The Aging Interface

One of those thoughts that can scare those that aren’t prepared in the mobile industry: what if a person never replaced their mobile device? How would that company survive? Better yet, how would the device evolve with the user?

I know its in my head, especially seeing how content I am with my N97. But seeing this post on the subject of evolving user interfaces brings it back to light. And you know something, that would be pretty decent for many folks.

Then, taking some ideas of how print and web interfaces are changing, just imagine the possibilities of content that’s designed to be with devices that will morph over time. Cool!

Don’t Need More Gadgets/Services

Was just reading a tweet where Fast Company said that companies should emulate success, not solve problems. I disagree.

If the “solutions” that we had worked, as solutions, there would be no need to copy anything. We;d be content all over.

It takes imagination and fear-risk to take a chance by solving a problem. That’s where success for a company comes.

We don’t need more of anything but contentment. Find me a company that offers that, and you’ve found something worth emulating.

Mobile Future: Both Terminal and Server

As I’ve taken in the news about Windows Phone 7, Nokia/Intel’s Meego, the solar-powered Puma phone, and several other items, I see this interesting thing happening with mobile: on one side, its being asked to be a hub for everything that you do. From location tracking, to purchasing, to communications. Its the hub.

And then on the other side, its being asked to be a slave to the network and/or servces that control it. In effect like a dumb terminal, but with a bit more “mobile fun” to it.

Its one part exciting, but I see all kinds of confustion here. I mean, you get this really neat device (package) that’s more than capable of doing all the computing that you need – and yet its nothing without that service comonent. And so you get this feeling of freedom, but with a teather.

And I guess that’s ok for some things, but the mobile should be more than that either/or/both scenario. That’s kind of the issue that I’ve been dealing with personally since this site has been off of the concept of a mobile web server. This idea that I don’t have to farm out my private life in order to publically connect seems kind of dead to profitability, and therefore it doesn’t happen in practice/behavior of what we are walking into.

Not that I can blame the mobile industry. The current companies which control most of the market want to protect their revenues as things get cheaper, faster, easier. Users want something more along the lines of Minority Report (more cool than productive in the short term). And everyone says that we can do better with the tech in and between our hands.

Windows Phone 7 Series has a user interface that assumes that people can read contextually. Nokia has been pushing icon-based interactions. Everyone wants some connection to some (singular) cloud for some kind of enablement. There are a lot of guesses and steps being taken forward…

…what it will end up like in the end might be less enabling than any of us care to dream.