http://www.psfk.com Your Go-To Source For New Ideas And Inspiration Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:00:22 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.psfk.com/2010/11/digital-memorials-rfid-rosetta-stone-the-e-tomb.html Wed, 10 Nov 2010 21:30:22 +0000 Two products offer ways to communicate the digital history of the deceased. ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/how-do-you-feel-right-now-new-iphone-app-tracks-happiness.html Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:57:00 +0000 A new iPhone application offers to help you understand how happy you are, and what makes you happy, by tracking what factors are associated with your personal happiness. The TrackYourHappiness application is actually part of psychology research being performed by Matt Killinsgworth at Harvard.  The site identifies the mission of the project as a “new scientific research project that aims to use modern technology to help answer this age-old question. Using this site in conjunction with your iPhone, you can systematically track your happiness and find out what factors for you personally – are associated with greater happiness.” Upon signing upRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/01/connectivity-at-ces.html Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:29:44 +0000 CES, the largest consumer technology trade show, has served as a showcase for hundreds of new devices, many of which heavily rely on wireless and inter-connectivity.  At thee show’s opening keynote, Howard Stringer, CEO of Sony, announced that by 2011 ninty percent of Sony products will be able to connect to the internet and each other.  The trend presented by dozens of manufactures at CES has been to introduce devices that reflect the growing reliance on wireless technologies, social networking and constant network accessibility. Nokia is making a big push at this year’s show to present technology to collaborate andRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/12/battling-moochers-with-wifi-advertising.html Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:04:56 +0000 Dutch coffee shop CoffeeCompany has been using their wifi coverage to battle internet moochers.  The company offers free wifi in stores servicing local universities, but found their free internet was attracting far more freeloaders than paying customers. So they decided to tempt the cash tight loiterers by moving their menus into the wifi menu, constantly changing their network name from ‘CoffeeCompany’ to titles like “HaveYouTriedTheCarrotCake?” and “Mmm…YummyMuffinsOnly1,99″.  Clever solution. But definitely opening the door to some awkward situations; patrons planning to connect to the network may find it a little uncomfortable double checking with store staff whether “BuyAnotherCoffeeYouCheapskate” is theRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/12/zoetrope-web-browsing-through-time.html Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:17:01 +0000 Projects like the Internet Archive let web users visit old versions and archives of websites via url search, but a new service called Zoetrope will offer new, interactive ways to “browse backward” through time. Developed by research scientist Mira Dontcheva of Adobe Systems, the soon to be released tool offers visual browsing with a click and drag scrollbar, moving the user backward and forward through time by hours, days, or months. Specific details and pieces of data (i.e., the price of a toy on Amazon.com) can also be zoomed in on by placing a cursor “lens” over that area ofRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/12/microsoft-future-forecasts.html Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:14:28 +0000 In contrast to IBM’s unimaginative predictions, Microsoft’s Future Visions videos are actually a bit inspiring, pointing to innovations in technology we’d be excited to see and use. Their “future vision on manufacturing” concept video brings to life many advances that seem rather intuitive: ubiquitous touchscreen interfaces, holographic video conferencing, virtual paper, 3-D guided assembly processes, and a host of other efficiency boosting technologies. Watch the video below: [via 360design]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/12/facebooks-growing-omniscience.html Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:28:42 +0000 Today Facebook announced the launch of their latest privacy-taunting feature, Facebook Connect, giving its members the option of using their log-ins to share and see their friends’ activities on a vast network of third-party sites. Now, when users are streaming videos on Hulu or reading the SF Chronicle, for example, they’ll be able to broadcast their doings to their circle of ‘friends’ simply by logging into their Facebook account. While the web is already abuzz about the potential backlash from the service, NY Times points out its significance in the evolution of social media: Supporters of [Facebook Connect] say suchRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/11/convenient-virtual-healthcare-working-with-mainstream-plans.html Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:22:24 +0000 We’ve discussed new alternatives to traditional healthcare before, but we’re excited to watch the development of one new player in the game: American Well, a medical care service that replaces the standard doctor’s check-up for a virtual, webcam-based one – while still working within the traditional U.S. healthcare system. According to the NY Times, users of the new program developed by Dr. Roy Shoenberg and his brother Ido will be able to access the service via their health plans’ websites. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Hawaii is the first to sign on and will offer patients the virtual visits startingRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/11/new-technology-new-headaches.html Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:18:35 +0000 A recent survey conducted by Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project offers some interesting statistics to keep our techno-lust in check. While every day seems to see the launch of some new gadget, application, or other efficiency-boosting device, Pew reveals that our experience with the latest technology is often far from efficient.  Specifically: Nearly half (48%) of American adults who use the internet or have a cell phone say they usually need someone else to set up a new device up for them or show them how to use it. 44% of those with home internet access sayRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/11/the-continued-success-of-the-iphone-gaming-industry.html Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:39:02 +0000 Despite the economic downturn, the gaming industry – at least for iPhones and iPod Touchs -is still going strong, according to the WSJ. Silicon Alley Insider points to some key findings: 2,000+plus iPhone games are currently available for download, either for free or purchase. iPhone and iPod touch owners have downloaded around 50 million games. (They make up 25% of the 200 million apps downloaded from the Apple app store, and most downloads are free.) Simon Jeffery, president of Sega (U.S.), claims that “games sold via the App Store are the most profitable in terms of any of the formatsRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/11/take-a-break-from-real-life-with-wiis-animal-crossingcity-folk.html Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:35:20 +0000 The Wii continues to reinvent the paradigm of game play with its multipurpose uses that blur the lines between actual and virtual worlds.  With the release of Animal Crossing: City Folk on November 16th, your offline desires have found a new online home.  The game’s narrative unfolds in real time as you navigate your customized Mii character through a world that you’re free to explore depending on your whims.  Watch a fireworks display or take the bus into the city to go see a concert – it’s your life to live any way you choose (except it’s not real).  IfRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/11/nokia-life-tools.html Fri, 07 Nov 2008 19:24:03 +0000 On Tuesday, Nokia announced their plan to launch a set of services called Nokia Life Tools aimed at keeping mobile users in emerging markets informed, connected, and ‘empowered’. The suite will include agricultural information, educational tools, and entertainment, all instantly and easily accessible. Two of Nokia’s basic handsets – the Nokia 2323 classic and the Nokia 2330 classic – will come automatically equipped with the service, which is set to debut next year. A sample of the included tools: agriculture tips & techniques, local market prices, instant weather updates, lessons in English and other ‘general knowledge’, and career preparation. NokiaRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/11/iphone-as-modem.html Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:14:50 +0000 Social networking tool, GPS navigator, virtual beer – now the iPhone is set to take on yet another use – as a 3G modem for your laptop. Sure, other smartphones and Jailbroken devices have already offered this capability for a while now – but let’s not split hairs. Silicon Alley Insider reports that AT&T’s Ralph de la Vega was the one to share the news at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco yesterday.  The modem mode will prove useful when users are en route or otherwise without steady wifi. Alley Insider also estimates the monthly fee for this newRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/11/get-your-laptops-ready-virgin-americas-in-flight-wifi-goes-live-nov-22.html Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:52:34 +0000 On Nov. 22, Virgin America will be unveiling their much-anticipated in-flight Gogo internet service on a special beta flight above San Francisco. To build some buzz around the launch, they’ve partnered with YouTube to offer the “first-ever live, air-to-ground video-stream” which will broadcast to an estimated 20 million viewers online, as well as a sea of onlookers at the YouTube Live event in San Francisco. Starting in late November, Virgin will continue rolling out the Gogo service on more flights (one plane a week), making it the first US carrier to offer fleet-wide wifi by the second quarter of 2009.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/10/ultra-bedouin-worker-road-trip.html Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:32:02 +0000 We’ve been talking about bedouin workers for a while now, but a recent interview on webmonkey with two mega-bedouins simply made us smile.  After their lease ran up, Pittsburgh web designers Nathan Swartz and Olivia Meiring, along with their 7-year-old son Tristan, donated most of their stuff to Goodwill, bought an RV and hit the road for a year long road trip – maintaining freelance design gigs and home schooling their child along the way. Webmonkey: What did you have to do at home in Pittsburgh to get ready for this trip? What happened to where you live and where’sRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/10/augmented-reality-using-holographic-projection.html Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:31:19 +0000 Ivan Tihienko has created a very impressive concept for computing on the go.  As an alternative to PDAs or mobile phones, Ivan has designed a personal computer system that enables users to manage their schedules, send emails, get GPS directions, listen to music, and play interactive games through a holographic projection system that projects the images on the ground in front of the user. Like an iPhone you can control with your entire body, both hands and feet are utilized to navigate through the interface. Check out the demo video below:]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/09/thoughts-on-airplane-mode-and-disconnectivity.html Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:39:55 +0000 Jan Chipchase offers some interesting thoughts on the iPhone and what “Airplane Mode” says about our evolving relationship towards mobile devices. The creation of this switch that stops our phones from making and receiving calls, but keeps its other functions intact is, in Chipchase’s view, a reflection of how our phones have become more than just phones. Or perhaps become something else entirely. He writes: The inclusion of an Airplane Mode on the 3G iPhone is pretty obvious design choice right? It’s a well implemented feature that is both easy to access and easy to communicate the current state ofRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/09/ambient-awareness-and-the-digital-village.html Mon, 08 Sep 2008 21:13:35 +0000 This week’s NY Times Magazine features a thoughtful meditation on virtual relationships, ‘digital intimacy’ and the effects of our ever-revelatory online behavior on our real-life social and emotional lives. Clive Thompson takes a look at the growing universe of social networking and broadcasting on the web (resulting in a sort of vague omniscience coined “ambient awareness”) and asks how its increasing ubiquity is changing the way we socialize, keep in touch with friends and acquaintances, and come to perceive both ourselves and those we ‘know’. Thompson discusses the complexities of the interconnectedness we experience via Twitter updates and Facebook newsfeeds:Read more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/09/jan-chipchase-on-future-social.html Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:45:59 +0000 Jan Chipchase recently posted his presentation “Future Social”, a study of how the ubiquity of mobile technology is changing our social spaces, and vice versa. Chipchase’s tireless investigation into the ways people interact with technology around the world, in vastly different contexts, results in some great insight in “Future Social”. In his words: A summary [of Future Social]? As much of the stuff that we use to do things becomes smaller and end up in more (social) contexts we will not only evolve new use-practices but it puts a greater emphasis on communicating our intended use to people in proximity.Read more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/09/phone-as-conduit-theory-revisited.html Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:41:02 +0000 When I saw this image of an iPhone equipped fridge on DesignBoom’s site it reminded me of the opinion piece I wrote way back about the Phone As Conduit. While I think the Gorenje fridge-freezer fits in the novelty bucket pretty well – it does hint at the notion of the phone being a device we use to create entertainment experiences by connecting it to other ‘players’ as we move about. Here’s the thinking back from March 2006: So here’s an idea that struck us today. Let’s combine two theories: first, one day all our entertainment media will be virtualRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/08/invisible-journeys-mapping-the-connections-around-us.html Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:42:57 +0000 Oli Laurelle has created a stunning flickr set of images showcasing the fluctuating prevalence of wireless technology on her different journeys through Europe. The picture above is a data visualization of the wireless access she picked up on a 45 minute car ride from a village to a city. 451 wireless nodes were recorded, with the red circles representing those with WEP encryption, the blue = WPA encryption, and the yellow = no encryption. Interesting to see the shifting levels of security and access moving from small town (non-existent) to big city (ubiquitous). See more photos at Invisible Journeys. [viaRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/08/lifevine-automatic-geo-tagged-lifetracking.html Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:43:24 +0000 LifeviNe, which will be making its beta debut in the next few weeks via Nokia’s Beta Labs, is a mobile lifetracking application that lets users geotag every step they make – and the photos, music, and audio clips that go along with the journey. Similar to their Sports Tracker app, LifeviNe offers users a way to map, timestamp, share and tag their day-to-day activities on their phones and the web. As explained in Nokia Conversations: As well as tagging all your media’s locations the app will track where you’ve been (so you need to be careful when you have itRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/08/adaptive-paths-aurora-the-future-of-user-experience-on-the-web.html Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:31:46 +0000 As part of Mozilla Labs’ concept series, Adaptive Path has unveiled “Aurora“, a series of short videos that explore the potential future of browser experience. The videos showcase a web browsing system much richer and more interactive than anything we have now, with touch screen drag and drop, collaborative web browsing, and cloud data organization and navigation. Watch the (slightly creepy) video below to get a better sense of it: Aurora (Part 1) from Adaptive Path on Vimeo.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/07/live-mobile-tv-broadcasting-with-bambuser.html Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:37:41 +0000 Swedish-based Bambuser is a new service that allows users to broadcast live streaming video directly to the web with their cell phones – kinda like mobile-TV, but the other way around. With Bambuser, users can broadcast whatever they want, to whomever they want, whenever they want, on the go. Members can also follow the broadcasters they like most and view the mobile-TV broadcasts live and chat with the broadcasters, or save the clips for viewing later. As of today, the service has 1750 users from 50 countries; the focus is still on Sweden but expanding.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/07/location-aware-technology-and-the-threat-of-constant-connectivity.html Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:59:11 +0000 With location-aware applications and mobile devices becoming more mainstream, the issue of privacy grows. Nokia researcher Jan Chipchase offers an interesting perspective on the potential influence – and threat – of shared location awareness on personal space, social relations, and our culture as a whole. He discusses how the the breaking down of barriers between privacy, identity and geography mean more than just knowing where you are and what or who’s around you, but with it, a pervading loss of agency. He explains: If I’m frank, one of the enjoyable aspects of that small bar around the corner is thatRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/07/twitter-style-videoblogging.html Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:01:00 +0000 12seconds.tv (currently by invite-only) is a new microblogging platform that allows users to record and share short video snippets of their life – what they are doing, where they are, and what’s on their minds. Anyone with a webcam or mobile video recording capability can use the free service. Just like Twitter’s 140 character limit, 12seconds has a limit of, well you guessed it, 12 seconds. The idea is to share brief moments of your life, instantaneously, spontaneously, and on the go. Users also have the option of linking their 12seconds accounts to their Twitter accounts. [via TechCrunch] - ContributedRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/07/netbooks-for-simpler-computing.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:44:05 +0000 An article in yesterday’s New York Times talks about the recent phenomenon of netbooks and the challenge they pose to the traditional PC manufacturers and outmoded ways of thinking about computers. For as long as personal computers have been around, the push has always been toward faster, more energy-consuming processors and larger amounts of hard drive space. Bucking this tread are netbooks, or much lighter laptops that employ much more energy efficient processors and trade the 250 GB hard drive for a more appropriate sub-100 GB flash-based hard drive. And while this device won’t cut it for energy-intensive processes likeRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/07/facebook-event-causes-citywide-alcohol-ban.html Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:22:03 +0000 A Facebook organized party that was to be held in Torbay, Devon has been cancelled after British police used unprecedented powers to force the whole town to stop selling alcohol. More than 7,000 Facebook fans looked set to turn up at this Friday causing the police to apply for a magistrates 24 hour ban under the 2003 Licensing Act. All off-licenses, pubs and bars in the town were to be closed. Today’s media attention, however, has meant that the event had to either be cancelled or a license issued for it to go ahead. As of now, the group pageRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/06/psfk-conference-san-francisco-speaker-charles-ogilvie.html Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:54:50 +0000 We're looking forward to having Charles Ogilvie, Director of Inflight Entertainment & Partnerships at Virgin America, share his insights on interface and interaction design along with David Armano (Critical Mass) at the PSFK Conference San]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/06/cellphone-study-reveals-surprising-patterns-in-peoples-movement.html Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:19:31 +0000 A new study conducted by researchers at Northeastern University has revealed some interesting properties of human movement through tracking their mobile phone use. The study used data collected from 100,000 randomly selected individuals in an undisclosed European country; every time an anonymously tracked user received or made a call or SMS, the mobile base station used was recorded to determine his/her approximate (within 3 km sq.) location. The results, gathered after six months of data collection, indicated that the majority of people travel a relatively short distance, somewhere between 5km-10km a day on a regular basis, and tend to re-visitRead more...]]>