Microsoft Surface is so 2008. That is what we are led to believe reading about the latest product from Future Labs, a interactive technology company that has developed Displax, a flexible and portable multitouch surface that can be integrated with any existing surface or screen.
Portable computing, including tablet PCs, has been the hot topic since Apple’s unveiling of the iPad in January. While the iPad has gained a lot of press and generated conversation about its intended audience and potential use, other tablet devices have been overlooked. Microsoft’s Courier is one such device. Courier—the soon-to-be production version of the Codex, a rumored tablet device widely discussed in 2009—provides a tablet platform for the student, techie, and slide-show-loving grandparent alike.
How would you like to tap your wrist to engage the clock embedded in the OLED wall? Rub your fingers together to request a text message with your bank account’s balance? Or rub your ear to have the speaker phone in the center of the table adjust the volume?
The Hasso Plattner Institute out of Potsdam, Germany recently published a paper on Disappearing Mobile Devices. The paper does not attempt to act as a proof of concept but instead outlines the possibilities of interactions with mobile devices as technology becomes smaller and embedded into the very fabric of our lives, whether it be our buildings, our clothing, or ourselves. … »
User Centered Design is the methodology by which you design a holistic product while considering the needs of stakeholders and users. Agile Development is a programming methodology and philosophy intended to overcome the challenges of the waterfall development process and to deliver clean and functional code. How can these two methodologies come together? … »
Some while ago Don Norman wrote an article called ‘The Psychology of Wating Lines.’ In it he described how to make the necessary experience of waiting pleasurable. For the past eight months I’ve experienced quite some delays on the airport…. So I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to write how airports and airlines fail Don Norman’s methods to create an enjoyable experience. … »
Ever caught yourself watching the latest episode of Battlestar Galactica shouting “What the frak?!”. What about the shock when the two characters flirting all season finally get together in Grey’s? Now there’s a to share these emotions with your social network instead of just your television. And it uses Twitter. … »
Since its inception, the iPhone has been praised for its clean interface and responsive touch screen. Usability gurus have both praised its interface and scoffed at its touch screen. Say what you want about the benefits of a touch screen, there is nothing that matches the physical feedback of a real button and no indications or assistance for those with disabilities. That could not be more true for the visually impaired, where an all touch screen interface is as useful as a handle on the spout side of a teapot. Until now. … »
The idea of a test drive is notorious for automobiles and other large investment pieces of technology. Walk into the computer store and you can try out the new laptop before buying it and take snapshots of the clerk with the on display digital cameras. You can even walk into the store and try cell phones. But what if you don’t want to go to the store? For users who do not want the overbearing sales person, online tutorials are a saving grace. One market capitalizing on this trend is the mobile phone arena. … »
