APRIL | COVER FEATURE
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Technological trend spotting paints a clearer picture of
future outdoor events, but ‘what will detract from a visitor’s
experience?’ is the more difficult question
Words: Tom Hall
Y
ou are not paranoid if they’re really
watching you, so the phrase goes.
And, in the modern era, the tin foil
hat is looking more like a practical, if
unfl attering, fashion accessory.
Indeed, revelations from Wikileaks
revealed that the authorities can
break into most mobile handsets and
computers, use smart TVs to listen to
your conversations and even hack into
cars – potentially causing them to crash.
24
Value judgments over data privacy
meanwhile, might cause one individual
to discuss hormone imbalances with
a dulcet toned digital assistant, and
another individual to seek shelter from
the digital noise at Innocent’s ‘mobile
phone-free’ Un-plugged festival.
The extent to which you trust Siri,
Alexa, or your friendly festival organiser
is a question that’s not going away,
especially when having a digital record
of your whereabouts could enhance your
enjoyment of an event. Or even save your
life.
A M ATTER OF L I F E AND D EATH
It is a dilemma Krowdthink’s founder
managing director
Geoff evill
is familiar with. His company recently
won funding from the UK government’s
Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA)