I Love the Wii.

More women are playing games, and the Wii has grabbed a good portion of attention from them, especially with titles such as Wii Fit.

While some say this is due to Nintendo's marketing strategy, in my opinion, I think it is because Nintendo developed a system that is non-geek and family-friendly. When I first heard of the Wii, they were in short supply. I spent quite a bit of time stalking out the local GameStop stores to buy one. I wasn't the only female doing the same thing.

Think about it. The Wii was introduced just at the time when prices of large flat-panel TVs were coming down, making them more affordable to families. Although Dad might have hankered for a large-screen TV to watch sports, any Mom in her right mind would want to multi-purpose such an expense. If you have to have a huge TV messing up your family room decor, it makes sense to use it for multiple purposes, like playing the Wii.

Not long after the Wii made it home, it eventually sprouted legs and was adopted by my young adult daughters.  Now the only way I get to play the Wii is if I make the trip uptown, a 30 minute drive. And if everyone is playing Rock Band, I have to wait my turn to play the drums.

I need to buy another Wii!  I think it will carry me through old age:






It will help me keep my girlish figure (this is NOT a picture of me, by the way)






Seriously, the Wii is turning out to be handy for folks, young and old,  with health problems:

Pulse Sensing:  Wii Vitality Sensor


Here is a video showing how the Wii is used at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital's brain injury program:


Since more therapists and nurses are female, it stands to reason that a game console such as the Wii, which is very user-friendly, would be top on the list for use in health and rehabilitation settings.

The Wii is the focus of research with the elderly:
An exploratory study on senior citizen's perceptions of the Nintendo Wii: the case of Singapore International Convention on Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology, 2009

Here is a video of what seems to be an HCI student testing out the Wii with her grandparents:





Nintendo might have some competition once Microsoft's Project Natal comes to market. Natal doesn't require any sort of device to interact with the games. For more information about the latest in games for health and "exergames",  take a look at the following blogs:

• Exergame Lab
• Befitt
• Exergame Fitness
• Exergaming Australia
• Exergaming Evangelist
• FootGaming
• Gamercize
• GamerSize
• Health Gamers
• TEN = ExerGame Network
• Humana's Games for Health Website
  Conference:  Games for Health 2010
  

RELATED

Nintendo Boasts 9 Million Player Advantage Among Female Console Gamers
Video Games in Play
 "And despite the stereotypes about teenage males, gamers are not monolithic. In fact, 45% of active gamers are female and women account for half (49%) of all Wii owners and 52% of Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) owners."
Seniors Bowled Over by Wii
Wii-habilitation could prevent elderly from falls
(Thanks to Josh B. for pointing out the how the stats could be a problem. I still can't find the original research!"

From a post-WIMP Perspective: What Happens When Post-Mass Market Goes to Market? Bob Garfield's insightful video, and more.(link)..

From a post-WIMP Perspective: What Happens When Post-Mass Market Goes to Market? Bob Garfield's insightful video, and more...

(No time to cross-post)

IDEO's Human Centered Design Toolkit - A MUST READ and a great resource!

Update 12/3/12:  The IDEO HCD Toolkit is available for download, but you will need to sign up in order to download the free 105-page copy on the IDEO  HCD Connect website.


The 105-page document is a great resource from IDEO, a global design consultancy.  It is clearly written and contains a variety of pictures, charts, and diagrams that facilitate the understanding of concepts.  A 61-page field guide is also available for download, and provides support for facilitators of design projects to lead group meetings and individual interviews. It includes exercises that teams should complete before going out into the field.


"Why Human-Centered Design?"
"Because it can help your organization connect better with the people you serve.  It can transform data into actionable ideas.  It can help you to see new opportunities.  It can help to increase the speed and effectiveness of creating new solutions." -IDEO


The HCD Toolkit, 2nd Edition, was prepared for use by organizations that work with communities of need, primarily in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, which is important for high school students to know about, particularly those who are pretty sure about pursuing further education in a technology-related field.  


I also think that exposure to concepts related to human-centered design focused on work in developing countries would be helpful to encourage more female students to enroll in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) courses.  (This still is a significant problem. Both of the high schools I work at have very few girls in the computer programming classes, even though both schools have at least one female who teaches programming!)


At any rate, I think this toolkit should be a MUST READ for anyone interested in emerging technologies and human-centered design, anywhere on the planet. It transcends the concept of "design as a job that must be done" to something that can facilitate broader innovation across organizations, our communities, and the world.


The toolkit is full of tidbits of wisdom:


"Tip 1" (addresses the measurement of outcomes, akin to the "miracle question" used in solution-focused therapy/counseling/consulting.)
"Ask yourself what you would expect to see happening if the solutions were improving the lives of people. For example, if your goal was to increase household income, would women starting more businesses be an early indicator? If your goal was to increase childhood vaccinations, would the number of casual conversations about vaccines be a possible indicator?" -page 99
"Tip 2"
"It is critical to track the effects of solutions on men and women, young and old, empowered and disempowered – even if your ideas are focused on other groups. Often the group that is not the intended audience for the solutions is a key player in the implementation and use of solutions." -page 99


The toolkit also provides useful cautions:
"Watch Out"
"Often teams look for only the positive and intended consequences. To get a full view of impact, it is critical to challenge yourself to look for the negative and unintended
consequences of solutions." -page 99


The toolkit provides specific strategies, including helpful worksheets and forms, and good advice about story sharing, prototyping, identification of patterns, and so forth. Below is an example:





-IDEO



-IDEO, via Fast Company
Note:  The Human-Centered Design Toolkit was developed with the International Development Enterprises (IDE), Heifer International, ICRW, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

RELATED (and somewhat related)
Design Thinking for Social Innovation (Stanford Social Innovation Review,Tim Brown & Jocelyn Wyatt, Winter 2010)
IDEO's Guide to Designing for Social Impact
About IDEO:
Founded in 1991, IDEO is a global innovation and design firm that uses a human-centered, design-based approach to help organizations in the business, governments, education, healthcare, and social sectors grow and innovate.
Open-Source Innovation:  IDEO's Human-Centered Design Toolkit (Fast Company, Allisa Walker, 7/7/09)
Video: CEO of IDEO, Tim Brown, on Creativity, Play, and Innovation
(Touches on how our schools and work environments can and do suck out our playfulness and creativity, and provides interesting, simple suggestions.)

Update! The Post-WIMP Conversation: Some Thoughts About Conceptualizing NUI, Part I

The content of this post has been moved. For the most recent update of this post, please see:


The Post-WIMP Explorers Club:  Update of the Updates, Morning of 12/31/09

"The Known Universe Scientifically Rendered for All to See" (Americal Museum of Natural History via O'Reilly Radar)

-Astronomy Picture of the Day 


THIS IS BEAUTIFUL:


The Known Universe Scientifically Rendered for All to See
This six and 1/2 minute trailer is from a 60 minute experience, "The Known Universe: A Grand Tour with Brian Abbott", based on information from the Digital Universe Atlas, a four-dimensional map of the universe  maintained by the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. (The video was uploaded to YouTube on December 15th,2009 and has had 1,473,213 views in less than two weeks.)

"The Known Universe takes viewers from the Himalayas through our atmosphere and the inky black of space to the afterglow of the Big Bang. Every star, planet, and quasar seen in the film is possible because of the world's most complete four-dimensional map of the universe, the Digital Universe Atlas that is maintained and updated by astrophysicists at the American Museum of Natural History. The new film, created by the Museum, is part of an exhibition, Visions of the Cosmos: From the Milky Ocean to an Evolving Universe, at the Rubin Museum of Art in Manhattan through May 2010. "


RELATED
Digital Universe Atlas 
You can download the Digital Universe Atlas, from the American Museum of Natural History website.  It will run on Windows, Mac, Linux, and IREX.  I'd recommend downloading the "Digital Universe Uncut" if you are a parent, teacher, or student.


Astrophyics Visualization Archive
"Explore astrophysics through scientific visualization and animation."


American Museum of Natural History (AMNH)
AMNH's Space Show:  Journey to the Stars
"Journey to the Stars is an engrossing, immersive theater experience created by the Museum's astrophysicists, scientific visualization, and media production experts with the cooperation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and more than 40 leading scientists from the United States and abroad."


The Science of "Journey to the Stars"


Directing Journey to the Stars (Includes an interview of Carter Emmart, Director of Astrovisualization at the American Museum of Natural History)

HDMI Version 1.4, 3D HDTV, and Wireless HD

My husband surprised me with a new HD TV to replace the old non-HD "clunker" that was taking up space in an armoire in our bedroom.  I went to attach my HD video camera to the new TV, and realized that three-foot HDMI cable was much too small.   Knowing how fast everything changes with technology, I decided I should research HDMI before setting out to purchase a longer cable.  

There is more to know about HDMI than I thought!   Here's what I found so far:

There is an organization dedicated to HDMI standards, HDMI Licensing, LLC that provides a wealth of information about HDMI.  It's worth taking the time to review the information contained on HDMI website, specifically, the following two links:

• FAQ for HDMI 1.4

• HDMI 1.4 Specification Features (pdf)   (Steve Venuti, HDMI LLC 2009)

Key points about HDMI 1.4 from the HDMI website and the Specification Features overview:

• Consolidation of HD Video, audio, and data in a single cable.
• Enables high-speed bidirectional communication.
• Enables IP-based applications over HDMI. (Ethernet)
• Transfer speeds up to 100Mbps.
• Supports audio return channel.
• Can support up to 10.2 gigabits per second of bandwidth transmission
• HDMI 1.4 is the latest standard. It includes definitions for common 3D formats and resolutions, up to 1080p.
• HDMI 1.4 supports 4K x 2K resolution, which is the resolution of state-of-the art digital theaters and up to 4 times the resolution of 1080p.
• Allows for the optimization of picture settings based on type of content.
• Supports digital still camera-specific colors.
• Allows for smaller HDMI connectors, ideal for portable devices.
• Provides "High Definition Everywhere" support, with an automotive connection system designed to work effectively in vehicles.

About HDMI Version Numbers (from the HDMI website)

"HDMI version numbers are used by manufacturers to identify a set of features. To help you shop for the features you want in a cable, the HDMI licensing authority has created standardized names for certain key features. Here are a few:

• Deep Color refers to monitors that can display a greater number of colors than traditional TVs, billions or trillions of colors rather than millions.
• x.v.Color refers to an expanded, "wider" color gamut that includes colors not traditionally available in TVs. The x.v.Color space incorporates a much larger portion of the visible color spectrum than the older RGB color model.
• Standard and High Speed refer to two grades of HDMI cable, tested to different performance metrics. A Standard cable can transmit a 1080i signal for 15 meters (49 feet) or more, while a High Speed HDMI cable can transmit a 1080p signal for at least 7.5 meters (25 feet)."

Podcasts about HDMI

The podcasts focus on HDMI 1.3, but also provides information about HDMI for the future

• An Insider's Guide to HDMI, Part 1
• An Insider's Guide to HDMI, Part 2

The podcasts feature interviews with Jeff Park and Steve Venuti from HDMI Licensing, via  Dolby Labs "Dolby cast".  Topics covered include HD devices, HDMI feature sets, capabilities, and HDMI versions.  The podcast also touches upon previous problems with firmware deployment, as well as wireless HD, which is not part of the HDMI specifications.

ENGADGET

HDMI 1.4 spec getting freshened up in preparation for broadcast 3D

Richard Lawler, 12/23/09

According to Lawler,  the various companies are working towards standards, but we're not there yet. More information about HDMI 1.4 will be available at 2010 CES, held January 7-10 in Las Vegas.

-Photo of 3D video camera courtesy of Engadget.

SOMEWHAT RELATED

Wireless HD

The following is a direct quote from the Wireless HD website:

"Broadcom Corporation, Intel Corporation, LG Electronics Inc., NEC Corporation,Panasonic Corporation, Philips Electronics, SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD, SiBEAM, Inc., Sony Corporation and Toshiba Corporation, have joined together to form the WirelessHD Consortium, an industry-led effort to define a worldwide standard specification for the next generation wireless digital network interface specification for consumer electronics and personal computing products. The WirelessHD specification has been available since January 2008 and includes the following attributes:

• High interoperability supported by major CE device and technology manufacturers
• Highest quality HD video, audio and data transmission, scalable to future high-definition A/V formats
• High-speed wireless, multi-gigabit technology in the unlicensed 60 GHz band
• Smart antenna technology for reliable non-line-of-sight operation
• Secure communications with DTCP and HDCP over WirelessHD technology
• Device control for simple operation of consumer electronics products using the basic remote control that ships with the TV
• Error protection, framing and timing control techniques for a quality consumer experience
• Low power options for mobile devices"

Dolby Labs Podcasts

Dolby 3D

Cross-posted on The World Is My Interface blog.