Location-aware services are becoming prevalent components of day-to-day technology, technology delivering information based on one’s physical location. Though its use may already be common in feeding general search results, delivering multi-media contents, local directory listings and advertising, Apple’s iPhone has undoubtedly placed the potential of location-based services for the mobile platform in absolute prominence. Not only can it be used to pin-point one’s physical location using GPS, Wi-Fi or cellular triangulation, the real potential is how devices can make use of this information. Here is a glance of the potential applications that could very well change our ever-sophisticated urban lifestyle.

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“On November 5th, a launch campaign began in Tokyo, with two McDonald’s locations in Shibuya and Omotesando being totally converted to ‘Quarter Pounder’ shops. The restaurants offer only two choices on the menu: a Quarter Pounder set for 500円, and a Double Quarter Pounder set for 600円. The interiors are minimal black, and feature Le Corbusier sofas. Interestingly enough, there are no discernable connections to McDonald’s: no golden arches, no Ronald. Japanese consumers are not likely to know exactly what a pound is, or a quarter for that matter, but no clues are even offered on the ultra-minimal Quarter Pounder website.”

1. fivebyfifty » QUARTER POUNDER.
2. NO LOGO, Naomi Klein.

There have been a number of subtle changes during the previous weeks. First to note is that the page has migrated to a fresh domain, hopefully this domain can bring about a sense of relation and purpose to the contents that are being placed. The interface has also been refreshed to increase consistency and efficiency in distinguishing content. Do have a stroll through the various pages, enjoy!

Here is an excerpt of recent articles I’ve shared on my Google Reader.

The Hive Five winners: what’s the best tool for the job?

Amazing tilt-shift time-lapse videos.

Ten ways to re-think your commute. BBC

“Near perfect” solar design could change the entire industry.

Redscale film shows analog photography is not dead yet.

Google’s green energy future revealed.

Silver-zinc batteries coming in 2009 with 40 percent better run-time than lithium-ion.

Long overdue GPS upgrade could save airlines 10 billion a year.

Current State makes you mini Captain Planet.

“If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.”

“This is your victory. And I know you didn’t do this just to win an election, and I know you didn’t do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime: two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.”

“This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: yes, we can.”

1. Barack Obama Wins Presidency, Wired.
2. Obama Victory Speech Transcript, CNN.

The intention of Cover Flow was to re-introduce the experience of flipping through album covers, as they were in cases or sleeves, back to digital music. The experience of music itself is beyond the acoustics; emotions and events are embedded in words and melody, and album covers became the visual queue of such interaction. It is “a faster, more artistically complex, and more emotionally potent way to experience our music collections.”. Browsing through album covers hence became a personal experience of not only browsing through music, but through precious life moments and events.

Ever since Apple purchased the rights to Cover Flow, millions of users were once again re-immersed with the interest of “album art”. Though the experience has been re-introduced, the authenticity of this experience had been reduced in the acquisition. No longer are the covers arranged in an aerial perspective in virtual free space, a rather genuine and immersive point of view, but the simulation of flow, and fluid re-arranging animations as users are searching through albums in real-time, are lost in translation.

In my opinion however Cover Flow is not an efficient method of browsing, for any form of content; flipping through covers linearly is a dated experience. Not only are there a restricted number of covers displayed at each instance, but covers overlap. In terms of conveying content, it is in no doubt, contrived and constrained. If visual browsing is the method of browsing moving forward, and given its inherent semantic potentials, how then should visual browsing be in the digital era?

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“God is the only one with the message. It’s a message of hope and urgency, because he’s not going to wait much longer. His message is a simple one: we are all connected. Our hopes, dreams, our children’s future, reflecting back in each other’s eyes. We fight our own personal battles, but we know we are not alone. Because only together can we make our short time on this planet mean something. Only together can we be the stewards of our own destiny. And we hold in our collective hearts one noble goal: to save ourselves, save the world.”

1. Nathan Petrelli, The Second Coming, Heroes.

Revised on September 26, 2008.

There has been a surge of webpage re-designs in 2008, though some may be controversial, the momentum of Web 2.0 has continued to revitalize content delivery in the digital age, and how far have we come. Not only has the front-end interface been upgraded to cater for more intuitive, efficient surfing, server load on the back-end has been reduced, and upon the client-side, next generation browsers have promised enhanced performance and sophisticated features, under even tighter security. Not to mention the unprecedented growth and potential of mobile browsing. Now all that I need is free city-wide Wi-Fi.

1. 10 hot web re-designs of 2008, CNET.

“The bottleneck saver is designed to be attached to liquid soap dispenser necks and restricts the amount dispensed in order to reduce unnecessary wastage in consumption. This is especially pertinent as the manufacturers of shampoos, liquid soap, lotions… have an incentive to encourage more rapid usage. A standard depressing of a nozzle may indeed yield more lotion/shampoo than is really necessary for the user. The bottleneck saver becomes a subtle mark of defiance in the face of more copious consumption patterns.”

This design well deserves a second thought; minute ideas like this one can not only change the way we interact with everyday objects, but how these forms of interaction can be made sustainable, challenging consumptive behavior. It is a much worthy example that reminds us how “a little goes a long way”; sustainable design should relate and permeate intuitively to our ways of life and manner of living. There are a variety of products, for example those through the Future Friendly initiative, that inherently contemplates environmental demands, saving energy and reducing waste and packaging based upon the properties of the product itself. “Every small step towards a greater good can help preserve our world and prepare it for generations to come.”

Looking for more simple ways to do your part in helping the planet? How about 50.

1. treehugger » orcadesign.