- Pinch gesture is the new “Back” button. Very smart and very Apple like solution.

- The one native iPad App I’d love to see: Flickr. Flickr API + touch interface + big screen.

- While re-watching the keynote, this became very clear to me: there will be a fork between iPhone / iPad Apps. In fact, Apple encourages you to write iPad specific apps. This is not a good or bad thing. iPhone’s small screen (classic) demands the simple UI. iPad is just another ball game.

- Speaking of running “stock” iPhone Apps on the iPad, the 160ppi iPhone apps scale up to a larger physical screen size but with less pixel density (132ppi) might actually look decent. I haven’t seen the real thing yet, but there’s hope for “stock” iPhone apps on the iPad – at least for the short term.

- Some had wished for complicated new gesture with the bigger touch screen – i.e. tripple-tap-pinch-drag-swipe that does amazing things. I for one, am glad Apple kept it basic. After all, with the mouse one can only do point and click, double click, and click drag. 3 very basic motions. Keep it simple my friend.

- Speaking of complexity vs simplicity, it’s both surprising, and inspiring to see the Apple team had ported iWork suite to the iPad. It’s a daunting task but those 3 Apps (Pages, Keynote, and Numbers) will become the UI and usability reference of the Touch interface for years to come – Just like MacPaint for the Macintosh.

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” – Alan Kay

Rather than another blog post that predicts flying cars or the end of the world in 2020, I’ve put together a few thoughts on what’s to come in the next 10 years.

Simple observations on trends, wishful thinking’s, and in many case, the logical next step on what’s to come.

On Technology

- Before we get to “Cloud Computing”, we will see the rise or “consumerization” of the Data Center: i.e. I will be able to transfer MY 1TB plus of RAW photography and 200GB of audio (which most consumer could have in time) with ease to the Cloud. (Note: Think S3 “for the rest of us”)

- The Desktop GUI Files and Folders metaphor will have to evolve. Files and folders work great when you have hundreds or even thousands of files, but the metaphor becomes pretty pointless when you are tasked to manage millions of digital records. This is a big challenge we have to solve in the next decade.

- Call it Web 3.0 if you like. With so many standalone Web Services out there, it’s still pretty hard for non-tech people to build meaningful digital content (let alone business) on the Web. In the coming decade, we should be able to figure out a way to tide all these standalone services together into something much more meaningful. (Note: Think today’s 10 person Web 2.0 startup can be built by 1 person in the next decade simply buy gluing together existing services on the Web)

On Business and Economy

- The rise of micro / digital transaction from the Digital World into the Real World. In the next decade, it should get much easier to paying someone for goods and services. Think of it as P2P economy. i.e. I can pay the kid down the street to mow the lawn via digital credit. Why this is important you ask? The less friction it is to any form of transaction, the better it is for the commerce right?

- Another financial bubble in the next decade will be driven by either Clean Tech or Biotech. We had the boom and bust in tech, real estate, and finance sectors in the last 20 years. The new cycle is bound to happen in those two industries next – with the requirement of some form of technical break though takes place.

On Media and Entertainment

- Traditional live TV will completed moving to the Web. After all, you living room TV is just a monitor. (Note: Think Hulu for ALL TV content but with live broadcast)

On Design

- Design and Fashion will finally move away from the Neo-grunge into something much more Baroque like or other style that’s focus on individual craftsmanship. (Note: Think Etsy, and TAD Gear)

Roger: “I bet there are people in the bible complaining about kids today.”
Don: “Kids today they have no one to look up to…. cause they are looking up to us.”

I guess that’s the answer to my post almost two years ago.

Due to the open source nature of Android, heavy customization of the UI is to be expect. This type of heavy customization of mobile UNIX/Linux UI reminds me of the crazy varieties of the UNIX interface of the 1990s. Anyone still remember the different versions Motif, Gnome, KDE, Solaris, etc?

I am afraid we’re entering a very similar era with the Mobile UI.

“Classic Android” (Google Phone), HTC Sense UI for Android, Palm Pre’s WebOS, Symbian S60 Touch, etc. the choice are limitless. These ‘next gen’ UI are powerful, but yet difficult to use. They also require the users to relearn how things operate from handsets to handsets.

Imagine developer has to port popular mobile service to at least 5 different handsets’ OS. Imagine users switch between handsets and they have to relearn their favorite apps (i.e. Twitter client or Web browser).

I am aware of the great hope of HTML / JavaScript driven mobile-web apps (or even OS) that will “rule them all”. These solutions are (technically) sound for both the users and developer, but in reality, if you want to deliver top notch user experience, some middle of the road solution rarely works…

The PC Revolutions happened because we actually have limited choices. Macs or Windows (95 in particular). The next 3-5 years are critical for these Mobile OS. For mobile to succeed, natural selection has to occur. We’ll end up with no more than 3 different major mobile OS. Mark my words.

The Shape
When the old PSP first launched, everyone commented on the beautiful 16:9 screen. Sony did a great job keeping the shape of the old PSP simple and honest. With the addition of the new PSP Go slide out control, you ended up with many more circular design (4 circles shape on the control + the 2 added round edges of the slide out bottom) to compete with the rectangular 16:9 screen. If the actually PSP Go screens is square, you will have much less of a problem, but right now, in most consumers minds, it’s no longer the sexy 16:9 device, instead it’s something with various mismatched shapes.

Moving Parts
Moving parts might look great in a transformer movie, but in general, things that move break. When things break, it mean they are cheap (and negative feeling abound). Just look at most of the consumer slider mobile phones and you will probably agree anything that slides around is just low-end or easy to break . (Note: the exception of this would be flip phones and laptop design – since the flip / clam shell motion communicate privacy and hidden treasure).

The Material
Glass is sexy. Metal is sexy. Plastic not so much. In one of the press photo that got leaked, gone are the sexy “breathing holes” on the old PSP, what you gain is uneven cheapo plastic surface. I hope Sony can (will?) fix it in production model, but the damage is done.

The Mylo legacy.
Dear Sony, nobody cares about the Mylo. The 12-14 years old these days all have cellphone, Mylo is not that useful to them as a communicator, and bringing the Sony Mylo legacy to the gaming world will just further confuse the consumers.

I blogged about the original PSP launch in 2004 with enthusiasm. How times have changed….

Things have changed in the last 8 months or so. Mint is now my “go-to” online personal financial app due to the visual cleanliness, speedy ajax interaction, keyboard (accessibility) access, and clever use of Flex.

The most impressive part for me (as a UI Designer) is the innovative use of “drop down panel” in the transactions table. Everything is just right.

Compare with Yodlee (which is getting pretty ghetto on the UI these days), and Thrive (aka justthrive.com), Mint is still miles ahead.

Don’t take my word for it, try all 3 and see who’s UI (and product) is better.

On iPhone as a platform to redeem your Brand
iPhone could be the Jesus Phone after all. Not trying to be mean or anything, but who still use AOL products and Portal (beside AIM)? Yet, under the iPhone’s ‘halo effect’, AOL released the “Daily Finance” iPhone App which is really really well put together.

Redeem your (product) Sin on the iPhone. It’s the Jesus phone after all.

On Objectified (the film)
The film is not about the gadgets. Surprise!

The film is about industrial design, the designers, and the *things* that’s around us. It didn’t shy away from the topic of consumerism, and how we should actually appreciate the things we’ve already purchased. Now that’s an interesting idea.