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DirecTV HDUI is rolling out across the land, iPad app adds 12 more live streaming channels
DirecTV began quietly seeding its HDUI to customers back in November, but judging by our tips inbox it has recently picked up the pace of the rollout. It's live in many areas already where you're probably enjoying the sweet, sweet new guide with its 16x9 graphics and speedier interface, but if you don't yet have it, check out the thread at DBSTalk with estimated rollout dates for many areas. Also by way of the forum comes word of 12 new channels including AMC, Velocity and HD Net that were just added to DirecTV's live TV streaming iPad app. Of course, the update still won't play nicely with jailbroken iPads, so a cracked version will be required in those cases. Check out the list of channels after the break, if you're not seeing them in the app try hitting the "edit" button at the top right, finding them in the list and clicking the green plus symbol to add them manually. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Inside Susan Kare's 'iconic' sketchbooks
We've mentioned Susan Kare and her work on the site before, but it's a story that's always worth repeating: She's the woman behind some of Apple's most iconic, well, icon designs. Kare was working as a curator at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco when her friend Andy Hertzfeld asked her to think about some graphical icons to be used in a computer interface, and as you can see on this great PLoS blog post, she jumped right into the project. In these great images from her sketchbooks, you can see her working on the first proportionally spaced digital fonts used, and then progress up into bitmaps of both famous Mac icons like the Trash Can, the Cmd key, and the smiling Mac. There are even some really great but not used icons like a symbol for "Auto Indent" that actually shows an automobile leaving an indentation in a tree. What amazing work. She has published a book of her work, and you can even get it signed if you buy it directly from her website. Don't forget, too, that not only was Kare designing these icons for the Mac, but this was for the first major computer graphic interface, which means many of the standard icons we know today (the little speaker for audio controls, or the hand on screen for moving things around or even clicking through Internet links, were first originated by Kare and her peers. Really amazing stuff. [via The Mary Sue]
Comcast shows off its new 'Barcelona' HD guide upgrade
We've already gotten a large eyeful of Comcast's next-gen Xcalibur guide that's on the way next year with social networking tie ins and apps, but until that arrives, what can we hope for on the existing Scientific Atlanta, Cisco, and Motorola cable boxes? Sr. Director of Video Product Development Ted Hodgins has the answer, dropping in a link to the company's new Barcelona guide that it is already delivering to Anyroom DVR customers in Florida now, and will roll out in more markets before the end of the year. Like the upgraded guides we've seen for FiOS and TiVo, this iteration is built for HDTVs, with 16x9 graphics and far more listings information than was previously available on one screen. Other new features include the option to filter listings down to HD, premium, kids, movies, or sports content, easy jumping between days and saved searches. When we first laid eyes on another version of the software nearly four years ago we were impressed by its slick looks, but while it's still a major upgrade over the current decade-old cable box interfaces, in 2011 it takes more than a simple facelift to impress us. Hit the gallery for a few screenshots or click the source link below to meet the new guide before it rolls out in your area and see if its enough to hold you over for the time being. [Thanks, cypherstream] %Gallery-140085%
DirecTV's new HD UI revealed to testers, is prettier and faster than the current one
While DirecTV may tossing an old standard def look on the new DirecTiVo, beta testers got a treat tonight (even better than news AMC HD is on the way) when their boxes downloaded a brand new user interface. It's the HD UI that was mentioned during the last earnings call, and brings not only fully 16x9 formatted graphics but also, according to testers, a serious performance boost to satellite receivers. If you're in the test group restart your box and punch 0,2,4,6,8 to snag the new software and have a look for yourself, but if you're on the outside looking in hit the source link for one of DBSTalk's typical thorough walkthrough PDFs. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
From the boneheaded design file: Browsing Versions in Lion
I like Lion. I really really do. I can forgive Apple for breaking my Network Area Storage device, but in general it's a nice upgrade. There is, however, that matter of the "browse versions" feature in iWork (Pages, Numbers, Keynote), Preview and some other apps designed to work with the Versions feature in Lion. I asked several experienced Mac users if they understood how it all worked and not a one did. While some knew of the feature, and were anxious to use it, they couldn't find it. I would have expected a function that deals with a file to be on the File menu. Nope. Apple has it in the title bar, just where you are sure to miss it. If the document is locked, there's nothing in the File Menu either. You can lock the document from the title bar, but you have to unlock it from the drop down that appears on the word "locked". These are GUI choices from hell. When you finally do figure out how to browse your versions, your entire desktop changes, and you wind up in the Time Machine GUI (which Apple calls "The Star Field"), even though you never invoked Time Machine. As my colleague Erica Sadun points out, why introduce another system? Apple now offers full screen mode in several applications so you won't be distracted, but browsing versions morphs your desktop into a purple universe with flying stars whizzing by. Talk about distractions. There's no doubt that you can stumble through Apple documentation and find all this information out, but hey, this is Apple. You know, "it just works." By the way, I searched for "browse versions" in the Pages help document and came up blank. Lion does have some great features, but it's important that people understand them and that they are easy to use. It seems like these document functions really should be part of the File menu. If Apple wants to hide them in the title bar, that's fine, but give users a fighting chance. Apple should not change its motto to "it just works if you can find the non-intuitive place we've hidden it." If you want a good overview, our Steve Sande has done a nice job of explaining the new document control features. How are you doing with all this? Did you figure it out, or have you been lost too? I'm sure some of our readers were just fine, but I'll bet a lot of you are in the tall weeds.
Andy Hertzfeld, 'former Macintosh wizard,' designed the Google+ Project
Google+ looks... a little different. Almost as if it didn't even come from Google. And those drag-and-drop circles? Luscious. Turns out, there's a reason for everything, and he goes by Andy Hertzfeld. According to an investigative piece put up by Wired, Andy's actually credited as being the "original Mac guy," responsible for software and user interface design while working for Apple between 1979 and 1984. He picked up a new role at Goog in 2005, but according to the report, "he had previously felt constrained because its design standards didn't allow for individual creativity." That all changed with Emerald Sea, a diddy that would eventually become known as the search giant's most ambitious foray yet into the wide world of social networking. It's bruited that Andy was given the freedom to go wild whilst designing Google+, and it shows -- the interface throughout is about as intuitive as one could ever hope. 'Course, it takes more than good design to seal a project, but there's no doubt that this is one heck of a start. The rest of the story? Tucked away in that source link, just south of here.
EVE Evolved: Building a better UI
It's no secret that EVE Online has a poor user interface. With its drop-down menus for interacting with objects and text lists to show information like market orders and nearby objects in space, EVE has thoroughly earned the nickname "spreadsheets in space." The UI has changed drastically since I started playing in 2004, but in recent years, it's fallen behind the development curve. In a new devblog this week, CCP Snowlax suggested that the UI developers at CCP have lacked the framework necessary to do what they wanted with it. The existing framework had become bloated with eight years of development, and the underlying rendering engine wasn't even capable of using custom shaders. With Incursion 1.6, CCP pushed live a completely new UI framework that makes cool features like holographic UI elements possible. With the new Carbon UI framework in place, developers are taking another look at redesigning the EVE user interface. Screenshots of the new features being used in the upcoming Incarna expansion are impressive, but that's all taking place inside stations. I can't help but wonder how these new technologies could be applied to the space-faring portion of EVE and whether there are more fundamental challenges to overcome in UI design than adding flashy graphics. In this week's EVE Evolved, I give some thoughts on the development of EVE's UI, from the necessary evil of the overview to some things I'd like to see change.
Verizon FiOS TV 1.9 software update adds an HD guide, DVR enhancements
Originally projected to launch in Q4 of 2010, Verizon has finally started pushing out version 1.9 of its Media Guide software to set-top boxes in Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany and Harrisburg. Other regions can expect to be upgraded over the next couple of months, but just in case you've forgotten what's coming here's a few of the new features: a widescreen HD guide as shown above replacing the old 4x3 SD one, support for switching 3DTVs into the correct mode automatically, native passthrough, 1080p, external hard drives, DVD-style chaptering on DVR recordings, an all new search function and access to DVR recordings from other boxes in the house. Those are just some of the features included in this massive upgrade (not all of the boxes support all of the new features, doublecheck to see if yours is supported first -- this could be a good time for an upgrade), check out the release notes on Verizon's forums for more details, or check out the press release and a trailer for the new software included after the break.
Microsoft job posting teases Windows Phone Mobile Studio, requires thinking cap to grok
A conclusion for Captain Obvious to draw, this is not. As with most mega-corp job postings, the wording in Microsoft's latest is just obfuscated enough to keep us guessing, but a few key phrases have us (as well as ZDNet's Mary-Jo Foley) on edge waiting for the next big thing in cloud storage. Judging by the rousing reception seen by Amazon's Cloud Drive, we're guessing that the folks in Redmond haven't forgotten completely about Kin's one positive feature: Kin Studio. Based on a new job request, there's a Windows Phone Mobile Studio brewing, and the leading thought is that this is really Kin Studio... but for WP7 devices. Granted, this may be nothing at all like it sounds -- we could be looking at a future home for apps, or simply another aspect of Zune that'll make music management a wee bit easier. That said, we'd love to see Microsoft bust out a world-class streaming / storage service for its mobile platform, and you can bet we'll be prying for details at MIX next month.
VUDU 2.0 interface is live on the PlayStation 3
Just shy of a month after it launched on the PlayStation 3, VUDU has begun delivering its newly revamped interface on the game console. It should be there once the app is opened, but just in case you're not near a Sixaxis or the (now supported) Move controller check out our gallery for an idea of what the new layout look like. Oh, and if you're getting your 1080p HDX streaming via a different box or smart TV widget then keep an eye out, the company's support page say the PS3 and LG devices will be the only ones sporting the new look through January, with all the rest getting it later on. %Gallery-107570%
FiOS rolls out 'sneak peek' of updated v1.9 set-top box software
The much anticipated new guide for Verizon's FiOS TV service is out in the wild for testers recruited via its blog, and testers report new features like eSATA support and multiroom DVR browsing are present and accounted for. Another new feature is automatic switching for 3D content, with plans for enhanced user profiles, more HD and VOD and customizable menus in the future. Of course, we're just happy to see another guide for 16:9 displays, but if you're wondering what the new software can do, check out the thread on DSLForums for a few early impressions.
Comcast's internet video streaming cable box revealed?
After yesterday's reports that Comcast is trialing a cable box that also accesses content from the internet, Light Reading Cable has received this image purported to be that "Parker" box, built by Pace. Light Reading also mentions Samsung boxes may be in use during the "Xcalibur" test program as well. Of course, even more than widgets, the possibility that adding IP services to the box could mean an upgraded guide experience is probably the most exciting possibility, but until we get some concrete evidence consider our optimism levels set to mild.
Darkfall dev diary talks new UI, quest content, and more
Aventurine's Tasos Flambouras returns with another activity report on the Darkfall Epic Blog, and the focus is fairly broad. He touches on the dynamic quests and lore-driven events we mentioned last week, as well as upcoming world optimizations that include aggressive wildlife based on location and time of day, new monster families and epic mob encounters, and improvements to both player character models and monster animations. Those of you who haven't been able to get past Darkfall's unique user interface will also have reason to give the game a second look in the near future, as Flambouras states that Aventurine has decided on a new GUI framework and tools. "These should yield a vastly improved user interface. The next phase for the GUI is the architecture and adapting the current GUI functionality to the new framework," he says. Other notable items include the mention of a completely new environmental sound system as well as an in-game political map which will feature clan associations, vendor and bank locations, and various other resources. Check out all the details on the official Darkfall blog.
Apple loses, challenges patent verdict surrounding Cover Flow and Time Machine
Remember that one random company who sued Apple back in March of 2008 for ripping off its display interface patents? Turns out it was filed in the Eastern District of Texas, a hotbed for patent trolls who know that they stand a better-than-average chance of winning simply because of where their issues are being taken up. Sure enough, Cupertino's stock of lawyers is today being forced to challenge a loss after a jury verdict led to Apple being ordered to pay "as much as $625.5 million to Mirror Worlds for infringing patents related to how documents are displayed digitally." Ouch. Naturally, Apple has asked U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis for an emergency stay, noting that there are issues on two of the three; furthermore, Apple has claimed that Mirror Worlds would be "triple dipping" if it were to collect $208.5 million on each patent. In related news, the Judge is also considering a separate Apple request (one filed prior to the verdict) to "rule the company doesn't infringe two of the patents" -- if granted, that would "strike the amount of damages attributed to those two patents." In other words, this whole ordeal is far from over. We can't say we're thrilled at the thought of following the play-by-play here, but this could definitely put a mild dent in Apple's monstrous $45.8 billion pile of cash and securities. Or as some would say, "a drop in the bucket."
A cinematic tour of fake computer UIs
When your film or TV show takes place in a high-tech landscape, an important part of the mise en scène is the computer interface that your protagonist / supervillain uses to save the planet / initiate the self-destruct sequence. But time and again, that blockbuster GUI is far too high-tech for the film's setting... or just plain silly. According to a recent NPR interview with Hollywood interface designer Mark Coleran, this is no accident: the convention began in the early 1980s, when most people's computer knowledge was limited to coin-op videogames. "The entire point of those things," he says, "is to tell a story... in two seconds, onscreen." Besides, who among us hasn't wanted access to a smiley-faced "virus launch panel" at some point? Hit up the source links for some examples of UIs that have "gone Hollywood," and feel free to drop any of your favorites into the comments.
Verizon FiOS set-top boxes getting a new HD guide, external storage and more in Q4
Streaming and downloading TV content to mobiles is nice, but we enjoy watching TV... on the TV, and Verizon had plenty of that to talk about today as well. Due in Q4 along with its FlexView app for mobile VOD access, version 1.9 of its FiOS TV guide software will finally add a 16x9 HDTV-filling guide to those Motorola boxes and it looks like many of our suggestions (and yours, according to Director of Product Management Joe Ambeault) made it in. Beyond a fresh coat of paint (although, with animated transitions, highly customizable viewing and browsing options and 3D-ish elements it's shaping up to be a very nice fresh coat of paint), the real meat is in the enhanced DVR features. New updates include support for external storage (up to 1TB eSATA per DVR), automatic DVD-style chaptering on recordings, and an undelete button to bring back mistakenly removed recordings. Also freshened is its MoCA-powered multiroom setup that now shows all recordings from any box or external storage all in one list. About the only thing we can find missing from the new software is any sort of support for conflict resolution across DVRs or using all tuners as a pool, but it's otherwise robust, with each box handling up to 4 streams (2 in, 2 out) at once, and 7 connected devices (6 boxes plus one router) per home. Check out a couple more screens after the break, though skipping directly to house shopping in FiOS-connected neighborhoods may make for more efficient use of your time.
Home Tab Mod 1.7 for Sense 2.5 breathes new life into Windows Mobile (video)
Ready to customize your custom Windows Mobile skin? HTC's already thoroughly tricked out Sense UI has received the modding treatment courtesy of Co0kieMonster and his team over at xda-developers, and user feedback has been exultant about the results. What you're getting with the Home Tab Mod, and particularly in this latest version 1.7, is a litany of custom arrangement options to suit all tastes. Whether you want your weather and expandable appointment list front and center or you prefer extra quick links to your favorite applications and notifications of new calls, messages or emails, you'll find a layout to suit you. There are even options for loading up the lock screen with Sense elements, if that's more to your liking, and we've grabbed a video walkthrough of the new UI after the break. To get on board, you'll need a HTC device with Sense 2.5 and the clicking power to hit up the source for the download and full instructions. [Thanks, ran]
Internet Explorer 9 going all Metro, according to allegedly leaked screenshots? (update: nope)
Well goodness gracious, consider the books well and truly turned up. The above, purportedly bona fide, IE9 screenshot shows a bold and radical redesign of the browser everyone loves to hate. Borrowing liberally from the Metro UI design philosophy -- first espoused in the Zune HD and then paraded to great acclaim in the Windows Phone 7 OS -- this distinctly minimalist new look has us experiencing uncomfortable and unfamiliar emotions toward Microsoft's browser. We kinda, sorta wanna use it now. According to the rough translation, the bar up top alternates, depending on your use, between displaying the page title, status, address bar or search box, thereby trimming the aesthetic fat to the very limit. Slide past the break for another image, but remember: these could just as easily be mere mockups done by passionate Microsoft fans. In either case, we're pretty sure this is the direction this browser, and all others, need to be headed. [Thanks, Kiran] Update: And, as it turned out, the screenshots were indeed an exercise in some April-inspired tomfoolery by the guys over at LiveSino. We still think they're gorgeous, we'll just brush up on our Chinese for next time.
Microsoft seeking patent for Windows Phone 7 Series panoramic GUI
The US Patents and Trademark Office has today made public a Microsoft patent application (serial no. 240,729) related to the graphical user interface found on the hotly anticipated Windows Phone 7 Series mobile OS. Filed in September 2008, this application describes a "contiguous background" that extends beyond the dimensions of the screen (either vertically or horizontally, but not both) with anchored "mixed-media" elements being littered atop it -- all of which is to be served on a "media-playing device." That should sound pretty familiar, given that it's the central navigational concept of both Windows Phone 7 and the Zune HD, and as such it makes a lot of sense for Microsoft to seek to legally protect its uniqueness. Before you start wondering about potential conflicts with other UIs, take note that this requires a continuous graphical background rather than a tiled or repeating image, plus space-orientating graphical elements, which should make it sufficiently nuanced to avoid any more patently unnecessary squabbles should Microsoft's claims be validated by the USPTO.
How would you change HTC's Sense?
Microsoft's not going to allow HTC to cover Windows Phone 7 Series with its Sense UI overlay (which is going to be an interesting thing to watch in and of itself), but there's no question that the homegrown user interface has made a-many Windows Mobile phones look and feel a whole lot better than stock. Sense is also gaining traction in the Android realm, a sector where it's far more likely to either make a huge impact or be overlooked entirely. So, the question we're posing here today is this: if you were granted an HTC badge for a day, how would you change Sense? Are you satisfied with the quickness? Does anything simply get in the way? Any quirks that you just can't figure out? Any tweaks that you'd love to see made? We aren't always serious when we say that these companies are listening to you, but trust us when we say that design folks from HTC might just give your comments a once over. Here's your chance. Don't screw it up.
