Lonley

I'm quite Lonley at the moment. When I meet with Jeff he treats me like an RA which is a amusing inversion of what should be happening, he's never done a single thing that didn't suit him or done it when he wanted. Basically I'm on my own down here I'm putting up with it.

With Huge (now head of department) gone upstairs and Anthony off in the Deanary so it's is really quite. I've taken to playing music without headphones on Fridays ( not wanting standards to slip to much or the meeting room to be effected).

There was a fire alarm yesterday and I was thinking of inviting the evacuees from the department for a coffee. One interesting discussion come up.

Basically it appears that people have decided that the building is a library and we should treat it like such. My opinion is that we should teat the place like an office - conversation is permitted even encouraged and you can retreat to a meeting micro-room if things get too disturbing. I was told in no uncertain terms that "the micro-rooms are too stuffy to work in". One problem with the building as library thesis ( which is the only other office plan academics have experienced) is what happens when someone phones up? How does a phone call work in the context of the vow of silence.

I even logged into second life and there is no one there either ( on the OU world).

I can see why most people work from home.

I'm working on the iPhone experiment - I have some nice ideas about how to test it out. I'm thinking of releasing the game on the Itunes store and getting the data emailed back. I guess this must have been done before but I wonder what the search words would be.

Stacking

Very nice stuff from Hasso Plattner Institut

Almost too clever.

But does inspire me to think of a tangible photo manipulation program.

The command line strikes back.

I've been thinking about command lines for this unit I'm involved with. The idea was to show that command lines as an interface are not 'dead' just revised. Google was the obvious choice but wolframalpha is new and the video is quite impressive ( well I'm an engineer by background and habitually quantative ) . I think this is the first example of sematnic web doing something interesting.

http://www.wolframalpha.com/screencast/introducingwolframalpha.html

still has all the big problems with command lines though.

CHI papers

OK so paper number 1. Which is just a note is in the system.

I think its turned out OK. Definitely a contribution to knowledge. Paul did a terrific job.

The other paper about the cloud is in troubled making at the moment.

Now back to

1. Sorting out Grant application

2. Doing virtual test

3. Redoing lab experiment

4. Getting on with the Iphone tracking thing.

5. Doing the probation

Because you know about architecture and stuff

Deep in the middle of CHI deadline ( now that's bad).

http://www.digital-architecture.org/london/

To celebrate London as a centre of design and innovation, the ‘Digital Architecture London’ Conference will take place at the Building Centre on 21st September 2009. Presenting a selection of London’s leading architects, artists, designers and engineers, the conference will examine how London is shaping the digital future of the built environment.

http://www.interactivearchitecture.org/

more cursed research

email today.

I have checked with the Events Office and unfortunately these are needed
for a big conference next week. The Porters will need to collect these
tomorrow.

So now I am faced with at least a weeks delay in getting any results in. Pushing very close to the CHi deadline. So do I try to get something else up or do I try to get the paper partly written to minimise time near the end....

I'm back

Holiday now thankfully over I'm back to organising experiments in time for Chi.

Looks like the signage experiment hasn't gone as well in my absense as I would like.

Paul and everyone is off at a conference.

I missed the Leverhulm deadline ( so Signing up for the 1st December).

Scratchy input

More seriously cool input - ideal for portable table.

Back to square one

Almost litrarally. With the failures over the weekened everyone is helping out getting the cyber tiles working. Image of Paul grooving one tile, Jeff has been 'Mr Electricity' too. We've gone for a bus design with a change of edge connectors.

Paul is talking to the dean about getting funding for more display research to help the faculty.

More shopping interfaces

On the subject of more shopping interfaces.

You might want to mentioned that LEGO are already doing this kind of tangible/digital fusion with display box (http://toyology.typepad.com/play_a_while/2009/01/lego-display-box-shows-your-potential-purchase-in-3d.html ) Prada stores have done it with fashion http://designarchives.aiga.org/index.html?s1=2|s2=1|eid=8942 In a store designed by Rem Koolhass they had a lovely mirror if you turned quickly it would freeze your image letting you look from behind.

Lego Tangible interface

First shopping tangible interface I've found live.

You hold box up to the display and it projects a 3d model on to it ( you hold box up to the mirror and see the object projected on it )

Floor disaster

Richie worked for about 8 hours over the weekend trying to get the cyber carpet installed. Unfortunately the result was far to thick. Paul came in and declared it was unworkable.

So Richie, Paul ( and others I'm not sure ) took all the cyber-tiles up leaving the pressure pads.

Everyone has had some idears about what to do to fix it but not a good moment.

We are expecting the new motors today. If they turn up we can run one into the ground to test.