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Hardware is going to be interesting again
This interactive LED coffee table looks fun! And it got me thinking about computer hardware.
There seems to be a recent increase in interesting computing-related hardware: tablet PCs, multitouch screens on phones, and Microsoft’s concept tabletop “Surface” PC.
We human creatures like to interact with our surroundings. We want to affect change, to make our mark; in large (cities) and small (graffiti) ways. Touch technology looks like making technology interesting again to interact with.
Let’s face it; input devices have been pretty limited and boring to date. We have mainly had buttons, rolling wheels, and rolling balls (using a LED or laser instead of an actual ball is still promulgating this rolling ball concept). Laptops have more recently brought us touchpads (slide/stroke) and trackpoints (finger-push/pull). Pen-based devices like graphics tablets and tablet PCs are still not widely used.
With cameras, microphones, fingerprint readers and accelerometers making their way into …
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Management intentions show through
See this Sydney Morning Herald story on how CityRail transit officers don’t actually have the authority to issue valid tickets.
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Taglines and names
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And I do recommend following the link to 37signals.
Thanks to Stil.
Stupid street signage
Here’s another example of design done in piecemeal isolation; divorced from the wider context of its application, the environment in which it is deployed. The design in question is the …