TV’s screen, the toxic materials they contain, including cadmium, could well be released into the environment. Cadmium is certainly a health and environmental issue with poorly regulated e-waste disposal and recycling. However, when appropriate procedures are used, exposures should be negligible.</p>
<p>These concerns could be enough to tip the balance against using quantum dots in consumer electronics for some. But they only tell part of the story because these small, bright particles also come with environmental benefits.</p>
<h2>But there are bright benefits</h2>
<p>Quantum dot TVs can be upward of 20% more energy efficient than conventional LED TV screens. And because quantum dots are such an efficient source of bright light, the amount of light-emitting material in these screens (as low a milligram of cadmium in some models) may actually reduce the overall amount of toxic materials used.</p>
<p>These energy and material savings translate into reduced environmental and health impacts. But are they enough to justify the use of a potentially toxic material? </p>
<p>The company <a href="http://www.qdvision.com/">QD Vision</a> has grappled with precisely this question. In developing quantum dots for products like TCL’s <a href="http://www.qdvision.com/content1657">Quantum Dot TV</a> (debuting at CES this year), the company explicitly adopted an approach to responsible development that considered health and environmental impacts. As a result, in 2014 they won the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/68378/original/image-20150107-1985-1buni27.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/68378/original/image-20150107-1985-1buni27.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/68378/original/image-20150107-1985-1buni27.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/68378/original/image-20150107-1985-1buni27.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/68378/original/image-20150107-1985-1buni27.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/68378/original/image-20150107-1985-1buni27.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/68378/original/image-20150107-1985-1buni27.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/68378/original/image-20150107-1985-1buni27.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Coal-fired power plant emissions include cadmium.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/derguy/4586888887">Guy Gorek</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Although it seems counter-intuitive, analysis by the company that was made available to the EPA showed QD Vision’s products lead to a net decrease in environmental cadmium releases compared to conventional TVs. Cadmium is one of the pollutants emitted from coal-fired electrical power plants. Because TVs using the company’s quantum dots use substantially less power than their non-quantum counterparts, the combined cadmium in QD Vision TVs and the power plant emissions associated with their use is actally lower than that associated with conventional flat screen TVs. In other words, using cadmium in quantum dots for production of more energy-efficient displays can actually results in a net reduction in cadmium emissions.</p>
<p>This is a neat trick, and it eloquently demonstrates the dangers of jumping to conclusions over risks without seeing the full picture. It does, however, depend on a commitment to responsible innovation and development that considers future health and environmental impacts.</p>
<p>This week at CES, the future of quantum dot televisions is certainly shining bright. With smart approaches to balancing risks and benefits, there’s no reason why this light shouldn’t continue to shine – as long as manufacturers and consumers keep their eye on the big picture.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>This article has been updated to correct the manufacturer of one quantum dot TV that debuted at CES 2015.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/35953/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Maynard receives funding from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. He directs the University of Michigan Risk Science Center, which is partly supported through the Gelman Educational Foundation. </span></em></p>Earlier this week, The Conversation reported that, “The future is bright, the future is … quantum dot televisions.” And judging by the buzz coming from this week’s annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES…Andrew Maynard, Director, Risk Science Center, University of MichiganLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/100322012-10-09T21:55:16Z2012-10-09T21:55:16ZSpot the difference: brand power and the rise of the copycats<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/16283/original/wnk3gt3n-1349671856.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Battle of the smartphones: the Apple iPhone IV and the Samsung Galaxy II .</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Don’t worry — you’re not seeing double.</p>
<p>Everything looks the same … well, certainly in mass market products such as consumer electronics.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/samsung-cites-seagate-lawsuit-in-battle-with-apple-20121004-270v7.html">high profile litigation between Apple and Samsung</a> is just one of many <a href="http://www.which.co.uk/news/2011/10/dyson-loses-vax-court-battle-about-vac-design-269903/">intellectual property disputes</a> that have evolved from similarities in product appearance.</p>
<p>But where does this trend stem from?</p>
<p><strong>The power of the brand</strong></p>
<p>The major representatives of brands are the products they sell, and nowadays it isn’t necessarily the functional values of products that represent brands. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142694X07000798">Research into strategic use of appearance</a> has shown that for many mass-market products the difference in technology between competing companies has become smaller. Where companies once competed for better performance of their products, they are now forced to create competitive advantage elsewhere. A major point on which to differentiate from competition has become brand name/image and a certain style that goes with it.</p>
<p>In turn, image has become the way in which consumers look to form a bond with products. </p>
<p>But it isn’t just the importance of product appearance to brands (and their reliance on it) that has led to products looking alike. There’s also a third major contributor: the design process.</p>
<p><strong>Designing new products</strong></p>
<p>In the design and development of new products or a new model, potential designs and alternatives are constantly reviewed by designers and other stakeholders as to whether they meet the requirements specified. This is usually fairly straightforward when considering factors like cost, size and manufacture.</p>
<p>However, judging the potential success of products becomes a little more complicated when considering more subjective factors, such as appearance and brand. The heightened importance of these factors makes this decision crucial.</p>
<p>It is extremely hard to prove and communicate whether or not the way something looks suitably embodies the brand, or will be well-received by potential consumers.</p>
<p>The most common and logical way to review the appearance of potential products is by comparing them with previous models, other products produced by a brand and/or their competition. </p>
<p>Thus, the way that products look is not necessarily reviewed on individual “design merit”, but rather on how similar it looks compared to the last model — or even in comparison to a competitor’s model. </p>
<p>The effect of this is that it becomes a lot more tempting for a brand to play it safe and make their new products visually align with their previous successful products (or indeed those of their competitors). </p>
<p>For established brands, it’s believed to be safer to “go with what you know”, rather than push boundaries with a product’s appearance “just to be different” and risk a lack of recognition and poor reviews, and the subsequent damage to brand image. The negative response and subsequent loses suffered by juice-maker <a href="http://adage.com/article/news/tropicana-line-s-sales-plunge-20-post-rebranding/135735/">Tropicana</a> after a packaging redesign in 2009 is a case in point.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, for newcomers such as <a href="http://meizu.com">up-and-coming Chinese brands</a>, it is risky to produce something radically different for fear that consumers will find it completely unfamiliar — and all to easy to draw on successful established brands.</p>
<p><strong>The solution</strong></p>
<p>Market research is a staple of any branding activity, but it usually focuses on the consumer and their reaction. Research into product appearance (a relatively young research area), and particularly the aspects that consumers associate with a given brand, should be of great value to companies.</p>
<p>Having this means features essential to a brand’s identity are distinguishable and maintained. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, this knowledge means the remaining elements of a design can be freely changed to create novelty and variety without the fear of being “too different”.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/10032/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Charlie Ranscombe does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Don’t worry — you’re not seeing double. Everything looks the same … well, certainly in mass market products such as consumer electronics. The high profile litigation between Apple and Samsung is just one…Charlie Ranscombe, Researcher in Product Design and Branding, Swinburne University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/100302012-10-09T19:37:38Z2012-10-09T19:37:38ZFocus after the fact: the Lytro light field camera is in Australia<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/16275/original/xfk2zqd2-1349666848.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The Lytro is ripe for exploitation in ways that have yet to be explored.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Thomas Hawk</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>We’ve all been there: the photo that would rock if not for the dodgy focus, highlighting a pot plant instead of your subject’s head. Today, nine-or-so months after its launch in the US, the <a href="https://www.lytro.com/camera">Lytro camera</a> will be available to buy in Australia – bringing with it the ability to refocus pictures in incredible detail after the fact. </p>
<p>The rectangular-prism-shaped Lytro is an innovative device that combines recent advances in the number of megapixels that can be packed into a digital camera’s image sensor, the fabrication of miniature optics, and computer image processing techniques to produce an affordable, new type of image recorder, that <a href="https://www.lytro.com/camera">the manufacturer describes</a> as a “light-field camera”. </p>
<p>Of its many unique features, the ability to choose what part of the picture should be in sharpest focus after the image has been recorded is being seen as a huge selling point. </p>
<h2>Sure … wait, what?</h2>
<p>To understand how such “focusing after the fact” works, think about how we gather visual information about our surroundings. Each point on an object emits rays of light fanning out in many directions. Imagine these rays as straight lines travelling through space. Our eye captures a small bundle of these rays, and focuses them back to a single point on the retina. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/16276/original/28m9vtyw-1349666962.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/16276/original/28m9vtyw-1349666962.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/16276/original/28m9vtyw-1349666962.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=604&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16276/original/28m9vtyw-1349666962.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=604&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16276/original/28m9vtyw-1349666962.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=604&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16276/original/28m9vtyw-1349666962.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=759&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16276/original/28m9vtyw-1349666962.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=759&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16276/original/28m9vtyw-1349666962.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=759&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">JefferyTurner</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The same process happens in a conventional camera, where the image sensor takes the place of the retina. But in the process of focusing, we lose track of exactly which rays were travelling in which directions. </p>
<p>It is this detail which gives us the information about how far away the object is: for a distant object, the rays of light will be more closely parallel to each other than for a nearby object, where the rays are more divergent. </p>
<p>This is why we have to change the focus of the camera between near and far, so that the lens supplies the right amount of change in divergence to bring the rays from a certain distance to a good focus. </p>
<p>But then rays from points at other distances are not brought to an exact focus, and so these points turn out blurry. What we need is a way of recording at once both the positions and the directions of arrival of all of the light rays from an object. That’s what the Lytro does.</p>
<h2>Open wide</h2>
<p>The front lens of the Lytro is similar to an ordinary, large-aperture camera lens, forming an image near the <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/blog/digitalcameras/lytro-light-field-camera-lets-you-focus-after-taking-your-shot/5328">11 megarays</a> image sensor. But just in front of the sensor is an array of tiny microlenses, with very short focal lengths. </p>
<p>Each microlens covers the area of a number of pixels on the image sensor, and focuses an image of the back of the main camera lens on to it. The pixels record which part of the main lens a ray came through: that is, the direction of arrival of the ray at the sensor, for that particular spot on the main image. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JDyRSYGcFVM?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>So what we end up with is a four-dimensional map of the intensities of all of the light rays entering the camera: two dimensions of space data, and two dimensions of corresponding direction data. </p>
<p>This data set is referred to as the “<a href="http://www.lytro.com/science_inside">light field</a>”. You could think of this as being like having many little cameras inside the big camera, each one recording the same scene but from a slightly different viewpoint from within the area of the main camera lens.</p>
<p>With some clever digital image processing done on a microcomputer inside the camera, it’s possible to recombine all these little pictures and overlap them, so that any particular desired object in the scene is in focus. At the same time, it’s possible to correct for any aberrations in the main lens, since we know which part of the lens each ray came through. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/16277/original/rvprsx52-1349667080.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/16277/original/rvprsx52-1349667080.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/16277/original/rvprsx52-1349667080.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16277/original/rvprsx52-1349667080.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16277/original/rvprsx52-1349667080.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16277/original/rvprsx52-1349667080.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16277/original/rvprsx52-1349667080.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16277/original/rvprsx52-1349667080.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Steve Rhodes</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The main lens is always used at full aperture, so light gathering power is at a maximum and the camera can operate under low light levels. </p>
<p>The trade-off is that since we are using many of the sensor pixels for direction information, we don’t have so many to use for position information, meaning the effective resolution of the image is reduced. </p>
<p>But modern megapixel arrays have more than enough pixels to display acceptable resolution, and again clever image processing helps to “fill in the gaps” between sampling points.</p>
<h2>A picture of the future</h2>
<p>The operating principles of the camera place it in a class midway between conventional photography, where all directional information is lost, and the technique of <a href="http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/optmod/holog.html">holography</a>, in which complete position and direction information is recorded (in fact, it is possible to convert a Lytro image file into a <a href="http://paulbourke.net/miscellaneous/hologram/">synthetic hologram</a>). </p>
<p>The big advantages of the Lytro are its portability, low cost, ease of use, digital recording, and ability to be used under ordinary lighting conditions.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/16274/original/kmnsq5qf-1349666523.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/16274/original/kmnsq5qf-1349666523.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/16274/original/kmnsq5qf-1349666523.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16274/original/kmnsq5qf-1349666523.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16274/original/kmnsq5qf-1349666523.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16274/original/kmnsq5qf-1349666523.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16274/original/kmnsq5qf-1349666523.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/16274/original/kmnsq5qf-1349666523.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Lytro Group</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>What further developments can we expect? An obvious enhancement would be to use much larger pixel arrays (say 100 megapixels) and microlens arrays, giving higher spatial and directional resolution. The manufacturing processes for these already exist. </p>
<p>The Lytro has been manufactured to be very economical and easy to use. The blue and silver models come with 8GB worth of storage for A$399, while A$499 will get you the red model, which comes with 16GB of storage. </p>
<p>But we can expect to see more expensive versions becoming available for scientific and industrial applications. </p>
<p>The flexibility of being able to record the complete light field and to analyse it in detail later makes this design ripe for exploitation in ways that have yet to be explored.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/10030/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Philip Wilksch does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>We’ve all been there: the photo that would rock if not for the dodgy focus, highlighting a pot plant instead of your subject’s head. Today, nine-or-so months after its launch in the US, the Lytro camera…Philip Wilksch, Associate Professor, Applied Sciences, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/83822012-07-29T20:47:08Z2012-07-29T20:47:08ZCheaper hardware, software and digital downloads? Here’s how<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/13471/original/whtfp7zm-1343280538.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=1%2C17%2C798%2C499&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Consumers have options if they want to avoid the feeling of being out of tune with world prices.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Edson Motoki</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australians are paying about twice as much as they should for a range of tech products including computers, software and digital downloads.</p>
<p>It’s time for the government to act to bring this shameful situation to an end, to stop foreign multinationals from ripping us off. But until then, people should take steps to lower the cost of buying tech products. How? Read on.</p>
<h2>Choice report into high IT prices</h2>
<p>The Australian consumer watchdog <a href="http://www.choice.com.au/">Choice</a> made a <a href="http://www.choice.com.au/media-and-news/consumer-news/news/choice-lodges-submission-on-it-price-discrimination.aspx">submission</a> to the <a href="http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House_of_Representatives_Committees?url=ic/itpricing/tor.htm">Parliamentary Inquiry into IT Pricing</a> last week. It found the cost of IT products to Australian consumers could not be justified and that price discrimination was a systemic problem.</p>
<p>The Choice report highlights that the high cost of IT products disadvantages all consumers and prevents Australian companies from competing in the digital economy. The flow-on effect was higher prices for everyone in Australia.</p>
<p>Choice reported that for one product – Microsoft’s <a href="http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msaus/en_AU/pdp/productID.250026800">Visual Studio 2010 Ultimate with MSDN</a> (New Subscription) – it would be cheaper to fly an employee to the US and back twice, and for this employee to purchase the product while overseas. The product’s retail monetary price difference is US$8,665.29 between Australia and the US.</p>
<h2>Excuses made for high prices</h2>
<p>Multinationals have argued that rental, labour and transportation costs, and the associated GST, cause the disparity. Another gem of a reason was the argument by foreign companies that Australia was a small market and therefore the cost of selling products here would be higher due to marketing costs.</p>
<p>The excuses are flimsy and transparently false. The Choice report states that these cumulative costs do not account for the doubling in prices for IT hardware and software. Digital downloads from some foreign multinationals are sold to Australians more than 50% higher than to US consumers.</p>
<p>Choice spokesman Matt Levey said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Global companies [are] pricing these products at a point where they think people are going to buy it, regardless if that’s at parity with other countries.</p>
<p>They use a number of technological barriers to actually prevent Australians from accessing these products from parallel importing them and direct importing them from cheaper markets.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>How to purchase directly from the USA</h2>
<p>Many large US based online stores such as <a href="http://www.landsend.com/">Lands End</a> and <a href="http://www.llbean.com/">L.L. Bean</a> offer similar products to those available in Australia at quite amazing prices and provide international shipping.</p>
<p>But some companies utilise a range of practices to prevent international customers from purchasing directly from the USA. The company might reject the purchase based on the shipping address, the type of credit card used or because your computer is located in Australia.</p>
<p>Other factors you need to check on before making an international purchase are whether the product will work here and if the warranty will be supported.</p>
<p>To purchase directly from the USA it’s important to only use reputable mail forwarding companies and to read the fine print before any purchase. Mail forwarding has become a very competitive market so check competitor prices often.</p>
<p>To purchase directly from the USA follow these steps:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Register with a company that provides a USA address and mail forwarding. Examples are <a href="http://www.shipito.com/">Shipito</a>, <a href="http://www.myus.com/">MyUS</a>, <a href="http://www.forwardit.us/">ForwardIt</a>, and the Australian-based <a href="http://www.priceusa.com.au/">PriceUSA</a>.</p></li>
<li><p>Register with an international payment provider that provides purchase insurance, such as <a href="http://www.paypal.com/">PayPal</a>.</p></li>
<li><p>If you wish to purchase on a site such as <a href="http://www.ebay.com/">Ebay USA</a>, set the USA address you have been provided with by the shipping company as your registered PayPal address and current shipping address. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>Another hurdle to overcome is the use of <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,1237,t=geo-blocked&i=61864,00.asp">geo blocking</a> by websites such as <a href="http://www.apple.com/itunes/?cid=OAS-US-DOMAINS-itunes.com">Apple iTunes</a>. Geo blocking is a recent move by global online stores to segment the world into markets and control access to products and pricing.</p>
<p>A [recent article](http://www.ausbt.com.au/how-to-get-a-us-itunes-account-in-australia](http://www.ausbt.com.au/how-to-get-a-us-itunes-account-in-australia) by Dan Warne on Australian Business Traveller provides a step by step guide on how to create a US iTunes account in Australia. Unfortunately if you also have an Australian iTunes account or sync over multiple devices, you may need to log out of one account and in to the other when carrying out updates or making purchases.</p>
<p>Another approach is to purchase US iTunes gift cards and have them shipped to you from the USA. You cannot use Australian iTunes gift cards (available from stores such as Coles and Woolworths) on the US iTunes website.</p>
<h2>Why the Australian government has to act</h2>
<p>I have written in the past about the mobile phone <a href="https://theconversation.com/verizon-wireless-vs-telstra-the-great-mobile-rip-off-continues-8132">data plan rip-off</a> and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/are-australian-international-roaming-charges-the-greatest-rip-off-in-history-4340">international roaming rip-off</a>. The common theme here is that international multinationals consider Australia to be affluent and therefore a target for overpricing.</p>
<p>The Australian political mantra that free trade and low tariffs will be to the Australian consumer’s benefit is obviously not working.</p>
<p>Choice’s three recommendations to combat international price discrimination are:</p>
<p>1) Educate consumers through government initiatives so people know their rights when shopping online - particularly in relation to returns and refunds, accessing legitimate parallel imports from foreign markets, as well as privacy and security.</p>
<p>2) Investigation by the Federal Government into whether technological measures enabling suppliers to discriminate against Australian consumers, such as region-coding or identifying IP addresses, should continue to be allowed.</p>
<p>3) Keep the <a href="http://www.customs.gov.au/site/low-value-threshold.asp">low-value threshold</a> (LVT) exemption for GST and duty on imported goods unchanged at A$1,000.</p>
<p>It seems Choice has advocated a softly-softly approach to solving the problem of high IT prices in the hope that the Australian government may take baby steps toward solving this problem. I fully support what Choice is advocating, but Australians need to demand more urgent and immediate steps to stop multinationals from price gouging.</p>
<p><strong>Further Reading:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://theconversation.com/verizon-wireless-vs-telstra-the-great-mobile-rip-off-continues-8132">Verizon Wireless vs Telstra: the great mobile rip-off continues</a></li>
<li><a href="https://theconversation.com/are-australian-international-roaming-charges-the-greatest-rip-off-in-history-4340">Are Australian international roaming charges the greatest rip-off in history?</a></li>
</ul><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/8382/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark A Gregory does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Australians are paying about twice as much as they should for a range of tech products including computers, software and digital downloads. It’s time for the government to act to bring this shameful situation…Mark A Gregory, Senior Lecturer in Electrical and Computer Engineering, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/51572012-02-05T19:37:13Z2012-02-05T19:37:13ZStore bores: pulling the plug on consumer electronics<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/7370/original/43z8xfvt-1328237338.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Consumers are making the switch to online retailers, and stores such as Dick Smith Electronics are paying the price.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Retailers: be careful what you underestimate. Whether it’s the competition, the consumer or the channel to market, if the writing is on the wall - you’d better read it. Globally, the consumer electronics retailing sector has experienced an agonising dilemma for a long time. Closer to home, Woolworths’ <a href="http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-business/woolworths-to-sell-dick-smith-electronics-20120131-1qqra.html">decision to offload electronics retailer Dick Smith</a> highlighted the need for new strategies that will allow bricks-and-mortar electronics stores to thrive amid intense competition from a throng of online retailers, as well as price-driven behemoths such as JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman. </p>
<p>On the one hand, innovation and new product development has flooded the market with the latest “must-have” gadgets, gizmos and appliances, in some cases reducing a product’s lifecycle to a matter of months before a replacement is considered. Even I have put a perfectly useable Apple out for hard rubbish, and last year’s mobile phones are given to the kids as toys. On the other hand, shoppers who buy new technologies have been using these new technologies to, well, buy. </p>
<p>Every piece of research released points to the fact that more consumers are at least researching and often buying online, reducing the process to look, tick, click. After all, consumer electronics are homogenous commodities: just model numbers, specifications, colours and accessories. Shopping online for groceries is convenient, but not necessarily advantageous in terms of price, while shopping for clothes can be quick and easy, the social “touch and feel” aspect is missed by many. However, for the consumer electronics sector, convincing the customer that the shop is the place to be has been challenging - even for the best. In the US, for example, it was thought for a long time that <a href="http://www.bestbuy.com/">Best Buy</a> had solved the problem with their advanced multi-channel blend, which mixed store, web and staff into the epitome of the “seamless multichannel experience” that we heard so much about in Australian retail seminars and sending the more conventional competitor, <a href="http://www.circuitcity.com/">Circuit City</a>, into cardiac arrest. </p>
<p>But even Best Buy is experiencing problems with sliding profits, a retreat from its UK and Chinese operations, and a “let’s try anything” strategy, which has ranged from high-service to no-frills and everything in between. Despite the writing on the sector wall in the mid 2000s, which clearly pointed to that fact that innovative products and innovative retailing approaches needed to go hand-in-hand, Australian electronics retailing remained decidedly conservative (some might say Luddite), preferring to play the high-low price game and bolster slim margins with foggy prices, extended warranties and often over-priced accessories. <a href="http://www.jbhifi.com.au/">JB Hi-Fi </a>turned up the volume, and provided a much-needed breath of fresh air and a welcome relief from dull 1980s stores and staff who wore the same colour uniform as the carpet - and they should be commended for doing so. But even JB Hi-Fi has found the current economic and consumer climate difficult to bear. </p>
<p>But what of the future? In the same way that horses had to compete with cars at the turn of the last century, bricks-and-mortar retailers have to accept the fact that even with the web on their side, shoppers will continue to look further and deeper into cyberspace to secure the latest and the cheapest. Moving purely or largely online is certainly one option. Specialising in a category is another. For example, last year Harvey Norman launched its GST-free <a href="http://www.harveynormandirectimport.com/">Direct Import website</a>, catering for consumers of video games and consoles. Retailers could also choose to move upmarket to attract previously alienated shopper segments, as in the case with the UK retailer <a href="http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/index.html">Currys</a> “Black” brand or, alternatively, appeal to the pallet-loving drive-by bargain hunter, as with Best Buy’s recent <a href="http://www.warehouseb.com/">Warehouse B</a> concepts. Developing a brand-specific offer (such as Sony and Apple) is also feasible. Finally, creating greater in-store appeal and a true focus on a differentiated product, service and experience-based offer by appealing to a shopper’s sense of being, sense of belonging, sense of knowing - as well as their five senses - is another way for electronics bricks- and-mortar stores to remain viable. </p>
<p>However, one thing is for sure: the consumer electronics retail battlefield is not the place to be if your business strategy is not at least as innovative and as rapidly evolving as the products you sell. </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/5157/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Steve Ogden-Barnes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Retailers: be careful what you underestimate. Whether it’s the competition, the consumer or the channel to market, if the writing is on the wall - you’d better read it. Globally, the consumer electronics…Steve Ogden-Barnes, Industry fellow, Graduate School of Business, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.