In terms of land mass, Linden Lab reports that just 18% of the world has been designated to have "Mature" content; explicit sexual activity is relegated to a subset of that percentage.
These designations, of course, do not stop characters dressed as a nude, obese man with lipstick and a gigantic, animated, and photo-textured penis from wandering around in the newbie area.
My hopeful, probably-not-accurate interpretation of that part was that iPhone Safari was going to have some sort of special API for interfacing with the phone hardware, letting you use things like Quartz extensions from your web apps.
I mean, really, if it's not that, and just Steve saying "see? You can write apps for the iPhone because iPhone can use web pages and you can write web pages!" then that's frankly a bit insulting.
Heh, it's probably because I crossed in the other direction (compared to most) over the design/development divide. I went to design school to learn how to make things usable by humans, but then tried to learn programming on my own and now back up my interfaces with terrible spaghetti code.;)
Each little touch you mentioned, while contributing its own degrees of wow-factor to the package, also contributes functionality.
The glowing ring -- confirmation of an established connection. Ripple effect -- an interstitial "sandbox" to ease users into this mode of interaction. Exploding pictures -- making it clear that the photos aren't being simply triggered by the phone's contact with the surface, obviously establishing their source as the phone itself.
Sure, you could pop up a centered Windows dialog for the first, have a guided tutorial for the second, and just draw in the photos starting in the upper left for the last. But the animated flourishes actually carry information, improving the interface's functionality.
Wow, Microsoft's street level navigator looks like the designers played too many mid-1990s racing games during the development. Streets of Sim City, anyone?
To be fair, the MS' early version is probably exclusively the product of devs, with the UI designers to come in when the technology's ready.
I'd wondered about this for some time--on my Powerbook and iMac, I've long noticed what appeared to be a very slight, grid-patterned noise apparent in large areas of smoothly transitioning color. I'd assumed it was in fact some sort of time-based dithering, but I hadn't put a name to it.
Don't they have algorithms that can look at a segment of data and basically conclude "no Higgs here," waiting to flag anything interesting for the researchers?
Honestly, Blizzard could learn a lot from Relic (the developer of the games you mention). Relic somewhat quietly revolutionized the RTS seven years ago with Homeworld, only to watch the market quickly return to Warcraft mechanics, with Blizzard capping the return in 2002.
If Starcraft 2's going to be a Warcraft 3 with pylons, so be it; it'll probably sell millions in South Korea, and I don't doubt it will be a fine update of the balancing act that was Starcraft. Without something really new in the way battles are fought, though, I just can't imagine myself being that excited.
Beyond whether it looks pretty or not, the interface is what's going to make or break the JPhone. There are hundreds of models on the market right now that run BREW; I don't really care about the technology of this phone so much as I care whether they actually had some smart interface designers and human factors people work on the UI.
Behind the shininess and bouncy animation of the iPhone are, from the looks of it, some solid usability principles sorely lacking in the mobile device market today. If this new phone can get that right, it'll be a contender. If all it gets right are shininess and animation, it's dead already.
Cracking digital satellite encryption is lame, something only pirates would do. Cracking AACS is merited, something people with non-HDCP monitors, non-HDCP video cards, or Linux would do.
Hopefully this means he'll be approaching the project with an open mind -- better he should say he's learning than that he knows how it all works, I suppose.
Ideally, though, we'll see some substantial changes in the interface, as OOo could honestly use some work in that department.
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As trademarked by Pinnacle. Hopefully the fact that it's a discontinued product line will keep their lawyers out of attack mode.
These designations, of course, do not stop characters dressed as a nude, obese man with lipstick and a gigantic, animated, and photo-textured penis from wandering around in the newbie area.
...will probably fill the needs of those whose professional obligations require mobile conversations all day and looking cool.
...it's not a good brand name. FIC should just shorten it to "NEO" and then maybe they'll sell a few.
"Oh, what's that you're using?"
"Why, it's an FIC Neo1973!"
"An eff-eye what?"
"I mean it's the NEO!"
"Oh, cool!"
I'm nice and polite, you insensitive clod!
My hopeful, probably-not-accurate interpretation of that part was that iPhone Safari was going to have some sort of special API for interfacing with the phone hardware, letting you use things like Quartz extensions from your web apps.
I mean, really, if it's not that, and just Steve saying "see? You can write apps for the iPhone because iPhone can use web pages and you can write web pages!" then that's frankly a bit insulting.
Rubber stamp my arse; I knew I should have waited for that bicep tattoo!
Heh, it's probably because I crossed in the other direction (compared to most) over the design/development divide. I went to design school to learn how to make things usable by humans, but then tried to learn programming on my own and now back up my interfaces with terrible spaghetti code. ;)
Either way, welcome to my friends list.
Each little touch you mentioned, while contributing its own degrees of wow-factor to the package, also contributes functionality.
The glowing ring -- confirmation of an established connection. Ripple effect -- an interstitial "sandbox" to ease users into this mode of interaction. Exploding pictures -- making it clear that the photos aren't being simply triggered by the phone's contact with the surface, obviously establishing their source as the phone itself.
Sure, you could pop up a centered Windows dialog for the first, have a guided tutorial for the second, and just draw in the photos starting in the upper left for the last. But the animated flourishes actually carry information, improving the interface's functionality.
Wow, Microsoft's street level navigator looks like the designers played too many mid-1990s racing games during the development. Streets of Sim City, anyone?
To be fair, the MS' early version is probably exclusively the product of devs, with the UI designers to come in when the technology's ready.
I'd wondered about this for some time--on my Powerbook and iMac, I've long noticed what appeared to be a very slight, grid-patterned noise apparent in large areas of smoothly transitioning color. I'd assumed it was in fact some sort of time-based dithering, but I hadn't put a name to it.
Peterson: "This is free!"
Cafe owner: "This... is... SPARTA!" Cafe owner chest-kicks Peterson down a manhole.
Don't they have algorithms that can look at a segment of data and basically conclude "no Higgs here," waiting to flag anything interesting for the researchers?
It stops halfway through. This, plus the fact I can't read Hangul, is really starting to tick me off, I say!
Honestly, Blizzard could learn a lot from Relic (the developer of the games you mention). Relic somewhat quietly revolutionized the RTS seven years ago with Homeworld, only to watch the market quickly return to Warcraft mechanics, with Blizzard capping the return in 2002.
If Starcraft 2's going to be a Warcraft 3 with pylons, so be it; it'll probably sell millions in South Korea, and I don't doubt it will be a fine update of the balancing act that was Starcraft. Without something really new in the way battles are fought, though, I just can't imagine myself being that excited.
I'm guessing it's something to do with Leopard.
Beyond whether it looks pretty or not, the interface is what's going to make or break the JPhone. There are hundreds of models on the market right now that run BREW; I don't really care about the technology of this phone so much as I care whether they actually had some smart interface designers and human factors people work on the UI.
Behind the shininess and bouncy animation of the iPhone are, from the looks of it, some solid usability principles sorely lacking in the mobile device market today. If this new phone can get that right, it'll be a contender. If all it gets right are shininess and animation, it's dead already.
As in another two years and we'll be there?
Cracking digital satellite encryption is lame, something only pirates would do. Cracking AACS is merited, something people with non-HDCP monitors, non-HDCP video cards, or Linux would do.
Hopefully this means he'll be approaching the project with an open mind -- better he should say he's learning than that he knows how it all works, I suppose.
Ideally, though, we'll see some substantial changes in the interface, as OOo could honestly use some work in that department.
By that line, I think we can conclude that the supposed connection wasn't videogames, but rather Asian-ness.
Just imagine if the school board had seen the hammer scene Oldboy!
Casualties and the amount of damage inflicted by terrorism will stay low compared to other forms of coercion and conflict.
What? Terrorism is a comparatively minor threat? Help! My worldview is collapsing!
Oh, come on; it's not like anyone ever reads the stories around here!