07.14.2010
Andrew Wirtanen /
Mobile /
New Technology /
Usability /
User Experience
I’d like to first say that I dislike Apple’s new ads that showcase their FaceTime feature. They feel cheap and are as painful to watch as a sitcom with poor acting. At the same time, I also think that they are brilliant.
FaceTime is one of Apple’s new features for iPhone 4 that supports video chatting with other iPhone 4 users (if you’re both using a Wi-Fi connection). The iPhone 4 has a new camera in the front so you can see who you are talking to (and they can see you). Get a tissue box ready and watch one of the ads:
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04.07.2010
Andrew Wirtanen /
Gestural Interfaces /
New Technology /
Usability /
User Research
This video is a reminder that there’s so much we can learn from watching others. This 2.5 year-old discovers a common problem that adults encounter: if you hold the iPad with your thumb on the screen, then you can’t use another finger to select an application on the home screen. The problem is that many people will find it natural to hold the iPad this way and now need to change their behavior to accommodate the device.
I am not sure whether Apple knew about this issue beforehand or not, but it demonstrates the importance of testing before release. Here’s a great quote I saw this morning on Twitter:
“A usability test is going to happen before or after you launch. The question is whether you want to be there or not.” - tsharon
Source: YouTube via Laughing Squid
01.25.2010
Alexander Hussain /
Graphic Design /
Interaction Design /
New Technology /
Web & Software
Our friends over at Prezi just released a new feature – Reusable Prezis. This new feature allows you to start with an existing presentation that was created by any member who chooses to share their work – you can keep the layout, keep the content, improve it, or just mix it up however you like. We are excited to say that our presentation for the TriUPA Design Challenge is one of the featured Prezis selected for the initial feature rollout. We can’t wait to see how you use it – please share our work with the rest of the world as you see fit and be sure to let us know if you find it helpful for any of your upcoming presentations.
For those of you who don’t know already, Prezi is a fun and unique alternative to PowerPoint. It does away with the concept of “slides” and has helped us find interesting ways to share the “big picture” during our presentations, especially when we are speaking in front of larger groups. It is a relatively new tool for our team, but we have found that it gives us a little edge that helps to set our work apart. We hope it will do the same for you!
01.14.2010
Miranda Capra /
Consumer Products /
Mobile /
New Technology
Note: This week we are reacting to CES 2010, which was last week in Las Vegas.
Zomm has created a keychain fob that’s a Bluetooth accessory for your phone. It pairs with your mobile phone, and then it beeps if it gets more than 50 yards away from your phone, to help you remember to take your phone with you. It also doubles as a personal alarm and way to talk to emergency personnel. The folks at CES also thought it was cool, they awarded it “The Best of Innovations” Award. This is a great example of design to avoid mistakes. For many of us it’s pretty difficult to leave home without keys because we have to lock the front door and start the car, but it’s much easier to forget your phone at home or on a table at a restaurant. With Zomm, as long as you have your keys, you’ll remember your phone. If you keep your phone in your purse it can help you remember both, but if you forget your keys too you’re completely stuck.
12.18.2009
Miranda Capra /
Consumer Products /
Gestural Interfaces /
New Technology /
Usability
Our friends at Amberlight have written a review of Apple’s Magic Mouse.
If you haven’t heard, the entire surface of the Magic Mouse is touch-sensitive, and the mouse supports several touch gestures for interacting with your computer. So head on over to our other blog, TouchThinking, and read all about it!
TouchThinking is a gestural interfaces blog that members of the International Usability Partners contribute to (including us, HumanCentric).
06.22.2009
Andrew Wirtanen /
Consumer Products /
Green Technology /
New Technology /
Trends
There are two big cellphone trends right now: touchscreen smartphones and dirt-cheap Earth-friendly cell phones. Both of these trends are great; one is pushing the limits of the mobile experience and the other is encouraging responsible manufacturing practices. Both are appealing, but generally the Earth-friendly phones do not have as many features and their user interfaces look like they were designed in the 90s.
My new iPhone 3GS was delivered to the office Friday (June 19th) around lunchtime. It’s shiny, has an internal compass, voice commands, video recording, and is very fast. But, it’s not perfect. After all, it doesn’t have a solar panel on the back of it like the Samsung Crest E1107. And, it isn’t 100% recyclable and made of recycled water bottles like the Motorola Renew W233.
That’s not to say that Apple is ignoring environmental issues. The iPhone 3GS has smaller packaging and doesn’t contain chemicals like mercury, arsenic, PVC, and BFR. The major environmental flaw of the iPhone is that the user cannot replace the battery. By not having a user-replaceable battery in iPhones or iPods, Apple is encouraging them to be thrown in the trash. In response to this concern, Apple started their iPod recycling program (which works with iPhones too).
It’s only a matter of time before recyclable smartphones made of recycled material hit the market. If the next iPhone has a solar panel, I’ll be first in line.
