ExperienceLab

Siri on the iPhone 4S - why people don't use it

The voice recognition performs well, it's well integrated, it's context-aware, it's location-aware, it has some killer come backs… but do people actually use it? 

What makes a good camera?

I'm a keen amateur photographer. As such, I of course own a digital SLR. I love using it and doing so has taught me a lot about the science and pragmatics of photography.

However, it's not the camera I use the most. So what is? My iPhone 4. And I'm not the only one - the iPhone 4 has now become the most popular camera on Flickr - shown by the yellow line in the chart below.

Mobile gaming downloads...weird wap connection!

I downloaded Tetris on my mobile over the weekend, it's one of my favourite games. I love playing it when I am out and about, on the tube, on the bus, waiting for others ... to pass the time.

So I downloaded the game and got ready to play, except each time I select the option to play Tetris it comes up with a weird message telling me that the phone needs to make a connection. It's FREE when in the UK but still, its an annoying extra step before playing my game and it doesn't give me a reason for making the connection. This is what the message looks like:

Please don't stop the music!

This video blog tells the tale of a keen Bhangra and Bollywood listening driver on a desperate journey to save the world from usability problems.... As she drives from location to location her journey is ruined as the music wouldn't play. This tale wouldn't be complete without the other major stars - the car, the iPod, and my MP3 adapter.

A special thanks to Alessandra Millar for producing the video. I owe you chocolate :)

Reactive Music: Can artists learn from game developers?

Music has always played an important role in the story of video games and with the recent interest in game controller interfaces (2:27) and distribution channels like the Rock Band Network, video games are playing an increasingly important role in the story of music. Does the emergence of Reactive Music create opportunities for artists to learn from game composers?

Reactive music adapts to a listener’s environment by using the cameras, microphones, accelerometers, touch-screens and GPS features in media players to affect reactive musical Scenes. The field is being pioneered by RjDj who produce Reactive Music apps for the iPhone. Several artists including Air have made scenes available through the RjDj network.

Gaming on the Go!

PlayableGames recently conducted research on how developers and publishers can design better mobile games that can be used where they are intended, on the move.

We used a range of the current best selling mobile devices and went walkabout, using them in a whole range of different locations, where and when the mood struck us. The key things we learn't were that tailoring a mobile game for short, snappy sessions was essential as we often snatched a few minutes when waiting for a bus or train and needed to quickly shut down the game as our transport arrived.

Our findings, which are available from the PlayableGames research page, cover a range of different aspects that are useful to consider when designing a mobile game including, touch screen and audio issues, the various control mechanisms, lighting, and what to do if your gaming device is a phone as well.

Silver Sat Navers

Over the holidays it was the ideal time to visit friends and relatives, as everyone seemed to be on a break. My Mum and Nan, in particular, wanted to visit family in west London. So, not wanting to be the family’s permanent chauffeur service during my time off… I handed over the satnav.

While identifying the main roads wasn’t going to be an issue, the destination was in an unfamiliar part of town, and so that’s where the satnav was to come into play.

 

 

With mum at the wheel, they headed off from East London on the A406 towards some random part of Southall, using the satnav but not really paying closer attention until they had to locate the specific address. When it was time to make the return journey they set the satnav to go home…except now here’s the problem.

They wanted to return via the same route used to get to their destination because they knew the main roads that they needed to get to. However, a journey that should have taken maybe an hour, took three hours.

The satnav unhelpfully programmed itself to drive through central London. Mum didn’t think she needed to check the details of the route the satnav had planned for them as it took them through the A406, which was the ideal route, and just started driving. As they were unfamiliar with the destination area they trusted the satnav to take them home. What they really wanted was for the satnav to remember the route.

Why can’t satnavs be programmed to remember routes? Why can’t I save a journey? Why can’t it remember the route I want to travel by? Consequently, Mum's driving home, now even more confused when following the satnav, not realising until it’s too late that they will end up central London with a diabetic Nan in the car cursing the satnav. That’s an awful long time especially when it’s not expected.

Although, I am quite reliant on my satnav, it would be great if I could save a route. I just want it to take be somewhere and bring me back the same way. At least that would help me remember the route too...it’s just not as simple as I want it to be.

MiFi impossible

A new trend for mobile broadband has been the appearance of mobile WiFi routers or 'MiFi's' allowing the user to setup their own WiFI hub quickly for internet access via 3G. As many of our jobs here at ExperienceLab mean that we need to be out and about we decided that one of these MiFi's would be a useful addition to our technology arsenal.

Mobile phone comparison site is launched

Mobile Phone Expert, www.mobilephone-expert.co.uk is a mobile phone comparison site that prides itself on offering users a simple process to find a new mobile phone and tariff. The site aims to do this by providing users with fewer results based on their preferences so they don’t have to scroll through pages and pages of phones.

Revolution in connectivity for mobile devices?

I got to play with one of the Flip video cameras for the first time yesterday. These are video recorders, the size of a compact camera that seem to work brilliantly even in very low light and some models can even record in HD quality.

Beyond the video recording functionality, the aspect I was particularly excited to see was the reason for the name 'Flip'. The camera has a built in USB socket that 'flips' out from the side. I gather it also has any software required to transfer the videos built in. Whilst not exactly rocket science, this is a real innovation in connectivity and so user experience, and one I am delighted to see. No more hunting around for a memory card adapter or USB cable to transfer content could have a big impact on the regularity with which users transfer their content. 

Could we start seeing similar built in USB features on camera and mobile phones in the future? I do hope so.