Not only does No.6's cottage have an automatic front door to his cottage operated via an infra-red electronic sensor, but at one point the door to the bathroom was upgraded with the same electronic sensor. We know this because after his ablutions one evening, you can hear that familiar electronic hum as the bathroom door closes automatically behind him. Previously No.6 has had to manually slide the door open to the left!
BCNU
In a future reinvention of The Prisoner Microsoft, Apple and the like will be glad to demonstrate how a modernised 6 Private will have to work: fully network embedded, sensors on and cameras always online. Thus, No. 6's voice command to his shower: "water on!". And of course the fridge won't allow No. 6 to stow the loudspeaker in there because it's got the wrong RFID tag, non-food. But he'll also have to be careful because when his credits units are gone, the card made invalid, his entrance door will remain shut. - BCNU!
ReplyDeleteHello Arno,
DeleteThat's very good, and well thought out, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your comment as its highly amusing. And yet, it is the first brushstrokes of a very dark painting, a future of things we hope does not come!
Very kind regards
David
BCNU
Yes, as mentioned in my e-mail yesterday, we still have our old-fashioned water clocks and a conventional, "unsmart" power meter. But sooner or later "intelligent" devices will be used to collect any kind of information about you, me, everybody. How much water is cosumed per day, per hour, what's the cost at a given time of the day? How many people are there in your home? When do they watch TV, are online? Even worse, imagine all those meters are permanently connected to the internet. What if malicious damage or sabotage is done? An intrusion of the bad kind, your street may be cut off from water or electricity. This debate has only begun. And it reaches far, very far as soon as power plants or chemical factories are endangered. The Prisoner, one day, world may appear quite cosy to us in comparison. - BCNU!
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