00:00:04: Welcome to the Human and Technology Podcast.

00:00:07: This podcast is for anyone who develops, distributes or uses technology For all those that always have a feeling that technology overwhelms or dominates them... ...for everyone wants know how to deal with technology in everyday life.. ..for anyone want so understand what technology does to us And How we can get our lives back.

00:00:32: this podcast.

00:00:33: as for those who want to make technology sexy.

00:00:37: All the product developers, designers, UX-UI professionals, product managers, CTOs and CEOs... And it is for you!

00:00:47: My name is Dr Peter Oreska.

00:00:50: my friends call me Dr Peter.

00:00:53: I am your host ...and i'm happy that you are here.

00:01:00: Hello hello and welcome to this episode of The Human Technology podcast and this episode indicates the end of the summer break.

00:01:14: I had announced that i will return in late September.

00:01:19: now it's mid-September, there is a reason why I'm little early on returning here...I was this week Monday at the IFA the innovation for all in Berlin.

00:01:34: The original name was International Funk Ausstellung, international radio exhibition and it existed since I don't know early twentieth century mid-twentieth century have no idea.

00:01:49: And since there is more than radios now clearly modern radios they changed a name to Innovation For All.

00:01:59: More than nineteen hundred exhibitors and brands from forty nine countries, almost one hundred fifty thousand square meters.

00:02:07: One point five million square feet of exhibition space about two hundred twenty thousand visitors over five days and full off televisions household appliances smartphones cameras, robots smartphones wearables a lot of things I did not know that i needed or where I did Not Know That.

00:02:40: I am supposed to need them!

00:02:45: I spent almost the full day on The Exhibition Ground which is sufficient if you just want To have A look at certain Things.

00:02:53: So I dropped most of the household appliances, so having a look at twenty seven different washing machines or ovens is not too much value for me.

00:03:04: And for the remainder some like six-seven hours it's absolutely okay.

00:03:15: size isn't that same as quality and this why i walked through the halls with a let's say slightly different question than I used to have in the past.

00:03:30: No longer interested in what is new, What can do more?

00:03:35: Where is the bigger screen and faster processor?

00:03:38: The next technical feature?

00:03:42: ?What Can i Do With This?

00:03:44: Today I'm primarily Interested In What Is Relevant What is really relevant?

00:03:53: One, what is making this world a better place.

00:03:56: What has relevance?

00:03:58: yeah which technologies create real added value?

00:04:03: Which ones actually change our relationships with technology and focus on which one deserves investment And which once will probably have disappeared again when we meet at EFAR in the two years two, three years from now.

00:04:25: What is really sustainable?

00:04:31: As an introduction part as well... Two booths that impressed me earned one big disappointment that I had!

00:04:43: Two booth's that really impressed me.

00:04:45: show me and dream to Chinese companies with both on them a huge portfolio of things And Both Of Them Simply put products on them.

00:04:59: They did not do this, they just didn't show we have these and those in that particularly Xiaomi.

00:05:06: but also Dream demonstrated what happens when Chinese technology companies enter the European market with enormous self-confidence high speed a broad product portfolio.

00:05:25: Xiaomi was almost impossible to miss so I had the focus.

00:05:29: Oh, I wanted to see that show me booth.

00:05:31: And I said okay?

00:05:32: I don't need to miss it You know well It's an all XY and it Was impossible to Missit.

00:05:39: Yeah, it was the first appearance of them at the EFA and they celebrated that with a presence Spending more than three thousand square meters thirty thousand square feet More than three hundred eighty products from smartphones variables household appliance smart home product their own chips, Their cars and humanoid robots.

00:06:05: Everything was there.

00:06:07: And they did not present this as a collection of individual products.

00:06:15: They presented it as a technological world.

00:06:18: that's the scenario is an ecosystem has everything interconnected And I haven't seen too many use cases for example, for smartphones in the dedicated smartphone halls.

00:06:34: A smart home that's... Did i say a smart phone?

00:06:37: No Smart Home Halls!

00:06:39: There were new use-cases there and im gonna talk about this one during the podcast but Xiaomi they was at least an attempt to do it yeah more or less successful.

00:06:50: so Yeah, so I was deeply impressed by this booth and It was all in white very bright.

00:06:57: Very shiny very technical.

00:07:02: They're.

00:07:02: pretty cool appearance that they had there.

00:07:05: dream Was similarly impressive to me a brand some of you may still connect with human but with robot vacuum cleaners.

00:07:19: Then they now present a portfolio that goes far beyond the floor care, gardening kitchen personal care action cameras even three D printing.

00:07:30: That was also focus point there and you can debate about individual products.

00:07:37: but what did they spend?

00:07:39: The speed They have to enter new categories too get into new needs to get in two new markets should definitely not be underestimated.

00:07:52: And the booth of Dream opposed to the one of Xiaomi was in dark brown and gold totally different color schemes, totally a different appearance, totally different atmosphere...and then they had this top soccer player Ronaldo from Portugal as their main brand representative there.

00:08:12: he ubiquitous there, not as a person but on walls and stand-ups.

00:08:19: So he was there.

00:08:22: The message of these two booths Was clear It is we are here to stay.

00:08:29: so they come over Here And These Two Chinese Companies With These Enormous Product Portfolios And Chance Because They Have So Many Products To Create Something far beyond what we can imagine as an ecosystem, that is clear there on this way and they're heading for it.

00:08:50: And probably... They will make some of the more established brands pretty nervous with this brand because disappointment, the home appliance maker washing machines ovens dishwashers company Gorenje which I think from Slovenia somewhere Southern Eastern Europe.

00:09:13: They belong to high-sense.

00:09:14: now, as I learned.

00:09:16: Um...I own two of these devices and i really hate them not because they are bad but because the HMI, The Human Machine Interface is poor And usually don't bash single companies But in this particular case Im allowing me uh..to do it.

00:09:34: So have this one.

00:09:35: so that has two views As a user....and as professional And for me, I came to the booth and wanted to find out has there anything been improved since I bought these devices?

00:09:51: Short answer.

00:09:52: Fart a little not really... basically none at all!

00:10:02: The HMI's they always force you into making one more button press.

00:10:07: You must do one more push to reach a target destination function Yeah, then you usually would have to do it's all a little wrinkly and crickly.

00:10:19: And that is not really smooth easy and straight forward to go in.

00:10:25: We are discussing artificial intelligence we're discussing robots were discussing context adaptive systems computer vision smart homes everything yeah.

00:10:36: at the same time their appliances whose basic operating logic information processing Interaction are unnecessarily complicated.

00:10:50: Technology is developing at a breathtaking speed, the HMI sometimes isn't and that's a shame because particularly with household appliances I want to washing machine an oven dish washer.

00:11:03: they're not devices i want to spend time dealing with.

00:11:08: adjust what you use them on two Get the results of them.

00:11:11: I want to have clean dishes, and when i have a baked meal?

00:11:15: I wanna cook something?

00:11:17: Yeah And that has big difference.

00:11:20: me again this it counts for everything.

00:11:22: but if you talk about non-digital products uh...I don't Talk About apps and smartphones and PCs.

00:11:29: But If We Talk About Non Physical Product Non Digital Products Cars & household Appliances Probably Are The Most Used Ones the majority of people.

00:11:41: And if there is something that it's hard to use, That as a problem!

00:11:50: Alright I'm gonna talk about in this podcast episode about nine specific trends that i saw at the EFA Number one.

00:12:01: AI Is Disappearing and This was probably The most interesting observation.

00:12:13: Of course, AI is everywhere.

00:12:14: It was everywhere but Is it a topic on its own?

00:12:20: Hardly anymore.

00:12:24: No permanent here's that I hear say.

00:12:26: he has as the one you may expect.

00:12:30: Yeah and then current hype.

00:12:31: there we have.

00:12:32: Instead already crucial intelligence is embedded Into cameras televisions household appliances robots smart home systems all kinds of product.

00:12:44: So it seems like AI is absorbed.

00:12:50: It is absorbed by these physical products, by the functions and by actual product.

00:12:58: And that's precisely a sign of technology growing up That there are Wi-Fi in something, Bluetooth or chip in some thing.

00:13:10: That isn't really news anymore.

00:13:16: AI is becoming a basic technology like water supply, energy supply.

00:13:21: Like Wi-Fi and five G networks.

00:13:26: It's just there.

00:13:27: And on top of that basis you build the product You create a function with it to make value.

00:13:39: We do not talk about in fact that there IS an AI microprocessor but there is something in this, we just use it.

00:13:49: And to me the surprising thing is how fast that's happened.

00:13:53: a year ago two years ago AI was The Big Thing and now It Is Already Part of A Product That Its Just Normal To Use.

00:14:02: We Just Do It.

00:14:07: This Is Probably An Exciting Fact.

00:14:13: On Artificial Intelligence We stop constantly talking about it, but we just use it.

00:14:25: Trend number two the revenge of the analog one on my favorite things I'm talking about when uh i'm giving keynotes When I work with My Clients.

00:14:35: The Revenge Of The Analog Is There And The Idea is Technology Is Becoming More Physical Again.

00:14:47: Yeah and You Could See It Anywhere.

00:14:49: buttons, rotary controls devices with a clear physical identity.

00:14:57: Cameras that look like cameras again products you can touch and whose functions You can partly understand simply from their form And correlated with that.

00:15:12: connected to That there's the return of old names From my childhood, from the eighties.

00:15:20: When I was young when I was a twin.

00:15:23: Kodak, Aqua, Blaupung, Gründig... All these were German brands.

00:15:27: Koda was an US brand and they're back!

00:15:31: They are there.

00:15:33: On business or legal side probably you don't have to do too much in coming with old companies and things but very used And suddenly is a Kodaks camera With analog film on it.

00:15:48: Same for Aqua.

00:15:50: Blop on car radios, blop on devices so they're all back and of course some.

00:16:00: this is simply a retro marketing.

00:16:04: old brands evoke memories as in me man and memories always sell at the good old times.

00:16:10: maybe they haven't been that good probably but there may be more behind this.

00:16:19: Therefore for many years we try to make technology somehow disappear, functions moved into software buttons disappeared, displays in the touch screens and then at end you have a device which is if it's turned off just a black rectangle could be anything!

00:16:39: And maybe we are rediscovering that humans are analog physical beings.

00:16:48: Yeah, we touch things.

00:16:49: We rotate things.

00:16:50: you press me graspy feel we do things with our fingers and Sometimes a button is really simpler than a manual on a touchscreen.

00:17:07: trend number three the Robots are here And they're here to stay in.

00:17:15: some of them look different then.

00:17:18: expected robots were almost ubiquitous at the eye for there was a specific hole dedicated to them, but even in other halls they were robots.

00:17:30: And of course there are these humanoids and robots that look like humans two legs Two arms ahead The machine as a technological image As a technological reflection Of the human being.

00:17:48: But That was just one variant.

00:17:53: Together with them there were semi-humanoids, basically heads and arms on a rolling base.

00:18:00: Animal like robots... There are people walking around with dog style robots on a leash through the halls more machine like robots highly specialized systems thing that I found pretty stunning robots, that mix cocktails.

00:18:23: One of them looked like a coffee machine basically and the other one was a humanoid mixing cocktail.

00:18:32: so they were just on two different bills but opposite sides of same aisle.

00:18:38: So... Two different form factors in it.

00:18:41: Maybe not most important innovation for humanity that I just like to have.

00:18:51: At the end, i find another development more interesting.

00:18:54: The question no longer seems to be whether robots will become part of everyday lives.

00:18:59: increasing in.

00:19:00: the question is what form factor should they have?

00:19:04: and I'm sceptical about the reflexive enthusiasm for humanoids.

00:19:10: Why Should a Robot Look Like A Human?

00:19:13: If it's tasks done... if he has to fulfill does not require a human body.

00:19:20: If in my kitchen I work together with the robot, of course a humanoid form factor is preferable because we worked with the same devices.

00:19:29: that's okay and understandable but why do we need humanoids on factories?

00:19:34: Not to transport things.

00:19:36: other form factors will be much more useful.

00:19:39: yeah maybe form follows function.

00:19:43: In old days it was pretty good idea.

00:19:46: We should never forget form follows function when it comes to the form factors of robots.

00:19:58: Trend number four, exoskeletons.

00:20:01: they are leaving them medical supportive area.

00:20:06: so my view on exo skeletons was basically two areas rehabilitation support for physically handicapped people and industrial appliances.

00:20:21: People with physical impairments can be supported, workers can be relieved during physical demanding tasks.

00:20:29: At Eva I saw a different idea, actual skeletons as lifestyle product for hiking or jogging and longer distances being faster on inclines.

00:20:47: people who are actually physically healthy.

00:20:51: Yeah, they use this to expand their abilities and This is a remarkable step.

00:20:57: It's not Compensating an imitation.

00:21:02: it Is expanding the abilities of a healthy human body?

00:21:08: And This way we create a technological update for four human bodies then This is somehow fascinating.

00:21:17: its also a bit unsettling puts me a bit into uncanny valley, maybe.

00:21:25: At one point the question will arise where does support end and optimization begin?

00:21:33: Support is always good.

00:21:35: self-optimization should have its limits And with that I think we should make us stop and look about what it's for At the end, will we eventually perceive activities without technological support as unnecessarily strenuous?

00:22:03: Big question.

00:22:05: But if I want to go out jogging... ...I wanna challenge my buddy and now i have an exoskeleton that helps me jogging so.. ..i can stay home!

00:22:14: So.... I don't see through all of this.

00:22:19: I don´t fully understand it but for me this is one question that I will have a closer look at in the future.

00:22:31: Gen number five, smartphones unbelievably high-number of solutions.

00:22:40: sometimes i ask myself where is the problem?

00:22:44: Where's the use case?

00:22:46: and smart homes was huge topic.

00:22:50: two full halls only with technology on Smart Homes Smart locks, smart lights, smart kitchen, smart security, smart energy.

00:22:58: Smart cleaning, smart everything!

00:23:02: And I saw many nice individual solutions and surprisingly few convincing overall concepts.

00:23:12: a lot of violence but no continent No overarching use case.

00:23:20: Yeah, we have known the usual explanation for this four years lack of standards and compatible ecosystems different manufacturers data production complicated installations whatever.

00:23:31: all true Question remains Is there actually an overarching use case?

00:23:40: is?

00:23:41: And if this is a very uncomfortable question Do we have real use case creating real value For fully connected homes?

00:23:53: We are not lacking the technical platforms.

00:23:57: Yeah, something that connects everything.

00:24:00: Perhaps we simply lack a good reason to connect everything and after decades of smart home promises there would be great thing to do.

00:24:13: have The idea That is not real use case won't be pretty uncomfortable right?

00:24:21: And those are exactly kind of questions which I'll asking if you could continue.

00:24:27: Maybe I'm overseeing something maybe.

00:24:28: I'm missing something but at the end of the day At Eva there was not a big overarching use case.

00:24:37: why should i have?

00:24:39: A smart home trend number six Everyone becomes a content creator, at least from a technical point-of view.

00:24:52: Two halls again only on content creation cameras drones lighting microphones gimbals SSRs mobile studios Streaming technology, social media technology everything you can imagine.

00:25:06: Professional production capabilities are becoming smaller cheaper and more easily accessible.

00:25:14: Yeah well what required a production team of three four or five people just a few years ago?

00:25:20: Can fit into your backpack?

00:25:22: And be done by a single person?

00:25:25: And who, how?

00:25:34: we can produce media and Who Can Produce Media?

00:25:39: The boundary between consumer and producer continues to dissolve.

00:25:44: Of course this democratizing is not automatically democratizing talent.

00:26:02: Just because everyone for his comparably small amount of money can buy professional equipment, it does not mean that he or she is a professional in doing something.

00:26:12: A four-camera does NOT make good film!

00:26:16: The studio microphone DOESN'T MAKE GOOD PODCAST!

00:26:21: And the lighting ring unfortunately doesn't.

00:26:23: might like an interesting LinkedIn post.

00:26:24: It may not even look people beautiful... The technical barrier to entry is falling dramatically And the interesting question is no longer who can produce it, Who Can Afford to Produce It.

00:26:40: But and that Is The Positive Thing About Democratizing All These Things?

00:26:45: Who Has Something To Say ?

00:26:47: Who Is Somebody That Has Real Good Content?

00:26:51: Limitation Is Not The Technical Side Anymore!

00:26:56: IT IS THE CONTENT ITSELF AND THAT IS AT THE VERY END GOOD NEWS.

00:27:06: Trend number seven, e-ink displays.

00:27:10: Digital pictures become analog again.

00:27:14: you will know e-ing from your ebook reader ,from your Kindle From your Tolino whatever name them and that was a surprise to me.

00:27:24: That big e ink displays are used as pictures on the wall Decorative content.

00:27:34: it's not only for readers but yeah there were some with something like seventy, eighty, ninety centimeters diagonal.

00:27:45: it's almost the yard or two feet.

00:27:49: so you have pictures.

00:27:51: You can hang on a wall and they look like pictures and you could put in your photos there And its e-ink!

00:27:57: It is not something shiny but not like display.

00:28:01: But this hanging layer looks like picture of a wall.

00:28:03: if dark If you turn off the light, You don't see it anymore.

00:28:06: Just like a real picture on your wall.

00:28:10: It does not glow permanently.

00:28:11: That's not a monitor And its simply there.

00:28:16: Yeah and then...it can change!

00:28:18: You could put in different pictures from that.

00:28:22: This surprisingly fits well with The revenge of the analog.

00:28:28: The analog is back.

00:28:30: Perhaps we do not always want to experience digital content On devices that constantly remind us that they are digital.

00:28:39: Perhaps the future sometimes lies in between, yeah?

00:28:45: You have a digital function and an e-ink displays our digital devices.

00:28:49: but the perception...the behavior of these devices That is analog And that's pretty human.

00:29:02: Trend number eight Food production Is moving into The home Microgreens Herbs Small indoor gardens controlled growing conditions, systems that move parts of our food production closer to the place of consumption.

00:29:23: And the idea extends all the way into producing our proteins and produce our own tofu.

00:29:31: All this was shown there.

00:29:34: I think it's more than just another kitchen appliance these tofu production things the size of a bigger coffee machine.

00:29:42: and then you have this microgreens that can grow with the lights, LEDs.

00:29:50: And again technology will be changing the role of consumer.

00:29:57: I buy food will partly become I produce food.

00:30:06: No one is going to get rid of their supermarkets just because they did.

00:30:10: But the idea's exciting, high tech will bring us back to an activity that could hardly be any older.

00:30:18: since ten-twelve thousand years we are growing our foods and we're returning it by grown our own food at home.

00:30:27: but you gonna use sensors, LEDs automatic control artificial intelligence computing power Results.

00:30:39: And progress can look surprisingly backward.

00:30:46: Trend number nine, smart glasses and smart rings.

00:30:52: Connected to that I have the question do we really need even more interfaces?

00:30:59: The personal interaction devices in smart rings they have a certain charm.

00:31:03: yeah so there are small their unobstusive or close-to-the body.

00:31:08: They can collect data an enable certain interactions without me constantly having another display in front of me.

00:31:17: Some use cases are ridiculous, so I have to pick up my smartphone and have to unlock the smart phone or start an app... And then i can use my smart ring!

00:31:26: That's ridiculous.

00:31:27: we don't need this but use cases showing that they're far better and contain far more value.

00:31:36: A More Critical Of Smart Glasses.

00:31:41: For years the industry has been trying to convince us that we want to wear computers in our faces and maybe it will work this time.

00:31:50: The technology is getting better, the devices are getting smaller, artificial intelligence can significantly increase the usefulness of such systems.

00:31:59: Contextual information navigation translation and assistance are certainly convincing applications.

00:32:06: people can not really see very well.

00:32:09: that cannot be here where they get a lot of support on this one.

00:32:14: Problem is in German we have the expression perversing glasses, which means glasses for perverted people because you can record things and should not record yeah?

00:32:29: And then if you misuse it or publish them online so need some limitation.

00:32:39: The more generic question is, do we really want to permanently place another digital layer between ourselves and the world?

00:32:49: Do you really wanna have one during a conversation with other person who talk too as looking at us or simultaneously reading information about this.

00:33:02: Yeah, if somebody's talking to me is he reading?

00:33:04: all right.

00:33:05: There's his doctor Peter and then he's a keynote speaker And here's an industry consultant and he's thinking this and you just posted that on LinkedIn and do really want us?

00:33:16: yeah Well what happens too?

00:33:18: two social rules to privacy in and trust when cameras and digital assistance becomes a permanent part of our field of vision?

00:33:30: Don't get me wrong.

00:33:31: There are many use cases out there where smart glasses are super helpful, very valuable and create a lot of advantages.

00:33:51: The question is when the technology will be good enough?

00:33:56: Are you in situations that people actually want to wear them where other people want to wear them or allow them, except for that.

00:34:07: This is the huge difference and this will decide whether in a second attempt of bringing smart glasses into markets if it's successful?

00:34:19: I'm still having my doubts but also see ethical problems.

00:34:29: All right, quick summary.

00:34:30: What remains after a day at the EFAN?

00:34:35: AI is becoming less visible.

00:34:37: it Is being absorbed by hardware products.

00:34:40: At the same time technology is becoming more physical again The revenge of the analogous there.

00:34:47: Robots are leaving the laboratories and they're entering or everyday professional And private lives.

00:34:55: Technology is not only supporting our bodies but extending them, expanding our abilities.

00:35:04: Digital content is taking on analog forms.

00:35:10: We are democratizing production of media and we produce our own foods more-and-more.

00:35:20: At the same time the industry's trying to bring technology into our personal everyday lives And even directly onto our body.

00:35:34: And this, as a summary sounds maybe a bit contradictory.

00:35:39: Maybe it isn't because we may be experienced a shift that the question is no longer what else can technology do?

00:35:49: But now we have more than enough of that!

00:35:52: We have more-than-enough technology out there.

00:35:54: The most interesting questions are which technologies actually want to happen in our lives And that is precisely why trade shows like the EFA and later on this ES are interesting to me, not because they show us the future.

00:36:11: That's only a part of it.

00:36:13: The most interesting point is They give us materials to discuss What kind of future we actually want?

00:36:24: All right So that's it for today.

00:36:27: if you liked this podcast promote it a bit from me Rated on the respective platforms recommended to friends, colleagues and peers.

00:36:36: That will make me more visible And even more people get a chance To Get into my world Into my thoughts.

00:36:45: They'll benefit from this.

00:37:00: For an unknown exchange, you will find me on LinkedIn and my websites beta-resco.com And beyond minus HMI dot de.

00:37:15: write me an email under podcast at Beyond Minus HMI Dot E. Do it next time take care and stay healthy.