This clip reminded of how we’re seeing many hardware interfaces turn into software interfaces and interactive platforms. Hardware is becoming smaller and more simple and software is now replacing many hardware components and applications.

In 1998 I had a Pioneer and Cambridge Audio Hi-Fi separates console and now it sits in my garage, like a relic, as iTunes and two tiny Bose speakers have replaced it all. This trend of software replacing hardware is growing and as result of this the importance of specialized interaction design increases. Interaction designers, up until now, have designed for two broad mediums: desktop software and websites. As the adoption of touch screens and gestural interfaces increases, interaction designers will need to specialize and focus on specific applications, for specific communities and groups of people.

I’m pretty excited by all of this

Video via @agilemediaware

Just catching up on the Google IO conferences and this pop at Internet Explorer made smile.

It shows how the new versions of Open Source browsers will utilise HTML 5 to support desktop APIs. The support of desktop APIs will make web applications more like the desktop applications that we’re used to.

By the end of the year the majority of browsers will support all local APIs. Can you spot the browser that will not?

I started watching this video thinking it was something to do with sentiment monitoring, but it’s actually about leveraging the reputations of people within communities and correct use of voting mechanisms, in order to define reputation.

It’s rather long and key points are delivered after some tenuous examples, but it’s worth a watch as gives an insight into how “Like” culture may affect reputation and content.

What’s also interesting is how experience designers and UX specialists need to dutifully consider where and how voting systems are integrated into web applications. The addition of voting mechanisms to content platforms may get rejected if they’re surplus to requirements or change the purpose or culture of a platform.

The web is rapidly becoming a more semantic, dynamic and real-time environment. Applications now sit on the cloud and people are spending more time on social networks.

As we spend more time “leaning in”, the ergonomics of the equipment we use starts to become vital. Seamless lifestyle integration and usability will be critical to making web applications successful.

Whilst the iPad does a good job at delivering the web in more ambient format, I don’t think it’s no where near what’s around the corner. True gestural control and augmented reality will be the technologies that start to replace our keyboards and mice, in order to make software and the web more integrated into our lives.

The Gesture Cube appears to be start of commerce gaining traction around what I’ve been thinking about, but we’ve got all of this to look forward to!

Admittedly, I’ve always perceived Silverlight as the underdog—that bites at Flash—but its adoption has substantially increased due to Windows Vista, 7 and the latest versions of IE. According to RIAS, Sliverlight now has 62% adoption in the UK:

This high adoption rate cancels any doubts about the potential reach of Silverlight-based applications.

I really like the rich, asynchronous user experience that Sliverlight-based RIA’s deliver. Vimeo has great examples of applications that utilise Photosynth and Deep Zoom:

Web 3.0 from Kate Ray on Vimeo.

This documentary is brilliant and it’s completely rekindled my interest in semantics again. Admittedly I’ve been off the subject recently, however, the sceptics have made me want to add my two pence worth.

I’m for the semantic web. BUT: We will be waiting for years before it materialises and I’ll probably have grey hair by the time it does.

People, at all levels, are lazy. Adding data about data, tagging and organising stuff is boring. We procrastinate or don’t bother doing these things at all.

I think a layer of technology that dynamically generates data about data will become instrumental to the evolution of the semantic web. Mark-up such as Microformats and RDF have not taken off in a big way because they create data entry tasks, or work, for content creators.

A combination of artificial intelligence and language analysis software needs to analyse the content we create and automatically provide standardised elements of Meta data that people can approve.

Whilst it’s very easy to put simplistic, if not Utopian, theories like mine together, I’m sure the implementation would be a logistical nightmare. Consider all the content management systems, publishing tools and hosting services that would require engineering.

I don’t think the Semantic Web is impossible, but many of the right companies and steak holders need work to collaboratively, whilst placing inexhaustive resources behind the movement.

Made with openframeworks.cc

Just mind blowing.