Nov 13 2010
I’m on the skytrain and the person to person interaction kind of sucks. Surely, there is something we could be doing collectively that is better than merely passing the time on the train in a completely passive way. What could we be doing? Getting to know each other in a real or data enhanced way? What?
Nov 12 2010
Bar Codes and QR Codes are on my mind a lot. I think they are an interesting, yet inelegant and ugly interface elements.
So, how about the human face as interface? Facial recognition software on the mobile device is coming soon. Why not literally humanize the interface with an image of a person’s face? The facial recognition software would then bring up the pertinent vCard data, and/or initiate the desired transaction, be it the start of a purchase process or the launching of a website.
The only remaining question is, could subtly be built into both the facial images and recognition software so that the same spokes-model could always be used, but the end result of the facial recognition sequence results in different outcomes depending on context of presentment? For example, the same face is used to sell different car models from the same manufacturer, so the face in each advert goes to the appropriate micro website, simply based on some subtle differences in the facial representation used in a particular ad.
This has interesting social and behavioral implications. The learned norm would be the tacit assumption every face, any face, would have a deep, accessible data shadow. Furthermore, the data accessible via facial recognition would be something that could be managed and manipulated by the data owner. Essentially, access settings for your mug. These access settings could be managed to be both context sensitive as well as altered by emotional affect. For example, the accessible data could (should?) be different if the facial recognition detects an angry face versus a the kind of information accessible if the face were smiling. The layers and layers of subtly could then be extended further via things like geo-location, and co-location of smart objects that co-mingle and alter the facial recognition triggered data access.
Perhaps an example. The kind of accessible data you could read about me by scanning my face could be altered by where I am, what I’m carrying, and the expression on my face. So, if I was at, or very near, my office building (location) coupled with my readable smart card employee identity card, facial recognition software would not flash up my personal Facebook page details. Ever. But it would flash up my LinkedIn details, unless I had a look of anger on my face. This is where the subtly and appropriateness of information access gets applied at the contextual level without the user being forced to micro manage this stuff continuously. Nobody wants that.
Oct 02 2010
I think I have a new favourite web resource. Digital Urban intersects a number of my interests: data visualizations, urbanism, digital urbanism, the internet of things, mash-ups, futurist projections, technology intersecting with the city and architecture. It is a great resource: Digital Urban
Jul 10 2010
I’ve been using Gmail as my personal email client for a few years now. I recently stumbled upon a small piece of functionality in the program I’ve never encountered before. So I don’t know how long it has been there. I was trying to send an email off with an attachment. The email read something like this:
(Friend’s name),
attached are the updated/approved documents for the project.
Cheers,
(My name)
After composing my email, I clicked the “Send” button. What happened next stopped me in my tracks as I whispered “You’re awesome, Google.” See, the problem was, I didn’t actually attach anything to my message. Now, if this was Microsoft’s premier email application, Office Outlook running on a MS Exchange Server, my email would have been dutifully sent off, resulting in me looking slightly foolish to my work peers. I would have need to reply to everyone with a new email, being sure to include the attachment, as well as a sheepish one-liner explaining I forgot to include the attachment in the original mail.
So this is where the Google difference kicks in. Google is no fool and doesn’t want you to be one either. Rather than dutifully firing my email off into the ether, Google presented me with an alert box asking me if I was sure I wanted to send my message without an attachment. I’ve included a screen grab of the attending Gmail alert box.
There are no files attached.
It seems Gmail scanned my message, found the phrase “attached are,” recognized there was no attachment, and then presented me with a warning, asking if I wanted to send the message anyway. This is a delighter moment. You are unlikely to see this kind of message the first or even 3rd time you use Gmail. This is something that you stumble across at the exact moment it’s required. And it feels like the system is actively trying to help you out, at the exact moment you’d want the system to help you save face. This feels like care. Now, don’t get me wrong, this particular example is pretty rudimentary and the assistance is ultimately a pretty crude intervention via alert box. But it is this kind of attention and aid we are going to demand from our systems. Additionally, these kinds of things are market differentiators.
In my eyes, despite all the added functionality of Outlook, Gmail proved itself the better email client because the system helped me save face.
Jun 29 2010
This is a technology prediction.
Augmented reality (AR) eye-wear will be a reality in 18-24 months. My prediction is based on a couple of current trends that will dovetail in the not-to-distant future to result in a true heads-up augmented reality experience.
Firstly, we have the rise of 3D television. 3D TV demands the user wear special eye wear in order to watch in said 3D. This change in the home will acclimatize and normalize people to the experience of wearing reality enhancing glasses. Essentially, 3D glasses in the home will be the gateway to augmented reality glasses.
Next, over the following year to two year time frame augmented reality software will (hopefully) improve. The product offering itself will get better. Therefore, there will be a more compelling reason to use it. However, the current experience of using AR is difficult and socially awkward as you hold your mobile phone up in front of your face. Appropriate eye wear will alleviate this situation. I expect the AR glasses will communicate with your mobile device, either tethered or using some wireless protocol.
The remaining issue is one of interactivity. Once you see something of interest in the AR glasses, how do you further engage with it? Again, I think the answer is on the mobile device. The device will allow for user input to get more information on things of interest they see through their glasses. Alternatively, or in conjunction with the mobile device, gestural interface control may be possible, given a forward facing camera will need to be built into the glasses. This camera could be built to receive gestural input. This technology will again be familiar to the consumer market due to the adoption of gestural interface based home video gaming technology.
So there you have it. The converging trends of 3D glasses entering the consumer home; improving AR software; and advances and cultural acceptance of gestural interface technology via the video gaming experience.
Sep 24 2009
An inexpensive way for wireless communication between two arduino boards. Uses radio frequency transmitters and receivers. This option has some constraints and limitations, depending on your design needs.
Good for middle distance, one way transmission. For two way communication, both boards would have to have both a transmitter and a receiver.
Nov 17 2008
Image returns using some colours based loosely on the TELUS palette
This is a really cool application that analyzes Flickr images for colours. Select a colour (up to 10 different colours can be selected at one time) and then see images that contain those colour(s). Once the system returns the images, go in and select the ones you want to use for your digital mood board. Easy.
Nov 17 2008
There is now a kit available for house plants that lets them twitter you when they need water. I don’t think I will be going out and spending the $100 any time soon on this one, but thought it was worth mentioning. Read more about it at Gizmodo.
Nov 16 2008
A few notes on interaction design taken from Dan Saffer’s talk Interaction as Material from the 2008 Event Design Summit in Hollywood.
What is Interactaction?
“An honest job of design should flow from the inside out, not from the outside in.” Henry Dreyfuss, 1955
Moments that matter (via IDEO’s Spaces That Matter)
The best designs are those that “dissolve into behaviour.” Naoto Fukasawa
Nov 16 2008
Well, from my perspective, I think that the concepts and concerns about designing ubiquitous computing environments, software, and hardware — and the problems, challenges, and opportunities of all three — have just gone a little more mainstream. Or at least a little more mainstream within the design community. A first article and announced regular feature column appeared at UXmatters. To my mind, this pushes this ubicomp design out into the more mainstream realm of interaction and usability designers. UXmatters isn’t really at the bleeding, or even cutting, edge of design. UXmatters is for the in the trenches, established, working usability community, most of whom are working on tried and true Internet sites and applications. So the launch of this regular column on “Designing the Ubiquitous Experience” at UXM is a testament to the impending avalanche of advances and change coming soon from ubicomp. An impending flood that, as the article itself states, most designers of all stripes are not prepared for. That UXM is addressing everywhere computing adds further credence to my initial intuition to start this blog and explore the exciting realm of physical computing in the first place. There haven’t been many updates here lately in regard to physical comp. because I have decided to clear off a few older projects that were started and put on hold for various reasons - once I clear my plate up a bit more, I will definitely be returning to physical comp projects. From the sound of it, the sooner the better.
