Articles
Chapel Hill school gives students iPod Touch
Jun 23rd
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — One school in Chapel Hill has provided every student with an iPod touch.
Culbreth Middle School has 622 of the slim, portable computers – one for every teacher and for every student. They were purchased through grants and technology funds.
“We don’t build lessons around the iPod Touch per se. It’s a tool just like you use your textbook,” said Culbreth technology coordinator Val Brown. “The opportunity it has afforded our kids is amazing. The engagement is simply phenomenal.”
Students don’t get to take the devices home, but they do carry them from class to class.
“Instead of having lots of resources, books (and) dictionaries around, we can just go to the iPod Touch and research it,” said sixth-grader Emma Brodey.
There is no phone, music or e-mail capability. Students can surf the web, though many sites are blocked, including Facebook. Students can also download podcasts or play math or word games.
As they type in answers to questions, teachers see the responses on a laptop.
“I know before they leave that day who knows what (and) who doesn’t get it, so I have a constant assessment tool,” said teacher Pete Schwartz.
The staff at Culbreth Middle is talking with several schools across the U.S. and in other countries about how they can use the devices in their classrooms.
Reporter: Renee Chou
Photographer: Greg Hutchinson
Web Editor: Kelly Hinchcliffe
Kids these days…
May 5th
Parents Using smartphones to entertain bored kids
I thought it was bad enough that kids were getting into texting at such an early age. But now mothers are seeing it as a way to entertain their children- kids as young as 3!! Parents believe that smart phones can enhance their childs’ learning experience. And now these smart phones are turning into toys for young children.
A new way to see art…
May 5th
I found this piece on Design Observer, and found the video that correlates on youtube. I am currently taking Renaissance – 20th century art so this article combines the “interactive” part of this class, and the historical paintings of the other.
The ongoing exhibition “Nine Classic Paintings Revisited,” by Peter Greenaway will eventually showcase 9 pieces of historical art in a different way, exposing the viewer to various fine details and manipulations of the pieces. He includes multiple screens throughout the vast space accompanied with music to help the viewer to truly indulge in his piece. This “view” of the historical paintings allows visitors to see the paintings up close and as they never have before. All of the originals are housed in tightly secured museums behind various barriers and contraptions that exclude any personal interaction or connection.
The way he created these cinematic features was nothing short of amazing. He was granted special permission of limited visitation to the paintings where he would project images and spend time with the originals. When these few short visits were not taking place he would work from replicas.
The author of his article states that no matter how much the audience is challenged or involved in the film/show/piece, the interactivity is not the main focus of the piece. Regardless, I feel that this is another way to think about interactivity and how using technology to benefit the learning process and aiding the participants in something that is rare or unfamiliar to them. This interactive link is allowing viewers to see and experience these paintings as they never have before. And isn’t that what interactivity is all about?
Introducing HD sound quality in mobile devices
May 5th
While the market of HD-quality in mobile devices is non-existent, it is expected to flourish within the next few years. As this article states, HD voice means an improved quality in voice calling through mobile devices.
In this article, a study shows that millions of mobile subscribers are going to be using HD-enables handsets to better enjoy their conversations.
It is interesting to see all the new innovations being made in effort to enrich user experience in every way possible.
An app is NEVER finished…
May 5th
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/22/technology/personaltech/22smart.html
This article is about a bird application that identifies and tracks birds that users see within their neighborhood. There is something similar to Jen’s “21 Questions” feature on her app, and then choosing various characteristics to determine what you see like Leah’s Garden app. Audio samples are included like in Jonathan’s. But even with this full developed app the article proclaims that experts withing the bird field ,
“….none of the top birding apps offered a way to log random notes.
“You want to be able to say something unique about what you’ve seen so you can make the notes useful to you,” he said.”
“There is another serious limitation, for all birders. Many times the only thing you know about a bird is its song. In those situations, you’d need what might be best described as an ornithological Shazam app, where the iPhone would listen for the bird song and tell you the species.”
So once again developers are running into the what-ifs, and the would of, should of, could ofs for these more advanced applications. This article just reemphasizes that applications will never be fully developed or house all of the features that its users want.
An Open Letter to Adobe
May 5th
Have you heard of a man called Steven Jobs?
I think every other conversation I have had with Nick Romanos this semester was in some way related to these things:
1. Flash
2. Apple
3. the fact that Apple will no longer support Flash
4. Flash Catalyst
ok. I’m really done talking about these things for at least 2 months. sorry nick.
here is a snarky letter from stephen jobbs talking that junk about adobe:
“Apple has a long relationship with Adobe. In fact, we met Adobe’s founders when they were in their proverbial garage. Apple was their first big customer, adopting their Postscript language for our new Laserwriter printer. Apple invested in Adobe and owned around 20% of the company for many years. The two companies worked closely together to pioneer desktop publishing and there were many good times. Since that golden era, the companies have grown apart. Apple went through its near death experience, and Adobe was drawn to the corporate market with their Acrobat products. Today the two companies still work together to serve their joint creative customers – Mac users buy around half of Adobe’s Creative Suite products – but beyond that there are few joint interests.
I wanted to jot down some of our thoughts on Adobe’s Flash products so that customers and critics may better understand why we do not allow Flash on iPhones, iPods and iPads. Adobe has characterized our decision as being primarily business driven – they say we want to protect our App Store – but in reality it is based on technology issues. Adobe claims that we are a closed system, and that Flash is open, but in fact the opposite is true. Let me explain. …
http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughts-on-flash/ ”
Check it out.
He actually makes good points [if you didnt expect that already]
now get off your computer and go play outside.
-Logan
Google E-store, boasts any platform
May 5th
Google has always been a leader in innovation and easy open source for anyone and everyone. With the launch of their new online bookstore boasting virtual use by any platform, I wonder how other tech companies plan on competing. Will Apple’s iPad be a good suitor for this kind of technology? Will it bolster a new kind of tech-savvy interaction? This article brings up a lot of good points of discussion considering the who the technology serves not just the consumers but small businesses as well. After our presentations to T-Mobile and our classmates, I really began to appreciate our possible users. Without them we are nothing.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/195636/googles_ebook_store_five_burning_questions.html
Are touch screens inherently inferior to physical keys
May 5th
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/05/ipad-keyboard/
So why do we need a keyboard? Is the feeling of something moving beneath your fingers something that people will always need or is it just what we know, so it’s harder to move away from it?
Will designers in the future begin designing textures and variable temperatures of the screens to provide more feedback?
Broadening the application for users
May 5th
I saw this article and found it particularly interesting because Kevin Lynch, one of the head haunchos of Adobe, says he thinks it should not be up to a company to limit the choices of the users. He is referring to the HTML5 verses Flash debate. Many programmers and app. creators are choosing one or the other limiting the choices of what platform users can access. It sounds good to “make the best tools” ever, but how do you decide one is better than the other? I applaud his optimism in thinking that it shouldn’t be up to the companys but the users. However, technology usually evolves in terms of dollars and cents and not multiple venues of choice, which can get messy. To quote the good Book, “No man can serve to masters, either he will hate one or love the other…”
http://techcrunch.com/2010/05/05/adobe-cto-kevin-lynch-were-going-to-make-the-best-tools-in-the-world-for-html5/
Wherever a new media emerges, advertising is soon to follow.
May 5th
Apple iAds. They are like Google ads, but super cool and minimalist and impossible to change the battery with… (you get my point)
Hold your tongue and say Apple?
May 5th
In the wake of Apple being a bunch of super-control freaks, particularly regarding Flash and application development, I thought this article offered an interesting alternative way to think about it.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-20004168-16.html
“Microsoft and Google have only recently decided to design their own mobile devices, and in most cases they’re purchasing “white label” hardware from other manufacturers and branding it as their own. The iPad’s 10-hour battery life is a result of Apple’s ablity to have its chip, software, and industrial designers work together to limit unneeded power use.”
Apple Looks Overseas for iPhone Growth
May 5th
http://www.thestreet.com/story/10734846/apple-looks-overseas-for-iphone-growth.html
Mobile app developers tackle Africa’s biggest problems
May 4th
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/04/12/africa.apps/index.html
Turning Limitations into Opportunities: Designing Mobile
May 4th
http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2010/03/designing-mobile-search-turning-limitations-into-opportunities.php
Including: 1) The difficulty of typing 2) the small amount of screen real estate 3) awkward touch controls 4) the fat finger problem
Even though we, as a class, went into scenarios, interviews, design studies, testing on classmates, thinking about the environment and limitations.. it is still a good idea to review the basics of the mobile device regardless of the time, place or user.. just the device on it’s own.
Very interesting, especially after I have finished the “first iteration” makes me think about the last comment made by t-mobile.. we do just need to step back.
Not quite dead.
May 4th
Mobile Power Source: nPower PEG
May 3rd
This doesn’t necessarily deal with mobile application design directly, however it offers affordances to design for applications to be used in rural areas. It solves a problem we as designers like to ignore, about how useful something can be based on power accessibility. This device uses kinetic energy to charge mobile phones, gps, camera, etc.
Skinput
May 3rd
As designers one of our responsibilities is to appropriate technology. This is great technology that gives designers another surface for design. Watch the video at the bottom of the article.
http://www.gizmag.com/skinput-body-touchscreen-keypad/14408/
iPad Helps 99 year old read and write again
Apr 29th
This is pretty awesome. I’ve been so focused on mobile service design for young kids, that I haven’t even thought about the elderly.
Website, “iSites,” is taking the guesswork out of iPhone and Android application development
Apr 29th
Create Your Own iPhone or Android App in Minutes With iSites
Creating a self-branded iPhone or Android app just got a lot more accessible.
iSites, a new service launching today, allows you to take your website’s RSS feed and data and quickly transform it into a full-fledged iPhone app. It was created by Genwi, a service that combines aspects of RSS reader, social network and news filter (read our review here).
The product is very straightforward: For just $25, iSites will create a customized iPhone and Android
app for you (note: android apps will publish starting in February). The first step is to add some of your feeds. The primary one should be your blog or an RSS feed, but you can also add your Twitter, Flickr
, YouTube, Posterous, Tumblr and other social feeds into your app.
After you’ve added your feeds, you can then customize the app’s look and feel. The header image, colors and menu are all customizable. Once you have that information, along with app store information such as your icon and your store banner, you just have to click a button to publish your app onto the iPhone and Android app stores.
Want to monetize your app? That’s no problem, either: For $99, you can integrate your app with AdMobadvertising. That’s a pretty good deal, especially if you expect to get a fair number of downloads and uses.
Mike Elgan: Why iPad is the ‘Children’s Toy of the Year’
Apr 29th
Parents
Parents are always looking for electronic babysitters to pacify their kids so they can do something else — drive, for example, or make dinner.
Naysayers in my Buzz group say parents won’t shell out $500 for a children’s toy. Here’s my response: Wanna bet? An entire industry has sprung up around DVD players in cars that are just for kids. How much do those cost? Besides, an iPad isn’t a toy. It’s a toy chest full of toys.
An iPad is an ideal kid pacifier. For starters, parent-selected children’s apps for the iPad are likely to be more educational than TV. As a replacement or substitute for in-car entertainment for kids, iPads are better because kids can change the app. The parent doesn’t have to put everyone’s lives at risk trying to swap DVDs.
Parents will believe, and correctly, that using an iPad will better prepare their children for the future than watching TV.