Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
SCENARIOS- Group II
(porter) and help passengers get adequate number of coolies as soon as they reach the destination station . This includes a system to be installed in all the boggies where there is one button provided in each compartment and the passengers needing a coolie can press the button . A display on the exterior of the boggie will indicate the cummulative count of the number of buttons pressed which in turn will indicate the number of coolies(porters) required.






SCENARIOS- Group II




Shown alongside is the scenario of a mobile operated door lock. this is very useful if you do not want to trust too many people with youe house keys or your children are too young to handle keys when you are not at home. Here the picture of the person who rings the bell is captured by a camers and the picture is sent to the lady or the man of the house when they are not at home. Thus the house keeper get to know who is waiting and can send a signal to the door to open up.


Sometimes working mothers cannot come home when their child returns from school in cases she writes a note and puts it up on the refridgerator. The mother may forget to write some day about the milk and otherfoods and the child may not know. Thus this e-notepad helps the mother to write and edit notes sitting in the office. She can also edit and change messages and notes for the others like her husbahd or other family members.

In this system the service provider of the network sends a message of an emergency situation to every user of the specific service to take immidiate measures and evacuate if required. This message is in the form of an alarm which keeps ringing till it is seen and switched off by the user.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
SCENARIOS - Group I

Tracking the position of route buses/ alerts when bus is nearing stop. Realtime maps for tracking the bus. Also find out routes tajen by specific buses (Colour coded). Two parts of the interface - tracking display + listing of buses and their routes/ fares. Interface to be compatible for blind people too.

A very simple polaroid camera for kids (ages 6+). Allows them to take pictures and also add text/ symbols below the picture. Build a picture library to enrich visual imagery and vocabulary. Also share the images with other Kid-cams through bluetooth.

Bridging the gap betwee rural and urban school children. Provide for interactive learning and building good relations between connekt schools. A child friendly interface - touch screen/ webcam/ instant sharing of pictures and text files. Additional painting feature - Paint pods : touch finger to paint pod on screen and smear on the paint area on-screen to create coloured strokes.

No more carrying a whole load of books to school. Feed all the content onto the Smart Desk with touchscreen display. Allows the children to read and also put in text. Controlled by the teacher and connected to the main board. Shows timetables and gives school news bulletins too.

Being harrassed by loud ringtones of the latest filmi numbers? Install this device in your workspace/ movie halls/ libraries/ hospitals to send all the moblies to vibratory or silent mode when in the range of the device. Also sends alerts to the owners of the phones that their phones will be switching to vibratory or silent mode after 5 seconds.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Group 2

Group 2


Friday, July 27, 2007
leapfrog tecnology
It’s the direct advancement to the next level. (the jump to the alpha)
Technology is everywhere where to day and it plays a primary role in almost every human activity. Technology is always been a boon to mankind. We shall now look upon different aspects in leapfrog technology. Some examples like the futuristic concept cars which includes the drive by wire technology, touch screen technology for better interaction between the humans and the machines, Bluetooth on a higher scale makes things more hassle free ,less usage of wires (its been used extensively ), holographic images ,segways for easy and quick transportation (saves time) , jetpacks etc……
Its very much related to these other terms known as ‘social media’ and ‘do it yourself’, in what ways is it related? .That we will look upon later in depth further ahead.
People have started accepting this huge leap in technology and started adapting themselves in the local context. This is where the ‘do it yourself’ comes into play. For example in the global level the 3G phone network service are already out dated where as in India its not yet implemented , so the government is trying to start directly with 4G phone network with out the 3G coming in here.
This is a leap in technology which the people have started accepting. This is because of the demand from the people; time being the main criteria everyone wants it quick and easy.
Now it’s again in respective in the local and the global context, technology for people living local areas it can be a luxury or a dream device but the same thing is a basic necessity for the global people. That’s how it depends upon area to area, so people start to adapt themselves to the scenario .Socialmedia also plays a very big role in this techno era .Internet, cell phones and all the means of communication which comes under social media and again related to technology, these things are all interrelated and the advancement in technology continues to grow day by day! ‘Luxury today will be a necessity tomorrow.’
group 4
Social media.
a media which helps in socializing people. amedium to communicate the masses. a common platform to communicate the people.
in the survey taken, it was found that orkut was the best medium they know for socialising with people, also the best way was the internet to socialise. socil networking, video sharing, events, media sharing, online gaming, etc ,etc.....
THE NEED.
To explore different places, people, Globalization, people travelling to different places, need for faster & efficient means to communicate, quick & easy to use, to give/pass the message in the least words in least possible time, hence sms...
to share experiences, knowledge, information hence blogs, orkut, etc... to make new contact & friends, to keep in touch with distant friends & relatives...
DO-IT-YOURSELF
exemples are fabrication, costomization, personalization, jugaad kind of.
Its like an interface for convinience.
General understanding...
when so ever that the general overview of making something of inprovising anything with the existing material at hand to achieve something different & useful is called do-it-yourself.
Do-it-yourself concept is not very favourable in india because india has man power resource in abundance, so if we try to imply do-it-urself techniques, we will be creating unemployments which will in turn will result in the unemployed turning to loots, dacoits, robbery etc...
THE CHAIN OF SOCIAL MEDIA, DO-IT-YOURSELF & LEAPFROGGING TECHNOLOGY.
It starts from an idea, new innovation or new invention, like mobile, internet. they are meant to fulfill the"Wants"of the customer. innovations still develop to fulfill the "Desire" once the wants are completed.Then we adopt what is the advanced leapfrogg technology, for example india currently has 2G networks in mobile communications. indian govt is trying to upgrade its current networks to 3G networks which is availiable in europe & america but, now when 4G networks is to be launched in these countries indian mobile cos. are pushing the govt to upgrade the networks directly to 4G than 3G.
Cpmpetition & maket catches up globally which in turn pushes the products & services to develop even more. then there is local improvisation of technologies & products for example , some people take a big bike, chop it off from the swing arm area & fit a carriage to carry extra load. such customisation of products & technologies is called "jugaad" in india.
after a certain period of time the come a stage where there is the a sturation of technology in the field of the innovation/invention. This results in development of new technologies & inventions & the cycle goes on...
Monday, July 23, 2007
Trend Analysis - II (Group III)
TREND ANALYSIS - II (group III)
This is an analysis of the following trends :
- Well - Being
- Art meets Technology
WELL - BEING



- We have our physical well-being in the top of our priority list and have paid no attention to our spiritual well-being so far. We have employed technology to take care of our physical needs and comforts, we have the world at our feet but we still feel something missing deep inside us, but we don't know what it is. As we keep on pampering our selves the uneasiness inside us keeps increasing and technology fails to do something about it.
ART MEETS TECHNOLOGY
The present scenario :
- It has made our tools better
- Has amplified our senses
- Helped us to express faster
- Improved materialistic quality
- Things haven't changed much except - quality, speed and new- techniques.

- The present interaction of art and technology is very superfluous. Technology has given us better means but no motive. It has made our thinking linear which is killing our creativity. The heart of art lies in the subconscious and the unconscious of the human mind, where technology still haven't been able to reach. It is here that technology can make a significant contribution and prove its worth.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Trend Analysis - group III
TREND ANALYSIS (group III)
As apart of Trend analysis we studied the following :
- Art and Technology
- Secure and Private
- New Homes

Art meets Technology
We do believe that the convergence of Art, Science and Design is crucial when creating and introducing new tech innovations. It also makes better and easier.
When there is a combination of ART and TECHNOLOGY the outcome is always more creative and interesting than usual and it also enhance the overall performance.
For example 2D and 3D animation and computer games which most of us enjoy watching are nothing but a combination of Art and Technology; also Photography, Film Making & Film Industry totally depends on these 2 factors. Today use of wacom (digital sketch pad) is an emerging trend; you can directly transfer your thoughts into reality, Also Rapid Prototyping is one such example. Even web-page layout is an example where art meets technology. Also in music when Art and Technology combines the outcome is more enriching than ever.
Few of the words associated with Art and Technology are:-
Creativity, Imagination, Compact, Inspiration, Expression, Speed, Digitalization, Processing, Desire to present the world in a new way, expanding the boundaries of what is possible.
New Homes
Although the concept of NEW HOMES in a new one, but I think it has all to do with the ever
increasing involvement of technology in our life. Also I think that everything is becoming so fast and easily accessible that people has got no time to think and react about others. (‘No time to stand and stare’) For example fast –Food Culture which takes almost no time of yours.
Also nowadays the workplaces or the workstations is getting converted into new homes,
People who work in BPO/ Call-Center or in IT-Industry work in shifts and may consider their home only as a place for rest.
The concept of home - a place where a person of family lives perhaps spends much of their time or where a person is comfortable being – hardly exit today, specially in cities, Also the concept of home has a direct physiological influence on Human Mind/ their behavior, emotion and overall mental health.
Also people are getting more individualists specially the younger generation they prefer to go to places such as Coffee-shop, restaurant, cyber café, game station etc., after a day of work, rather than talking with their peers.
But the above mentioned facts does not hold true in our local context or at least in our Indian culture. The concept of joint family/Nuclear family is very much there and holds its roots strongly, specially in towns and villages. In
Few of the words associated with New Homes are:-
Personal touch, Emotion, Fast food, Nuclear family, comfort, branding, convenience, work-station, work-place, money/greed.
Secure & Private
It’s true that the issues of privacy and security are increasing through the accessibility of technology, but I think that today the Science and technology has grown so much that the issue of security is no longer a valid problem.
For example today we have technology such as thumb-printing, retina scan, voice-recognition and every thing digital thing is password protected right from a simple file in a computer to a safety lock. Also today we no longer carry huge amount of money with us, instead we carry plastic money that is credit cards and even if it is lost/stolen than there is no problem. Also regarding security of our homes there is enough technology that it is almost impossible to enter someone else’s domain.
Coming to the issue of Privacy it has become more relevant because of the easy accessibility of technology in our life. Nowadays people are getting more and more in their own shell and do not want to come out as they are getting everything they want very easily and in short time. Today people don’t take the pain to write letter on a paper, rather they would call their near and dear ones on their phones or communicate on phones and there are hundreds of examples like this.
Also there are other ill-effects and hazards of the easy accessibility of technology, using the technology although we can communicate to others in no time but in reality we are getting far from each-other, nowadays we hardly communicate physically with each other, we would communicate with some one sitting miles away using internet but we hardly interact with our neighbors who stays just next door.
Few of the words associated with Secure & Private are:-
Confidence, loneliness, full control, password protected, encryption, privacy, plastic money, ill-effects, change in nature of work, thumb prints, retina scan.
Friday, July 20, 2007

Cultural Flows

India being the largest democracy in the world is a potpourri of people and languages. This rich tapestry has been woven on an even richer past. Wars, infiltration, early settlers, natives, trade, natural disasters...all these causes have wrought a beautiful coming together of cultures. Today, people of different religions and languages co-exist in relative peace. Metros are magnets luring the rural population towards them, and these people who cannot assume top positions in the hurdle become service providers. The metropolitan citizens are getting the best of this new hybrid global culture. Technology, jobs, lifestyle, family, fitness...everything has come under the influence of prevalent trends. Increases wireless connectivity makes it easier for rapid transfer of information. Our dance, music and art/ craft is being fused with popular culture to bring about a genre more relevant to the entire world ( Bollywood).
Genuine Experiences

These days, experience plays a key role in products. No one wants the run of the mill/ impersonal objects. We want to be satisfied in every manner. The latest in technology without complicating the interface which caters to every little need. Personalizing provides us with a sense of security and love from the product. Due to the current busy lifestyle, people are unable to meet each other often and tend to seek attention and care from their belongings. The products also create user groups and create distinctions. People buy into the group and feel a sense of belonging (a good example is the Apple Macintosh and Ipod).
Seeking Optimism

We tend to seek optimism in various aspects and it is applicable to people all over the world. This makes it difficult to consider this trend from a very local perspective. But we tried to list down the things that bring about a heightened sense of optimism in Indians now. This is more of a metropolitan perspective towards the trend. Jobs, connectivity, better lifestyle, well being, family/ togetherness, economy and Peace were few of the topics taken.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
First Analysis on Gender shift

The idea of women gaining equality to men came forth during the 19th and 20th century along with many other socialistic ideas such as equality, liberty, freedom to speech etc. Women’s liberation and feminism were two popular terms used by people or women fighting for this cause.
On a global scale the success of feminists can be seen, some examples are:
- Some women now hold very senior positions in various industries.
- They are especially doing very well in the hospitality industry.
-Women earlier weren’t techno savvy, probably because it didn’t go well with their tastes
or maybe they weren’t encouraged, but now things have changed. Women want to be at
power with men in every sphere of life. Major consumer product companies as well as
Ad agencies know that and so have focused a lot of their energies on women as primary
customers for their products.
There is still a long way to go and women know that, for eg:
If a woman has to hold a position of authority she must be a replacement to a man. This should have changed but sadly it hasn’t, and so women in such a position along with having to behave like a man are expected to dress like him as well, as in the case of women executives.
Local Scenario:
- The respect for women is increasing.
- New women oriented professions have come up.
- Many women are helping change our country by going beyond their means and doing socially productive work.
In India women are fighting for their rightful place in society, things have started to look up but they too just like women around the world face problems such as even today to be in place of authority you need to be a man. The condition of women in rural areas is different from women in urban areas, empowerment of women in Indian villages may have started from the administrative point view but the problem lies at the roots which have to be solved from there.
We must accept that Women and Men are different, and have their own strengths having said that I believe they should be raised to same platform but should follow their own paths.
First Analysis on Convenience

Convenience is something which helps in saving time, provides freedom from hassles like immobility/no choice and provides benefits, leisure, comfort and enjoyment.
Looking at the global culture, like quick and instant service (e.g. Mc Donalds) the hectic lifestyles, and technological advancements, leading to making convenience becoming a necessity.
Due to differences in the social strata of society, mostly in the rural areas the necessity is becoming a convenience (e.g. tap), whereas in the urban scenario the convenience has become the necessity (e.g. we can’t stay without a phone). Like the ‘Sulabh Shuachalaye’ (public toilets) are an essential convenience. Also ‘jugaad’, very common in India, which means putting together things to suit ones requirements, in any possible indigenous manner, is a term very relevant in the local context. As the demand for simplicity is increasing, more and more jugaad is required.
Finally, comparing the thoughts, we can sum up that, convenience is about simplicity and smart and intelligent thoughts/ideas which will ease our mental and physical stress and provide us with joy and support.
First Analysis on Well Being

In today’s time people are looking for a healthy body, mind and soul. Well being holds prime priority in most of our lives. Around the world various issues and trends such as self medication, hypertension, virtual relationships (e.g. phone a friend, help lines), adoption of eastern philosophy and sciences (yoga, auyurveda, etc.) can be observed.
In
On the overall, people in today’s time, across economic divides and cultural barriers are increasingly depending upon technology to provide support for different aspects of well being. Whereas we think that the limits of technology should be defined and only then products be produced.