8 Ways Technology Makes You Stupid
The Huffington Post | By Rebecca Hiscott
People assume that iPhones, laptops and Netflix are evidence of progress. In some ways, that's true. A moderate amount of Googling, for instance, can be good for your brain, and there are apps that can boost brain function and activity.
Yet tech advancements also come with some unintended consequences. Our brains being "massively rewired" by tech, says neuroscientist Michael Merzenich in The Shallows: What The Internet Is Doing To Our Brains, a Pulitzer-nominated 2011 book by Nicholas Carr. Merzenich warns that the effect of technology on human intelligence could be “deadly.”
Solid's vibrating handlebars navigate bike lanes on its 3D printed frame
Just like when you're driving a car, glancing down at your phone while biking the busy streets of your city can be quite dangerous. Thanks to a Portland-based design firm, there's a bike that allows you to keep your eyes on the road while getting those much-needed directions. The folks at Industry teamed up with local builders Ti Cycles for Solid: a Bluetooth-enabled two-wheeler that connects to a smartphone app monitoring bike maintenance and offers vibrating handlebars for head's up GPS navigation. A companion app, My Bike, keeps an eye on burned out lights and other potential upkeep headaches. My City, a second bit of software, serves as guide for blazing the bike lanes of your chosen locale.
Apple To Buy Swell For $30 Million, Per Report
In what appears to be part of a summer shopping spree, Apple is reported to be buying Swell, a radio app much like Pandora but focused on talk radio. According toRe/Code, the deal is worth approximately $30 million.
Swell is a product out of Concept.io, a startup founded back in 2012 in Mountain View and led by CEO and co-founder G.D. “Ram” Ramkumar. Swell takes all the best parts of Pandora and applies them to talk radio, but even goes a step further to deliver an amazing talk radio experience inside the car, a transition that has been difficult for some music streaming startups.