Know the problem

In order to provide good solution, we need to know the problem.

What painful problems are our user's experiencing? Most of the time, these problems are mundane and obvious.

We focus too much on the new and not enough on the now

In our attempt to wow our clients we tend to show something new the and shiny instead of solving a problem now....

In order to create a great user experience, we need to focus on the things now.

Unbreakable Glass for breakable iPhone and iPad

 

 

Korean companies like Samsung and LG should take note on what's happening in their backyard.  If they put all the right technologies and services together they can easily beat Apple. 

 

One example is a new dicovery of unbreakable glass that can replace today's breakable iPhone and iPad discovered in Korea.

 

http://www.nature.com/nnano/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/nnano.2010.132.html

 

Pendulum

Ray Ozzie takes on the issue of centralization versus decentralization, control versus empowerment


"What really does disappoint me is that we as technology users keep forgetting the lessons we learn; we've got very short memories. For example - issues of centralization versus decentralization, control versus empowerment. There's a pendulum that appears to keep swinging back and forth, and we keep polarizing the issue, when in fact we should have learned that both are necessary.

In the early '80's, the PC suddenly appeared. Spreadsheets, word processors and databases snuck into corporations under the radar, empowering users. Initially the empowerment inspired fear, but the benefit was clear. And the PC revolution blossomed.

Then the Web happened, and suddenly — largely driven by lower deployment and maintenance costs — the browser is the answer to every question, whether it makes sense or not. Centralized control and lock-down becomes pervasive, as users lose control of their tools for reasons that are, in fact, quite sensible in many ways.
But then users start placing rogue WiFi access points on corporate networks. They use USB memory devices, smart phones and cameras to carry around documents and presentations. They post confidential information to public Web mail accounts to transfer files, because firewall security is so tight. They start bringing their personal home laptops into work and into meetings "so they can get work done".

The same edge-versus-center tension has happened in the realm of business solutions. The greatest amount of value that Lotus Notes ever provided, besides the email infrastructure, was as a rapid application development platform that people at the edge of the organization - in a business unit - could use to whip up an application that solved their problem instantly. Just-in-time, disposable solutions. As Notes was more embraced as central infrastructure, IT buyers demanded that end-user design capabilities be re-shaped to target the needs of professional developers. Notes environments became "locked down", and people closest to the needs lost their ability to do "self-service" solution development. With Groove, we've brought that back.

Some problems are best solved centrally, others are best addressed locally. Enterprises have needs at the center; people and business units have needs at the edge. The smart CIO embraces both and understands how to weave the two together appropriately within their own environment."

http://www.gartner.com/research/fellows/asset_115813_1176.jsp

Ray Ozzie's Has a Great Insight in Mobile technology

"Notification and awareness is one of the most interesting uses of wireless devices that has yet to emerge. We're moving into a world of pervasive awareness, where you can control the publishing of awareness of your location, "projecting" to others your interruptability and the modes of communications that you find the most useful at the moment. For example — when you're driving and have your hands on the wheel, you'd rather suggest to others that they call you rather than "texting" or emailing you. Or maybe they should just let you concentrate.

Projecting your interruptability to others might be really easy if we integrated our handheld wireless devices with our varied communication services. Take, for example, the phone. Why isn't it possible — without navigating a million menus — to slip a little button on the side to select one of four desired presence or interruptability states, customized to you: I'm in a meeting; I'm available to my "intimates"; I'm available for any interruptions; or "do not disturb". This state could be easily published by your wireless operator, through Web Services, to the on-line buddy list of your IM or email programs, or directly to other people's phones.
"

http://www.gartner.com/research/fellows/asset_115813_1176.jsp