Matthew Cowen
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  • To see what will happen with self-driving cars …

    … Just look at what it happening in the world of photography.

    Digital camera sales have fallen off a cliff and are unlikely to rebound to the highs of 2008 to 2011.

    Why?

    Smartphones are a simple answer. Smartphone photography has gotten better and better in recent years, with advances in lens and sensor technology allowing them to almost compete with quality DSLR cameras.

    It’s the next wave that has already started that shows us what to expect.

    Computational photography is here, and it is getting better results out of technically limited hardware. With computational photography, you no longer need to understand the photography triangle to produce stunning images. You no longer need a fast lens (read: expensive) to produce sharpness and bokeh that make your photos pop.

    And very soon, computational photography will produce compositions that are not far off those of all but the most talented. All in a device that were buying anyway because it does so much more than take photos.

    The computational in the sentence is the most essential part.

    Self-serving cars are the computational-driving of driving, and it will be a better driver than you, me and everyone else other than the most highly skilled and trained drivers. Manual car sales will fall off a cliff when it happens.

    But as with cameras, boutique or specialised models will become valuable and highly sought after, allowing the development of niche markets for these products. There will probably be driving leisure centres springing up in or around large cities that, for a fee, will allow you to drive a “real” car for fun.

    The industrialisation of the combustion engine did this for horses, digitalisation is already having an effect on photography and computation will have this effect on cars.

    7 November 2019 — French West Indies

    → 12:09 PM, Nov 7
  • Podcast appearance

    Had a great time recording this. I hope to do it again soon. You should check out the work Kadia is doing and follow her on all the channels.

    We talked about the human side of Digital Transformation and the issues and fears surrounding change in a changing world.

    Enjoy!

    Episode 13 – The Human Cost of Digital Transformations with Matthew Cowen

    → 7:35 AM, Oct 21
  • The BBC killed the paragraph

    Is it just me?

    Am I alone?

    The only one that thinks that the way the BBC writes it's articles is awful to read?

    They have taken to writing one sentence per paragraph.

    Perhaps to break up the text.

    But it makes it more difficult to read.

    And mentally, the associated parts of the text that should be in one paragraph, are disconnected.

    Making your brain work harder to rejoin what's related.

    I do hope they stop doing it.

    It's distracting and frankly l, looks awful too.

    My opinion.

    14 October 2019 — French West Indies

    → 4:24 PM, Oct 14
  • Book recommendation

    I really do think you should take the time to read this book.

    Talking to Strangers

    I get to the heart of why seemingly innocuous encounters can turn into tragic events. It additionally makes you think about yourself and the encounters you have with those strayers around you.

    20 September 2019 — French West Indies

    → 8:33 AM, Sep 20
  • U SHOOT VIDEOS?

    A wonderful short film worth watching on a big screen.

    U SHOOT VIDEOS?

    A Film by Morgan Cooper

    → 3:12 PM, Sep 14
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