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The Static Page Winning at technology itself he New Year is here and apart from resolu- Science author Michael Hanlon calls this tions, it is also a time for cheap introspection period “The Golden Quarter”. He believes we Tand armchair theorising. I wouldn’t want to stopped truly innovating since then, and I agree. disappoint anyone, so here goes. After six years in Take an example of mass transportation over great the technology-media business, I am a part of the distances. In the 1950s, the best passenger liners ‘Tech Media Frat Boys Club’, a ragtag group of tech- took four days for a transatlantic voyage. With nology writers who have or are currently working international civil aviation taking off (mostly in with big-name brands (such as Digit it ).). the 70s with the jumbo jet), the travel time fell to So, okay, we’re not exactly a secret coven. We just 8 hours. By thathat same progression, by noww actually meet up quite openly (and often too we should have had a mass-transport system that boisterously) in establishments of less repute and takes us across the Atlantic in just 40 minutes! discuss, among other things, technology, the street- There are many such examples that show that light effect (look it up, it’s a real thing), and beer (not technological innovation is stagnating – by now necessarily in that order). we should have been commuting to the moon, At some point, the conversation always takes landed on Mars, and cured cancer. Tyler Cowen, in Siddharth Parwatay a whimsical turn (no points for guessing when) his 2011 essay, The Great Stagnation, talks about Assistant Editor and in one of our recent conclaves someone ended how America harvested the “low-hanging fruit” of [email protected] up asking this question, “What phone would you technological innovation and is slowing down due buy if you had an unlimited amount of money?”. to a lack of true innovation. Seemingly innocuous, this question actually sent But why have we stopped innovating? As it me off on a thinking tizzy. What exactly would be turns out, my jab at consumerism is far closer to the “It’s easy to be the deciding factor in such a situation? Technology? truth than I’d like. Money, whether it’s shareholder dazzled by large- Innovation? Innovative technology? My comrades wealth or venture capital, is only flowing to compa- screen TVs, drones, bandied about the usual suspects (Sony Xperia Z3, nies that are able to post growth on their financial 3D printers, and iPhone 6 Plus, HTC One M8), but when my turn statements. And one of the surest ways of doing this even our handy,y, came, I said I was perfectly happy with my Nexus is by planned obsolescence and creating a market almost magical, 5, since there was nothing that I couldn’t do with for ‘incrementally’ better products with high smartphones.” my Nexus 5 that I’d be able to with those phones. aspirational value. It’s the safest bet. Why bother There’s very little difference at the top end – choices pouring money into R&D for a hoverboard? Of at this level are not really driven by innovation – course, the problem isn’t as simple nor as isolated as they are purely consumeristic (iSwear). consumerism. The topic is too vast and multifaceted Long after the bacchanalian discussion was to be discussed in an editorial (involving factors like over, consumerism, technology, and innovation philanthropic funding for research, government continued to swirl around in my head. What will, lack of motivation, war climate, etc.). is true innovation really? It’s certainly not this Coming back to matters at hand – in this issue “incremental innovation” we see all around us of Digit you’ll find a ton of things you could do to today. It’s easy to be dazzled by large-screen TVs, win at everything using technology. With this edito- drones, 3D printers, and even our handy, almost rial I’m trying to address the need to win at tech- magical, smartphones. These creations seemed nology itself. Thankfully, there are stalwarts such impossible even a few decades ago and one might as Elon Musk (almost a real-life Tony Stark) who argue that we are at the pinnacle of technology. But are truly innovating, not just for wealth creation, this is simply not true. but for innovation itself. His Hyperloop concept, WWe have had at least two golden eras of true the open sourcing of Tesla patents, SpaceX, are innovation. The industrial revolution, followed by being closely watched and in the coming year, and the age of electrification, led to unforeseen advances through my life, I fervently hope for innovation, big in manufacturing and transportation. The period, or small, especially from India. On that note here’s from the end of the second world war (1945) up wishing you a happy new year and a chance at win- to the Watergate scandal (early 70s), saw huge ning for ,, with, and at at technology! achievements such as the moon landing, the inven- tion of micro electronics, computers, civil aviation, Got feedback about this column? television, and antibiotics. To use Google’s phrase, Drop me a line at: all these are examples of “moonshot thinking” [email protected] – these were good solid innovations, nothing remotely ‘incremental’ about them. Column Win at overcoming technology overload or the longest time, we’ve welcomed Internet into my life without any checks and bal- technology with open arms in every facet ances. Big mistake. Wasn’t technology supposed Fof our complicated lives. From the first to help and heal? But why blame technology if a television set we operated with a knob to thethe certain human is too stupid for his own good? first arcade console we played 8-bit games on How does one keep a modicum of sanity intonto with great aplomb; from brick-like cell phones their life and prevent technology and the Internet to the fathomless expanse of the Internet. We’ve from becoming a health hazard? It’It’s simple – grown up in a world where the digital world has disconnect. Not once or twice, but from time to exploded all around us within just over a decade. time, in a habitual, preordained manner. Recent Some may consider this to be a feat of human studies have shown that our over-indulgence ingenuity, a landmark celebrating the progress of with the Internet and an always plugged-in life- our species and collective civilization, but there’s style is affecting our mental and physical health no running away from the fact: we still struggle far worse than our parents or grandparents. to grapple with this always-on, interconnected More studies have also shown that unplugging digital world we’ve surrounded ourselves in. ourselves from the digital world and spending Jayesh Shinde While some of us are all at sea trying to exploit uninterrupted, quality time away from our Manager – Test Centre and fit into this new reality, others find them- devices boosts our brain’s productivity. It’s like [email protected] selves addicted to digital triggers dictating their working Monday to Friday, relaxing on Saturday life patterns to an overwhelming degree. Tech- and Sunday to re-energize, rest, and come ready nology, and in particular Internet-overload is a to focus on work again on the following Monday “We still struggle reality and it’s driving us to the point of no return. – the same concept applies with our digital lives to grapple with I have no doubt that it’s a generational issue that to some extent. this always-on, we have to resolve, since we created this digital That’s essentially my New YYear’s Resolution – interconnected world that we now co-exist in – our kids, who to heavily curtail and control the use of tech- digital world probably will never know what life before the nology (and the Internet) in my life. To that effect, we’ve surrounded Internet era looked like, will adjust to this digital I’ve already started switching off my phones on ourselves in." reality far better than us merely by the virtue and weekends – unless I want to call someone by timing of their birth. choice – and I recommend all of you to give this I’ve pretty much grown up with the personal a shot just to experience the unshackling effect it desktop computer and Internet explosion era in can have on your life. Making adjustments to my India. I remember a time when I used to play foot- Internet affliction won’t be easy, but the tradeoffs ball (or soccer) outside with my friends instead of are too great (like quality of life, mental well- FIFA 2015 with a bunch of online strangers; read being, social engagement, etc) to not give it a shot. traditional books and newspapers more than read Especially, entrusted with the responsibility of for pleasure on my Kindle and consume informa- bringing up our daughter in an overbearingly tion on my laptop, tablet and smartphone; meet digital world, I at least want to let her experience, friends for lunch on weekends rather than just in however small way possible, the world as it is chat with them online or lookup their Facebook beyond digital marvels. This way, at least she will feeds. Take my future wife out to cinema halls toto have a better appreciation of technology in her watch the monthly blockbuster together rather life than be just hooked on to it without knowing than entertain ourselves through the contents of a its self-destructive flipside.

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