Author: The Information Badger

The Badger has the luxury of time for contemplation. This time allows thoughts to meander to whatever conclusion ultimately emerges. It’s quite therapeutic, and quite exciting because the outcome can’t be predicted from the initial input triggers.
A couple of things caught the Badger’s attention and not only triggered a chuckle, but also provided inputs for contemplation time! The first was Nike’s self-lacing Smart Shoes – see here, here and here – and the second was someone’s blog item entitled ‘Can tech replace politicians?’.

Nike’s ‘wearable tech’ Smart Shoes are currently sports shoes where small improvements in equipment and performance can make the difference between winning or losing. The Badger chuckled because firstly a smart phone app controls the fit of the shoes, and secondly because the shoes need recharging every 10 to 14 days. The Badger also had a mental flash of a future where people are unable to dress themselves if they lost their phone or there was disaster with a software update! Bizarre, I know, but the brain works in strange way.

The ‘Can tech replace politicians?’ chuckle was driven by the creativity of the blogger’s idea therein, and the realisation that political and democratic mechanics cannot be immune to tech-driven change. The Badger might be a tad mischievous, but the blogger’s idea could really be implemented! After all, if Smart Meters can be developed and rolled out to a population then so can the blogger’s suggestion!

It was these chuckle points that provided input for a meandering contemplative session. The outcome? Two related things. First, the influence of the ‘little guy’ is rising. Second, there’s re-orientation coming for the tech and IT industries. Why? Because people are more rational about tech, more distrustful of marketing hype, more price sensitive, and sceptical of the motives of big organisations, especially regarding use of personal data and (mis)treatment of their loyalty. Tech and IT is also commoditised with small and medium businesses no longer in awe of the ‘big guys’. They challenge big corporates in every sector, and their star is rising ever faster. After all, it’s smaller enterprises not big ones that have created almost 75% of the new jobs in the UK in the last ten years.

‘Big guys beware’, the ‘little guys’ are not gnawing at your ankles, they’re gnawing at your knees. So it’s the ‘little guys’ who have the future in their hands, not those gathered at Davos to discuss “Globalization 4.0: Shaping a New Architecture in the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution” – whatever that really means. By the way, the Badger’s just heard David Attenborough talk at Davos about environmental issues. Has Nike thought about the carbon footprint of Smart Shoes? Don’t know, but they could of course reduce it by reverting to traditional shoes you actually need to lace up…

The annual CES Show in Las Vegas last week is widely reported. You’ll get a sense of what was there from diverse insights from CBS News, CNET, and The Register. The show provided interesting insights to tech trends, as well as a plethora of ‘gadgets’ that just trigger a furrowed brow and a grunt of ‘Why??’.

Gadgets are everywhere today. Marketeers are adept at getting us to buy them as ‘must-haves’ in life, when often they aren’t. Millennials, who’ve grown up with the internet, PCs, smart phones, social media and electronic toys at the heart of their lives, seem particularly susceptible to ‘gadget whims’. In contrast, the Badger – a proud member of the Tech/IT industry’s older generation – has become resistant to ‘gadget whims’ while remaining pro-gadget where there’s alignment with a ‘Gadgets for Good’ mantra. What does this mantra mean? Simply that the gadget’s benefit for the majority of people must be plain to see.

The CES covered many tech aspects, trends and innovations that will help with people’s lives, e.g. in health and caring for the elderly. However, the supporting spin and rhetoric was sometimes questionable, and some things like Jovot and Kiki really don’t pass the ‘Gadgets for Good’ test, at least in the Badger’s opinion! Whilst good gadgetry for monitoring and managing our health and care is emerging, the believability that robots will ultimately provide all the care and support needs of infirm, vulnerable and often elderly patients is questionable. Why? Because humans have an in-built need to interact with other human beings.

If you’ve elderly or vulnerable relatives/friends with health conditions and a high dependency on others, then you’ll know this already. You’ll know that providing a knowing smile, a wink, spontaneous comforting words, a caress of an arm, the holding of a hand, or that saying something funny means more than all the cold automation and robotics in the world. Of course, when millennials get old and infirm it may be different. They may be happy to have everything provided by gadgets and robots, but the Badger doubts it. After all, if that were the case then the robots themselves will probably have decided there’s little point having humans on the planet.

There’s no let-up in tech innovation, and gadgets that fall into the ‘Gadgets for Good’ category will progress healthily through 2019. Those that don’t should be binned so that tech talent can be recycled where it’s needed for the greater good.

Finally, it’s an historic day in the UK Parliament regarding Brexit. The behaviour of politicians of all persuasions has been woeful. So, if anyone has a bright idea for a gadget that curbs their playground capers then you’ll make a lot of money. The Badger for one would see that as a ‘Gadget for Good’!

The smartest and busiest people, like Warren Buffet and Bill Gates, apparently spend 5 hours a week doing deliberate learning. They do this because they recognise learning is the best time investment we can make. It pays back by enhancing personal and business success. You’ll see many items on the subject if you search the web or YouTube. One particular online article, penned a year ago, caught the Badger’s eye recently because it struck a chord with some of the motives for the Badger’s website.

One powerful point this article made is:
‘Unlike money, when you have knowledge and you use it or give it away you don’t lose it. Transferring knowledge anywhere in the world is free and instant.’

True! When you convey knowledge to help someone else, you aren’t weakened but they are enriched. A win, win.

Some years back the Badger ran a magnificent team that successfully delivered the systems and services for trading UK wholesale electricity under new arrangements (NETA). Everyone learned lots, and the Badger’s employer wanted salient learning passed to a similar project underway in the Czech Republic. The Badger was sent to Prague ‘to see how it’s going and pass on knowledge gained from experience’.
The Badger met the young Czech PM at his desk in Prague. His desk was a mess and covered in papers and post-it notes. The PM was hungry to succeed, but stressed, working 14 hours a day, and only in control of his project by his finger-tips. He met with the Badger only because his line management insisted. At first the PM was antagonistic, but eventually he had an epiphany and willingly absorbed the Badger’s knowledge. Over lunch on the final day, the Badger told the PM that his success depended on finding time to routinely helicopter away from events to think, learn, and strategize. We parted on good terms.

Six weeks later the Badger went to Prague for a follow up. The project was doing well. The PM was pleased to see the Badger, relaxed, in control, and proud of the project’s progress. His desk was tidy and had a framed picture of a helicopter at one corner that he proudly said was his reminder to helicopter away from events to think and learn. He now allocated an afternoon every week for that very purpose. He thanked the Badger profusely, which was embarrassing! He and his project went on to great success.

So, pass on your knowledge to help others freely! It’s satisfying, and you don’t lose anything by doing so. Remember, in today’s knowledge and information world, working hard is only part of what’s needed to succeed. Learning hard is the other part. Never be too busy to learn and always absorb knowledge from others with experience…

The Badger partied with members of the local community recently. It was a very enjoyable occasion with young and old from all walks of life. There was merriment, music, and – unexpectedly – a captivating game that put people randomly into teams to come up with two words. The first word was to describe the world in 2018, and the second was to predict the public mood in 2019. Each team verbalised the rationale for their words to the crowd for a minute or so, and at the end of the game everyone voted to decide the best words. It proved enlightening!

The winning word describing 2018 was ‘Putrid’. A great word! It won by a mile and crystallised deeply held sentiments on nerve agent use in Salisbury, murder in Saudi’s embassy in Turkey, Mr Trump, fake news, misuse of personal information by FANGs, corporate failures like Carillion, and the playground antics of UK and European politicians relating to Brexit. Phew…,but no real surprise! One party-goer pulled no punches and said ‘putrid’ described ‘elites’ for what they are – over-moneyed, over-propertied, pampered, self-serving, self-interested, power-crazed egotists! The Badger wouldn’t go that far, but the sentiment had lots of support!

The winning word predicting the public mood for 2019 was ‘Rebellious’. Party-goers wanted there to be a popular backlash against everything ‘putrid’ in 2019. A push-back against the wolf-pack nature of the press, fake news on social media platforms, and societal impact of FANGs were ambitious objectives in the case made for the word.
The Badger wasn’t in the winning teams, but it’s hard to disagree with the winning words. As Yoda said, ‘You must feel the force around you’, and the Badger certainly felt a ‘Force Awakens’ moment in fellow party-goers! They were not anti-technology, anti-FANG, anti-internet, anti-business or anti-change, just intent to have a say and emboldened by the power they realised they could wield. Most wanted 2019 to be about things that really improved their lives and not about making fabulous amounts of money for distant, greedy organisations.

Martha Lane Fox recently said ‘Tech became darker and muddier in 2018’. The Badger agrees. 2019 looks set to be similar unless even more people pressure speeds up the debate on whether FANGs are too big, too powerful, and too monopolistic to be trusted. When the ‘Force Awakens’ in people things tend to change. Facebook is already suffering and public pressure is influencing tech giant regulation which is high on the political agenda in many countries. Interesting times ahead!

In the right hands, technology focused on solving life’s problems is good for everyone. So, in 2019 let’s focus more on software and technology in the health, life, materials and environmental sciences, and in manufacturing, engineering and energy that positively benefits our lives. Let’s not get consumed by social media’s failings, crass computer games and greedy elites. Remember, the Force Awakens! And on that note, ‘May the force be with you’ in 2019…

…you shouldn’t be, because it’s Christmas Day!

This post is published for two reasons. The first is to illustrate what we already know – just how addicted we all are to the instant connectivity provided by our smart phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, games consoles, and so on. That connectivity is a powerful and positive thing, but so is the personal discipline of being able to go a day or so without using it! Do you have that discipline? If you’re reading this today – Christmas Day – then challenge yourself with that simple question! (In case you’re wondering, the Badger has agreed with his family not to use a smart phone, tablet, laptop etc for the next 48 hours. Posting this item was, of course, the special dispensation that started that clock ticking).

The second reason is simple. It’s to wish you all a Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year. For the Badger Christmas is a time to cherish the thing that matters most – people. The Badger hopes you have a restive few days away from the hubbub of work, and time with loved ones to celebrate in whatever way is normal for you.

Happy Christmas. Peace and goodwill to all, wherever you are on our precious planet.

The other evening our 86-year old neighbour, who lives by herself, asked for help with her 18-month old washing machine. She’d pressed a button accidentally, panicked, and pressed other buttons randomly too. As a result, the clothes were in the drum with the door locked, and the machine was dormant with red symbols flashing on its display panel.

The Badger quickly diagnosed the problem from the flashing symbols. It was nothing serious; she’d accidently set a delay, so the machine was dormant waiting to start it’s cycle an hour and a half later. Resetting the timer triggered the washer into life, and the Badger was lauded as a hero!

Yesterday the Badger happened to be in a computing and electrical retailer’s showroom and came across the latest examples of ‘smart’ washing machines. Prices are high (£70-1500) but you can control the machine via the internet using an app on your smart phone. Prices will inevitably drop, but the Badger wondered if anyone really needs a washing machine more sophisticated than the much cheaper norm that his neighbour has. Marketers push the case for smart anything in a connected world, and – of course – the technology can provide smart capability, but do you really need a smart washing machine, and will it really make your clothes cleaning experience any easier?

The Badger’s dubious that the answer is yes! Perhaps the Badger’s just a dinosaur? No, just someone that believes smart technology should, first and foremost, address real life needs, and the need doesn’t look persuasive. Those under 25, of course, may really believe there’s a need for smart washing machines because they’ve grown up with the internet, personal computing devices, games consoles, and mobile phones as the norm. Obesity, however, is generally rising in this age group across the developed world, with sedentary lifestyles one of many causal factors. Perhaps our youngsters need to ask themselves if smart white goods will help them to more healthy lifestyles, or just encourage the opposite? A provocative thought perhaps…but just because technology can do things doesn’t mean it should.

This morning the Badger checked on his neighbour and her washing machine. She’s put bright stickers on some of the buttons to help her avoid a repeat of the same situation. She grumbled about the ‘unintelligible’ symbols displayed on her 18-month old machine, and the Badger mentioned, in passing, that smart washing machines were including more technology. A bad move. She looked at the Badger, grimaced, and just said ‘When will people realise that too much of a good thing is bad for you’. She has a point…

The Badger recently visited the Christmas Market and ice rink at the UK’s 1000 year old Winchester Cathedral. The crowds were shoulder to shoulder, and the atmosphere was great. It was immensely enjoyable, with only one thing marring the experience for the Badger and many others – people using their smart phones!

Here’s two examples that irritated many and got strangers grumbling to each other. The first was people in busy queues shuffling forwards very slowly because they were only concentrating on their smart phone, only to then stop suddenly to type into their phone before starting off again. The second was people blocking the front of stalls by taking pictures and then using their phones to search for alternative products and prices. The perpetrators were oblivious to their impact on others, even when polite but direct comments were made. On the drive home, the Badger cogitated on two questions. Is technology making people less considerate, and do people know how to function without their smart phone? The Badger decided to think further.

And then by coincidence a few days later, O2’s data network was out for a day in the UK and some other countries! The Badger’s an O2 customer and worked around any personal inconvenience. Twitter and social media, however, erupted with rants from people who seemed happy not to do anything to mitigate their inconvenience. A plumber apparently said he couldn’t get to his next job because his phone’s satnav wasn’t working. It’s a sad day when someone would rather just complain than find an old-fashioned paper map to use. One newspaper told people to ‘get a grip’, but it’s not clear if our permanently connected generations know what ‘get a grip’ means anymore!

The O2 glitch illustrates the critical importance of data networks in today’s global, anytime, anywhere world. The glitch also exposed that many people would rather rant about it than try to mitigate their own inconvenience. Glitches caused by software bugs, equipment failures, or human error will always happen, but it looks like society’s biggest vulnerability may not be the technology but the changed behaviour of people when the technology is unavailable. It feels like as our increasingly utopian reliance on technology rises, then so does selfishness, willingness to blame, inconsiderate behaviour, and personal inaction.

O2’s glitch won’t be the last we’ll see. Just imagine if a glitch knocked out driver-less cars and all people did was fold their arms and complain rather than try to mitigate their own inconvenience. That would not be healthy for society. Hmm. Has grey and rainy weather influenced the Badger’s mindset? Perhaps…but a large malt whiskey might have played an influential role.

The Badger recently received a renewal notice from a home service provider showing an annual price rise of >15%. Last year it rose similarly, but the Badger had been distracted with other priorities and didn’t notice. This year the Badger was having none of it, especially as new customers pay significantly less.

The Badger rang the phone number on the renewal letter and was met with automated selection options. There were six, with only one having a tenuous link with renewals. Selecting that led to more selection choices. The Badger scratched his head and guessed which was relevant. An automated voice then asked for some words to describe the nature of the enquiry. The Badger duly complied. Then there was silence until the ubiquitous message ‘Sorry for the wait. At present we are exceptionally busy. We’ll be with you as soon as we can’ repeated at regular intervals. After 10 minutes in the queue the Badger spoke to a real person. They didn’t know what the call was about… so what was  the point of being asked to say some words? Nevertheless, the person was helpful,  professional and able to negotiate a renewal that retained the Badger as a customer.

The Badger subsequently reflected on the experience. Two things stood out. First, the time taken from dialling to talking to a person greatly exceeded the time taken by the person to deal with matters. Second, the technology had provided no value to the Badger as a consumer. The value was all in the person to person interaction. Perhaps the Badger had just been unlucky. May be. But in these days of global immediacy, a consumer wants to speak to someone when calling a number designated by a company in a sensible number of seconds without having to navigate selection layers, provide valueless inputs or spending lengthy times in queues. Technology can surely make this happen better than it does today? It should help rather than detract from the overall experience.

Will robotics and AI really help? The jury’s out. It might just inject further delay before getting to speak with a real person when you need to. The challenge for relevant technology and product suppliers, those who configure and implement them, and the companies operating call centres is to ensure this doesn’t happen.

Finally, ‘you should have done this online’, I hear you say! The Badger tried, but the provider’s online facilities don’t allow existing customers to switch to offering given to new customers. Does this provider truly value its customers? Draw your own conclusions…

Last week’s UK National Audit Office report on the roll out of smart meters to every home in the UK showed there is delay, rising costs, technical problems, and that the business case is increasingly questionable. Rising costs will be passed to consumers through their electricity bills. The original objective to have a smart meter installed in all homes by the end of 2020has now morphed into all homes will have been ‘offered’ a smart meter by then. The forecast future annual savings for consumers in their bills is now paltry, and the whole thing feels like a ‘white elephant’ – just as many commentators  predicted it would be.

The Badger’s mused on smart meters before. What triggered today’s piece wasn’t the NAO report directly, but a conversation with the Badger’s 90-year old father who lives independently with support from his family. Like many elderly people, he’s overwhelmed by the ways of the modern world and its technology. He heard about the NAO report on the radio and asked the Badger why he needed a smart meter. By the way, he thinks he’s had many phone calls pushing their installation. However, we can’t be sure, because he always says ‘No Thanks’ and puts the phone down within 10 seconds for any call that’s not from a family member!

Anyway, the Badger addressed his question over our normal coffee and biscuit before taking him to his local day centre. He listened as the big picture was painted, and was reassured that he couldn’t be forced to have a smart meter. His face lit up as he made three comments. The first was ‘Great, I don’t need something I don’t understand, won’t use and only seems to benefit my electricity supplier’. The second was ‘It’ll go wrong and be a hassle to get fixed. Bills only ever go up regardless of what I do, so it won’t save me anything’. And the third was a real peach! He said ‘My doctor says I’ve to do as much for myself as I can and not to sit in the chair all day. When he says I need a smart thing because it’s good for me I might have one, but not before’.

So, there you have it. For smart meters to be a success with the UK’s elderly…mobilise health professionals! UK government statistics show there are > 2m over 75s living alone, and 1.6m over 85s. If they think like the Badger’s father, then it’s difficult to see how anyone will ever convince the elderly to have one. It feels like the ‘white elephant’ may be growing into a bigger ‘white elephant’ every day…

Jeff Bezos apparently said in an all-hands call that Amazon is not too big to fail. He predicted that one day it might do so because company lifespans tend to be 30-plus years, not 100-plus years. What he said isn’t surprising. It’s what history shows, and it’s what’s taught in business courses. To illustrate, of companies in the Fortune 500 in 1999, 50% had disappeared by 2009, and of companies in the UK’s FTSE 100 in 1999, less than 50% remain in the index in some form today. Company survival beyond ~30-45 years requires exceptional leadership, exceptional foresight to capitalise on new market opportunities, an exceptional ability to transform and change…and luck! Achieving that combination is rare.

Last weekend the Badger’s nephews, 12 and 14 years old, visited. As they connected to our home broadband to play an online game on their tablets, the Badger asked what social media platforms they used. None! WhatsApp is the only thing they and their peers use to interact with each other. They don’t use, and aren’t interested in using, the likes of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter, and their views on these platforms were enlightening! When they departed, the Badger, with Bezos’s comments as a backdrop, reflected on the youngster’s views.

They were particularly scathing about Facebook, expressing distrust and describing it as being ‘for old people’. They were also scathing about Twitter, describing it as ‘not for normal people’ and describing tweets as essentially just random noise from wannabees. The Badger has no idea what shaped their opinions, but it was clear that opinions would not change any time soon! Facebook and Twitter started life in 2004 and 2006, so in terms of Bezos’s 30-year comment they are entering early middle age, struggling (see, for example, the recent item in TechMarketView), and will continue to do so if ‘nephew views’ reflect the sentiment of their generation.

The Badger reflected further and included thoughts about how his own use of social media had changed, ultimately reaching four conclusions. First, today’s tech-savvy youngsters are sharp and no fools in the ways of the world! Second, people behaviour is changing because of more security/privacy awareness and more awareness of how platforms use their data to make money. Third, the impact of social media overuse on mental health is more understood. Fourth, was that even with masses of global users, there’s a smell of decline in the air! Survival to the 30-year mark and beyond doesn’t feel like a sure bet!

As for ‘Facebook is only for old people’ comment, well the Badger asked what age was old? Twenty and above, apparently! My nephews pointed out that the Badger, therefore, was clearly a fossil. The Badger cheerily got his revenge…by changing the home Wifi password at a critical point in their game!