The multi-touch driven computer screen
Wow! The multi-touch driven computer screen is real, not just a movie special effect! See the video
Fast Company has an interesting article on the people behind it and how it works.
Best of 2006
The usual "best of ..." articles are being published.
I thought these were worth noting:
Do we make things too complicated? Keeping things simple.
Yesterday I went shopping for a new phone for my home. Requirements: functional, not ugly, cordless, easy to use digital answering machine, reasonable price, reasonable battery life.
Before I went I read internet reviews and product specifications.
And I took the principal user (my wife) with me.
Once I identified the phones that met our overall requirements, the user made her decision based on 2 factors: simplicity of use and whether the numbers and buttons were big enough.
So Law 1 of John Maeda's Laws of Simplicity made sense to me: The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction.
Australian Census 2006
It's Census night tonight.
It will be the first time Australians have a choice to complete their forms online by eCensus.
We'll see how accurate the Population Clock is.
Wonderful
These videos are joyous: Pink and this ad for Tango (which is a parody of the Sony Bravia ad).(via Doc Searls)
Technology in the old media
It seems strange but I like reading about technology in the old media. But the old media (especially the Australian Financial Review which has 2 good local technology writers in particular)is often reluctant to give online access.
So when I realised that The New York Times has given open access to Walt Mossberg's excellent Personal Technology columns I thought I'd link to the Australian old media:
Oh, is that all?
Visual information analysis
Information aesthetics gives visual representations of data ranging from social networks to google searches, and it is Australian! (via loobylu).
Technology and personal relationships
I love this performance by Australian musical comedy group Tripod (via Scobleizer).
Using technology for learning
Wil Richardson has written an article (pdf) that shows how new interactive technology tools (from blogging and RSS to videos and podcasts) can be used for learning and sharing not just reading.
Internet, libraries and education
As I've mentioned elsewhere my teenage son and his friends are frequent users of MSN instant text messaging.
But rather than panic I'd like to think that they're just exploring.
So I've been comforted by these recent posts about teenagers exploring the internet and learning in their own way:
In Monitoring your children online? Gotham Gal says that you have to give the kids the information, then trust them rather than snoop on them:
My thoughts on this matter are no different than sex, drugs and rock and roll. Have an open dialog with your kids about what are the do's and don'ts of online behavior. Know who you are talking to. Do you recognize that IM address? What type of conversations are you having? Don't decide to meet with someone you meet on line no matter what. The basic essentials.
In What a difference a decade makes and DJ BrentBoy The Shifted Librarian compares how her son uses the internet today for VOIP compared with her efforts 10 years ago.
In The Read/Write Web Dog and Pony Show Will Richardson talks about a parent computer education night, safety and blogging and IM.
Finally in another successful DDR night Walking Paper discusses a video gaming night (including a dance game) at the library and its results.
The Sith Sense
Test out the force: in this twist on the traditional 20 questions, Darth Vader will guess what you are thinking using the Sith Sense. Well done!
Amazon.com's new book features
Wired has this story on Amazon's new features including Statistically Improbable Phrases, or "SIPs", which are the most distinctive phrases in the text of a book.
There is also the 100 most common words in a book and, for fun, stats on how many words a book delivers per dollar or per ounce.
Personalised postage stamps
Australia Post is now offering an online system for designing your own personal real postage stamps.
You simply choose your photo, upload it, choose your design and position your photo. You pay online. For a minimum order of 20 domestic stamps the cost is $23. That's more than double the normal cost but there may be occasions when the indulgence is worthwhile.
Animation Site
Via ABC's Deep End comes this link to the frantic 30 second bunnies animated re-enactment of The Shining.
They do other movies if you like their style.
Trapped by elevator messages
This story from Replevin about elevator messages reminds me of a favourite Woody Allen sketch.
He tells the story of how his kitchen equipment won't work one morning and trashes his toaster. As he goes to work that day, the elevator recognises him as the person who committed equipment abuse and rapidly takes him up and down in punishment.
Ever since, I've been cautious of talking elevators.
How to do powerpoint
Like John Quiggin, I've needed some time to analyse Lawrence Lessig's presentation on Free Culture last week.
Inchoate's post has prompted me to try and record some "take home messages" for the future. (Even though he saw the Supreme Court presentation on Eldred v Ashcroft which I couldn't attend, it seems Lessig's presentation style was the same for both.)
The presentation was the best use of powerpoint by anyone (let alone a law lecturer/academic) that I've ever seen. (In fact my immediate reaction at the end was more like "Whoaaa!!!") Yes, even awesome.
Putting aside disagreements people had about the subject matter (in that room of creators, academics and lawyers, there were a few), Lessig managed to combine the visuals perfectly with his oral argument.
The slides themselves were high impact (black background with red and white text, usually only one word a slide, slides changing every 2 or 3 seconds, all timed perfectly with his speech and in places broken up with an appropriate multi media clip).
He has obviously given similar presentations before (based on other reviews, see here) but I can only admire the amount of preparation required to get a 1 hour plus lecture to that level and am thankful as a member of the audience that he spent such time.
Donald Norman has commented that the best speech is one where no powerpoint is used at all except for pictures. He believes that a darkened room interferes with communication between speaker and audience. He believes that bullet points should be used only as speaker's aids, not visible to the audience.
As a participant in Lessig's audience, I felt that the powerpoint added to and did not detract from the message.
For my part, I will work a lot harder on my future powerpoints (if I use them). I want my audience to react the way I did (and now I know it can be achieved even on a legal topic!).
Public Library Access to Databases
I had a great conversation with a law firm librarian during a break at the Open Content Licensing Conference.
We covered knowledge management, IT, litigation support and training in big law firms.
We complained about subscription practices by some online newspapers.
We then spoke about public libraries and the advances they are making. I praised my own BCC library and she then observed that I should have access to the databases it subscribed to. I didn't know.
Lo and behold: I checked the BCC online library catalogue and there is a huge range of databases I can access FREE (click on online references). Great for a solo!
20 Questions
The classic guessing game Twenty Questions is now on the internet and it's heaps of fun. The computer, by asking simple questions, tries to determine what object you're thinking of; it's able to guess some obscure objects, and if you win it checks your answers to see whether you mislead it!
Gefiltefish TV
Bob has introduced me to gefiltefish...not the food but a series of short cartoons based on a Brisbane Jewish doctor and family. Different...a slice of life with enough wry humour to occasionally bring out a smile.
Online music
I have been enjoying the free I Tunes radio player while I sit at my computer. You don't need an I Pod. It has a great range of internet radio stations split into categories.
So it is an appropriate time to be reminded (by this NY Times article) that listening to music online is not unlawful. Only its unauthorised downloading and distribution.
What the experts use
Refreshing to read this article in Law Practice Management by Rick Klau and Erik Heels on their own personal technology habits.
Even the "experts" like to keep paper based systems if they work.
Privacy and Gmail (Australian update)
The Australian Privacy Foundation has written to Acting Federal Privacy Commissioner, Mr Timothy Pilgrim, requesting he ensure that Google does not launch its Gmail service in Australia in its current form which the Foundation believes breaches the Privacy Act.
The APF alleges that the Gmail service breaches National Privacy Principle (“NPP”) 1.1 (excessive collection), NPP1.2 (unfair means), NPP1.3 (inadequate notice), NPP1.5 (collection of information from third parties without notice), NPP 2 (secondary uses without consent), NPP 4.1 (disclaiming responsibility for all security), NPP 4.2 (open-ended retention of emails), NPP 6 (retaining right to read any emails and denial of access to information after closure of account) and NPP 9 (unreserved right to send data to any other country).
The APF considers that the Gmail service may also breach both the Telecommunications (Interception) Act 1979 (Cth) and the Spam Act 2003 (Cth), although it is awaiting further analysis of the service before pursuing these claims with the appropriate enforcement bodies.
Brief Banks
LawLibTech discusses work product retrieval and supports the tech solution rather than the people solution.
Australia's e-readiness
According to this report from The Economist via beSpacific Australia has dropped in e-readiness from 9th in 2003 to 12th in 2004 (behind Denmark in 1st and US in 6th).
The Future of Legal Technology
Law Practice Today (April) features a transcript of a presentation at the ABA Techshow by Lou Andreozzi, President of LexisNexis North America, and Mike Wilens, President of West.
For me the second half which features comments by Wilens is the most interesting as it analyses how lawyers work anbd what technology needs to do to help lawyers help (and attract) clients.
Some of his observations include:
"Everybody wants to analyze workflow. Now, lawyers in this respect are no different than other knowledge workers in our society. And you come back with these really nice workflows. You know, they work on Matter A for the three steps of Matter A. Then they work on Matter B for the three steps of Matter B. Well, you actually go out and watch them work, okay? It has nothing to do with any linear process. It’s extraordinarily non-linear."
More on Gmail
Presidian Privacy Law News reports on European developments and the Australian laws relevant to Google's proposals.
Google, Gmail and Privacy
The debate about Google's Gmail ads is heading in a new direction as people realize it's not just the privacy of senders that is at risk.
Loosewire acknowledges Australian Roger Clarke's concern about the privacy of the recipient. Aren't Gmail's unsolicited ads just spam?
More KM
Ron Friedman from Prism Legal Consulting asks What’s Your Strategy for Collecting and Cataloging Documents?
He views automation and manual collection as opposite ends of a spectrum and discusses the benefits and disadvantages of both.
Knowledge transfer
LawTech Guru's post on Why Content Management Fails has general application to any knowledge management exercise in an organisation.
Technology is not the answer to building an intranet, web site or a team blog. Technology is an enabler which needs to be supported by a culture that values knowledge management. Put another way, IT can provide the tools but it is people who do the work.
The same issues arise when developing precedents or compiling newsletters. Some people understand the importance of leveraging their knowledge and experience; some people want to keep it confidential.
All firms get to the point where they say "if only we knew, what we know".
Some firms send out collectors. Some invite donations of everything for sorting out at a later stage.
In summary:
1. To be successful, knowledge management requires a combination of people, processes, content and technology.
2. The success of a system in an organisation reflects its core values: is it "dog eat dog" (no sharing) or global responsibility (sharing)?
Email Newsletters or Spam?
With the Australian Spam Act due to commence tomorrow 11 April, it is interesting that LawTech Guru has an article on Making sure your email newsletters get read.
He points to an article "How to avoid the SpamAssassin". The article gives examples of what things add points to reach the rejection limit and which things deduct points to let the email through.
As a writer of email newsletters (which I send only to existing clients and confirmed subscribers) there is nothing more frustrating than bounced emails. I use Constant Contact to manage newsletters and follow all the rules but sometimes newsletters are still filtered out. Back to paper?
Learning software
The best freeware program I've seen for a while is a tutorial creation program called Wink.
Wink is primarily aimed at creating tutorials on how to use software. Using Wink you can capture screenshots of your software, type-in explanations for each step and create a navigation sequence complete with buttons, delays, and titles.
Whilst downloadable manuals are helpful, people learn in different ways and a live presentation of software being used adds an extra dimension.
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