"Microsoft Corp. today announced the launch of ZenZui, an independent company with the mission of transforming the way people engage, consume and interact with Web content through a revolutionary mobile user experience and information ecosystem. ZenZui�s Zooming User Interface, a technology patented by Microsoft, was initially developed by the Microsoft Research lab in Redmond, Wash. Microsoft�s IP Ventures helps startups and growing companies speed their time to market through access to Microsoft innovations. ZenZui worked with IP Ventures to acquire the technology and assistance in securing venture capital funding to help launch its company... ZenZui�s core technology brings advanced information visualization techniques out of the research lab and onto mobile phones and into the hands of mobile device operators, marketers and consumers. ZenZui�s high-frame rate Zooming User Interface employs up to 36 individual �tiles� that are selected and customized by users to reflect their interests and lifestyle with relevant content, interactive communications and fresh data. From the connected communities of social networks and the immediacy of pop culture to the have-to-know sports and weather info, this modular tile interface lets users sync, surf, and share digital content quickly, easily and in a distinctly new way."
Without a doubt, there is still plenty of room for improvement in the way we interact with mobile content, so it'll be interesting to see just how big an impact ZenZui will make. Check out the YouTube video (above) for a rendition of ZenZui's ZUI (Zooming User Interface) on a number of Windows Mobile-based devices, and head over to zenzui.com for an overview of the ecosystem. Your thoughts on the whole shebang?
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Looks nice, and could be quite usable.
But I can't get rid of the feeling that I saw similar stuff somewhere before...
Like couple of months ago during certain keynote presentation about some phone device... :devilboy:
All this slipping and sliding and zooming and stuff looks cool for the first few days - or minutes! But all it does is slow things down.
5 years ago my clients started demanding that we take OUT all those transitions between menus, pages and sections because they slow down the app and add nothing to the usability of the of it. Now it seems like consumers want (are being force-fed?) 'great' UI features that many of us will just want to turn off as soon as we can figure out how.
Microsoft Launches ZenZui; Aims to Revolutionize Mobile Content Interaction
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