Tim O’Reilly comments on a NY times article by Steven Strogatz, titled The Real Scientific Hero of 1953. The article comments on some of the scientific discoveries of 1953, including the Enrico Fermi first ever concept of a “computer simulation”.
www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/2869
John Saila’s Condensed Glossary of Internet Terminology
John Saila, has uploaded his condensed dictionary of Internet Terminology. The Glossary is focused around terminology for the Web and and the new-media industry
www.saila.com/usage/glossary
See your website as a colour blind user
37 Signals comment on a tool which converts your webpage design as if you were colour-blind.
www.37signals.com/svn/archives/000106.php
There are some interesting links and comments and useful resources there, and on many of the blog posts. Signal Vs Noise is the blog site of 37 Signals.
The website containing the tool has had quite a bit of hits recently and has consequently closed down due to bandwidth issues.
Update: (9 March 2003)
The website with the Colorblind Web Page Filter tool, is back online (thanks to Matt for letting me know).
I ran the filter on this page and here are the results (click on thumbnail to see larger image):
Macromedia.com gets redesigned as a Rich Internet App
The macromedia.com website gets redesigned with a new facelift and rich internet application.
www.macromedia.com
The new website prompts new questions once again about macromedia’s compliance with accessible devices. Here is macromedia’s accessibility statement www.macromedia.com/help/accessibility.html
Read More
Sony ImageStation Gallery & Hello Design
There is some beautiful photographs over at the Sony ImageStation website gallery
www.imagestation.com
The website has been designed by Hello Design
www.hellodesign.com
What is itex2mml?
Itex2mml is a software tool that transforms embedded Itex (a dialect if latex) into XHTML and MathML.
Itex is the way of describing math, including subscripts, superscripts, Greek letter and all other math symbols using only the standard characters available on a keyboard. eg 2^2 = 2 to the power of 2. There are a variety of web browsers out there that can understand, read and render Itex. One such browser is Mozilla.
Stupidity should be cured, says James Watson
New scientist comments on James Watson and Francis Crick (Discoverers of DNA structure) views on finding a cure to stupidity.
Watson has caused controversy by suggesting that stupidity is a genetic disease that should be cured.
www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99993451
The Brand Channel website
The Brand Channel is a useful resource site with extensive information & statistics on brand and advertising.
The site contains a huge selection of articles, papers and PDF’s which are available for download.
http://brandchannel.com
Google tops the Brand of the year Award
Google has been named brand of the year for the first time, beating Coca-Cola, Nike, Apple, Nokia, Ikea and BMW. It did this without any advertising.
More can be found at the BrandChannel.com article who conducted the survey: http://brandchannel.com/features_effect.asp?id=143
Book interface to help video
Technology Review comments on new ways in which researchers are using the book to better help the development of interface of video.
Using book developed activites such as skimming, bookmarking, notating and highlighting, researchers at University of California Berkely, are combining traditional book user interfaces and combining them which new technology such as handhelds and barcodes readers to better develop a similar methods of inputing information using video.
The technology is helping better access of video records of court trials and medical procedures.
www.technologyreview.com/articles/rnb_030403_2.asp
Noam Chomsky film at Sydney Valhalla Glebe
Margaret from The Movie Show commented in this week’s show of a Noam Chomski thesis film on post september 11, which is screening this weekend. The film is called “Power and Terror – Noam Chomsky In Our Times”.
It will be playing at the Valhalla Glebe starting this Thursday, March 6th. More info can be found here
www.valhallacinemas.com.au/film_pages/chomsky.htm
Basis Technology develops Arabic translating software
News.com comments on a software company in America which has developed a tool that can translate the Arabic language.
The Cambridge based company, Basis Technology has the hot seat as it’s software is sought-after by intelligence agencies ::: http://news.com.com/2100-1028-991058.html?tag=cd_mh
Map of Wi-Fi coverage in US
Netstumbler shows a map of the USA national Wi-Fi coverage. ::: www.netstumbler.com/nation.php
Adobe Illustrator 11
Todd Dominey from What do I know? comments on possible rumours of Adobe Illustrator 11. The new version of Adobe Illustrator is code-named Pangaea and according to the article it is tentatively scheduled for release mid June, 2003. ::: http://whatdoiknow.org/archives/000810.php
HCI subject at UTS with Dr. Toni Robertson
I started my HCI postgraduate subject at UTS last night with Dr. Toni Robertson. Here is the list of recommended readings/books:
1. Preece, Jenny, Yvonne Rogers, Hellen Sharp (2001), Interaction Design: Beyond Human Computer Interaction, Wiley.
2. Krug, Steve (2000) Don’t Make Me Think, Que, USA
3. Nielsen Jakob (1999) Designing Web Usability. New Riders Publishing.
4. Preece, Jenny, Yvonne Rogers, Hellen Sharp, David Benyon, Simon Holland and Tom Carey (1994) Human-Computer Interaction, Addison-Wesley, UK.
I am really looking forward to getting into this subject, particularly as we will be looking at emerging mobile technology usability, experience and human -extension.
Here is a synopsis:
Interaction Design (ID) is defined as designing interactive products to support people in their everyday and working lives.
This entails creating user experiences that enhance and extend the way people work, communicate and interact. ID extends the traditional focus of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) beyond designing computer systems for a single user sitting in front of a single machine.
One of the central challenges is to keep abreast of technological development, to understand the usability issues associated with these and to use this understanding to ensure that technology is harnessed for maximum human benefit.
This subject focuses on user-centred approaches to, and methods for, technology design. It provides students with an understanding of the principles of HCI as well as concepts, tools and techniques that can assist in the creation of both useful and usable technology that supports users? activities.
The subject introduces both the social and the technological aspects of HCI as well as usability design and evaluation methods.