Interactive Communication 2 at OCAD

Kereesa's Online Portfolio

2006-04-13T16:52:00.000-07:00

Here it is! The start of something beautiful.
It was really challenging for me to make this, but I like the result, and will continue to work on my site as my collection grows. I want this to be a reflection of me, a peek of who I am.

- Kereesa

Herman's Sketchbook

2006-04-13T12:38:00.000-07:00

2006-04-13T09:43:00.000-07:00

www.student.ocad.on.ca/~kjackman-russell

Sorry, my images aren't loading. :(

Short Internships with the Mobile Ditigal Commons Network

2006-04-13T09:41:00.000-07:00

OCAD+Concordia Mobile Digital Commons Network
> > Short Internship (May 25-29 and June 15-18)*

Students and recent graduates are invited to submit applications for short internships during the months of May and June of this year. The
internships will consist of two intensive 4-day workshops held at
Concordia University (May 25-29) in Montreal and at OCAD (June 15-18) in Toronto.
> >
Applicants will have the opportunity to work in a leading-edge mobile
prototyping environment; work with a team of multi-disciplinary
researchers; gain experience in research methodologies in an accredited
national research project; travel to Montreal.
> >
The Mobile Digital Commons Network is a collaborative research project
headed by the Banff New Media Institute, Concordia University and the
Ontario College of Art and Design. The MDCN connects researchers, the arts and industry focused on mobile, wireless, digital technologies in Canada.
> >
Successful applicants will have experience working in collaborative
environments on art and/or design projects. Knowledge of image design research, interface design and/or video editing software and equipment is desirable. Familiarity with HTML, XML or other internet languages is an asset.
> >
Please submit a brief letter of interest and an updated resume to OCAD
Human Resources by May 1. In your letter of interest please state you
availability to travel to Montreal on May 25 to 29. Also please state
whether you will be able to host a student from Montreal during the second 4-day workshop in Toronto.
> >
If you have any questions please contact Patricio Davila, MDCN Project
Coordinator at 416-977-6000 x495 or pdavila@mdcn.ocad.ca.

Vanillaish

2006-04-13T09:33:00.000-07:00

Vinylguard Window & Door Systems Ltd

2006-04-13T09:29:00.000-07:00

I brought in an existing client for my final project, which is Vinylguard Window & Door Systems Ltd. As a teenager I spent my summers working at this company manufacturing windows and doors, and for as long as I've known, they haven't had an online presence. I approached them about a website early last summer, but since it was busy season for them, they didn't have time for me. Around Christmas time I got a phone call back from them, and they were ready to begin. However, this didn't start until late February (the 24th to be exact.)

The company is owned by two brothers, each of which are in their early 60s. Due to this, a lot of the ideas and concepts I proposed were turned down for a safer, flatter approach. The end result is still forthcoming, as some of the technical information (such as content and distributor information) hasn't been submitted to me yet. However, the pages with missing information have been layed out and prepared as if they were finished.

The (Un)Official Movie Site for "The Inheritance"

2006-04-13T09:28:00.000-07:00

here it is folks..

Construct.Phagian.com

2006-04-13T09:23:00.000-07:00

SNAP MUSIC INC

2006-04-13T07:16:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, if you want, check out the site in thus far for my client SNAP MUSIC INC. They are a music productions company, the site is pretty much done, except i'm waitinf for all the real body copy + the most of their audio/video reels, a 1/4 of thier work is posted to check out thus far.

Thanks, drew

here's the link if it dosen't work above:
www.switchstorage.com/snapmusic

The Toronto Game

2006-04-06T06:14:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Game is going to be a plot-based competition between teams to solve a series of puzzles that are based on the landscape and geography of Toronto. The organizers aim to make it fun, challenging, and intense. They plan to keep the game accessible to players of all skill levels, and also aim to provide participants with a very memorable experience.

For those of you familiar with ARGs and Puzzle Hunts, the Toronto Game is something similar. The primary distinguishing factors of this game are the emphasis on exploring public spaces, and the goal of accommodating casual players.
http://www.torgame.com/

Lecture on User-Centred Design

2006-04-06T05:53:00.000-07:00

The Human Face of Research - Brenda Laurel
will be giving a lecture on Thursday, April 6, 2006 6:30 pm in the auditorium as part of the President's lecture series.

She will talk about an investigation into new approaches to design research, with an emphasis on human-centred design research, set within the context of the emerging needs, technologies and forms of the 21st century.

Highly recommended!

beyond exhaustion

2006-03-20T11:15:00.001-08:00

hi everyone! thought i'd post a little update on our class blog especially since today was the first shoot date for the film. the starting date kept getting pushed back so it sucks that i have to leave in a week when the shoot has just begun! i think i'm gonna miss seeing all the prothetics and special effects. boo. anyways, its 3:15am here and i just got home from the shoot which started at 7AM. i can't believe i'm still alive. the shoot tomorrow starts at 9am in a location that's 2 hours from where i'm staying, but luckily since i'm not one of the cast or crew, i'm thinking i'll make my way down there around 10am. I NEED SLEEP but i'm so wired right now i figured i'd type for a little while. the first location today was at an unbelievably gorgeous, enormous ancestral home that was built in the traditional spanish/filipino colonial style. i took photos all day but i'm too tired to upload them today so i'll post them soon. we were at the house until about 8pm, then went over to the cemetary (!) for the night shoot. i had to go to the washroom at one point and to get there i had to walk all the way down and around a pathway along a stone wall which i discovered later on were actually crypts! scary.

the crew for this film is MASSIVE. i've worked on TV, short film and music video shoots before but never a full-length film so it was crazy walking on set and seeing swarms of people everywhere. one of the things i love about film sets is meeting so many people throughout the endless hours that you find yourselves stuck together....and the cast and crew ( i mostly spent my time around the crew ) on this set are fantastic. there were about 2 or 3 other photographers so one of the things i had to do was let them know what photos i specifically need for the film's print material and website down to the composition and angle. the director has a very specific idea about how he wants the film's main image to look and making it work really all depends on the right photographs.

i've been having meetings with the web team that i'm working with, all of which have concentrated mainly on organizing who needs to gather what content for the site. this includes photos (0f course), cast and crew bios, storyboard panels, etc... it has been disorienting walking into a boardroom and realizing that everyone has been waiting for me to begin the meeting. i'm definitely not used to people taking notes as i talk either. i start feeling really nervous about not being capable of this job i've been assigned to do but its silly for me to let that insecurity get in the way of this amazing challenge. but its definitely a challenge... gathering content has taken much longer than i expected: photos of course couldn't be taken until the shoot started, a chunk of the cast/crew bios are floating around with one of the production assistants that hasn't emailed them to me yet, i don't know where the heck the scans of the storyboard panels and creature designs are and the central focus of the film's main image has yet to be created by the film's art director (i only asked him to make it today cuz i didn't realize they didn't have one made already!) hopefully everything comes together soon however cuz i leave in a week and everything from then on has to be communicated over the internet. my eyelids are feeling mighty heavy now so that's all for now. hope you are all well!

ps. check my other blog to see photos of today's shoot. i should have them up tomorrow (provided that the next location has wireless...but somehow i doubt that.)

Virus RFIDs

2006-03-17T07:37:00.000-08:00

News from CNN, it seems that RFIDs can carry viruses, meaning it can do all kinds of nasty stuff.
Will this herald a balance to the internet of things?
Check it out.

Noisy

2006-03-16T07:14:00.000-08:00

Hi guys, just wanted to share a project from another class with you all.

It's a book where people have to collaborate to write, there are three stories in it right now, each time someone updates, everyone on that story's cellphone list will get the update as a SMS text message.

Have fun.

my blog

2006-03-12T00:27:00.000-08:00

hey guys, i'm here in the philippines and decided to start a blog about the whole experience. if you wanna check it out, its: http://inheritedadventures.blogspot.com

New Long-distance lover's cup!

2006-03-09T22:16:00.000-08:00

Jackie Lee and Hyemin Chung of MIT Media Lab have a great project called Lover’s Cups, a wireless-enabled pair of drinking glasses. Each cup can tell when someone is drinking from the other; when both are being used they glow to “celebrate this virtual kiss”.

An Interactive Entertainment Agency

2006-02-26T22:27:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

I thought this was a pretty sweet website...and they are an "interactive" entertainment agency. They call themselves, "Crash Media" and the site is http://www.crashmedia.com/ check it out!

MarkitCart

2006-02-23T10:15:00.001-08:00

The new Markitcart is the Volkswagon Beatle of shopping carts. It is set to replace the age old ugly birdcage carts. It will allow for better control; with smooth handling and gliding wheels that'll have you zipping between isles with fun and ease.

It is equiped with RFID scanning technology which will allow the carts contents to be scanned almost instantle at checkout.

The side panels allow oppurtunities for advertisers to fancy up the cart with posters and advertisements.

The MarkitCart is currently being backed up by major sponsors. Expect to see and use it at your local supermarket soon.

Multi-touch Tablet Screen Video

2006-02-23T10:15:00.000-08:00

Here's the video!

Multi-touch Tablet Screen

2006-02-23T09:33:00.000-08:00

Apple’s got a touchscreen patent documentation. The documentation appears to show a tablet-esque device that used a possible multiple-touch feature. Now a project has emerged that demonstrates possibly a similar multi-touch system. Is this a clue to how Apple’s tablet will operate?

This multi-touch tablet is a project designed by some folk at NYU. Their system is far more advanced than any other tablet systems we have currently seen. It allows you to use multiple fingers on the screen an even supports laying on of hands as well as gestures straight out of Minority Report.

Some say that the next ipod will be a touch screen trackpad! The ipod is always evolving!

The Bugatti Veyron — A technological advancement

2006-02-23T00:08:00.000-08:00

I'm not the worlds greatest car fanatic, nor do I care much about customized cars or racing cars. However, the Bugatti Veyron will interest you if you have even as much interest in cars that I do (and thats not saying much.) Typically, performance cars are compared on a few distinct levels: horsepower, fastest top speed, fastest acceleration and most expensive car. There are many cars which might satisfy a few of these categories... until now. The Bugatti Veyron leads each of these categores, as of its late January 2006 European release.

It contains a W-16 engine that can produce 1,001 horse power ... top speed of 250+ miles per hour (400+ kilometers per hour) ... zero-to-60 time of three seconds, and a price tag somewhere in the $1.2 million range. Is this car practical? Not in the slightest. If you were going to spend over a million dollars on a vehicle, I doubt you're going to drive it to work on the Don Valley Parkway during rush hour. And when will you ever have the chance to drive at 400 kilometers per hour? Furthermore... this beast burns about 1.33 gallons (5 liters) of gasoline per minute. If you drove the Bugatti Veyron with a standard 50 litre tank, it would be empty in 10 minutes.

However, this vehicle is still extremely advanced. It has more than doubled any of the previous record highs, and its breakthrough technology when it comes to aerodynamics, tires, filtration, and engine power is sure to bring on some type of positive result in the future. Afterall, this car has half the power of an airplane, and its not even 5% the size.

ELF - electronic life form

2006-02-17T19:57:00.000-08:00

Life - we live it everyday, every breathe we take, every time we blink, every thought we have, but what exactly is it? What is it made out of and how do we really define it?

Does life really have to be organic or can it be replaced by electronic parts? The idea of sentience is assumed in many ways, humans on a whole think themselves to be superior to everything else on earth, we pretty much play god with every other species on this planet - and play god we do, creating life - it is genetically coded into our bodies from the day we are born. We seek to reproduce and continue on our legacy on this world, but how can we go about that? How many way CAN we go about that? Elf is a project challenges what is simply electronics and what is life, attempting to reach towards the goal of achieve cybernetic sentience, it is far from it, but it is the first step.

Robots still do not have the abilities, science and fiction promised us. Therefore our work is focussed on very simple life approaching systems. 'Elfs' are small mechanical systems powered by solar energy that behave as natural living systems in many aspects. The immediate compassion for these life forms is an amazing experience, even though their abilities are very limited.

A description of the Elf project from their site:

'Elf' is a two-part installation developed in the context of the research project 'electronic-life-forms' by Pascal Glissmann and Martina Höfflin. On one hand, the 'elfs' are documented in their natural habitat, and the fading contrast of electronics and nature gives the scenario a surprising common impression. On the other hand, the imprisonment of these life forms in Weck-Preserving-Glasses reminds one of childhood adventures, exploring and discovering the world around us. The light-sensitive 'elfs' desperately use their chaotic sounds and noisy movements to call the attention of the outside world.

HOW THE IPOD HAS CHANGED OUR MEDIA

2006-02-10T19:33:00.000-08:00

The ipod video has changed the lives from every single media user since ht year 2000. Although MP3 players where devloped in the late 90's, the Apple's ipod has cae under our radar as somthing we can take for granted, but over the last 5 years apple as suessfully intergrated the ipod into our lives, from music media to video and television. Take for instance, since the launch of the video iPod, owners have been able to download commercial-free television shows from iTunes, causing advertisers to worry that they are losing potential audiences.

This shows the amazing impact that this little unit has taken over our consumer lives. According to the Wall Street Journal, "some companies are attaching recycled TV spots to the beginning of video files, or podcasts, that can be downloaded from popular Web sites. "Others are creating new, subtler pitches to bracket shows attractive to their target audiences. And still others are creating their own podcasts that blur the line between entertainment and advertisement in hopes of enticing people to watch the commercials for their own sake,". This attached to the concept of mobile entertainment have pushed portable media to a new level. "People can order up entertainment choices like they order up dinner," states Nintendo's vice president of marketing, Perrin Kaplan. "Consumers today have so many choices."

These are the choices that the ipod gives us, but also a grave addication. I've worked retail for the past 7 years of my life, and over the past 4 years working at Bestbuy and Futureshop, I've seen it and explained it to many consumers, how the ipod has really intergrated into our lives. And not just the idea of portable media, but also that idea attached to the concept of portable media, that we can attach to computer, monitors, tv's, lcd's and plasma tvs. This means that we can download televeion (now with commercials atached or not) or movies or other media and move it from out computers, to our ipod or portable devices, bring it to our cars to our tvs and big screens. This opens so many new facets of free media and commercial media alike.

This may not seem as revoultionary, but it has affected out daily lives more then we think, it's especially easy to see when we take a look at the differance it has made over 5 years, and also how the majority of parents don't understand why it is becoming such an nessecity to thier children and others. These are just examples of how the ipod and other similar devices have intergrated media intoour lives.

I've also attached a article and some pictures showing what ipod video MAY be coming up with soon in the future:

--------------------- BELOW IS COPIED FROM ANOTHER ARTICLE -------------------------

It's essentially what everyone's expected and speculated by this point (us included), but ThinkSecret's latest iPod rumor plays into everyone's hopes that Apple's got a proper video iPod in development. According to TS, they can confirm that Apple's next device will have a 3.5-inch display (the current 5G iPod has a 2.5-incher) and will shed the clickwheel entirely for a virtual UI with input via a touchscreen. We know they've got their Mac tablet patents together on this kind of tech and have presumably been doing the dev work to make it happen (their last patent specifically showed an iPod-like virtual clickwheel touch interface in spec). Will this strange new device support Portal Player's new all singing all dancing WiFi / Bluetooth A2DP chipset for the killer 6G video iPod everyone's been hoping for? We can't say, sonny, but the rumor mill's tilt is that we could find out in late March or early April, when Apple celebrates its 30th birthday.

DIAGRAM FOR TEAM ACA YAY! WE ROCKK WOOT!

2006-02-09T09:58:00.000-08:00

nOTE...we are not the the canadaian auto association. LOL Here's the picture:

The Sony Paperless Reader

2006-02-08T15:10:00.000-08:00

So how does it work? The Sony Reader’s display uses E Ink - a significant improvement over CRT and LCD technology. Instead of rows of glowing cells, E Ink microcapsules actually appear as either black or white depending on a positive or negative charge determined by the content. The result is supposed to be a reading experience that’s similar to paper - high contrast, high resolution, viewable in direct sunlight and at a nearly 180-degree angle, Sony says it requires no power to maintain the clarity of the image. This product, which also involves a flexible product called electronic paper technology, provides clarity and high resolution for the print. The 6-inch screen is supposedly as easy to read in full daylight as indoors, and can be viewed from nearly any angle. I think that this sort of electronic readers could revolutionize the way that we design, produce, print, market, buy, archive and read the printed word. But don't go out and buy it yet (if you can find one) - Sony say there will be a colour version out soon!

What is the recent innovation that you think will make a difference to our lives? The effect of an innovation on society can be either positive or negative (this is the nature of an 'effect'). The interaction does not necessarily have to involve technology; it could be social, or systematic. The innovation should be contemporary; we are looking for news.

Post it here with a short explanation.

Link: http://products.sel.sony.com/pa/prs/index.html?DCMP=reader&HQS=showcase_reader

2006-02-01T09:52:00.000-08:00

Eyetap - Just up the street from OCAD, at 10 Kings College Road, Room 2001. This fantastic technology is being developed by James Fung, it's original architect with the help of the ePI Lab.
"The EyeTap is a device which "allows the eye itself to function as both a display and a camera". Eyetap devices measure the quantity of light in each of a large number of rays of light that converge into at least one eye of the wearer, and then resynthesize these same rays of light. Ideally, each ray of incoming light generates a colinear ray of synthetic light, in a properly-calibrated eyetap. The eyetap criteria define how well a practical embodiment matches this ideal condition. Eyetap devices are useful as electric eyeglasses for visual seeing aids."

Eyetap - Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyetap

Another step foward into the future of AR (augmented reality) technology, taken by canadian at The EyeTap Personal Imaging Lab (ePI Lab) run by the university of toronto proffessor Steve Mann. This technology as previously mentioned can be used as a seeing aid, augmenting the vision of people with color blindness, vision imparement too strong for conventional glasses. Eyetap is NOT a display though, it only captures what one sees and alters it, it cannot introduce new material. However, James Fung has greatly advanced the actual research to the use of an eyetap to display data (using the Reality Window Manager), which runs at around 100 frames per second (sadly, I couldn't find much information about this).

Like all new technology, the first thing considered is the military uses of this kind of technology - when properly configurated, it can switch between different kinds of sights, night vision, heat vision, motion detection. and of course acting as a AR HUD (heads up display).

This kind of technology can also make lifelong video capture possible, for further reading on Lifelong video capture (helpful for the narrative project, refer to a CyborgLog

2006-01-31T07:07:00.000-08:00

Here's a bit of Eye-candy for everyone that loves the most amusing tech-toys in the world.

The Optimus Keyboard, constructed out of OLEDs (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) The keyboard is part display.

"An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) is a thin-film light-emitting diode (LED) in which the emissive layer is an organic compound. OLED technology is intended primarily as picture elements in practical display devices. These devices promise to be much less costly to fabricate than traditional LCD displays. When the emissive electroluminescent layer is polymeric, varying amounts of OLEDs can be deposited in rows and columns on a screen using simple "printing" methods to create a graphical colour display, for use as television screens, computer displays, portable system screens, and in advertising and information board applications. OLED may also be used in lighting devices. OLEDs are available as distributed sources while the inorganic LEDs are point sources of light. Prior to standardization OLED technology was also referred to as OEL or Organic Electro-Luminescence."

Organic Light-emitting Diode, Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OLED

The fact that each key is part screen, means it can be any key, it can convert between the qwerty keyboard to the dworak keyboard to one customized for games or even convert into any language.

Further readings
http://www.artlebedev.com/portfolio/optimus/

Just murmurring about..

2006-01-26T08:11:00.000-08:00

379 Spadina. Grossman's Tavern, where famous Torontonian's meet and greet.

69 Nassau. formerly Pepper's Restaurant, where they serve drinks to underaged kiddies.

178 Baldwin. Where 7 rowdy siblings have a game of 'buck, buck, how many fingers up'

PICS FROM OUR TEAMS DOWNTOWN ADVENTURE

2006-01-25T07:28:00.000-08:00

HIRE A NEW DIGITAL ASSITANT

2006-01-24T12:11:00.000-08:00

Product Type.

The type of product that I have chosen for this project is a interactive device. The device is a Treo 650 developed by Palm. This device is a multi task product that makes uses of a Cell phone, Multi-Media Device and PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). The palm has two levels of interaction, being the physical buttons and the software interface, which consequently interact with each other.

What I like about the Treo 650.

The things I like most about the Treo 650 are the easy to use day timer and reminder system that keeps me connected and in touch, especially since I forget events, appointments and such on a regular basis. The next best thing that I loved about the Treo is the function of Bluetooth. Bluetooth is a wireless technology that allows for file transfer, and also allows external peripherals such as wireless headset or computer to attach to it.

What could be improved.

The Treo 650 has already improved most of its features from the last Treo however; there are always things that can be improved upon. The key items I would improve would be the initial navigations of the GUI software interface, (they are updating it to a Pocket PC for the Treo 700), include features such as built in wi-fi technology and lastly, increase the onboard memory so that the Rich Media is easy to use without having to purchase separate memory cards which stipulate the Rich Media features in the Treo.

Macintosh OS X (TIGER...roar!)

2006-01-12T12:47:00.000-08:00

1. What type of interactive product is it? This interactive form is an interface. It is the operating system for the Macintosh platform. I will be demonstrating specifically Mac OS 10.4.3 (Tiger)

2. Who is it for? Describe the audience? It is for a large audience. The audience varies from those that are very tech-savvy, to those that enjoy basic computer usage such as browsing the Internet. With this in mind, the age will largely diverge. However, the audience that is popularly known to be using Mac OS is those in the design industry.

3. What makes it suitable/attractive to that audience? Mac OS X (10.3 and later) is attractive to such a broad audience because of the nature of the OS system. The fashion under which the OS functions is rather intuitive and/or innate. The price of OS X is not very expensive either. It is less than the cost of (most) software that designers use, such as Adobe CS. The OS is readily available by an easy upgrade, online purchase, or in-store.

4. Describe the navigation. Is it intuitive, directed, mapped? Does it use semantics/symbols? As mentioned, OS X navigation is very intuitive. For example, the shortcuts for all the programs, disks and folders are neatly placed on the dock, which is right on the desktop. This can be personalized with which programs, files and disks you want, and where the dock should appear. Also, with the outbreak of iPods, the navigation of the screens and pages within OS X are very much based around the look of iTunes. This means that they all have the main selection menu or icons on the left hand side of the screen. This is divided and the user can navigate to the right of it. This consistency and mimicry is done in order to get Windows users used to Macintosh easier, since many people would have learned how to navigate on iTunes. The semantics also make sense because they are usually the logo of the program for example. Also the way or positioning of the menu is intuitive. The apple symbol is always there and is very intuitive.The symbols are bright, because Steve Jobs wanted something that would grab attention and “make you want to lick the screen!”

5. Consider the graphical user interface. What elements do you see? The look of the new OS is very 3D and futuristic looked, in comparison to past Mac OS and Windows. This can be seen in the design of the icons for example. The use of a GUI (Graphical User Interface) helps users understand how to navigate. The way that the icons look is an important part of it. For example, in order for someone to understand that the Startup Disk Hard Drive is where you would click in order to open the Hard drive, it would have to look like one. Mac OS X has made these icons 3D and sleek looking in order to help the viewer realize what the icon is. The apple menu is easy to recognize because it is an apple symbol, which everyone knows. The placement is also easy to find.

6. Consider the look and feel, do you think they were used appropriately? Why?
The look of Mac OS X is very futuristic yet very simple. Everything has a sleek element to it. This is very appropriate to the audience using it. This is especially appropriate to the design audience. Designers care about the way things look and function. This is because this is their job, and also because they are usually visual learners. Ease of navigation and aesthetic beauty are important to designers, and Mac OS X has aimed and hit it right on the money!

7. Is there rich media, such as audio/video/interactives?
Yes there are rich media audio interactives. For example, there is “Speech Recognition.” This allows you to operate many functions on your computer with your voice, if you choose to. In Mac OS Text Edit you can use the speech command, and have the entire file read out to you. This makes it very useful for editing papers, especially when it is read out by an unbiased voice such as the computer. There are also sounds when ejecting and trashing hard drives and files

8. What development tools were used to create it?
The development tools that were used to build OS X are on the same foundation of the past. The coding system for Mac is UNIX. This is another reason why Mac OS X is appealing to the audience it is. UNIX coding is difficult to hack into and therefore difficult to make viruses for. Also, since Macs are used by about 10 percent of computer users, it is not worth it for the hacker to create a virus, because, it wont be effecting a huge population, therefore they wont get high prestige.

9. What do you like the most about the chosen product?
My favourite part about Mac OS 10.4.3(the one I’m running on) are the Widgets! I could spend( and have) a whole day downloading and using them. This is another great thing about Macs. You can easily personalize everything. I like the Expose functions too because it easily allows me to get to my widgets, and it also makes navigating through windows a lot easier for me. In general, I love the way that I can save so much time and headaches because of the shortcuts on Mac OS X.

10. Is there anything that could be improved?
If I could improve anything, I would make Mac’s turn into a Window’s in order to use certain program, without having to by Virtual PC. In other words, I would make Virtual PC a part of the operating system. However, this is not necessarily in improvement to everyone, but rather a biased preference. Navigation wise, I couldn’t say I would improve necessarily anything, because OS X is so personable. Different options usually exist and just need to be turned on.
A common response on Macs that I get from non-Mac users however, is the ejection of a hard drive that is inserted. When ejecting it, non-Mac users find it uncomforting to send that hard drive to the trash bin to eject it. Perhaps this could be improved, but since his has been standard since the beginning of Macs, this is something people just have to get used to. It may not be intuitive for non-Mac users at first because of their conditioning, but thinking more about it, it makes sense. If you want to “throw something out” of the computer, it would come out via the trash bin. This is the only aspect that is maybe questionable in its intuitiveness.

PSP

2006-01-12T08:58:00.000-08:00

My interactive object is the almighty PlayStation Portable. The revolutionary new(ish) gaming device.

What I like about the PSP is the analog joystick. It is easy to use and allows for smooth and precise movement. I also like the wireless LAN feature that allows for wireless multi-player gaming, file transfer and Internet connection. What's best is that its USB connection is both PC and Mac compatible.

If I could improve anything, I would place the power switch at the top where the index finger can easily find. It would also more visible at the top. I would also put the analog stick higher up. This would make the affordance more natural and comfortable. (Right now, it just cramps up my thumb.

The Simpsons Complete Sixth Season

2006-01-12T08:56:00.000-08:00

Interactive Communication 2 at OCAD

Why I love it:

Being a Simpsons' fan, of course I'm going to love this DVD set, but since I have to be critical, I will talk in more detail. The design, even starting with the packaging, is direct and funny. The DVD cover is shaped in the likeliness of Homer Simpson, and can be spotted on the shelf from anywhere in the room. The actual interactive feature, when you pop it into your DVD player, starts off with an introduction that is exactly like the introduction to the regular everyday Simpsons program. Then, throughout the entire interactive session, it creates an atmosphere that true Simpsons’ fans can easily relate to and navigate by using symbols and situations that are easy to recognize.

Any improvments?

I love The Simpsons, but I think that there are a few things that could be improved on this DVD. Firstly, not everyone knows the various episodes by their proper name. Even though the characters show something that has to do with that particular episode, there should be the option to choose that character as well as choosing the episode name. Secondly, the deleted scene option can be changed. If one were watching an episode for the first time, they would have no idea when the deleted scene symbol ( the scissors) would pop up and most likely miss the chance to press “enter” on their remote to view it. This has happened to me many times, and it is frustrating to scroll back and try and catch it again. So maybe they can just have a deleted scenes reel of its own for each episode.
Other than that, I think the DVD is great. That’s why I chose it in the first place, isn’t it?

The Sony Reader

2006-01-12T07:50:00.000-08:00

Check out the new paperless Sony e-reader. This is a product that will revolutionize the way that we read and buy books. It is sure to have a major impact on education, libraries, consumer and professional reading and buying.

http://products.sel.sony.com/pa/PRS/

Negone

2006-01-12T06:32:00.000-08:00

1. What type of interactive product is it?

Negone is a game, but to say it is simply a game would be doing it injustice; Negone tries to bring a game into reality. Negone takes place at a site, converting buildings into a huge interactive arena, transforming it into a labyrinth. The company has scaled the magnitude of this interactive game. From small buildings that takes the user only 15minutes to run through to complexes the size of a hotel, each player would stay in the complex exactly like a hotel, the game lasts several days and is supplemented with an additional series of activities, both inside and outside the hotel. This interactive product is intended for gaming and also to bring together the community in participating in team puzzles.

2. Who is it for? Describe the target audience.

The target audience is for people of any class from the ages of 16-45. The reasoning for this, is that there is a certain amount of physical work involved. It is also geared towards people interested in the gaming community in hopes that they can pull them away from their computers and exercise for a change.

3. What is it about the design that makes it suitable or attractive to that audience?

Negone is that attractive because it provides an environment where one can physically and literally escape themselves, and become someone else more effective than any experience a computer or book can provide.

4. Describe the navigation.

Navigation through Negone would be directed, as you are running through a maze. No close ups of the actual user interface was released onto the internet for copywrite purposes. So I can only describe navigation in relation to how a person would navigate from one room to another.

5. Consider the graphical user interface. What elements do you see?

The user interface seems to be touch-screens with RFID readers.

6. Consider the look and feel – do you think that it is appropriate? Why?

Negone tries to mimic a very futuristic feel, which is appropriate with the types of technologies employed through the experience, the storylines it tries to cover. Having the setting fixed in the far off 31st century keeps it removed from reality, which allows the players to escape.

7. Is their rich media, such as audio, video, interactive? If so, are they used effectively?

I have no idea. They do not reveal what sort of audio or video that they use in this game.

8. What development tools do you think were used to create this product or site?

Due to the fact that a large portion of this game is virtual and governed by computers, a conceptual model of manipulating and navigating was probably utilized in it’s conception.

9. What do you like most about your chosen product or site?

The idea of a game brought into reality is a dream that many of us have had, an idea that many of us had tossed around in our youth.
A dream that rarely sees fruitions, but here is a company who’s sole purpose is to build these complexes for which we can escape ourselves. I respect these makers for their dedication towards a dream. And I just love games.

10. Is there anything that you think could be improved?

The way Negone is structured; there is a distinct lack of physical combat against robots or even player vs. player scenarios. I believe that the introduction of a either one of those will greatly increase the number of times that

My Interactive Object

2006-01-11T21:27:00.000-08:00

My interactive object of choice was a deck of Copag playing cards. The reason why I have chose this is because playing cards are a frequently used interactive means in my own personal life. They are used in my part-time job (as a card dealer) and for leisure. Things I love about these cards are:

1) They are 100% vinyl, which makes them hard to mark and bend. The worst thing about paper playing cards is that after a few shuffles, they get creased and bent at the corners, or the cards begin to split.
2) They are virtually unrippable. Unless you're using a sharp object, you cannot tear these cards.
3) They are washable. If they get dirty, you could practically throw them into the sink and give them a wash!
4) They have a different coated surface on each side of the card: On the back, they are more textured and harder to slide. This is very useful when you want to fan the cards out, or when you're playing a game that requires cards to be face up. On the front, it is much smoother and doesn't grip the table or felt. This is great for dealing out cards, as they wont stick to the surface or flip over easily.

There isn't much not to like about these cards. However, I have a few things in mind that could make the cards better:

1) The colour on the cards tend to bleed after excessive usage. These cards are meant to last a long, long time... but when they get to a certain point, the colours begin to fade and bleed. It's not a huge problem, but it could be improved.
2) Although they are inteded to be hard to bend, the cards will bend under medium pressure. To re-bend the card back into shape is very hard, and therefore leaves cards marked and defeats the purpose of a vinyl deck.

There are several alternatives, such as Kem, Gemaco, Bee and Bicycle, however Copag is by far my favorite brand of cards.

2006-01-11T19:14:00.000-08:00

My favourite interactive product is my digital cable remote and the program it controls. Why? Because it makes channel surfing easier, you dont' have to run through channels at high speed, you don't have to wait for the commercials to end to figure out what tv show is on, you can see what will be on hours from now, you get instant information about the program your watching so you know if it's a rerun or not. Pretty much it eliminates the TV guide, which was very hard to read anyways. You can search for certain tv programs and when they'll be on and at what time, you can set reminders so that you don't forget about your tv program when it comes on.

What I don't like, is how it looks, the remote itself doesnt' fit nicely into your hand, it's not bulky, but it doesn't fit the contours of your hand. The actual on screen format is kind of ugly, it looks like the table straight from the tv guide and i think they could make it a little prettier than that.

Interactive Device

2006-01-10T19:42:00.000-08:00

My favorite interactive device at the moment is my brand spankin' new Wacom Intuous 3 tablet. I had a smaller, much more basic model prior to receiving this one as a gift very recently and despite the fact that I haven't even come close to figuring out all its features, I've already been reaping the benefits. Some of the things I love about it so far are:
1. The fluidity of the pen's movement and the fact that the pen tip doesn't actually have to be touching the tablet inorder for you to navigate across the screen.
2. The programmable button on the side of the pen, conveniently located right under where your index finger would be, which can be programmed to activate any 2 actions from a given list. I've programmed mine to serve the same action as the right click on a mouse, and to bring up a popup menu which allows you to switch between "pen" and "mouse" mode
3. The fact that I can use the pen with my left-hand (I'm a lefty) and therefore gain more accurate movement than with a mouse, which I use with my right hand (thanks to right-handed conditioning)
4. The fact that both the mouse and the pen are battery-free and wireless.
5. The pen's pressure sensitivity which is fantastic when using it to draw in Photoshop

What I DON'T like so far:
1. The mouse doesn't seem to have the same fluidity as the pen
2. The programmable buttons on the tablet are too numerous to remember what they're there for. Maybe if each button had a little LED screen which would display its action depending on how the user programs them, then it would be easier to remember which button does what.

I have yet to actually pull out the user manual for this thing so I'm sure that once I've read up on all the things this device can do and how to go about doing it, I'll be even more happy about the fact that I have it!

My Favourite Interactive Device

2006-01-09T11:01:00.000-08:00

Seeing as we are all choosing our favourite interactive devices for the critique and presentation next week, I thought that I would give you a preview of mine - my apple wireless mouse. It doesn't have all those fancy features of some of the left & right click/roller wheel mice, but it is, in my opinion, the most well designed mouse on the market.

Why do I like it so much? 1) The affordance for my hand is perfect (in other words, it fits perfectly into my hand) and it is not only smooth, but light and comfortable to hold. 2) The glowing red LED on the underside gives me feedback, and tells me immediately that it is on and working for me. 3) It is easy to use - the bluetooth automatically twins with my Powerbook - and it is reliable - as long as the batteries are charged, it works everytime. 4) And my favourite thing about it is - it works through walls!

There are two things that I would improve. 1) The blue tooth connection and 2) the the fact that it uses batteries fairly quickly. The connection is lost and you have to re-twin if you turn off the mouse (time consuming and tedious); and I've already gone through one wireless mouse and am on to my second, because the bottom clip wears out with too much removing on and off for battery replacement.

But it is still the coolest, (if not the most fully-featured) mouse around.

This week, post a photo or photos of your interactive device on the blog, and a short paragraph of why you like it and what you would improve!

Welcome to our Interactive Communication 2 blog

2006-01-04T18:18:00.000-08:00

This web log will be the primary communication device for our class. We will use it for showing projects, commenting on each other's work, collaborating, and sharing ideas, tips and information.

This is your blog, and the more that you get involved and participate, the better it will be!