Concept: imaging this…

(Engels)

Studying like a hard drive?

Studying like a hard drive?

I just stumbled upon this definition:

“An image (from Latin imago) is an artifact, usually two-dimensional (a picture), that has a similar appearance to some subject, usually a physical object or a person.” (wiki)

and it triggered this analogy…

Have you ever, at an examination, had the experience of being able to reproduce complete sentences? Just recovering plain text without actually understanding what is written. I had the pleasure a couple of years ago when I had to scrutinize a bunch of articles. I was able to reproduce the key arguments by looking at the shape of the text rather then its meaning. Not the best way to acquire knowledge for long term memory, but it’s just another way to acquire and reproduce or recover information. Not that I have the luxury of photographic memory, I wish! By focusing at the shape and associating on different levels, I was able to come up with the exact answers.

This brings me to the analogy of ‘drive imaging’.

My PC has the ability to reproduce information in a similar matter. It recovers (reproduces) important data on the primary hard drive when required. It does this by copying the entire drive as an exact image, ghost or shadow. Regardless the context, hence the words in the sentence. This functionality is much faster then the ‘conventional’ method of copying (or recovering) files, folders and its directory structure. The process is the equivalent of (a)building a structure in a – ready to go – modular fashion and (b)building a structure, from the ground up, by millions of bricks.

Thus,

Recovering or coping information (text/data) by focusing on the shape of the entire object (sentence/hard drive) regardless its context (content/directory structure).

October 26, 2009 | Bas Bisseling | Tags: , | 1 Comment »

iPhone OS 3.0 is coming, still room for innovation though…

(Engels)

After the introduction of the iPhone, Apple’s main focus is pointed towards its software. But, their is still room for innovation on its hardware. The virtual keyboard as a concept is really innovative and intuitive, but tapping my fingers on a hard surface isn’t, it’s a brutal business. My fingertips are already forming some hard skin, which in some time will probably brake the iPhone’s surface. That’s exaggerated of course, but my point is that Apple should rethink its hardware interface.

Why should they, in a cumbersome manner, try to make the buttons obsolete? Implementing tactile feedback (haptic feedback) and sound, to mimic the concept of the old fashion buttons, is not the smartest solution. Apple should rethink their answer to the virtual keyboard and start talking to Art Lebedev design team. The ‘new’ in new media is often overrated, because it’s just a remediation of an older medium. Apple does a great job in redefining the ‘new’. Hence, the many features of this phone, which is still the most innovative piece of consumer hardware in the market. To me, it’s a source of inspiration.

(Update 9-4-2009) This video illustrates my point! Introducing SLAP (Silicone ILluminated Active Peripherals) widgets

(Update 28-4-2009) Another video about haptic feedback. It’s still a long way to go! Behold the: Carnegie Mellon morphs ‘pop-up buttons’

October 17, 2009 | Bas Bisseling | Tags: , , , | No Comments »

Learning from hardware: Rethinking Cooperative

(Engels)

A few weeks ago, I was watching Paul Bennett, who was one of the guest speakers at the annual TED conference. He, as a creative director, was propagating new ways in thinking of problem solving and solution finding. Doing so by trying to think “out of the box”, as he said. That inspired me into writing this post: Rethinking cooperation.

When we collaborate, each of us contributes special powers (trumps) to raise the efficiency or quality of the collective effort as a well oiled chain. This type of cooperation could be problematic if a key member decides to split, because we are depending on each other’s effort. A chain is no stronger than its weakest link, so this could jeopardize the collective effort. Why does, in this example and in many other projects, the collective rely on such a fragile structure? When the individuals pass on their knowledge to their colleagues, they will obviously loose their trump and become replaceable. The collective effort will, on the one hand, benefit from this, because it does not rely on the contribution of one individual anymore. But, on the other hand, the individual looses its competitive advantage and becomes replaceable. Could there not be a way for the two interests to converge?

Maybe we could find a solution, when we take a look beyond sociology into the realms of data management and push ourselves into thinking in metaphors. Hard drives can work together in several combinations (RAID-0 / -5). Each of these combinations have different aims (qualities). RAID-0 combines speed with quantity, but jeopardizes the integrity of the data. Hence, to jeopardize the collective effort when a key member splits. RAID-5, for many companies is the most reliable and fastest solution for data management. A few hard drives are ’sacrificed’ to maintain the greater good (Every member of a project has, besides its own knowledge, a little bit of knowledge of the other members). The RAID-5 solution does not work as fast as RAID-0, but is more reliable. (RAID-5 as a metaphor, could be labour intensive, but could spare a project member).

This brings me to the notion of ‘free cooperation’, which I will go into later on…

July 11, 2009 | Bas Bisseling | Tags: , , , | 1 Comment »