The Sniffer

Well, it's been...a minute since we posted a new episode. Cathi and Nora talk about the need to take a little hiatus. Cathi also shares some exciting news. She has a new book coming out in April. Check out more here!

Happy holidays from Cathi and Nora!Every year on the podcast, we have a holiday special featuring outrageous, kooky gifts we'd love to have in an alternate reality!This time, we set ourselves a different challenge: each of us picked a gift (for ourselves, naturally) that clocks in at under $100. We wanted it to be a surprise (for us and for you) so you have to listen to the episode to find out. No 'advertorial' or affiliate marketing; we just think these are cool products.Hope you have a great holiday break and warm wishes for the new year from your pals at The Sniffer! And don't forget to watch Cathi and Nora's favourite holiday movie: The Thin Man!

This time, a cool trend in wind turbines. A Norwegian company called World Wide Wind is piloting a wind turbine that sits out in the ocean with its generator at the bottom, in the sea. Check it out over at New Atlas.Then, Nora and Cathi talk about what to do when you feel stuck creatively. There's this idea of working with creative constraints, or Twyla Tharp's practice of building a creative habit.

Hi friends! Cath and Nora here.We've been talking about online dating recently. This WIRED article says Gen Z is over dating apps. Is it now time to go back to --gasp--friend networks?Cathi found a new service that promises to let you do a 30 minute drone tour of amazing sights, with a co-pilot/guide. It's not like really going, but could it be an eco-friendly and cheap-ish form of eco-tourism? 

Hello! This time on the podcast, Nora Young talks about Spotify's project to offer AI-based voice simulation for podcast translation. So, you can listen to your pod-of-choice in a different language, but in a simulated version of the podcaster's own voice. First languages to be available are Spanish, French, and German.Cathi Bond brings you 'giraffenap', a body-sized box that lets people take a 20 minute nap while standing, sorta. Your feet, shins, buttocks, arms, and head are supported. The goal is for a quick nap, sleeping lightly, rather than a full-on snooze fest. It comes in 2 different models, and you can check out the deets here.  

Hi folks!Things get a little wild as Cathi Bond looks at Cortical Labs, which is researching how to design computational systems from a mixture of stem cells and a silicon substrate (via New Atlas). We take a speculative look at a potential future of biological computing.Meanwhile, Nora Young looks at this Wired article on research into watermarking AI-generated images, and just how difficult that is turning out to be. How will we deal with the proliferation of deepfakes and similar forms of disinformation?

Hey there!This time, Cathi Bond talks about this Gizmodo article on the issue of shadow banning on dating apps. Nora Young refers to this Guardian article on a virtual assistant/life coach that Google's DeepMind is working on. She also references this Atlantic article.

Hi folks! Hard to believe it's Labour Day already! Cathi and Nora are back at it for a new season. We met at Cathi's place to talk about our summers and of course, new gadgets.Nora talks about this Wired article on the popularity of 'ice vests': wearable gear to keep outdoor workers cool in the summer heat. It reminds Cathi of the breathing tech in Dune. Is this kind of thing part of the future of climate change adaptation?Cathi has her eye on the Barsys, a stylish drink-making appliance for those looking for cool cocktail culture accountrements. Do people want to do their own mixology, or could this be a high end party favourite?

Hope your summer is going well! This time, Cathi looks at one potential future scenario, described in this Fast Company article, for the use of sidewalk robots in smart cities to deliver goods.Nora refers to this UBC business school study on one reason people prefer automated checkout: embarrassing purchases.  

Happy summer!This time, Nora talks about this article in The Economist (registration required) on research into adding smells to VR/Metaverse spaces. Cathi came across this ad for muscle-building that reminded her of the history of fitness gear. Our childhood memories of the fitness tech of our parents' generation ensues! 

This time, Nora Young refers to this article on brain implants and emerging questions for neuroethics, and our increasingly intimate relationship with tech.Cathi Bond has a summertime take on personal watercraft. How about the GoBoat? 

Welcome back!This time, Cathi Bond talks about the Norman Foster Foundation's participation in the Venice Biennale of architecture. It's a sustainable, durable, and beautiful prototype for emergency shelter in the wake of natural or human-caused disasters. You can see it and read more here. Nora Young mentions the Canadian delegation's Venice project.Nora's come across two recent articles on the importance of embodiment in therapy. The New York Times piece on somatic therapy is here. The interview in Atmos on embodiment is here. Cathi describes Dialectical Behavioural Therapy.

Hi there!On this episode, Nora rediscovers Modern Farmer, and this article on using the waste heat produced from server farms to provide needed heat for greenhouse farming. Researchers Jannah Frenzel and Sarah-Louise Ruder point out the potential benefits, but also note that this is not a magic bullet: there remain potential issues with agricultural labour practices and the environmental impact of greenhouses.Cathi points out that iconic sunglasses company Ray-Ban is experimenting with a new line of concave glasses frames. Gimmick or cool new aesthetic?Cathi also has an update on her ongoing hands-on experiments with text generators. This time, it's the Chrome extension Monica. 

Happy spring, folks! This time, Cathi Bond talks about Beacon, a room disinfectant that uses far-UVC, and comes in a variety of sizes for different spaces (via Fast Company).Nora Young talks about this article by New York Times tech writer, Brian X. Chen. With so much influencer, branded, and sponsored content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, is it time to think of niche social media that's more truly social? Cathi is still an avid Facebook user, and shares thoughts on its value as a political tool.

Greetings! This time, Nora talks about this MIT Technology Review article on classrooms using mood-tracking software for students in Denmark.Cathi has written a new novel, and she's looking for an agent and a publisher. That means lots of 'paperwork'. She's been experimenting with using text generators like Jasper  for the more formulaic parts of this process: query letters, synopses, etc. She walks us through her experiments.Nora mentions this fascinating essay on GPT-4 

Thanks for checking out the show! This time, architecture aficionado Cathi talks about Neom, a highly ambitious megaproject in Saudi Arabia, which includes multiple regions, with different purposes. Read more and see images here. Also, check out Cathi's previous discussion of The Line, one part of the Neom project, here.  Nora  talks about Panera food chain's plan to use (optional) hand scanning to pay and sync your purchases to your loyalty cards (via NPR). Biometric chat ensues!Thank you for listening!

Hello and thanks for joining us! This time, we dig into some of the limitations, as well as exciting creative possibilities, of generative AI such as ChatGPT. Along the way, we mention this generative AI explainer from Vox, and Cathi recommends Reedsy for authors.Also, check out the visuals of this beautiful, almost biomimetic house called Chuzhi House (which means whirlpool in Malayalam).

Hi friends,This time, as cameras in public places become all the more pervasive, Cathi Bond looks at a company called Capable. Their Manifesto Collection of clothing is designed to elude iris scans. Dystopian sci fi future discussion ensues!Nora Young talks about this Pew study on the online dating habits of Americans. Read more on the results here.

Hello! This time, Nora Young talks about this article in Time about the potential use of generative AI such as ChatGPT in design for virtual environments in the metaverse.Cathi Bond discusses this intriguing research into a smart walking stick for blind and visually impaired users. The goal is to use cameras and image recognition to improve navigation. For more on related technology, here's Nora's Spark interview with Chancey Fleet. 

Hello! Welcome to a new year and a new Sniffer ep!This time, Amazon's Astro home robot was at CES this month, though it's still invitation-only. That got Cathi Bond thinking about both the approachable design, and possible future implications of bots in the home. Watch Amazon's promotional video here. Read a detailed review here.Nora Young came across this article about one author's encounter with AI-generated, rip-off "summaries" of his memoir. With more and more machine learning-generated music, images, and text, it has her thinking about a possible future of automated culture, where human-created work sits alongside a slush pile of automated knock-offs. She mentions this excellent article about the IP implications. You might also be interested in Nick Cave's response to a Cave-esque Chat GPT-generated lyric.All good wishes for 2023! 

Hello! It's time for that annual Sniffer tradition of surprising and often completely impractical holiday gifts!Nora talks about the resurgence of interest in cassette tapes. Check out this Wired how-to article. You may also be interested in this recent episode of Nora's show, Spark, on the long range impact of the Sony Walkman.Cathi's gift pick, should you care to buy it for her, is this Nemo personal submarine.She also has an update on The Line megacity. You can see drone images here. Read one of the critiques of the project here. Cathi has concerns that these sorts of projects are a sign of a climate crisis future.Thank you for listening! We hope you have a lovely, restful holiday, and all good wishes for 2023 

Hello! Thanks for checking out the episode! This time, Cathi Bond looks at this story out of the University of Waterloo on how simple, inexpensive drones and hardware can remotely pinpoint smart devices. Nora Young talks about this excellent article exploring how e-commerce giant Shein has ridden to success, and some of the sustainability problems it poses. She recommends checking out Rest of World.

Thanks for checking out the latest episode! This time, Nora Young talks about a range of technologies (discussed in this excellent article) that aim to create a virtual presence of people after they die, some based on interviews with people while they're still alive, some based on taking their writing to construct a 'presence'.  Cathi Bond has long raved about the 'tiny house' movement; however having spent part of her summer holiday in a (surprisingly) tiny house, now she's not so sure. She looks at this very cool example of a 20 foot long home.

This time around, Cathi Bond talks about this proposal for Downtown Circle: a super ambitious residence/shopping/cultural/public hub high above Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Future of urban life with interior green space, or future of gated communities?Nora Young talks about this great Rob Walker article about Minoan and the idea of IRL product placement. 

Hi! Welcome back to a new season of The Sniffer! Thanks for subscribing.This time, Nora talks about this Wired article on 'rurbanization': growing more food in urban spaces. What would it take to make it actually work? Cathi has an idea or two!And, interested in cool-n-costly personal transportation? Cathi talks about the SkyFly Axe personal quadcopter/plane/flying car 

Hello podcast friends! This is the last Sniffer episode of the season! This time, Cathi Bond found this fascinating interview with  Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games (the Fortnite folks). Cathi and Nora speculate about what it would really take to launch a re-imagined version of wild and wooly early internet culture. Nora Young talks about The Verge's look at Rouge Sur Mesure, Yves Saint Laurent's take on customizable lipstick shades you 'print out' in your own home. Why not do this for more products, especially for perishable items?We recorded this episode a little while ago, so we added an 'end-of-season' tag at the end.Have a great summer, and as always, thanks for listening. Your pals, Nora and Cathi

Hi again podcast fans! This time, Nora Young looks at this story detailing Meta's experiments with a retail outlet. What's their end game? Cathi Bond looks at Create Structure, a plan for emergency housing in natural disasters that aims to be cheap to make and ship, but more durable than tents.

This time, with lots of businesses moving towards workers returning to the workplace at least some of the time, how do we get better at managing our productivity working from home, AND working with colleagues again. Project management tool, Harvest, has some handy tips. If you have productivity tips that work for you, share them in the comments! Meanwhile, Cathi Bond looks at these cool, flexible, stretchable screens. Minority Report aesthetic in our future?  

Hiya! This time, Cathi Bond talks about this stunner of a virtual house for all your metaverse needs.  Nora Young talks about this thought-provoking article in The Atlantic about our nature deprivation.

This time, Nora and Cathi talk about the popularity of Wordle. Nora wonders if it might be a harbinger of future trends online. One thing people seem to really like about it is that it's limited to one short puzzle per day. Could there be an appetite for more limited content in an era of non-stop Feeds? Cathi talks about this company, which uses drones to harvest fruit. Are we likely to see ever more automated farm labour? And what does this mean for farm labourers and seasonal pickers? You can read more and watch the video here.

Happy New Year all! A little before the holidays, Cathi and Nora recorded our first ep for 2022. This time, Cathi talks about the news, initially reported by Politico, that facial recognition company Clearview AI received patent approval for what's being dubbed a 'search engine for faces'. Read Gizmodo's account of the details here. Nora talks about Technology Review's look at the possibility of training machine learning systems on speech data from sessions between mental health professionals and clients. The idea is to look for patterns that would help improve therapy and train more (human) therapists, but Cathi and Nora talk about the potential for actual AI therapy to address the shortage in mental health access. 

It's our traditional Christmas wish list ep! Nora would like a home robot. Product Hunt's newsletter recently touted some cool examples of home robots. She wonders whether home robots are ready for prime time. Cathi would like...lab-grown meat for Christmas. Nora doesn't eat meat and Cathi's a hard-core carnivore. What will they make of it? Hope you have a wonderful holiday, and here's hoping things are brighter in 2022. Thanks so much for listening!  

Hello! This time on the podcast, Cathi Bond talks about social commerce, which has taken off in China, and is growing elsewhere in Asia (via Fast Company) Fast Company talks in particular a company called Pinduoduo, which is a sort of group buying platform.  Nora talks about Gobble, a meal kit delivery service that uses AI to learn more about customers' tastes, and customize food. Check out the article on Venture Beat (H/T @hypervisible) 

This time on the podcast, Cathi Bond and Nora Young talk about interesting responses to two pandemic developments. Nora talks about this plan to attract so-called 'digital nomads' to work in small villages in Spain. After a year and half of remote work, will (former) office workers opt to work wherever they want? What's the role for the face-to-face in the future? Cathi talks about this intriguing design for transitional housing as an alternative, temporary option for people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles. Toronto, like many cities, has an increase in tent encampments in the wake of the pandemic. Could this type of thing be a bridge to permanent housing?

Hi there! On this episode, a couple of thoughts on the importance of access to nature. Cathi Bond talks about "farmscrapers": giant skyscrapers that incorporate organic-looking podlike structures and lots of trees and greenery to help with pollution. Check out the photos here. Nora Young talks about this thought-provoking article on virtual exploration through walking simulations in game environments. The author did it as a solution during the pandemic, but are there limits to simulations of the natural world?    

Woo hoo! It's been a looonnnnng time, but we launch a new season of The Sniffer! Thanks for sticking with us.  This time, Cathi and Nora talk about the potential commercial future of deepfakes and related technologies. Could we see a future of more manufactured images take jobs formerly done by real individuals? Would you sell your image for use in deepfakes? (story via Technology Review) Meanwhile, Cathi loves a good alternative energy story! This time, it's a tiny, lightweight and inexpensive hydrogen engine. Read more and see how it works here.

Happy summer, all! Back in late June, Cathi and Nora connected virtually in the middle of a scorching heatwave to talk sustainable futures in retail and materials. Cathi brings you a plan by Ralph Lauren to let shoppers customize their own clothes, which would then be created on demand. The plan is also to disburse manufacturing more broadly, so clothes would be created closer to where they're purchased. Check out the interview with Chief Innovation Officer David Lauren in Fast Company.  Meanwhile, Nora brings you a cool story via Scientific American about 3D printing ink made from microalgae, as a sustainable material for household objects. Cathi and Nora are taking a much needed summer break, but will be back in late August fresh and ready to rock. Have a lovely, safe, summer!

Hey there, Cathi Bond and Nora Young meet again virtually with a look at some intriguing retail trends.  Cathi got a Uline catalogue delivered in the mail. It's basically a company that will ship you...shipping materials. It's got her wondering if more regular individuals will be developing their own retail side gigs, and whether she should open "Cathi's Shed". Nora talks about Levi's Buy Better Wear Longer campaign, which encourages people to skip the fast fashion and wear jeans for longer. It follows on their move to encourage people to customize and resell their denim (via Fast Company).

Hello! Hope you are safe and healthy. Cathi Bond and Nora Young connect over video chat for another ep. Nora talks about this great Guardian article by Rhik Samadder on how we've lost the art of small talk in our socially isolated pods, and why the pandemic-imposed isolation has just sped up our tech-driven communication problems. Cathi talks about this article on the therapeutic uses for psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, in treating depression.  Thanks for listening, and be well!  

This time on the podcast, Nora Young talks about Adam Grant's new book, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You don't Know. Great article and summary here. Cathi Bond looks at a pilot project to use pre-existing natural gas pipelines to transport hydrogen for use in vehicles (via New Atlas). 

We are back! Cathi Bond and Nora Young got together (virtually!) to talk future of retail and carbon footprint. Cathi talks about Showfields, a digital/physical hybrid store in New York, and their new Magic Wand app (via PSFK).  Nora talks about this article from two Université de Montréal professor/researchers on the 'hidden infrastructure' required for machine learning: the carbon footprint of training machine learning applications on lots of data.  Hope you're all well and coping ok! 

This time, Cathi Bond and Nora Young "get together" virtually from their respective homes for a pandemic-appropriate recording. Nora talks about Zoox, the Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company (check out the details and images at Fast Company). The shuttle design reminded Nora that Toyota is aiming at a similar shuttle application, and that autonomous vehicles supported by LIDAR technology was a buzzy topic at this year's CES.  Cathi Bond has been thinking about Netflix, which has commissioned a ton of original content for 2021. She wonders if it could signal a return to the old Hollywood studio system for a new era.

Before the December deep chill set in Cathi Bond and Nora Young got together in Nora's backyard to talk tech. Cathi Bond talks about Oceanbird, a huge, wind-powered shipping vessel that relies on very innovative technology. It's being designed by Wallenius Marine out of Sweden. Check out the images at Dezeen. Meanwhile, Nora Young talks about this Guardian article about a pilot project in the Netherlands to cut the power to speeding ebikes. Sensible safety measure or nanny state run amok? 

On this podcast, Nora and Cathi continue from Nora's backyard with a couple of contemporary robotics stories. Nora mentions fire fighting robots rolling out for use in Los Angeles (via Core77). As we've seen during the pandemic, there are plenty of roles for robots to work in dangerous situations, but is it time for international rules to govern the uses robots can be put to? Cathi has an innovative use too: little walking robots that can move huge buildings to make way for a new development. Watch the video of them in action here.

Hey there! This time, Nora Young talks about the news that Amazon-owned Ring home security company is releasing the Ring Always Home camera and drone to patrol your house. Cathi Bond talks about the news that they are also planning a car cam which you can engage when you're pulled over by police. Cathi Bond talks about this fascinating research into tiny power generators that harness the breezes that blow by while we walk.

Cathi Bond and Nora Young are back in Nora's COVID-compliant backyard with looonnng mic cables! This time, Nora talks about this Scientific American article on research into noise cancelling tech for bigger spaces, so you can open the windows (amen!) in urban environments and still have peace and quiet. Meanwhile, Cathi talks about speculation that Major League Baseball will use drones to police mask wearing in the stands, if/when fans are allowed in the stands again (via Gizmodo).  

Cathi and Nora are in Nora's backyard again for a couple of takes on how to enjoy summer vacation when many of our conventional travel plans have been disrupted by the pandemic. Cathi Bond brings you the Luno Air Mattress, an inflatable mattress designed to fit in the back of your vehicle, so you can camp in your car in comfort. Cathi and Nora reminisce about old timey camping with terrible gear! Nora Young talks about Drive and Listen, a charming website that lets you virtually drive around various cities around the world while listening to local radio from those cities. They chat about the indie internet and VR.

Cathi Bond and Nora Young are back for another physically distant podcast in Nora's backyard.  This time, Cathi has an update on architect Moshe Safdie's eight skyscraper development in Chongqing, topped by a horizontal skyscraper called The Crystal. Now you can go and tour the development and take a 50 second ride to the top. See Cathi's previous look at Raffles City Chongqing here. Find renderings of the development here. Meanwhile, Nora mentions Stacey Higginbotham's podcast and newsletter. Recently, Stacey weighed in with some thoughts on the real use case for Augmented Reality: in the workplace, and in particular, in helping workers in the field do repairs or complete other production processes. The thought is that this can help address the shortage of skilled, experienced older workers by using AR to walk employees through a complex process using the visualization capabilities of AR. Perhaps, in the COVID era, older workers can work from home, coaching younger workers with AR. 

This time, Cathi drops by Nora's backyard for a physically distant recording. Nora mentions this survey suggesting, unsurprisingly, how much take up there's been for online shopping during the pandemic. Nora talks about how COVID is changing tech habits, including hers. Cathi argues for the value of in-person shopping for community. Cathi has been a hard core gym rat for many years...like, *many* years. She's dying for the gym to open again, and talks about the impact on people's well being. Will folks in small spaces be able to have home gyms? What will we do when the long dark winter returns? What are your health strategies (mental and physical) during the pandemic? Share your thoughts in the comments.

This time on our remote podcast, Cathi Bond talks about Boston Dynamics' work to bring robotics into front line health care. Nora Young talks about Jukebox, Open AI's neural net that aims to create pop songs in the style of popular artists. She also mentions Spark's coverage of the impact of Spotify on music.

Hi all, Nora here. Hope you're faring as well as possible in the circumstances. Cathi and I have been missing our Sniffer sessions, so we decided to record remotely, with Cathi recording herself in the country, and me recording myself at home in Toronto. This time, we look at some examples of the amazing speed of innovation in the midst of the pandemic, and how some people are re-imagining innovations to respond to the crisis we find ourselves in. We look at research into a washable fabric that repels liquid, for potential use in PPE, and an idea for an antimicrobial coating for high touch surfaces.  Cathi talks about innovation from a friend's company, Signifi, which is launching a plan to make disinfectant lockers for workplaces. How are you faring through all this? Are there aspects you're finding particularly tough, or maybe things you're learning that you want to take into your future life? Let us know in the comments.