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re:publica ’12 between surveillance and copyright
7. May 2012
For Berlin, the blogger and social media conference re:publica is a stroke of luck. Firstly, yearly hoards of bloggers and tweeters pour in from all German-speaking corners of the world, filling hotel rooms and ensuring good publicity. Secondly, a lively start-up scene has been established in the shadow of the tech-savvy public which is said to be able to hold its own with the legendary London Community.
From May 2-4, the re:publica 2012 had a new home: the “Station” at the Gleisdreieck area. The grounds of the former postal goods station proved to be suitable for the festival-natured event with 4000 visitors and 270 speakers from more than 30 countries. It offered enough space for 8 presentation halls and a wide, covered “re:publica square” with diverse service stands, areas to sit, power supply and a re:publica “re:staurant”.
The only problem was the weak Internet connection that crashed within the first hour. The classic telephone connection also struggled even though two carriers had set up additional towers. The few plugs for LAN cables were correspondingly in demand, the lack of Internet availability remained a topic during the event.
Surveillance
The re:publica 2012 focused on freedom and censorship, anonymity and public access, identity and surveillance, copyright and user rights, data journalism, open learning and much more.
In his introduction, Professor Eben Moglen from Columbia University warned against the threats to the free Internet, and therefore to free society, from national and private surveillance.
Facebook and Google are storing gigantic quantities of data about us. The ‘Like’ button on a website registers when we visit the site, when we recommend it to our online friends – and when we don’t. Amazon’s Kindle always knows what we are reading, when and how quickly. Every move is documented, each book is merely borrowed and can be taken away at any time – there are many examples of this.
The next step would be to criminalize reading. In France, the outgoing president Sarkozy demanded that repeated visits to jihad-oriented websites should be criminalized. Apple has held talks with publishers to launch separate Apple books, including guidelines concerning content. Such as requiring that the published works do not contain any offensive words.
Our lives are about to undergo fundamental changes, said Eben Moglen. In two generations people will grow and think differently – they will be networked. The lives of our descendants are being decided now. We have the responsibility of setting the right directions.
Moglen is a proponent of building decentralized networks that are not subject to control from above.
Copyright
The question of copyrights was repeated throughout the entire programs of the re:publica 2012.
Co-founder of re:publica, Markus Beckedahl, and the Greens representative in the European parliament, Jan Philipp Albrecht, brought the public up to date in an open conversation about the current Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, ACTA. After massive protests against the encroachments into the democratic fundamental rights, the movement of the content industry is considered to be basically halted.
The Vice-Presidents of the European Commission, Neelie Kroes, also provided reassurance that ACTA is dead. The Internet community and their protests were a considerable factor in this. She thanked the audience for this and promised to work for a free Internet, even if it would cost an additional term of office.
However, in spite of this: it won’t work without (modernized) copyright laws. Copyright laws were made for reasons that are still valid. Artists, authors and musicians must be able to profit from their work. On the path to a solution, Kroes hopes for the ideas and active participation and even public protests of the Internet community.
GEMA – German society for musical performing and mechanical reproduction rights
In interviews with the musician and spreeblick blogger Johnny Häusler, musicians such as Roxanne de Bastion, Ministry of Sound Germany founder Konrad von Löhneysen and tape.tv founder Conrad Fritzsch discussed the current situation and ways out of the confrontational situation between the GEMA and listeners.
It was very interesting to see the differentiated access to the GEMA (and to the English pendant), which is generally only known to outsiders for “This video is not available in your country”. However, the GEMA is one of the collection societies with the lowest overhead for management and organisation. The majority of money collected actually goes to musicians and can often be half of their income.
Creative financing
One possible way to get money for creative services is crowd-funding. Art and culture can be financed in advance by a willing public.
However: Crowd-funding works best for stars. This is why Amanda Palmer can raise a lot of money within hours. A newcomer with no fan base needs organised support. Crowd-funding doesn’t always work, but then it sometimes works in areas that one would not connect it to. The book project “Hartz IV” furniture from Van Bo Le-Mentzel was over financed by 260% with crowd-funding.
“berlinfolgen” is a photo-video format that presents Berlin and it’s residents in detail and was successfully funded by crowd-funding.
Transmedia Storytelling
Whatever the type of formatting and the legal peripheral requirements that the future may bring – the Internet will remain a part of the media landscape.
“Transmedia Storytelling” is an approach that would like to use the entirety of this media landscape. Films, photos, billboards, displays, websites and even books all together tell a story. Transmedia storytelling overcomes the limits between the forms of transmission, the so-called media break, and uses the most appropriate media for all content. It is up to the public to observe, or to actively participate and to even change the action.
A “Transmedia Manifest” with 11 propositions was presented. Blurred borders between fiction and reality, starting points across the entire project, interactivity, transmediality, a universal history with a potential to continue forever and the free selection of the intensity of use define Transmedia Storytelling projects and their subset of alternative reality games.
Projects of this complexity cost time, expertise and money. This is why the presenters also thought of return on investment. Fee-based apps, premium content and even merchandising are possible – assuming the story is exciting.
The state of the Internet
The appearance of star blogger and SPON columnist Sascha Lobo was also exciting.
With the subject “The state of the Internet 2012”, the demi-pope of the German-speaking online community warned of placing one’s Internet life in the hands or large commercial suppliers. “Blog!” he called out. Blog on your own platforms. Let’s make 2012 the year of the personal blog! Because only that what is written in the personal blog really belongs to the blogger.
Then Sascha Lobo spoke of the importance of building a bridge between the online community and the offline community. The online community should not get the feeling that they are part of an elite group.
Alone 30 million people in Germany will never go into the Internet. That is a lot of people who, possibly due to uncertainty and on the basis of false information, make democratic decisions with serious consequences. The digital trenches in society, either across generations, lifestyles or platforms, must be bridged.
And the initiative for this must come from the online community.
The Panorama Viewer
19. April 2012
360 degree panoramic images create a very authentic impression of a particular scene in the form of a single photo. Although the technique was first applied as early as in the First World War, these extended all-round shots have the panorama programmes which come with numerous digital cameras to thank for their current widespread use. This feature combines slightly overlapping individual images to create a full picture using special software.
Two disadvantages: the upward and downward glance is missing. And when the image is rolled out flat, this causes distortion at the edges of the individual images.
An all-round view in three dimensions
The solution: a fisheye or super wide angle lens. Each line of vision is photographed once
using an attachment which can be pivoted in any direction using a special tripod. A 3D
engine then compiles the images in a spherical formation around the current site.
This kind of panoramic image is used in marketing and design or in art projects. The images
came to prominence through the Google Street View images and its competitor, Bing
Streetside View.
The creative minds at the Netural Lab have created possibilities for the practical use of this
technology.
Viewing not scrolling
Panoramic images are normally viewed through classic scrolling or, on iPads and other touch screens, using a swiping movement. Inspired by the idea of an augmented reality view of the current environment, the Netural Lab team has selected another option. The compass and gyroscopic angle identification system in the iPad are used for this special effect. The tablet ‘knows’ in which direction it is pointing. This offers insight into an alternative reality – a life-like view of the all-round image with no navigational elements. Observers simply move the screen in their hand and the displayed section of the image changes.
There are many ways of moving from one place or space to another. One version is the use of integrated arrows within the photographed environment which point to the next panoramic location. The second is a context menu where a one-touch selection from a list of available locations appears. Whether signposts, footprints, clickable doors or visually emphasised landscape features: there are many different ways to navigate the animated and interactive elements in a panoramic image.
Areas of application
What can this be used for? The Panorama Viewer is ideal for virtual tours of museums and buildings of interest to tourists as well as properties which are not accessible for whatever reason. But the biggest strength of the 360 degree view is that it can be used outdoors: the Panorama Viewer can be used to explore ski resorts, protected natural landscapes or areas which are difficult to access from the comfort of the screen.
Journey through time
Another highly interesting idea from the Netural lab: 360 degree photographs which reveal the current location at a different point in time. Before the construction of a building. At night. In summer and winter.
A glimpse of the future
The most exciting journeys through time are into the future. 3D views of planned buildings can also be incorporated into the Panorama Viewer. The result is a realistic portrayal of the completed project within the context of its future environment – from several angles or from inside.
“the next web” Salzburg: Knowledge shared is knowledge doubled
8. April 2012
Where there’s a Barcamp there are digital addicts. And when “the next web” is the subject, this naturally attracts Netural designers and developers in particular.
This was also true from March 23-25 when the department of multi-media technology at the University of Applied Sciences in Salzburg held an “unconference” in Puch Urstein. Presenters from Germany, Austria and Switzerland brought an international flair to visiting public, who were mainly students. Talks on the subjects of HTML5, Frontend Development, User Experience and Interaction Design found an interested audience.
The e-sport legend Volker Heinrigh, former program director for the German broadcaster GameTV, examined browser games from a historical as well as marketing perspective and provided insight into the complex web game landscape dominated by private television stations.
The simple title “User Experience – 12 Tips” was for Daniel Höller’s fresh and captivating presentation about the simple ground rules that every designer and developer should follow without delay. Captivating (and entertaining) was also the live usability test by the teams from Simplease – on a live subject, in other words: users and potential customers. The subject: an old-fashioned car-sharing website. The public was involved in the evaluation of the suggestions for improvement.
The 6 minute quick “lightning talks” invited participants to express matters close to their heart in the time given. The public learned – very compactly – about the “goal buddy” principle or how NGOs such as Greenpeace network and use mobile devices for fundraising.
Highly representative and communicative were the front-end programmers who provided input on WebGL ( = Flash-free 3D that runs in the browswer), CSS3 and SASS. The Netural developers Roswitha Wallner and Stefan Baumgartner scored points with numerous interested parties with “Bitte warten – Performance-Optimierung von WebSites und Web-Apps” (on optimizing the performance of websites and apps) and “HTML5 + Mobile”.
And as with every barcamp, the most important thing in Salzburg was making personal contacts. For students, this was the possibility of meeting professionals – and vice versa. To discuss topics apart from “daily business” for which there would normally not be time. In this point everyone was in agreement: A weekend is nice, but not enough …
Netural researches. Old and young benefit
4. April 2012
Digital media connects generations. Netural uses the employee’s natural urge to research for a good purpose.
More correctly: good purposes! Two completely new research projects will provide people with direct benefits: One is the “Safe Move” app with which we want to provide older people who live alone with more self-reliance, a desire to go out and the courage to do so. The “Better World App” lets children actively and effectively participate in the future of the planet that they will one day inherit.
Safe Move
No one is too old for digital media. We have proven this as part of an international consortium with the European research project “Safe Move”. The project is specially designed for older users – for people who have difficulty moving safely in their close environment.
The reasons for these difficulties are multifaceted. Physical weakness, difficulties in orientation, safety concerns or growing doubt on their own skills since many things that used to be easy are no longer matter of course.
Safe Move starts from here and trains them to trust their own skills. At the same time the program offers help in difficult situations and orientation in the immediate vicinity.
For example: Agathe is 82 years old. She would like to visit an exhibition in a new community centre. Agathe does not know how to get there – and there are also the added factors of traffic and noise on the streets.
Safe Move shows Agathe the easiest and safest way to the event – on her television screen. She can explore crossings and pavements as well as alternative routes on the screen. Bus timetables and the routes are also shown by Safe Move.
An important inhibition threshold for excursions is the worry of not feeling completely comfortable alone. One solution offered is social integration for the program. Friends connected in Safe Move can work together online and help each other plan routes. They can arrange meeting points and be certain to find each other in the city with the help of the app.
The mobile application accompanies Agathe on her trip and warns her when the correct station is approaching or calls for assistance if Agathe cannot continue her journey without help.
Better World App
Too young for digital media? Hardly anyone is. This is obvious when you see how small children play with iPads and smart phones like experts. The “Better World” app provides children, youths and the young at heart from 8 to 99 with playful, relaxed access to technology to create a better world for everyone. The goal is to create a sustainable lifestyle for entire families and a planet that is worth handing down to the next generation.
To do this, the “Better World” app was developed together with the children’s university in Steyr and the Linz-based institute for qualitative analysis (LIquA) and is based on four pillars:
Awareness
First it raises awareness of their own behaviour in relation to natural resources and our environment. It calculates: You drove this far with the car. You have done this much laundry.
Alternatives
Then it shows the alternatives. With public transport it would have looked like this. The washing machine was only half full. This would have also been clean on a cold wash.
The big picture
The “Better World” app runs calculations. This shows that the behaviour of the individual is a building block for major developments. It also shows that every small thing help
One game – one win
Finally the “Better World” app playfully trains users to change their behaviour. If a user confirms the correct ecological activity for a task, points are awarded. The players and friends see the points in the app as well as on the social media profiles of the participants. Users who exhibit correct behaviour – and in doing so set an example for themselves and their environment – will pull ahead of the competition each week.
An advantage from which all players profit. Communication with online contacts helps the users continuously increase their own knowledge. Tips, suggestions and reports from kindred spirits support the individual’s personal growth and to do even better the next time.
Why this approach will work:
We all know the facts about how we should economize energy and resources.
But knowledge of facts alone does not mean a change in behaviour. Only the contextual knowledge, the understanding of which of our actions have which consequences, really motivates us to act. The last and most critical stage is practical and applicable knowledge. The change can only be implemented when we are clear about which actions are required in the situation. And the world will get better.
The Hidden U
Netural has experience in practical implementations for checking interesting scientific theories. In 2010 the project “The Hidden U” was started to create a hybrid from the Wolfram|Alpha line of thought and social networking. One question – one answer, generated from all the information freely available on the profiles of the social media contacts. This helps people deal with simple as well as complex problems. At the same time it supplies valuable information for the development of the future’s semantic network.
Internet with maximum screen diagonal
27. March 2012The public and the media alike carefully follow each new development on the market for smartphones and their associated apps. However, another sector for digital applications technology leads a more shadowy existence: the development of apps for television or ‘smart TV’ such as ‘Red Dot TV’ and ‘HbbTV’.
Hybrid TV
Smart TV or Hybrid TV is the name given to television sets which can access the internet. Like with teletext, the selected TV channel transmits a so-called AIT table with the signal. This is then read by the receiving device and contains defined URLs. If a TV channel offers additional information for a programme, a signal appears – a red dot. Viewers can then access additional content in text, image or video format at the touch of a button.
Apps on television
The growing market of TV apps from TV broadcasters, TV device manufacturers and software companies offering media libraries, interactive programme guides, weather services, games and on-demand video services can be accessed from your remote control using a specific labelled button (dependent on manufacturer).
HbbTV
‘Hybrid Broadcast Broadband Television’ or HbbTV is a recognised standard for hybrid TV in Europe. It has been registered with the European Institute for Telecommunications Standards ETSI since June 2010 in version 1.1.1 as ETSI TS 102 796. It is based on elements of predecessor standards and web technologies such as OIPF (Open IPTV Forum), CEA-2014 (CE-HTML), the guidelines of the www-Consortium and DVB broadcasting specifications (ETSI TS 102 809).
The consortium was originally a pan-European initiative between French and German-speaking broadcasting operators, satellite operator SES ASTRA and a few software companies and now includes a growing list of members from across the world.
“Since autumn 2011, virtually all of the big manufacturers have been offering HbbTV devices on the German market. These are available as both set-top boxes and IDTVs. The first manufacturers are also offering devices with integrated HbbTV,” explains Dr. Klaus Illgner-Fehns, Chairman of the HbbTV consortium.
No universal standard
HbbTV is not the same on every TV screen. Online video text and media libraries from RTL, for example, can only be viewed on HbbTV-enabled HDTV receivers produced by Humax and Videoweb. Competition from ProSieben and Sat1 is not present everywhere yet despite this, Philips and Technisat devices mostly focus on these offers. Online services by public law broadcasters can be viewed on all HbbTV TVs.
The different forms of support offered by the services are partly technical and partly political in origin. The copy protection of the Maxdome company does not form part of the HbbTV standard, says Philips Product Manager Volker Blume. Philips TVs do not recognise it and do not show these HbbTV offers from Pro7 and Sat1. In the case of RTL, it does not boil down to the device. The broadcaster only activates its offers for certain recipients.
The reason for this unclear situation is that “Private broadcasters are demanding things from us which manufacturers do not wish to deliver,” says Frank Eschholz of Toshiba. This includes private broadcasters rejecting insert signs on the screen and especially during advert breaks, which the broadcasters use to generate financing.
The long-term goal of HbbTV is to implement a global, open and business-neutral platform, despite these obstacles. It should ensure the seamless integration of broadband online services with classic television programmes across the world.
Connected TV in the USA
In the USA, Google TV, Apple TV and Yahoo Connected TV are all adopting different approaches.
- Google TV is striving to achieve a browser-based unrestricted access to websites from a television set by collaborating with TV broadcasters. Apps can be selected from the Android market ‘Google Play’.
- Apple TV is enabling access to the HD iTunes Store with its own TV apps via a set-top box. iPad, iPhone and iPod content can also be accessed from the television using AirPlay.
- Yahoo! operates a platform of films and series on demand, access to web content, social shopping pages and games. Customers can pay a regular fee to access this content via a ‘Yahoo button’ if they purchase devices from partner manufacturers Samsung, Sony, Vizio or Toshiba.
Prerequisites: broadband and knowledge
To date, the proportion of customers using (or able to use) their web TV to the full has been limited. In hardware terms, at least 2000 to 6000 Kbit of bandwidth are required. This limits the target market in Europe primarily to conurbations. Many owners of internet-enabled TVs therefore do not even know what their device can do.
Andreas Regner of Samsung Austria says: “Samsung is planning to take steps here. We are trying to make customers aware of all the possibilities offered by their TV set before they make a purchase. And after the sale too, we continue to provide updates about what is happening on the platform”.
And what developments are being made in terms of the internet on television?
Regner: “Whereas a few years ago connecting my laptop to my TV to watch YouTube videos on a bigger screen in my home was a very laborious process, there are now options for viewing this content directly on the TV.
The TV will never replace the classic laptop or smartphone. However, there is a trend for being able to enjoy this content wherever you want – in top quality and with a user-friendly design for the consumer”.
New 3D technology for Roomle
9. March 2012
The Roomle room planner developed by Netural has received an exciting upgrade: the new Stage 3D technology from Adobe will be applied with immediate effect for the 3D presentation of Roomle plans.
The Roomle 3D view will become even more fluid and detailed thanks to the new renderer. While previous engines have compiled thousands of triangles to produce 3-dimensional objects, Stage 3D manages hundreds of thousands of graphical elements and with double the speed. The outcome is a more realistic presentation on the screen. The use of Stage 3D in Roomle is more pleasant for the user too. The new technology works without its own installable plug-in; Flash Player 11 on the computer is sufficient.
The new renderer also paves the way for more innovations: the next step will be for Roomle plans to be directly editable in the 3D view.
The sights of Austria
14. February 2012
The new image video from Advantage Austria, the official organisation of the Austrian economy abroad, presents Austria and its achievements in a self-ironic way. The film is available in 28 languages and can be used by local companies in their international presentations.
The video was produced 100% by Netural and the sound was composed by Linz-based musician Gerd Rahstorfer. Friendly infographics provide a clear selection of the content and are also available in print resolution.
For more information about Advantageaustria.org and the latest re-launch, see: New website for the Austrian economy abroad.
The most important currency in a blog is trust
18. January 2012
Collaboration with bloggers is becoming increasingly attractive for companies – on the one hand in the social media version of corporate publishing through specially designed themed blogs under the patronage of the brand and on the other through ‘blogger engagement’ through classical PR. Bloggers are influencers: if the author of a blog manages to arouse enthusiasm for a particular product, the effect is reflected in his/her fan community. The benefits are clear: the image transfer of the blog to the brand and (even with young brands) an increase in recognition within the target group.
So what does the blogger get out of this collaboration? Here it is all about gaining readers. One’s own credibility within the established community is more important than fleeting monetary success and being ‘bought’ content-wise is a no-go. Companies need to bear this in mind when planning blogger engagement. Julia Basagic, a renowned Austrian fashion blogger known as “Fanfarella”, also operates in this domain: “If I want to write about something, I have just 2 criteria, whether it is paid or unpaid: does it interest me and could it interest my readers?”
Paid blog articles are controversial. Approximately 13%* of users questioned completely reject ‘advertorials’. 70% expect commissioned content to be clearly labelled as such. This reflects the legal specifications which affect the classic journalistic media. “I think it is entirely legitimate to label contributions as adverts in this way and ensure that readers do not feel like they are being treated like idiots,” says Julia Basagic openly. “Bloggers need to decide themselves what kind of advertising they want to impose on their readers. The most important currency in a blog is trust”.
A successful collaboration requires companies to accept the independence of bloggers. Bloggers value their freedom – a motivation for running a blog. Even in cases of commissioned articles such as product reviews, bloggers should write whatever they consider to be correct. Personal input is a key element of this format. The approach of ‘paying buys you what you want’ does not work here. If bloggers begin to feel degraded to PR machines by money, the readers will soon sense this by the change in tone.
And it is all about these readers. When cooperating with companies, it is important to Julia Basagic that she is left scope in terms of time and content. “I want to be taken seriously and favour polite, respectful and straightforward collaboration”. The best articles are always those written with the full force of conviction and with direct experience such as attendance of an event or product testing. “I always find it interesting to take a look behind the scenes, engage in personal discussions with exciting decision-makers who are relevant to my blog and interact with other blogging colleagues”.
* Survey via Twittpoll, n = 54
The digital world of tomorrow
30. November 2011
Technology and media companies focus on future forecasts and unleash their visions onto the world for PR purposes. Microsoft has attracted a great deal of attention with a video. Exciting ideas – but don’t we already know from past experiences that it usually turns out quite differently?
Michell Zappa (@envisioningtech), an expert in social communications, visualises the status of various fields of research on the website “Envisioning the future of technology” based on interactive graphics. As part of this project, he speculates as to when specific technologies will be ready for the mass market.
Microsoft has been thinking about this issue for many years and invests in appropriate PR work for its future research. This is reflected in visionary videos developed in conjunction with the Microsoft Office lab which demonstrate how we will live ‘digitally’ over the next few years:
the author of Microsoft’s ‘Office Casual’ video series, Dough Thomas (@dougthomas), analysiert in einem „Behind the scenes“-Video , analyses the various links between the technology of today and the visions of tomorrow in a ‘Behind the scenes’ video. He focuses in particular on the graphical presentation of the ever-increasing quantities of data. Personalised QR codes and tags are also taken into consideration and convey information to media users in a more targeted manner. Open spaces enable spontaneous collaboration and the interlinking of social networks and communities. Thomas also sketches a virtual workplace where people work together on content, even if they are not based in the same place.
We often talk about social values on the internet – but in what context? The value-index of the Trendbüro in Hamburg explores these issues. Over 150,000 published user opinions on blogs, forums and communities form the basis for these analyses. The value index was compiled for the first time in 2009.
The Managing Director of the Trendbüro, Birgit Gebhardt, devised realistic images about the world of the future in her book ‘2037 – Unser Alltag in der Zukunft’ (2037 – our everyday life in the future). Nobody can predict for certain how the future will develop in a global context but accurate observations of the present open up perspectives which allow for plausible predictions to be made. “The fundamental issues will not change radically by 2037. But there will be new impulses in our way of life: network technology expands our possibilities and optimises our everyday life”.
Numerous companies are experimenting through individual campaigns to acquire a feel for new technologies. One impressive example is Disney who are focusing on augmented reality. Passers-by can now interact with popular Disney figures such as Mickey Mouse on an oversized billboard in Times Square.
AppCircus presents the iMirror
24. November 2011
To mark the last Mobile Monday of the year, the ‘App Circus’ pitched its tents in Vienna. On 21 November, 10 pre-selected mobile applications were presented and discussed at the Natural History Museum.
Mobile Monday has created a global community of mobile visionaries in over 150 cities across the world and has been represented in Austria since 2009. The innovative network meets once a quarter to exchange knowledge and experience with like-minded people.
The apps selected for the App Circus included the Silhouette iMirror developed by Netural which was presented at the event by mobile expert Eva-Maria Michelcic (photo).
This iPhone/ iPad app transforms the screen into an electronic mirror where augmented reality allows users to try on optical eyewear and sunglasses like in real life. The app uses face-tracking to identify the position of the eyewear and adapts this to movement in real time. For more information and a film report about Mobile Monday #13, see www.mobilemonday.at.
That was W-JAX 2011
16. November 2011
The W-JAX in Munich offers annual presentations and workshops relating to Java, Cloud Computing and agile software development and architecture. This year, numerous top quality sessions were held on the subject by some of Europe’s leading experts. Several special days were dedicated to key themes such as architecture, performance, mobile app development and rich internet applications. The event kicked off with the Agile Day which addressed the issue of agile software development with an intensive all-day session. The mix of practical examples and theoretical backgrounds and models introduced some exciting new ideas to the setting.
The remaining days looked at technical issues and sessions. Java champion Adam Bien introduced participants to the art of ‘simple development’ whereas Kevlin Henney presented anecdotes from his book ‘97 things every programmer should know’. The broad scope of the themes covered at W-JAX was reflected in the depth and range of the presentations: one Performance Day presentation looked at performance analysis and the increase in Hibernate applications, the Rich Internet Application Days looked at the brand new JavaFX2 and issues such as application performance monitoring, big data and DevOps were presented as part of the sessions.
It was not just the actual talks which were worth exploring; the supporting programme at W-JAX was worthwhile too: the programme featured evening panels of experts who gathered every day to tackle questions from conference participants as well as relaxing evenings with a wheat beer and pretzels and a chance to get to know other exhibitors and conference participants in a relaxed atmosphere, exchanging experiences and exploring certain issues in more detail.
Jürgen Etzlstorfer
User Experience Camp Vienna
14. November 2011
The User Experience Barcamp took place in Vienna for the 3rd time on Saturday 12 November 2011. The themes included user experience, usability, accessibility, interaction design and IT architecture. During the first session Marius Lessiak, a developer at ORF Online, presented the content management system behind ORF.at. He has adapted the design to the requirements of the editors in developing the new CMS.
Project manager and consultant Leon Pogrzebacz discussed the application of the persona method in smaller groups. This method analyses which circle of users will make use of a particular application at a later date. Fictional individuals are developed with special characteristics to represent this subsequent user group. With the aid of this technique, it is easier for developers to put themselves in the users’ shoes.
During the session ‘What’s going on in our brains? Effects on design decisions’, Claudia Oster of Techtalk looked at 2 books by Susan Weinschenk. She began her presentation with a test in which participants were asked to draw coffee cups. The results showed that all of the participants drew roughly the same symbol of a cup. Unusual angles such as a cup shown from the top are rarely drawn. This indicates that recognised shapes should be used when designing icons and symbols.
Overall, the UX Camp was yet again an exciting opportunity to exchange expertise from Vienna in the user experience field.
Birgit Hajek
LATEST NEWS
re:publica ’12 between surveillance and copyright
7. May 2012The Panorama Viewer
19. April 2012“the next web” Salzburg: Knowledge shared is knowledge doubled
8. April 2012Netural researches. Old and young benefit
4. April 2012Internet with maximum screen diagonal
27. March 2012New 3D technology for Roomle
9. March 2012The sights of Austria
14. February 2012New website for the Austrian economy abroad
13. February 2012The most important currency in a blog is trust
18. January 2012The digital world of tomorrow
30. November 2011© Netural 2011, Company information