The picture above shows the difference between asking where someone is with an SMS and getting this information automatically with a location-based software such as Aka-Aki. This was a big debate few years ago. A more recent debate concerns the manual check-in versus automatic positioning with mob...
Mobile social software norms
An interesting news on the Foursquare newsblog is about the "cheater code", i.e. a way to catch users who check in from their couches to steal mayorships. Interestingly, it seemed to be one of the most requested feature by people. Of course, it's not that easy to implement and the solution that has...
RFID transitions
Istanbul's public transport system features an interesting aspect regarding "touch interfaces". Two validation solutions coexist in the form of: AKBIL (deployed in 1995): an electronic transit pass made of a small stainless steel button ("1-Wire Interface") on a plastic holder. Interestingly, fro...
Book proposal about joypad evolution
The game controller book project moves slowly but we tentatively wrote a draft of the book proposal that we intend to use. The provisional title is "The Joypad Continuum: tracing the evolution of game pad design" (by Nicolas Nova and Laurent Bolli). For the record, there's already some interest he...
Remote control analysis
An interesting diagram encountered in London at the 'ergonomics' exhibit (thanks Alexandre Burdin for the two pictures). The horizontal axis corresponds to the duration of use of a certain button, while the vertical axis is meant to represent the frequency of use. Doing this enable to discriminate...
A visit to the Rolex Learning Center (EPFL)
Some quick thoughts about the Rolex Learning Center that I visited yesterday afternoon at the Swiss Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). Designed by Sanaa, a japanese architecture firm, the building is an intriguing super large open space with a fairly low number of walls and partitions. T...
"you are here" updates
Recent encounters in London with other "you are here" signs". The first one is interesting because it also add a "walking time" limit through a circle: This other one is a bit old and intriguing as it does not use a textual "you are here" but replace it with an elegant pointing finger: Why do I b...
Impact! exhibition at the RCA
Spent two days at the RCA in London. A good opportunity to have some time to discuss with James Auger, Anthony Dunne and their class, give a talk to them and explore the "Impact!" exhibition. This exhibition is another highly interesting example of interdisciplinary collaborations between design an...
G.Basalla: The Evolution of Technology
George Basalla's book called "The Evolution of Technology" (Cambridge University Press, 1988) is another important resource for the game controller project. In this volume, the authors describes his theory of technological change based on the history of technology, economic history and anthropology...
Paris metro interactive map
On the most interesting "static" map I've ever seen is the "indicateur d'itinéraires" located on some of the metro station in Paris (this one is close to the entrance of Ligne 1 in Paris Gare de Lyon). You press the number of the metro station that you want to reach with the keyboard below and the...