Before the barcamps, before the foocamps, even before Frontiers of Interaction here it stands the Drink Link: just add a part of unconference, some friends (it’s simply matter of case that among these friends you can find some of the brightest minds in Italy) and a cool location. Drink Link to serve you madam!
I received an invitation to the first edition of 2008, organized by Leeander and friends at the Bastard Headquarters in Milan to showcase the new idea they’re working on: an open source hardware technology to let spimes interact with data and people: the Open Spime project.
I’ve seen the early early stage of this technology, even before the first prototype, and I can say it really rocks!
Update April 9: the event will be streamed live on the .
A tailor-made world
If you read this blog you might know I use the yellow line underground to travel to work; without driving I’m plenty with time to read and, most of all, to let my mind run free. Early this week I was thinking on the strange way that took me from loving baggy pants to the way I dress today. As I grow-up I’m loving tailor made stuff more and more. I have nice shirts, but I prefere my tailor made ones: they’re more confortable and they simply fit me. Same thing for my suites: most of my preferred are tailor made.
This is probably because of the years on your shoulders teach you how to fall in love for details and how to appreciate the uniqueness. Probably. For me at least.
Tailor-made has always been a synonym of richness. Just think about Ferrari cars: each one is made by hand following its owner’s desires. They even have a dedicated web site.
But we were talking about my thoughts, weren’t we. Yes sorry. Let’s get back to them. While thinking about the way life changed my taste I suddenly realized how the tailor-made=rich equation is becoming less and less common (by the way: my pal Marco helped me discovering a great tailor that prepares shirts for us for just 40 euros, drop me a line if you live in Milan and need her contacts).
Examples? Here they come: each morning I have personalized news and informations via my Bloglines feeds; I sleep on a latex
mattress that modifies according to my body shape and weight; I choose the films/shows I want to see at the time I want them on my IP TV (more to come with things such as Joost); etc. etc.
You might say this is not truly tailor-made; they’re just (very good) approximations of what tailor-made really is. And you might be right.
So what about future trends? I actually see two main trends in this area for the next years.
1. Atoms from bits
The first 3D printers are reaching our desktops with a price that’s more or less the price os a laser printers 15 years ago (or, if you like, you can build one by yourself); today they could be useful for rapid prototyping, but tomorrow? If you imagine a future rich in nanotechs you can then imagine to create your shirt in a 3D modeling environment and then making it real using your printer. Want more? Buy the specs of your favourite digital player and let your “printer” build it for you. Fully functioning.
Kinda too futuristic huh? I agree, even if I think that my generations will see this future. But take a look at the next trend.
2. Personalization through data-mining
Google, the greatest data miner on earth, has started the creation of synthetic models of real buildings, linking them to the original through Google Earth geodata and images. Given a number of items big enough, you might “invent” an object and find a very similar one between these items. You just need a proper way to search for it; and Google is indexing the world: I can imagine to model an object I’d like to have, give the model to google, and shop for the (already existing) approximation of it. Nice huh?
I really think we already have the knowledge and the algorithms to perform such a project. Any Venture listening? (if the answer is es you might want to contact me via Linkedin)
The long tail of helpdesk tickets
I should have had lunch with Leeander today to discuss the 2008 edition of The Interaction Frontiers, the innovation related seminar we co-produce each year. Just a few minutes before our appointment he SMSed me cancelling the lunch. After a while, while at lunch with my boss, I received a call from Leeander where he told me he was in a mess managing the calls after an article on Virtual Assistants (he’s an Interaction Design Director at Kallideas, and they actually produce VAs) on a major Italian magazine.
A Virtual Assistant is basically a 3D human-like interface that processes natural language (both spoken and typed) and is ahead of an artificial intelligence engine which takes information from a knowledge base.
I’m gaining more and more knowledge on this subject since we’re developing a VA - named Gabi - at Gabetti (see here a video interview with some interaction with the VA, in Italian) , together with the Kallideas team, to manage the basic support at our IT helpdesk. And - since the pilot phase launch early on July 2007 - we started training Gabi.
We choose the training arguments by taking a look at the most frequent items on our online helpdesk: we released Gabi with basic knowledge on PC, printers and network problems and then moved to email and password management.
During a meeting, early this week, with our Helpdesk manager and the IA expert from Kallideas I was taking a look at the tickets data to understand which arguments need to be teached to Gabi next and then BOOM I “saw” the long tail in these data.
It’s not long ago that I finished reading the inspiring The Long Tail book by Chris Andreson: looking at the ticket statistics I saw how the higher number of tickets was concentrated in less then 10 different arguments and, from there, the number of tickets decreased rapidly while the problems our users were declaring raised impressively.
It was pretty interesting finding my first tail, but now problems arise: VA are very good at managing a small amount of know-how helping with this large numbers of users; but we’re now going to face a nice task: managing a large amount of information to help a relatively small number of users… uhm… need to go deeper into this to better understand the most effective solution.
Frontiers of Interaction 2007
When I first contacted Leandro with a proposal to produce an event on innovation, cool technologies and user experience back in 2005 I’d never ever had thought that it would be so successfull to be repeated for three full years.
Ladies and gentlemen please welcome The Interaction Frontiers 2007 which will be held at University Bicocca in Milan on the 28th of June starting at 9 completely free for all (registration required - this year we also have a cool Bastard personalized t-shirt for our guests).
While the 2005 theme was user experience/interaction, the 2006 one was on new interactions, this year edition will be about The Internet of things: we’ll have mindstorm robots, human-like robots, ebook readers, nazbatag and all that sort of geekeries available for a try… you really shouldn’t loose them!
“a Center for Transdiciplinary/Post-Disciplinary Study. We discover fascinating futures to be explored in ignoring and crossing disciplinary borders.
With new developments in areas such as biotech, digital culture, global society, SHL believes that some crucial questions — about what it is to be human, about experience in a connected world, about the boundaries of culture and nature — transcend the old divisions between the arts, sciences and humanities, between the academy, industry and the cultural sphere.
We engage in experimental projects with a “laboratory” ethos — collaborative, co-creative, team-based — involving a triangulation of arts practice, commentary/critique, and outreach, merging research, pedagogy, publication and practice. We don’t just comment and discuss, we build: new media, interactive archives, predictive models of social change, new courses, collaborative research workshops, art exhibitions.”
With such a background we’re really entrigued to have him on board!
We’ll daily blog our progress on the event site; we already delivered the press release, next appointment is to fix the agenda and release A3 poster to you all. Stay tuned!
Cited by Luke Wroblesky
Wow, it doesn’t happen everyday to be cited by LukeW in his speech at the IA Summit 2007.
We’re now through, finally. It’s been a tough week, I’d say a tough period in order to prepare a proper press launch. Both Maurizio Monteverdi (Gabetti Group CEO) and Leandro Agro’ (Italian Second Life main guru) rocked the stage, the machinima and our contents have done the rest.
The results, Geez, are further over our brightest expectations: we knew we’d have been perceived as (as Marcello says) “zupa cool” in Italy, but never expected that Reuter immediately translated a news tha has then been published on the Washington Post, Scientific American, Wired, eWeek and the Financial Times (DE version) just to name a few.
Just a sad point: I’ve asked our PR agency to invite bloggers. Well of the 30 and more invited, just two of them actually came and enjoied the free wi-fi network dedicated to live posting. Guys: what are your daily-life chances to interview a public company CEO, have the answer and even eat for free? Damn: you loose it!
In these days, using mainly Technorati, Google News and Google Blog Search I compiled a list of interesting articles about the entrance of Gabeti Property Solutions in Second Life. Here it is:
After a ghost phase (in full Apple style) of 4 months we’re releasing the Gabetti Island: the first step of the presence of the Gabetti Group in Second Life.
The whole island has been developed by the Electric Sheep Company. You can take a look at the various phases of development in this Flickr Slideshow picturing the various avatars at work (big props to Chosen Few, the 3D artist who developed the island, and to Jeremy Flagstaff for the great work done).
We have a dedicated team, the Bright Five, operating inworld. You might find them browsing around or operating on the Gabetti Island. Go meet them.
And now a Ill Clan made launch machinima:
Expert interview for the European R&D Project “Spice”
A couple of months ago I’ve been interviewed by Dario Melpignano, managing Director at Neos Research, for the aim of the SPICE project, with the aim to address the still unsolved problem of designing, developing and putting into operation efficient and innovative mobile Service creation/execution platforms for networks beyond 3G.
here below you’ll find the translated (the phone call wa in Italian) transcript of what I said. Hope you’ll find it useful.
To provide a broader background I think it’s useful to know that I work in Gabetti, the most important real estate operator in Italy which is transforming itself into a full service company, operating also as a new media company thanks to the relevant base of shops widespread all over the country. On each of these sales point or shop, Gabetti has installed interactive touch screens proposing their offer and a number of additional services to the general public. An approach that the company is willing to extend to individuals through mobile local/proximity services. “Considering your industry and market, which services you see as the most successful in a 5-10 years timeframe?”
We see emerging services mostly related to location identification and location based service. E.g. I am physically in a specified location and based on my profile I can find in a specific area the commercial proposals that fit my needs and interests. Given my preferences and economic constraints.
Additional examples can be to link photos to location, as in the case where I take a picture and find available houses that match my profile, etc.
“How do you see the value network structured, which are the players and their role in the perspective of the organization where you are working: telecom operator, device manufacturer, application/service/solution developer/provider, consumer electronics player, publisher, internet/IT leader (such as Google or MSN)?”
My value network is consistent with your view. There’s also a role for a management consulting firm, that in bigger companies like mine usually have a role.
“Are the players envisioned by SPICE a correct representation of this future or would you take into account different or new roles?”
Yes. I think I basically already answered you.
“Which are the most critical requisites that you would consider for a technology platform such as the one that will be implemented in SPICE, designed to provide a unified way to deliver services over heterogeneous execution platforms, network and mobile devices?”
Requirements for billing and charging
Requirements for revenue sharing including advertising revenues
Requirements for non-core business, and semi-professional content providers producing and publishing their content on the platform
Requirements for interactivity features
Other requirements?
Billing is one of the most critical requirements to be supported in SPICE and the space where I see a relevant opportunity for innovation. Considering especially the link between network, content and service provider.
Interaction requirements are not really critical, as on a mobile device you have such a big constraint in terms of user interface that most evolutions failed so far. So I expect that the user interaction would be as low as possible.
“What is the role of personalization in the end users’ perspective? Which are the most critical requirements?”
It is crucial. In essence: give to the user the kind of services he needs, now, without him having to ask.
“Mobile devices are mainly used as mediators in social relationships, a set of specific SPICE enablers will allow users to support social networks and improve their ability to function in their social context and therefore enhance people social effectiveness. Which requirements do you see here linked, if any, to your industry needs?”
We are now interrogating about how to link social networking into our house search and acquisition business. Difficult topic, being the house maybe the most personal product one might need. So it is very difficult to infer recommendations for others. So far the function used to propose a house to a friend was only used as a personal reminder for a potential buyer. So far therefore I see a very limited impact.
“What are the most critical issues and most relevant requisites to enable rapid service creation and composition for the end users within your specific content/media perspective?”
For rapid service creation, what is needed is the possibility to personalize service creation at the API level. Provide application primitives and functions to be combined. And providing APIs is even more relevant than providing open code, as it shortens my time to market.
“How would you adopt and use, if any, tools for intellectual property protection, such as DRM (Digital Rights Management)? Which benefits and hurdles do you see in adopting DRM?”
I am against DRM, I see Creative Commons as a much more interesting approach. This approach if pushed will eventually end up in a more ethical society. Also technically speaking this approach is more consistent with the possibility of transforming content in a controlled way.
“How do you see the evolution of the content/industry with reference to the mobile industry? More specifically do you envision a converging future (fixed, mobile, triple play, etc.) or a diverging one? Why?”
I see both a converging and diverging future. It is converging at the device level in my personal experience. I do not believe at all in mobile TV, but for very short video clips and more in general in the possibility of using video in a mobile device, because of the high level of attention required. I spoke with a number of 3 people (video mobile operator in Italy) who are convinced about this being a big opportunity, but I don’t believe in it.
“Would you see meaningful complementing content with context information, such as georeferencing and tagging by allowing open categorization approaches (folksonomy)?”
Context value around a piece of content will be of bigger value than the content itself
a digital photo has a value
a digital photo uploaded online acquires a much more significant value
a digital photo online and positioned on a map acquires an even greater value
Paraphrasing Metcalfe, I would say for joke, but not so much of a joke, that the value of a piece of content equals the square of the point of its context.
“How much should the end user be active and participate to the media fruition process?”
The user should be active, and be able to select, but only if he wants to. Let the user choose whether to be active or not.
“Which is the role, if any, of long tail (e.g. personal media, such as blogs) content production and distribution models, of open delivery models within your industry? Who do you expect to pay whom and for what?”
In my industry the content producer is the client, and my role is basically as a “publisher” to mediate among users. If de-intermediates happens, I disappear.
“What are your ideas about content adaptation? Would consider appropriate that a third party dynamically adapt your content (e.g., to match the capabilities of a network or a mobile device)? Or would you prefer a system to automatically control the adaptation process and when would you prefer the end-user to manually control that process?”
Ideally content must be able to follow me not only in space, but also in its form and format. I expect to be able to play the same piece of audio or audiovisual on any device of what you depicted as distributed communication sphere.
“What are your ideas about users using different devices to receive different parts of the same multimedia transmission (e.g., a cell phone to receive the audio part and a wall-mounted display to receive the video part)? What are your ideas about receivers dynamically switching between these devices (e.g., by dynamically transferring a video stream from a cell phone to a near-by TV screen)?”
I see that this approach is relevant and will be in the future. Like in Firefox Web browser I can centralize and access my bookmarks on any computer I use. The same should happen to content. In the future I expect to be able to grab a video stream from a tv with my device and bring it with myself while moving to another place to resume playing.
Mobup: a J2ME based photo uploader for your mobile
Patent or copyright?
I recently published an article on an Italian monthly magazine (a PDF version of which - in Italian - is downloadable here) on the patent/copyright for software dispute.
A recent EU parliament decision confirmed the impossibility to patent pieces of programming code, leaving Copyright as the only form of intellectual protection. This has been an higly highlightable decision since it was one of the very few times the Parlament hasn’t followed the EU Commission suggestion.
Even if I’m not going to translate the whole article the’re a few points I’d like to report here
Even if it’s not possible to patent the software itself you could protect the IDEA behind the software+hardware system; this is a de-facto patent for software too
I do believe tha copyright alone is not strong enough to protect companies from sofwtare stealing. But the same could be said for patents too (it would be impossible for small companies to charge for intellectual property infringment the big guys such IBM or Microsoft). Moreover IBM alone files EVERYDAY nearly 10 patents making virtually IMPOSSIBLE to infringe a number of already patented by others technologies, it’s just a matter of big numbers;
Said this in my very personal vision the patent becomes a technology indicator for small research laboratories like the one I manage: if you’re smart enough to invent something that could provide a patent filing then you’re doing a nice job;
Patents are a powerful marketing tool for companies, expecially when they’re small: “Hey, I’m small but so brilliant I have a n patents portfolio!”;
Patents where invented to divulgate innovation. Yes, sure! Have you ever read one of them? I’ve read a whole lot of them, and I can assure that would be - at its best - extremely difficult to replicate the patented invention with just the patent documents in your hands.
Patents (to a different extent, copyright) are today acting as powerful bonds to innovation. They’re filed just to prevent other to copy your idea, not to help them build on that. I’m plenty with examples on this last item, but my suggestion is to give a look to this wonderful books - NOTE: need to properly link them, be patient).
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