The web has become increasingly powerful and dynamic and we need to adapt to the newer technologies. That was the broad message given at the IndiMix 06 - The Next Web Now event which was organized by Microsoft in Mumbai. The highlight of the show was the introduction by none other than Steve Ballmer, the CEO of Microsoft Corporation. He set the tone for the day by introducing the audience to WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) and the next version of .NET Framework including an enthusiastic “hallelujah” on announcing the release of Windows Vista.
It was also the time to announce the launch of Microsoft’s Expression products comprising Expression Web, Graphic Designer and Interactive Designer. The products support a language called XAML (Extensible Application Markup Language and pronounced as ‘Zammel’) which has been built for the .NET Framework 3.0. The products are an attempt to bridge the old divide between the designer and the developer communities and one hopes to see the ease in the application development processes.
Celebrity presence is rare during technology summits. So many were awed by the presence of Anil Kumble who had come in his capacity as the director of his company StumpVision. He presented a demo of his new product called MatchCast, a statistical software which has been developed using Microsoft technologies such the .NET Framework. The product enables live telecast of cricket matches while viewers can also browse through the player analysis. Yash Chopra was also there for the launch of the new YashRaj Films website and promote his forthcoming action flick Dhoom 2. There was also a session with eminent personalities including Anupam Mittal (CEO, Shaadi.com) and Neeraj Vora (CEO, Hungama.com) taking questions from the host Tarun Gulati and advising young entrepreneurs on the future of the internet business. In a nutshell, the event was a heady mixture of future technologies and Microsoft’s vision of the Windows LIVE platform and also an occasion to see and hear the gurus from a close angle.
The response to the event was apparently great as it was being telecast on Reliance Mobiles. Mandira Bedi was roped in to host the show on the webcast. Having said that, the food was served in the hot outdoors ensuring that the ice cream melted in my plate rather than the mouth. One could see long queues of hungry souls waiting for their turn at the many serving tables. More exhausting and irritating was the supply of the feedback forms that had to be filled after EVERY session ended. Hope the organizers understand THIS user-experience when they arrange the next IndiMix.
I have been keeping busy these days with the User Centered Analysis and Practical Usability Testing workshops at Human Factors International (HFI). The course is very extensive and I hardly get time to spend at home these days. But I am happy that I have found something which I can pursue with great passion. These training sessions are enabling me to better understand the needs and the strategies that are currently being employed to design GUIs.
The User Centric Design course is an extensive one which deals with forming design strategies. These strategies are based upon some studies and surveys which the stakeholder (owner) undertakes before he embarks upon making a full fledged website. The study of design goals and other such criteria enables to better understand the tasks and thus design a better user experience. The Practical Usability Training course deals more with formative prototype testing and interviewing the affected user groups to understand their mental models when they view specific websites. Of course, this is a very shallow explanation that I have given here for both the courses but you can visit the website for more details on training and certification.
We have a large audience this time attending both the courses from all across the country and especially from the bigger Indian IT companies. This accentuates the fact that more and more organizations have started to look at usability as a very important factor for designing web and software applications.
Apple never fails to surprise you. Rather it’s a brand you’d always expect some fresh ideas. At the Macworld conference, Steve Jobs unveiled the new Intel chip based MacbookPro. This is the first product to be launched with Intel based chips after Apple switched from IBM Power PC chips.
The Macbookpros are powered by Intel’s new Core Duo processor technology and promise to be 4 times powerful then the G4s!
Also I was happy to note that my long standing wish of including an FM radio along with the iPods has come true. Apple has introduced an FM remote control with the device so music lovers can now play FM radio stations while the information is flashed on their iPod LCDs. Pretty neat eh! Time to think about buying one now.
By the time I finish writing this article, most of you guys would have seen it already. You’d rarely come across someone who wouldn’t visit Google at least once in a day. But just before I start mine I have to mention that Google has pulled off one of the most creative doodles of all. This one was to commemorate Louis Braille’s birthday yesterday. Hats-off to the design team at Google.
I have been keeping busy these days with the 
