David Herrold

Photoshop toolbar evolution

Posted by Dave | Filed under Design, Software, Usability

This is an eye-opening example of how software can become bloated over time.  These images represent around 10 years of Adobe software development.  It’s ironic to me that the earlier toolbars appear more user-friendly than the new ones.  I suspect the UI & UX gurus at Adobe made a conscious effort to simplify the CS3 toolbar (bottom one) and stop the madness.

Which toolbar would you rather use?

(Image credit – http://dezignus.com)

Tags: Design, feature creep, photoshop, software bloat, UI, Usability, user experience, user interface, ux

Micro-connections and the speed of news

Posted by Dave | Filed under Communication, Design, Social Networking, Technology

I think we’ve forgotten something recently.  I think we’ve forgotten how easily social networks allow us to connect with unbelievable speed and accuracy.

There was a time when connecting with old high school or college friends meant contacting your reunion coordinator.  Sending emails.  Phone calls.  Snail mail.  Or worse yet, actually attending a reunion (I’m joking…sort of).

Now, we are able to locate old friends with Facebook accounts in 5 minutes during a coffee break.  One friend leads you another – and down the rabbit hole you go to find dozens more by accident.

Well, not really by accident.  It seems like synchronicity when you stumble upon a friend through another friend’s Facebook account, but it’s not luck at all. It’s good design.

A new speed

So what if we could take this speed to the next level?  What if we could temporarily connect with individuals involved in specific events while they are actually happening?

Yes, we have the ability to peer into blogs, Twitter streams, Brightkite check-ins, Flickr photostreams, etc.  But there isn’t a mechanism to allow us to connect with hundreds or thousands of people at once.

I am talking about something like the Emergency Broadcast System, but using a temporary two-way communication instead of a one-way communication.  Since it would operate over the internet (and not the airwaves) targeting could incorporate very detailed geographic information.  It would need to operate across multiple social networks to incorporate as many users as possible.

Is this a crazy idea?  Probably.  Ok, absolutley,  but think of the amazing life-saving information it could facilitate.  Think of it as crowd-casting at the microscopic level with with gateways to networks opening and closing when needed.

What do you think?

(The photo above is race car driver Bob Burman, from the Library of Congress.  He drove in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911.)

Tags: Communication, crowd casting, crowd sourcing, emergency broadcast system, news, social networks

LinkedIn’s launches application platform

Posted by Dave | Filed under Communication, Design, Development, Productivity, Social Networking, Software

LinkedIn has launched its application platform to function much like Facebook, but for professionals. But unlike Facebook, the a LinkedIn application will be required go pass an approval process to be included on the platform. Users will also be limited to a maximum of 15 applications on their profiles.

According to TechCrunch:

“Beyond the quality assurance process, LinkedIn is also limiting the flexibility apps will have when it comes to monetization. Apps won’t be allowed to use third party ad networks – instead, they’ll have to work with LinkedIn’s ad system. For now applications will only have access to LinkedIn’s current ad inventory, which could make targeting ads less effective (though it sounds like there will be more options for targeted ads in the future).”

I’ve always thought the elevator pitch for LinkedIn was “a Facebook for work.” This solidifies the metaphor. I wonder how many newspapers would be interested in creating LinkedIn widgets?

Wanna place bets on how soon the Wall Street Journal launches a LinkedIn application? Or Monster.com? BaseCamp? I’m guessing pretty soon.

I’ve already installed a Slideshare.net application showing my most recent mobile presentation. The Slideshare application is a pretty simple one, but cleanly designed.

You can see it here on my profile.

Current available applications (at the time of this post) are: Slideshare, Box.net, Google presentations, Amazon reading list, Wordpress, Blog Link, Company Buzz, My Travel and Huddle Workspaces.

The applications FAQ can be found here.

What applications do you think would make the biggest impact on LinkedIn’s platform?

Tags: applications, linkedin, slideshare, Social Networking

Google Doc your grocery list

Posted by Dave | Filed under Google, Mobile, Productivity

I discovered a great way to use Google Docs as a mobile grocery list last week.  All you need is a Gmail account and a mobile phone with WAP access.

Justine and I both have Gmail accounts, so that part was easy.  You simply create a document in Google Docs and share that document with your partner.  You can now update this document over and over for new lists whenever you need them (and even access the revision history to see what your shopping lists looked like last month).

You can now access that document on any mobile device in read-only format (presumably while you’re walking down the aisles in a grocery store).

So a simple phone call while I’m at work “Honey, I updated the list” is all I need to know exactly what she wants me to bring home from the grocery store.

I find technology fascinating when it intersects with everyday life to make things a bit easier.

Do you have any technology tricks like this?  Feel free to share them in the comments.

Tags: Blackberry, Google, iPhone, Mobile, Productivity

Maker Faire Austin 2008

Posted by Dave | Filed under Design, Personal, Technology

We had a great time in Austin, TX over the weekend at the Maker Faire. I took the video above at the Robogames in the indoor arena of Maker Faire.

I posted a few photos and videos on my Flickr account if you’re interested in seeing a little more.

Enjoy.

Tags: art, austin, Design, maker faire, maker faire austin 2008, Technology, weird

Maker Faire 2008, Austin, TX

Posted by Dave | Filed under Design, Science, Technology

It’s that time of year again: Maker Faire Oct 18 & 19 in Austin, TX!

Steve, John, Justine and I went to Maker Faire 2007 in Austin and had so much fun, we decided to go again this year.

Maker Faire is a two-day, family-friendly event that celebrates the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mindset. It’s for creative, resourceful people of all ages and backgrounds who like to tinker and love to make things. So much to see, you will need 2 days to see it all!

Here are the details if you’re interested in going.:

• Online tickets – discount pricing available through 10/3/2008. Online ticket purchases from 10/4/2008 – 10/16/2008 will be full price and tickets will be picked up onsite at will call
• Local tickets – discount pricing available through close of business day on 10/17/2008 at:
  • Austin Children’s Museum – 201 Colorado Street, Austin 512.472.2499
    Open: Tuesday – Saturday: 10am-5pm
    Community Night Wednesdays: 5-8pm
    Sunday: Noon-5pm
  • Whole Foods – 525 N. Lamar, Austin, 512.476.1206
    Open: 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. seven days a week
• Onsite Ticket Pricing
  • Adult – $25.00
  • Student (13-21, or with student photo ID) – $15.00
  • Youth (4-12) – $10.00
  • Children 3 and under are free

Let me know if you’re going.  Maybe we can meet for lunch or at the very least, fire rockets at each other.

Tags: austin, craft, diy, make, make magazine, maker faire, texas

Android has its own font called Droid

Posted by Dave | Filed under Design, Mobile

The Android mobile platform has it’s own font.  According to a recent Forbes article:

The font, dubbed Droid, is the product of a two-year collaboration between the Mountain View, Calif.-based Internet giant and Ascender, a digital typeface company based in Elk Grove Village, Ill. Ascender, which has created fonts for Microsoft, Motorola and others, nabbed the Android assignment because its workers knew people on Android’s design and development teams, says Bill Davis, Ascender’s vice president of business development.

You can download the font here.

I think they did a nice job on the font overall.  There are a couple different versions including serif and monospace as well.  You can see them all here.

(via ComputerLove)

Tags: android, font

Richard Stallman on “cloud computing”

Posted by Dave | Filed under Google, Networking, Software

The Guardian published an interesting interview with open source stalwart, Richard Stallman.  He speaks his mind on the concept of “cloud computing.”

One reason you should not use web applications to do your computing is that you lose control,” he said. “It’s just as bad as using a proprietary program. Do your own computing on your own computer with your copy of a freedom-respecting program. If you use a proprietary program or somebody else’s web server, you’re defenceless. You’re putty in the hands of whoever developed that software.

You can read the entire article here.  Needless to say, he doesn’t like “cloud computing” very much.

Photo by Han Soete

Tags: cloud computing, Google, open source, richard stallman

Google, Internet 2 and powdered soap

Posted by Dave | Filed under Google, Mobile, Technology

Vint Cerf, Google’s Chief Internet Evangelist, posted an interesting article on their blog today speculating what the “next internet” will look like. It’s no real surprise that they touch upon mobile web and location-based services.

“In the next decade, around 70% of the human population will have fixed or mobile access to the Internet at increasingly high speeds, up to gigabits per second. We can reliably expect that mobile devices will become a major component of the Internet, as will appliances and sensors of all kinds. Many of the things on the Internet, whether mobile or fixed, will know where they are, both geographically and logically.”

I’m glad to see Google mention the importance of mobile devices in the future (which is already here). I’m fascinated by the prospects that truly “smart” phones will offer us within the next year or two (I think their estimate of 10 years is a bit high. I think the web, mobile or otherwise, is evolving far faster than that.)

Although, I’m not convinced I want the internet involved with my dirty socks.

“A box of washing machine soap will become part of a service as Internet-enabled washing machines are managed by Web-based services that can configure and activate your washing machine.”

Regardless the post is worth reading.

- Dave

Tags: future, Google, internet, Mobile, Technology

Electricity…maybe today?

Posted by Dave | Filed under Personal

Rumor has it, our power should be restored today by noon.  We have been running on generator power since shortly after the storm.  My fingers are crossed.

If we do have power tonight, I anticipate standing in front of a light switch and flicking it on and off in utter amazement for an undetermined amount of time.

Wish me luck.