New Pen Technology

Jim Marggraff (maker of LeapFrog) has done it again! His company Livescribe has created a new pen technology that could potentially connect paper and the digital world. Margrraff thought there was more to pen technology then having users "write" on computer screen displays with a stylus.. Livescribe used a ballpoint pen that can be used on paper imprinted with small dots. There is a camera near the pen's tip that monitors the dots as the users writes. The camera records what is being written. The pen also has two microphones to record sound and a speaker for playblack. Programs and data files can be up/down loading to and from a PC.

Marggraff estimates the cost of the pen to be $200 bucks and will be marketing to college students when it is launched this coming Fall. It will be interesting to see how well this product does in the market and how much impact it will be for students' learning and information recall. There is a concern that students are beginning to move away from the pen and paper era and into typing and texting. Although many students do carry a lap top to class to take notes, I think the majority of them don't and could benefit from such a pen. The pen would be easier to carry. I wonder how much note taking can happen a day without the ink running on e(empty).

This pen would be a more natural way to take notes. However, let's face it, we doodle and draw on our paper as well...back the question of how much ink does thing hold LOL

ID and Engineer Battle

There have been many HCI courses that I have taken since the start of my graduate program. All have been focused on a particular section of interaction design (research, prototyping, usability testing, etc). I pretty much know what the courses will be like from now until I finish my program. So I also know what the courses won't be like as well.

In all classes, there has been discussion (even jokes) about the realities of really working on a design team for a particular product or with a particular company. Class presenters have also shared their real world experiences in this arena with us, giving us the low down about the relationships and interactions between marketing, business, engineering, and interaction design. At this point, I pretty much know that there will be difficulty fitting into a team as interaction designer because in some companies, we won't be taken seriously and there will be pull from each department to try and outdo each other and be "right". In essence, communication will be an integral part of this team effort.

So I wonder, why don't we have seminars or actual classes where the university does its best to integrate all these different individuals (computer science people, engineers, marketers, business people, and interaction designers) into a project in an attempt to simulate what a "real world" experience would be like. I think something like this would be phenomenal and help all parties better understand the different types of people and hence mentalities they will encounter. We would learn so much more from each other than simply reading or hearing about it. Seem like this would really help prepare us for the inevitable.

Since communication will be essential, I think we should start working on that a little early on in the game....just a thought.

Is Google crossing the line?

So Google introduced its Street Map View. As of now, you can only see certain cities in the US map with this feature. Before you were able to see aerial views of what was on the map via satellite. Now they have moved from aerial to street view.

http://maps.google.com/help/maps/streetview/index.html

I must say that I am extremely amazed and impressed with this new map. Not only can you see the city as if you were physically there but you can navigate around the city continuously as if you were taking a stroll down the street. As if that wasn't enough- you can ZOOM IN. You can see into peoples apartments, you can see what people are doing outside, you can see it all!

Now, this is when privacy may come into play. How much is too much for people to handle. This mini brave new world view is a little frightening for some. In an article in the NY Times, a woman in California was disturbed when she tried out the Street View demo and saw her cat in the window of her building. She claims, "If the government was doing this, people would be outraged." I have to agree with that.

Google stated, "This imagery is no different from what any person can readily capture or see walking down the street." It seems fair. However, I do have a slight issue with that. The zooming can really be like a "peeping Tom" kinda thing. Yes people do walk down the street and can see things for themselves- but the zooming is like someone going across your lawn, getting a ladder or stoop, and proceeding to peak into your window. I think that is a little too much.

Maybe they can reduce the zoom??

Architecture and Interaction Design

In a magazine, Architecture Review April 2007, there is an article by Francis Duffy entitled "Designing Interactions". The question asked is "What can architecture learn form the computing sector, and how might it influence the way architects think about offices and the city."

It was really great to see our field getting highlighted outside the industry. Felt even better that it was given such great importance and that someone was trying to incorporate our principles to help with the world of architecture. I found it funny that the article stated how we have taken their terminology such as "architecture" and "information architect" and applied it to our own domain. Duffy declared that it was time to take things from us to apply to them :)

Some of his main points were that architects need to be more consumer conscious and design buildings for the enhancment of quality interactions amongst people and their spaces wherever they may be (school, shop, offices). Duffy encourages architects to develop their version of interaction design to show how the "intelligent design of real places" can assist their clients.

It is interesting to read that architects will be turning to HCI principles to help them build better structures based on what is important to their clients. It seems like there will be a new mind set to build buildings based on the type of interaction its inhabitants will have instead of just constructing a building.

I know there is a flash-intro debate.. but this is ridiculous

The other day, I went to a website and was trying to see the contents of a drop down menu across the top. When I got to the page, a little graphic on the side "started". I don't even remember what the promotion was for but a HUGE dinosaur head suddenly took more than HALF the screen! I was getting incredibly annoyed at how the head kept growing and what makes it worse- there was no "close X" button! That is how long the graphic was active that I had time to frantically search for an option to turn it off. When the head grew to its full graphic size it then quickly decreased and went back to the little original little graphic on the side....it reminded me of a ghost trying to get out of the ghost busters trap box and suddenly getting pulled back in.

Problem #1: NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO SUFFER THROUGH THAT! What was the point of that animation?? Yes it called attention but it totally frustrated me and made me anxious. The whole animation was incredibly overwhelming. It had nothing to do with the site I was on. It was a just a graphic ad.

Problem #2: If there was a need to put that animation there for financial reasons, why was the user not given the option to turn it off or close it??

I give this little incident two thumbs down!!!

Simplicity or Complexity?

I have been in many classes where it is stated that simplicity is better. I agree. It is better to have a clean uncluttered interface so that users can easily navigate and find what they are looking for. Too much excess material will cause more complicated thinking. We don't want to cognitively overload users because then that would diminish good user experience and possibly take away from the product's optimal functionality.

Here comes the twist.... I have seen way too many people purchase way too many complex products. Many people think the more features or buttons, the better. Kinda like getting more for your money. Why do so many people think that way? I have known many individuals who buy the latest things with so many options yet don't even use half of them. A while ago my little brother bought a CD burner and couldn't figure out what some of the buttons did. He didn't bother to read instructions because he said they would be too complicated. So he just used his new burner for its minimal function- burn a CD. Seems like the more complicated the gadget the cooler it is to have. Or could it be that people prefer more unnecessary features because to get a product with a simple interface will make them feel less competent? I don't know. I just find it really interesting....

Digital Camera Defects

So I went to Micro Center this weekend to browse around. I have been wanting to buy myself and my mom a digital camera ever since they came out...yeah, lack of money has helped the situation ;-) But, with the lower prices now a days, I figure it is about time! Plus, they are probably better looking.

I did see some pretty good cameras. However, for the most part they were all so tiny! My mom has arthritic hands- so she can't really bend her hands all too well...let alone her fingers. Seems as the years have gone by since the first digital cameras, smaller sizes seem to be the "cool". This doesn't help my situation because I need a good digital camera that isn't so tiny so my mom can handle it yet still look aesthetically pleasing. I also need it to have as few options as possible. My mom refuses to use a computer or a cell phone for fear of messing something up. Too many options will only cause her to avoid using the digital camera. I wonder who the target audiences are when companies are creating their new lines of cameras........ are there some made for people with disabilities? If anyone sees something that fits my mom's specifications, let me know! :)

While looking, I saw the HP Photosmart E327 and HP Photosmart M22. Both of these cameras are a serious no-no! Ther is a cover in the front that needs to slide from the right to the left side of the camera in order for the lens to show. The problem is that HP put the battery section on the left side of the camera. So, everytime you want to open the camera, you incidentally open the cover to the battery because your thumb rests against it with sligth pressure. I opened the camera in the store and the battery fell out! Kinda hard for me to describe in words....so get check one out so you will see what I am talking about. I guess they were trying to be unique in battery compartment placement but geez.... was there no user testing???