There’s definitely a lot of future tech thinking in this video that we’ve seen before. But what really intrigues me is who the video was produced by - Corning. Not really familiar with the company, but they seem to be looking to shift perceptions of the company - Corningware (for your kitchen) or geeks in lab coats vs. the company that’s bringing you the kitchen of the future … and beyond.
Interesting approach in making technology “invisible” with mostly translucent interfaces throughout the video. Feels both high-tech and unobtrusive.
They might have thought about putting a little of that UI love into their 1990’s style website though.
There’s a really interesting dialog going on right now about integrating gaming dynamics and principles into into traditionally non-gaming experiences.
What if we could inject a little joy and surprise into everyday or otherwise mundane tasks?
The above TED Talk does a good job of outlining a few of these principles and giving examples.
Right before seeing this video I coincidentally bought an iPhone to-do list app that uses the RPG metaphor of leveling-up your character as you complete tasks. I’m not a to-do list app type of guy, but I was so impressed with the execution that I decided to check it out.
Weeks later I’ve found myself consistently interacting with the app every day - though I’m still only a Level 2 Stooping Dwarven Nerd-Do-Well.
Not only am I having fun with this app, but I’m actually accomplishing more things as well.
Very interested to see where this new thread takes things.
This music video from Chinese artist PixieTea was recorded almost entirely on her iPhone 3GS — music and all. I really love the DIY feel of this production right down to the living room setting. And it’s great how the apps and the iPhone are characters in the story. The limitations of the medium add to the charm of the production.
This movement reminds me of the early days of desktop video that sparked venues such as the Low Res Digital Film Festival.
There’s two things you can count on in life. Death and taxes. And you can pretty much count on people not liking either, right? Well, actually, no.
Turns out the Danes love their taxes. That’s right, love.
This Planet Moneypodcast was a reminder to me to not be so quick to jump to assumptions. I’m not just talking about local and cultural differences. I’m talking about statements like “that’s never worked before.”
Don’t be afraid to question the obvious.
Or as George Clinton says, “Free your mind, and your ass will follow.”
It’s finally here. The ultimate device that we’ve all been waiting for, right?
The iPad is probably the most controversial and polarizing piece of consumer technology to date. Never has anything been hyped this much before its announcement - not the iPod, not even the iPhone. And with such a monumental build up, shattered expectations could only follow.
All this, and so few have even touched this thing.
I have to admit, when I saw Steve Jobs unveil the same over-sized iTouch that all the Photoshop retouchers had predicted with such a lack of imagination, I was disappointed. We expect more from Apple. I mean, don’t I already have the Internet in my had with my iTouch?
It all really clicked for me, however, when Steve played the promo video - seeing the device on the coffee table and on the couch, watching people having a shared experience. I really think Apple has reinvented the computing experience here. Surely they have on the UI, but much much more on the where and how we interact with the computer. Apple has un-glued us from our desks, un-cramped our hands from the laptop, and shown us how the computer can more seamlessly and naturally be integrated into our home.
And man are we pissed. Why do so many people want this thing to fail? We all look to Apple to innovate, and when they do we’re criticizing them for going too far (or not far enough if you ask others) - “it does too much”, “it doesn’t do enough”.
All of us who live in this (tech) world tend to forget that using a computer is not a pleasurable experience for the average person - Macs included. The iPad just might change that. Apple’s talent is in stripping away the features, not adding them. Do fewer things, but do them right. That was the magic of iPhone 1.0.
There’s a lot of debate over how the public will perceive needing a device like this. Many are calling it a luxury device. Need is a relative and ever-changing thing though. At what point did you realize you needed a smartphone, or a netbook, or a Kindle, or an mp3 player? I distinctly remember turning the corner on the Kindle - going from “that’s too expensive” to “that would make my life easier and more enjoyable”. Many said the Kindle would never succeed - it’s too expensive and it only does one thing. I was one of those people. Turns out we were wrong.
But rather than ramble on further ... My thoughts on all this are probably best summarized in a response I posted on a friend’s blog - which I’ve re-posted below. It’s probably best to read his post first. He’s skeptical, I’m optimistic. We’ve bet a bottle on it.