The Phone that is just a phone - and is being used the way it should...

A small shop in Tanzania that offers cell-phone service.

Excerpt from Newsweek. "The phones now allow Masai tribesmen in Kenya to bank the proceeds from selling cattle; Iranian protesters to organize in secret; North Koreans to communicate with the outside world; Afghan villagers to alert Coalition soldiers to Taliban forces; insurgents to blow up roadside bombs in Iraq; and charities to see, in real time, when HIV drugs run out in the middle of Malawi."
A large part of the globe is still using the phone for what it was meant for  - instant action/ communication. As this majority of users moves beyond addressing their basic needs that typically physical infrastructure can and does, the phone will re-evolve from being a cutesy entertainment piece for the few to a device that executes simple but much needed yet viable sustainable services for many. I think we might find that for us few, the basic device will come back - and as new users we will have to re-learn it's simplicity and purpose. PJ

the phone that is.... just a phone

hailed as the world's simplest phone this 'John's Phone' by Dutch advertsing agency John Doe it does not have a camera, games, all kinds of sensors and web browsing capability. It's just there to make calls and the 'address book' is literally an integrated piece of paper. I thought this could be something for me to compliment my 'anti iPhone' policy and phobia of cumbersome menu trees. AJ

how it all started

It's been a bit over 30 years and this thing above was the first computer 'shipped' by Apple in 1976. It actually came without monitor, keyboard and mouse and was priced close to 700 bucks, while the user had to build their own casing. Now Apple is valued at 282 billion in stock and is by far the most valuable tech company. Is this just about being at the right place at the right time with the right idea ? Or is it about having the right vision ? Perhaps both , but we should also consider the fact that in our finance-based economy a guy with a vision and will not come very far on his own. First family and friends lend a few hundred bucks until the first seed capital comes in from a venture capital fund. That leads to more exposure, improvements in product offerings and support in human resources. Then come the cornerstone investors, rich guys with too much cash to their disposal and the ability to smell the bacon before it is cooked. This then leads to an IPO eventually and the average Joe can then participate in the company's future by investing his hard earned cash
in shares. Needless to say that the venture capitalists and cornerstones have been holding on to their shares which they bought for pennies and make a killing as soon as a company becomes public.
Sometimes I start to wonder who the real innovators are - those with vision and drive to create something that everyone wants, or those who invent complex financial tools nobody understands to milk the rest of us.
There are two worlds out there, but what's new ? AJ

The Darwinian Business of Designing Machines

The author says in this article that "every new project is a wonderful new riddle that presents many dilemmas:
- Manufacturing. Sourcing elements (bought off-the-shelf, modified, or developed from the ground up), assembly-line efficiency, human or machine labor, testing, quality assurance, and yield all play into the process.
- Interoperability. A fancy word for compatibility between various pieces, including communication, hardware and software synergy, and simple physical fit.- Usability. The rational part of user-experience—cognitive psychology, ergonomics, demographics, and so on.- Operational efficiency. Can the product be packed, shipped, and delivered effectively? Can it be maintained and serviced? Is it sustainable? Can it be recycled or disassembled easily?
- Business. Among the challenges: building a brand, winning customer loyalty, disrupting competitors, and arriving at the right time to market with the right price tag and the right strategic outlook on the world.
- Standards. Be it regulatory requirements, internal policies, or industry standards, every object made today has to stand up to and be qualified against a long list of rules.
- Cultural grounding. Is it new? Is it exciting? Is it beautiful? How do we make it lovable? Is it a good citizen? "


Honestly AJ, in your many years of experience in the past as an electronics/ domestic appliance designer how often have you:
1. Considered usability as a designer? Been asked to consider usability, and if you did how did you consider it?
2. Who gave you the usability data? 
3. Did you ever observe users? Did you consider who might use your product?
4. Operational efficiency beyond the now - did you have the mandate to think sustainability? Post-production, in temrs of out-of-box experience?
5. Cultural grounding? How often did you have a cultural immersion to know whether your product would be 'grounded'? How often was its success a fluke? How often do products also just get stacked on shelves and bought simply because of an unbeatable price point - making marketing feel their company has 'sustainable market share'? PJ

web smear

wouldn't consider this art, but found it quite interesting (i used it for the latest CD cover..). when internet connectivity is quick it takes a while to upload image-rich websites. When scrolling down at the same time some images a smeared into colorful barcodes which can be captured by screen prints. Could this be a new expression of 'virtual art' ? AJ

living in a bubble

Living and sleeping under the stars - an interesting idea by French Designer Pierre Stephane Dumas. People can reside in inflated transparent spheres to be as close to natural environments as possible. I liked his explanation that the surrounding will create the effect of a 'living wall paper' while natural light will provide the moods from sunrise to sunset. Sleeping under the stars in a new dimension... AJ

Networks are encouraging TV viewers to go online simultaneously...Media insecurity?

For Bravo, One Screen Isn't Enough, Networks are encouraging TV viewers to go online simultaneously...

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_46/b4203043899285.htm

As if the dual screener phenomenon during sports tournaments wasn't big enough, now its becoming even bigger. The Media wants to control us everywhere, even when we're vegetating while watching some dumb show, it's not enough that we're watching - the media networks feel that any moment that we're not engaged with that specific channel we're engaged with a competitive one...what's next? HBO accusing me of having an extra-channel affair with  NBC? PJ

We're all getting extinct...

Both are endangered species...the nomadic tribesman of the San people in kalahari desert
as well as the cheetah that had been hand-reared after their mother was shot by poachers. AJ

More is more and more...

There was a time when instruction labels in clothes were in one language with one set of graphics. I bought a pair of jeans from H&M recently and noticed 5 flaps of double sided printed instruction labels in 21 languages. Let's see, 4 years ago they had 17 languages...5 years later there will be so many labels that it will feel like an extra layer of clothing inside. Honestly, if H&M came to India, it would mean adding at least 10 more languages to their label - since all the official languages have different scripts and are spoken and read by the masses who have the money to buy...now on the other side of the coin, what does it say about globalization and the tenacity of MNCs to reach as many consumers as possible? PJ