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My opinions on future technology
What I think about future technology
---> What a great idea!
As I write this, I’m trying to think of a time I can remember without the Internet. Nope, can’t think. Technology is literally everywhere, it’s so funny to watch people crumble when the wi-fi goes down or when something technical stops working. In my case, this is ALL of the time (obviously I don’t find it funny when the joke is on me). I’m not really sure what happens but I seem to have the worst luck when it comes to gadgets, my MacBook and iPhone are always having problems (my colleague Pete would tell me that I need an Android) and I am constantly resetting passwords for every website that I’ve ever used. This is mostly because each website wants something different; must use a capital letter, must use a semi colon, must use a semi colon with 5 non-consecutive numbers and a unicorn symbol. I’m sure you can relate to this. We don’t have too much luck here in the office either, the internet will drop off and we will all look at each other in despair. “What shall we do now?” “When will it be back on?” “Everything on my list of to-dos involves the internet.”
Anyway, this exact scenario is how I’ve come to write this article. I got thinking about how much we depend on the internet to get through our daily lives. The amount that it has changed over the years is obviously remarkable; I remember the times when we had to wait for the Internet to dial up but I remember nothing before that. Everyone else in the office can remember DOS based email and paper files or CD ROMS to gather information. I’m what you would call, a millennial.
Although I feel quite up to speed with the technology hype (minus the password thing), I am quite interested in what the future holds for us on the gadget front. I wonder if us millennials will be able to keep up in 50 years or whether I’ll be sat here telling the future generation how it was different back in my day. So, with this in mind I decided to research what people believe our future holds in regards to technology. Here’s what I found…
Your brain print as a password
Well, how convenient that this is the first one I found! Brainwaves may be able to function as computer passwords. In an experiment, each person tested reacted differently as they read a list of acronyms. The system was able to predict which person was reading the list because of this, meaning that in the future, a PC may be able to verify who is sitting at it. I can’t wait for this one!
Delivery drones
Now I actually think this is pretty cool. And it doesn’t sound like it’s really that far away. I was sat wondering how the drone would ever make it to the correct house since Google Maps are forever giving me the wrong directions but after a little research, it seems that a landing pad would be provided to the customer. This would have the card details stored in it and when the drone lands to drop the package, the card details match up and the package is released. Amazon has already been trialling this. I wonder how large the packages have to be?!
Self-driving cars
It is said that numerous manufacturers are already implementing new technology into their vehicles. It’s only a matter of time before self-driving cars are the norm, safety features are expected to surpass any human driver’s skills with sensors always being active. A human behind the wheel is optional… Can you imagine seeing a car drive by with no one in it? That would be weird.
Eat all you want without getting fat
Sorry but this one sounds ridiculous. Apparently, there will be a drug that allows you to eat whatever you want without gaining weight. Scientists have already re-engineered a gene that controls obesity in rats and they might be able to manipulate our genes to do the same! It’s a no from me.
Your clothes will clean themselves
I enjoy this one. Engineers in China have developed a titanium dioxide coating that helps cotton shed stains. To relieve the stains, you just need to step in the sun!
Nurses will be robots
By 2045, robots will supposedly be moving you into different hospital beds and pushing food carts. This is also a big no thank you from me!
I actually enjoyed finding out what the future might hold for us. Although I’m not sure that some of these things are going to go ahead. What do you think the next 50 years has in store for us?
Email me: rebecca.wood@fellowsfinance.com
Feel good news of 2018
As we get ever closer to 2019, we asked our team for their feel-good news stories of 2018. Here’s what they came up with.
I’m certain I’ve come across many news stories over the year that could be classified as ‘feel good’, however when pressed to think of a specific story for the purpose of this article, I found it incredibly difficult to bring just one to mind. Those that know me, and many of those that don’t for that matter, will be aware of my love of cats. So, it would make sense to make them the focus of my chosen story, because is it really a ‘feel good’ story if it doesn’t feature some form of fluffy animal (or perhaps a small child)? My story focuses on a particular cat trait; their stubbornness and persistence to get what they want (a trait that one may also attribute to the author of this piece!). In order to set the scene, let me take you to an art museum in Japan. The cat (or cats) in question have been trying to get into said museum, the Hiroshima Onomichi City Museum of Art, for a number of years, ever since the installation of an exhibit featuring feline centric photography. The cats have tried with such determination that the security guards now have the regular task of refusing their entry and thwarting their attempts to sneak in through the automatic doors (but always ensuring they give them a little cuddle beforehand). The cats’ exploits have also resulted in an increase in visitors to the museum and the gift shop has introduced souvenirs featuring the famous duo.
For me it was an easy choice. I like well organised pranks particularly those with a positive message and this one was bordering on a mini-heist followed by everyone coming out better for it.
When two students, Jevh Maravilla and Christian Toledo went into McDonald’s they found that typical restaurant marketing was devoid of Asian representation. They decided to take action by recreating a McDonald’s poster featuring them and hang it in a store to redress the balance. The plan involved a disguise as a McDonald’s employee, sneaking around so they could covertly hang the poster, some pretty nifty photo editing skills and success beyond their wildest expectations. The poster hung for months unnoticed and the net result was a YouTube video that went viral, leading to an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show and eventually recognition from McDonald’s itself. Rather than punish the guys McDonald’s essentially acknowledged that they had a point and are featuring them in a future marketing campaign as well as rewarding them with checks for $25,000 each. As much as social media receives a great deal of consternation at times it can really be a force for good too and this is a super example.
I am slightly worried though that my choices for best good news stories of the year always feature fast food restaurants. The stand out for me for 2017 was ‘Nugss for Carter’ featuring Wendy’s, all round decent chap Carter Wilkerson and chicken nuggets.
Like Philippa, I found it difficult to decide on my favourite ‘feel good’ story of the year. I usually enjoy stories based around the strange and funny things that kids do. I probably shouldn’t admit this but I also enjoy stories about other peoples’ misfortunes. Despite this, I found an article that really made me giggle and decided that this one was my favourite. Two sisters (Emily & Chloe) with similar toothbrushes had a row when one sister mistakenly packed the wrong toothbrush for her trip to London. Chloe, who was now without a toothbrush, was ‘fuming’ when she realised. Her anger fueled the torment in her sibling, resulting in further ‘prankster’ antics. Before long the toothbrush had been photographed on an entire fun day out in London with all the famous landmarks including Carnaby Street, Harrods and Piccadilly Gardens. It also made it in to the hands of a shop mannequin. Joker Emily says that she loves hiding her sister’s stuff but taking the toothbrush was genuine mistake. Despite being initially frustrated by the toothbrush’s day out, Chloe soon saw the funny side of the joke when her tweet received 54,000 likes and retweets. She is hoping to get her revenge this Christmas.
My short career as a teacher - Part 1
Read about my time as a teacher and why I won't be going back!
Rebecca Bamfield is a Recruitment Consultant at Fellows Finance. She has written this article so that you can learn a little bit more about her.
I’m not sure when I decided I wanted to be a teacher, it just seemed to be a decision I made at college. The teachers at my sixth form really pushed everyone to apply to university but from what I remember, not many people really knew what they wanted to do. I liked the idea of being a teacher, I was good with kids, (what else really mattered?) it was a respectable job and my wage would be pretty good eventually. I began applying to universities and attending interviews. I remember being so nervous and awkward at my first interview. We had to read a section of The Gruffalo (if you haven’t read this you need to!) aloud to a circle of strangers. I was so embarrassed; some people were putting on their scariest Gruffalo voice and I wanted the ground to swallow me up. One thing I came to learn was, acting silly in front of 30 children is fine, acting silly in front of any number of adults is humiliating. It was safe to say I didn’t get a place at that university.
Some time passed and I received my A Level results, I was going to Manchester Metropolitan University to study Primary Education. How exciting! I’d been doing some work experience beforehand and loved being in schools, I couldn’t wait to be a teacher. The first day of university was a little daunting, I didn’t know a soul and didn’t live in the usual halls of residence so had no friends to travel with. I spotted a girl on the bus, I’m not sure how but I just knew we were going to be friends. I did the only thing that I could do in this situation – made sure I found a seat next to her inside. It worked out well for me, she happened to be in lots of my classes and is going to be my bridesmaid later this year!
The university course was strange. We would have 3 hours long classes instructing us on how to clap rhythms or how to make puppets and clay models. What I learned didn’t correlate with the money I was paying for the course, the tutors seemed to teach us how to be children rather than how to teach children. I would have rather have been in bed most of the time. After all, I could have easily searched on line on how to clap ‘frog, tadpole, frog, frog.’ Although this was the case with my course, we were able to gain practical experience teaching children on a variety of school placements. Looking back now, they did not prepare us for the hell of the real thing.
After university I moved back home to Pontefract for a month where I continued my student job as a lifeguard. Rather than applying for teaching jobs like my friends, I was preparing for a 4-month trip around South East Asia. It was the best time of my life, I came back more than a stone heavier and was so sick of sleeping on mattresses slept on by an average of 5000 people, I thought I was ready to settle down and get a full-time job. I arrived back from the trip in January and began working as a supply teacher. Obviously, I needed money after the trip so when an opportunity came up for a long-term position at a school, I jumped at the chance. A recruitment consultant set me up for the job, failing to mention that I was about to be teaching the worst class out of the 21 in the school. Three teachers had left them since September due to their behaviour. I had no idea what I’d gotten myself in to, and I’ve definitely learnt a lesson from that recruitment consultant!
As a new teacher there’s a million and one things to learn, this school was not the place where I was going to learn a thing. I only had a TA for the mornings, which would have been fine if there wasn’t a child in the class who regularly produced number twos during class time, or another child who threw chairs at people at every opportunity. I found myself regularly hanging out of the door hoping that someone would walk by and rescue me from the disaster unfolding. After around three weeks and at least 10 crying sessions after school, the local authorities came to visit the school. This, and the dreaded Ofsted visit, are when even resilient teachers begin to crumble. Everyone was panicking.
I had a strong word with the children that morning, bribery is usually the way forward to get what you need from them. Obviously, the visit was falling on an afternoon when I had no TA so I explained to the class how they could benefit from great behaviour when our ‘special visitors’ arrived. What was I thinking? They didn’t care. I honestly remember looking up at this class in front of me and completely surrendering. I may as well have held my hands up and told them they’d won. One child was throwing rubbers across the classroom, another swearing, another about to start a fight with a child across the room. I could see the visitors’ faces in absolute horror and felt so helpless. I sat down at one table and pretended I couldn’t see what was happening with the rest of the children. It was such a terrible approach to teaching, I had no idea what else to do. I think it’s pretty obvious that I left that school that night.
Now this could have, and should have, put me off teaching for life. However, I’d spent four years at university for this career, I needed to pick myself up and search for an NQT (Newly Qualified Teacher) job to start in September. I was low in confidence by this point but somehow, at my first interview I managed to bag myself a job in a year 3 class which was super close to my home.
Perfect, I could finally be a real teacher…
You can read part 2 and 3 here:
https://fellowsfinance.com/site-news/300-my-short-career-as-a-teacher-part-2
https://fellowsfinance.com/site-news/301-my-short-career-as-a-teacher-part-3