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Because most "smart tech" isn't actually smart, it's regular tech that offshores processing to a networked super-computer. The Star Trek tricorder, that can do

Because most "smart tech" isn't actually smart, it's regular tech that offshores processing to a networked super-computer. The Star Trek tricorder, that can do with a handheld device what would take an entire lab, is smart tech. But that requires lots of research and wouldn't lend itself to a subscription-based or planned-obsolescence business model even if we could build it. :P

aikinai 7y ago
Of course it’s not to Tricorder standards yet, but Apple does all fancy AI work directly on the phone/computer. It also has downsides; for example, every new device synced to a photo library has to process the whole library from scratch (to identify photo content for searching).
- toomuchtodo 7y ago
  Does Apple store the processing output as part of the image meta data so each device doesn’t have to redo previously performed ML work? Or a shared index only accessible to client devices?
- xref 7y ago
  But Siri still won’t work with a weak cell signal
zamfi 7y ago
> planned-obsolescence business model Are you kidding? Why would you stick with TriCorder v17.3 when the new sensor suite in TriCorder v18 can deter hypercalcemia with twice the accuracy!?
K0SM0S 7y ago
I know you're joking but since we're nerding... - planned obsolescence has no real economic meaning in a world (Star Trek's) where abundance is materially realized — symbolized by the synthetizer technology and omniscient computer (free info / education / content). Everything gets recycled and obsolescence is de facto moot because they can produce orders of magnitude more than they can ever consume (a holistic premise of the fictional universe that is broken numerous times in the short stories of the show, but hey, it's cool it's TV). You could actually say that in Star Trek, obsolescence is more than planned, it's actually how you deal with anything generic or commodities: you recycle it, and would just rebuild it when needed (unless it's inconvenient and you'd spare some space to store the assembled object, but that's paying a high cost, space isn't infinite unlike synthetizers' production, mastery of matter and energy). Yup, inventory and logistics truly are the heart of civilization. Note that 4D-space is cool in sci-fi but alas... - subscription-based: weeeeell, there's no cost associated with living in Star Trek, is there? Everything is just provided by said abundance-tech, nobody pays to eat or clothe or have a roof. So subscriptions, well, there's no point; Netflix would just be free, people there would just do it for the sake of making this cool thing. As everything else is done in the Federation. That's the core of the real utopia of Star Trek IMHO. Dilithium crystals look very real compared to all of the above, don't they? haha.

aikinai 7y ago

Of course it’s not to Tricorder standards yet, but Apple does all fancy AI work directly on the phone/computer. It also has downsides; for example, every new device synced to a photo library has to process the whole library from scratch (to identify photo content for searching).

toomuchtodo 7y ago
Does Apple store the processing output as part of the image meta data so each device doesn’t have to redo previously performed ML work? Or a shared index only accessible to client devices?
xref 7y ago
But Siri still won’t work with a weak cell signal

zamfi 7y ago

> planned-obsolescence business model Are you kidding? Why would you stick with TriCorder v17.3 when the new sensor suite in TriCorder v18 can deter hypercalcemia with twice the accuracy!?

K0SM0S 7y ago

I know you're joking but since we're nerding... - planned obsolescence has no real economic meaning in a world (Star Trek's) where abundance is materially realized — symbolized by the synthetizer technology and omniscient computer (free info / education / content). Everything gets recycled and obsolescence is de facto moot because they can produce orders of magnitude more than they can ever consume (a holistic premise of the fictional universe that is broken numerous times in the short stories of the show, but hey, it's cool it's TV). You could actually say that in Star Trek, obsolescence is more than planned, it's actually how you deal with anything generic or commodities: you recycle it, and would just rebuild it when needed (unless it's inconvenient and you'd spare some space to store the assembled object, but that's paying a high cost, space isn't infinite unlike synthetizers' production, mastery of matter and energy). Yup, inventory and logistics truly are the heart of civilization. Note that 4D-space is cool in sci-fi but alas... - subscription-based: weeeeell, there's no cost associated with living in Star Trek, is there? Everything is just provided by said abundance-tech, nobody pays to eat or clothe or have a roof. So subscriptions, well, there's no point; Netflix would just be free, people there would just do it for the sake of making this cool thing. As everything else is done in the Federation. That's the core of the real utopia of Star Trek IMHO. Dilithium crystals look very real compared to all of the above, don't they? haha.