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WITH APPLE’S ANNOUNCEMENT done and dusted, the focus has been very much on the products and services themselves. Apple Watch, Apple Pay and the introduction of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will be topics that will be discussed for the next week or two.
Yet among this talk, there’s one element that won’t be mentioned nearly as much: Apple’s continued move into data.
Expanding the business
When you think of Apple, the first thing you will think of is hardware. iPhones, iPads, Macs, Macbooks, iPods will all come to mind and then after that software like iOS and OS X. Yet there’s a third area that Apple has been expanding into for years now, but is rarely mentioned: data.
It may sound strange initially as such a description is usually for companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter. Services that are free to use yet use your data to produce advertisements or improve current services with personalised suggestions and recommendations.
Yet Apple has been focusing on this area for a while now. Granted some of these ventures didn’t go according to plan (Apple Maps and Siri would be two examples), but it’s slowly improving.
Now with the company moving into health, the home, our cars and into mobile payment, this is going to be more prevalent than ever, and it will likely signal the moment where the average person is exposed to these sectors.
Setting trends
Say what you want about Apple, but its influence is enough to set trends and convince regular people to invest, or at least make a good stab at it.
Hardware is ultimately disposable. For a smartphone, it only takes three to four years for a new model to go out of date, despite diminishing improvements with each new model announced.
On the other hand, data is lifelong. While interests and sites can change, people’s habits and personalities rarely do. That kind of data is important for a number of reasons, while the obvious (and cynical) reason might be ads, this data is used to improve our lives, offer relevant suggestions and ultimately make things more convenient for us, the user.
Yet mention this to someone and chances are they won’t care (unless it’s something that manages to delight or anger them, most likely the latter), they just care about two things: does it work and is it simple to use?
It’s an approach Apple has down to a tee – and is one of the reasons why it’s so successful – but with our reliance on digital services increasing, isn’t it time that we brought ourselves up to speed with technology in general?
Digital literacy
It’s probably fair to say that for a large number of people, there a significant gap when it comes to understanding technology or digital literacy.
Most people know how to use a computer or a smartphone, but their use is mostly limited to a few specific tasks or services like Facebook or WhatsApp. It’s learning the bare minimum because it gets you by, nothing more.
Unless something negative happens, then it’s unlikely that anyone will learn about a device or service and that’s worrying considering how significant a role they play in our day-to-day lives
Every so often, there’s an argument that coding and computer science should be taught in schools, and while few are going to argue against that logic (and it’s a discussion for another time), the discussion ignores a few key factors.
Assuming that kids already know everything about technology simply because their generation is the first to grow up with it is a little naive. Just because you happen to use something doesn’t mean you understand it and it’s unreasonable to assume that all kids understand their actions when they post something online or sign up to a service.
Shouldn’t aspects like online etiquette, what happens when something is posted and what your data is used for be covered as well, and have coding for those who are interested?
And while we’re saying that, adults shouldn’t be excused from this topic. Considering the crossroads we’re at with regards to data usage among services, it’s more important than ever that we know why something is happening and what the relationship is between user and digital companies.
Blurred lines
The line separating everyday life and technology is so blurred, and has been for a while, it’s pointless to assume that the two are mutually exclusive. Yet our attitudes to it are mostly passive.
The saying ‘a little knowledge is a dangerous thing’ comes into play here. Only knowing the bare minimum means that a lot of the opinion surrounding technology is mostly incomplete, which is little help when you’re trying to make a decision or properly question something.
To throw a quick example, the reaction to Facebook Messenger’s permissions was over the top, despite the company’s history with privacy concerns. The permissions required were pretty much standard practice and there was no unreasonable requests from it.
Yet because of the wording – and let’s face it, Facebook didn’t help matters by making people download Messenger – claims of how Facebook would spy on you by turning on your camera, track your movements and access your phone calls and messages circulated quickly. The reality is much tamer than that, but once hysteria begins, it’s very difficult to stop it.
And that’s probably the first place for us to start, understanding the basic services we’re using and the relationship we have with them. Not all companies play hard and fast with data, but deciding which companies are trustworthy should come down to knowing where your data is going and you feel what you get in return (personalisation, recommendations, etc.) is a fair trade.
Technology’s role in our day-to-day lives is only going to grow, and we owe it to ourselves to take the initiative and learn about it, otherwise we will truly be left behind.
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Welcome to Ireland. Nobody is guilty. Nobody does time. Nobody pays money back. Sick to death of it at this stage.
You elect the System/Government you deserve.
Funny I don’t remember the candidates I voted for saying they’d stand up for people gouging six figure salaries from charities.
The establishment have been making laws to protect itself against any kind of fruitful investigation or accountability since the founding of the state.. We need a new secular democratic republican constitution.
When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.
Frederic Bastiat
Perfectly articulated and correct comment
Just look at recent history. Half a billion on two tribunals which found adverse findings against MANY top-establish-tees. Not so much as a Garda interview, never mind a case being brought against them. This ‘let’s eat cake’ mentality can only end bad in the long run.
The Oireachtas need to bring in a rule that any body that gets state funding is required to account for it on request from Oireachtas Committees.
Prionsais
That would exclude the PAC from asking the very question that Mr Flannery has been outraged over .
Having retired some seven years ago from the position of CEO of Rehab why would the Committee want to know the value of his pension fund and his salary at that date?
This form of questioning is so far outside the remit of the Committee it is evidence of bias and prejudice. It is also the reason why there will be no compulsion on the man to attend.
Mary Lou must be correct in her assertion that the Treatment of witnesses was even handed and fair!
Flannery continued to receive payments from the CRC after his retirement ,as a ‘consultant’ , if he has nothing to hide let him come and answer questions. The same goes for Kerins.
“Richard Rodgers” – On this particular subject , you consistently try to “protect” and suggest preventing these people from answering questions from a Dáil Committee entrusted with ensuring the legal usage of Public Money !
I ask you – Why Richard ?
Are you trying to protect “Friends” ?
Was the misuse of funding so criminal that you feel that it might be dangerous for Sean & Sheila Citizen , to find out what rip offs that these people were involved in ?
Please explain your reasons please ?
Ps. – I missed you Richard , are you fully recovered from the Election Results ? More great news over the weekend !
If the proposed Oireachtas banking inquiry follows the same tortuous path the public will remain as ignorant of sharp practice in the banking sector as they are of feather bedding in the charity sector. Why is disclosure of truth so painful? Are the politicians only attempting to apply the same standards of disclosure and transparency to charities that applies to the Exchequer funding of political parties?
@Myles look forget the banking inquiry they cannot even appoint members to inquire without messing it up and fighting about who should be appointed. No hope for the inquiry having any success….
Kerry, this messing about is intentional.
It’s nothing to do with the truth – it’s about the Uber Irish protecting each other and nothing more – something has managed to escape into the public domain and the aim now is a “controlled descent”.
Hard to imagine or picture Angela Kerins playing basketball….
Let it rain! White chocolate!
Someone put that meatloaf looking… mullet headed…sumo bodied WEAPON in a room alone with Mary Lou for an hour.
And let’s see what happens!
I don’t understand why there is a question of compellability; you reap what you sow.
When did it all start, this corruption and greed? My assumption is that it started small and grew. Nobody goes into public office with the intention of cleaning out the coffers, it’s just when they see everybody else at it and how easy it is, it becomes too easy. They just thought they would never get caught.
The people of this island voted only two years ago not to increase the powers of committees, and that means no compellibility to attend or answer questions. They did this because they were unhappy with government. Now they can’t understand why their actions have led to this situation, where people can effectively give two fingers to the state. The CRC told out and out lies before Christmas to try protect their bear sales. If the people of Ireland had actually taken the time to inform themselves of what each proposed constitutional amendment is about, and read the documentation sent to their door, rather than just voting against “the government” or believing soundbites from vested interests, the board members of the CRC would now be up on charges for contempt, and the politicians involved in the bank bailout would be shi77ing themselves.
Well said Barry, behind every bad politician is a woefully misinformed, uneducated electorate. Simple as that.
I disagree with your analysis Barry. I believe most objected to the constitutional amendment because they did not want to award judicial powers to legislators. This is in keeping with best Democratic practises.
In a properly functioning democracy these people (Kerins & Flannery) would be answering to a judge for the misappropriation of public funds. Not getting involved in a farcical Leinster house soap opera.
As there were no proper rules in place on the use of other monies for salaries etc. How were they misappropriating public funds? They took exactly the maximum allowed from public funds for salaries, then topped it up from other income streams within their organisations. Our committees lack teeth, so nobody fears them. The civil liberties nonsense was that it proffered judicial powers. It didn’t. It merely made attendance compulsory, and refusal to answer or knowingly answering contemptuous. At this stage, the judicial system would become involved. This seems to be the norm is most other “functioning” democracies.
Governmental committees with teeth that can compel individuals to submit testimony are performing a judicial function.
If existing rules are inadequate legislators need to explain their negligence in this regard.
So if legislators were doing what they are well paid to do rather than setting themselves up as a quasi-judiciary these issues may be dealt with in an effective and efficient manner without the theatrics.
“Other functioning democracies” is a bit of a stretch considering where we find ourselves. I believe dysfunctional democracy would be more appropriate.
her only regret was she didn’t rob them of there own personal savings! She is deeply proud of her actions with the previous smiley pictures! shes a dirty lil rat that deserves a slap!
I wonder if she paid for that Rod Stewart wig with rehab funds?
Great article. Thanks for the info, itâs easy to understand. BTW, if anyone needs to fill out a Maryland Form PAC, I found a blank form here.
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