Dyson has built a $499 toothbrush with a camera inside it, Sony is in court arguing that nobody really owns the digital games they buy, and the UN has conceded the 1.5C climate target is gone. Steven Scott and Shaun Preece take on the week's other stories.
The Dyson CameraJet puts a camera and an LED light in a brush head, streams video of the inside of your mouth to your phone over Wi-Fi, and uses an AI algorithm to find the gaps between your teeth and fire mouthwash into them while you brush. Steven and Shaun run their usual guess-the-price game before landing on the number, then get to the more interesting question: does any of this actually improve your dental health, and would a dentist ever act on the data? Along the way there is a reminder worth keeping, that the electric toothbrush exists at all because disabled people needed a brush that would do the work for them.
The bigger conversation is about ownership. A class action in California claims Sony does not make it clear that paying for a game buys a licence rather than the game itself, and Sony's response is that reasonable consumers already know this. Steven talks about buying the Tom Clancy film collection on Apple TV and the uncomfortable fact that it could disappear from his library without warning. Both hosts land in the same place: streaming subscriptions make sense because renting is the deal you signed up for, but a purchase button should mean something. That leads into DRM, ripping your own discs, network attached storage, and why keeping a copy of something you paid for can make you feel like a criminal.
The episode closes on the UN Environment Programme report acknowledging the world has passed the 1.5C threshold agreed in the 2015 Paris accord, with the goal now shifting to limiting the overshoot and bringing temperatures back down. Steven connects it to the energy demands of AI data centres, and to the awkward position of anyone who cares about the climate while using AI daily. Shaun pushes back on the idea that individual action is pointless. Neither of them pretends to have an answer.
Relevant Links
Dyson CameraJet announcement: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dyson-camerajet-the-first-toothbrush-with-a-camera-and-a-jet-to-target-the-gaps-and-remove-plaque-between-your-teeth-302865389.html
Sony digital ownership case coverage: https://www.engadget.com/2248777/reasonable-consumers-know-they-dont-own-digital-downloads-sony-says/
UN report coverage: https://www.nbcnews.com/science/climate-change/global-warming-will-exceed-limit-un-says-report-maps-path-back-rcna595663
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About Double Tap
Hosted by the insightful duo, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, Double Tap is a treasure trove of information for anyone who's blind or partially sighted and has a passion for tech. Steven and Shaun not only demystify tech, but they also regularly feature interviews and welcome guests from the community, fostering an interactive and engaging environment. Tune in every day of the week, and you'll discover how technology can seamlessly integrate into your life, enhancing daily tasks and experiences, even if your sight is limited.
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