A cheerful tube journey?
07/02/2009 – in: Services
Traveling on the tube is usually a painful experience, especially during rush hours. When the platform is really full with people, I have noticed that the tone of voice of the staff can get quite aggressive. They shout at you “stay behind the yellow lines”, “let passenger leave the train first” and then they also threat “if you won’t stay away from the door, this train will not leave”. The last thing you need apart from having to travel on a sardin-packed train is to be shout at as if you were doing something wrong.
Anyhow, this week I had a different experience on my way to work… Read more>>
No Comments | Tags: journey, sardin-packed, tubeMental model of a microwave
04/02/2009 – in: Interaction Design
There are two types of people in this world. Those who open the microwave while it still running and those who stop it first and then open the door. Cooking with a microwave is a tricky thing and you never know how much time it will take. You can estimate by setting up the timer but somehow you always find yourself opening the door before the timer stops! Read more>>
Buen ayre restaurant
01/02/2009 – in: Restaurants
Buen ayre is a Latin-American restaurant, located in the trendy Broadway market and is known for serving fantastic meat. The restaurant looks very simple and it is obvious that people come there for the meat rather than the atmosphere. The staff were very friendly and even entertained some bored children left alone by their parents. I was late so I called a friend who was already there to order me a Sirloin steak. When I arrived, the staff was very attentive and quickly offered me a drink to catch up with the rest.
Essenza- Italian restaurant close to Portabello Market
01/02/2009 – in: RestaurantsPortobello Road on a Friday night is not the easiest place to find a table if you haven’t pre-booked, especially if you’re hoping to take your time. Yet even without a reservation, Essenza welcomed us and told us we could have the table for a good hour and a half’. Read more>>
No Comments | Tags: food, italian, portabello marketThe connection between an apple and CTRL+ALT+DEL
28/01/2009 – in: Interaction Design
On one morning I entered the office, passed through the kitchen and picked up an apple on the way to my desk. I hit the ‘ON’ switch and the computer started loading. Another bite from the apple and BANG! I had to hold CTRL+ALT+DEL to login…
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How do you wake up?
24/01/2009 – in: Mobile
You probably have your old alarm clock hiding somewhere in your room covered with spiderwebs…The mobile phone killed it long time ago. Today, we can set the alarm to go on at different times during the week which is useful but geeky. I personally like to set the alarm every day because it shows me how much time I have to sleep… Read more>>
No Comments | Tags: alarm, Interaction Design, Mobile, Nokia 6230Frequency and Volume
20/01/2009 – in: Art
Frequency and Volume by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer is a motion tracking installation which I saw on december 2008 at the Curve gallery, Barbican Center, London. When you walked around the gallery, your position controlled which radio station was playing. Coming closer to the wall made your silhouette bigger and also increased the sound. If you were running from one side to the other it became quite playful and you could pretend you were mixing radio stations live!
THE_SPACE_BETWEEN_US
19/01/2009 – in: UncategorizedThis project is a motion tracking installation which is a trigger for interaction between people.
Most new media communication systems today are channeled through the medium of written text, for example, email, chat, sms. Our bodies remain passive and the lack of non-verbal cues often leads to misunderstanding. In this installation, participants are encouraged to use their body to explore new ways of expression through new media and body language. This will create a responsive environment which has the potential to generate interaction. The system responds to physical movement, location, proximity, body structure and posture. These parameters will be collected in real time and then translated into an audio-visual language. The_space_between_us examines the instance of the computer as an agent for communication between people. It offers a playful experience which aims to bring people together and celebrate their non-verbal skills in communication. View video
Sharmanka Gothic Circus
18/01/2009 – in: Art
I have seen the Sharmanka Gothic Circus installation at Shunt Vault in January 2009.
It was a very impressive set up of kinetic sculptures and music. The interesting thing about it was that the sculptures followed a routine rather than repetitive actions. Each sculpture got its own solo and had a set of movements like a creature turning a wheel which is connected to a chain with a bell and so on. The details of the motion were fantastic including an arm movement and a small fish on a hook. The show was a bit too long and became slightly irritating after a while but it is certainly worth seeing it because of the great craftsmanship.