In it what is in it

What are MEMS?

MicroElectroMechanicalSystems [quite different from memes which we covered earlier]. MEMS rhymes with “hems” if you are into sewing or “Dems” if you are into abbreviated US politics. They are the new wave of highly miniaturized sensors and actuators that bring ‘intelligence’ to many of our portable devices by monitoring and reacting to physical conditions. They are built on silicon wafers, typically in the micrometer or millionth-of-a-meter size range. They often use photolithographic techniques just like integrated circuits. The Nintendo Wii video game system is one example of usage. It relies on MEMS to translate your hand motions to actions on a video screen. Table tennis, golf, archery, skiing, exercising to a virtual instructor and many other activities are available for the Wii, with MEMS as the link between actual and virtual reality. 

The iPad as a new way for children to learn?

First, I want you to see a YouTube video about a 2.5 year old's first encounter with an iPad. Is there any doubt that this device is meant for the newest generation?

A colleague introduced me to Dr. Seuss's ABC on an iPad. Remarkable simplicity: a friendly interactive interface that would draw a child in -- and help her or him to learn to read. The app first came out for the iPhone, and here is the video. But the video really does not do justice to the iPad experience, with the larger screen and a more 'natural' feel than the iPhone for books. At $3.99 it is worth it. Other Seuss favorites are also out, and for Earth Day there is The Lorax that teaches kids about the environment. For older kids, there is Alice (of Wonderland fame) as shown in this somewhat frenetic YouTube video for Alice. 

Is the iPad the first non-personal computer?

onsider the following scenario at home. An iPad on the table in the den where you watch TV, another in the kitchen. American Idol is not really moving, so you pick up the iPad and take a look at the New York Times. Kid comes in and wants to know when the Celtics game will start. You hand her the iPad; she IMs her friend Sally for the answer (rather than check TV Guide on the iPad). Later, in the kitchen you pick up the iPad from the kitchen table to check your Gmail  to see if Bob has sent a reply yet to your question about the car. As you pick it up, you notice that your wife has been doing the Globe's crossword puzzle. No, Bob has not responded. You close Gmail, prop up the iPad to listen to music. It has now become your radio while you make chicken tikka...  You have been using the world's first "casual computer".

Cisco's CRS-3 'foundation' for tomorrow's internet

Cisco's new CRS-3 is being called a game changer -- at least by Cisco. This Carrier Routing System, a 'core router', can pump data at three times the capacity of its predecessor, and 12 times what the competition (Juniper?) can offer. If 322 Terabits per second does not make you gasp, here is the translation of what this throughput speed means:

• The entire printed collection of the Library of Congress could be downloaded in 1 second.
• Ever man, woman and child in China could make a video call, simultaneously.
• The totality of every motion picture ever created could be streamed in less than 4 minutes.

Microsoft's Songsmith for the singer in you

Something cool from... Microsoft? Yes, while we have all been busy praising Apple and Google for innovation, here comes a creative new tool from Microsoft. "Songsmith generates musical accompaniment to match a singer’s voice. Just choose a musical style, sing into your PC’s microphone, and Songsmith will create backing music for you." It's a great concept; one that is appealing all the way from children to would-be musicians who want to experiment -- and you and me who are somewhere in between on the spectrum between the shower and American Idol.

Campbell's soup neuromarketing

Not since the Mock Turtle in Alice in Wonderland sang, “Beautiful Soup, so rich and green, Waiting in a hot tureen!” has the marketing of soup interested me as much as the story about Campbell’s recent redesign of its label. This is tampering with an icon. Lest we forget, this icon fetched $11,766,000 in 2006 – the highest price for one of Andy Warhol’s 26 Campbell’s Soup Series paintings. (You see it on the left here!). 

So what is the fuss about? It is about Campbell’s two-year 1,500 subject study to determine how consumers reacted to soup. Neuromarketing was used with 40 random customers who were videotaped while shopping and in their homes reacting to soup. When the videos were shown back, 

Bert Simons' paper sculpture

I haven't seen anything quite like Bert Simon's paper sculpture. It is at once fragile, light, engaging -- startling in it's delicate realism. The one on the right is "Rozemarijn Lucassen".

The process goes something like this: a digitized image of a person. Then the points are converted to planes, using a 3-D program called Blender. After making the planes, Simons adds texture. Then the 3-D model is converted to 2-D by flattening the texture. Finally, after days of cutting and gluing, the final 3-D paper portrait emerges.

Digg

The 6 ways in which people learn new technology

ow do people embrace and start using new technologies? The Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario has published research that suggests that the learners fall into six groups. They are: purposive planners, explorers, visionaries, problem solvers, reluctant learners and 'pinballs'. The author Deborah Compeau defines these as follows:

Cool drop caps

ool drop caps, like the "C" that leads this paragraph, are available from Daily Drop Cap. This is a project by typographer Jessica Hische where she creates a hand-crafted initial letter each day. It's free to use (she supplies the HTML) as long as you don't modify it, use it commercially, and attribute the work to her.

If you are fascinated by fonts and typography as I am, I have two recommendations. See the documentary Helvetica about the revolutionary typeface that turned 50 in 2007. (In our word processors we have known it as Arial). It is a fascinating story about how the font 'created' modernity and pretty much took over the world of signage (and has yet to let go). The film is available on Netflix.  My other recommendation is Robin William's book, "The Non-Designer's Design and Type Books". This is actually a compilation of her two books, one on Design, which talks of page layout and the other on Type, which deals with fonts and typefaces and how and where to use them. There are fascinating lessons from Robin. Interestingly enough, she hates Helvetica!

A Google tool you didn't know about

Well - at least I didn't know about it.  It's Google's free Sketchup software for 3D modeling. There is a Pro version for $495 that we can leave to the pros.

Network World did a nice slideshow of 10 famous buildings modeled with Sketchup and selected from Google's 3D Warehouse.  Click here to see the slideshow.