Computer trends and how to communicate them

Took a small deep dive with Business Week to see what they have to offer. I was surprised about their quality of web presence. And I can actually see their articles (no registration pains, no subscription requirements)!

It's sometimes good to see the business side of computer industry and innovation, and Business Week does have quality articles with that perspective. The many retrospectives are also interesting.

The Special Report on Next Generation Computing was pretty nice summary on the current understanding of the near term innovation in computer tech. I truly like some of the trends, such as the "designing to blend with the rooms in home". One example of this was the forming of computer parts as look-alikes of a bookshelf and its contents. There are the obvious dangers of overdoing the ideas, of course.

Another pleasant surprise was the "slideshow" style of reporting. The concept of putting the picture in the forefront and text secondary to that is quite appealing. This also takes away the need to create overlyelongated articles from material that really doesn't need it. Also, it is excellent form of communication when the journalist goal is that of a summary.

Matching the timing and the message

It's always a both exhilarating and stupid moment to realize something that's been sitting in front of you all the time. One of those moments was when I understood why it really is so important for Apple the create best-of-the-breed Voice recognition and speech synthesis software into every major version of Mac OS X.

In a sense, the multi-sensory interfaces (not just visual and kinesthetic, but also haptic, auditory and tasty/smelly) is one most obvious ways to innovate in computer hardware and software. However, at the same time, it has the glass ceiling of the too popular WIMP -interface¹⁾ (i.e. Windows-Icons-Mouse-Pointer). The so called "direct manipulation" interface, that actually isn't one. A bit more direct one would be the one in the picture above, in which a pen directly moves the pointer on screen, not indirectly from a mouse pad, like it's typical nowadays.

So. My theory is that Apple recognizes both the need to get rid of the WIMP, and that there aren't good enough competitors for that interface yet (by good enough, I mean nearly perfect user experience, not just technically implementable). So Apple does the next best thing, continues to advance the alternative technologies of interaction and finds places where they can be used as secondary or alternative solutions. Or, as in this case, as a service to the disabled people, who can not use the WIMP in the first place.

From this perspective, iPod represents a refreshing break from the WIMP-infested world. It's main way of interaction is a combination of gestures and auditory feedback. The control "wheel" is not haptic, finger just slides (no bumps), but the audio complements that sliding with ticking sounds that make it feel like finger would turn a discrete dial. The simple text menus do not employ fancy graphics, or icons. Hence less strain on eyes. Like Borat would say: Nice!

Inspired by: ¹⁾ Milekic, S. (2002) Towards Tangible Virtualities - Tangialities. Museums and the Web 2002 -conference.

Intuitive multipoint touchscreen interaction

One of the Talks in TED Conference (blog) speaks about how enhanced touchscreens could make human interaction with the much more intuitive.

Although the hardware is cool, the real interaction innovation lies in the applications and in the interaction concepts. The Talk does show quite good examples ("lava lamp", 3D earth, maps, atoms/biology).

It would be really interesting to hear how those people that never have used computers, would use the interface differently than computer-literate people.

Watch the TEDTalks: Jeff Han

The Vastu of Web-design

(via slashdot) in the something-completely-different -department, the new trend in India is to have the website analysed by a guru in Vastu (the Indian equivalent of Feng-Shui). Does your website overuse the water element?
The image on the let is an example analysis of Slashdot's "vibes".

Insight from the past

While it's often exciting to wait for new products from Apple and other design companies, it's not actually necessary to just speculate, collect rumours and get insider tips about the products.

Much of the important "big lines" (strategies) and many features of the products can be understood through insight by researching and understanding the moves of the past. One of the sources for this type of insight is RoughlyDrafted.

Note that there is, of course, a price tag on such insight - namely lot's of fluffy text, advertising and many requests from the author to promote the website. so YMMV.

After reading many of the texts, it makes one respect and appreciate Apple (those times that it's been successful) for the hard work of 1) finding a right product for the current time/age, 2) timing the launch of products, 3) iterative design, and 4) taking advantage of the concepting/previous attempts for products.

RD notes:
Apple
Important areas: Office (MS, ignorance of MacWrite) -> Desktop Publishing (Adobe & PS & PDF) -> Digital Media (Quicktime)

Historically Apple dependent on four major application vendors: Microsoft, Adobe, Macromedia, and Quark (all originally started their graphic apps on Mac)

Past projects:
- Powertalk (no standards, based on AppleTalk) -> similarities to Mac OS X: Bonjour, systemwide Keychain & Addressbook
- QuickDraw GX,
- A/UX -> idea recycled in Mac OS X (UNIX basis, but based on BSD)
- HyperCard -> Human-oriented programming languages: Applescript, Automator
- Copland (another) -> "System 8"
- Pink -> entirely new development platform for the Mac with IBM, code named Pink and Taligent
- Newton
- QuickDraw 3D
- Quicktime Interactive
- Common Point
- OpenDoc
- Dylan - futuristic coding language
- Future Shock

...
The new surge of Apple-made software:
- Macromedia KeyGrip -> Apple Final Cut
- Astarte's DVD technology -> Apple DVD Studio Pro
- Nothing Real's high end video compositing -> Apple Shake
- Emagic's professional level music studio tools -> Apple Logic Pro
- Apple Aperture
- & bundled non-pro versions of the apps: iLife (iMovie, iTunes, iDVD, iPhoto, Garageband, iWeb), iWork (Pages, Keynote)
- & non-bundled "pre-pro" (prosumer) versions: Final Cut Express, Logic Express

Mac OS X
- pre-emptive, multitasking (UNIX foundations), shell + UNIX toolchain
- object oriented programming: Cocoa (from NEXTStep)
- Bonjour
- systemwide Keychain & systemwide Address Book,
- iWork (key areas: Office + Desktop Publishing)
- iLife + pro apps -- taking advatage of quicktime (Key area: Digital Media (Content creation))
- Applescript (& Automator)
- Quartz 2D: entirely new drawing system: based on the open PDF model, with a standard implementation of the OpenGL specification. Replaced the archaic and proprietary QuickDraw and QuickDraw 3D.

iTV
- On Demand Commercial Content
- Personal Content
- Alternative Content
- Interactive Content (dynamic, not static media) -- The iPod way: Games, Widgets, Notes (+ VNC)
- Original Content (Apple as a Label and a Studio, Original Content for TV - not for Movies)

Apple's way up
- Good integration of software, hardware and services (holistic design)
- High quality software/hardware (distinctive, not bulk)
- Concentration on specific markets/key areas (office work, desktop publishing, digital media/creatives)
- Apple-created key applications
- Three levels of products, with high reuse in code: non-pro (consumer), pre-pro (prosumer), and professional
- Packaging the right mixture, pricing it right
- Better visibility - Marketing (e.g. I am a PC, I am a Mac -ads) and Retail stores (+ digital store)