David Coveney

A personal blog transitioning into an exploration of the intersection of design, technology and ethics

Tag: Software

  • The astonishing power of modern computing

    The astonishing power of modern computing

    Being very old (or at least, that’s how I feel being in tech!) means that after coming up to nearly forty years in technology, I’ve seen some changes. My first computer at home, that I owned, that I could truly call my own, was a Dragon 32. It was a small, 32KB computer using the…

  • The productivity paradox

    The productivity paradox

    I came across this chart recently and it gave me pause for thought as someone whose life work is designed to improve productivity. It shows that from 2008, although we know technologies have been growing in power, productivity growth suddenly dropped away from the trendline following the global financial crisis. Why? This is where I…

  • Are VW in trouble with their electric car strategy?

    Are VW in trouble with their electric car strategy?

    Could VW really be in trouble, if they’re cancelling a factory and pushing back a car launch? I don’t think so, but they’re not entirely in the clear…

  • Steps and missteps on my path out of poverty

    Steps and missteps on my path out of poverty

    At 18 I was skint and got made homeless. It took a lot of graft, patience and mistakes to get out of that and into a moderate middle class lifestyle. Here’s how.

  • Interesting times in the world of software

    Interesting times in the world of software

    About a decade ago, I was at a conference and talking to a fellow developer (I still call myself one, even though I don’t code so much these days) when he giddily told me about the funding he’d got for building a new piece of software he was hoping would make it big. It was…

  • The great pension scam, how people were conned, and how young people fixed it

    The great pension scam, how people were conned, and how young people fixed it

    In my previous post, I discussed the importance of separating wealth from income, and to stop beating up a chap called Rob Barber who made the mistake of having a high income but not feeling rich. I get exactly where he’s coming from because I’ve been in the same position. In fact, it was more dangerous,…