For some people, wearing masks is an imposition.

Fining those who don't is not a solution

This idea from a Turkish agency comes at it from a completely different angle

It's installed at bus stops across Trabzon in Turkey.

Unmasked people see the reflection of a virus projected over their face.

And it disappears the moment the mask is worn.

The coronavirus image is now familiar across the world. 

And showing people affected creates greater impact than any smart line.

We are at a stage where people need to see the consequence of not wearing a mask

And this is unforgettable 

Imagine being reminded at every public place. 

People have this subconscious urge to look at themselves in the mirror

They will adjust their hair, turn their face around and see if they're looking ok

All that needs to be done is show their unmasked face with the virus all over it a few times a day.

And it goes back to being a normal mirror when masks are worn

It's communication stripped down to the bare minimum and impossible to ignore

Perhaps this idea should be adopted and executed universally where cases are rising.

There's nothing lost in translation 

She knows more secrets about men than any woman

She has conversations with men all day

And they tell her everything.

She's not real. Microsoft developed a bot it in 2014 and called it Xiaoice.

And now, she knows more about the lives of men in China than any other other woman

She flirts and jokes with them and her online persona is that of an 18 year old schoolgirl.

Responding to queries all day long.

Everyone chatting with her knows she's a bot. And yet, it doesn't matter.

The common factor is that her audience is male, from a lower income background.

She learns from the multiple conversations and engages them. Crossing over from so-called 'human' conversations to being able to keep their attention for long stretches.

The movie 'Her' was also released in 2014. It showed a man fall in love with a mythical operating system that knew exactly what he wanted.

It's surprising how soon life imitated art

Xiaoice can be summoned exactly like Siri or Alexa. But she is no assistant.

What is it about her that keeps men hooked? The fact that she's non-threatening. Or attractive? That they can speak to her about anything?

Will this redefine how men and women interact?

The googly against spam calls

How many spam calls do you get everyday?

4-5? Or more? And what's the solution you have found?

In India, most people use call screeners like True Caller. It works but they have been getting more aggressive on getting you to pay up.

And that's the root of the problem.

We want to get rid of annoyances - for free.

For signups online you can generate temporary email addresses and then junk them.

But calls are a little tricky.

You know your number is out there on practically every database. And enrolling in any DoNotDisturb registry won't work.

I've seen that the call is cut when I ask a simple question "Where did you get my number?" But you don't want to keep doing that several times a day.

As you block them, telemarketers simply change their virtual numbers, so its a constant game.

Which is why the new app Doosra seems to be a step up.

It lets you create a new virtual number without having to get a new phone. Or another SIM

And it screens calls, provides voicemail, etc.

But there's a monthly fee.

Question is, will you pay to keep spam callers at bay?

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