You can sometimes view prototypes videos like this OmniTouch demo and on the surface think they’re just pretty cool, but when you actually take the time to watch it a number of times it makes you sit up and question what this will eventually lead to?
The level of intereactivity and accuracy they have already achieved within a first generation prototype is pretty incredible. OmniTouch provides capabilities similar to that of a mouse or touchscreen. It is a wearable depth-sensing and projection system that enables interactive multitouch applications on everyday surfaces. It is now conceivable that anything you can do on today’s mobile devices, you could do in the palm of your hand.
The hardware is large at present but over the last decade we have all been witness to the incredible advancements in reducing the physical size of mobile phones and batteries whilst at the same time as they are required to perform more and more demanding tasks.
This is a great insight into what is being developed outside of the mainstream desktop and tablet platforms and it’s conceivable in the future that you could browse the web, read your favourite books, play your favourite games, socialise with friends and use your favourite apps without the need for any bulky hardware. We’d all look a bit weird on the tube though!
I do like the private & public viewing modes.
Will this take off? Time may tell…
I have just been watching this demo of the new Windows 8 OS. Very, very interesting indeed!
This is a momentous departure from what we regard (and are familiar with) as a standard OS and really shows the influence of visual gesture driven multi touch interfaces and mobile platforms.
I can now see why Microsoft put out the press release earlier on in the year saying they were going to run the next generation OS on mobile chip technology.
It will be interesting to compare Windows 8 with Apple Lion when it is released this summer. As we know from the limited press releases they are taking their best thinking from the iPad and bringing it all to the Mac.
As I have stated in previous posts I along with most of the industry are working on research and future thought pieces on the development of mobile platform devices, the future of apps & websites, Transmedia thinking, human behaviour patterns etc. These are very exciting times for all things digital.
Lots of what I have been predicting and talking to various people about is now starting to fall into place. So it’s nice to know I don’t talk bollocks all the time!
It’s time to start designing and building your websites based on evidence, not false beliefs!
Is your client concerned about what’s above the page fold?, do users scroll?, Is Flash really evil?, if it works for Amazon it must be the right solution?
If your constantly hit with challenging questions by clients, you need to up your knowledge on user experience or just love to show off your knowledge of the internet with friends and family then UX Myths is a fountain of knowledge.
If your a professional you will still find some little gems of information in here. Make yourself a nice coffee leave your preconceptions behind for once and read with an open mind. Backed up by lots of research and articles from the likes of Jakob Nielsen and Seth Godin.
I have been doing some research for a client brand workshop and have come across some really insightful information that I am going to have to post up including this handy little graph on screen resolution saturation.
Until a couple of years ago screen resolution used to be a huge factor when talking to clients about website design. There was a period of shift over a number of years from 600×800 to 1024×768, and trying to convince clients to make the jump to the larger resolution was like trying to get blood out of stone.
Providing multiple designs over two formats, illustrating cut-off points, explaining grids, trying to explain benefits of static versus fluid templates, text re-sizing blah, blah, blah. This was not only time consuming but soul destroying. Oh how we laughed and cried behind the scenes…
With 57% of screens now above 1024×768 could we be swiftly approaching the next jump up to 1280 or even 1680?
So what does make good information design? Well David McCandless has been pondering over this whilst enjoying a nice cup of tea. Everyone from UE’s, IA’s, designers etc etc will have a different opinion on this one but at least he’s had a stab at giving it some structure.
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The digital ramblings of John Randle, who
is Head of Design at a digital marketing agency based in London, UK.
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