Month: March 2014

“Rich” people

Not sure which are real and which are placeholders from someone else’s worth/enterprise, but here’s the current lineup.

I wonder who the “real” families that control the world are, and what they’re worth.

The U.S. and China are now home to a similar number of billionaires, according toForbes’ latest billionaires list. Russia is also a strong presence in a list that encompasses US$6.4-trillion in global wealth.

Even if you can’t be the richest person in the world, it’s still pretty cool to be the richest person in your country.

Many billionaires have held the title of richest in their country for a number of years, but as always, there are a number of new titleholders this year.

Forbes’ rich list: Meet the wealthiest person in 34 major countries | Financial Post.

Magical chip future

Disneyworld is a testing ground for society at large. Here’s the latest in herd management technology.

MyMagic+ promises far more radical change. It’s a sweeping reservation and ride planning system that allows for bookings months in advance on a website or smartphone app. Bracelets called MagicBands, which link electronically to an encrypted database of visitor information, serve as admission tickets, hotel keys, and credit or debit cards; a tap against a sensor pays for food or trinkets. The bands have radio frequency identification (RFID) chips—which critics derisively call spychips because of their ability to monitor people and things.

http://businessweek.com/articles/2014-03-07/disney-bets-1-billion-on-technology-to-track-theme-park-visitors

We recently tried the system out. It’s yet another technological double edged sword: it’s quick and convenient, but is it worth the surrender of your privacy?

While in the Kingdom, I attempted to buy a banana. The magical Mickey head scanner was broken at the vendor’s cart. Without cash, ID, or other currency, I could not obtain the fruit. At one point the chip scanner wouldn’t let me in my room. One wrong keystroke and your chip could be deactivated, rendering you useless.

This will be your future, and it won’t be long.