Augmenting Your Mobile

I think I talk a bit about playing with software constraints too much. I’m biased, that’s what I deal with the most when it comes to my mobile. But you know, something funny happens when its someone else asking you questions about your mobile – it almost always starts with the hardware 😉

Disappearing PCs, or Finally Seeing Life’s Contexts

GigaOm’s recent article (The Future of Technology Means Making A Computer that Disappears) is interesting. On one hand, it makes all kinds of sense and continues the often-spoken meme of the shrinking and more capable computer becoming more entrenched into activities. But, on the other hand, it constrains the definition of technology to a style of computing that doesn’t do much to augment human capacities as much as it does replace some behaviors for the sake of analytics or efficiencies.

Sketchnotes – Guest Post at iPad Creative

At some point last year, I decided that I would start drawing again. My canvas would be the iPad. It only happened on airplanes, and then I attended a meeting about creating story environments prompted me towards the idea of sketchnotes. I’d seen for years the work by Mike Rhode and figured that it would be a good idea. The response was positive enough that I’d try it for another conference. Then another. And then a few workshops…

Read the rest of my guest-post at iPad Creative.

Why Your Mobile Isn’t Satisfying

Three articles, two moments, one point of clarity. Your mobile isn’t satisfying, and it’s because of the folks who lead in mobile it pushing enough. But, when they do speak, the warts are more noticeable than the quirks.

Revisiting Mobility Because of Calendaring, Flexibility, and AI

Am having a very public (re)discussion on Twitter about considering the Nokia N9 because of a calendaring need that has just come up that the Nokia N8 that I have isn’t quite able to address. The N8 is indeed a great device, and it has been its flexibility and the AI of Nokia Bots and Smart Widgets that’s made it quite indispensable. However, that calendar thing is a bugger.

Invited to Play on Cups and Bowls

I probably wouldn’t have written this if I didn’t just read the WSJ piece about Joshua Bell. But something in it reminded me about my own stopping today. The kind of living that you are never sure of until you hear and experience it.

Bicycling Gears of Many Stories

I think that I am growing to understand the impact and importance of putting much more of my life and eenrgies around bicycling. This weekend I’ve had two instances where I’ve been shifted a few gears in respect to that perspective of cycling. It’s probably going to be a good thing in the end, for now, I’m settling into a rhythm of sorts.

Poem: Melody of a Spouse

Your eyes are set in a city with cracked bells
The men who were called to action follow other tones
And therefore the rhythm you pursue rings off-center

BikeCharlotte, BikeCold

The other day I was in a state of jonesin’ for a bike ride. It had been a few days of strong rain and cold weather and I just needed to ride some. Then a friend got in touch with me and to give him a hand, I offered to connect at the library. “God I wish it was nice outside so that I could ride,” was going through my head.

How Gestures on My iPad Are Turning Typing into An Accessory

When it comes to software upates, unless there’s something drastic being fixed, or something compelling being added, I normally don’t care much. With my iPad, the update to iOS5 was supposed to add something compelling (gestures to navigate the interface). What I didn’t realize is that 1st gen iPads weren’t getting that. Bummer. A software patch update later and my 1st gen iPad gets these gestures. And with that, I am quickly finding out that typing is becoming an accessory to the experience of using this iPad.

Step 1 To A Mobilized Developer: Interactive Code Review Spaces w/MS Kinect

I’m no longer a member of a small team of developers who gets dragged into meetings (often) to talk about projects and code. But when I was, there was something very honest about me when I went: I wanted an interactive code/task-sharing space we could all see and contribute to real-time, and I didn’t want to be in that meeting with a laptop as I preferred my Nokia N800 to scribble notes and view projects. So glad to see this from a team at Microsoft (Code Space, via Engadget)

Nokia BigScreen with MS Kinect-Like Gesture Tracking

Scenario: Am sitting in my home with Nokia N8 connected to HD TV. I decide that boradcast programming is no longer good enough, and so I switch the TV’s input from the local broadcast to the mobile, expecting to pass the time browsing the web.