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Wired Magazine / New York Times Magazine
Columnist for Wired magazine and contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine; author of Smarter than You Think: How Technology Is Changing Our Minds for the Better
PROFILE
Clive Thompson
Guest
FROM Clive Thompson
To the Point
Facial Recognition and Loss of Anonymity The features that make up your face are unique to you, just like your fingerprints. Think of it as your "faceprint." Facial recognition technology reads photos or videos to identify you — by name, location and any other personal information that turns up in a database. That has real value for a range of commercial uses — not to mention law enforcement. But the lack of ground rules is raising concerns about privacy and the right to control your personal data. On this special rebroadcast of To the Point, we look at facial recognition and the loss of privacy.
To the Point
Facial Recognition and Loss of Anonymity Facebook and Google aren’t the only companies using Face Recognition technology. It’s a tool of law enforcement, commercial enterprises—and even churches. The lack of ground rules is raising concerns about privacy… and the right to control your personal data.
To the Point
Fitness Tracking: The Benefits and Unintended Consequences Wearable devices to monitor bodily functions now constitute a multi-billion-dollar industry. Fitbit , Jawbone Up and other gadgets keep track of your blood pressure, sleep patterns, calories burned and how many steps you take in a day. The idea is to apply technology to human biology in order to develop healthier habits, but the value of self-awareness has limits. All that data can be overwhelming — and compromise privacy. On this rebroadcast of a conversation in March, will tracking and collecting so much personal information give new power to insurance companies and government agencies?
To the Point
Fitness Tracking: The Benefits and Unintended Consequences Wearable devices to monitor bodily functions now constitute a multi-billion-dollar industry. Fitbit , Jawbone Up and other gadgets keep track of your blood pressure, sleep patterns, calories burned and how many steps you take in a day. The idea is to apply technology to human biology in order to develop healthier habits, but the value of self-awareness has limits. All that data can be overwhelming — and compromise privacy. Will tracking and collecting so much personal information give new power to insurance companies and government agencies?
To the Point
Do You Want Your Smartphone Telling You What to Do? Silicon Valley is developing smart phone apps that will send you information they think you need before you ask for it. It's called "predictive technology." After searching your email and your calendar, it will advise you what to pack for a trip to the country — even though you never told it you planned to go. Early users call it "seductive" and "creepy," both at the same time. Critics warn against letting computers take over the task of thinking. Will "predictive technology" change the human mind for better, or worse? Will it make dealing with other people a lost art?
To the Point
Can Americans Expect Free and Fair Elections? The results will soon be in for New Hampshire, but election officials around the country are haunted by shades of the year 2000. Tomorrow, Arizona, Ohio and 24 other states will be watching the US Supreme Court for arguments about Indiana's voter ID law . Does it prevent fraud or disenfranchise poor and minority voters? Why do a third of all precincts nationwide use touch-screen computers, even though they're known to be unreliable? After Florida, 2000, Congress spent $3.9 billion on new voting technology. Are US elections better or worse?
Recommended
To the Point
White House budget proposal slashes and burns President Trump's first budget request is considered dead on arrival in Congress — a familiar development in Capitol Hill. We hear what it reveals about the priorities of the new administration. What's likely to die… and what might survive?
To the Point
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.
To the Point
What is Trump's plan for Middle East peace? On his first foreign tour, President Trump has promised "peace" between Israel and the Palestinians. Are there any details for re-starting talks that have been stalled for the past three years?
To the Point
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?