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.

Apple's iPad

So why should this matter when the iPad has made it clear they intend to be the everyman’s casual Internet device? In reading the commentary on the device there is much being said about who the device is not for. It is not for the techie. It is barely for the student. The device’s lacks the processing power or input devices for programming or graphics editing. No cameras or stylus limits the device’s use as a social and note-taking tool. The iPad is intended for the non-techie to surf the internet, read eBooks, and share basic media with friends and family.

This is where Courier steps in. Rumored to have built in camera(s) and stylus input, the device features two seven inch touchscreen monitors, making it the techie and student’s dream. Connected through a WiFi or possibly 3G network, the device can be used to coordinate chats multiple devices. The dual screen offers opportunities to have a personal and shared workspace during a chat, during which documents can be transferred from one screen to another for collaborative work. With its stylus, it’s possible to take notes with simple handwriting recognition and to track which user is performing what action on a screen.

The Courier is not the cure all, though. In their demo video, Microsoft leans too heavily on physical metaphors. Needing to flip over a picture to view the notes is a cumbersome and unnecessarily literal translation from the physical world. Tack on excessive animations and the device becomes more of a showpiece than a utility. This is, of course, a demo  to show the device’s potential—but, like Apple with the iPad, I think Microsoft is selling itself short on the device’s potential.

Imagine having a Courier or iPad next to the door in every room in your home. Connect it through the WiFi to the HVAC, lighting, and entertainment systems and you have an integrated smart home. Want to change the lighting or turn the heat on? Dont get up. Forgot to preheat the oven? Set the temperature from your living room without having to pause the YouTube video you’re watching.

As mobile devices become more powerful, a shift is occurring as manufacturers look at how they can apply this mobile technology in our everyday home-life. The iPad and Courier are just two devices that show the possibilities of a computer not limited to the desk or lap—a mobile device not constrained by our mental models of phones, PDAs, or portable devices.

Header image via gizmodo

In Johnny TV Features we’ll share with you interesting videos that we come across, enriched with our healthy opinion. This time we have ‘The Domestic Gubbins’, a video by Microsoft Research.

At first glance this video by Microsoft Research seems a bit whimsical or silly. But if we dig a bit deeper, we find there is a lot more to it, and there are some useful things that we can take away from it.

What is the video’s purpose?

The first thing to consider is what the video was for. What was its purpose? Once we understand this, we can go on to consider what the researchers got out of it and how this helped them in specific area that they were investigating.

So what was the video for? First, a bit of context. The Domestic Gubbins are part of a project called Objects Incognito (subtitle: Rethinking Machine Intelligence), which is “an ongoing enquiry into everyday ideas of intelligence”. We are promised a plethora of “intelligent” devices and technologies in the near future. But what is meant by intelligence, exactly, and what will it be like to live with these ubiquitous intelligent technologies? That is the question that this video attempts to answer.

Interviewing people

Why video, though? Jain and Taylor originally wanted to create the Gubbins as actual devices that they could give to people to live with and interact with. But this proved too challenging, so they decided instead to create this video, which shows how people might interact with the Gubbins. Then they showed it to people and interviewed them to find out what their thoughts and reactions were.

These interviews (excerpts of which can be seen here) provided the researchers with new insights and led them down new research paths.

How can we use this?

So how can we adapt and adopt this approach for use in our work? This research is very high-level and conceptual, whereas in our day-to-day work we usually deal with matters that are much more concrete. However, there are many situations where we would like to be able to put a product in users’ hands so that they can play with them (especially for products that are radically different from those currently in use or that address as-yet-unmet needs), but where we do not have anything close to a working prototype. In cases like this, we can use this approach to show how our new product might function and how people might use it, and then see how potential users react. We can then use the insights that we gain to guide the direction of our product.

What are the weaknesses of using an approach like this? The video itself has to strike the right balance between showing realistic scenarios of use and keeping things ambiguous enough to make viewers think and use their imaginations a bit. And when interviewing the viewers, a certain degree of finesse is needed to avoid drawing interviewees in a direction favored by the interviewer.

In conclusion, this is a very well-made video that we can borrow ideas from for certain situations (though definitely not all).

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This and many other UX videos are posted on Johnny TV. Should you come across a video that you think should be there, please contact us via mail or Tweet me @martinpolley.

Lately Microsoft keeps exploring what our future might look like. This time they aren’t looking at the near future, but are taking us over the edge. They illustrate a place where the digital and physical spaces are one. A world where augmented reality is the only reality.

The video was made for Microsoft by Invivia, who got the following assignment: “explore in a poetic narrative way how certain developing technologies could begin to blend and augment our daily lives”. When you check out the video you see what their ideas are. Personally I like it, but also find it hard to imagine ever having a future like this… What do you think?

Every now and then a company comes up with a video showing their vision for the future. This time it was Microsoft’s turn to step up to the plate and show how brilliant they are. But they didn’t create a single video, but a series called Microsoft’s Future Vision. Come and watch with us.

*Alert* If you are lazy and don’t want to watch all the video’s below I would recommend you to only watch this first video. It’s a compelation of the other ones.

I know you probably still haven’t watched all video’s, so it might be a bad idea to already give you my opinion… but I will do it anyway. After watching all the video’s of Microsoft I have to admit that I was quite disappointed. They are well made, but for some reason too obvious… even before watching them I could have written down 80% of the content: tables changing in screens, mobility, very unhandy gestural interfaces and ever surface multi-touchable. If everybody can come up with this stuff, why bother making movies for the 100th time? I would find it more interesting when a company like Microsoft would put their effort in more concrete answers, rather than abstracts. How do they think people will deal will privacy? What do we let computers handle for us and when do we want to stay in control?

But I still have to admit that there are some details in the movies that are still inspiring. When there was some interesting stuff in a video, I placed it underneath. If I missed stuff, let me know.

Microsoft’s Future Vision on health care

• When a woman goes to the doctor she has to fill in a few questions on a screen on the wall. This screen actually looks like a poster. At first I thought it would be a bad idea, since it doesn’t give a good indication that it’s interactive. But on the other hand an interactive poster does look more friendly and less technical then an actual touchscreen. This could help elderly to actually start using it.
• Another great idea in this movie is the arrow in the floor that indicates the direction in which you must walk. I don’t believe this should continue throughout the building, since it would be very chaotic. But it is a great start for your journey, helping you on the way.

Microsoft’s Future Vision on retailing

• I didn’t really like this video, except for the interactive price tags. How much work and mistakes would it save when somebody can change the prizes of products with a single click. Would this also change the way retailer handle their prizes? Maybe they would link prizes to the stock market or make it dependant on the popularity. A cool addition to this would be the ability to check your discount price by holding your discount card against the price tag.

Microsoft’s Future Vision on manufacturing

• I like the use of augmented reality goggles to do technically challenging jobs.
• Integrating important UI in a regular table isn’t a good idea, actually it’s the worst idea ever. If this guy has to do this every day, his neck will fall of. I’m really surprised that they come up with this vision, since they must have SOME research data concerning the Microsoft Surface.
• The conference screen is nice. I like it that you see the total body of the other person, but only his face is focused. The gestures controling the UI, are a bit… tiring.

Microsoft’s Future Vision: Home of the future

• In all the other video’s everything was a highly interactive device, ranging from tables to business cards… but in your own house (of the future) things won’t be that impressive. You suddenly have a normal tv on the table and some sort of laptop you take with you everywhere, but hang in the kitchen. I really don’t understand the use of this video…

Microsoft’s Future Vision on banking

• When you walk into the bank the person behind the screen will automatically see where you are and who you are. Even though it’s scary for a client (privacy), I still like the idea from a company perspective. With all those digital devices you could actually track this and it does help with security, but also with efficiency and being able to prepare and (thus) help your customer better.
• If there is something I hate, it’s the waiting line. It’s a great idea to give people an indication of the time they have to wait. Personally I would not do it in seconds, since you could never give an indication this detailed. Maybe the number of people before you, combined with an average time.
• The mobile system that helps people directly on the spot is handy.
• From a business perspective it would be great, and possible, to show leads when a person is standing in front of you. But what Microsoft forgot is the growing honesty and openness that customers demand. Right now clients don’t want to stare at the back of a screen anymore, but expect to be involved in the actions a worker does on his screen. So publishing ‘best lead’ feels like the company is taking advantage of you. When changing this in for example ‘could be helped with’ will change the tone from a business need into a customer need.