Touch screens are no longer a novelty interface in the field of human computer interaction. They have infiltrated consumer products as well as enterprise ones; they are used not only in mobile devices, but also the most stationary of devices. Due to direct manipulation, touch screens are independent of most of the tools we [...]
Erik Hersman is the Cornucopia of compelling Africa-oriented web content. He has offered insightful anecdotes and perspectives on the place “where Africa and technology collide” for years (quote from Erik’s blog).
He has experience in Web strategy as a technologist, and experience with the juxtaposition of “developed” and “developing” regions–as a past or present resident in [...]
The Friday, 20 April 2007 BBC News headline read:
“Texts monitor Nigerian elections”
“Anyone trying to rig or tamper with Saturday’s presidential elections in Nigeria could be caught out by a team of volunteers armed with mobile phones.”
“NMEM is using a free system called Frontline SMS, developed by programmer Ken Banks, to keep track of all of [...]
The continent of Africa is experiencing an unprecedented growth in mobile interactive systems.
Most people should consider that a good thing. Mobile interactive systems–specifically information-oriented systems–are attributed with progression in the fields of
Civic engagement
Economic empowerment
Education
Environment
Health and safety
Humanitarian relief
source
Naturally, the better a person can leverage the information-oriented system, the more benefit [...]
I noticed something peculiar when comparing two different EQO warning/error messages. One message was much better designed than the other.
Heuristic: Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors
Bad: The first had a vague and technical reference to some mysterious error code “A0002.”
Good: The second had a friendly and informative tone. “Please allow EQO Mobile to [...]
Version: 1.0.5
Phone: Nokia 6260
EQO is primarily a communications application. It seems reasonable to conclude that most features require some kind of network connectivity.
Fortunately for the users of EQO, the application creators have taken into consideration the benefits of, and the need for, a functional Offline Mode.
Heuristic: User control and freedom
Good: The sign in screen for [...]
Mobility has tremendous, albeit obvious, advantages. However, these advantages come at a hidden cost—paid with devotion by mobile application creators.
Mobile applications are subject to a multitude of ‘hiccups’ during normal use cases.
For example- incoming phone calls- [...]
EQO Mobile is a J2ME application that allows you to use your data and local calling plan to make international calls. See EQO’s How it Works page for details.
Version: 1.0.5
Phone: Nokia 6260
EQO’s website recognized my phone as I visited their download page with my phone’s mobile browser. That’s a very nice thing, and expected in [...]
