Archive for the 'Tools & Technologies' Category

Apr 23, 2008

Tyler

Published by
Tyler Hellard

Topics
Tools & Technologies
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Stop Being a Hater and Learn to Love Twitter

In under two years, Twitter has gone from curious startup to one of the most talked about services on the web. Twitter’s ubiquity online has people abandoning their blogs for its simplicity and others deleting their Twitter accounts for the sake of their blogs and general productivity.

Despite this popularity there are still people who are either confused by or contemptuous towards Twitter. For the confused, there are dozens of places that can explain the basics, the best of which are Twitter in Plain English and Clive Thompson’s assessment of Twitter as a Social Sixth Sense. But what about all the haters?

I fell in love with Twitter at SXSW 2007. In the confines of the conference it was great. In Austin I could organize an impromptu lunch gathering with other SXSW attendees at a restaurant that came highly recommended by people who went there for lunch the previous day, all with a well-timed “thinking about grabbing some food” on Twitter. Once I returned to Calgary I made fewer and fewer updates, sometimes going a couple days between posts. Then it occurred to me: Twitter wasn’t offering me any value. I was following people I didn’t care about and had followers who didn’t care about me. We were “friends” in name alone. So I purged my list and set some new rules to get more out of my experience.

6 Steps to better twittering, tweeting or whatever …

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Apr 18, 2008

Cory Brunsel

Published by
Cory Brunsel

Topics
Emerging Technology, Global Implications and Tools & Technologies
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Scan Me!!!

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What is this?

This is an EZ code – which is one of the many types of 2D barcodes currently available to mobile users. The EZ code format was designed by ScanBuy and mobile solution provider. This EZ code contains a link to a special article on the topic.

What do I do?

First of all you’ll need a mobile device, equipped with camera that supports this activity. Next you’ll fall into one of 3 categories:

1) You may be lucky enough to already own a new device that comes with a built-in barcode reader, such as the Nokia N95 series. In this case you should be able to go ahead and run that application on the device and scan the above EZ code.

2) You have a device with no software application to scan the EZ code. In this case you’ll need to install the application on your mobile device. Here there are a few options to consider:

3) The last scenario is unfortunate, but does happen too often at this point. Your device is unsupported and you will not be able the test out 2D barcode scanning – sorry.

Just want to read the post? If you’re unable to successfully execute the steps above or you’re simply time compressed,  see the post here.

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Apr 16, 2008

David Armano

Published by
David Armano

Topics
Methods of Work and Tools & Technologies
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Are Methods The New Waterfall?

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This is one of those posts. I really don’t know if I’m “right”, “wrong”, or somewhere in the middle but I’m writing it on instinct. It was over four years ago when I received my coveted box of IDEO Method Cards. I devoured them. I instantly fell in love with them. They’re so smart—they’re almost sexy.

And now I wonder if that’s an issue.
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Apr 3, 2008

Cory Brunsel

Published by
Cory Brunsel

Topics
Emerging Technology and Tools & Technologies
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Hobby 2.0

Log + Life

We’ve all heard the hype on Nike Plus and what it’s done for the running community. Tying together my running data, my running community and my ipod is very cool. Microsoft and others continue to work on the concept of “Life Logging” or “life-streaming” (the visual diary) and the associated SenseCam technology to support the idea. Imagine a world were we all walk around our daily lives tracking and monitoring each and every detail? Well perhaps we’re not too far off from that reality. Both of these concepts represent very interesting impacts on people and technology. With the continued evolution and technological advances to mobile, social and the digital space as a whole it only makes sense that we are witnessing more and more confluence. These digital advances are helping to build communities, bring like-minded people together, promote self-expression and of course, provide endless new product or technology opportunities. New, singular concepts pop up all the time, what’s really cool is when they can be brought together.  

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Feb 11, 2008

Geoff

Published by
Geoff Sowrey

Topics
Emerging Technology and Tools & Technologies
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Wireless Photography: Freedom or Paranoia?

A few months ago, I learned of Eye-Fi. If you’ve never heard of Eye-Fi, that’s understandable — it’s not been widely publicised (though it was mentioned positively in Wired Magazine) and it’s technically not available in Canada. Unless you’re a geek (which I am) and/or a photography hobbyist (guilty as charged), you might never even come across it.

Eye-Fi (which rhymes with “Wi-Fi”) is a 2 GB SD memory card for your digital camera. It allows near-instant uploads from your camera to your online photo sharing service of choice, provided you’re within range of a Wi-Fi service. (Neil — you were right about more wireless ability!) The “how the heck” moment came when I asked how they managed to get a 45 foot range for transmission in an SD card, when my PC often drops signal from within the same room.

Set up on Eye-Fi

It actually seems to make photography more fun — it’s immediate sharing potential is amazing. And frankly, a little bit frightening…

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Jan 31, 2008

Dave Robertson

Published by
Dave Robertson

Topics
Customer Insight, Methods of Work and Tools & Technologies
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What would we do if they banned personas?

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Steve Portigal published a thought-provoking article about the failings of personas in ACM’s Interactions magazine earlier this month. His fundamental argument is that personas are more dangerous than useful because they “are misused to maintain a safe distance from the people we design for… manifesting contempt over understanding, and creating the façade of user centered-ness…”. If you want to read it, ask Steve to send you a copy – it’s a stimulating read.

When I first tried to write today’s blog post, I read the volumes of criticism and commentary from user experience heavyweights like Peter Merholz at Adaptive Path, and Jared Spool at User Interface Engineering. Then I tried to write my own clever and finely tuned rebuttal. After all, we’re proud to be recognized for creating and using excellent personas (at least, according to one source). I mean, if I believe in them, I have to defend some turf here, right?

I tried that (for about three hours yesterday), and it made for a really, really dull blog post. So let’s take a different approach.

Let’s pretend that personas are banned. What would we do?

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Jan 25, 2008

Geoff

Published by
Geoff Sowrey

Topics
Global Implications and Tools & Technologies
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Do you put too much faith in technology?

I had a couple of recent technological hiccoughs in my personal sphere. At the time, I passed them off as mere inconveniences — although I ranted quite loudly (warning, objectionable language) on one of them. But it was only when I stopped and took a step back that I wondered something:

Do I put too much faith in technology being there for me?

Borrowed from http://www.flickr.com/photos/14708858@N00/

Which then led to some interesting questioning as I looked at the world around me. How much are we dependent on technology being there? It’s so pervasive now that most times we don’t even think about it.

At least not until it doesn’t respond.

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Jan 1, 2008

Geoff

Published by
Geoff Sowrey

Topics
Emerging Technology and Tools & Technologies
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2008 Predictions: History Repeating

The word is about, there’s something evolving
Whatever may come, the world keeps revolving
They say the next big thing is here
That the revolution’s near
But to me it seems quite clear
That it’s all just a little bit
of history repeating
- History Repeating, Shirley Bassey

I love this song for two reasons: First, it’s Shirley Bassey. How could you possibly go wrong with that? Second, it’s because this song itself was the subject of the very topic we talk about a lot: remixing.

Borrowed from http://www.flickr.com/photos/origomi/171973180/

Sound familiar? It should — we’re doing the same thing online every day.

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Dec 14, 2007

Scott Ingalls

Published by
Scott Ingalls

Topics
Delivering Results, Emerging Technology and Tools & Technologies
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Google Maps in (a) Flash!

Yesterday, we posted a new part to Rolex.com: the ability to find a local Authorised Rolex Dealer. This on its own is hardly breaking any new ground — it’s a fairly routine piece of functionality. To help you find your local dealer, we provided a map — a Google Map.

Google Maps Flash Interface

Those of you who know the two technologies are probably now scratching your heads. Google Maps. Flash. Aren’t they incompatible?

Not any more.

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Dec 5, 2007

Sep Seyedi

Published by
Sep Seyedi

Topics
Delivering Results and Tools & Technologies
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Moving at the Speed of Light: Upgrading NASA.gov from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0

We were recently approached by NASA to rethink the overall NASA.gov experience.

NASA had been losing relevance with the 18-24 year olds in the past few years. Understanding that this younger audience is more sophisticated and comfortable with web 2.0 and social networks, this allowed us to draw on these key insights to deliver a new and innovative experience that attracts and appeals to a younger and broader audience while keeping their existing core.

Although web 2.0 features are very seldom seen in government agency websites, NASA-as its innovative nature predicts-has taken a leap far ahead of other such government groups. With the launch of a website suited for a younger audience, NASA is paving its path for future generations.

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