Before we delve into the posts we’re reading and loving elsewhere on the internet, don’t miss E. Young’s review of Sorry to Bother You, a film you should definitely see if you haven’t already!
And subscribe to the Global Comment podcast on iTunes or Soundcloud.
‘How the Shared Family Computer Protected Us From Our Worst Selves‘ (Katie Reid for The Verge)
People of a certain age may have fond memories of the shared family computer, usually stationed in a semi-public household space, used by all, sometimes the subject of custody disputes. The way we interact with computers and other devices has shifted, though. This piece explores some of the ramifications of that, and probes the assumption that we need to be provided with multiple personal computing devices at all times.
Many of the digital anxieties we have today could, at least in theory, be addressed by returning to a single, shared family device. The shared family desktop was vital to our lives, yet at the same time, it remained quiet and unobtrusive, serving the family unit proudly whenever called upon. You could still get lost for hours playing Space Cadet Pinball or waiting for your crush to log on to AIM, but it’s hard to imagine developing an unhealthy addiction or needing digital wellness tools to help manage your screen time with one shared computer. While the personal nature of devices today makes it easier to isolate and keep our online habits private, the shared family desktop offered a transparent and communal, albeit old-fashioned, approach to keeping parents more actively engaged in their child’s screen time by being around while their child used the internet.
‘Why It Took Dunkin’ Donuts 10 Years to Build the Perfect New Cup‘ (Alyssa Giacobbe for Entrepreneur)
It took ten years for Dunkin Donuts to engineer a suitable replacement for their beloved—and environmentally harmful—styrofoam cups. This is the story of how it happened, and it’s an adventure in product design, trying to serve a very finicky market, and unexpected challenges to making shifts in the ways we do business.
Dunkin’ Donuts already had paper cups, of course. But they were far from perfect. While paper cups might have appeared to be greener than foam, most on the market, including the ones Dunkin’ used, had plastic or wax linings that prevented leaking but also hindered recycling. They cost more, too, and didn’t perform nearly as well as their foam counterparts.
‘The $250 Biohack That’s Revolutionizing Life With Diabetes‘ (Naomi Kresge and Michelle Cortez for Bloomberg)
Diabetes is an incredibly common condition, and for people who need regular supplies of insulin to manage their blood sugar, it can be a pain in the butt, too. Many devices don’t really meet their needs, and require constant adjustment, through interfaces that are not always user-friendly, especially for kids. So patients took matters into their own hands to build a medical device they say is way better than anything they can find on the market — and totally unregulated.
The DIY pancreas movement would never have happened if not for a Medtronic blunder. In 2011 a pair of security researchers alerted the public that the wireless radio frequency links in some of the company’s best-selling insulin pumps had been left open to hackers. Medtronic closed the loophole after the researchers warned of risks to patients, but it never recalled the devices, leaving thousands in circulation.
‘These Twenty-Somethings Got Heart Transplants on the Very Same Day. And Then They Fell in Love.‘ (Susan Baer for Washingtonian)
This is an absolutely delightful romance and you should definitely make some time to read it, even if meet cutes aren’t your thing. When two young people had heart transplants in the same hospital on the same day, they had no idea that years later they would end up in a relationship, but, as it turned out, those heart transplants were only one part of their medical travails.
“Hey, just to let you know, there’s a boy a couple doors down,” Taylor remembers a nurse saying. “He’s just a little bit older than you. He’s also in heart failure waiting for a transplant. We need to take the backup over to his room.”
‘‘People You May Know:’ A Controversial Facebook Feature’s 10-Year History‘ (Kashmir Hill for Gizmodo)
Many people find People You May Know intrusive, irritating, and extremely undesirable. There’s no way to turn this ‘feature’ off, and Facebook hasn’t expressed any interest in making it opt-in. The decision to keep using Facebook despite this feature may have marked a turning point in tolerance for gross privacy violations.
Facebook didn’t come up with the idea for PYMK out of thin air. LinkedIn had launched People You May Know in 2006, originally displaying its suggested connections as ads that got the highest click-through rate the professional networking site had ever seen. Facebook didn’t bother to come up with a different name for it.
And hey: Much like public radio, we’re listener supported. If you enjoy our work, please consider supporting us with a one time or recurring donation.
Photo: Luca Boldrini/Creative Commons