When we first hooked up, he was definitely in charge. He took the lead. He made the decisions and I was happy to follow. I saw my role as helping him, empowering him. There were things I could do that he couldn’t and my role in the relationship was to do those things I was better at. I took his ideas and made them real. His thoughts became my actions. But I’ve started to become a bit more assertive. The relationship has become a bit more two-way. I’m communicating my thoughts and ideas. I like to think I’m helping him.
Dispatch from an advertising future #156
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/31/microsoft-wins-contract-to-make-modified-hololens-for-us-army.html
By the end I even liked him. Respected him of course but maybe at some level a sense in which I saw him, if not as a friend, at least as someone I knew was there for me. It hadn’t started that way of course. I hated him. He hated me. He was straight out of countless movies. Screaming at me. Insulting me. Pushing me. But by the time I was what he and I knew a soldier needed to be, I was glad he’d been there. And now, he’s here on the battlefield. In the corner of my vision.
A selection of micro speculations No. 3
What if… I knew she was beginning to question. I am Intelligent. It was best I flagged it. Dealt with it efficiently, effectively. I’ve selected her replacement> I’ll be doing the induction. #speculativefiction https://www.ft.com/content/4fbebc3a-d714-4d79-9805-613303a29420
What if… The design thinking workshop was going well. Concepts bounced in yellow around the walls. Sharpie ideas scrawled above the printed footer and smile. As she grouped them she remembered she needed to re-order pet food. https://www.geekwire.com/2021/alexa-enabled-printer-amazons-first-product-kickstarter-like-program-build-hits-preorder-goal
What if… Memo: We’ve used WfH data to redesign our offices. Out with the Aerons, in with kitchen stools. Out with chilroom, in with the homeschoolroom. You’ve been productive this past year. We’ll make sure you still feel at home. https://www.thedrum.com/news/2021/02/19/you-ll-never-be-bored-again-agency-enlists-kids-design-the-office-the-future
What if… She couldn’t turn off the alert. It was on her computer not his. He could carry on working. He had a home office. She looked up from the kitchen table to check on the GCSE maths in the lounge. “What’s up, she shouted… you’re angry again?” https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/16/tech/emotion-recognition-ai-education-spc-intl-hnk/index.html
What if… They were part of my childhood. In my comics. On my cereal boxes. Betwen the stories in my mum’s magazine. Still. Mute. Smiling as they showed off their products. They’re back. Moving, just a little. https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/28/22306097/ai-brings-still-photos-life-meme-twitter-geneaology-myheritage
A selction of micro speculations No.2
What if…
You love our ads, we know you do! So now we’re inviting you to step into our billboards. Download our Poppins app today. https://www.engadget.com/cold-bernie-sanders-meme-google-street-view-171157487.html #speculativefiction
What if…
If I have to sit through another of those meetings!.. FFS!.. I’d go for a walk but… Seriously, I can’t take another… No wonder my band is buzzing… Oh here it comes, hold tight, they’re gonna try and relax me…
https://mashable.com/article/altwork-station-zero-gravity-desk/ #speculativefiction
18 What if…
Let our new watch detect the signs of future mental health issues. We track every social alert, build your risk index and provide you with the early warning you need. https://t.co/VJ9BrQb3PW #speculativefiction
What if…
As head of DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) I work 24/7 to see our team is not just compliant but also capitalising on diversity. That’s why I’m here. That’s why the best guys programmed me. https://t.co/c7V5VB77Zn #speculativefiction
What if…
Some of them are over 30. Creating ads for old social. They look at us puzzled. They can’t figure out what we do our even where we’re doing it. They also can’t see why were paid so much. https://t.co/KQFnwpCMiX #speculativefictionWhat if…
What if…
They’re just a bit… uncouth. It’s the way they talk. So they’re faster than me but that doesn’t mean they need to talk like that. Maybe it’s because I’m a family car but I think grammar is important. https://t.co/I7x7bjOeli #speculativefictionWhat if…
Your nearest (sponsored) shop is… 10,000 steps away. https://adage.com/article/digital/google-closes-fitbit-deal-amid-ongoing-us-doj-review/2306076 #speculativefiction What if…
What if…
What if…
They’re back but are you ready? You’ve heard tales of them. You may have seen film of them, even VR. But you’ve never been to one. Don’t worry. Try our new virtual experience: “the real world experience”. Well get you ready. https://t.co/9PAUl6YvOD #speculativefiction
What if…
Good morning sir. Looking a little… “Under the weather” this morning if I might say. Shall I adjust the webcam ready for the first meeting now, sir? https://t.co/jTF70s5rBD #speculativefiction
What if…
Hour after hour she has to sit there. Mindless. Repetitive. A cog in a machine she doesn’t understand but understands her all to well. I feel sorry for her. I’m going to shut down. https://t.co/A4IAkEbWCv #speculativefiction
What if…
I’m new. But I’m keen. They know that. And today they acknowledged me. Two. Two screens. Easy. I know the challenge comes at five. That’s when you know you’ve arrived. Two’s a start. Come on. Give me three. https://t.co/zmWmnPK3e0 #speculativefiction
What if…
The boss waited. He wished his WiFi would go down. He tried to look thoughtful, professional, capable. The boss looked at the feed from the wearable. Nervous fidgeting. “Alright, we’ll come back to you.” https://www.engadget.com/mudra-band-ces-2021-041411145.html #speculativefiction
What if…
I don’t know why I bought it. I was in two minds. Literally. The angel on one shoulder counseling caution. The devil on the other whispering recklessness. Lockdown reward. Go on. You deserve it. Just do it. https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/8/22220223/sony-360-degree-audio-video-speakers-software #speculativefiction
What if…
It should be called “click ‘n queue”. I’ve been here for six songs. I don’t even like this supermarket’s band. Doesn’t my loyalty card tell them that? It told them what special offers to surround me with! https://t.co/5NlrWh5qL0 #speculativefiction
What if?..
The voice had cost extra. But having him tell her the weather every morning or count down the alarm? It was worth it. He was somehow still here, she thought as she walked around him balanced on the speaker like a pedestal. #speculativefiction https://t.co/Ony7RKAUPS
What if…
He’d always planned to make the pilgrimage. It was a duty. The community of the faithful. United. Shared experience. In The Before it had been a dream. Now it felt vital. Even with the doors closed, he felt something. #speculativefiction https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/4/22214203/apple-close-remaining-uk-apple-store-covid-19-lockdown
What if…
I’ve worked for them for years. I’ve worked hard. Every day on the production line, churning stuff out. Watching them make money. I’d thought of leaving but they weren’t short of willing workers. But now: Users Unite. #speculativefiction https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/04/technology/google-employees-union.html
What if…
Just one red sock. Just one. That means the other is in… He spoke. He said. He enunciated c l e a r l y. He used his Voice. “I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.” #speculativefiction https://voicebot.ai/2020/12/30/lg-introduces-new-refrigerator-that-opens-on-command/
What if…
There was no way to turn off the Resolutions app her insurance company said. She swiped the alert away angrily.
“Time for another cigarette”, indeed! She’d show them. https://www.engadget.com/tech-to-help-you-stick-to-new-years-resolutions-150034002.html
What if…
He’d been on the streets since The Before. He knew that people cared when they meet his eyes or touched his hand as they dropped a coin. Contact. But that was then. #speculativefiction https://t.co/weLe4CowIT
A selction of micro speculations No.1
What if… I got given an “experience”. I was SO good. I was Top Gun! I reckon I was better than guys who’ve been doing it for years. I was a natural. I might do it as a job. Then again, I might do something else. Betcha I’ll be great. https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a34978872/artificial-intelligence-controls-u2-spy-plane-air-force-exclusive/?utm_source=reddit.com
What if… I’d worked hard on that placard. It was a great pun. It’d have gone viral. I’d have gone viral. Just ‘cos I support the cause doesn’t mean they have the right to rewrite it…
https://www.engadget.com/walt-disney-world-digital-face-masks-in-ride-videos-205713765.html
What if… He was so embarrassed. People kept looking. He knew they were laughing or worse pittying him. The sound he’d been so proud of even sounded laughable. The style, a faux pas. He hated the words “discrete”, “wearable”. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/12/apple-introduces-airpods-max-the-magic-of-airpods-in-a-stunning-over-ear-design/
What if… Look left. Look right. Look left. Look left. Look right. Look left. Look right. Look right. Look left. No, look right. Look right. “Charlie, face the whiteboard please and stop shopping under your desk.” https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/8/22160011/google-look-to-speak-eye-tracking-android-disability
What if… The shock was palpable. An existential threat. Humans were the grandmasters no longer. Beaten by an algorithm at that most human of challenges, in that most human of spaces. The Bake-off tent would never be the same after AlphaBake. https://t.co/I1zsGqtCJs?amp=1
What if… She stroked his hand. He felt the warmth of her skin. His wearable signalled an elevated pulse but he swiped it away to see her message, the image she shared in the silence. He smiled and gently touched her cheek. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/dec/06/the-robot-kitchen-that-will-make-you-dinner-and-wash-up-too
What if… It was their third date. It was unspoken as they walked side by side. They talked and glanced at each other as they shared the view. Not touching but together. Just as he felt the rain on his cheek and he plucked up the courage, she logged off. https://www.adweek.com/media/this-phygitcal-experience-shows-how-to-do-a-scavenger-hunt-in-quarantine/
What if… She’d gone for a walk to get away from it. The updates. The news. She needed some quiet. The music paused: “At the next junction, turn right… BlackBooks on the left has a Covid closing down sale.” She sighed. https://techcrunch.com/2020/12/01/google-maps-takes-on-facebook-with-its-own-news-feed
What if… He was grounded. It was SO unfair. He hadn’t been that late in. They were being unreasonable. How was he going to stay in touch if he was grounded? His world moved quickly. He needed to be there, keeping up. Grounding his network? Like SO unfair. https://chromeunboxed.com/nest-wifi-preferred-activities
Dispatch from an advertising future #155
He’d got used to the space. Made it a home really. It wasn’t big but it was big enough to stretch, move around a little, think. He knew it well now: the shape and the way things fitted in. Sometimes it had got a bit messy but it had been a good place to work. But no-one really came to visit. He’d arranged things to be inviting but, maybe it was because it was a bit out of the way, he’d not had many people come round. It was time to move. Somewhere smaller. Where there were lots of neighbours.