Why Those Who Doubt The Rise Of Autonomous Cars Are Totally Outside of Reality

Self-driving cars is a mucky business. Many, such as Ford and Alphabet (the spin-off of Google) claim that self-driving cars will dramatically cut down on accidents, and yet we've already seen such vehicles getting into accidents, such as Tesla's autopilot going wonky leading to deadly crashes. Nevertheless, many people will be happy to give up the freedom to operate a vehicle in exchange for a zero-accident rate, buy the technology seems from reaching that point. Will it ever reach that point?

Transforming the world never looked so easy. . . 

In a recent interview with MIT Technology Review, Christopher Hart--appointed by President Obama as the Chairman of the US National Transportation Safety Board--claimed that indeed self-driving cars would radically reduce the vehicle accident death rate, with the target of "no deaths whatsoever." However, given the complexity of an AI navigating streets, buildings, pedestrians, and other vehicles, Hart maintains that the points of failure would be too great to rely solely on a computer to drive by itself without human management. However, a human and a machine driving a vehicle together also poses numerous challenges, with demand placed on the the human's ability to work with the machine. Hart states,

The challenge is when you have not-so-complete automation, with still significant human engagement—that's when the complacency becomes an issue.  That's when lack of skills becomes the issue. So our challenge is: how do we handle what is probably going to be a long-term scenario of still some human engagement in this largely automated system?

One thing this seems to suggest is an overhaul of driver training with more attention focused on human/machine interaction, i.e., how to drive a hybrid human/machine vehicle. This learning curve could indeed lead to a higher number of accidents and death, at least at the outset and over period of time until the technology shifts to fully autonomous. 

Hart, however, is too myopic in his view of technology. To me, it is appropriate to be an optimist in technological advancement but a pessimist in its outcomes. As Kurzweil and others maintain, technology advances exponentially as the tools of a previous step-change creates the conditions of a leap in the next one (ever faster computers creating ever fast computers). Hence for Hart to admit that,

I'm not confident that we will ever reach that point. I don’t see the ideal of complete automation coming anytime soon.

means that he is not quite looking at the way technology advances. He may, as many others do, be planning for a hybrid system--human/machine--to remain for a decade or more; but he will be surprised when full automation happens prior to that. 

And while people love the freedom of driving, when automation proves to be safer than human-driven vehicles, then it will be a liability to drive a car on your own, regardless of how you feel about it. And with Tesla and Uber coming out with grand strategies for transforming how society facilitates vehicles, we are going to see autonomous vehicles driving legally sooner than we think. We have already seen one instance in which Google has gone before congress to pass laws that would place less restriction on autonomous vehicles for the purpose of testing them. 

People like Hart, while well-informed and very good at what they do, who fail to understand and appreciate the power of technology will always be caught flat-footed when massive changes hit society hard. Like Kodack being beat out of the photo business by digital media, or record producing companies beat out by iTunes, those who believe that 5 years from now will look pretty much the same as today will be unable to adapt and thus unable to perform their jobs--they will become obsolete by the very technology they underestimate. 

The Power, The Glory, The Guts Of TODAY

"I'm going to do it. . . tomorrow."

If you want to optimize your productivity, if you want to be competent, if you want to do something with your life, if you want to be somebody, then put that worn-out excuse away--banish it from your vocabulary, your will, your life, because it will get you nowhere fast. What you need to begin to think about, meditate on, bend your will toward, embrace like life itself is the power of TODAY.

TODAY--you will do the hard stuff first. Those taxes you have to do, that person you need to call, that contact who wants to collaborate with you on a major project--get on it TODAY.

TODAY--you will start to get stronger, healthier, start that exercise program you always wanted to do; ya, that one you've been telling all your friends about--the friends who know you're full of it because you've been a procrastinator your whole life. You're sick and tired of being sick and tired--start that exercise program TODAY.

TODAY--you're going to call that therapist you've been planning to, because you're tired of the same hangups with you or your relationship--that one that keeps you from fulfilling your potential, from being the person you were created to be. You're going to get on it TODAY.

TODAY--you're going to work on your mindset, the one that keeps you negative and in the dumps all day seeing the glass empty rather than full; the negativity that keeps you from pursuing your passions, from having great relationships, from getting close with your son or daughter or spouse. You're going to read How to Win Friends and Influence Others, or Chicken Soup for the Soul, or any other book you've thought pathetic in the past. You're going to check out Carol Dweck on YouTube and start changing your mindset TODAY.

TODAY--you're going to get that oil change in your car, the one you've wanted to get done for the past 5,000 kilometres but haven't had time to make an appointment for. Instead of worrying about your engine dying or running into problems with the lease on your vehicle, you're going to book that appointment TODAY.

TODAY--you're going to pursue that dream. You don't know how you're going to do it, but you are going to stop putting it off. It might be a song you've got to write down, that movie you've always wanted to produce, that rock album that you've had in your head for the past 5 years, that novel that's been sitting half-completed in your desk drawer for 10 years. You're going to start that dream TODAY.

TODAY--you're going to make resistance your enemy. You're going to look resistance in the eye and see it for the beast it is. You're going to curse it and make war with it--like Stephen Pressfield talks about in The War of Art. Resistance has been kicking your butt around for decades, preventing you from living your true potential, from living your dreams. You're going to put on the war paint, grab your sword, and go to battle TODAY.

TODAY--you're going to tell your spouse, your partner, your son, your daughter that you love them. You're going to praise your partner's cooking, the way he or she does that special thing that you've noticed but let go by without praise. You're going to remain silent no more--you're going to give that special person in your life the praise he or she deserves. You're going to do that TODAY.

TODAY--you're going to turn over that new leaf, start that new life, go on that new adventure; the one you've been telling yourself you would for years but never had the time or guts. You're going to start that new career, launch that new business or product, enter that relationship, reunite with that son or daughter or grandchild or old friend. You're going to do it TODAY.

TODAY is what makes history. 

TODAY is what counts;

TODAY is the true breakfast of champions;

TODAY is where the rubber meets the road;

TODAY is the battlefield Napoleon and Churchill and Patton,

and all the other warriors waged;

TODAY is the difference that makes a difference;

TODAY is the centre stage of dreams;

TODAY is the altar of forgiveness;

TODAY is the start of a new life;

TODAY is the opening ceremony of your Olympic games;

TODAY is John Coltrane's saxophone;

TODAY is Tolstoy's War and Peace;

TODAY is Elon Musk's Tesla and SpaceX;

TODAY is your great novel;

TODAY is your Hallelujah Chorus;

TODAY is your new beginning;

TODAY is your road left travelled;

TODAY is your beat of a different drum.

TODAY--

Don't wait till tomorrow . . . 

Tomorrow never comes.

Uber's Self-Driving Taxi Was Spotted Today And It's A Bigger Deal Than You Think

This is the week of self-driving taxi spotting. In Pittsburgh today, the first Uber self-driving taxi--what appeared to be a Ford Focus--was seen roving along with 'Uber' stamped on the door, and a whack of technology strapped to the roof. It comes quickly on the heels of an announcement by the disruptive tech company last week that it would be releasing a test run of "supervised" self-driving taxis by the end of the month. The car was spotted and tweeted by Helen Rosner, editor of Eater. And drivers are able to ride in this taxi for free.

I find it interesting that Uber has disrupted the taxi industry by putting the power to earn money by driving people around into the hands of the common person, and then is now planning to steal that power away by subjecting the driver to a mere machine 'supervisor'--until of course the technology advances the 'supervisor' into a kind of torpid obsolescence. As well, Uber wants to eventually replace car ownership with self-driving fleets of taxis. This, according to Kalanick will free up road space for more parks and people's time for greater productivity. The one thing it won't do, and we're starting to see this, is provide greater freedom of mobility. 

Uber's Travis Kalanick on TED

You see, the one good thing about having a car is I can get wherever I need to go whenever I need to get there. In an emergency, I have the freedom to get to a hospital. What happens, however, when I don't have a vehicle anymore, but must rely on an application on my phone to dispatch one? What if the app doesn't work? What if I'm outside of range? What if there's a malfunction of the self-driving car and it takes me to the wrong location? 

What seems to be a more attractive 'grand strategy' as it were is Tesla's: You own the vehicle, and earn money on it by joining it up with a fleet that drives people around while you're working, resting, or on holidays. And the money made with the car is put toward the overall cost of owning it. I like this notion very much; I think car ownership is a good thing. See the difference? One optimizes freedom, the other limits it. 

Nevertheless, Uber wasn't the only self-driving taxi to make headlines; the Singapore taxi company nuTonomy (my spell-check ironically just suggested adjusting that word to 'autonomy') seemed to preempt Uber's first spotting by announcing it's operational this week. According to BGR,

nuTonomy announced in a press release that the starting August 25th, users in Singapore would be invited to try the service. The trial will be available in the one-north business district, where the company has been conducting self-driving car tests since April.

The nuTonomy of Singapore

And the company's services are going to be offered for free just as Uber's. 

So we're in the midst of a massive change in transportation. On the one hand seems to be Musk's plan to transform the world through vehicle ownership and on the other companies like Uber and nuTonomy (my spell check just defaulted again to 'au-tonomy') that hold out the promise of putting the means of transportation into the hands of a company. 

9 Beginner Tips For Stockpiling Food That Will Prepare You For Disaster

We are living in strange times: earthquakes, floods, and political upheaval. There have been a number of stories in the news this week about governments warning citizens to begin stockpiling food, particularly in Germany. While Canada has yet to receive such a warning, it may be wise to begin a stockpile campaign in your home. Here are some tips, some of which are taken from Sean Broderick's The Ultimate Suburban Survivalist Guide:

1. Store foods you eat: It's not a good to store foods that you and your family will have a hard time eating. And when in an emergency situation, it's not a good time to switch diets to accommodate storable food. If you're living on fast food, and you're interested in storing food, you'll need to change your diet. Also, don't buy survival foods just because they're cheap. You have some time now; store foods that you will actually eat and will give you the energy you need.

2. Start with the essentials: Long-term storage foods that are healthy and store well are: whole grains, rice, and beans (Did you know that beans and rice are considered a perfect protein?) Whole grains and brown rice are packed with nutrients. 

3. Then move to other essentials: Dried and canned vegetables will be important. You'll also need some oils to cook your food in, such as olive, vegetable, and peanut. You can also add some canned or dry meats, fish, and chicken to your stockpile. 

4. Energy foods: Things like peanut butter, dried fruit, and other such snacks are great for instant energy. Chocolate is also a very important item, not only for its health benefits, but also as an item for barter (Chocolate is said to be veering into a shortage). Imagine yourself in some kind of catastrophe (natural disaster for instance), and think about what you'll need to eat to stay energized. There'll be a lot of demand placed on you, so you need to think energy when you're stockpiling food. 

5. Plan: You need to make a list of the foods you eat over a two-week period. Also, you need to know how much food you and your family eat per week. This will help you plan what and how much to buy.

6. Designate Storage Space: The ideal place to store you food is a cool dry area that sustains a temperature of 40 degrees fahrenheit (about 4 degrees celsius). This is difficult, especially for those who have hot summer months. The average is more like 70 degrees fahrenheit (21 degrees celsius). Keep in mind that every 10 degrees above that halves your storage life. You need to find a space that holds that cool dry temperature, and where you can store ample food. A nice dry basement can be a good place to store your food. If your basement is full of stuff, you might need to declutter--a fairly easy task. 

7. Food-grade containers: You need to use food-grade containers to store your food, otherwise it simply won't last. Food-grade containers are simply plastic containers designed to store food. A common container is a plastic bucket with a rubber gasket lid manufactured specifically for storing food. This is an important part of your stockpiling, especially if its grains, rice, and beans. 

8. Price-list: I have a friend who buys multiples of things when they're on sale. Whereas I tend to buy one, grateful for the price reduction, he buys 5-10. This is a good way to save money and stockpile at the same time. This requires that you understand the general price of things you need to stockpile, and their lowest price; and you understand this by putting together a price-list. It's not difficult: a small notebook in which you copy down the foods you want to store, and how much they cost at the various stores you purchase them at, including the lowest price possible. When it comes to stockpiling, you can determine if what you're purchasing is at the lowest price, or will come down further.

9. Keep Inventory: If you stockpile food but forget what you have and when it expires, you could be wasting money and food. When you store your food, keep an inventory list of what you have and when it's likely to expire. Check it routinely. If certain items are nearing expiry, use them. 

Stockpiling food that will last you 10 days is a good place to start. It may seem excessive; it may seem alarmist; but there are enough news reports that suggest it's not a bad time to begin. Take your time, but don't hesitate. Whenever you see something you need on sale, buy 5 of them. Remember, if you go slowly, you won't overwhelm your budget. The important thing is you do it. Just thinking about the Ontario ice storm and the Calgary flood--both in 2013!--is enough to keep us sober-minded and prepared. 

Why Intel and Microsoft Want To Make Virtual Reality Ubiquitous And Why It Matters To You

The PokemonGo phenomenon is a strange one. Whenever I see people playing the game, they appear to me like zombies: heads down, staring blankly at their handheld device, at times completely unaware of their surroundings, a slight shuffle in their gait and being led who knows where by images on a screen less real than the dream they had the night before--a strange phenomenon indeed. People claim they are getting outside more. Yes, and that's a good thing; however, one's experience is mediated through the handheld screen which undermines its reality. What would it be like to apprehend what is around without technology dreaming up all kinds of monsters lurking chimerically behind every bush? Ah but reality isn't fun without it . . . 

I've written in previous posts about virtual reality: it's use in medicine to block pain, and some of the problems with using it. Virtual Reality is going to become ubiquitous--most people who follow technological trends know this. In a recent announcement, Intel and Microsoft have partnered up to put some serious money and R&D to work to speed up this ubiquity. According to MIT Tech Review, 

"Intel and Microsoft announced Tuesday that they are working together to help computer manufacturers get into the business of making stand-alone VR headsets." 

The key here is that they will be teaming up to "help computer manufactures get into the business" of VR. Intel has developed a VR headset that is a stand-alone device that doesn't need to be tethered to a PC. And it plans to take the design specs of the headset open-source so other computer companies can create their own headsets, according to the CEO of Intel Brian Krzanich. 

Intel's Project Alloy headset

Without a cord, and 3D mapping technology, this headset is sure to augment your experience of 'reality'. And with Intel's and Microsoft's vision for ubiquity, this new headset is just another iteration of Virtual Reality technology that is going to advance rapidly and exponentially over the coming years. 

But why does Intel want VR to be ubiquitous? What is the point of mass VR? Why is developing this technology so important beyond being able to watch movies in a more vivid way?

CNET: Intel's Project Alloy Cuts the Cord

The reason is that VR is a critical technology for futurists. According to Ray Kurzweil, with the exponential growth of nanotechnology, and its use for biological enhancement, humans will be living longer and longer each year to, eventually, living forever. The problem with this is, according to Kurzweil, boredom--there just won't be enough to do when we live forever. We just won't know what to do with eternity . . . 

So, according to him and other futurist thought-leaders, we'll need Virtual Reality to keep life exciting; for VR will allow us to do anything we dream possible--not of course with our 'real' bodies--whatever that will mean--but through augmenting our reality. Kurzweil calls this "radical life expansion," meaning expanding what you can do in life. 

Ray Kurzweil on the Next Phase of Virtual Reality

What I take from Kurzweil is that, like PokemonGo, reality isn't good enough--we need it to be somehow 'virtual', 'augmented'. Living life without the augmentation of technology would mean, using Kurzweil's logic, radical life restriction. And this further means that living life in our bodies, in our unmediated minds, is a restricted life, a "boring" life, a life of drudgery that only the creations of our hands can adequately mitigate. For Kurzweil and others, life itself isn't good enough--our experiences of it must be augmented. And if our bodies can achieve the things we dream of doing, then we'll just make our dreams reality--virtual reality. 

But this isn't all. According to Kurzweil and others, VR headsets will quickly become obsolete, replaced by a connection right into your brain through nanobots that will deliver reality directly to your neocortex. 

To get to this point, technology will have to go through iterations of development--thousands upon thousands of iterations. And therefore, to keep this utopian vision going, there need to be countless researchers and companies and money driving it. And this, I maintain, is part of Intel's larger vision and the reason why it is taking its headset open source, and, along with Microsoft, driving the next wave of VR. The hope is to rapidly advance this technology so it is ready for the emergence of immortal humanity. 

The question remains, why is reality not good enough--i.e., unmitigated, unmediated reality. Why do we seek to escape the really real of experience for the mediated-real, the 'virtually' real? It's a much broader but important question. Are we not living in a time in which more so than perhaps the last 50 years we need to be more present to what's going on around us, rather than distracted by virtual reality experiences? I've written about the use of VR to mitigate and manage pain. Think about a world in which there is upheaval--but with a great escape: VR. In the midst of trouble, of turmoil, you can block out the really-real world and live in a dream-world; a world of your fantasy--only it will seem real!

Why Uber's Disruptive Innovation Should Concern All Of Us

Uber is a contentious company--no doubt about that. A big question these days is whether as a driver one is employed by Uber. If drivers for Uber are employees, then they are entitled to all the benefits that come with being employed with a company, which, by the way, they're currently not getting. If they are self-employed drivers, then that is a totally different state of affairs. 

According to The Guardian, the lawsuit brought against Uber argues that the company has used double-speak or "forked tongues" to attract drivers and prospective ones to join the company under the guise of 'employment' with a company. Uber claims it's a "technology company," not a transportation provider; and that they attract 'partners' who have a "commonality of interest" who are seeking flexible hours. And while in a 2014 response to Transport in London (UK) Uber claimed it could  “generate tens of thousands of jobs in the UK” through job centres throughout London, what they now mean by jobs is--if you can clear your head from this obfuscation--"an ‘economic opportunity to earn money’," according to Jo Bertram the Uber's UK General Manager. 

This is the problem with disruptive innovation: not only does it disrupt conventions of practice (in this case, becoming a certified taxi driver and working for a taxi company) it also disrupts people's paradigms; and when the disruption causes people to be confused about their livelihood, what sounds like a cool disruptive idea reveals itself to be more destructive than people may have thought. 

In addition to the lawsuits brought against Uber, the tech/transport company has revealed it will be using self-driving cars in Pittsburg within weeks--a move that will reduce its drivers to rental objects. For in order for a self-driving car to be allowed on the streets it must have a human being behind the wheel. The driver doesn't have to do anything other than make sure the car stays on the road and doesn't veer into pedestrians and vehicles. Some Uber drivers are complaining the company knew this all along, while others are concerned they will be left out of a job. Up until now, Uber has been a source of income. Some Uber drivers are in between jobs, while many others are using it as their sole form of income. 

This is just the beginning of how self-driving cars are going to disrupt society as we know it. There are so many jobs currently wrapped up in the transportation industry. A tech company comes along, and suddenly jobs are mere "economic opportunities," and drivers as mere "rental bodies" used to oversee the algorithms of a machine not operate it.  

And transportation is one industry among countless that will continue to push humans out for the primacy of machines. In the coming months and year, we will see the emergence of more technology companies providing services that have been maintained by humans for tens if not hundreds of years. They will be much like Uber: disrupt an industry, upset people, prevaricate on simple facts, spin-doctor statements to shareholders and media agents. They will appear cool and disruptive and hip, but will shake up entire industries, leaving ordinary working people out of more and more jobs.

6 Ways You Won't Get A Good Night's Sleep Tonight

It's time for bed. On your way to your bedroom, you're sidetracked by the extra-grande bag of crinkle extra-salt-and-oil potato chips that you chase with the remains of the coffee pot left on the counter. After glutting yourself on sodium and fat, you decide to knock off a few emails in bed before hitting the hay, which leads to binge-watching countless episodes of the Mindy Project. You can't sleep--maybe a night cap'll do . . . make it a double-scotch--neat. 

Here are ways you will fail to get to sleep tonight:

1. Caffeine too late: If you drink coffee after 4pm or are tempted by the foamy cappuccino at the Italian restaurant at dinner, it's likely you won't sleep tonight. It takes six hours for your body to eliminate half the caffeine of a cup of coffee, which will totally throw you off when you're trying to fall asleep at 10:30.

2. Watching TV: The LED light of the TV can trick your body into thinking it's daytime. And while it might seem good to 'veg out' on the TV, it 's actually detrimental to sleep. As well, if you like thrillers or disturbing shows and movies, you could be increasing fear and anxiety that will impair your ability to sleep.

3. Emails and Texts: It might seem like a good idea to send out some emails before bed, but the effects are similar to watching TV: LED lighting sending signals to your body to wake up, as well as increased stress or worry or even anger and envy. Checking Facebook will have the same effect also.

4. Exercise: People who work late often work out late before bed, but this can leave you feeling wired up while trying to sleep. It takes your body time to wind down after a workout and recover from it. Some people claim they can sleep well after a workout--it all depends on the person and the workout.

5. Alcohol: If you consume large quantities of alcohol before bed it's likely you are lightening your sleep rather than deepening it. Alcohol consumption can also relax your sinuses and throat muscles, and thus increases snoring. 

6. Reading: This is one I have seen come up countless times in my research; however, people claim that reading before bed will stimulate your mind thus preventing you from sleeping. This is fine; but there are many who can't go to sleep without reading something. Here's the key: it has to be boring enough to prevent over-stimulating the brain, and it has to be long-winded enough to put you to sleep. If reading before bed keeps you up, don't do it. If it leads you to sleep, do it. 

A good night's sleep is critical for your health and daily performance. If you are having sleep problems, you may need to visit a sleep specialist. Otherwise, try the above and see it it works. 

7 Famous People On The Power of Never Giving Up

I love to read quotes by notable people who have accomplished great things in the face of unbeatable odds. Persevering against seemingly unbeatable odds is part of the story of humanity. There are many who lack perseverance, but those who have it are able to work through adversity without giving up. Perseverance, like courage, is contagious when we seek to replicate those lives who exemplify this virtue. 

Quotes by Famous People On Perseverance

"If you are going through hell, keep going." 

- Winston Churchill

“The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.” 

― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” 

― Maya Angelou

“It always seems impossible until it's done.” 

― Nelson Mandela

“Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” 

― Thomas A. Edison

“So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their endings.” 

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

“Real courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” 

― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

5 Ways To Prevent Your Vehicle From Being Hacked

According to a BBC report, a large portion of the 100 million Volkswagen vehicles sold between 1997 and 2016 can be unlocked remotely by hackers. According to the article, a simple home made radio whose overall cost is about $60 is all a hacker needs to spy on key FOB signals and use them to clone digital keys that unlock vehicles. The problem: millions of vehicles using the same cryptographic key! The findings were reported in an academic paper out of the University of Birmingham, whose researchers made the following shocking claim:

"We were kind of shocked," Timo Kasper at Kasper & Oswald told the BBC. "Millions of keys using the same secrets - from a cryptography point of view, that's a catastrophe."

Volkswagen vehicles are not the only ones to be vulnerable to such a hack--any car that has a keyless entry is vulnerable. 

But there is another area of vulnerability, namely vehicles that rely on extensive computer systems. In one report, hackers were able to deactivate the breaks of a Jeep while it was in motion. With the rise of computer systems in cars comes the rise of security complexity and vulnerability. Will Knight of MIT Tech Review makes this observation: 

Unsurprisingly, carmakers have begun taking computer security a lot more seriously, but they have been blindsided by the speed of technological change within the industry, and especially by how the addition of connectivity has opened cars up to attack. At the same time, they are rapidly adding new functionality that will require extra security scrutiny.

So how do you protect our vehicle from being hacked? Here are a 5 tips:

1. Drive a simpler vehicle: Ironically, this suggestion comes from Fortune Magazine. With luxury vehicles like Tesla and BMW comes more computers and thus more vulnerabilities. In fairness, Tesla is one of the most sophisticated companies that rewards 'white hat hackers' for discovering vulnerabilities. 

2. Avoid expensive vehicles: This again comes from Fortune. An expensive vehicle obviously holds out a greater incentive for hackers. 

3. Don't use your keyless remote for entry: This is an easy fix. To lock your vehicle, simply use the central door lock button. It's fine to use the keyless entry to get back into your vehicle because you'll be driving away from the area in which your signals are being trolled. 

4. Use the original Club: Old world deterrent for the new world--the original Club 1000! Put it on your steering wheel, and motivate the hacker to move on to a more vulnerable vehicle. 

5. Keep your keys safe: It's easy for a thief to steal your vehicle when you're keys are sitting out in plain view at the cafe, or left in the vehicle itself. It's a simple counter-hack, but it's effective.

The more our vehicles become computerized, the more vulnerable they will be to hackers. While you still can, it might be best to forego the purchase of a modern computerized car and buy something more vintage. 

Build A Stronger Upper Body With These 4 Easy At-Home Exercises

With the 2016 Summer Olympics captivating people worldwide feats of incredible human strength, speed, and agility, it's easy to feel like a couch potato. 

In a recent article in Men's Health, a study has found that men are weaker today than they were 30 years ago. The way it was measured was in grip strength. Apparently, the strength of your grip determines the strength of your hands and upper extremities. 

To me, this isn't surprising news: with the rise of the Information Age the majority of us are working jobs that require very little physical activity, unlike the agricultural and factory jobs of the past. We sit, type, click a mouse, tap our phone and tablet screens, and go home. Not only are such sedentary jobs making us physically weaker, it's also posing a serious threat to our overall health. Many people rely on the gym to keep them somewhat in shape; but with our busy modern lives, and the overall cost of a gym, many either can't take the full advantage of it, or simply can't afford it.

So how can you improve your strength right where you are now? You're reading this article and want to get stronger--how do you do it? Here are some simple things you can begin doing in the comfort of your own home that are proven, with some dedication of course, to work:

1. Push-ups: This is a basic exercise that you can do anywhere. I know one person who did them in the washroom at work during his breaks. The key is to do them everyday. It doesn't matter when you do them, just do them. How many? Simple: as many as you can. The more you do them, the more you'll be able to do.

2. Crunches: This exercise will build your stomach muscles and core. It remains one of the most effective exercises, and, again, can be performed right at home. Do as many as you can, then try to do more. Work at them everyday, and you'll notice the results. Will it take inches off your tummy? Not unless you're watching your diet and burning off more calories than you're taking in. Will it strengthen your stomach? Yup. As well, by strengthening your stomach you're preventing back injury.

3. Bicep Curls: This is to build those Popeye arms--well let's not get too far ahead of ourselves; making them stronger will suffice. Don't have any 50LB dumbbells lying around? No problem. Get yourself a jug of milk or water or even a book and start curling. 

4. Chin-Up/Pull-Up: This is another basic exercise that's amazing for building upper body strength. You can purchase a chin-up bar that fits inside a door frame, or use some of the wood framing in your basement, or find a tree branch--whatever. Just do them. They build your arms, shoulders, and back.

I like these exercises: no expensive gym memberships, no waiting in line at the lat pulldown station or benchpress, no extra cost for a fitness guru to drive you to tears raining medicine balls down on your abdominals--just simple strength-building exercises that get the job done. Start a regimen today that includes doing 3 sets of each exercise--should take you no more than twenty minutes. You'll feel great, and build your strength.

6 Reasons Why You Need To Become A Morning Person

I used to be a night person. A night person is one who has a preference or habit for staying up late at night. It's not unusual for a night person to be found staring blankly at a television or computer screen at all hours of the early morning claiming an inability to sleep. Night people get energized when all others around them are turning in for the night. Night people typically wear this habit as a form of distinction or characterization--hence the name 'night person'. 

Nevertheless, I was a night person for many years--until I became a father, and realized that if I were to get anything done, it had to be in the morning. So I switched over to 'morning person' not unlike the day I decided to shift from a left-handed golfer to a right-handed one (long story...).  

I realized something very important about being a morning person: it has a different kind of rhythm, a different kind of head space. Whereas the evenings are more dreamy and abstract, mornings tend to be clearer and pragmatic. If you want to meander around in a dream-like state, stay awake late at night. If you need to get something done, get up early in the morning. 

With this said, here are reasons why you want to become a morning person:

1. Get a jump on the day: When I was a night owl, I was at times coerced (by ambition mostly) to have early morning meetings with prospective clients. The typical breakfast meeting was at 7am, which to me was just plain wrong. What I realized over time was these were the people out there making moves, cutting deals, getting leads, drumming up business. I saw that in some ways the world was given to the morning people. I feel the same now when I get up early--that I am getting a good jump-start on the day.

2. Mornings say productivity: I know there are many who can produce at night; but I've noticed that I can get more accomplished early in the morning. Again, evenings tend to be more abstract and dreamy--which is why people usually hit the bars and pubs at night, and coffee shops in the morning--and mornings more pragmatic. If you have something important to do, rise early and get it done before breakfast. The rest of the day is golden

3. First fruits: Money managers will always tell you that when you get paid to pay yourself first with a certain percentage. To me, this also applies to creative work or any kind of important task. When you get up early to work, you're putting your first fruits forward toward that special task. I always feel better when I've reached breakfast and have put 1-2 hours into my work or an important long-term project. 

4. Join the ranks of popular morning people: Winston Churchill, Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Aniston, Steve Jobs, Charles Dickens, Tim Cook, and Ernest Hemingway--to name a few. 

5. Perhaps happier: In a study done in BMJ on night people (owls) and morning people (larks), the conclusion was that while night owls show slightly higher intelligence (whatever that means), they are more prone to substance abuse and getting into trouble. Conversely, morning people were more conscientious about time and other people, and more proactive. Hence, while the study showed night owls to have more money and access to cars, larks might in fact be happier. 

6. Possibly better for parents: If you have younger children, burning the midnight oil could lead to chronic lack of sleep. Falling asleep in front of the TV at 2am and being awakened at 6am by your 4 year-old can lead to serious health and productivity problems. Alternatively, falling asleep with a book in your hands at 11pm, rising at 5am to get work done, and greeting your child at 6am with warm breakfast offers a greater pay-off across the board.

If you're a night owl and are lacking productivity, consider switching over to mornings. While there are programs that help you transition, it took me a few days to adjust--I just one evening decided to turn the lights out at 11am and set my alarm to 5:30; and it's worked quite well for several years now. There are the odd times when I slip back into my old night owl habits, but I simply get back into my routine when I need to.  

Tesla's Monstrous Gigafactory Should Make Humanity Unsettled, Not Hopeful

I'm continuously intrigued about Tesla and Elon Musk. I believe that Elon Musk is one of the most dynamic entrepreneurs, innovators, and inventors today--possibly one of the greatest of the 21st Century. Here's a guy who sold PayPal to eBay for a bountiful $1.5 Billion and instead of leaving the world for a career in hedonism, he used his profit to bankroll a personal vision for space travel and sustainable energy: the latter, saving the world from inefficient, expensive energy, and the former saving the world from nuclear war--or at least providing an exit strategy for earthlings. 

Gigafactory: thought your Costco was big?

But while Musk's vision may be humanistic on the surface, underneath one can't help but see a vanishing of human beings in  a way that seems disquieting, even creepy.

The late American inventor Buckminster Fuller called factory waste "misguided energy." This is the way great inventors think--they find ways to redirect waste to practical, revenue-generating ends. As I've reported in an earlier post, Musk's Master Plan includes a way for Tesla vehicles to form a fleet that transports people to their destination. But this isn't just any fleet; it's a fleet made up of vehicles that would otherwise be sitting stagnant in office parking lots across the continent--this is the redirection of waste; for instead of the potential of the vehicle being wasted in a parking lot, it can be put to use to transport people around the city. But that's not all: as part of the fleet, the vehicle would be generating revenue back to the owner, thus paying down the price of the vehicle itself. Moreover, the vehicles will be run on clean battery power, which will radically cut down on noxious vehicle exhaust (waste) that creates smog and other health problems. 

But there is a part of the waste-mitigation vision of Tesla that seems somewhat troubling, namely the redirection of human resources. One could argue that a fleet of driverless cars is a benefit to humanity by removing the need for human potential to be 'wasted' on operating a vehicle. Someone like Musk might argue that the human potential used in operating a vehicle could be better used to solve global problems or design new things. Nevertheless, transportation has been a reliable way for people to sustain a living for centuries. A vision that takes this form of work away from humans shows almost a disdain for them. 

In fact, there doesn't seem to be a human element to Tesla's vision at all--not just in the operation of the fleet, but even in the very manufacturing of the vehicles itself. 

Teslas's answer to Job's vision of a new Apple head office is the Gigafactory--the second largest building in the world. The Gigafactory will be the megaplex for the manufacturing of Tesla vehicles--Musk calls it "the machine that makes the machine." But for Musk, the Gigafactory production line will be operated solely by robots. Robots, according to Musk, are fast, clean, and efficient--humans simply aren't. If humans are used to manufacture the vehicles, then production will slow down to what he calls "people speed," and that's just not good. 

An inside look at the Gigafactory

One problem with this is while Musk is claiming to help humankind by creating these autonomous vehicles that will transport them everywhere, he's taking a lot of potential jobs out of their hands. Like transportation, manufacturing has been a solid form of employment for over a century; but for Musk, the end (speed, efficiency, performance) justifies the means. Think of how many people the Gigafactory could employ if humans were the operators of the manufacturing process. But that's just a minor problem for humanity--there lies an even greater one under the surface of an overall optimism about "the machine" itself.

Musk has been part of a group of top thinkers warning the world about highly advanced artificial intelligence. He believes that we will have killer robots in the next 5-10 years; and that the world isn't taking the rise of machines seriously enough. In fact, his SpaceX solution seems to have the potential of a robot war in mind. In spite of this area of foresight, Musk seems to be overlooking the potential of "the machine that powers the machine" becoming self-aware and driving (pardon the pun) a rogue agenda--the solution for human transportation actually becoming a big part of the problem that seeks to annihilate humankind itself. 

What stops a factory larger than 95 football fields and bursting at the seams with highly advanced robotic technology from advancing to consciousness? Seems far-fetched? Well so does heating up Mars by launching thermonuclear bombs into its poles--a solution Musk maintains is plausible. How is it that the Gigafactory is robotically benign when it's potential is lauded as so advanced? When you look at the exponential growth of technology, this scenario is more than merely plausible. 

And while Musk may be a humanitarian guy with visions of being the superhero, what if something happens to him and the Gigafactory suddenly succumbs to a villain despot who turns the technology against humankind itself? Implausible? No. 

Elon Musk might be a super villain...

Musk has to have these scenarios in mind, and most likely does--but he's holding his cards tightly. 

You think I'm overreacting? 

Want to know another name Musk recently called the Gigafactory?

"Alien dreadnought"--

No joke!

In Musk's own words, deftly quoted by the Washington Post, 

"It's like, what the hell is that?"