Tim points this one out. This is exactly what I mean by glanceware. That it is entirely non-linguistic is even better. Know that you know something, without necessarily being aware how you know it. Their Stock Orb is exactly what I was proposing here.
There’s a lot of hype surrounding the current crop of Social Networking applications (LinkedIn, Friendster, Huminity etc.) But I’m wondering about a couple of issues. The first, is that there are too many of these systems, with no common architecture. How many times do I want to have to code my social network? Possibly once, probably not at all — let the software work it out for itself. Which is why I think Friend-Of-A-Friend architectures, which allow various spiders to work out the links for themselves, are ultimately better than an archipelago of unlinked proprietary systems. The other concern is …
Prediction of an emergent trend: integration of cheap overseas labour into ‘intelligent’ systems, to fill the gaps where ‘hard AI’ still fails. The press is making a lot of ‘offshoring’ — the movement of call centres, support departments and the like to countries where educational standards are high, and labour is cheap. Ignoring the politics for a bit, this is interesting in other ways: once the infrastructure for such services is in place, the supply side of this market will naturally be looking for higher-margin ways to exploit any surpluses. Imagine similar businesses offering the ‘clever, value-added bit’ to intelligent …
Brian’s lucid moments are as entertaining as his (um) other moments. He’s recently written a column about product development in our post-everything world: The fact is, even in the present economic conditions, it?s never been easier to bring an idea to market. Rem Koolhaas recently said that formal architectural training was a waste of time. If you can imagine a building, Ove Arup can build it. If you have a better idea for a laptop or flat panel television, OEM manufacturers can spec and build it for you. Need distribution? Allow me to introduce you to the web, and an …
Lightweight informational awareness…
As reported by David Weinberger in his book Small Pieces Loosely Joined, Edward Tufte once said: Power corrupts. PowerPoint corrupts absolutely. Well, he would, wouldn’t he. Co-incidentally, he’s also just written a thinkpiece (monograph?) on the Cognitive Style of PowerPoint, which is also available from the above site.
Apple is planning to move into online msuic distribution. I’m hoping their plans are something more exciting than another click-to-buy website with iTunes support. Radio-of-Me, possibly?
Starbucks and T-Mobile have launched their WiFi hotspot offer in the UK. It costs too much, and the coffee sucks. Bring on some competition.
From TV Sucks, by Michael Rosenblum: Television, up until now, has been a group activity. Why? Mostly because it has been so difficult and expensive to make. After all, if Picasso had to pay $1500 a day to hire a paintbrush, and then had to deal with union canvass setters, union paint mixers and union paintbrush dippers — and then had to be an employee of the Sherman Williams company to paint, he probably would have sold life insurance instead. (Not to mention having to focus group Guerinca. “No, put the eyes back in the heads. The audience finds this …
Last night, care of Helen, we blagged our way to a viewing of The Barber of Seville at the Royal Opera House, organised as a promotional evening by uniqueliveevents.com, a newish consortium formed by BT Broadcast Services and Shooting Partners. The opera was broadcast live from France, and displayed projected via JVC’s QX1 projector (“the highest quality image currently available in the world using DILA technology”). Where we were seated, there was a lot of fan noise from the projector, but the image and sound quality was very good, and the whole uniqueliveevents.com proposition is an interesting one. Their pitch …