One input method that a colleague discussed with me recently was in using a webcam to determine where keyboard input should go. The computer would track your eyes and where your focus went, and then make the application you're looking at have focus. So that it wouldn't matter where your mouse was, but when you typed the application you're looking at would get the input.
A Brief Rant on the Future of Interaction Design
81–90 of 156 posts
Re: A Brief Rant on the Future of Interaction Design
#82I can't help but think that the success of the iPhone and iPad has caused a big step back in usability among devices that try to copy them. Two similar examples: Garmin's newer aircraft GPS units have touch screens instead of knobs and buttons. The iPad has proven very popular among pilots. I can see why Garmin would decide that "touch is the future." But, while I'm flying an airplane, for my money I'd rather have kn…
I would counter those sentiments with the ZuneHD experience. Most people haven't used one, but touch isn't vision focused. With the Zune in my pocket, I can unlock, skip a track, stop, play, change the volume (on the screen, not a rocker on the side). I can also try to shuffle/unshuffle, but that isn't as easy. I was actually amazed that Apple completely missed the ability to use touch when you weren't looking at the…
Agreed. This is something I was actually surprised at when I first got the HD, being a diehard physical button fanatic (had an iRiver H320, and fat Zune previously) I couldn't stand the idea of switching over to a touch interface, but I had to when my fat Zune died.
Fast forward a week or two after getting the HD, I was able to control the device almost as fast as the origin Zune in my car (without looking at it). It just felt somewhat natural, the way the placed the buttons. Didn't put too much thought on whether or not the positioning was partially intended for quick use.
Re: A Brief Rant on the Future of Interaction Design
#83What about the rest of our capabilities using our other senses (sound, smell, taste)? Does anybody think that we will incorporate them into future interfaces more?
Sound probably. But I doubt smell and taste would ever play large roles in UI design - it isn't a huge part of how we interact with the world aside from the obvious bits about eating.
When we get one those neural interfaces where a computer is implanted entirely in our nervous system, it'd be great if when I "wonder" what that thing taste like, I'd actually get to taste it, through the computer interfacing with my nerves.
Say I want to buy some flower for my spouse, at my the whims of my thoughts, a smattering array of flower images get into my head. I "wander" to the one I think my spouse would like, and when I feel like I want to smell it, I do. I'd then decide "Yes, buy it", and the order gets sent.
Re: A Brief Rant on the Future of Interaction Design
#84I can't help but think that the success of the iPhone and iPad has caused a big step back in usability among devices that try to copy them. Two similar examples: Garmin's newer aircraft GPS units have touch screens instead of knobs and buttons. The iPad has proven very popular among pilots. I can see why Garmin would decide that "touch is the future." But, while I'm flying an airplane, for my money I'd rather have kn…
I appreciate your point and prefer physical controls when driving, but obviously one major advantage of the described approach is that the same space can be used to control different things - e.g., swap out the sat-nav area for air-con controls, put up weather or traffic reports if the music is switched off, etc.
Re: A Brief Rant on the Future of Interaction Design
#85I just watched the video, and typed my reactions, as I had them; no idea if this will be of interest. * * * People still travel for meetings? By plane? Wait, someone is driving the car? Thats not very productive. There are bellhops? Why are there still bellhops in the future? What do they do? Why is the screen so small? Why have a screen, if you have those perfect augmented reality glasses? 'Creating reply interface'…
I guess it's meant to depict a not so distant future. Either that, or you could criticise the Office team for not having the imagination to take it any further.
Kids are still taught long division? Why?
Re: A Brief Rant on the Future of Interaction Design
#86I always said to my peers that I find myself uneasy when touching a smartphone, and that the feeling would disappear when they come up with a texture that feels like a pretty lady's skin :)
I definitely agree with the article. Pictures under glass do feel weird.
Re: A Brief Rant on the Future of Interaction Design
#87Excellent Post. More of that please. I think some sort of HUD in glasses will be the future. Doesnt take up much space (presumably) and allows for rich gesture interaction (like whats already possible with Kinect)
Kinect is an excellent example of what the author thinks it's wrong with the vision. It provides absolutely no sensory feedback.
Yes. His latest tweet:
>There was a section on Waving Hands In The Air interfaces, but I cut it. (Tho I liked the phrase "nut-punch to your proprioceptive senses".)
Re: A Brief Rant on the Future of Interaction Design
#88Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think Kinects/distance detectors are still very young technology. Imagine how far it could be pushed with just engineering. A very high resolution detector could identify facial expressions, smiles, grimaces, smirks, a whole gamut of emotional inputs. Push the resolution even higher and you could use iris movements to zoom in and out based on what the user is trying to look at. Voice control was omitted from the vi…
That research and engineering is already underway: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHL5tJ9ja_w
That research is interesting but this was the sort of research I was thinking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkBh71zZKrM
The plan seems to be to make more RGBZ CMOS chips (cameras with range sensors built in). Once the R&D is more available we will start seeing more than just Kinects and engineering improvements (like the Megapixel race to get more and more in smaller form factors).
Re: A Brief Rant on the Future of Interaction Design
#89This was similar to my own reaction [0], that these concept videos don't look far enough forward. And, maybe because I'm just a born contrarian, as the world moves toward touch-based direct-manipulation paradigms, I've personally been moving toward a more tactile, indirect paradigm. I recently bought a mechanical-switch keyboard, for example, that I'm growing more and more fond of every day. I've also started looking…
I really dislike the lack of tactile feedback on touch devices, as well. There's technology out there to /provide/ tactile feedback on these devices - but it hasn't been rolled out to anything consumer yet, that I'm aware of. I can't wait for it: http://thenextweb.com/apple/2010/10/29/electrostatic-feedbac...
Actually, lots of phones use vibration to give tactile feedback. Mine does it badly, but I'm pretty sure others do a better job of it.
Re: A Brief Rant on the Future of Interaction Design
#90I just watched the video, and typed my reactions, as I had them; no idea if this will be of interest. * * * People still travel for meetings? By plane? Wait, someone is driving the car? Thats not very productive. There are bellhops? Why are there still bellhops in the future? What do they do? Why is the screen so small? Why have a screen, if you have those perfect augmented reality glasses? 'Creating reply interface'…
How is driving a car not a productive task? There can be cases when people "want" to drive out of their preferences and passion. Can we actually classify some random and not-so-appealing work to us as non productive?