Weak human + machine + better process was superior to a strong computer alone and, more remarkably, superior to a strong human + machine + inferior process.
Notice the two pieces of "flair" in my posterous sidebar, "recent posts" and "flickr photos". Perhaps you've tried to embed some javascript in your custom posterous theme and found out that they simply don't allow it. That's probably a good thing. You can get crazy and buggy with this stuff. However, without javascript support, typical blog sidebar widgets won't work.
But... I googled some suggestions and customized them for my needs. Basically, some javascript in an iframe and you can build yourself a nice, safe sidebar widget. This is sort of how Google Gadgets on iGoogle work. I think I might eventually lose the flair, but in the meantime, I'll share how it's put together. My widget supports showing posterous posts, tweets, rss feeds, delicious feeds, and flickr photos.I built the "recent posts" widget using my posterous rss feed. The two iframes I embedded in my theme are<div class="sidebar-block">
<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://files.martinruiz.com/files/
martinruiz-posterous-sidebar-widget.htm?method=rss& feedurl=http://martinruiz.posterous.com/rss.xml
frameborder="0"
style="border:0;height:525px;width:290px;">
</iframe>
</div>
<div class="sidebar-block">
<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0"
src="http://files.martinruiz.com/files/
martinruiz-posterous-sidebar-widget.htm?method=flickr&
username=martinruiz&user=8335702%40N03&
count=3&layout=v&size=m"
frameborder="0"
style="border:0;height:600px;width:290px;">
</iframe>
</div>
You need to set the width and length of the iframe to fit your theme's sidebar. It might require a little trial-and-error to get it right.
About the Parameters
Several futuristic interfaces were on display at SIGGRAPH. I liked the "Scratch" technology for it's simplicity. You simply attach a high frequency sensor to a surface, such as a wall, desk, or white board. Then scratch learned gestures. In one application he controls the volume of an mp3 player(i think).
Checkout all 5 Futuristic Interfaces at http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/editors/23940/
What is it about graphics, pictures, and animation that creates meaning? Tom Wujec talks about 3 ways the brain creates meaning.
Quick Summary:
How does the brain create meaning? Begining with the eyes, thirty or so centers of the brain work in parallel to produce "aha" moments that come together to create a unified mental model.
We make meaning by an act of visual interrogation.
3 things you should do:
1. Use Images to Clarify Ideas
2. Interact with images to Create Engagement (touch screens,whiteboards etc)
3. Augment Memory with Persistent & Evolving Views
Example:
At AutoDesk, team draws entire strategic plan on one giant wall. The team creates a shared mental model that they can share.
1: Clunky buttons2: Switch to metal (that's a type of cassette, not heavy rock music)3: Battery light - usually found flickering in its death throes4: Double headphone jack (not to be found on an iPod)5: Door ejects - watch out for flying tapes and eye injuries
I remember my dad showing off his Walkman. It came with a leather case. My favorite feature was the microphone. You could pretend to be listening to music while hearing those around you talk about your awesome-ness.
Rise of the machines
1821
Charles Babbage, originator of the concept of a programmable computer, sketches out plans for a chess-playing machine.1948
British mathematician Alan Turing and US electronic engineer Claude Shannon independently develop the basic algorithms still used in chess programs.1980
The Othello program The Moor, written by Mike Reeve and David Levy, wins one game in a six-game match against world champion Hiroshi Inoue.1992
TD-Gammon, developed by IBM’s Gerald Tesauro, plays backgammon at a level nearly equal to that of the best human players. It also influences the play of its living counterparts.1994
Former world champion draughts (checkers) player Marion Tinsley resigns, for health reasons, in an even match against Chinook, a program written by a team from the University of Alberta. Chinook beats grandmaster Don Lafferty the following year in a 32-game match. The final score is 1-0 with 31 draws.1997
IBM’s Deep Blue beats world chess champion Garry Kasparov. The machine wins a six-game match two-one with three draws.Logistello, written by Michael Buro, defeats the world Othello champion Takeshi Murakami, 6-0.
1998
Scrabble program Maven, developed by Brian Sheppard, beats grandmaster Adam Logan nine games to five. The average score is 417.3 to 388.6.
Lifehacker recently posted about and solicted ideas for lower energy consumption in laptops. According to the Windows 7 team, the two energy hogs are the LCD screen at 43% and the chipset at 21%. Sticking true to Pareto’s 80/20 rule, I’m suggesting two ideas for new LCD screens.
1. Partially Lit Screens - essentially design screens that can parts of it completely off, thereby consuming less energy. This may be particularly useful for wide-screen lap-tops. If you’re not working with multiple apps at once, why have the entire screen lit?
2. Smart Screen Dimming - imagine the screen automatically dimming when certain applications take focus. This could be good for email, twittering and blogging:) Combined with the first idea and you might have partially dimmed screens.
As always, feel free to run with this idea if you like it… just share credit with me or let me help.
