Wednesday, November 09, 2011

Click To Touch To Gesture And 3D

The "call me" gesture.Image via WikipediaA two dimensional screen is not what the world really looks like. The smartphone's small screen is unreal, if you think about it. But the real story there is the mobility. The screen moves as you move. The real appeal of the smartphone is actually 3D.

Touch was a big move beyond the click of the mouse. Gesture is the next step up. How smart could that gesture get? Could you pinch the air and make things happen? Could the air around you get smart?

You bet.

The screen will still come into play. A really smart screen will read you as you pinch the air.

What beyond the gesture? A squint? Things get wild at that point. The old adage about your body language speaking volumes might literally become true. And there might be unintended consequences. Typing is a conscious decision. There are flame wars and all that. But flame wars based on gestures and squints could really get out of hand.

Seven Screens

Saturday, November 05, 2011

Mike Arrington, Race, And HTML5

Electronic Frontier Foundation founders Kapor,...Image via WikipediaTalking about race is not negativity any more than talking about HTML5 is positivity. It is just plain objectivity. Group dynamics is more cutting edge a thing than anything we have seen in tech so far. (My Web Diagram) And race and gender are some of the most cutting edge topics in group dynamics, gender even more so.

Race, Gender, Tech
Race, Gender, Tech (2)
Tech, Women, Diversity
Mike Arrington Is A Sexist Pig: Say PeeeeG!

But right now the controversy is race. Months back it was gender, thanks to the same character Mike Arrington.

Mike Arrington: Idiot

Is Mike Arrington a racist? He is a character, that's for sure. As for if he is a racist, that question assumes the label racist is an easy one to pin. I don't think Mike Arrington is capable of hate crimes. But that does not mean he is not a racist. Racist behavior is a spectrum. Racist thinking is a spectrum. There is a relationship between the seemingly benign racist joke and hate crimes. And race is not a matter of individual opinion any more than medical research is a matter of individual opinion. Mitch Kapor touches upon that.

In this debate Mike Arrington comes across as clueless and defensive.

Online Dating Newsflash: Race And Religion Matter
The Need For A Race Gender Coalition
Black Cop Shot Down In Harlem By White Cops: The Race Angle
Race, A Few Different Angles

And then there is this old media, new media tension in this debate, but there Mike Arrington is no holy cow. As a former blogger he has been guilty of all that he now accuses of: sensationalism, playing gotcha, etc.

Friday, November 04, 2011

Galaxy Nexus Has Competition

Galaxy Nexus has competition in my world now.
GigaOm: Republic Wireless to launch $19 unlimited voice, SMS and data service: Republic Wireless ..... will launch a hybrid cellular voice and VoIP service on Nov. 8, 2011. ..... The service, which costs $19 a month, will allow you to make VoIP phone calls over Wi-Fi and will switch to cellular-based calling when a Wi-Fi network is unavailable. Text messages can also be sent via Wi-Fi or cellular networks. The service does require a special Android handset. The plan includes unlimited voice and text messaging. It also includes unlimited data without any bandwidth caps. ...... no different from the Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA)-based service bundled in some T-Mobile BlackBerry devices. T-Mobile also has UMA available on some Android phones. ...... When inside the office or your home or inside a Wi-Fi hot-spot, all phone calls and text messages are sent and received via the Internet. ...... like Kineto Wireless’ UMA that is used by T-Mobile, Republic requires you to buy a special phone that can handle this hybrid calling. The company has built this hardware based on Google’s Android OS. ...... also attractive to those who travel internationally and want to save on calling back to the U.S. ...... the idea of unlimited 3G data with the service for $19 a month
TechCrunch: Republic Wireless: An Android-Powered, VoIP/Cellular Hybrid Carrier That’ll Cut Your Phone Bill In Half
Republic Wireless, a new mobile phone service from Bandwidth.com that will be launching on November 8, and could truly be the phone carrier you’ve always wanted. ...... an alternative to the likes of Verizon and AT&T. ..... Users will not have to manually switch between Wifi and cellular — the phone will figure it out automatically ..... New phones are required because the Hybrid Calling relies on both hardware and software ....... You won’t need to sign up for a contract, so there aren’t any termination fees. No overage fees, either. ..... $19 a month, which will include unlimited voice, text, and data.
Also the Galaxy Nexus has been taking too long to show up.

FourSquare, I Was Not Here