Two future forces, one mostly social, one mostly technological, are intersecting to transform how goods, services, and experiences – the “stuff” of our world – will be designed, manufactured, and distributed over the next decade.

Social media consists of the same content already in use: text, audio, images, and video. The difference lies in its ability to open up new channels of communication.

A key aspect of mobile operating systems of the near future will be the degree to and ease with which they can be customized with user interfaces. But what will also be key will be those OSes and UIs that give the best mobile internet experience. That doesn’t mean having the best browser, it’s a lot deeper than that. It’ll be which has the best widget platform, supports the best runtimes, and so on.

International Standards Organization (ISO) has published a set of standards and related process guidelines on “ease of operation for everyday products”. The standards don’t provide significant educational value to experienced usability practitioners, but may be useful for those getting started, or even those with some experience who are looking for guidelines on best practices.

Jyri Engestöm kertoilee leppoisasti Jaikusta Keskisuomalaisen kesäjutussa.

If we’re serious about using mobile to help some of the poorest members of society, how about diverting international development funding toward providing a subsidized, fully Internet-ready handset for developing markets?

Spontaneous, unobtrusive usability testing software for designers and developers. I would try it, if only I had a Mac. [via Sashimi]

This one hits home, as I’m just in the middle of packing, too.

This explains it all.

Online social networks are inherently “viral”, built through overlapping circles of friends, relatives, colleagues or acquaintances. In most other businesses, referrals and positive word of mouth come from good service. But to make almost any use of a networking site, you first must be connected to people.

Companies big and small are hiring people at a rapid pace for social media roles. But a year or three from now, will companies still be hiring for these positions?