This week: Tangible VR building blocks, smart Soba tattoos, new UI metaphors, Emojigeddon and decodin
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May 9 · Issue #13 · View online
A weekly dispatch on our evolving relationship with technology.
Topics: Near-future design, autonomous everything, design ethics, machine learning and the human impact of embedding technology into everyday life.
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This week: Tangible VR building blocks, smart Soba tattoos, new UI metaphors, Emojigeddon and decoding culture on the Chinternet.
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“We’re looking at helping children recognize the amazing tool that the device is, but recognizing it as a tool, not as entertainment, not as something you disappear into and never come back. We’re interested in pushing you out of the app, back into the physical world, just as much.”
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3.0 A Japanese agency has developed a temporary tattoo that— when applied to the skin after being dunked in soba noodle water—will detect whether or not the wearer is allergic to soba. (See also a “ biological machinery” laced paper Zika test).
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Bits of the illustration turn red if you're allergic :)
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4.0 There’s something about drones that seem pre-destined to dig deep into popular culture. Like this example from Poland: - People steal coal from trains. - Police use drones to watch over the trains. - So people leave graffiti (that would totally confound time-travelling archaeologists) to warn others, of said drones. Courtesy @nraford. |
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“Aesthetic trends are often influenced by Chinese specific photo editing apps that allow people to add stickers, animations or to paint over images. I also see that when users do want to censor images, they do so by using these apps to mask their own or other people’s faces, as well as the background sometimes.”
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Courtesy http://www.netize.net, www.michelleproksell.com
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6.0 When ‘because you can’ is reason enough: Tech savvy (or merely highly motivated) families are hacking together insulin dispensing devices rather than wait for products to gain regulatory approval. “Diabetes is dangerous anyway. Insulin is dangerous. I think what we are doing is actually improving that and lowering the risk”
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9.0 If you’re not familiar with the very advanced state of Japanese flip-phones (many of which, despite this still qualify as feature phones) have a look at this simple but effective stereoscopic privacy filter.
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10.0 An amazing pre-touch sensing prototype from Microsoft Research. Be sure to watch the whole thing. Seeing the technology extrapolated into novel UI examples is IMO the best part.
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1.0 A trash sorting robot that works with human partner (who’s job has oddly been gamified) to improve throughput and accuracy. “…robots are great at manual labor—at doing the same thing a million times in a row. But humans are great at problem solving, classification, identification, and dealing with diversity.”
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2.0 An autonomous self-flying camera (…basically a drone, but one that hovers wherever you ‘drop’ it, doesn’t look as if it might chew your fingers off, and is under the FAA’s 250-gram threshold so doesn’t require a permit!)
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From the past: Spotify on a wire. “ Initially known as the dynamophone, the telharmonium made use of telephone networks to transmit music from a central hub in midtown Manhattan to restaurants, hotels, and homes around the city … The electrically generated tunes would then stream from their phone receiver, which was fitted with a large paper funnel to help pump up the volume.”
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Image courtesy archive.org
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From the future: SkinTrack, from researchers at Carnegie Mellon University enables you to swipe a finger across your arm to control a smart watch.
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Our best wishes for a productive week. If you enjoy this letter, please tell your friends; if you don’t, please unsubscribe. As always, thanks for reading!
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