Update on Josh Blake, newly designated Microsoft Surface MVP

Josh Blake is the Tech Lead of the InfoStrat Advance Technology Group in DC.  He has been creating multi-touch applications Microsoft's Surface multi-user table-tops for a while. Recently, his team built a suite of applications designed for use by young children at a museum.  Below is a video demonstration of some of this work. It really looks exciting!


Microsoft Surface and Magical Object Interaction

Josh Blake's blog is called Deconstructing the NUI- for those of you new to this blog, NUI stands for Natural User Interface (also known as Natural User Interaction).  See his post, Microsoft Surface and Magical Object Interaction, for more information!

RELATED
Here is a plug for Josh Blake's book, "Multitouch on Windows"

Book Ordering Information

FYI:  InfoStrat  is hiring  WPF experts as well as Microsoft CRM and Microsoft SharePoint experts.


Microsoft Surface MVPs
Dr. Neil Roodyn
Dennis Vroegop
Rick Barraza
Joshua Blake

Designing for Multitouch Tables and Surfaces, by Erin Rose, Open Exhibits Blog

If you are interested in exploring collaborative tabletop applications, take a look at the Open Exhibits blog. Erin Rose's recent post, "Designing for Multi-touch Tables and Surfaces", is a good overview of lessons learned over the past couple of years in design, development, and implementation of multi-user interactive tabletop applications.

Although the focus of Open Exhibits is on applications and systems designed for museum exhibits, many of the design challenges hold true for similar applications in other settings, such as classrooms, libraries, and other public spaces.

Erin's post explores each of the following topics in more detail:

• Don't forget that the table is omni-directional.
• Individual control of objects encourages multi-user interaction.
• Promote collaboration, founded in healthy competition.

(Erin Rose is a developer and community liaison for Open Exhibits.)

RELATED
Exhibit Files
Jim Spadaccini
Visitors Explore L.A. in Google Maps and Flickr Mashup.

For Techies and the Tech Curious: A Few Links - IEEE Multimedia Innovations, Surface Computing, Usability, and Computer Education Research

IEEE Multimedia magazine online  
July-September 2010 Issue:  Multimedia Innovations
"This special issue addresses the notion that multimedia is a compelling field that provides a driving force behind most of today's technology innovations."
Games Only Scratch the Surface:  A Challenge for Developers Lou Silverstein, Identity Mine
In this article, Lou Silverstein discusses the latest news about Microsoft Surface and encourages developers to think about joining a dialogue on this topic.

10 things non-technical users don't understand about your software Andy Bryce, Successful Software

This article is a gentle reminder, written for developers of traditional productivity software,  about the importance of usability and understanding non-technical users.

Why does the UK and Sweden take Computing Education Research more seriously than US? Mark Guzdial, Blog@cacm (Communications of the ACM)
In this article, Mark Guzdial discusses some of the trends in computer education research outside of the US and shares his discovery of the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in Computer Science


Thanks to Nat Torkington, of O'Reilly Radar,  for some of the links!


SOMEWHAT RELATED
Two years ago I wrote a post about touch-screen & surface computing - were still not there yet, although interactive tables are showing up in more places:
Interactive Touch-Screen Technology, Participatory Design, and "Getting It"

Wendy Keay-Bright's ReacTickles revised for use on the multi-touch SMARTTable!

Wendy Keay-Bright works at the Cardiff School of Art and Design in the UK, and is part of the Sensory Design Research Group.   She has focused much of her research on interactive technologies and participatory design, working children with autism, educators, and others to create applications such as ReacTickles and ReactColors, originally designed for use on interactive whiteboards.  These applications have been found to be especially effective with young people who have autism spectrum disorders. ReacTickles has been updated for use on the SMARTTable, a multi-touch, multi-user interactive table that supports collaboration, depicted in the video clips below:




(Posted on agent4changenet's YouTube channel.)

RELATED
Tabletop ReacTickles looks like a SMART move
MerlinJohnOnline 4/25/10


Note: Wendy Keay-Bright is involved with the ESRC Technology Enhanced Learning ECHOES project, which stands for "Improving Children's Social Interaction through Exploratory Learning in a Multimodal Environment."

Quick links to videos of new SMARTTable activities

Here are some links to videos of new SMARTTable activities:

• SMART Table Activity -- Types of Sentences
• SMART Table Activity -- Three forms solid, liquid, and gas
• SMART Table Activity -- Putting things in Order
• SMART Table Activity -- Piles of Polygons
• SMART Table Activity -- Hot or Cold
• SMART Table Activity -- Division
• SMART Table Activity -- Contractions
• SMART Table Activity -- A Little more
• SMART Table Application -- Fächerübergreifend

I'll post more about these later.  We have a SMARTTable at my main school, so I'm curious to see how these work out.  If you are working with interactive tabletop applications for students, especially those with disabilities such as autism, please let me know!

Settlers of Catan Game by Vectorform Game Studio, on a Microsoft Surface

Vectorform worked with Catan to develop the digital version of the Settlers of Catan for Microsoft's Surface:

The game supports a range of gestures and interactions that are similar to the real game, but without the need to keep up with all of the parts and pieces!



RELATED
A New Frontier for the Settlers of Catan
Vectorform to Launch "The Settlers of Catan" for Microsoft Surface"
Lindsay Ruthven, Vectorform Blog 8/2/10
"Features:
• Full multi-touch from the Microsoft Surface allows all players to interact with their elements of the board at once.
• A digital playing surface breathes new life into the Catan experience through graphics and animations.
• “State-free-trade” allow players to swap cards without entering modes or pressing buttons, keeping the experience as pure as possible.
• Customized art unifies the multi-touch interface with Mayfair’s 4th Edition release of The Settlers of Catan to create a seamless play experience.
• Integration with real-world objects to maintain the original Catan board game feel."

Settlers of Catan

New Hollywood Hard Rock Cafe Sparkles with Interactive Multi-touch Wall and Microsoft Surface Booths!

I came across a blogpost entitled "Tourist in my own town". In this post, the author shares is positive experience of his visit to the new Hard Rock Cafe, located on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  I loved his comment:  "A whole wall of Microsoft software running and not a single BSOD!"  In addition to the interactive wall, visitors have the chance to play with the content on Microsoft's interactive Surface tables. Below is a picture from the post from the Sure Beats Work blog:



-Sure Beats Work


A recent post on the Hard Rock Cafe blog provides more information about the interactive technologies at the Hollywood site: "Hard Rock International Rocks Its Way to Hollywood Boulevard":


New Look ~ New Vibe ~ New Memorabilia Technology
"In the latest example of Hard Rock’s concept-driven design evolution, the Hollywood Boulevard cafe was developed to integrate technology, creating a new look and vibe that will rock Hollywood. Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood on Hollywood Boulevard showcases new and unique interactive experiences for guests – from an 18’ x 4’ Rock Wall™ to touch screens in booths throughout the cafe to Microsoft Surface™, each featuring innovative multi-touch technology that enables fans to explore the world’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia collection and virtually tour all of Hard Rock’s venues worldwide."

"In addition to the cutting-edge multimedia memorabilia experience, hundreds of items from Hard Rock’s iconic collection adorn the walls of Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood on Hollywood Boulevard, including items from many of the world’s most beloved and recognizable musicians, as well as contemporary artists with local ties. Key memorabilia items are now on display, from Jimi Hendrix’s purple crushed velvet hat; to Janis Joplin’s love letter to then boyfriend Peter LeBlanc; Jim Morrison’s leather pants and handwritten lyrics to “L.A. Woman”; to Katy Perry’s sparkly dress and Fergie’s tour outfit worn while on tour with the Black Eyed Peas."

The memorabilia wall was created for the Hard Rock Cafe by Obscura Digital, a company that is involved in off-the-desktop ubiquitous computing, including ambient technologies that include natural-user interfaces and interaction. Obscura Digital aims to "make data pervasive and accessible in almost any situation, allowing virtually any surface to be turned into a portal to the Internet".  


The Memorabilia Wall has been installed in several Hard Rock Cafes around the world- additional pictures can be found on the Obscura Digital website.The first installation of the wall was at the Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas in 2009. - Below is the interaction of the wall at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Cafe:

-Obscura Digital

The following video, set to Beck's "Elevator Music", provides a great demonstration of the Hard Rock Cafe Memorabilia application as experienced on the Surface:

Hard Rock memorabilia app for Microsoft Surface (extended) from Duncan/Channon on Vimeo.
(The music in the video "Elevator Music, by Beck.)


RELATED
My megapost about the Hard Rock Cafe interactive wall and website:

Interactive Memorabilia at the Hard Rock Cafe: 
Microsoft's Multi-touch Rock Wall, Companion Surface Installations, and Awesome Touch-Responsive Interactive Memorabilia Website

Below is a screenshot of the main portal of the Hard Rock Cafe interactive memorabilia website, which compliments the "real" wall. You can interact with all 1532 items and learn more about the history behind the various artists.  It is fun to play with on a touch-screen display!


Duncan Channon: Sin City Memorabilia Interfaces


SOMEWHAT RELATED
Obscura Digital
Obscura Digital's Cuelight, and interactive pool table at the SOHO Esquire House:

Cuelight from Obscura Digital on Vimeo.
"Featured at the Esquire House's "Ultimate Bachelor Pad" in NYC, the one-of-a kind Obscura CueLight projection system turns a game of pool into an amazing interactive art display"

The Weather Channel on Microsoft Surface at WPC 2010

Below is a video of a demonstration of the Weather Channel application for Microsoft Surface:


The Weather Channel on Microsoft Surface
Eric Havir, MSDN Blog, 7/19/2010

The Weather Channel

What is new at SMART Technologies? 3D-Ready SMART Board 600i, Mixed Reality Document Camera, Scholastic's Story Stage App for the SMARTTable, an IPO, and more!

A lot is happening at one SMART Technologies, one of my favorite "interactive" companies.  Not long ago, SMART Technologies, a company most known for interactive whiteboards found in classrooms and businesses, acquired one of my favorite interactive touch-screen display companies, NextWindow. (SMART Technologies' acquisition of NextWindow: A "smart window" to the world)

SMART Technologies is moving ahead into the world of augmented reality (AR) with a new document camera.  The company's latest interactive whiteboard, the fourth generation 600i,  is ready for stereoscopic 3D content, which is on the way via the Discovery Channel and other media companies.  The SMARTTable looks like it will be provided with more content, at least in the UK, where Scholastic has partnered with SMART Technologies to provide multi-touch and multi-student interaction via the collaborative Story Stage application.

For those with money to invest, SMART Technologies has filed for a proposed initial IPO (Initial Public Offering).


-The SMART Table at Wolfe School 

New SMART Document Camera 330 is mixed reality ready:  Document camera enables exploration of 2D, 3D, animated and audio-enriched content
"Mixed Reality Technology -Manipulate and explore 2D, 3D, text, animation and audio-enriched content on the SMART Board interactive whiteboard by placing a physical object bearing a digital marker under the SMART Document Camera lens"


SMART introduces next-generation SMART Board™ 600i: New projector lowers total cost of ownership and is 3D-ready
"Available in both standard and widescreen formats, the latest generation of the 600i system features an improved and easy-to-use extended control panel (ECP) and a fully integrated short-throw projector that is 3D-ready and has a longer lamp life. The newly designed ECP is mounted to the interactive whiteboard bezel, not to the wall, making it aesthetically pleasing and easier to install."


SMART and Scholastic to develop multi-touch educational content:  Story Stage application for SMART Table to encourage student creativity and collaboration
"Story Stage is an easy-to-use resource designed to facilitate collaborative literacy work. The interactive activities use digital puppets to encourage pairs or groups of children to work together to create their own imaginative retellings of familiar stories."


SMART Classroom Suite 2010 enhances interactive learning: New version offers improved wireless performance and greater support for formative assessment
"The software combines classroom management, assessment, lesson creation and assignment management tools in one offering."


RELATED
SMART Technologies Files for Proposed Initial Public Offering: Stock to be listed on NASDAQ and TSX
Scholastic Story Stage
SOMEWHAT RELATED
Updates: Cognitive "bursts", technology-supported interactive whiteboards, digital storytelling, social skills, and reflections about a new SMARTtable. (long post)
SMART Technologies' acquisition of NextWindow: A "smart window" to the world
InfoComm AV Whitepaper:
Reaching Learners: Immersive Education through Interactive Multimedia (pdf)
By Lynn V. Marentette, Sp.A., NCSP and Anthony Uhrick, VP Sales & Marketing, NextWindow "The value of an immersive approach to education, using multimedia technologies, over traditional classroom environments."

Also posted on the TechPsych blog.