Casey's Tumblelog

I'm just a regular schmo, in his late 20s, living on the east coast of the US.

Here you'll find random findings from around the Internet, with a few original items sprinkled in.

If you'd like, you can read about my journey into buying a Mac.

I am also embarking on a project to take one picture a day (or so) until I hit 365.

I can be contacted via e-mail via the username casey at this domain.

Thu Feb 4

I went back for a second helping of Avatar this Sunday. There’s a scene early on in the movie where one of the scientists walks across the lab carrying the “mobile computer slab of the future.” We’ve seen one of these in almost every sci-fi movie of the last 50 years. It comes free with a jetpack, I suppose. Except this time, one month later, my 12 year old son turns to me and whispers “Look Dad, it’s an iPad.”

The Failure of Empathy

Optimal iPhone UI

marco:

I was asked via email:

It’s my job to research user interfaces and what makes a successful UI. My two conclusions I’ve come to so far are that UIs need to be invisible and familiar.

I was hoping you may have something to add, from your perspective, about what makes an optimal UI.

The “invisible” bit gets most of the way there for my taste.

As a user, I hate buttons and toolbars and sliders and panels and drawers and splash screens and instructional screens and settings screens. In short, I hate UI. I want to notice it as little as possible.

Although I am by no means a designer, I am extremely interested in UI design. The conclusion I came to a couple years ago is simply this:

The best user interface is one that you don’t have to think about.

This, I reckon, is why the iPhone has done so well, and the iPad is—in the minds of many—likely to as well.

Wed Feb 3

“When the date for the [iPad] announcement was set, I started hoping that Apple would release something like iWork for the “tablet.” I doubted they would so soon but the hope was there. As I figured, if they did, they’d be sending a clear message that this was the future of computing, not just for gaming, watching videos and reading books. … I consider the release of mobile iWork to be the biggest sign of things to come and the strongest message Apple sent regarding their vision for the future.” —Rob Foster

Mon Feb 1

“In short, I’d say Apple likes its technology open and its products closed.” —John Gruber. Perfectly, succinctly stated.

toldorknown:

Truth In Bookmarkleting
My more accurately renamed Instapaper bookmarklet.

I’m not sure if I’m more amused by the point (to which I agree), or the fact that bookmarklets are stored in /bin. Awesome.

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