With the continued proliferation of auto satnav, handheld Personal Navigation Devices (PNDs) and mobile phone navigational functionality, consumers are being offered ever more choice in the way they experience navigation and location-based information. Hence it was interesting to see the penetration of navigation technologies into the population when digital map provider Navteq released excerpts from its global research recently. In 2009, roughly half of all people in mature markets such as US, UK, France and Germany had used navigation devices - roughly double the number from 2006. The research also concluded that mobile consumers are very interested in pedestrian navigation too. The time is unquestionably near when we’ll all be reliant on our handheld devices for finding our way around.

The following excerpts are from NAVTEQ's Annual Tracking Study, NAVTEQ's Traffic Study, New Pedestrian Navigation Product Research.

Consumer experience with navigation is double what it was just a few years ago; but even in mature markets it has reached only around 50%

In a NAVTEQ Tracking Study, 48% of respondents in the US said that they had used navigation, up from 22% in 2006. Another 48% of respondents were familiar with navigation, but had never used it. For Europe, the same study showed that in 3 of the most mature markets (UK, France and Germany) 53% of respondents had used navigation, up from 26% in 2006. Another 41% were familiar with navigation but had not used it. If the results are expanded to include Poland, Czechoslovakia and Russia as well, the number of respondents who have used navigation falls to 49%, with another 47% saying they are familiar with it. In APAC (China and south Asia), only 34% of respondents said that they had used navigation; another 58% were familiar with it.

Globally, consumers have the most experience with portable devices; their use of navigation via an in-car system or mobile device is at lower and relatively similar levels

In the same tracking study, 44% of respondents in the US said that they had used portable navigation (another 49% were “familiar” with PNDs). Reported use was 25% for in-car navigation and 21% for mobile phone navigation. In Europe, 47% of respondents said that they had used portable navigation and another 47% were “familiar.” Reported use of in-car navigation was 19% and mobile navigation use was 25%. APAC results were somewhat more equally aligned, with respondents’ stated use of portable navigation at 28%, versus 29% for mobile navigation and 17% for in-car navigation.

Consumers most frequently use in-car navigation systems, followed by PNDs and mobile devices

54% of US respondents reported “Regular” use of their embedded navigation system, versus 41% for PNDs and 27% for mobile navigation. EU respondents showed a similar pattern, with 68% saying they regularly use an embedded navigation system, while that number was only 53% for PNDs and 37% for mobile navigation. In APAC, 67% regularly use their embedded navigation system versus 50% and 46% respectively for PNDs and mobile.

Consumers utilizing traffic services use their navigation system more than those without

In a separate study regarding consumer views on real-time traffic services, 48% of US participants said that they used their navigation system more often than they did before they had access to real time traffic. The pattern was repeated in Europe, with 44% of respondents saying their navigation system usage had increased with the addition of real-time traffic access.

Interest in pedestrian navigation is real among mobile consumers

In a Q3 global proprietary study conducted by NAVTEQ across 8 different countries, 2/3 of mobile phone consumers stated that they want a mapping service that provides both car and walking directions.

Dance and Interactive Light Installation: You Fade to Light/ edit 1 (rAndom International, Kristin Knappstein, Royal Philips Electronic' Luminblade team)

You Fade To Light / edit 1 from rAndom International on Vimeo.

"Lumiblade OLED's are large area diffuse light sources made from extremely thin glass and feature a perfect mirror finish. OLED's are very close to the quality of natural light."

Installation and Art Direction by rAndom International
Choreography: Laïla Diallo in collaboration with Khamlane Halsackda
Performance: Laïla Diallo and Khamlane Halsackda
Film Production and Director of Photography: Mark Purnell at Hogarth Worldwide
Related versions can be found on the rAndom International Vimeo site.
Photos of the making of You Fade to Light


Chris O'Shea created the software for You Fade to Light using C++, openFrameworks, and openCV. There was a hidden camera embedded in the installation that generated video for the software to process and also generate video files as output. The hardware drivers were created by rAndom International and through the software, controlled the brightness of each OLED.

Chris is the author of the Pixelsumo blog, and also is behind This Happened, a "series of events focusing on the stories behind interaction design", with the purpose of encouraging interaction designers to become more open in their methods and ideas.

For more information about interactive OLED, read the NY Time's article:

Panels of Light Fascinate Designers
Eric A. Taub, New York Times, 9/6/09


Thanks to Celine Latulipe for the link to the NY Times article!

Ebooks, we are told, are the future of reading. These sleek devices, little bigger than a paperback, allow people to carry hundreds of books with them, and because they use eInk technology, you won’t experience the eye strain or discomfort you might suffer reading on a computer screen or mobile phone.

Sony is leading the ebook charge in Britain. Today, two new editions of its Reader range of ebook devices go on sale: the compact Pocket Edition and the touch-screen Touch Edition.

There are many things to recommend the ebook: for a voracious reader, the ability to carry many titles is a real boon; for casual readers, and for students, the ability to electronically bookmark pages and annotate text holds huge appeal.

The biggest obstacle the ebook faces is convincing people that a battery-powered gadget is better than the printed word, which, after all, has sufficed for the last 500 years. People have a peculiar attachment to the look, feel and smell of old books, a tactile experience that the metallic efficiency of ebook readers cannot hope to replicate.

So who better to assess whether ebooks really are the future than Christopher Howse, a discerning bibliophile? We gave him both the Pocket Edition and Touch Edition to see whether he could be persuaded to surrender his collection of dusty classics in favour of a more high-tech reading experience.

If your headphones that came with your iPhone are starting to get a bit tatty or fall apart, then now is the right time to treat yourself to some decent headphones. The standard earphones that come with the iPhone aren’t too bad, but as with any bundled headphones they certainly aren’t the best for sound quality, comfort or fit. While the iPhone 3G & 3GS has a standard 3.5mm headphone socket, you’d be forgiven for thinking that you can use any old headphones with the iPhone. Technically you can if you’re only going to listen to music, but what if you want to be able to make and receive calls at the same time? When a call comes in you’re going to have problems – although you will be able to hear the caller, they won’t be able to hear you as standard headphones don’t have a microphone.

Things to look out for
There are a few other things to check for when choosing a headset for your iPhone too. Take the answer button for example – did you know that you can use this button to control your music play back as well as answer and end calls? Click it once to play/pause your music, click it twice to skip forward one song, click it three times to skip back a track. I use mine purely as a remote control for the music, so for me this would be a must have feature, but although most headsets have an answer button on them now, not all of them support music control – for that you need to make sure the earphones/headset have a 3.5 mm 4 poled jack plug.

As I went through these earphones I noticed that the location of the clicker/answer button varies. I’m used to using the standard Apple earphones which has the button on the right just under my chin and that’s where my hand automatically goes when I want to press the button, but with some of these the button is somewhere completely different so it will take a little getting used to.

The last thing that you may want to look out for is the cable on the earphones, the standard Apple ones have the same amount of cable going to each ear, but some will have a short cable on one ear and a longer one on the other. This type of earphone is designed to hang around the back of your neck so that when you take them out of your ears they are easy to find and aren’t swinging down by your waist or on the floor.

There is also a choice of wearing styles. Some headphones sit over the top of your head on a headband, some sit in your ear and others sit in your ear canal. It’s personal preference as to which one is best, but I tend to find that the ones that sit in your ear canal sound better, block out more background noise and are normally more comfortable. Not everyone will get on with these though as you have to push them into your ears quite a bit further than you would with standard earphones.

Top Headsets

On to the earphones then. All of the ones listed here are of the Ear Canal type.

Etymotic HF2

These are the best quality headphones that you can get for the iPhone. The HF2 has won many awards for sound quality and is highly rated on almost every review site. They may look a little unusual, but the triple-flange rubber earpiece is designed to block out as much noise as possible so that you can enjoy your music without interruption. Inserting them into your ears will take a little bit of getting used to as you need to use a twisting motion in order to create a good seal, but once they’re in they’re extremely comfortable and the sound quality is fantastic, although they don’t have any specialised drivers for enhancing Bass, so if you like your music thumping you might be better off looking at the Vibe II or the Koss i150. The in-line remote is in a similar position to that of the original iPhone headphones and the raised answer button makes it easy to operate. The cable to each earpiece is evenly split, and it has a plastic slider to help prevent the cables getting tangled or damaged. The HF2 includes 3 different earplugs -2 sizes of the triple flange and a foam tip for those who can’t get on with the rubber ones. The Etymotic HF2 also includes a carry pouch, spare filters and a filter removal tool and is available in Black, Cobalt & Ruby. Read the Etymotics HF2 Revew on iLounge.com

V-Moda Vibe II

The Vibe II is the latest headset from V-Moda and replaces the popular Vibe Duo. They have a solid metal casing with coloured inserts and fabric covered cables instead of the usual plastic which helps to reduce tangling. They come with a range of earbuds, so finding the best fit shouldn’t be a problem. The Vibe II headset is still a powerful headset that will suit bass lovers best, for some you may find the bass a little overpowering, but by changing the earbud that you use, you may find that you can tone it down a little. The Vibe II now also include 2 Sport Ear Hooks – detachable rubber loops that sit over your ear and help to keep the earpieces in place. The headset comes with 4 different sizes of ear bud in 2 colours (black and clear) as well as a carry case. The microphone and answer button are very different to anything else too. The microphone is in the usual place, but the answer button has been moved lower down to where the cable from your phone splits. Read the Vibe II iLounge Review.

Koss i150

The Koss i150 headphones are more suited to people who enjoy lots of bass. The headphones have moulded silicon tips that form a tight seal in your ear to block out background noise and are unlikely to come loose even during the toughest of workouts. The i150’s have a small, powerful speaker driver that provides deep bass and crisp clear sound. The remote is mounted in a similar place to the original Apple earphones and as with the HF2, the cable is evenly split to each ear. The Koss i150 comes with 3 different sizes of silicon tips and a carry case.

Apple In Ear

The guys at Apple must know that the standard earphones that ship with the iPhone are nothing special or they wouldn’t be producing a better, more expensive set of headphones. The Apple In-Ear headphones are very similar in appearance to the standard headphones that come in the box with the phone, but have a much better earpiece and dramatically improved sound quality. These Apple headphones have dual drivers – a dedicated low end/mid range woofer and a high frequency tweeter – this significantly improves the sound quality and you’ll certainly be noticing sounds in songs that you’ve never heard before. Although they don’t have as much bass as some of the other headphones, so if bass is your thing, I’d suggest you choose the V-Moda Vibe II. The remote is, of course, in the same place as the standard headphones, but it is slightly different. The remote has volume control buttons as well as the answer/end/track skip button but Apple have chosen not to support this feature on the iPhone, so pressing the volume keys will achieve nothing – It will only work on the latest iPod shuffle or iPod classic. Included with the headphones are 2 spare sets of silicon tips and a hard carry case.

Zagg Z.Buds

The design of the Z.buds is slightly different to everything else here and it reminds me Nokia hands free kits. Rather than just sitting in your ears and plugging into your iPhone, the Z.buds are on a lanyard that you can hang around your neck. This way when you take the headphones out they hang down onto your chest and are easy to get to when you want to put them back in. Like the Vibe II headset, it has tangle free fabric cables and a full metal casing on the earpieces. The in-line remote is where it should be and does what it should. Further down the cable there is a volume control which does work with the iPhone. The lanyard style might not suit everyone, but it’s a great time saver if you’re always taking your earphones out – If you don’t use it though, you may find the cable a little on the long side. Read the Z.buds review by iLounge.com.

Skullcandy FMJ

The FMJ’s (Full Metal Jackets) are bass heavy earphones – probably the heaviest here. The emphasis with the FMJ’s is clearly on deep bass and they bring the low end of songs into the foreground. They provide a clubby sound signature that makes for fun listening. Their styling is based on that of early V-Moda headphones – metal casings and fabric cables. You get 3 sets of ear tips included, so if you lose some it’s not the end of the world. The in-line remote is in the right place and the button is raised slightly to make it easy to locate without looking. Read the Skullcandy FMJ review on iLounge.com.

Sennheiser MM50iP

The MM50iP is one of the most affordable headsets here. They come with 3 sizes of ear tip and are extremely comfortable to wear. The in line remote works well, but is on the left, so it will take a little getting used to. It’s also the only headset here that is designed to be worn around the back of your neck which means that the cable to the left ear is much shorter than the one going to the right. The idea behind this is that you can hang them round your neck when you’re not using them, but they’re easy to find when you need to answer a call or listen to your music. The MM50’s offer a big improvement to the sound quality offered by the standard Apple earphones and aren’t particularly bass heavy so will suit most music genres.

Maximo ip-HS2

The Maximoa HS2 is a close rival to the V-Moda Vibe II. They aren’t as bass heavy as the Vibe II so will suit all types of music. They are similarly styled with metal casings, and have a separate microphone and in-line remote. The microphone is on the left rather than the right, and the answer/end/track skip button is where the cable splits instead of being built into the microphone. The Maximo ip-HS2 comes with 3 different sized ear plugs and an extension cable. Read the Maximo ip-HS2 review on iLounge.com

Comparing the headphones

Reviewing headphones isn’t that easy because something that sounds good to one person might sound terrible to someone else. There aren’t really that many specifications you an compare on headphones either, but after some research, it seems that Impedance and Frequency Response are two relatively important factors to consider. For those who aren’t sure what these mean, here’s a brief and basic summary:

Impedance: Higher impedence gives a more controlled sound, while lower impedence are more dynamic and punchier.

Frequency Response: The audible bandwidth is 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz (or 20kHz). Outside that range, sounds are not audible to most human ears. Ultra-low frequencies (less than 20Hz) are more felt than heard.

Make	Model	Impedance	Frequency Response
Koss	i150	8 ohms	10-20,000 Hz
Etymotic	HF2	16 ohms	20-15,000 Hz
Sennheiser	MM50 iP	16 ohms	80-15,000 Hz
Skullcandy	FMJ	16 phms	16-20,000 Hz
Zagg	Zbuds	10 ohms	20-20,000 Hz
Apple	In Ear	23 ohms	5-21,000 Hz
V-Moda	Vibe II	16 ohms	12-22,000 Hz
Maximo	iP-HS2	16 ohms	20-16000 Hz