Future Proofing Tomorrow’s Technology: UX for an Aging Population User Experience Magazine

Future Proofing Tomorrow’s Technology: UX for an Aging Population User Experience Magazine: The trend of an aging population is reflected across Europe. It is estimated that by 2035 nearly a quarter of the population in the United Kingdom will be over 65 years. Aging is traditionally associated with a decrease in mobility and social interaction, and this can have detrimental effects upon well being and access to good nutrition and health. Fortunately there has been much research into the effects of age upon product interaction.

More of a place marker for the new HCI course. 

CHI effect

I just picked this up from the anylitics on Academia.edu - This shows people checking me out over CHI.

I always had  feeling that scientisits looking at each others papers is like dogs sniffing each others tails when they first meet.

11 must-have Apple Watch apps | Computerworld

Just back from CHI. How quickly we slip from what use is a digital watch ( on the BBC)  to this 11 must-have Apple Watch apps | Computerworld



A reminder if we need one about how we underestimate developer creativity. It's easy to forget how un-imaginative most people (including journalists and those that fill up box after box on user comments) are.  



On the plane back from Korea I watched both Castles in the sky ( English development of radar) The Imitation game ( first computer and enigma code) , and Sambusters  ( first Dam smashing bouncing bomb Barns Wallis). Each of them played on the immense social difficulties that the inventors had to struggle against to get their ideas excepted.

Very cool night in Seoul

Just got back from having a fantastic evening with one of the gods of space syntax Hoon Park.

We went for a traditional Korean dinner in Gangnam (As in Gangnam style). 

I didn't know this but it turns out that Hoon was one of those responsible for this line of inter-active pillars.

You can't see them here but each one has a video display on it. The street seems to be a mix of Oxford Street and Carnaby Street.bustling with young people out to see and be seen.

While the city is astonishingly young it's also surprisingly syntact.

In many ways the mix of living and working reminds me a little of the structure of the Canadian city. However the high pedestrian nature and the layering of space from grade 2 super grid   Bellows about the close relationship between space and society here.

 

This 'Minth '(Media plinth) was so detailed that at first I took it for a backlit photograph. Actually superhigh resolution screen with the numbers representing the depth of queue to get in to the superb Korean restaurant.

Good evening chatting to someone who would have to be on any list of the smartest guy in syntax. It was excellent to sample Korean cooking ( with out the meat sorry guys). 

Arguably best first night at chi ever.

Space matters

Live from chi - 

Interesting paper talk about use of real space in augmented space

Interface Technologies That Have Not Yet Left the Lab

Lots of intreasting indirection technologies. With the quite interesting observation that the image processing people have got to job done, but the interaction people need to begin and develop a lot more non trivial code beyond to make something usable.



Some interesting views on what makes it out of the lab and why. Some lovely demos. I love the notion that if you can't help people  play games or send email no one is going to be interesting technology.

Balls! (2014)

Balls! (2014) | Ruairi Glynn







. "A governing digital model and set of physical sensors allow data to be translated to movement and colour." Remind you of anything ? :-) 

The Best Wearables Will Be The Ones You Throw Away | Co.Design | business design

Back from Tiree



The Best Wearables Will Be The Ones You Throw Away | Co.Design | business design



http://www.fastcodesign.com/3044716/the-best-wearables-will-be-the-ones-you-throw-away

Basic concept is that most of these wearable should really be disposable - people use them long enough to discover something about themselves and then that's it.

Apple's Haptic Tech Is a Glimpse at the UI of the Future | WIRED

Apple's Haptic Tech Is a Glimpse at the UI of the Future | WIRED:



And interesting piece about the Apple taptic engine originally for the watch but also included in the latest MacBook air. It seems like it is capable of simulating more than just clicks.



I remember reading a paper a long time ago about using force in mice to give a sense of touching the surface. There has been some interesting conversation about the way that people tend to stroke the iPhone user interface so the idea of virtual texture becomes incredibly sensible.

Tech wave continues

Tiree Tech wave 

I popped to shop by bike( lovely sunny) but the weather changed so rapidly that on way back I had to get off and push through the 30mph wind. 

Techwave

It's all go

Mencap shows that 60% of people with learning disabilities didn't register to vote for the last election because they found it too difficult.

From an HCI point of view it sounds like a design failure here

Mencap shows that 60% of people with learning disabilities didn't register to vote for the last election because they found it too difficult.

"It was very complicated to fill in. I did not know what I had to do. The information that explained the forms was not clear. The form had too many boxes and difficult words. There was not enough room in the form to write information. It made me feel excluded " is quoted on website.

Not sure if Mencap is including dyslexia in this but I'm wondering if it's also had an influence.

and more generally a social justice failure here
BBC reports "After the 2010 election, one in five people with learning disabilities told Mencap in a survey that they had been turned away at the polling station because of their disability."



https://www.mencap.org.uk/about-learning-disability/about-learning-disability
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-ouch-30920778