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The WAVE Report on Digital Media 3D --- Media Creation --- Shared Space ---Published by 4th Wave, Inc.--- Issue #0546------------------11/18/05 |
The WAVE Report is Searchable on
http://www.3dlinks.com
http://www.wave-report.com
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0546.2 3D Maintenance Solutions
Sukhoi to Test 3D Aircraft Maintenance Solution from ParallelGraphics
0546.3 Fractal Photo Storage
onOne Software Releases Free Genuine Fractals Plug-In Reader for Adobe Photoshop
0546.4 Communication Interoperability
Roaming Messenger Demonstrates Homeland Security ''Killer App'' at Emergency Management Conference
0546.5 Potential Computer Infection
0546.6 Venture Capital
Intel Establishes $50 Million Venture Fund for Middle East and Turkey
0546.7 IM Virus’ Mutate
0546.8 Fuel Cell Shoot Out
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***DUX 2005 (Designing for User eXperience)
By John Latta
San Francisco, CA
November 4 – 5, 2005
It sold out over a month ago. There are 500 professionals here from all over the world. The sessions are well attended and the event is well managed and many of the presentations and keynotes are both interesting and entertaining. Considerable effort has gone into this conference. The venue at Fort Mason at the Presidio in San Francisco is one of the best.
The professionals here are experienced in the design for users of technology. This forum provides a common ground to meet and discuss technologies and tools for doing better designs which create a user experience.
The WAVE spoke with Brian Blau, conference organizer. He provided further perspective on the event.
This event is focused on the practicing human interface designer. The structure of the conference is in a case study format. It is not research oriented, such as CHI. The intent was that professionals in the field could use what they learned here in their day to day life. We sought to make the information timely and useful.
The event was organized to provide wide diversity of user interface issues but the individual session chair had considerable latitude. All the papers were peer reviewed and we received many more than could be accommodated.
We also wanted for this conference to be different. This was the case in the plenary talks which both informed and entertained.
This conference is intended to be held every 2 years and it will be assessed after this one.
15 countries were represented here.
Is it possible to Optimize the User Experience?
Most of the presentations were about the desktop experience and specifically designing for the web with the objective of improving usability.
Bank of America spoke of the issues of balancing the user experience with business realities when integrating web sites after a merger. Only anecdotal data was presented on the user response.
Howard Tiersky, Capgemini, described an extensive evaluation of GM’s web sites worldwide. This created a large data base of how GM’s web sites compared to competition against many evaluation factors. Missing was any discussion of the impact of this work on web site redesign and how this impacted usability and the end benefits, including buying automobiles.
Amazon described an interesting project to make the purchase of loose diamonds for an engagement ring as easy as possible. Excellent piece of retail research into buying for this special product. The techniques used and user feedback was interesting but no quantitative assessment was presented.
Behr Paint has a kiosk deployed in 1,700 retail locations, mostly Home Depot, to make the selection of paint for home easier. This combines a kiosk and a web based tool to do color selection for the home. The design of the kiosk and user interaction was well done. But the assessment of its value was left as:
High user satisfaction in the online version
Lift in intent to purchase Behr paint.David Cronin, of Cooper, described the complexities of working with clients to create web pages. His bottom line is that collaboration with the client improves the process. Yet, there was a consistent theme in this and other talks by the consultants doing design – cost constraints frequently limit what can be done and how effective the design is. Design effectiveness appeared to be largely an artistic and An execution issue in the context of budgets.
Verisign discussed how it improved the online SSL Certification enrollment process. A question from the audience – was “What is new here? These are standard techniques.”
Fred Dust of IDEO gave one of the more interesting talks. He stated that one of the problems in the design of end use products is knowing who the user is. His premise is that it is important to find out customer behavior and this crosses many demographic groups. The examples he gave were more ethnographic research based where IDEO actually observed in the homes. When behavior is understood this provides a much better understanding of who is buying products and why. Frequently this is a surprise because the target audience is not the one buying a product. Fred’s talk reinforced the current notion that ethnographic research has become valuable in determining how consumers actually use products and the practical issues in the home.
User Experience beyond the Desktop
The presentations covered a broader range of devices and user experiences. Here are highlights of a number of the talks.
Frog Design was given a project to design a product with a simple premise – ease stress. It must be portable and that was the extent of the product definition. The name was Stresseraser. What resulted was a hand held product which runs off standard batteries. It allows for the monitoring of heart rate and helps the individual adjust breathing to reduce stress – a la yoga. The device also monitors long term performance in reducing stress. The user response was interesting – “The device has become a true friend.”
Carnegie Mellon University HCII and School of Design developed the concept of a “Sense Chair” for elderly individuals. The intent is that such a device could allow an individual to remain in their home and be more self sufficient. The chair is a monitor of the state of the individual who occupies it. It has pressure sensors, lights and vibrators. The chair has a range of notifications from what it senses. The design is continuing. It was another example of responding to the needs of the aging population with ambient intelligence.
Microsoft Research Asia presented the results of work to support the migrant worker. These individuals frequently leave the rural areas to gain jobs in the large cities. There are 120m such workers. Their children usually stay at home and they cannot go back to visit the village but once a year. What Microsoft sought to understand is how technology could help in communicating between family members. They used ethnographic research to understand the cultural issues, family relationships, literacy, privacy and the role of shared displays. The assessment was quite interesting, from a non-Chinese perspective., for example, family mail is really public mail that all in the village can read. A kiosk was suggested and a table PC was used to evaluate the concept. It was surprising to hear how well this was accepted and used, in spite of most having no experience with technology.
Intuit described the development of a new product – Rental Manager. This was quite different in that with 20 years in its core products, such as QuickBooks, there have been no V 1.0 products for many years. As a result, the definition of a new product was unusual. Basically this product played a role in helping change the culture of the company. Areas which helped this be successful were:
Limit the product scope;
Concepts first, then MRD;
Robust prototypes early on and
Mandate customer contac.This effort was quite unusual in that the company had to reinvent itself to create new products. But it was successful, in part, because there was strong support by the CEO. There are now 8 new products in the pipeline.
The University of Melbourne developed SyncoMate a device for enhancing intimacy. Intimacy is a broad term which applies to the relations between any two individuals that are close – including children with parents. The customer research included observations over 7 weeks and many interactions with the 6 couples studies, 3 of which had children, that were studied. One assessment shown was a chart on the dimensions of intimacy. From this came the notion of Phatic Interactions. These are interactions that do not inform, do not exchange facts, and do not express thoughts. But they strengthen social bonds, maintain social contact and reaffirm connectedness. As a result of a design workshop they developed the concept for a Synchromate which supports on going connectedness which meets the phatic interaction need.
Nokia User Experience User Research described research on how to improve what individuals carry with them. They studied 17 individuals in 4 cities around the world. At the center of what individuals carry are money, keys and phone. The extended mobile essentials include: ID, payments, medical, appearance and entertainment but the use varies by individual and time. One of the issues is that individuals forget the mobile essentials. From this work Nokia created a concept which helps individuals remember items. This is like a shelf but it has a display and can communicate with the cell phone.
Microsoft Research, Cambridge England, has studied the uses of large displays for shared and social spaces. This project is called Dynamo and it explores informal interaction in shared social spaces. During the design process user were exposed to lab studies, field studies and demos. The tests included: single and multiple uses, mouse and keyboardinput, privacy and access control. Many of the social interaction techniques using the display were interesting in showing how individuals can participate socially. The research showed varying levels of engagement by the users, there was some knowledge transfer and social conventions formed around the digital surface.
WAVE Comments
We were hoping to find the keys to the magic kingdom of user experience optimization at DUX. There were no keys. Instead this conference exposed mini-steps. In context though, it is important that the issue is getting posed. That is, how to maximize what users get from technology?
The concept is pretty simple – listen to one’s customers. But this trivializes what is going on. There are multiple dynamics that emerged in the many discussions and presentations. Overall, we were left with the realization that there is no answer to user experience optimization. Rather, this is the beginning of a journey to find how technology can be made more relevant.
As we listened to many of the presentations, it became evident that one of the tallest barriers are the companies themselves. Bank of American had important limitations on what it could do in integrating the online banking web sites for Bank of America and Fleet Bank. Other presenters described how the business process or culture limited what could be done to improve the user experience. Further, the cell phone industry focuses on user optimization to the extent that it enhances revenue. Thus, there is no clear path to improving the user experience and what can actually be accomplished is moderated by many factors, including the business itself.
Reflecting on DUX, one has a better understanding about the efforts to improve the user experience. But there are significant limitations:
The lack of quantitative results.
We found it frustrating that the scientific method was lacking. Yet, one has to keep in mind that many of the participants are from the arts and their work is about creating art which others can use.
How does the new and old mix?
That is, where is it best to apply traditional means for improving the user experience with the new methods of understanding the customer.
Is there a best goal?
Will user experience or value creation be a never ending goal not to be reached but sought after or an achievable target. The Draconian evolution of markets and technology would say there is no achievable end goal. Efficient markets would indicate just the opposite.
0546.2 3D Maintenance Solutions
***Sukhoi to Test 3D Aircraft Maintenance Solution from ParallelGraphics
Dublin, Ireland
November 14, 2005
The Sukhoi Company, a Russian aviation holding company, and ParallelGraphics, a provider of Web3D interactive solutions, have launched a joint pilot project to provide 3D powered technical documentation for aircraft maintenance and repair - virtual manuals.
The Virtual Manual Technology from ParallelGraphics offers manufacturing companies a new approach in the provision of product life cycle support and effective maintenance and repair services. 3D animations of technical procedures (assembly, maintenance and repair) allow personnel to quickly adopt new technology in addition to learning new skills as well. 3D animations are created from highly optimized 3D data originating from CAD, so they can be freely distributed throughout the company and to its customers.
The Sukhoi Company is an aviation holding company in Russia and a Russian exporter of aircraft. The company is also one of the largest manufacturers in the world, in terms of the volume of modern fighter aircraft. The number of the Su aircraft operating abroad is also increasing and this has placed new demands on the company's logistical support system, and in particular, on the provision of the maintenance and repair documentation. One of the key issues in the delivery of technical documentation is the language barrier. This can be broken with the help of 3D simulations that use a universal visual language understandable all over the world.
http://www.parallelgraphics.com
***onOne Software Releases Free Genuine Fractals Plug-In Reader for Adobe Photoshop
PORTLAND, Ore.
Nov. 15, 2005
onOne Software has announced the immediate availability of a free Genuine Fractals Reader plug-in for Adobe Photoshop. The Genuine Fractals Reader plug-in allows any user of Adobe Photoshop CS or CS2 to open and view an image that was scaled using Genuine Fractals and saved with the .STN file extension. The .STN (pronounced "sting") file format, available only through Genuine Fractals, allows users to significantly reduce the file size of their scaled images without sacrificing image quality. The latest version of Genuine Fractals 4.1, released last month, is an image scaling plug-in for Adobe Photoshop that uses a patented, fractal-based algorithm to increase the size and resolution of images with a better retention of detail than other scaling methods available in Photoshop.
When increasing the size and scale of an image for large format printing, the size of a file increases as well. While large hard drives go a long way toward alleviating local storage concerns of large digital files, transferring and archiving large files can be become more problematic. The Genuine Fractals .STN file format addresses this problem directly by saving the file using loss-less Wavelet compression that significantly reduces the size of a file without sacrificing image quality. For example a 617k image scaled 600% may result in a file size of 46.8 MB when saved as a .PSD file. This same file saved using the .STN file format, while retaining all of the image data, is only 15.9 MB. When saved using an even higher level of compression, the final file size is only 2.9 MB, a savings of 94% from the .PSD file.
0546.4 Communication Interoperability
***Roaming Messenger Demonstrates Homeland Security ''Killer App'' at Emergency Management Conference; The Company Addresses the Communication Interoperability Challenge Posed by Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Michael Chertoff
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.
Nov. 15, 2005
Roaming Messenger demonstrated its interoperability features from the show floor at the International Association of Emergency Management (IAEM) Annual Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.
Roaming Messenger was recently referred to as the "Killer App" for homeland security by nationally recognized strategist, David Stephenson, in his daily homeland security publication. Citing Roaming Messenger's smart messaging capability and interoperability across multiple devices and networks, Mr. Stephenson believes that Roaming Messenger's technology combines the necessary features and functions to make it the standard bearer for emergency communications in the post-Katrina world. Roaming Messenger possesses a unique ability to provide interoperable communication for federal, state and local emergency management systems over different networks and carriers, and across a variety of devices including desktop, laptop, cell phones and PDAs.
Michael Chertoff, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, calls communication interoperability the biggest challenge in recent hurricane response efforts. Addressing this challenge, Roaming Messenger demonstrated a hurricane response scenario at the Interoperability Pavilion. The following summarizes the company's successful simulation:
-- The National Hurricane Center warns of a Category 4 hurricane to hit Southeastern Florida, and sends messages to state and local Emergency Operation Centers ("EOC") running emergency management systems from leading providers NC4, ESS and MyStateUSA
-- EOC issues evacuation orders to field resources through RMSG which sends interactive messengers to BlackBerrys, smart phones, and desktops, delivering information and gathering responses
-- When the hurricane hits, fallen trees and debris block roadways leaving many communities isolated
-- Public Works needs heavy equipment to unblock roadways
-- Because of looting, the County EOC, running MyStateUSA, calls in the National Guard
-- Florida EOC, running Oracle, sends request to FEMA for tent cities as shelters become full
-- FEMA sends resource requests through RMSG to field personnel to assemble and deliver requested resources
-- All this is happening in real-time!
-- Concurrently in two other demonstration scenarios, explosion and pandemic flu, RMSG is similarly being used as a central gateway for delivering interactive time-critical information to various devices achieving mobile interoperability
http://www.roamingmessenger.com
0546.5 Potential Computer Infection
***Green Welling LLP Demands that Sony BMG Dig Out the Rootkit; Formal Demand Letter Sent to Sony BMG
SAN FRANCISCO
Nov. 15, 2005
Green Welling LLP announced that it sent a formal demand letter to Sony BMG demanding that Sony BMG fix the problems created by the XCP and Sunncomm MediaMax software contained on its music CDs. The software that includes damaging secret rootkit technology has potentially infected millions of computers around the world. Green Welling is asking Sony BMG to take appropriate steps to remove the offending CDs from the marketplace and to offer refunds for those already in place.
Although billed by Sony BMG as common digital rights management (DRM) software that is just for copy protection, it seems that it is really much more. The XCP, or extended copy protection, software utilizes "rootkit" technology that hides the software from users. The software creates a security risk for personal computers that allows hackers to hide damaging programs in computers that have Sony BMG's software in them. The software also secretly communicates with Sony's servers and can be used to send information back to the users' media player programs. The Sunncomm MediaMax software used on some Sony BMG CDs actually installs itself before the user is asked to agree to the terms of installation. For both XCP and Sunncomm software, the terms of the End User License Agreement (EULA) are asserted to be improper and without the proper disclosures for what is actually occurring when a user clicks on the button to "Agree" to its terms.
Sony previously announced a "patch kit" that would reveal the software to users and recently announced that it would stop making CDs with the XCP software, but, according to Green Welling, there is a lot more it could do to fix the problems that Sony created for its customers
***Intel Establishes $50 Million Venture Fund for Middle East and Turkey; Intel Capital Middle East and Turkey Fund to Help Stimulate Local Innovation and Continued Growth of IT Industry
RIYADH
Nov. 15, 2005
Intel Corporation has announced the establishment of a US$50 million venture capital fund to invest in technology companies developing innovative hardware, software and services in the region covering the Middle East and Turkey. The announcement of the fund by Intel Chairman Craig Barrett in Riyadh comes on the heels of a broad range of Intel activities in the Middle East and Turkey, highlighted by a week-long tour of the region by the Intel executive.
According to Intel Capital, Intel's venture investment program, the $50 million Intel Capital Middle East and Turkey Fund will help stimulate technological innovation and the continued growth of the IT industry in this emerging region. Intel will invest in companies to accelerate technology adoption locally and foster development of unique and innovative technologies and content with potential for regional distribution.
Intel Capital has been working in the region for some time and sees a strong demand for technology in broadband and mobile services, enterprise solutions, digital health, and consumer technologies. That demand, combined with a measurable increase in entrepreneurial activity and some of the world's fastest growing economies, indicates that the time is right to begin investing in the region.
The fund will seek to invest in companies that complement Intel's technology and platform initiatives, and seeks to further build out the IT and Internet infrastructure in the region. With this fund, Intel Capital will focus on opportunities to invest in hardware, services (including broadband infrastructure and mobile wireless solutions using WiMAX technology), local content developers/providers, digital health solutions, IT service providers and software solutions.
***IMlogic Threat Center Reports Record Number of IM Threat Mutations Risk Undermining Existing Content Security Protections; Over 88 Percent of IM Worms Tracked by the IMlogic Threat Center Have Mutated at Least Once in the Last 11 Months
WALTHAM, Mass.
Nov. 15, 2005
The IMlogic Threat Center, the industry's first global consortium to provide threat detection, analysis and protection for instant messaging (IM), has reported a record number of IM threat mutations which risk undermining existing content security protections. The speed of worm mutations poses the largest threat to corporate and consumer IM use due to the difficulty in consistently maintaining up-to-date virus protection on local and mobile systems.
As a leading indicator for the number of mutations to expect, the Kelvir worm has mutated 123 times during the last 11 months. Most disturbing, with the latest mutation trend, is the breadth of threats which have mutated; more than 88 percent of all IM worms tracked by the IMlogic Threat Center have demonstrated mutations. In addition, traditional email worms have begun spreading through IM. For example the email Rbot worm which has mutated over 600 times since first being discovered in email, now has over 13 mutations using IM for distribution. The combination of IM threats mutating to avoid existing virus protection, the increasing sophistication of IM viruses and the mutations of threats across distribution modes has created IM threats that are more capable of installing malware on the local machine, disabling existing desktop security software and antivirus systems, and capturing sensitive end-user information.
The IMlogic Threat Center released the following statistics highlighting the increasing threat level posed by rapidly mutating IM worms:
-- 88 percent of all worms tracked by the IMlogic Threat Center have demonstrated mutations
-- Kelvir is leading with 41 percent of mutations, followed by Bropia with 10 percent and Opanki with eight percent in the category of worms that are delivered only by IM
-- The number of blended threats using the public IM networks for distribution is increasing, with over 26 new IM-based mutations appearing in the top three traditionally email distributed worm groups of Rbot, Sdbot, and Mytob.In 2005, 62 percent of mutating IM threats targeted the MSN network via Windows Messenger or MSN Messenger, 25 percent targeted AOL, and eight percent targeted the Yahoo! instant messaging network;
-- During the month of October, more than 70 percent of worms identified delivered malware capable of disabling existing desktop security software and undermined traditional anti-virus detection and protection capabilities.
Protecting Against the Rapid Mutations of IM Viruses and Worms
These metrics highlight the need for enterprises to adopt proactive and predictive security technologies for IM. Traditional desktop anti-virus software and IM security products rely on the availability of known virus signatures for detection and control, and are not sufficient to protect enterprises against the rapid mutation and proliferation of the latest IM threats. The exponential growth of IM threats which leverage the global reach and availability of the real time IM networks, coupled with the ability for IM malware to disable industry standard desktop anti-virus products, makes the need for best-of-breed predictive IM threat protection even more critical.
The IMlogic Threat Center and the IMlogic Real-Time Threat Protection System (RTTPS) provide organizations with the industry's first and most advanced predictive threat protection against both identified and unidentified, zero-day attacks over IM. With strategic partnerships with Internet security leaders Symantec, Sybari, Authentium, McAfee, and Postini and global instant messaging leaders America Online, Microsoft and Yahoo!, the IMlogic Threat Center is the leading security resource for rapid response and guidance for protection against newly detected IM threats.
http://www.imlogic.com/im_threat_center/index.asp
***Fluorocarbon Membranes Once Again in the Crosshairs as PolyFuel Reprises Portable Fuel Cell Performance Shootout; This Year, Passive Direct Methanol Fuel Cells are the Target at Popular Industry Seminar
PALM SPRINGS, Calif.
Nov. 15, 2005
PolyFuel, Inc., announced that it is reprising its real-time shootout between PolyFuel's hydrocarbon-based fuel cell membrane, and Du Pont's fluorocarbon-based Nafion - this time focusing on "passive" direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC). Like last year's highly revealing contest - which focused on "active" direct methanol fuel cells, PolyFuel is expected to once again demonstrate superior operating performance - in this case, approximately up to 67% more power - under otherwise identical operating conditions. The shootout will occur at the annual Fuel Cell Seminar, being held in Palm Springs, CA.
Fuel cell designs are being readied the world over by the world's leading battery and consumer electronics manufacturers to replace or augment batteries in increasingly power-hungry mobile electronics devices, and the thin, cellophane-like membrane is the heart of a fuel cell. For portable applications, where high-performance - i.e. long run times - and small size are key considerations, passive fuel cells are preferred, but technically more challenging. Unlike active fuel cells, which may employ small pumps to transfer fuel and water inside the fuel cell and fans to supply air and provide cooling, passive fuel cells depend mainly upon convection for the same purposes, and require higher concentrations of fuel - in this case methanol. This, in turn, places greater performance demands upon the membrane, which must be specifically engineered to withstand such high concentrations.
PolyFuel's hydrocarbon DMFC membrane was shown last year in an active fuel cell test setup to demonstrate methanol and water crossover advantages over Nafion 117 under identical operating conditions, at Nafion-friendly methanol concentrations of 3%. At this year's shootout, however, PolyFuel will increase the concentration to 12% - a value increasingly demanded by portable fuel cell designers as a minimum. PolyFuel's membrane, which has been specifically designed for such high concentrations, routinely produces approximately 67% more power than Nafion at the 12% level. Methanol crossover and membrane swelling - two nagging side effects of high methanol concentrations - are minimal in the PolyFuel membrane. In the Nafion case, the methanol crossover rises to such a high level that it overwhelms the electrochemical reaction, limiting the power in respect to PolyFuel.
Attendees at this important industry seminar will be able to observe these differences for themselves, in real time, in both active - and now passive - designs. Nafion, which has been around for 40 years, is based upon the same fluorocarbon polymer used for Teflon. PolyFuel's recently introduced membrane uses a much newer - and to many, more promising technology, based upon a hydrocarbon polymer.
Like last year, the setups will be identical, differing only in the membrane. The passive cells will be operated at 40C, using ambient air, 8 milligrams (mg) total platinum catalyst loading per square centimeter, and SGL carbon gas diffusion layers (GDLs). Fuel concentrations of 3% (1 Molar) and 12% (4 Molar) will be used.
The market for portable fuel cells is predicted by NanoMarkets LLC to be US$1.1 billion by 2009 and US$2.6 billion by 2012. First commercial shipments are expected in 2006.
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