“… some things just annoy me to the point of distraction. A case in point being companies selling products by proclaiming their materials are easily recyclable, especially when their own product does not include any of these very same materials… you are only recycling when you are buying recycled. For example, it is a cop-out for Apple to claim, as part of the green credentials for their new MacBook Air, that its (unibody) enclosure is “highly recyclable” aluminium. If they really wanted to make a definitive stand on recycling, then all they had to do… was ensure that it is made from post-consumer recycled drink cans or pre-loved laptops… recycling aluminium saves 95% of the energy, and 95% in carbon dioxide emissions, compared to virgin production… (and) worldwide, the aluminium industry uses as much electric power as the entire continent of Africa.”

“The problem with recycling is that it’s not only the original material that gets recycled, it’s all the things that go into the recycling process with that material. So if an aluminum can has paint on it, that goes into the process and the paint degrades the quality of the recycled material. Therefore, recycling is not a loop, because it can only be recycled a finite amount of times. This means that recycling is really, just putting off how long the thing waits to go to the landfill.”

“Tetra Pak cartons (aseptic packaging that can keep milk fresh for months without refrigeration) are fully recyclable, which unfortunately does not mean much in locations where carton recycling facilities do not exist… only 20% of America has access to recycling facilities for Tetra Pak, the rest goes into landfill… can a Tetra Pak be made into another Tetra Pak? No. Tetra Pak is seven incomprehensibly thin layers of paper, plastic and aluminum. The people who try to recycle them use giant blenders to mush the paper pulp off the plastic and metal, then they need to separate the plastic from the metal. What idiot thought this would be a better idea than washing a bottle and refilling it.

… by supporting recycling programs, governments are subsidizing companies like Tetra Pak, who is relieved of part of the cost of packaging disposal. This hidden subsidy penalizes bottlers who offer a refund and refill their bottles. Although selling products in refillable bottles uses energy and material more efficiently, it is made to appear more expensive because all the costs are visible.”

1. ‘Recyclable’ is not recycling, TreeHugger.
2. In what world can you call Tetra Pak green?, TreeHugger.
3. MacBook Air, nikf, Flickr.
4. midnight milk, Solar ikon, Flickr.

Bring together the large silky glass trackpad on the MacBook Pro, with the low-profile design of the Apple Remote, and you have a versatile Multi-Touch device the size of an iPod nano. But we’re just getting started, because when you flip the device over, you’ll discover a QWERTY keyboard like the one in the iPhone OS, but with the crisp, responsive keys of the Apple Keyboard. There’s an accelerometer built-in too, so the trackpad is turned off when you’re typing on it.

There’s absolutely no learning curve. All your familiar Multi-Touch gestures are there; the way you type on the keyboard feels the same as it is on the iPhone, the way it’s held feels like the iPod nano. In fact it feels so much more convenient because you just bring the Magic Remote anywhere; with Bluetooth there’s no pointing too, it doesn’t even require a surface. Place the Magic Remote in the dock at the end of the day and it’ll be charged ready to go the next time you need it.

The ideas of the next user interface have been explored before: 3D desktop environments, augmented reality, gesture based interactions. The fact is however, these technologies will never catch on until one company puts forth a consumer product that makes interactions intuitively and efficiently. This was what made the original iPhone such a revolutionary device; it brought forth a new method of interaction to ordinary consumers. It was beautiful, and it was easy and intuitive to use; it changed the industry. However even if it is the current technological trend, the notion of leaving the keyboard and mouse behind is restrictive. The Magic Remote therefore is the transitional input device, a Multi-Touch product to be considered.

This is not an official product of Apple Inc..

1. More Apple concepts available on Flickr.

The tab bar should be there to a social networking application like Facebook because it allows fast notification and switching to various features, especially if the user can customize the tabs on the tab bar. The user is able to pick a couple of specific features on the tab bar and have them notify for updates without leaving a page. The user can access the rest of the features using the More tab, and each feature mimics the same feature on the full website. For example the Events page would notify for event RSVP and the user can respond. The user can also update their status anywhere in the application by tapping compose on the top right. To be honest I’ve always wondered why Facebook, a social network with the most active users, places so little concern over one of the most popular application on the iPhone platform. User experience is what drives people to use and continue using the service, but unfortunately Facebook disappoints in delivering this very aspect.

Home is a documentary by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, a French photographer, reporter and journalist. The documentary chronicles the present day state of the Earth, its climate and how we as the dominant species have long-term repercussions on its future. A theme expressed throughout the documentary is that of linkage; how all organisms and the Earth are linked in a “delicate but crucial” balance with each other, and how no organism can be self-sufficient. It shows the diversity of life on Earth and how humanity is threatening the ecological balance of the planet. The film is entirely composed of aerial shots of various places around Earth, taken in over 50 countries in the process. The movie was released simultaneously on June 5 in cinemas all over the world, on BD, DVD, and on YouTube.

1. Quartier de Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, Yann Arthus-Bertrand.

This is a feedback to Mozilla Lab’s default tag page for the upcoming Firefox. The header should not only introduce the browser’s branding, but should also show tidbits about the browsing session, such as the time, date, important announcements and update notifications. The rest of the two columns serve as a unified source, the internet portal, composed of bookmarks and RSS feeds like an internet start-menu. It should not only replace the home page but the bookmarks toolbar, where users can immediately get on with their intended browsing. The user can progress to search by the in-line search box, through Google or any other search provider, or read RSS feeds directly on the page, cached and refreshed in the background on every page load. It should not be a page feeding usage statistics and browsing history like others tends to do, but be a personal platform to initiate the browsing experience, by bookmarks.

This page should not intervene with the experience of the linked content, so there are no direct actions for features to say, post on Twitter. Instead are notifications that indicate if there are relevant attention-cues to take care of, such as unread emails on Gmail, or notifications on Facebook, where then the user progress through onto the link. This should furthermore reduce page clutter and performance overheads. In order to change the structure of the modules the preference icon should be easily accessible, but subtle enough, in the space just below the header. Preferences for adding and subtracting bookmarks, dragging and re-locating these bookmarks, and individual settings for each bookmark module, are accessed through this icon. In the space below the bookmarks are for browser features, say in-line searching of browsing history, recently closed tabs, recovering previous sessions, or even for upcoming location-aware features.

1. Firefox new tab, Much ado about pixels.

The next-generation Apple Mouse, the world’s most advance mouse, and here’s why. Our Apple engineers were able to bring Multi-Touch technology right onto the large Apple Mouse surface. That’s right, you can now seamlessly scroll, pan, pinch, rotate and zoom, just like on our gorgeous Multi-Touch trackpads, right on the Apple Mouse. It is now a true multi-button mouse too, physically, thanks to its flexible top-shell. You can’t see it, but you can certainly feel every left, right and middle-click. But that’s not all. Activate Mac OS X Dashboard, Exposé or a whole host of other, customizable features instantly using the physical buttons on either side of the Apple Mouse, 4 in total. Form and function. And although this mouse is wireless, worry no more about replacing batteries either. The next-generation Apple Mouse connects through MagSafe at the front, so while it charges, you can keep using your Mac. With its secure, reliable Bluetooth technology, simply break the magnetic connector away, and you’re wireless. Not to mention its precision laser tracking technology. Talk about innovating.

This is not an official product of Apple Inc..

1. More Apple concepts available on Flickr.

Objectified, a design documentary by Gary Hustwit, the director of Helvetica. Screening at film festivals, cinemas, and special events worldwide.

1. Trailer, Objectified.

In just the beginning of 2009, there were 2 notable announcements in the motoring industry; the official unveil of the full-electric Tesla Model S sedan, and the corporate launch of the Indian city-car the Tata Nano. These products are in my opinion, the solutions to 2 fundamental set-backs with the world today; the lack of confidence in the economy, and increasing environmental and social pressure. Jeremy Clarkson on the other hand, being the motoring enthusiast that he is, is so confident about the potential of the hydrogen-fuelled Honda Clarity. It is a radical product yes, that however, alleviates neither of these contemporary problems.

Money is one thing the world does not have, nor time for that matter. It is ridiculous to approve research and funding into harvesting and distributing hydrogen when in the end, our dependency on fuel leads us back to large multi-nationals in control of supply and prices. If we need to get through quoting Jeremy Clarkson “… the entire old testament before you can buy and run such a thing, practically and for a reasonable price… ” then sorry but hydrogen is not a practical solution to the immediate crisis the world is facing. It is neither a solution to our social addiction as being passive, ill-advised consumers.

“I’ll let you into a little secret. In the real world, away from the wide open spaces of the Top Gear test track, a Fiat 500 is much more fun to drive than a Zonda. A Zonda will pull more men, but on a bumpy back road, you’ll be wearing a bigger smile in the Fiat, I promise, or a Mini… in the not too distant future, cars like this will become the norm for enthusiastic drivers… “

It is not, I would like to perceive this as, about toning down aspirations. It is about appreciating that smaller economy cars are just as, if not more fun to drive, and besides, in the middle of the urban chaos, there is no genuine need for anything else; the jam-packed urban roads are best traversed by nimble city-cars that are minute yet practical, economical and environmental, and beautiful. This is the Tata Nano; though not beautiful would I argue, it is an economical, and hence an appealing option. If only it could resemble a Fiat 500 in aesthetics.

“… so it seems likely the car firms will opt for the easier, cheaper option of making stupid hybrids, like the Prius, which all right-thinking people can tell are nothing more than a complicated way of making people feel like they are making an effort. We know that they are doing no such thing. Hybrids are power-hungry when they are being made, and environmentally devastating when they are being scrapped, and in-between times, they do, at best, 45 MPG.”

The Tata Nano does no better, 50 MPG, thought it is a 2 cylinder and not a hybrid; it fails too being environmental. The all-electric Tesla Roaster on the other hand, has reported 120 MPGGE efficiency, considering it being a sports-car capable of doing 0 to 60 in less than 4 seconds. The thing about economy cars is that not only are they small, it takes a lot less effort to move them around, and this is definitely an advantage when talking about efficiency, and consequently the environment. The Tata Nano weighs half of that of the Tesla Roaster.

Though not as small nor light as the Roadster, the Tesla Model S, being an all-electric luxury sedan, boasts some compelling figures of its own. It is quiet, and it is a work of beauty, but let’s put that aside. The focus is demonstrated in its technology. It has a single-speed gearbox, meaning effortless acceleration and no fancy clutch-work; less moving parts and no oil changes, less maintenance. It takes about 4 hours for a full charge through a 220V power outlet, 45 minute quick-charge through a 440V outlet, and costs roughly about 4 dollars equivalent for a full charge. It has a 300 mile range, less if the less expensive battery is preferred, but why worry about range if the user can charge through any electrical outlet, there is not even need to travel to the pumps.

It should be an easy gesture to plug it in when it’s parked, whether it is at work, at home, at the restaurant, even at the store. The concern about plugging these in is of course the strain on the electric-grid, but market adoption is gradual, and if the development of the smart-grid infrastructure is parallel, the relative effects should be negligible. The edge in using electricity is being able to isolate, not disperse, the energy source. The sole focus hence is being able to use environmental and renewable sources to generate clean electric energy. The end-users need not worry about this though, just evaluate and pay for the energy consumed, clean energy that is.

The thing about motoring is that, it is a necessary convenience in the contemporary society, it is a de-facto component of social and urban development; this cannot be changed. The industry needs to understand that society needs nimble city-cars that are economical, so that the people can afford change; society needs full-electric cars, so that people can adopt by choice, the intention of safe-guarding the environment. These should not be 2 separate products, this should be one product; a full-electric city-car. This should be a beautiful product to reflect its ambition, and like the Fiat 500 or the Tesla Model S, beauty should sell innovation.

This is not the motoring industry’s ambition; this is motoring’s ambition.

1. Clarkson on the future, Top Gear.
2. DMC Delorean, chaos & career, Flickr.

The traditional method of copy through the keyboard shortcut is by Ctrl+C, this does not change. In order to access the clipboard overlay the user holds Ctrl, and tapping C would cycle through the items, just like using Alt+Tab in cycling through applications. The user selects a clipping slot, overriding previous clippings or into a new clipping, and releasing Ctrl initiates the action. The most recent clipping is moved to the top of the list, so intuitively Ctrl+C will feel and function no different than before. Pasting or cutting performs no different than what is described; holding Ctrl access the clipboard, tapping cycles, and releasing Ctrl initiates.

The clipboard overlay displays the clipped content in an orderly list. The application icon indicates the origin of the clipping, and the content of the clipping is previewed, including images whenever applicable. It may look minimal and feel very intuitive, but no operating system has bothered to improve the clipboard. It is a powerful and productive tool, it should not be neglected.

Yahoo defined internet search a decade ago, but since then the brand became somewhat strained in each and every aspect of its services. Google is to Yahoo where Yahoo was to AOL. The company did expand, but they made little effort in improving. It’s hard to dilute what direction they’re taking, or interestingly enough if they know the answer themselves. The fact is that the Yahoo brand has a lot of potential, and a substantial user base, but it needs a lot of work, and what good time it is during a corporate restructure. Here are a couple of suggestions and pointers to hopefully help them out.

Keep up. If the company is losing behind being competitive, one easy check-box is to improve user experience. Yahoo hasn’t changed much in years, and their design isn’t even good in the first place. Numerous companies managed to refresh their pages last year, though Yahoo supposedly being one, it shows how re-design is able to capture interests, and good re-design defines how users interact; it helps to keep users coming back, and this should be basic. The reason I choose other services is because their user experience is simply better, and it helps for example, going through relevant results and information, even searching.

Refine and define services. There isn’t a race to expand your portfolio, so don’t try to acquire and cover other services without refining what is already on the catalog. Yahoo has been very eager in trying not to be left out to what others are offering, but it does so briskly and impetuously. There is never a very well refined service offered by Yahoo, and while this is hard to realize, at least respond to user feedback and implement occasional upgrades. Yahoo Mail has remained the same ever since it was refreshed two years ago, and not to make it worse, but the classic interface is still an option. Third-party content is all over Yahoo, and while this keeps advertising revenue in-check, it’s not good for users. Content becomes diverse and dissipated, not to mention undesirable and in-your-face; it is like having the contents of an entire newspaper summarized on one page, and this brings us to consistency.

Lack of consistency. The inconsistency across its service is immensely apparent, and it makes recognition and navigation considerably difficult. Yahoo has never focused on this issue, and as a user I have never efficiently jumped from one service to another, so then I just wouldn’t bother. This issue is across local pages too, services or even simply the style offered in United States are different than those in Canada, Hong Kong or Japan, and it certainly makes me wonder about the cost savings if a generic standard or guideline is common across the company.

It is interesting to bring social networking into discussion, not only because is it a prevalent internet service, but it illustrates the very problem that plagues Yahoo. The company launched the 360° service as a communication portal, incorporating social networking, blogging and photo sharing a couple years ago; it never caught on. It should not be novel for Yahoo, a part of GeoCities offered blogging-like services even before social networking was prevalent, though it was a separate service in itself, they had the foresight and resources to do so, and they have, in selected countries. China, Japan, Vietnam, Korea and Hong Kong each offer their own blogging service. Talk about consistency.

Yahoo has a 1.5 billion annual user base across the globe, second by Alexa to Google. One is trading in the hundreds and the other is around the 10 dollar mark. It’s hard to offer judgments for services that are susceptible to such a large user base, but it’s also hard to neglect the sub-par quality and features being offered to these dedicated users. Yahoo does not innovate, and that has to change. I am however pleased to praise Yahoo for some of its services, Yahoo Answers, Yahoo Mail, and of course, Flickr. I love Flickr. I just hope that whatever does happens to Yahoo, please leave Flickr be.

The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author.

1. Why Yahoo! doesn’t matter, 24/7 Wall Street.
2. Yahoo! Operations Center, cdye1, Flickr.