Exhaust Around 2000: birth of surveillance capitalism. Tech firms didn’t know how to make money from the internet. We did a search, they delivered results & ejected our details. Then Google stumbled on the answer: keep the “data exhaust” (who we are, what we seek, what we do next), render it into information to sell…
Category: E
Electric vehicle Electric vehicle (EV) manufacture is accelerating globally. China is in the driving seat – by 2025, 7m (20%) of cars sold yearly will be plug-in hybrids or battery-powered, to clear smog & reduce dependence on oil. But do consumers want EVs? They’re more costly than petrol/diesel options & their batteries pose extra fire…
Empire Sovereignty – what does a powerful empire look like now? It’s got many people in its grasp. It collects & stores data about its subjects, to use for its own gain. It tracks their activity & location to target them with ‘information’. It cites privacy/ security as reasons for changes which benefit the emperor. …
Evaporate Traffic “evaporates” as vehicle drivers go on holiday or choose other ways to make their trips. Walking, cycling or a ride on the top deck of a bus brings an air of freedom & relaxation – enjoy summer in the city! Guessed the Word? Series 46 (2/4) …
Eggwash Double eggwash gives Wimbledon scones their rich, golden-brown tops. Over 8,000 baked each day of the tournament by 3rd-generation London family bakery. Secret recipe of high-quality wheat flour, sugar, milk, baking powder & golden sultanas mixed for 6 mins. Dough left to ‘relax’, then hand-cut & put on baking trays. Baking time & temperature…
Exchange Most transactions now occur with no monetary exchange. Statistics only measure activities with money value, so these barter deals get omitted. Example: “Free” apps for smartphones. They aren’t really free; we get them in exchange for giving up personal data or accepting advertisements Guessed the Word? Series 41 (7/9) …
Easter egg Hidden “Easter eggs” appeal to our fondness for puzzles & discovery. Since Atari’s1979 video game Adventure, comic books, computer software and even search engines have included secret jokes, messages & images, encouraging us to hunt them out.Effective user engagement, while keeping creators happily productive Guessed the Word? Series 41 (5/9) …
Error Every internet user knows 404, the error message. Caused by poor internal linking, dead links or expired/sold-out items. Relieve theuser’s frustration with humour, useful information, or helpful re-direct (“a 301”), say to a blog. Practical/ fun approaches can even make “a 404” a destination in its own right! Guessed the Word? …
Eternity Cricket gives an idea of eternityTest matches last up to 30 hours. Fight, flair, grit, glamour, twists & turns keep average attendances in England rising: 52,850 (1980) to 77,420 (2017). Redeveloped venues provide great spectator experience. England had its 1,000th Test in 2018 and has been in >43% of all Tests ever played. Learning…
Escape room Next big thing in entertainment: escape rooms. Locked in a room, with 1 hour to solve a series of puzzles that permit escape. Mixes immersive theatre & computer gaming, so ideal offline brand extension to create memories. Successful puzzle design – not too boring or too difficult. Invented in Japan 2007. UK now has 2,000 escape…