Tag: business

Thank you, 2011

未分類, Design, blogging



(Top post for 2011, Polaroid iPhone Dock Concept)

The one concept I was preparing for as the last 2011 post couldn’t be in time. Sorry.

This is the second year since I started freelancing. Here are what I’m doing now and it could be an excuse for the fewer posts for this blog than last year.

Software

  • NCDC: working closely with this Japanese company for iPhone/iPad/Android apps
  • 1 Android related software everyone can use (and love?) and more in 2012 also on iPhone
  • A few other GUIs for some interesting futuristic platforms
  • A fashion website to go live soon

Hardware

  • A few thrilling smartphone concepts + tablet devices
  • Graphic designs for smartphone cases for 2 companies
  • Smart city architecture concepts

Others

I can tell 2012 will be one of the most exciting years in my life. Strongly believe many people around the globe will have chances to see what I make (not just concepts). Just can’t wait to introduce all the above products/services as soon as I can!

Thank you all for reading this blog. I’ve restarted blogging in Japanese on Blogger. I use Facebook for casual talks and Twitter for inspirations.

I wish you all the best in 2012!

The Ball’s in My Court? I Was Waiting for Your Answer!

未分類, apple, Design, Macintosh, web2.0, inspiration, software, app, business

That happens very often, doesn’t it? Then why not visually check who’s turn to answer and how many answers are on hold in your Mail app?

who\'s got the ball mail plugin

A blue ball means “It’s MY turn to answer”, while the yellow is “I’m waiting for an answer”. If you keep ignoring a question, the ball gets bigger and bigger!

who\'s got the ball mail plugin2

“WHO’S GOT THE BALL” image visualizes who’s turn to give an answer. In the message area, the correspondent question is highlighted.

who\'s got the ball mail plugin3

If it’s you who are waiting for an answer, there’s a yellow ball held by the other side.

who\'s got the ball mail plugin4

In most cases, though, there are more than one question in a message. In that case, you’ve got as many balls as the questions being asked!

who\'s got the ball mail plugin5

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

WiFi, web application and a Starbucks with rentable small office(?)

Gadget, iphone, iPod, technology, web2.0, starbucks

Web applications for iPod Touch and iPhone are now released by Google, which include search, gmail, calendar, docs, etc. I tried them a little and now the home page is already bookmarked as my portal site. It works fast!!! I even found it works faster than the apps installed in iPod. Amazing!

It works so well that I even think an iPod can go well without apps installed, which might have been the original plan by Apple though. With a browser that works, most of the things can be done. In the near future, graphic and motion apps will be available. Even fonts won’t have to be installed in your PC.

By the way, my commuter train now throws a campaign that allows us to use free WiFi for as long as we want once a day. It’s only for iPod Touch users. (There’s no iPhone in Japan yet.) With that service, I don’t have to buy a newspaper or magazine to read on a train: I can read them on the net. (Sometimes I have to pay some money to be a member to have a full view of the contents, of course.) Also, I can deal with Word and Excel documents, move the data and send them by email. With a small device, I can WORK on a train. I can also read the blogs I have to check.

I believe this is already a business that someone started, but I hope there’s an office to rent, which is equipped with a PC with a browser and a WiFi connection. You can choose a scanner, printer or fax as an option, and the fees depend on the hours or days you rent and the office size (from one for 1 person). Renting a cool office for yourself costs a lot, so there will be lots of people who want to rent a beautiful office where we even think they want to invite someone. How about an office like a Starbucks? I’ve seen many people talking to their customers or affiliates in a Starbucks store. Soundproof walls should be installed so that we won’t have to worry someone will hear our talks. And this is what I want: you can order a coffee from your PC and a clerk will serve you. The fee is automatically added, so it’s easily done. Or, there can be a bar counter where you can pour your coffee for yourself for free.

The data is stored in the web server, so other people can access it from other places. WIth that, you don’t have to be a freelance.
So what do you think? Or are there places like this already?
Cool office you can rent at a Starbucks?