[the next idea] BlindMaps: City Navigation for visually impaired People In an interview Markus Schmeiduch, winner of the category [the next idea] voestalpine Art and Technology Grant of the Prix Ars Electronica 2014, talks with us how BlindMaps came into being and why submission for Prix Ars Electronica prize consideration was the next logical step for him. Has technology become too intrusive? As a juror in search of [the next idea], futurist Alexander Mankowsky is right on his home turf. What he’s been particularly struck by are artistic reflections on and social criticism of how we deal with technology. Is it high time to shift gears? Exciting, Inspiring Ideas A grant designed to foster the development of innovative ideas with great future promise—the competition to select this year’s recipient of „[the next idea] voestalpine Art and Technology Grant“ is one of the 2014 Prix Ars Electronica’s six categories. Terms like urban farming or urban gardening have been around already for a while. Air Project
Digital Drops - Um dos Melhores Blogs de Tecnologia e Gadgets do Brasil. Airbnb and Uber Face Some Harsh Realities Airbnb and Uber are maturing startups both facing some hard realities as they grow. While they have found a loyal and happy user base, they are facing tough resistance from not just the taxi and hotel industries they are disrupting, but also political and social resistance from quarters they probably never imagined when they started their businesses. In Europe and the US we are beginning to see a backlash against the sharing economy idea. For Uber, this means fighting the existing taxi industry and its government backers. The prevailing argument is that Uber drivers aren’t regulated like taxis and it creates an unfair advantage. Meanwhile Airbnb has been accused of undermining laws related to hotels and rental agreements. Just last week for instance, San Francisco floated some changes to proposed rules surrounding Airbnb rentals and a group of housing activists who are tired of seeing apartments converted into long-term Airbnb rentals aren’t happy about it.