Locative media should be mobile. Apple has mentioned, in a recent keynote at the introduction of the iPad, that their annual revenue for its mobile devices is almost 16 billion US dollars. That makes Apple the number one manufacturer of Locative Media. The iPhone and the Macbook will be accompanied by a tablet, the iPad. It is not a mobile phone, nor a laptop. It’s a hybrid. The iPad is mobile in a sense that one is able to carry it around in a case, but that’s not really mobile, is it? It’s hybrid in a sense that it is in between the high resolution of a static newspaper and LG’s flexible e-paper mentioned before. It’s the Toyota Prius of new media. A step in the right direction, but just not nearly there.
(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’