Nuno Jardim Nunes

TED is “an event like no other”… more than 1000 thought-leader together once a year to discuss Technology, Entertainment and Design… Altought I’ve never attended one of the conferences (they are by invitation only and I would need one )!

Anyway, recently they started posting TEDTalks online, some are simply brilliant unmissable pieces, what could you expect from Dan Gilbert, Barry Schwartz, Malcom Gladwell, Steven Levitt, Richard Dawkins, Dan Dennett, Ken Robinson, Hans Rosling and Al Gore.
This is already a shortlist of some of my favorite talks, I’ll start with Ken Robinson’s talk about the role of creativity in our education system. An entertaining, brilliant talk from one of the thought leader in education, anybody working on this field should watch. Enjoy!

Well Steve Jobs did it again, Apple just launched the iPhone and AppleTV – two products that clearly make Apple jump into the information appliance arena after the major success of the iPod.
And the fact that “Apple Computer Inc.” is now “Apple Inc.” a confirmation of what HCI research as long predicted with the Invisible Computer and and Disappearing Computer.

A couple of things stand out of this trend, partly why I’m blogging on it (the other part is because I’m a long time MacUser):

• the iPhone includes at least a couple of highly innovative underlying technologies that might go into the right direction. And it’s impressive how Apple takes an edge waiting for the right technology to be there (big high-pres touchscreen with a new technology called “multi-touch, smart sensors that help control the device behavior);
• but it’s not simply hardware, it’s about the integration between HW and SW, that together are capable of creating a new killer product at least for the early adopter that will dominate the market and make room for the stylish trend up to come;

My guess is that those BIG details will make the difference in the long run. Of course quad-band, Gb of storage and all the other features will be important for early adoption, also the styleness and coolness of simply carrying one of this devices… but in the long run if multi touch doesn’t for the user, the iPhone is dead!
So it’s time to revisit Don Norman’s “The Invisible Computer”, there is a chapter available online: Growing Up: Moving from Technology-Centered to Human-Centered Products.

I will have more to say about this on the technical side of things with a paper I’m currently working on.

This is a photo of the New Year’s evening with some of DME’s students… which obviously know how to enjoy one of the most celebrated New Year’s Eve in all the world – the amazing Funchal fireworks which got listed in the Guinness book of records.

A Happy New Year!