By
Tunde Cockshott, on October 16th, 2009
Interesting work done by Stefan Herzog & Hertwig, R. (2009) on how to apply a form of wisdom of crowds, but when there is only one person. They call it dialectic bootstrapping.
The idea is that when you have to make an estimate of a potential value, such as a date, a numeric value a percentage etc, you follow this procedure:
1. Make your first estimate. This should be done in the way you would normally make an estimate; with as much thought and consideration you would normally apply.
2. Assume that your first estimate is off the mark.
3. Think about a few reasons why that could be. Which assumptions and considerations could have been wrong? What do these new considerations imply? Was the first estimate rather too high or too low?
4. Based on this new perspective, make a second, alternative estimate.
Then average the two estimates to get a new dialectic estimate – based on the
Continue reading Wisdom of one
By
Tunde Cockshott, on October 8th, 2009
Amazon has just announced that Kindle is going global – or at least it will be sold in 100 countries, arriving in UK on 19th October. Sony has just released the second generation of its ereader. At the same time Apple is rumored to be in talks with publishers about selling books through iTunes with enhanced functionality and content. These would be available via their much hyper tablet device. So it appears that ebooks may be finally ready for mainstream adoption.
The question is what advantages do ebooks really offer? If Apple is to offer enhanced content and functionality, what will be the killer features which will make enough of us abandon paper in favor of digital?
So far the Kindle and other ereaders have offered, portability, mass storage, long battery life (but not as long as that of a traditional book), book marking,
Continue reading The age of Book 2.0
By
Tunde Cockshott, on October 2nd, 2009
Smart have produced a great example of how to inform and engage at the same time in The Truth About Smart
It follows the format of a set of video introductions to aspects of the Smart two seater and addresses some of the misconceptions about the vehicle. By using user interaction and asking questions of the user it makes them confront their preconceptions, and delivers surprising results. The way they frame the questions in real world terms is also very convincing. We are not talking facts and figures but units of measurement which users can understand and relate to their own lives.
Each video has simple expansion giving an additional layer of depth. The story left me with a changed perception of the car and a positive feeling about the brand. The inclusion of “ghost” cursors to show how other users might
Continue reading Tell me a story
By
Andrew Dean, on September 23rd, 2009
Philips has created a nice interactive timeline experience to promote their new TV.
Philips 21:9
Interactive movies are becoming more and more sophisticated, and can have such a dramatic impact.
