Dying of phone

Kids who grew already up with computers, so called digital natives, are often not used to do phonecalls. The communication with friends ist often done by chat, and calling a stranger is a real event.
Now another app for the iphone again reduces the number of phonecalls.
Taxi-Caller is an iPhone app which uses GPS to search a taxi for you. Just run the app and press the "Call Taxi" button, the rest is done by the software.
The user doesn't need to know the number of the taxi company and doesn't know, how the street is called where he is right now.
And for the taxi-drivers it's a very efficient system, cause the nearest taxi is called, so the rides without passangers can dramatically be reduced.

Project Proposal Presentation

Here is the presentation of today's lecture again:

Current State Project Proposal on Prezi

Micropayment II

Last time I bloggt about micropayments I mentioned paypal only in a subordinate clause.
But yesterday paypal announced that they will soon offer a special service for micropayments. 

The advantage of paypal's service is, that they already have the infrastructure to make successful payments for both, buyer and seller. Many web users (included me) have already a proofed account, paypal has access to my bank data and I can easily load money on my account.
The success of the new model will depend from the charges every paying will cost. For payments less then 12$ there is not longer the fee of 0.35€ + 1,9%, but only 0,04€ + 5%.
Practically this means, if you pay 1€ for a virtual good you not longer pay 0,369€ (0,35 + 0,019) but only 0,09 € (0,04 + 0,05).
That makes micro payments a lot more attractive then it was before, if you pay only 9% instead of 36% charge.

Build car-pools with GPS

As the weather turns into rain me and my bike will have a hard time... As I don't have a car it's time to think about rain-alternatives. Advantage of the bike compared to the bus is, that it's riding when I want, in heavy traffic like at the mornings on the way to CIT it's faster, punctually and it's for free.
But what about longer tracks, 10, 20, 50km? Bus and Train seem to be a good alternative, but they are expensive. That's why in Germany there is a community called "Drive-with-me" (www.mitfahrzentrale.de), a domain which organizes car pools to get cheap from city A to B. But get a ride needs a lot of organization, people come late, the car is already full, you have to decide 3days earlier where to go, etc...

Some students from Darmstadt developed now the plattform flinc.org, which uses smartphones and GPS data to find the perfect ride. The system is much more flexible and can reduce the number of cars.

As I used car pools in Germany I think it's really a good alternative for both, driver and passenger. If enough people are registered you can decide very shortterm, if you want to pick up people or if you prefer to ride alone. And as passenger you can plan shortterm-trips without planing 3 days before.

Project Describtion Emerging Technology

The Project will consist of three parts: 

1.      Concept Realapp

One of the goals in the project is to create a real working app on an iPhone. This app should support the creative process in teams by adapting the creative technique “visual synectics”

The app will give you randomly pictures and the user should type in three words, which describe the mood of the picture. These words will then be displayed and give an new view on a topic, e.g. what has “summer” to do with our problem, how can summer help to solve the problem?

The app should start with a randomly picture and requires a textIn-field, a “save word”-button, a “new picture” button.

As the app is very basic I will first start with only one word per picture. If this works very fast I will try to add 2 more words. When all the words (in the first version after one, in a second version after three) are typed in, the app skips to a new screen where you can see just the picture and the words you typed in.

As the app is only one part of the project it keeps very simple. In an advanced version you could add a “Save”-function and the possibility to load your own pictures into the app.

I will first develop a paper prototype and after testing it start the developement in X-Code.

2.      Concept of a Teamwork App

The main part of the project will be the development of a concept. First there will be 2-3 interviews done with people working in creative industries. Based on this I want to figure out what the needs of an app could be. It should be the perfect app which includes everything. It could be unrealistic, it’s more a collection of ideas. This app should support brainstorming and creative thinking. 

Ideas:

Creative Techniques. Brainstorming,

Polls (which using the accelemeter)

Sending results to dropbox and emailaccounts.

Combine iPhone and iApp. iPhone as remote for iPad display

Work together in one room or in different rooms.

Possible Tools in the app

BRAINSTORMING: Paint your letter at the iPad where you want to write and type text with your iPhone.

Others can comment text be clicking it… 

iLike Function makes text bigger.

Touch text with your iPhone. Choose between comment or iLike or don’t like

VISUAL SYNECTICS: one basic of the brainstorming. See other app…

PUPLIC POLLS: up to four answers, laying iPhones on/at iPad

ANONYME POLLS: 4 Buttons at iPhone…

SEND: upload brainstorming to dropbox or emailaccount

3.      Clickable Dummie

Finally the concept should be realized in a clickable dummie. This will be very basic and just show some the functions of the app. Maybe also just a paper prototype.

Homemade Spacecraft

Today I will deal with a very interesting kind of emerging technology. Or better a mashup of old technlogies combined to a new one. This entry won't have 100words, just watch the video and enjoy:


Homemade Spacecraft from Luke Geissbuhler on Vimeo.

Microsoft presents Cloud Computing Office for Companies

This week Microsoft presents a new office which allows companies to work in a cloud. That is another step towards mobile offices because you have access to your software and all your data from all over the world. 

Cloud computing is one of the trends in Gartner's chart that's on the very end of it's "peak of inflated expectations".

The Office 365 combines the normal office with SharePoint Online, Exchange Online and Lync Online with the cloud.

I personally become more and more convinced by cloud computing cause I don't need to bring my laptop to university anymore. With the use of dropbox I have access to my data from every computer with internet connection, so I don't care if I'm working at my PC at home, in the library or at the MACs in our classroom... And if my laptop crashes, I still have a save backup of all my data.