New technology influences old art

By Karen Gavis/se news editor

Not all of us are geeks.

Technology is on a bullet train, and here I sit not with a pen, but a keyboard at hand airing my grievances.

I am not against technology, but I do have a vivid imagination.

One thing I have learned about computers is the concept of affective computing. Technology is in the process of trying to make computers more like humans. 

Robots can appear very human-like. It isn’t hard to imagine a few “what if” scenarios. What if they became so realistic that robot spies befriend us?

Worse yet, what if someone unknowingly fell in love with one of the things. I’m guessing human-like robot psychologists would then need to be mass-produced.

Some people cannot tell time unless the numbers are displayed digitally. And it seems handwriting and spelling have become less popular. Art is now created digitally.

With advancing technology, editors might become obsolete.

Personally, I am thankful that I will never have to use a library card catalog again, or see one for that matter, except maybe as a museum relic somewhere.

While visiting a bookstore recently, it was interesting to note that the main displays did not hold books. Instead, there were electronic devices, some in full color, that could read text to a child. Parents could record their voice so the child could hear it. That’s special.

My GPS is still in the box. I like maps, and I’m not the only one.

Some people view cartography as art. They collect vintage maps and hang them on the wall. I sell them on eBay.

Now that I’m thinking of it, GPS systems could drive up map prices because of rarity. That would be a good thing.

See, I’m not a h8tr.