FINAL PROJECT

Again, I put my PDF in Google docs, as I am not sure how to upload one onto blogger. Enjoy!

Here it is!

Kinetic Dress

This dress is from a company called 'Cute Circuit' that has a whole line of different wearables. This dress in particular senses the bodies energy and displays it on the outside of the dress in the form of those glowing blue circles. So essentially, the whole dress is like a mood ring. Definitely a cool idea, but it might get you in trouble in some social situations. For example, while trying to kiss up to the boss you don't like at a dinner party. You look happy, but your dress says otherwise. Oops!

On the Subject of the Future...

Here is a funny video I made for Collaboration and Spontaneity. In the video I am actually pretending to be an interactive (travel) agent.

The Future of Interactive Design VS. Our Future in General!

While reading the last chapter of Dan Saffer’s book Designing for Interaction, I couldn’t help but get excited, while simultaneously getting the heebie-jeebies.
When reading about interactive agents, and spimes, I am excited about the possibilities these new advances hold for us as a culture. Particularly for me, someone who has an interest in computers, and now a growing interest in design, the idea being able to learn how to make something such as the “hug shirt” mentioned in the book, makes me kind of giddy with excitement.
Despite my eagerness to learn and push forth into the world of technological advancement, there is still underlying fear that I can’t seem to shake, and I am sure I am not alone in this. I really enjoy my privacy. I also really enjoy being able to do things for myself sometimes. As much as I am excited to see what the future will look like, I am a little bit worried that it will look something like I Robot, or even worse, The Matrix.
It’s not so much that I have a lot to hide, but today’s world already does a good enough job of making me an anxious person. I can’t imagine how I would feel if someone I didn’t like were able to know where I was at every second of every day because of spimes. I can only hope that going forward, the designers on the forefront of this technology do their absolute best to ensure privacy and identity safety.
I don’t really believe in God, but I do however believe that the act of ‘playing god’ is never a good thing. Take Rome for example. It’s true that there are many reasons why Rome fell, but the key reason is that Rome, essentially, got a big head. Even though the Empire was huge and the most powerful in the world at its time, that couldn’t just be enough. They wanted more! So they pushed forth, but eventually there was a tipping point, and Rome fell. I know my analogy is somewhat out there, but think about it. Technological advancements will keep happening until…? You fill in the blank.

The Apple Magic Mouse!

For a change today I decided that I would showcase an interface that I am actually really excited about. There is a good chance that you have already heard of this new device, but just in case you haven't, meet the new 'Magic Mouse' from Apple.

The ‘Magic Mouse’ is a seamless multi-touch surface mouse that allows the user to customize the mouse to better suite their needs. So you can right and left click anywhere you want on the mouse (you set the parameters). It also affords users the new possibility of 360 scrolling, screen zooming and two finger swiping, all done from your mouse!

Normally I try to find interfaces that are somewhat more obscure to keep things interesting, but when reading the 'Crafting' section of Malcolm McCullough's book Digital Ground, I was immediately reminded of the Magic Mouse.

"Physical computing increases the potential of digital craft. Haptic interaction devices promise to restore touch to work in ways that the crude mouse only begins to hint at.” – Digital Ground

A friend of mine who does a lot of 3D modeling and photo retouching on his computer recently bought this mouse because he was excited about potentially making the act of digitally crafting something easier. He has since reported to me that this new mouse is much like using the iPhone, which is cool, but doesn’t necessarily make 3D model generating any easier.

I think that when people talk about haptic interaction devices they are referring to making digital devices that allow your hands to function as they normally would therefore making the act of digital manipulation seem more realistic. That being said, it is clear that Apple hasn’t quite gotten to the point of fully restoring touch to digital crafting. However, this is the first reiteration of the mouse that I have seen in a long time that seems to actually be trying to bridge the gap between the experience of touching something in the analogue world, and touching something in the digital world.

Interpersonal Connection VS Segregational Technology

While reading the 'Situated Types' chapter in Malcolm McCulloughs book Digital Ground, I found myself often thinking back to a time when I didn't have a cell phone and when the Internet wasn't available to me. This was a much simpler time. Granted I was much younger so of course things were simpler, but in trying to compare the way I felt then to the way I feel now there is one glaring theme that worries me; I used to be much less socially awkward. I would call people instead of texting. I would have face-to-face conversations instead of emailing. Most importantly I would spend more time trying to plan actual social gatherings instead of socializing with all of my friends online.

This isn't to say that I fear technological advancements and that I want us all to go back to the way it used to be before the Internet and cell phones infiltrated our lives. I think that we should continue to advance. It is my personal hope however, that in going forward the technology will work to enhance social interaction instead of hinder it.

I think that these worries of a technology-formed social retardation are what made me so interested in the section of the article entitled 'On the Town', more specifically the subsections about gathering, cruising, and belonging. In an attempt to combine the key points of all three of these subsections, allow me to illustrate an imagined situation, one in which new forms of physical pervasive computing have allowed me to reach out to my friends and strangers without even really needing to think about it (as thinking about it tends to lead to second guessing in my book.)

I am at school. I have been hard at work creating something for my physical computing class and I have decided that its time to call it a night and go get something to eat. This new fancy wearable computer device senses that I am hungry by sampling the sweat on my skin (or something scientific like that). It also hears me say that I am going to Dos Segundos to get a burrito. This wearable computer then sends a signal to my iPhone, and then my iPhone knows to text all of those on my favorites list and tell them where I am going and the directions of how to get there.

After receiving a text that one of my friends is on her way to meet me, I get to the restaurant and decide to wait at the bar because she has not arrived yet. Lets assume it is also a busy Friday night and there are lots of other people sitting by themselves at the bar feeling awkward like me. Not to fear however, because my handy-dandy wearable device (which has been pre-programmed with a list of my interests) has alerted me that the man sitting next to me is also really into the band Rilo Kiley. Both of our computers (I’m imagining it to be some kind of wristband) buzz and light up, alerting us both that are computers have tagged us as potential friends. The visible and auditory feedback that has already been initiated by our computers acts as a conversation starter, therefore making it even less awkward to start up a conversation!

Eventually my friend arrives, which I am alerted to by an automatic text sent to me from her cell phone when she reached the address of the restaurant. Thankfully though my cell phone only vibrates, and does not sound off and interrupt my conversation, as all restaurants have been installed with computers that automatically silence your personal devices upon entering the building. I am then casually able to interrupt the conversation by saying that my friend has arrived (it's more polite than checking your phone every 5 minutes for a text). She walks up to us, and her wearable computer lets my knew friend know that her and him both have an interest in Dadaist art, so we decide to invite our new friend to eat dinner with us.

Afterwards we all easily exchange numbers by bumping wristbands. The wristbands then add the numbers to our respective cell phones and any other peripheral devices we have assigned to it (personal computers, palm pilots, etc.).

As my old friend and I walk out of the restaurant, we comment on how happy we our that our wearable computers alerted us about the friendship potential of this person because we probably wouldn’t have normally pegged him as our type since he was wearing a fancy suite which made him seem like he might be of a higher social caliber.

So, this example maybe somewhat far fetched, but then again maybe not. It is hard to say where this world will be 10 years from now. I do hope that people realize that technology as a whole should be geared towards interpersonal interaction, otherwise I fear that one day we will become so detached from one another that we will all become cold emotionless beings. I can only imagine the horrible state of world affairs if that were to actually happen. No one feeling like they needed anyone else. That would be a nightmare.

Software Redesign

I apologize because I know that this isn't the optimal way to view the file, but I couldn't upload the PDF file directly to this blog, so I put it in Google Docs. You can either view it from there (although the images do not show up well), or you can download it. If there is a better way I could have gone about this please let me know and I will do so.

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0ByWTB_QzNHxqNzVkNjVjMjgtNGJkZi00ZTVlLTkyNDAtNGM1Nzg1N2RiNjlj&hl=en

There's the link to my fantastic presentation! Enjoy!