Oh, the Humaneity
Uncanny Valley | WIRED9 Marras 2023

Oh, the Humaneity

Phones are convenient, powerful devices, but they sure do gobble up a lot of our attention. How much of your day do you spend just holding your phone, staring at the screen? Humane, a company started by a pair of ex-Apple employees, wants to squash the tyranny of the touchscreen. The company has developed a tiny device that magnetically pins to your clothing, where it can replicate a phone’s core functions like answering calls, sending messages, and translating speech. It uses voice controls, touch controls, and a camera to sense the wearer’s intentions, and it crafts answers using machine intelligence and displays them on your outstretched hand using a tiny projector. It's a weird and audacious device that Humane hopes will free its customers from having to carry their phones everywhere.

This week on Gadget Lab, WIRED senior writer Paresh Dave joins us to talk about his hands-off experience with the Humane Ai pin and the future phone alternatives.

Show Notes:

Read Paresh’s story about his experience with the Humane Ai pin.

Recommendations:

Paresh recommends Kim’s Convenience on Netflix. Lauren recommends the biography of Robert Oppenheimer, American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. Mike recommends the new reissue of the Buddha Machine music box from FM3.

Paresh Dave can be found on social media @peard33. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music is by Solar Keys.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jaksot(426)

Palantir: The Most Mysterious Company in Silicon Valley

Palantir: The Most Mysterious Company in Silicon Valley

Palantir Technologies is arguably one of the most notorious American corporations. Cofounded by tech billionaire Peter Thiel, the company has worked with ICE, the US Department of Defense, the Israeli...

14 Elo 202534min

WIRED Roundup: OpenAI Announces New Government Partnership

WIRED Roundup: OpenAI Announces New Government Partnership

In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s Jake Lahut to run through five of the most important stories we published this week — from how bitcoin miners have been racing this year to beat the tariff...

8 Elo 202521min

The Vibes-Based Pricing of "Pro" AI Software

The Vibes-Based Pricing of "Pro" AI Software

AI chatbot premium subscriptions like ChatGPT Pro and Claude Max currently cost around $200, but it’s not entirely clear why. Lauren and Mike speak with WIRED’s Reece Rogers to find out what’s behind ...

7 Elo 202529min

WIRED Roundup: ChatGPT Goes Full Demon Mode

WIRED Roundup: ChatGPT Goes Full Demon Mode

In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s Louise Matsakis to run through five of the most important stories we published this week — from Meta continuing its AI talent poaching spree, to how much f...

1 Elo 202522min

How to Not Die in Silicon Valley

How to Not Die in Silicon Valley

Blood boys. Cryogenic freezing. Living by the algorithm. Silicon Valley is known for a culture of health optimization, but some recent biohacking ventures are becoming more extreme–aimed not just at l...

31 Heinä 202535min

WIRED Roundup: Is Silicon Valley Losing Its Influence on D.C?

WIRED Roundup: Is Silicon Valley Losing Its Influence on D.C?

In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s Jake Lahut to run through five of the most important stories we published this week — from Trump’s newly unveiled AI plan to how supermassive black holes c...

25 Heinä 202521min

The Very Real Case for Brain-Computer Implants

The Very Real Case for Brain-Computer Implants

Brain computer interfaces might have inspired works of science fiction, but the technology behind them is real and quickly developing. Companies like Synchron and Neuralink are racing to build a model...

24 Heinä 202532min

What’s Behind Gen Z’s Sex Recession?

What’s Behind Gen Z’s Sex Recession?

In today’s episode, we look into why Gen Z is having less sex than other generations — and what it says about how we are all relating to each other. WIRED’s Zoë Schiffer is joined by writer and journa...

18 Heinä 202523min