MS Courier - not the font, just an overlooked not-quite tablet.

In all the hype that built up over the impending announcement of (in my opinion) the next to useless (for me anyway) iPad (I'll talk about that some other time...), somehow I missed this little gem that's been bubbling away in Microsoft's hush-hush research labs. I don't know how I missed it, there's bits of info. all over the place, and MS was even hyped to unveil it at the 2010 CES... but they didn't.

Anyway - I'm actually quite excited about the Courier Project and its implications... if it ever happens.

Here's a video of one of the ways it could work:



So, pretty nifty yeah?

If it actually ends up coming out, it will probably do more for education (at least) than Apple's iPad.

As can be seen, one of its main features is that it is hinged... that's right - it's got a great, big (well not that big actually) hinge right in the middle. For those of use who use books etc, this is great. It also appears to do something that the iPad does not - multitasking. For the end user, this is BIG news. Whereas on the iPad you can only really do one thing at a time, the dual screen layout means that on one page, I can have my favourite tech blog (yay for Gizmodo today) open on one side and do up my notes on the other! I can drag and drop my cut text from the left and put in my journal on the right. And I can still watch my movies if I want... just like the iPad. So, the iPad is built on a mobile phone OS (yep-  it's the same as the iPhone and iPod Touch, just bigger) and the Courier, being built by MS, will probably run on some version of Windows.
Why is this important? Because, now I can run what I want (ie. the same office applications that I have at work) on my tablet and I'll probably even be able to watch movies at Hulu or Vimeo, because Microsoft don't discriminate against Adobe and they need Flash, which the iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch doesn't and will never support. (one caveat: I can't actually watch at Hulu.com as it's only available to people in the US and Canada, and definitely not in Australia).

Unfortunately, Microsoft didn't take the time to unveil it at CES 2010 - instead they introduced a 'nameless' HP tablet. .  >8-(

Anyway, here's hoping that it arrives sometime soon. Unlike the iPad - if this one is compatible with my Windows boxes at school, I'll buy one!

Google Wave - A new (and better) form of communication

I thought I'd break my hiatus from blogging to bring this to you all. Firstly, because I'm really excited, and secondly because I'm really really excited.

Lars and Jens Rasmussen (the guys who basically created uber cool google maps) have gotten together, with a few other aussies in Sydney (yay!!!) and have come up with Google Wave.

"Uh huh?!" I hear you mutter at your screen(s). Well it is a really cool new communication form that kind-of melds email, IM, blogging, facebooking (or Orkuting for all you google freaks out there) and all those other types of messaging together.

Look, I really can't explain it enough, except to make one of my fatefull pronouncements (like the one I made back when google was next to unknown) and state simply - this will redefine the way you communicate online, and it will be the next big thing. Oops. That's done it.

No seriously, this isn't like "this is the year of Linux", or like "Duke Nukem Forever will come out, sometime"... this is for real. Even if no-one else reading this ever takes it up (silly people) I will.

Find out why by going to the google wave page (http://wave.google.com/) and watch the video and read all about it. Really - it's 1 hour 20 minutes in length, but if you're anything like me, you'll be sold after the first 10. And it actually makes sense.

BTW: this is the same video below.

More User Interface Issues... when affordance goes wrong...

One of my fellow teachers reminded me of this pearler of a video... tracked it down on youtube...

Interesting take on help desk support and affordance. Sometimes, while your user isn't you, they're just plain stupid.

Medieval Help Desk:

GodTube is dead: Long live Tangle!!!

You may have noticed recently (particularly if you're a subscriber) that the Christian Video streaming place GodTube (http://www.godtube.com) is gone. Like the mythical phoenix, it has been reborn (perhaps I should use a more christian analogy along the lines of 'like Lazarus from the dead', but it's not quite the same image, really) and recast as Tangle (www.tangle.com).

Underneath all the new jazz, it is still essentially the same video sharing site (like youTube - www.youtube.com) as it was, with the same underlying technologies (as far as I can tell). It has simply been rebadged and a new domain was registered.

What does this mean to all of us? Well, the word of tangle:

Our goal is to touch more people than ever, to provide them with not just the place but also the means to connect with others online, to share their faith and lives, and to ultimately portray a Christian angle in everything they do.

(http://www.tangle.com/promo/godtubeisnowtangle)

If you haven't checked it out yet, you will want to. There's a fantastic plethora of Christian goodies, and the first email themed message I've got is all about valentines:

http://info.tangle.com/loveandsex

My Jesus - Todd Agnew

Hey all - On Sunday I had the pleasure of listening to Peter Sondergeld deliver the message at ChristLife - West Toowoomba Presbyterian Church. At the end of the message, he played the video below. It made me want to post the blog I've been thinking about (read: still has a lot of work to do) regarding our perceptions of Jesus. For a while I've struggled with the view of Jesus that contemporary church puts forward. It seems to clash with what I see as the Biblical perspective. Hmmm. I will need to put that up at some time.

Watch the video below. It will change your perception of WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) at the very least... maybe even some personal change.