Siri
The return of analog
- By Jean Pascal MATHIEU | Culture, User Experience August 2nd, 2012
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After the digitalization of everything and anything, the time has come (or returned) for an intelligent combination of digital and analog. Even if we’ve developed the ability to conceptualize on a screen, nothing replaces the experience of physical interaction.
With screens popping up everywhere, the temptation to digitalize or virtualize gave birth to numerous interfaces ‘in’ the screen that we could navigate with keypad arrows, a mouse or joystick. However, we’re still hungry for a more natural, analog relationship with our objects.
To prove the existence of a reproducible pattern, consider racing video games that come with a steering wheel and driver’s seat. The more we incorporate things from the real world, the easier it is for us to forget that we are dealing with a machine.
On consoles, the trend started with the Nintendo Wii, followed by Microsoft Kinect, where the human body became a new analog game interface. Then the iPhone 4S was launched, and Apple introduced voice as a telephone interface (go figure… a telephone that we can talk to! Unbelievable!) The potential for iOS voice navigation functionality will undoubtedly have a great impact on all applications and will likely be built in to the soon to be released iPhone5. At various electronics shows this year, manufacturers from around the world – Samsung in the lead – presented new voice and movement-based interfaces for all electronic devices, with an emphasis on televisions. Even Google entered the ring with a voice-operated Google TV remote (Hey TV! Put on the soccer game!). This functionality seems so obvious that we can’t fathom how we ever lived without it – even before trying the technology.
And finally, board games played on the dining room table are making a comeback.
So which sectors or products will be the next to adopt this low-tech/high-tech mix?
Read more from Jean Pascal at A Nos Vies Numériques.
Tags: Analog, Google TV, iPhone 4S, Microsoft Kinect, Nintendo Wii, Siri, voice-activated technology
Apple Keynote 2012: iOS6 is what users really need
- By Jean Pascal MATHIEU | Culture, User Experience June 12th, 2012
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At yesterday’s keynote presentation during the World Wide Developers Conference, Apple announced the impending arrival of iOS6. The evolution of Apple’s mobile operating system includes numerous features that cater to the real needs of real users.
Some examples to illustrate this idea:
- The phone can go into “do not disturb” mode, which only allows calls from relatives or those determined to be urgent (based on the repetition of the attempted incoming call). The same application also offers several possible actions on the fly: answer, reply with a message, or remind me when I leave (geo-fencing technology comes into play for this feature to work).
- Passbook, a new application, will require developers to standardize loyalty cards, tickets and boarding passes, and store them in a single application. When a user arrives at the airport, their boarding pass will “naturally” appear on their phone. This is probably a good opportunity to develop location-based voucher systems.
- It is easier for children to use, with the possibility of ‘blocking’ the iOS device from running more than one application at a time. Features have also been developed for users with vision, hearing, learning or mobility disabilities.
- Apple’s new Maps application will replace Google Maps and includes features such as turn-by-turn GPS navigation, 3D interfaces, and compatibility with Siri (Apple’s voice-controlled personal assistant). For improved on-the-go functionality, the new Maps application also optimizes multitouch technology to manipulate the 3D map in any direction. This smart application is also able to aggregate mobility data to indicate alternative routes when traffic is heavy.
- Integration with the native Facebook API means users can enjoy the features and contents of the latter directly in applications. For example, you can automate the synchronization of calendar events with Facebook or have Siri update your status.
This list of examples, although not exhaustive, shows that once again Apple has chosen to emphasize usability rather than technological prowess. Some will note, and rightly so, the lack of information surrounding how these new apps will collect user data. It’s a controversial topic: how far are we willing to share our personal data (contacts, location, movements, social interaction) if it is for a ‘good cause’? In this case, good cause is not to be disturbed unnecessarily during meetings while keeping peace of mind in emergencies, avoiding traffic jams and never having to worry about where your boarding pass is. Apple is smart to introduce these much-needed features, which will increasingly rely on their relevance to high penetration of the operating system. The use value is such that we do not hesitate to share our personal data.
Should we be worried? Who should regulate the use of this data?
Tags: Apple, Data collection, Guided Access, Human-centric, iDevice, Innovation, iOS6, iPad, Maps, Passbook, Siri, User Privacy, World Wide Developers Conference, WWDC 2012
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