PUBLIC MARKS with tag sensor

Seoul is one of the world’s most wired city, and the recent “ubiquitous city” project aims to increase the level of connectivity citizens experience on the street. One of the most visible part of the u-city is the media poles forest, tenth of computers embedded into high poles offering services like news, submay and bus maps, email postcard, 3D avatar game, casual games, shopping/restaurant locator and Flickr photo gallery (more). This sort of rich country’s version of the hole in the wall is extremely popular, and many couples and groups gather around the screens to share a moment playing games or sending a postcard.

Criticism • Side effects often dominate over intended consequences of any project or endeavor. • Abstract views may make us callous or may badly reflect ground truth. • Ignorance is bliss. The world is filled with sob stories. Best to not dwell? • Such services may be used solely for the most banal aspirations and goals. • Struggle may be important - making things too easy may harm fitness and lower diversity of skills and abilities over long term. • What about poor people who are outside of any implied technological social network? • Why not just help people around you? • Any technology should go hand in hand with day to day personal practice that is unmediated? • Feedback loops may be created that accelerate and disrupt society. • Virtual and visual only for curators; not tactile; uses only one sense. A concern?

ambient sensor network for communities edit

By simply logging daylight exposure, then cross referencing that data with known sunrise/sunset times, Dr. Bridget Stutchbury, of York University in Toronto, was able to generate accurate maps of previously uncharted songbird migrations.