Erik Scholz

Can Microsoft Provide a Good Mobile User Experience?

I’m currently reading through Microsoft’s UX Guidelines for their new Windows Phone. Stumbling over this: “Windows Phone is a software platform that can improve a person’s life”. Even though I’m not a big fan of Microsoft’s UX (OS, IE, Applications) I’ll give it a try. I must say compared to iOS 5 and Android’s Ice Cream Sandwich, Windows Mobile appeals much more designey, slick and modern – at least in terms of visual design. The supremacy of it’s UX won’t be defined by rounded corners or glossy effects. But if the design patterns are well thought through, easy and fun to use will be figured out today – by me. For those who care and want to compare: Android Design Guidelines & iOS Human Interface Guidelines.

Ryan, the favorite hipster is showing his huge clock.

(via Imgur)

onefutureminute:

The new Vimeo is coming…

The new Vimeo brings even more focus to your videos with a video page that is more cinematic, with a larger, full-width video player and fewer distractions. Your eyeballs are going to adore it. We’ve also reorganized commonly used tools and created new keyboard shortcuts so you can navigate to the next video, “like” a video, or go full-screen without lifting a finger (off your keyboard, anyway).

About Timeline

Nicely explained.

Is it a trailer, a teaser or is it advertisement? Or is it trail… wait for it …vertisement? Anyways, it’s a funny transition from some stupid-positive-future-is-now-with-happy-melody-in-background-ad to the Hieronymus Boschesque wasteland of Resident Evil – Retribution 3D.

(via The Awesomer)

Sebastian Schmieg is getting creative with code (see below). As far as I interpret the code right (and I just vaguely understand this 01-gibberish) he uses the Google image search for similar images and starts with a black image. And always uses the first resulting image for a next search and so on. And putting all the results together in a video. And the fun part: even though the start is just a blank/black image, a (little random, still amusing) narrative is created. Totally generative with no human manipulation at all. It’s a bit dry, though, without any soundtrack. Try listening to this in background while watching the video: Philip Glass, Glassworks.

import re, subprocess, time

class GoogleSearchByImage :

    GOOGLE_URL = "http://www.google.com"

    GOOGLE_SBI_URL = "/searchbyimage?image_url="
    
    AGENT_ID = "Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:7.0.1) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/7.0.1"

    MIN_SECONDS_BETWEEN_REQUESTS = 2

    _myLastRequestTimestamp = 0
    
    _myCurrentHtml = ""

    def scrape(self, theReference) :
        if time.time() - self._myLastRequestTimestamp < self.MIN_SECONDS_BETWEEN_REQUESTS :
            time.sleep(self.MIN_SECONDS_BETWEEN_REQUESTS - (time.time() - self._myLastRequestTimestamp))
            return self.scrape(theReference)
        else :
            self._myCurrentHtml = self.getHtml(self.GOOGLE_URL + self.GOOGLE_SBI_URL + theReference)
            self._myLastRequestTimestamp = time.time()
 
    def getHtml(self, theUrl) :
        try :
            myHtml = subprocess.check_output(["curl", "-L", "-A", self.AGENT_ID, theUrl], stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
            return myHtml
        except :
            print "Curl error. Will sleep for 10 seconds"
            time.sleep(10)
            return self.getHtml(theUrl)
         
    
    def getSimilarImages(self) :
        myPattern = re.compile("\" href\=\"\/imgres\?imgurl\=(.*?)(\&amp|\%3F)")        
        myImages = myPattern.findall(self._myCurrentHtml)
        myImagesUrls = []        
        for myImage in myImages :
            myImagesUrls.append(myImage[0])
        return myImagesUrls
    
    def getLinkToSimilarImagesPage(self) :
        myPattern = re.compile("\<a href\=\"([^\"]+[.]?)\"\>Visually similar images\<\/a\>")
        myPageUrl = myPattern.findall(self._myCurrentHtml)
        myPageUrl = str(myPageUrl[0]).replace("&amp;", "&")
        myPageUrl += "&biw=1600&bih=825" # always keep this
        return self.GOOGLE_URL + myPageUrl

(via Lebowitz)

When the avoidance of interacting becomes the interaction.

kidcandy:

Brilliant use of technology in a great awareness campaign.

helloyoucreatives:

An interactive video screen using Kinect motion-sensors to raise awareness for Autism Speaks. The little girl avoids eye contact; one of the most prominent signs of the disorder in children.

Video from http://theadbuzz.com/

(Source: fuckyeahinteractiveads)

What’s real? What are digitally added layers? The visual secrets of the TV series The Boardwalk Empire Season 2. Check out the secrets from Season 1.

(via Adverblog)

A blog for the ladies. “I don’t know much about the ladies.” “Nobody does – that’s what makes them so mysterious and alluring.” “The ladies like it when you listen to them.”

(via The Awesomer)