Saturday, June 26, 2010
Mobile User Experience Graphic, via Sachendra
I came across the following graphic from a post by Sachendra on the Technology, Mobility, Usability and other Musings blog:
What I really like is how the picture depicts the "user" out and about, walking a dog. It gave me a smile, since I now carry my Android Incredible with me when I take out my own dog. My dog loves to stop and sniff around, one of her life's pleasures, and when she does, I found that it is a good time for me to interact with my connection to the world.
Although the picture in depicts a man, it could be a template for use during the user-centered design process. I see a lot of parents pushing strollers AND walking dogs as they are tethered to an iPhone or another sort of SmartPhone. In some cases, there are two dogs, and infant, and a toddler!
The author of the blog post includes a series of video clips that show the different ways HTC, Motorola, and Sony Ericson have utilized the Android platform by tweaking the UI to enhanced the perceived user experience.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Interfacing the World with 4G and a SmartPhone
Here are a few quick links about 4G and SmartPhones:
4G Summit Website (June 3-4 2010)
Everything you need to know about 4G Wireless
Priya Ganapati, CNN Tech 6/4/10 via Wired
Previous post: LTE vs WiMax: Trying my best to understand emerging technologies
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Video: Nokia Services + Intelligent Adaptive Devices: Interactive content & communication across platforms, screens, and situations
Nokia's The Way We Live Next 3.0 conference was held November 10-11, 2009, and I was fortunate to come across the concept video shared during the opening presentation.
-Via Putting People First and Nokia Conversations
RELATED
Nokia The Way We Live Next 3.0 Putting People First post
The Way We Live Next: Social apps and open-source R&D (Jesse Sutton 11/11/09, Wired UK)
(Discusses Life Tools, Health Radar, Mobile Job Hunt applications.)
Nokia- life in 2015 (JBC, Nokia Conversations, 11/11/09 - a review Heikki Norta's presentation. Norta is head of corporate strategy.)
Multiplying our Efforts (pdf) Presentation: Henry Tirri, SVP, Head of Nokia Research Center
Communities creating Computers – Computers connecting Communities (pdf) Presentation: Peter Schneider, Head of Technology Marketing, Maemo Devices, Nokia
Communities of the Future (pdf) Presentation: Purnima Kochikar, VP, Head of Forum Nokia & Developer Community
Go Mobile with Cash (pdf) Presentation: Teppo Paavola, VP, General Manager of Mobile Financial Services, Nokia
SOMEWHAT RELATED
The Nokia Braille Reader (Experimental)
The Nokia Braille Reader is a joint project between Nokia, Tampere University, and the Finnish Federation of Visually Impaired.
Cross-posted on Interactive Multimedia Technology
Thursday, October 8, 2009
A Nokia n900 and an Interactive Urban Screen at the 2009 onedotzero Festival
Interactive Urban Screen
The interactive urban screen installation, also known as the 2009 onedotzero identity, was made interactive by a Nokia n900 mobile phone, as shown in the pictures and video clips below.
onedotzero interactive identity powered by Nokia N900 from onedotzero on Vimeo.
Nokia n900 onedotzero Installation- Behind the Scenes
Onedotzero - Watch the interaction with an urban screen with a Nokia n900 (Story behind the scenes story).
RELATED
N900 to appear in London next week!
(JBC, Nokia Conversations, 9/4/009)
According to the article, the application for the installation was developed by digital artists/computational designers Karsten Schmidt and Gary Birkett. (I think the ad agency Wieden + Kennedy London was also involved with this project, since Nokia is their client.)
About onedotzero
"Onedotzero is a contemporary, digital arts organisation with a remit to promote innovation across all forms of moving image and motion arts, activities encompass public events, artist + content development, publishing projects, education, production, creative direction, and related consultancy services ... onedotzero was conceived at the start of the desktop digital revolution in the mid-1990s out of a desire to explore moving image across single screen, interactive and live audio-visual work. today, onedotzero remains committed to providing a home for visionary moving image experimentation and contemporary creative collisions."
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Screens of All Sizes: Nielson Wire Report: Television, Internet and Mobile Usage in the US (3rd Quarter 2008)
Those of you who regularly follow this blog know that I'm obsessed with off-the desktop technology, including screens of all sizes, used in various situations and settings. On this blog, as well as the Interactive Multimedia Technology blog, I've noted how various disciplines and industries have been converging over time, often right in front of my eyes as I travel, shop, attend events, or hang out at home and elsewhere, by myself, with family, or with friends & colleagues.
Via Nielsen wire and The Web Outside blog:
Graphic from The Nielsen Company
(I will take this graphic down if requested.)
Although I've documented trends related to screen-based technologies at personal level, I haven't come across much hard data to support my hunches and observations. For this reason, I was happy to come across the report, Television, Internet, and Mobile Usage in the U.S., published the Nielsen Company. Here are some facts from the report, confirming what I've known in my bones for a while:
Summarized from page 4 of the report:
- Television remains the dominant screen for watching video, and time spent watching television has increased over the past year.
- People who watch recorded television, known in the industry as "timeshifted TV" also watch video online, but on average, but half as much.
- Men are likely to watch video on their mobile phones, and women are more likely to watch video on the Internet.
- During the third quarter of 2008, there was much online video content related to sports, politics, and finance, and online video use grew over the quarter.
Of course, television producers have made efforts to engage audiences across screens. For example, American Idol fans can vote with their cell phones, and people can visit sites related to their favorite television programs via their mobile devices (i.e. iPhones) when they are out and about. Web addresses are often flashed across the television screen, and CNN encourages viewers to share their video clips of news as it happens via "iReport".
The impulse to "cross-screen"** has carried over to movie theaters. On a recent visit to the theater, I noticed a sign forbidding texting during the show. Too many people were texting during the movies, I guess. Or maybe they were on-line, looking at movie trailers?
Television, Internet, and Mobile Usage in the US: A2/M2 Three Screen Report 3rd Quarter 2008 (pdf)
RELATED
A good resource for information about the Internet is the Pew Internet & American Life Project website. Here are a few good articles and reports, along with a few quotes from the sources:
Seeding the Cloud: What Mobile Access Means for Usage Pattens and Online Content (pdf)(John B. Horrigan)
"Our recent research shows that 62% of American adults have either accessed the internet wirelessly or used non-voice data applications, such as texting, emailing, taking a picture, or recording video, with a handheld. On the average day, 42% of those with cell phones or other wireless-enabled handhelds use the devices for at least one non-voice data application."
Mobile Access to Data and Information (pdf) (John B. Horrigan)
Networked Families (pdf) (Tracy L.M. Kennedy, Aaron Smith, Amy Tracy Wells, Barry Wellman)
"The internet enables shared "Hey, Look at this!" experiences."
"25% of online adults say that the internet has decreased the amount of time they spend watching television."
Adults and Video Games (pdf)
(Amanda Lenhart, Sydney Jones, Alexandra Rankin Macgill)
"More than half - 53% - of all American adults play video games of some kind, whether on a computer, on a gaming console, on a cell phone or other handheld device, on a portable gaming device, or online."
Demographics of Internet Users
Daily Internet Activities
Total Internet Activities
People are accessing the Internet more and more when not at home or at work, usually with their own device, and not a public screen or web-based interface.
This is changing, I think. Bill Gates says that every surface will be a computer, and we all know that computers = Internet. We are living in the dawning of the age of the Internet of Things, or should we say, the Internet of Screens?
Somewhat Related
Example of "cross-screen" interaction:
Fast-food operator serves up digital signage (via Self Service & Kiosk Association)
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Mobile Multi-Touch Computer, E-Reader, Graphics Tablet: The Promise of V12's 2G Canova Dual-Screen Laptop
I want one!
(photos from LaptopMag)
For more information and references about V12's Canova, follow the following link:
V12's Dual-Touch-screen Canova: Multi-touch could support applications for universal design, education, and assistive technology.
V12 is working with a US manufacturer to develop the next-gen version of this notebook, according to LaptopMag.Sunday, July 13, 2008
Ethnography, Contextual Interviewing, and Participant Observation: Desiging Technology-Supported Interactions and Experiences in Ubiquitous Spaces
Ethnography and contextual interviewing strategies are important components in designing usable, useful products, services, interactions, and interfaces. It is apparent to me that many companies do not spend enough time on this component. Too many people must endure negative, even annoying technology-supported "user experiences" as they go about their daily lives.
Hopefully, these negative user experiences were not designed intentionally!
So how do we stamp out these problems?
I came across a very informative video that I'd recommend viewing for those of you who have an interest in user-centered design, user-driven design, usability, or user-experience design. The video provides specific examples of how to conduct user-centered interviews and ethnographic observation, highlights the importance of connecting with the user/customer/client, and includes a discussion about participant observation.
The video was created by Gabriel Biller and Kristy Scovel, graduate students from IIT, the Illinois Institute of Technology. They focused their video on a no-tech product - jeans, to highlight their key points.
The thirty minutes spent viewing the video will be well-spent.
Getting People to Talk: An Ethnography & Interviewing Primer from Gabe & Kristy on Vimeo.
I learned about participant observation techniques when I was involved in social science field research years ago, and similar techniques when I was learning about conducting home visits and observations when I was a graduate school psychology student, and more recently, in my HCI-related courses.
There is much to be said about the power of observation.
I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has been involved with ethnographic research and contextual interviewing related to off-the-desktop applications and technologies.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Mathmatical Musings: " Understanding Human Mobility Patterns" - The Data Universe is Expanding
It is easy to tell from the title of my blog that I am interested in how technology impacts human interaction out in the world, beyond the confines of the desktop. Every so often, usually after reading an article from IEEE, or even Scientific American, I find myself having a math dream, where I'm trying to solve problems that have a lot of "delta", change over time. There is a need for new mathematical models to help us better understand our interactions with technology when we are out and about in our world.
.
Apple announced the next generation 3G iPhone, which will be in the hands of thousands, if not millions, by July 11th, 2008, out in the land of mobility. The new iPhone will have GPS, and provide users with interesting location-aware applications.
Just imagine the reams of data that this will generate when the multitudes are in action! How will we make sense of this? Will there be a way to ensure that this information will be personally useful? Is it something that we all will care about, if appropriately informed?
Like the child said in Annie Hall, "The Universe is Expanding!". In 2008, the data universe is expanding.
Fortunately, our universe has a handful of gifted scientists who have the drive and mathematical knowledge to think about these problems in real life. Here is a great example of what I am talking about:
Understanding Human Mobility Patterns (pdf) Marta C. Gonza´lez, Ce´sar A. Hidalgo & Albert-La´szlo´ Baraba´si in NATURE Vol 453|5 June 2008|doi:10.1038/nature06958
Barabasi is the director of Notre Dame's Center for Complex Network Research.
Here is the abstract:
- "Despite their importance for urban planning1, traffic forecasting2 and the spread of biological3–5 and mobile viruses6, our understanding of the basic laws governing human motion remains limited owing to the lack of tools to monitor the time-resolved location of individuals. Here we study the trajectory of 100,000 anonymized mobile phone users whose position is tracked for a six-month period. We find that, in contrast with the random trajectories predictedby the prevailing Le´vy flight and random walk models7, human trajectories show a high degree of temporal and spatial regularity, each individual being characterized by a time independent characteristic travel distance and a significant probability to return to a few highly frequented locations. After correcting for differences in travel distances and the inherent anisotropy of each trajectory, the individual travel patterns collapse into a single spatial probability distribution, indicating that, despite the diversity of their travel history, humans follow simple reproducible patterns. This inherent similarity in travel patterns could impact all phenomena driven by human mobility, from epidemic prevention to emergency response, urban planning and agent-based modelling."
This sort of research sets the stage for people to develop applications to discover and anayze, and predict everyone's daily patterns. In many urban areas, security web-cams are on buildings and street corners. Data collected from webcams, combined with data from GPS enabled cell phones running location-aware programs, might be prove to be useful for emergency planning, homeland security, and crime prevention.
The same mix of data might also prove to be useful to marketers. Can you imagine walking around the city, trying to dodge all of the virtual pop-up and banner ads that might worm out of cyberspace into the streets in the form of electronic billboards, and at the same time, pushed to your mobile device?!
What if all of this information got into the "wrong" hands. Privacy and security issues, in my opinion, have not been carefully considered at this point.
