Grey matter, blue matter | Modelling the brain [The Economist]
The first serious attempt to build a computer model of the brain has just begun. Read full story
Insights curated by Experientia, the UX research and design consultancy
Insights curated by Experientia, the UX research and design consultancy
Category Methods
The future of European e-government [The Guardian]
Last week was not a great time to unveil a new pan-European initiative. Yet the programme is an important source of funding for IT-based innovations in public services. It is aimed not at putting services online (most already are)…
Taking IT global
TakingITGlobal.org is a global online community, providing youth with inspiration to make a difference, a source of information on issues, opportunities to take action, and a bridge to get involved locally, nationally and globally. TakingITGlobal – which works with UN…
The relaunch of the Lisbon Agenda and the launch of the 7th Framework Programme on RTD [Bridges, the OST publication]
The main topic in March 2005 was a mid-term review of the ongoing Lisbon agenda, which could lead to a reform of the whole process. It was Europe’s aim to become the most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy in…
John Thackara: “Interaction Ivrea morphing”
In his June Doors of Perception e-mail newsletter, John Thackara comments on the move of Interaction Design Institute Ivrea to Milan: “A brutal policy change by its main sponsor, Telecom Italia, has forced Interaction Design Institute Ivrea to move to…
Shell Global Scenarios to 2025 and 2050
The newest scenarios from Shell, the company that has been trendsetting the use of scenarios in strategic planning. Go to website
Made in Europe: Italy seeks renaissance of industry [International Herald Tribune]
Many of the largest European economies are casting about for a blueprint to remain competitive in the 21st century, as the forces of globalisation and technology shift the fault lines of economic power across the globe. Read full story
Thumbs up for easy use [International Herald Tribune]
While we in the real world labor over the small screens of our mobile devices, trying to figure out which menu button gets to our contact list and which key makes an exclamation mark, researchers and sociologists in assorted…
Interaction Design Institute Ivrea moves to Milan
In October 2005, the Interaction Design Institute will leave Ivrea and move to the new premises of Domus Academy in Via Watt in Milan. Read full story
Philips Design research projects
Aside from the many (sometimes older) projects, the website showing Philips’ design research projects also contains an interesting movie on foresight (Delphi movie). It seems that the most recent projects are under “Smart Connections”. Go to website
Sensors and pixels everywhere
Anatole Gershman, global director of research at Accenture Technology Laboratories, interviewed about Accenture’s vision for the future of technology, which includes interactive grocery carts and the ability for your wardrobe to communicate with stores. Read full story
A back-to-basics mobile launched [BBC]
Vodafone is launching a back-to-basics mobile phone in response to customer demand for simplicity. Read full story
Office culture [Financial Times]
“So how do you feel about e-mail?” asks Simon Roberts, a social anthropologist. “How has it changed your workload?” This is not what social anthropologists are usually expected to ask: they observe courtship rituals, try to interpret ancient chants,…
Korea’s plan for key future technologies and their implications
Between 15 and 20 years into the future, Korean people’s long-time wish of living longer and healthier lives will come true and Korea will enter an era of space travel by completing the development of manned spaceship. Such predictions came…
A creativity lab for Taiwan [Business Week]
The Industrial Technology Research Institute thinks it has a way to turn the country into an innovator, rather than just an improver. Read full story
The cellphone that does everything imaginable, at least sort of [The New York Times]
Samsung’s new phone for Sprint can take two-megapixel photos, scan in business cards, record 90-minute videos, play TV shows and even transcribe dictated speech. But how well? Read full story
A case study on Yahoo! usability
Yahoo’s multiple business units, each containing decentralised user experience teams, have a natural tendency to design different solutions to similar problems. Left unchecked, these differences would weaken the Yahoo! brand and produce a less usable network of products. This case…
Microsoft’s social computing symposium 2005
The Social Computing Symposium 2005, sponsored by Microsoft Research, will take place April 24-26 in Redmond, Washington. The goal for this event is to foster an awareness of research and innovation in social technologies, and create new lines of communication…
Can Europe survive? [Red Herring]
Europe gave the world Linux, GSM, and the web, but got little of the fortune and less of the glory. To get what it is due, some old world ways will have to change. Read full story
Can ‘Made in Europe’ survive? [International Herald Tribune]
While luxury products still benefit from a “Made in France” label, more mundane industries are vulnerable to foreign competition. Read full story