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Using RFID tags to control iTunes and Adium

I’ve recently discovered the Touchatag system. Fred let me borrow his kit, and I’ve spent the last day trying it.

On this experiment, I’ve used my CDs to open specific playlists on the iTunes, and using a Rubik’s cube, I’ve controlled the play/pause, next/previous track commands on iTunes – each one of the cube’s face triggered a different command. Also, using a Mike Wazowski’s toy with an RFID tag attached to his feet, I’ve managed to open Adium (an instant messenger application for Mac), and with the same tag I could change my status between ‘available’ and ‘away’.

What I managed to do so far is not so complex, but gives us a taste of what could be an alternative way to interact with computers, using ordinary objects to trigger actions on the digital environment. One interesting thing about it is that we can create our own interfaces, using the objects that most seem “right” for us. No need to follow the logic and rules of others, we can decide what seems most logical to trigger an specific action.

Course on Pervasive Computing

Last month I went to Curitiba. I was invited to talk about Pervasive Computing for the students of the course on Interaction Design of Instituto Faber-Ludens.

Here is the presentation I’ve made for this class.

You can also see some of the ideas the students came up with during the class, about using RFID tags.

See other presentations of mine on Slideshare.

Article published in Portugal

I just had an article published on the third issue of The ‘Radical’ Designist: a Design Culture Journal (ThRAD), which is an on-line referred journal devoted to the publication of Design and Material Culture papers. It’s published by UNIDCOM/IADE´s (Unidade de Investigação em Design e Comunicação do Instituto de Artes Visuais Design e Marketing) department, in Portugal.

The article discusses the role of designers and users in the authorship of messages and products. It came from a discussion I’ve started during my PhD classes. Hope you like it!

You can read it online here, in the ‘articles’ section, or you can go to The Radical Designist’s website to download a PDF version (which is also available here, anyway).

Microsoft Surface: basic usability problems

I guess most of us are familiar with Microsoft Surface. It was very discussed when it appeared. But, at least here in Brasil, I’ve never seen one, and I don’t even know anybody who had used it. So, it’s hard to tell if it’s really as ‘cool’ as it seems.

This article by Gordon Miller reminds us how simple usability issues can be forgotten, even when we are talking about a huge company like Microsoft (hum…or maybe precisely because we are talking about MS?).

It reminds me also of a project in which I’ve been involved some years ago, that, among other things, aimed to grant access to computers for people with low income. One of the major concerns was about making the experience of using the computer as simple as possible, having in mind that for many users it could be the first time they ever would use a computer. This included even anticipating problems like “how do I turn this thing on?”, or “what is a ‘mouse’? how do I use it?”, “is the sound working?” etc. From turning on the computer to accessing the Internet and using a webmail, we tried to cover the whole points of using the computer. We conducted usability tests and had some interesting results. We printed a quick-guide, to help people to connect the components and turn on the computer, and to connect it to the Internet. And those were the times of dial-up access…

I’m not saying we had a huge success in all of these points. In fact, this was one of those long stories about how projects you’re involved with are taken from you, and I couldn’t see the results when the project finally got to the market. But it’s funny to see how basic usability issues can be forgotten, even when we’re talking about a product like Microsoft Surface.

This post from Gordon Miller is a fine example. If a group of smart guys, very familiar with technology, couldn’t find out how to turn the thing on, how Microsoft expect the regular customer will be able to do it?

RFID system used to track inmates in prison

Panopticon prison is finally a reality. TSI Prism system tracks inmates using RFID technology!

Touch: interaction with RFID and NFC

I’ve recently discovered the Touch research project. For those interested in pervasive computing, I strongly suggest to visit their website often.

Touch is a research project that investigates Near Field Communication (NFC), a technology that enables connections between mobile phones and physical things.

Microsoft Future Vision

This video is not exactly new, but just today I had a chance to watch it, and got very impressed. Not only because of the scenario Microsoft envision for the future, on how computational devices will be embedded in our surroundings. Many people have already described it, and there’s nothing new about it.

But one thing is to read about it, and to see some experimental projects that are going on – like the ones being carried on by MIT Media Lab, Microsoft Research, Nokia and other research centers. What this video presents is a very well staged and performed act, an inspiring vision of how it could be. Many interesting user interfaces, many interesting use cases. And of course, a very well directed movie!

This is what I call a nice presentation, one of those we should make when pitching a project. Of course, it’s not everyone who can afford such a production – certainly, M$ can! :-)