Measuring in at 300 X 250 pixels, the new CBC Olympics widget was developed to push the boundaries of information density.
This flashy little piece of real estate really packs on the pounds by delivering up to the minute reporting on all 306 Olympic events, athlete blog feeds, breaking Olympic News for all 34 sport categories, Medals Results, Video feeds and program schedule with links to live events… whew!
Of course, as you might expect in a widget, you can customize and add it to your desktop as a Mac Widget or Vista Gadget, and even embed it into your favorite weblog or social application. Check it out on my facebook page.
Some long nights went into developing this application with developer Matt Rix taking care of the chrome and front end programming, Dayton Pereira tackling design and interaction, and I handled building the data provider and results parsing. Brodie Hanbuch, our Associate Technical Director, assembled the team and put the plan into action.
The whole production was a really dynamic experience with each person playing one part toward a larger goal, and that goal was to create the best damn widget concept possible. With such a tiny space to work in, the design challenges are obvious. It had to be intuitive, easy to use, aesthetically pleasing and readable.
On the front end, you can imagine the challenge Matt had managing the interaction, animation and general presentation. And if you want to hear about the challenges getting it all to work with facebook, I suggest you send Matt an email.
And as for the back-end… well that deserves a post all by itself. Unfortunately it would be so intricate and detailed, only the most die hard code monkey would find it interesting. (If I get 5 comments asking for that description, I’ll write the post. Unfortunately for me I find it interesting…)
You can get yourself a copy of the widget by clicking the “get and share” button on the lower right-hand side, or visit http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/olympicwidget/ and do the same thing there.
August 1st, 2008 7:20 am by mikeB | Posted in Design
Very excited to be apart of the blue team that is INDUS! Time to add my first post. I’ve become increasingly interested in the graffiti world lately, especially as it moves from paint to physical structure. Some great inspiration can be found in the work of Dutch collective Delta Inc.
The Sun’s new AIR application called Desktop Keely reminds me of the writers adage. “Write for the masses and eat with kings, write for kings and eat with the masses.”
I’m not overly familiar with the United Kingdom and their cultural nuances, but even in North America their daily rag “The Sun” has gained a degenerate reputation. Maybe degenerate is a little harsh, but it’s pretty much the same word I would use for the National Inquirer and probably Star magazine. This stuff is pure brain garbage that does nothing more than stimulate a person’s most base instincts.
But alas, I have to admit, those very primitive responses are often undeniable even if deplorable. I have often fell victim to the magazine rack while buying milk and bread, wondering what sort of trouble Linsay Lohan and Britney Spears have gotten themselves in… and I have resisted, sometimes failed, to quell the overwhelming urge to flip through the pages and see the best and worst beach bodies this year.
Anyway, I’ve been suckered again… and this time from right across the Atlantic.
It’s a nice and simple desktop application, packaged up with long legs and bulging breasts.
Damned be my monkey brain, but this is cool, especially if you are into half naked girls, celeb gossip or sports.
It’s at least worth a look if you are involved in producing AIR applications. The idea alone is brilliant, and the final product is usable to those of us who can’t control our limbic systems.
I’m betting the Sun gets all sorts of hits back to their Page 3 Website (warning: link contains nudity) from this application.
It’s no secret that different countries use the web in different ways. On june 12th Statistics Canada released the results of Canadian internet usage for 2007 and the numbers are pretty important from a marketing perspective.
73% of Canadians surfed in 2007 for personal reasons. The more money you have the more likely you are online with 91% of household with income >95K leading the way . The more education you have the more likely you are to connect with 84% of those with some post secondary education connecting. Those between 16-24 are pretty much fully connected at 96% and most Canadians (88%) are surfing through high bandwidth connections.
According to the CMA (Canadian Marketing Association) total ad spend in Canada by 2011 will be 23.3 Billion with online accounting for almost 3.3B. What we are wondering is why given the fact the internet is so pervasive as a medium why does it not command a higher share of ad and marketing dollars?
The photo above was taken at St. Clair and Yonge in Toronto.
It’s amazing to watch the whirlwind around the Canadian launch. Truth be told I’m a petition signer - the thought of continuing to pay stupid rates for mobile access to the internet is driving me crazy.
The most interesting lesson from all of this is just how much of a sea change is happening with regards to the perception of the internet. The iPhone has little to do with the phone thing this is all about ubiquitous internet. We are at the tipping point for a technological society. The demand for Apple’s fancy pocket sized internet appliance is proof that people want the internet wherever they go.
People will argue that a device such as the iPhone is simply a luxury or a status symbol and while that may be the case for some the truth is that the device really is truly useful. Our world is now so complex that the ability to connect and interact on so many different levels is more of a day to day need than anything else.
Here is Indusblue’s reel of some banner advertisements we’ve done for various clients including Smirnoff, Mini, Toyota, Applebee’s, Canadian Tire, Cashmere, and the CFL. Enjoy!
All of the programmers at Indusblue took some time out of their day to test drive the new Spore Creature Creator released by Electronic Arts this week. This is what they came up with…
1) Nicholas Hillier
2) Cam Warnock
3) Brooklyn Smith
4) Matt Rix
5) Brodie Hanbuch
This is something too good to pass on. Graffiti can be a strong positive force in the hands of the right people, (Evan Roth for instance) , but Paul “Moose” Curtis has moved to a whole new level, melding an exacting conscience with a brilliant sentiment. The impermanence is a poetic and acute razor slice.
Well we’ve been in our new office for over 6 months now, so we thought it might be time to show the space off. It’s all open concept, great for creative thinking and bringing ideas to life.
It’s no secret that different countries use the web in different ways. On june 12th Statistics Canada released the results of Canadian internet usage for 2007 and the numbers are pretty important from a marketing perspective.
