The first footage of Moto Blur, Motorola’s just announced social-network-centric homescreen overhaul for Android, has just gone live.

FORUM NOKIA – USID Design Challenge2009

Enrich the lives of the differently-abled,
Get rich!

Do you think you can create a difference to the world with your ideas? Then how about enabling 650 million disabled people?*

Forum Nokia USID Design Challenge 2009 gives you an opportunity to design an aid or a support system using the information and communication technologies (e.g. Mobile Applications, Devices, Services etc.) for the people with disabilities. Empower and Make life easier for the 10% of the world’s population – with a solution/ application that empower mobile devices and runs on finger tips. One that tips the odds in their favor by creating technologies that empower, enable and bring them equal with the rest of the world.

PRIZES

Prizes as per the following will be awarded to the best three entries:

1st Prize: Rs. 50,000/-*

2nd Prize: Rs. 30,000/-*

3rd Prize: Rs. 20,000/-*

*Tax will be deducted as per the Income Tax regulations of Govt. of India.

The prizes will be awarded during the closing event of the USID 2009 which is being planned in September 2008.

The details and schedule for the closing event will be notified to all the winning teams through email/post. The Individual team can decide to collect the prizes themselves by attending the closing event of USID 2009 on their own expenses or can inform USID Foundation about their incapability to attend the closing event. In this case, USID Foundation will make some alternative arrangement of forwarding the prizes to the winning teams. By participating in the design challenge, you agree to be bound by the Official Rules, and the decisions of USID Foundation, which shall be final in all respects. All the entries shall receive participation certificates from the USID Foundation.

IMPORTANT DATES

Registration: August 10th, 2009

Submission: August 30th, 2009

For registration send email to usid_designchallenge@usidfoundation.org with your name and institution/organization.

ENTRIES SUBMISSION PROVISIONS

The teams must submit their deliverables as mentioned below. Incomplete entries will not be taken into consideration.

DELIVERABLES

1. Design Concept Poster ( PDF A3 ), including the following
* Theme Title, Teams details, Institution / organization details
* The problem statement you have taken
* A concise description of the proposed solution
* Clear illustrations of key aspects of your proposed solution
* Compelling, effective visual design
* Prototype
* Acknowledgement of any assistance drawn from outside the student team (advisors, faculty, domain experts, existing solutions, users, etc.)
2. Design Solution Storyboard (PDF, PPS) (if require to explain the concept)
3. Interactive Prototype showing the concept (Optional)

HOW TO SUBMIT ONLINE

The deliverables should be submitted as a single Zip file by 30th August, (6:00 PM GMT) to email ID: usid_designchallenge@usidfoundation.org .The file must be not larger than 10 Mb in size.

TEAM SIZE

Individual or maximum 4 members

JURY AND SELECTION CRITERIA

The entries will be judged by a jury composed of members from (eminent design, technology and User Experience and accessibility professionals) from industry & academia. The Jury will choose three winners who will be awarded 1st, 2nd and 3rd ranks. Each entry will be judged based on the Creativity, Ingenuity, Innovation, Feasibility, Impact & User Experience and Feasibility of implementation.

Disclaimer: This competition shall not constitute a commitment or create a joint venture, partnership, agency or other media or business relationship between the participants and the organizers or judging companies of this competition. This competition shall not either be understood to grant to any participant whether expressly or by implication any ownership, rights or license to any intellectual property rights of any of the organizers, judging companies and vice versa. None of the Information which may be disclosed or exchanged by the parties shall constitute any representation, warranty, assurance, guarantee or other inducement by any party to any other of any kind, and, in particular, with respect to the infringement of any trademarks, patents, copyrights or any other intellectual property rights, or other rights of either party.

Interview with Nokia designer Mark Delaney

Design a Mobile Application to Empower the Farming Community of India!
Link: http://www.usidfoundation.org/

Design Challenge 2008

THE BACKGROUND

The spread of mobile phones in India is growing rapidly and the number of subscribers had reached 166 million at the end of March 2008. By 2010 India will have 250 million people having mobiles with Internet capabilities & built-in cameras. 60 million people can watch video on their phones. 100 million can listen to music and 200 million can have radio capability in their Mobile phones.

In the same time the challenge of food shortage is being faced across the globe. Considering this, the role of productive and planned agriculture will play a critical role in bringing food to our tables. Since India ’s economy is driven by agriculture, the focus should be on empowering rural agricultural community – that is struggling to effectively grow, and sell financially viable produce despite the incessant demand.

Simply meeting the communication and entertainment needs will not mean much unless we answer the vital question, Is there a social responsibility while extending mobile connectivity throughout the world? We need to focus on how mobile phone can help the overall socio-economic development. There is also a need to focus on the kind of mobile user experience that must be delivered for these new consumers?

How can you harness the power of mobile telephony to enhance the livelihood and quality of life of the farming community of India ?

THEME

Design an easy to use mobile application (Concept & the UI) that can help in the agriculture productivity and socio-economic development of the rural population.

PRIZES

Three prizes as per the following will be awarded to the best two entries for each of the students and professionals category:
1st Prize: Rs. 40,000/-*
2nd Prize: Rs. 25,000/-*
3rd Prize: Rs. 15,000/-*
*Gadgets/Products of approx. value

The prizes will be awarded during the closing event of the USID 2008 which is planned from 4-6 September 2008. The details and schedule will be notified to all the winning teams through email/post. The Individual team can decide to collect the prizes themselves by attending the closing event of USID 2008 on their own expenses or can inform USID Foundation about their incapability to attend the closing event. In this case, USID Foundation will make some alternative arrangement of forwarding the prizes to the winning teams. By participating in the design challenge, you agree to be bound by the Official Rules, and the decisions of USID Foundation, which shall be final in all respects. All the entries shall receive participation certificates from the USID Foundation.

SPONSORED BY
Forum NOKIA

ELIGIBILITY
Students and Professionals from India
TEAM SIZE

Individual or up to 4 members in each team 

IMPORTANT DATES

Registration: July 31st, 2008

Submission: August 17th, 2008

For registration send email to usid_designchallenge@usidfoundation.org with your name and institution/ organization.

JURY AND SELECTION CRITERIA

The entries will be judged by a jury composed of members from NOKIA and eminent designers from industry & academia. The Jury will choose three winners who will be awarded 1st, 2nd and 3rd ranks. Each entry will be judged based on the Creativity, Ingenuity, Innovation, Usability & User Experience and Feasibility of implementation.

Nokia’s written up a short article that highlights some examples of what they believe is good design for mobile.

Link: Mobile Design Showcases (nokia.com, via)

Source : SmallSurfaces

Developing Wireless Content

Content Development Kits (CDKs) Download authoring guidelines, tips, techniques and tutorials

Window Mobile 6 Software Development Kits (SDKs) Download Microsoft’s SDKs and corresponding documentation

Developing for Windows Mobile 6 Learn what’s new in the Windows Mobile 6 platform

Nokia S60 Documentation Content development for Nokia S60 mobile device platform

UIQ Content Development UIQ Developer Community portal

Palm OS Hand-held mobile devices and features

Palm Developer Network Developer’s guides for Palm OS platform, Windows Mobile platform and Windows Mobile API guide

Sendo Developer documents for Sendo X and related technologies

Siemens Mobile Developer tools and SDKs

Take Content and Applications Mobile Using Adobe GoLive CS2 (PDF) Adobe’s guide to developing engaging Flash content for mobile devices

Developing Wireless Content using XHTML Mobile Create XHTML Mobile Profile documents that render on multiple wireless devices

XHTML Tutorial W3 Schools’ detailed tutorial about XHTML

DevX Articles and tips about developing wireless content

Developer.com Tutorials and articles about content development for mobile platforms

The Wireles FAQ

Apple Iphone Content Developer’s Resources

Best Practices for Mobile Device ContentScope of Mobile Web Best Practices W3C Mobile Web Initiative Best Practices Working Group’s guidelinesW3C Mobile Basic Tests W3C recommendations for conformance

LibertyAlliance Project Digital identity, authentication,prevention of identity theft, privacy, trust and security

Optimizing Adobe PDF Files for Display on Mobile Devices (PDF)OMA Open Mobile Alliance XHTML Mobile Profile Specifications (PDF)

OMA Open Mobile Alliance Wireless CSS Specifications (PDF)

Morph concept technologies might create fantastic opportunities for mobile devices: Newly-enabled flexible and transparent materials blend more seamlessly with the way we live; Devices become self-cleaning and self-preserving; Transparent electronics offering an entirely new aesthetic dimension; Built-in solar absorption might charge a device, whilst batteries become smaller, longer lasting and faster to charge; Integrated sensors might allow us to learn more about the environment around us, empowering us to make better choices

Source: Nokia

D:Scribe by designer Reuben Png is a digital fountain pen that allows users to send SMS and email messages from paper.

Just write out the message and circle the person’s name to send. This does away with a keypad and allows you to focus on communicating in a more personal way from anywhere as long as you have a bluetooth enabled phone and a surface to write on.

The design is loosely based on a quill and inkwell where by the quill is the writing apparatus and the inkwell is an electromagnetic induction charger.

Source: Textually.org

A touch-sensitive gadget with the sensing panel on its back, instead of the screen, is being developed by US researchers. Using your fingers behind the device allows a firmer grip and more accurate performance without obscuring your view of the screen, they say.”

“As soon as you put your hands on the display you [obstruct] the screen,” he says, something he calls the “occlusion problem”. Users of iPhones have other problems too, he adds. “Multi-touch devices detect the entirety of the touch area,” Wigdor continues. “That’s what we call the ‘fat finger’ problem.”

Source: Small Surfaces via New Scientist Tech