E cigarette

I came across this article about ecigarettes and went to check it out. I am NOT encouraging smoking, just thinking about the possibilities of this technology.

From wikipedia : An electronic cigarette, also known as a personal vaporizer or simply as ecigarette, is a battery-powered device that providesinhaled doses of nicotine by way of a vaporized solution. It is an alternative to smoked tobacco products, such as cigarettes,cigars, or pipes. In addition to nicotine delivery, this vapor also provides a flavor and physical sensation similar to that of inhaled tobacco smoke, while no tobacco, smoke, or combustion is actually involved in its operation.

It provides a flavor and physical sensation similar to that of inhaled tobacco smoke, if this is possible then looking from an interaction design point of view. Maybe it could make the interaction of smell and taste even more interesting and widen these forms of interaction. I think right now I don't see many projects that make use of smell, let alone taste. Could this kind of technology be used to enhance interaction?

Intel's Google News wall

Could this be the future way of accessing information? If so then there would be so many new possibilites of interaction design. A wide screen where people point at the boxes and the information comes out.

Could it be the future way of using a computer? If so then interaction design would be even more important. What gestures would start different commands on the computer? Everything might be based on movement and not so much clicking a mouse or pressing a keyboard.

Maybe in the future it could be combined with nanotechnology (like the nokia concept video i posted), and there could be haptic surfaces (this time a real physical surface that can change depending on the context) for people to interact with. Imagine feeling and picking up a piece of newspaper on screen? Maybe one day, who knows? Makes for an exciting future!

Philips Simplicity: Mini Living Colours

One of the few videos I've seen that actually showcases something that you can have at home. It would be nice to have something like this at home, depending on how you are feeling you can change the colours.

Maybe if it included music it would be even better. Fast changing lighting for fast paced music? Warm fast moving colours if its really quick and fast like rock? Cool slow moving colours for jazz? I think it would create a nice atmosphere.

Maybe it could be taken one step further. When the ambience of the place is soft, like when there is only one or two people the lighting and music could be slow and peaceful. If its crowded like a party maybe the lighting and music could change.

Maybe one day it could detect someones brainwaves and act according to their mood? Wouldn't that just be brilliant..

Yahoo Exercise

B.

Part I - Preparing and conducting an Interview
1. Identify Objectives of your study

The objective of this interview is to improve on the existing problems users faced when using Yahoo! site.


2. Select the type of Interview (Unstructured, Structured and Semi-structured)

Semi-Structured.


3. Write the Questions for your Interview

1. How often do you use it? ________
2. How much time u spend on yahoo? ________
3. What do you think of the search engine, is it easy to search ? Y/N
4. Are you happy with the current functions they are providing? Y/N
5. Which sections can be improved? _________
6. Do you think they should add more functions? if so, what? ________


4. Conduct your interview with a “potential” user

Jackson Tan
Student from NYP Business

1. once per 3 months(I use Google for search engine)
2. 2 minutes
3. I don't like it when they store the history of the search
4. No
5. Remove the history of search section, and have more flash games.
6. No, just need to improve the current site.


5. Note down your findings

Google seems to be a better search engine than Yahoo, but Yahoo provides more services. It depends on the user, what he or she use it for.



Part II – Preparing a Survey
1. Identify Objectives of your study

Objective of the survey is to improve further on the existing website.


2. Select a response format (close-ended or open-ended questions)

Close-ended


3. Write the Questions for your Survey

1. Do you have a yahoo account?
2. Do you use yahoo ?
3. What do you use yahoo for?
4. What other functions that yahoo provide interests you?
5. Is the interface easy to understand?
6. Which function do you use the most?

4. Select your Distribution Method and say why?

Online survey, since Yahoo is a website, so mojority of the users are internet savvy. It is also more convenient for them so we can get more responses.


5. Design your survey form (Sketch out if your are doing a Web Survey)

Please circle your choices.

1. Do you have a yahoo account? Y/N

2. Do you use yahoo ? Y/N

3. What do you use yahoo for?
Use the search engine/ Read the news/ Check mail / Others (Please Specify) ________

4. What other functions that yahoo provide interests you?
Facebook, Flickr, Friendster / Messenger / Others (Please Specify) ________

5. Is the interface easy to understand? Y/N

6. Which function do you use the most?
Mail/ Search Engine / Others (Please Specify) _______




Part III – Survey Analysis
1. For each of the following datasets, calculate the median, mean and standard
deviation of the mean:

a. 2, 2, 2, 2

Median: 2
Mean: 2
Standard Deviation: 0


b. 0.67, 1.03, -0.38, -0.75, 0.79, -0.13, 1.57, -1.78, -0.58, -1.43

Median: -0.255
Mean:-0.099
Standard Deviation: √10.77429 = 3.282421


c. 4.7, 11, 0.42, 0.18, 6.2, 0.74, 38, 0.016, 0.26, 0.037

Median: 6.155
Mean: 0.58
Standard Deviation: √124.748 = 11.169

Nokia Morph Concept

This really amazes me. If we could have this in the future, then things would be so convenient. One device with the functions of many! It "allows control of physical properties of nanostructures and devices with single-molecule precision". That, is exciting. It "can detect specific chemical compounds in the air". Imagine what the future of interaction design would be like with this technology. All the endless possibilities of things we could do.

Not only is it convenient, its environmentally friendly! "Nanomaterials enable solar energy on a large scale - future buildings can be covered by solar cells". How awesome is that? Could this be the solution to our environmental concerns?

Haptic surfaces. Not just a sound feedback or a vibration. But real 3D forms popping up! This is getting me really excited. Imagine interaction design with this technology! "The surface form is context dependent". It can change into many types of surfaces.

If this is the future, I can't wait.

Car park 2.0

We are also planning on adding features to our idea, at first we decided on allowing the users to play a game, by taking a pamphlet containing a riddle to where they parked their car. For example, what is big, strong, is a cat and lives in Africa?

The answer would be Lion. ( the answer would be behind the pamphlet for those who do not wish to solve the riddle) However we realised this could be dangerous as kids might run around trying to solve the riddle.

We came up with other ideas such as using a stamp to allow the users to stamp the icon and information of where they parked (in invisible ink) on their hands. They would then shine the stamp under light to see the icon and information. This would be interesting and new for the users. They also would not have to carry around a pamphlet nor write on anything to help them to remember.

Car park 2.0

Final Sketch - Details and Rationale of Concept

Car park 2.0

After doing research, we found out the main problems people face in car parks are finding parking lots, as well as finding their cars. Our concept is built to tackle these problems in a creative and fun way. We chose a car park, Suntec City Mall’s car park to improve. What we wanted to do was to create a solution that was interesting, fun and easy to understand.

We came up with this solution, to divide the car park into sections (continents), and then further divide the sections by the use of animals, animals that are distinctive with the continent they live on.

This way, the user would be able to remember which continent they parked at, to know which general direction to head, and even more specifically to the distinctive animal of that continent. This would better enable them to remember where they parked their car.

It could also be fun and educational for children as they would be able to learn which animal comes from which continent, it could be a fun activity for the whole family.

This is what a section might look like, this is the continent of Africa, and it is separated into the Rhino, Lion and Gazelle sections.

On each pillar the animals will face in the direction of the lift lobby to indicate where it is.

This is to better enable the user to find the nearest lift lobby.

The parking lots will also be numbered in an easier way to remember, for example, the lion section would be labelled L, for lion. The pillars will indicate the continent, animal, as well as the parking lot numbers in that area.

This would allow the user to remember the parking lot number as well as find it a lot easier as it would not just be a bunch of numbers, but something that makes sense.

On the walls there will also be indications as to where the next section is, for example the lion is chasing the llama, indicating which direction to head if you wanted to find the South America section.

This would make it an easy yet fun and interesting way for the user to find out which section is where.

car park 2.0

Rough Ideas

Different sections have different themes, or the whole car park is one big recognizable theme, For instance, ‘The Universe’. Hence they remember which ‘planet’ they parked at.

- To help the user to remember where they parked at.

There are lights to indicate where there are empty parking lots, and the lights are different (e.g. color) in every section.

- To let the user know which part of the car park they are parking at and to help them remember the general area where they parked.

When the car park slot is occupied, these lights will go off.

- The user will be able to gauge which part of the car park has more lots, and in which general direction to head, as that area will be brighter.

There will be a glow when the user presses the remote key.

- When the user is trying to find their car, they press the remote key and the car makes a sound, when this happens, a sound sensor will activate lights where their car is parked, which will produce a glow. This would make it easier for the user to find his/her car.

Car Park 2.0

Goals and Objectives of Concept

Goals:

· Allow users to find their cars and parking lots easily.

· Facilitate the easier use of car park.

Objectives:

· Coming up with a creative solution for the problems of a car park.

· Search for the problems of car parks and improve the situation

Initial Ideas (Sketches)

The Magic Pole turns on when the parking lot is vacant, light shines and flickers when the lot is available. When a car is parked there and the lot is occupied, it stops shining.

The ambience or mood and lighting of the car park changes according to the amount of lots available. Also the atmosphere of the different sections of the car park are different so it is easier for the user to remember where they parked.

Temporary Graffiti

This video is really interesting, the installation allows users to draw and do things on a temporary basis. I think it is really fun and its a cool thing. It could encourage people to let their creativeness flow! Again, I suppose it is just for aesthetics but I find this kind of art interesting. Imagine that in your room? It could be a real conversation piece and a fun thing to have.

Thoughts

After watching the microsoft surface videos. It reminded me of the company I was working for during my attachment. They are working on projects like these, in which the whole home could be interactive for the user. Not sure if I can share more on that, but it certainly is exciting!

Microsoft Surface

Microsoft Surface!

This video I found is even more exciting. This could be the future of customization. In this video the snowboard design is being customized via the microsoft surface by using an card with an optical tag! It could be how we shop for things in the future! How cool is that, also it could change the way we order in restaurants. The way the wine was being ordered and customized gave me an insight into what the future could be like. It would make the selection process so much easier.

What amazed me was how easy it was to do this, also the phone being placed on the microsoft surface. Everything was authenticated within a touch. It was so easy for the user the share his photos. Furthermore the way he described it was he was in a hotel lobby that had a surface, and he just placed his phone there, imagine how easy it would be.

Of course, I feel that there would be security concerns. If we could do all this, and everything is so connected, where would our privacy go? For example, microsoft could have all our information, down to our credit card numbers and account passwords, in order for all these things (such as purchases) to be connected.

Microsoft Surface

Microsoft Surface

There are so many possibilities with microsoft surface, it is highly interactive and one day it could just replace our glass dining tables! What excites me the most is it seems to be for leisure and not work or business, in that people can interact with each other, and share photos and things like that. It could be a fun thing to have.

Monochrome dreams!?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/3353504/Black-and-white-TV-generation-have-monochrome-dreams.html

I read this very interesting article that was on the ucd wiki website. As far as I remember, I've never dreamt in black and white before! If the research is to be believed then I'm amazed, but then again, it could be that,

"media exposure somehow alters the way the mind reconstructs the dreams once we wake."

Again, I find this really interesting. Either way, media is affecting the way we dream. If that is possible, the more we are surrounded by media the more it will affect us. Right now, I can't imagine living in a world without everything being connected and portable, even though I grew up in the 90s and still remember the days when there was no internet and few portable media devices.

Imagine what it would be like for someone growing up in this era? How would the person be affected by all the media surrounding him/her? What would their thoughts revolve around? Is the media overtaking us, and are we forgetting other things in life? Are we spending all day in front of a computer, the television, our iphones? What will the people of this era dream of?

Arduino

Examples

Here is an arduino being used to connect a touch sensor and servo motor.

Arduino

Arduino - What is it?

Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It's intended for artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments.

Arduino can sense the environment by receiving input from a variety of sensors and can affect its surroundings by controlling lights, motors, and other actuators. The microcontroller on the board is programmed using the Arduino programming language (based on Wiring) and the Arduino development environment (based on Processing). Arduino projects can be stand-alone or they can communicate with software on running on a computer (e.g. Flash, Processing,MaxMSP).

The boards can be built by hand or purchased preassembled; the software can be downloaded for free. The hardware reference designs (CAD files) are available under an open-source license, you are free to adapt them to your needs.

from http://www.arduino.cc/

How is it used?

The Arduino can be connected to the computer via its usb port. It has digital and analog pins. These pins can be used to connect to software running on a computer as well as directly to things such as a variety of sensors. To my understanding the board can be programmed using the Arduino programming language and the Arduino development environment (based on Processing).

In my final year project, i used the Arduino as a touch sensor, whatever information it obtains through the pins (i used bare wire and connected them to the pins, to get readings in capacitance through a script in processing) gets transferred into Processing on the computer and finally onto MaxMSP which produced certain effects. That was how I used the arduino, by connecting it to a computer. However it can also be directly connected to sensors such as, touch sensors, heat sensors, motion sensors, color sensors, light sensors, pressure sensors, magnetic sensors.

RFID - How it works (and the dangers)

- companies and the government can easily hide the RFID chips

- it is perfectly legal for a company to place an RFID tag, for eg in your shoes in between the layers

- sell that pair of shoes, and use it as a tracking device!

- people can be numbered and tracked even babies at birth could be implanted with RFID chips

- if every move that we make can be detected and logged, what would happen?

- who would hold the power?

SOLUTIONS?

- labels for products with RFID tags

But these chips are so small, how would anyone know?

Although thinking about the usefulness of this technology excites me, there are so many possibilities with this technology, it also scares me in that governments and companies could have such power.

IBM RFID Commercial - The Future Market

The future of marketing, I found this commercial really funny but the point was the message it was sending across. How convenient! Everything is RFID tagged. I suppose this would mean that the person would have an RFID tag implanted?

To me the positives are obvious, no need to queue, its super convenient. Fantastic. In a supermarket, yes.

But what about other things? If these tags are used for anything and everything. Companies and governments would be able to track whatever we are doing and wherever we are. What would happen to our privacy?

iBar - largest multitouch touchscreen

This is the surface of an interactive, 10 meter long bar. Every glass, cup, cellphone, car key, businesscard or even fingers will be recognized.

Could these kinds of projects change the way we interact in the future? It is nice to see and it has a very cool effect. But what if we lose our natural ability to interact and communicate as we move into the future and get more and more used to these kinds of technology.

Right now we are only using it as a fun thing and it play around with, but what if in the future we use it to interact with each other and lose touch with our nature. It is a crazy thought but something I somehow see happening, especially with the generation that is growing up in todays digital era.

On the brighter side of things, I like this project as people can interact with each other, anything that is placed on the bar top is recognized. In the next video I'm going to post, microsoft takes it one step further.

Interactive LED Coffee Table

Found this video about an interactive LED table. What sprang to mind was how useful is it? It reacts to motion and looks cool. I suppose aesthetics play a very important role. Even though it is not of much use, people (including me) still think it is a cool thing to have. Most people don't own things like that. Maybe that is why its still 'cool'.

In the future as technology progresses would things like this still be interesting and 'cool'?