Weather chaos and bedroom cameras to enrich mighty Amazon
WHAT is it about hot weather and drivers? No sooner has the thermometer on the car shot into the 20s than drivers start acting like they own the road. The unforeseen rush of optimism sets off some chemical reaction in people’s heads, causing irrational, sometimes hostile behaviour.
I’ve heard the road rage stories in America in summertime, but over the past week, on four separate occasions, the proof has been in the driving over in sedentary County Wexford.
Vanity also comes into play as the first culprit, who happened to be a woman - was looking in the mirror while applying lipstick driving down a hill - playing chicken with the median line. Then, a woman drove on the wrong side of the road in Tesco, almost taking me clean out of it.
On Sunday I was subjected to the blare of aggressively banged car horns as I pulled out onto the road having stopped to buy strawberries and yesterday a male driver, sitting so far back in his seat he was practically in his child’s baby seat, swerved going around a corner, fractionally missing my wing mirror on the school run.
There can be no denying the positive influence that some sunshine has on people’s moods, especially in northern European countries like ours, where we can go weeks without a drop of Vitamin D.
The past week has been dominated by horrific headlines from the Grenfell Tower apartment block in London, where more than 100 people are believed to have perished and the forest fire in Portugal.
Both tragedies have brought out the best in their respective area’s citizens, with offers of support, either through donations or offers to volunteer, still flooding in.
The human spirit - when tested - shows its courage and heroes have emerged from the shadows of both tragedies. Beleaguered Theresa May was not one of them. Having decided not to speak to any survivors from the towers, or anyone at the scene really, on the grounds that there was a risk to security, May was left nursing a massive PR hangover, as Queen Elizabeth visited the scene. May finally acquiesced and met the residents on Sunday.
The unbelievable loss of life and the clear breaches in safety regulations at Grenfell Tower need to be investigated and the surviving residents and the relatives of those lost to the blaze need to be accomodated, compensated and respected by May and her party of Tories, who live in a world far removed from the poverty experienced by many of these residents.
In the world of tech the past week threw up a new one for me: a camera in the bedroom that advises you what to wear. Amazon is selling a €200 camera that’s both an extension of your smart home and the ultimate fashion accessory. The Echo Look is a clever way for Amazon to find out valuable information about what people like to wear and, in turn, suggest that they buy it.
Apparently it can even detect when clothing is getting frayed and is in need of replacing. Echo Look is designed to help you look your best every morning, guiding and improving your style every time it’s used.
The camera is designed for fashionable types who like to document their daily outfits and make sure that they’re always looking good. Look comes with a depth-sensing camera, with four LEDs that create a virtual photo studio in your room.
I won’t be investing but here’s hoping they don’t cone out with smart cameras in cars or lipstick Lucy could cause more damage than a fashion faux pas!