Looking at the laptops that went through my hands, the problems that I encountered were the following : ( no particular order, other than by memory )
- Southbridge or GPU failure due to cracking of RoHS solder (Toshiba, IBM, HP, Apple)
- Dead batteries (Samsung, Dell)
- Excessive heat (HP, Averatec/MSI, Samsung)
- Constant fan running with heavy dust accumulation (Acer, HP, Apple)
- Dead screen due to poor solder on display cable ( Samsung )
- Worn hinges ( Lenovo, Dell, Samsung )
- Noisy keyboards and loose keys ( HP, Acer, Compaq )
Negligence ( which good design may be able to prevent )
- Liquid spills
- Cat hair
- Picking it up by the screen
- Fingerprints on screen
- Broken USB ports
With less to no moving parts, a fully enclosed motherboard, like in the aluminium cased tablets, there is a decreased risk that the part can fail. A cracked screen is likely considering people sit on their cell phones, so people may also not want to have to think about being careful with their machines. It is also possible that people are more likely drop the more portable devices in water as they take them around everywhere they go.
Perhaps the laptop of the future will be like a large tablet with a wireless and mouse. Instead of being too small like a tablet, the screen size will be "normal" 14 -15 inches.
It may have to be a little bit thicker than a tablet - not for the components inside, but just to accommodate the possibility of it being twisted and warped.
Regarding power and ports, everything should be wireless. That would mean it would be less secure, but no chances of corroded connections, picking something up while plugged in etc.
Inductive chargers are nothing new. I recall an electric toothbrush from the 80s that used that technology. Now is it just a question of what we'll compromise in the design to accommodate a new component.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Pon Pon Pon Way way way
I love the artistic director of the kyarypamyupamyu's video PONPONPON
There is a mix of references to consumer culture, junk food, toys, and images that are universal including bright colours, a brain, heart, skulls etc.
Although the CGI is a bit over the top, I think of it like a notepad with pages upon pages of layouts and ideas. I do not know how much time it takes to fit in each element of animation, but some are far more demanding than others...
There is a mix of references to consumer culture, junk food, toys, and images that are universal including bright colours, a brain, heart, skulls etc.
Although the CGI is a bit over the top, I think of it like a notepad with pages upon pages of layouts and ideas. I do not know how much time it takes to fit in each element of animation, but some are far more demanding than others...
Thursday, July 28, 2011
How portable devices just need to be better
What I dislike about my computer are the following :
CPU fan - it is quiet, but it would be much nicer if it would never turn on
HDD - I have no need for a lot of storage. A SSD may save a little power, but it will be pleasantly quiet
Touchpad - I only use it when I need to navigate on the web at distance.
With the exception of the touch interface, tablets and touchphone generally produce little heat and are all SSD. That is great.
Although there is huge potential for improvements in the processing power, most writing, calculations in spreadsheets etc, do not need massive power. It is not like trying to determine the perimeter of a shoreline.
Although modern laptops do not look much different from the ones in the early 1990s, they should be cooler and quieter, perhaps not even have any moving parts. If that will be the case, it sure sounds quite an improvement to me!
CPU fan - it is quiet, but it would be much nicer if it would never turn on
HDD - I have no need for a lot of storage. A SSD may save a little power, but it will be pleasantly quiet
Touchpad - I only use it when I need to navigate on the web at distance.
With the exception of the touch interface, tablets and touchphone generally produce little heat and are all SSD. That is great.
Although there is huge potential for improvements in the processing power, most writing, calculations in spreadsheets etc, do not need massive power. It is not like trying to determine the perimeter of a shoreline.
Although modern laptops do not look much different from the ones in the early 1990s, they should be cooler and quieter, perhaps not even have any moving parts. If that will be the case, it sure sounds quite an improvement to me!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Trackpoints - ease of navigation
Nostalgia for old cars is what I am doing with computers. The trackpoint, found on Thinkpads, some business line Dells and Toshibas, is a pointing device for a cursor, which seems a little primitive. However it works really well.
Some people express their liking of the device, whereas other may express the inability to part with it.
Nevertheless, I agree that it does take some time to get used to. The settings need to be at the most sensitive to avoid strain. That could go for a lot of devices.
If the trackpoint setting are set to smooth scrolling, the centre button it what you will use most: in a browser the centre button opens a new tab with the link that you clicked; if you click on the tab bar's tabs, the centre button closes the tab!
However if you know the keyboard shortcuts, the mouse will only be used occasionally, and not be the main form of input.
Some people express their liking of the device, whereas other may express the inability to part with it.
Nevertheless, I agree that it does take some time to get used to. The settings need to be at the most sensitive to avoid strain. That could go for a lot of devices.
If the trackpoint setting are set to smooth scrolling, the centre button it what you will use most: in a browser the centre button opens a new tab with the link that you clicked; if you click on the tab bar's tabs, the centre button closes the tab!
However if you know the keyboard shortcuts, the mouse will only be used occasionally, and not be the main form of input.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Orgasms through Android/iPhone iPad/Tablet accelerometer and probes
A friend of mine was ranting on and on about iboobs, or the Android variant, being seconds and seconds of fun. Whether I believe him or not, does not prevent me from seeing the applications of accelerometers for applications other than diamond drilling and hard drive protection.
I assume that nobody would want to have wires wrapped around their body while having sex. However a belt, a pair of socks, or other light garments isn't usually a problem. Now what about gathering some data from both partners while everything is action.
Human senses are not so refined to determine odours emitted by a partner during intercourse to know when an orgasm is about to take place. However, a measurement of the skin's resistance gives an indication of changes of fluids throughout the body and the brain. Although I would like to philosophize about the psychological nature of an orgasm, for most is really a physiological experience.
Some questions that need to be determined in this type of research include locations on the body, the types of devices need not to be that complicated. Measuring types of motion, rate, temperature, sound etc. Sexual intercourse is complicated, but the proper use of technology can probably make it all more pleasurable.
I assume that nobody would want to have wires wrapped around their body while having sex. However a belt, a pair of socks, or other light garments isn't usually a problem. Now what about gathering some data from both partners while everything is action.
Human senses are not so refined to determine odours emitted by a partner during intercourse to know when an orgasm is about to take place. However, a measurement of the skin's resistance gives an indication of changes of fluids throughout the body and the brain. Although I would like to philosophize about the psychological nature of an orgasm, for most is really a physiological experience.
Some questions that need to be determined in this type of research include locations on the body, the types of devices need not to be that complicated. Measuring types of motion, rate, temperature, sound etc. Sexual intercourse is complicated, but the proper use of technology can probably make it all more pleasurable.
Alternate input - mouse, keyboard, touch, pen, voice, Wii Controller/Kinect
Not everybody uses computers a whole lot, nor should everybody have to. However it would be nice to have a form of interaction that makes computers more varied in their uses.
Would we want a flight simulator input that would follow our retina? A cursor that moves according to what we are looking at?
Multimedia is one thing : listening to music, watching videos, making print media, art, video production, etc. Different applications require new forms of input. Sometimes people want nothing more than a simple "Play" button. ( Sorry Moby, but I have yet to listen to any of your music since 1994.)
My mouse has a time out to save battery life. It is set at 30 minutes. I am surprised how often time goes by without me ever reaching for the mouse. ( The trackpoint may help, but even at that I like the keyboard shortcuts...)
Surely computers have been used for countless industrial applications, geographical exploration, modelisation, manufacturing, sociological studies, training etc. Would it be possible to use computers to provide us with new ways of thinking? Artificial intelligence that makes it possible for coming up with solutions while minimizing human input? Propose new ways of organizing cities, how to provide services for the physically or mentally challenged?
I visualize huge databases, detailed informations with comparison charts, advantages et les inconvénients, but it all seems too human to start with. That is fine, but where would linguistics come into play? Strict rules for input will only reflect the creators of the database. What about the margin of error to make the use of random data?
A computer that could daydream is it that far off? A computer that could dream and not forget is something that many of us wish we could be.
Would we want a flight simulator input that would follow our retina? A cursor that moves according to what we are looking at?
Multimedia is one thing : listening to music, watching videos, making print media, art, video production, etc. Different applications require new forms of input. Sometimes people want nothing more than a simple "Play" button. ( Sorry Moby, but I have yet to listen to any of your music since 1994.)
My mouse has a time out to save battery life. It is set at 30 minutes. I am surprised how often time goes by without me ever reaching for the mouse. ( The trackpoint may help, but even at that I like the keyboard shortcuts...)
Surely computers have been used for countless industrial applications, geographical exploration, modelisation, manufacturing, sociological studies, training etc. Would it be possible to use computers to provide us with new ways of thinking? Artificial intelligence that makes it possible for coming up with solutions while minimizing human input? Propose new ways of organizing cities, how to provide services for the physically or mentally challenged?
I visualize huge databases, detailed informations with comparison charts, advantages et les inconvénients, but it all seems too human to start with. That is fine, but where would linguistics come into play? Strict rules for input will only reflect the creators of the database. What about the margin of error to make the use of random data?
A computer that could daydream is it that far off? A computer that could dream and not forget is something that many of us wish we could be.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Android and iPhone Apps - Apps or widgets
I looked over the Android Market to see what are the most popular applications. It is indisputable that games dominate sales and development.
Although there is a slew of apps that assist in typing, a few for managing docs etc, only specific applications which may attract the attention of a few specialists can really justify using such a device.
However, if I was working with time critical or a specialized data set, I would much prefer a system made for my application - touch screen do offer label buttons, but it is not something that really matters if all I really need is a 4 to 6 buttons. Could you see a bouncer using a tablet as a counter to know how many people have entered the bar?
Thus far I have only found the Lenovo tablet useful because they have a pressure sensitive stylus making the Wacom graphic tablets less relevant. Come to think of it, I still prefer drawing with a pen and paper!
Although there is a slew of apps that assist in typing, a few for managing docs etc, only specific applications which may attract the attention of a few specialists can really justify using such a device.
However, if I was working with time critical or a specialized data set, I would much prefer a system made for my application - touch screen do offer label buttons, but it is not something that really matters if all I really need is a 4 to 6 buttons. Could you see a bouncer using a tablet as a counter to know how many people have entered the bar?
Thus far I have only found the Lenovo tablet useful because they have a pressure sensitive stylus making the Wacom graphic tablets less relevant. Come to think of it, I still prefer drawing with a pen and paper!
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