Killing a fly with an axe: Balancing tradition and technology
Let me take you back to my childhood, where I often saw my mother making dosas. She had the batter ready, heated the pan (Never bothering to measure the temperature), and spread the dough thinly with a large spoon. She used another gadget to flip the dosa, ready in a jiffy. She followed a standard process in every South Indian home. But now, imagine a ‘dosa printer’- an innovative kitchen appliance that uses advanced technology to automate the dosa-making process. It’s like a 3D printer, but instead of creating objects with plastic or resin, it ‘prints’ dosas using a batter made from fermented rice and lentils. This ‘dosa printer’ saves time and ensures consistent and perfect dosas every time, making it a valuable addition to any kitchen.
Sultan was my tailor when I was growing up. He never had his tailoring shop. He would work with his machine in the corner of a local medical shop. Once a year, my father would take me during Deepavali to stitch my clothes. Sultan would take my measurements in five minutes, and my dress would be ready in two days. In 2000, when I visited Shanghai, I went to a ‘tailor’ mall where hundreds of tailors provide their services. I approached one tailor. He asked me to select material, took my measurements, and delivered two fine suits to my hotel at a meagre cost, with a nice shirt as a bonus.
Levi’s has partnered with Amazon’s Alexa to assist customers in selecting the ideal jeans fit. In Germany this month, Levi’s introduced the “Levi’s Jeans Fit Guin”y, an interactive, voice-driven tool powered by Alexa. This guide asks users about their gender, style, and fit preferences, recommending the most suitable jeans from 18 available men’s and women’s styles. The ‘Levi’s Jeans Fit Guin’y’ tool recommends the best fit for you and provides a virtual try-on feature, allowing you to see how the jeans would look on you before making a purchase.
As I grew older, my wardrobe shrunk, and I only had a few options when choosing clothes. I now have two pairs of jeans, four pairs of shorts, five T-shirts, and a few undergarments. It is easy and quick for me to select my daily wear. But here comes the personal stylist, Alta. Alta is a personal styling service designed to help you choose daily outfits by understanding your wardrobe and preferences. Alta catalogues my clothing items, suggests my outfit for the day based on my styling preference, and provides shopping assistance on potential items I need to add, considering my current wardrobe. Combining my wardrobe details with my style goals, Alta simplifies selecting daily outfits, ensuring I dress confidently for any occasion. With Alta, I can say goodbye to the stress of choosing what to wear each day and hello to a more stylish and confident you.
As I navigate the world of technology, I ponder: Am I using an axe to kill a fly and overcomplicating my life?
