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Contents contributed and discussions participated by D'coda Dcoda

D'coda Dcoda

Digital Dualism versus Augmented Reality [24Feb11] - 0 views

  • The power of social media to burrow dramatically into our everyday lives as well as the near ubiquity of new technologies such as mobile phones has forced us all to conceptualize the digital and the physical; the on- and off-line.
  • And some have a bias to see the digital and the physical as separate; what I am calling digital dualism. Digital dualists believe that the digital world is “virtual” and the physical world “real.” This bias motivates many of the critiques of sites like Facebook and the rest of the social web and I fundamentally think this digital dualism is a fallacy. Instead, I want to argue that the digital and physical are increasingly meshed, and want to call this opposite perspective that implodes atoms and bits rather than holding them conceptually separate augmented reality.
  • geo-tagging (think Foursquare or Facebook Places), street view, face recognition, the Wii controller and the fact that sites like Facebook both impact and are impacted by the physical world to argue that “digital and material realities dialectically co-construct each other.” This is opposed to the notion that the Internet is like the Matrix, where there is a “real” (Zion) that you leave when you enter the virtual space (the Matrix) -an outdated perspective as Facebook is increasingly real and our physical world increasingly digital.
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  • I have used this perspective of augmentation to critque dualism when I see it. For instance, last year I posted a rebuttal to the digital-dualist critique of so-called “slacktivism” that claimed “real” activism is being traded for a cyber-based slacker activism. No, cyber-activism should be seen in context with physical world activism and how they interact. Taken alone, yes, much of the cyber-activism would not amount to much. But used in conjunction with offline efforts, it can be powerful. And, of course, my point is much, much easier to make with the subsequent uprisings in the Arab world that utilize both digital and physical organizing. This augmented dissent will be a topic for another post
  • conceptually splitting so-called “first” and “second” selves creates a “false binary” because “people are enmeshing their physical and digital selves to the point where the distinction is becoming increasingly irrelevant.” [
D'coda Dcoda

The Invisible iPhone [24May11] - 0 views

  • Over time, using your smart-phone touch screen becomes second nature, to the point where you can even do some tasks without looking. Researchers in Germany are now working on a system that would let you perform such actions without even holding the phone - instead you'd tap your palm, and the movements would be interpreted by an "imaginary phone" system that would relay the request to your actual phone.
  • The concept relies on a depth-sensitive camera to pick up the tapping and sliding interactions on a palm, software to analyze the video, and a wireless radio to send the instructions back to the iPhone. Patrick Baudisch, professor of computer science at the Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam, Germany, says the imaginary phone prototype "serves as a shortcut that frees users from the necessity to retrieve the actual physical device."
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    A new interface lets you keep your phone in your pocket and use apps or answer calls by tapping your hand.
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Building Mobile Web Apps the Right Way: Tips and Techniques [09May11] - 0 views

  • Here’s a quick breakdown of the big differences between desktop and mobile platforms: Mobile device hardware is smaller and generally tends to have lower hardware resources than desktops/laptops. Smaller screens bring about different design considerations and challenges. Touchscreen technology introduces new interaction concepts that differ from traditional input devices (keyboard and mouse). With a mobile device, internet connectivity is not always as reliable as a hard-wired broadband connection, which means internet connectivity is a concern and data transfer could be significantly slower. Although these sound as if they are hurdles to get over, with careful thought and consideration, there’s no reason why they should be. Touchscreen technology is exciting. The smaller screen design will really make you think about how to get the user to interact with your mobile web app in the most satisfying way possible. What we should really be doing is looking at the list of differences above and seeing opportunities to deliver our content in a different way. Building mobile web apps will be a paradigm shift from traditional web development and web design.
  • In the next sections, we will discuss development/design considerations, as well as concepts and techniques for building mobile web apps.
  • Keep File Sizes Small
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  • Dealing with Image Performance We want to try to get rid of as many images as we can. For the images we keep, we want them to be as lightweight as possible. If images are a necessity for particular parts of your mobile web app design, then there are a couple of extra steps we can use to trim off any excess fat from your files.
  • Use Adobe Fireworks for Transparent PNGs
  • Using ImageAlpha If Fireworks sounds like too much of a bother, check out ImageAlpha. Once installed, all you need to do is drag your images into its main window and then tweak the export settings to remove excess data from the images.
  • To learn more about using PNGs in web designs, see the Web Designer’s Guide to PNG Image Format.
  • Leveraging CSS3 Mobile web browsers these days are pretty advanced. Android devices use a mobile version of Google Chrome, whilst the iPhone does the same with Apple’s Safari. Some mobile devices come with mobile Opera and others allow you to install a browser of your choice such as mobile Firefox. So we’re talking about some pretty good browsers in terms of CSS3 and HTML5 feature support. CSS3 allows us to render things through code that would previously have required an image. We can use color gradients, draw rounded corners, create drop shadows, apply multiple backgrounds to HTML elements, and more — all of which can help improve performance and decrease development times.
  • If you look at a typical application interface via your smartphone, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll find CSS3 being used.
  • By using CSS3, we can reduce data transfer — particularly images and possibly excess HTML markup. We let the browser and the device do the work to render the interface more quickly.
  • HTML Canvas If you fancy a little more work, then you can improve speed even further using the canvas element. Although using CSS gradients eradicates the loading of a physical image, that method still causes the device’s rendering engine to construct an image in the browser, which can result in a performance reduction depending on the device and browser.
  • Hardware Acceleration When it comes to mobile web apps, Apple’s mobile devices are a major consideration that we need to be aware of because of the current popularity of the iPhone and iPad. Safari 5 (on all platforms) brings hardware acceleration into the mix. If you’re not familiar with the feature, Apple describes it as follows: "Safari supports hardware acceleration on Mac and PC. With hardware acceleration, Safari can tap into graphics processing units to display computing-intensive graphics and animations, so standards like HTML5 and CSS3 can deliver rich, interactive media smoothly in the browser."
  • Be Cautious of CSS3 Rendering Performance As brilliant as CSS3 is, certain properties can slow down a web page. WebKit-based browsers, for instance, really seem to struggle with shadows in particular, so just be careful that you don’t apply too many of these to elements of your interface until the issue has been resolved.
  • Consider the Offline User Experience Finally, let’s briefly discuss HTML5 offline data storage.
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    Very useful, but visit site for complete "how-to"
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The Desktop Is Turning Mobile [09May11] - 0 views

  • many ways mobile technologies are derivative of their desktop brethren. Your iPhone's e-mail app is like the e-mail client on your desktop, for example. The mobile world is the desktop world in miniature, a "lite" version. But the mobile world is no longer just following; it's leading.
  • we can expect to see certain aspects of desktop and laptop operating systems start imitating the little upstarts that had initially imitated them.
  • "It's very likely that PC operating systems will be affected by mobile devices' operating systems—and more broadly, that the lines between the two will increasingly blur," says Michael Dahlin, a professor of computer science at the University of Texas, who has expertise in operating systems. "Things have evolved to the point today where the difference between the smart-phone OS and the laptop and desktop OS is narrowing—and really already pretty narrow in terms of capability and core architectures," he
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  • another factor is speeding it along: the cloud. "The cloud is part of what's going to enable and probably drive convergence between phone and mobile operating systems and desktop operating systems,
  • What features associated with mobile might migrate back to desktops and laptops? Some are long rumored to be on the way in devices from Apple and other manufacturers: touch screens, gesture-based interfaces, more speech recognition, and so on.
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The top 10 reasons your mobile learning strategy will fail [13Apr11] - 0 views

  • While the focus of this post is not specifically Apple or the iPad, it’s almost impossible to talk about successful mobile strategies without recognizing that the iPad has created a transitional moment for the Learning & Development world. The reasons why have been the subject of countless blog posts, but I think DreamWorks founder Jeffrey Katzenberg, in this video from TechCrunch, says it best:
  • “[The iPad] it’s the first device that actually is a reflection of me – or us. It’s so revolutionary that it’s no longer about me adapting myself to somebody else’s set of programmings or the way in which a device is going to engage. It is the reverse. It is as though I’m looking in a mirror.”
  • While it took the iPad to make learner-controlled content a reality, this level of flexibility is now the gold standard for delivery to any device, be it tablets, smart phones or any number of performance support devices.
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  • For learning organizations, the clear challenge to meet this gold standard in their frenzied rush to mLearning will be to NOT repeat the mistakes that were made in the move from classroom to on-line training.
  • here are 10 repeat offenders
  • 1. Don’t assess how mobile fits in your blended learning strategy.
  • mobile workers are not committed to any one mobile device, leveraging notebooks as much as they do smartphones and more than tablets.
  • Keep mLearning content development tactical.
  • still early days for mobile learning
  • 9. Don’t write granular content.
  • For mobile learning it’s not about rapid authoring, it’s about rapid reuse
  • 4. Forget about your classroom materials
  • 5. Build your mobile content from scratch.
  • 6. Be proprietary:
  • 7. Believe that learners really want PowerPoint on their mobile.
  • 8. Forego XML – again. If you don’t believe that open, platform-neutral XML is critical for mobile learning, I’m not going to try to convince you. Instead, take a look at this TED Talk clip from Richard Baruaniuk, the founder of Connextions.
  • Use rapid authoring tools.
  • Richard Baruaniuk
  • Richard Baruaniuk
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Want More Readers? How Online Reading Habits Are Changing and What You NEED To Know [25... - 0 views

  • We’ve changed how we use RSS
  • The simple truth is we’re less likely to use RSS or email subscription now compared to our RSS usage in the previous era of the Web.  We’re just less into RSS readers and start pages.
  • We’re using real-time web & social networking more
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  • We’re far more social now and more likely to use social network sites like Twitter and Facebook as a buffet. Consuming whatever we want at our leisure by selecting posts from links shared by our networks.
  • So what does this mean? Increased traffic to blogs and posts compared to when we were more reliant on RSS Less likelihood that our posts will be read if we’re not an active part of the edublogosphere and aren’t social networking with others
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North Korean 3G Mobile Subscriptions Hit Half a Million [21May11] - 0 views

  • "The number of 3G cellular subscriptions in North Korea passed half a million during the first quarter, according to the country's only 3G cellular operator. The Koryolink network had 535,133 subscriptions at the end of March, an increase of just over 100,000 on the end of December 2010."
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Playing computer games encourages obesity among teens by making them hungry [21May11] - 0 views

  • Computer games make teenagers hungry and more likely to become obese,  scientists claim.They stimulate youngsters’ appetites encouraging them to raid the fridge and  cupboards for snacks.Experts believe this may explain why children who spend hours on games consoles  are often obese – it's not just because they don’t exercise.
  • The Canadian and Danish researchers found that the boys burnt off just 21 extra  calories during the hour they played computer games compared to resting.But they ate an extra 80 calories afterwards – nearly 60 more than they would  have burnt off. 
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New app another tool for workers in wage disputes [21May11] - 0 views

  • Workers who don't trust the boss to keep track of their wages can now do it themselves with a new smart phone application from the Department of Labor. But employers worry that the time sheet app, along with other new initiatives, could encourage even more wage and hour lawsuits. The app lets workers calculate regular work hours, break time and overtime pay to create their own wage records. Department officials say the information could prove valuable in a dispute over pay or during a government investigation when an employer has failed to keep accurate records. "This app will help empower workers to understand and stand up for their rights when employers have denied their hard-earned pay," Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said. The app is the latest example of the Obama administration's push for more aggressive enforcement of wage and hour laws. The agency has hired about 300 more investigators to probe complaints of unpaid work time, lack of overtime pay and minimum wage violations.
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Orange customers can now pay for goods in UK stores with their mobiles [21May11] - 0 views

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    today, Orange and Barclaycard officially launched 'Quick Tap', which is the UK's first contactless mobile phone payments service. The service is designed for small purchases of under £15, and contactless readers will be available at over 50,000 UK stores. You'll know that a store has the special reader when it displays the contactless payments symbol, and Pret A Manger, Eat and Subway are among the outlets to have signed up already. Quick Tap uses a secure SIM-based approach to mobile payments, and Orange customers will require a 'Quick Tap' enabled handset. The scheme launches with a Quick Tap enabled version of the Samsung Tocco Lite, and the device will be available on pay as you go and pay monthly price plans. More handsets are expected to follow from a selection of manufacturers. Barclaycard, Barclays debit or Orange Credit Card users can transfer funds of up to £100 simply and securely onto the handset's Quick Tap app, after which the phone is ready to make payments of £15 and under in a single transaction.
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Ultramobile PC To Make a Comeback? [16May11] - 0 views

  • "Remember the Oqo and other 'ultra-mobile PCs' — full-fledged Windows machines in a cell phone form factor, pushed without success in the early-to-mid '00s? Well, Japan's NTT DoCoMo thinks that they could still catch on, making plans for a Windows 7 computer with a 4-inch, 1024-by-600 screen."
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Thousands Marched Against Censorship [16May11] - 0 views

  • "Thousands of Turkish demonstrators poured into central Istanbul yesterday to protest against the government's Internet censorship. New regulations from Turkey's Internet Technologies and Communications Authority set to come into effect on Aug. 22 will require Internet service providers to offer a choice of four filtering options: family, child, domestic or standard. Many websites are expected to be blocked as a result of the filtering measures."
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    In Turkey
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HP Advances Next-Gen Memory Technology [16May11] - 0 views

  • "HP scientists have made a small breakthrough in the development of a next-generation memory technology called memristors, which some see as a potential replacement for today's widely used flash and DRAM technologies. In a paper to be published today in the journal Nanotechnology, scientists report that they have mapped out the basic chemistry and structure of what happens inside a memristor during its electrical operation."
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10,000 Commits To an Open-source Project [17May11] - 0 views

  • "British web designer Jonathan Brown tweeted that Drupal creator Dries Buytaert has surpassed 10,000 commits to the open-source content-management system he created ten years ago, Drupal. In a private email, Dries said, 'I'm mostly committing other people's patches: Credit really goes to the community at large.' Still, it's rare for individual to log that many commits. Can anyone claim more?"
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Jeff Bezos Calls Sales Tax Requirements On Amazon Unconstitutional [17May11] - 0 views

  • "Amazon.com chief Jeff Bezos says the online retailer won't collect tax from most of its 90 million customers until Congress clearly mandates it. Although a growing number of states are demanding that Amazon collect and remit tax on sales within their borders, such demands are 'interference in interstate commerce' and prohibited by the Constitution, Bezos said."
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Righthaven Hit With Class Action Counterclaim [17May11] - 0 views

  • "Steve Green reports that one of the website operators accused of copyright infringement by Righthaven has retaliated, hitting the Las Vegas company with a class-action counterclaim, charging that defendants in all 57 Righthaven cases in Colorado 'are victims of extortion litigation by Righthaven, which has made such extortion litigation a part of its, if not its entire, business model.' The counterclaim says Righthaven has victimized defendants by failing to send takedown notices prior to suing, by threatening to take their website domain names when that's not provided for under the federal Copyright Act, by falsely claiming it owns the copyrights at issue and by failing to investigate jurisdictional and fair use issues before suing, among other things. The claim seeks an adjudication that Righthaven's copyright infringement lawsuits amount to unfair and deceptive trade practices under Colorado law, an injunction permanently enjoining Righthaven from continuing the alleged unfair and deceptive trade practices, an unspecified financial award to the class-action plaintiffs for damages as well as their costs and attorney's fees."
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    Concerns "extortion litigation" by Righthaven over copyright issues.
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Facebook's Broad Patent On Digital Media Tagging [17May11] - 0 views

  • "Facebook has done well with the Friendster patents and patent applications that it acquired. Just last week, a patent application for passing personal info between users based on degrees of separation became public. Now, thanks to the Friendster IP purchase, Facebook pretty much owns the technology for publicly identity-tagging digital media of any sort in a database."
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Powerline Networks Interfere With Spooks? [17May11] - 0 views

  • "Powerline technology which ships network data over mains cables could be causing interference for spies, according to a letter from the UK's top secret listening station, GCHQ. However, the British regulator says that objections to powerline all come from radio amateurs — and a Google search reveals that the writer of the letter (which GCHQ seems to be disowning) comes from a ham."
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An IP Address For Every Light Bulb [17May11] - 0 views

  • "Yesterday NXP and Green Wave Reality announced to the world that they plan to give every lightbulb an IPV6 address. Hot on the heels of Google's 900 mhz announcement, Green Wave Reality already has iPhone / Android / and Web-based support. Looks like the lighting wars have started."
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