technical communication

Nice idea and tool to create your software mockups in minutes.

Put that pencil down

Using Balsamiq Mockups feels like you are drawing, but it’s digital, so you can tweak and rearrange controls easily, and the end result is much cleaner. Teams can come up with a design and iterate over it in real-time in the course of a meeting.

See: Balsamiq Studios, LLC

Another interesting essay from Donald Norman that states 5 simple rules on “How To Write an Effective Manual“.
One point e.g. is his advice that he manual should be activity-centered and many more information for Technical Communicators.
Also a lot of potential for Augmented Reality applications.

A quick link to a quite interesting essay of Don Norman, a leading design consultant and one of my favorite authors in the area of various design issues especially on “smart” technology. I would call him a leader in x-design. The x is there the variable for the different past, presents and future design issues addressed. He has shown this with his books on Emotional Design, User-Centered System Design, Design of Everyday Things etc. and his upcoming book on Sociable Design.

See: Technology First, Needs Last

There are many more useful information e.g. for researchers on his WebSite.

On UgoTrade a discussion is posted of Thomas Wrobel’s proposal called, “Everything Everywhere: A proposal for an Augmented Reality Network system based on existing protocols and infrastructure.”
It is basing on his paper draft of his vision of a open AR Network and potential methods to implement it with existing technologies.
A real interesting discussion of the future in Augmented Reality.

Another video that I would rate under the term Augmented Reality concept videos.

In this video

A strange man uses holographic tools to build a world for the woman he loves. This is a short by filmmaker Bruce Branit……

See the following YouTube video or the WebSite of Bruce Branit.

I am fascinated by concept videos based on augmented reality by mixing real and virtual environments.
They are a real good basis to prototype future scenarios for augmented reality applications.

An application for advertising a game in a different way can be found at the announcement of “The Settlers 7″.

See the following video on YouTube or the relevant WebSite of the Game: The Settlers 7.

The AEL is a research lab at Georgia Tech investigating the design and implementation of augmented- and mixed-reality experiences.

A recent project they have done in collaboration with different project partners is ARhrrrr!

ARhrrrr is an augmented reality shooter for mobile camera-phones. The phone provides a window into a 3d town overrun with zombies. When you point the camera at a special game map, you get a mix of virtual and real world content.

While shooters are not really my favourite reference projects for such applications I see a lot of possibilities to augment also games and open an new dimension of games, board games, serious games and edutainment.

It is important to know that it is based on the new NVidia’s Tegra platform.

At the moment, it is all just concept. But we will se the devices soon out there that are capable of running it. But once Tegra actually launches in more devices, we will start seeing some real breakthrough games on mobile devices.

See: Augmented Environments Lab

Another way of linking the physical with the virtual world.
It is not 100% augmented reality yet, but there is some potential in it.

It is a hybrid book which combined iPhone and an ordinary book.

So watch the concept video:

via: Mobile Art Lab

If you are looking for an ARToolKit Marker Generator that works online then see:

http://flash.tarotaro.org/blog/2009/07/12/mgo2/

or you can start immediatly the ARToolKit Marker Generator Online Multi.

See a nice video from BMW doing research in augmented reality.

BMW research projects - virtual world meets reality.

In future, the real world is set to combine with the virtual at BMW Service. BMW Augmented Reality creates this bridge and extends the real world by adding virtual information. BMW Service is planning to use this technology as a means to assist BMW Service staff in their highly demanding technical work.

BMW research projects - applied research.

Research in the field of augmented reality is paving the way for a number of new applications in BMW Service. BMW Augmented Reality techniques provide ideal support in maintenance work on complex technical innovations in the vehicle. Using special data goggles and wireless access to a powerful computer, BMW mechanics have all the information at their disposal, precisely where they need it: in the workshop, at the vehicle.

For more information see: BMW Service WebSite