Product
ChromeOS Datacasting Smartbook
Role
Senior Product Manager
Year
2009 - 2010
Keywords
Product Management / Smartbook, ChromeOS, Datacasting, Mobile, UI Design, UX Design, HTML5, Interaction Design, Physical Prototyping, Service Design, User Research, Product Discovery / Content
Qualcomm | Lenovo | Google
Project Overview
This project focused on FLO TV’s vision to redefine smartbooks with a live datacasting service. Datacasting is the transmission of digital data over traditional broadcast signals, enabling devices to receive information like video, audio, or other data without requiring internet connectivity.
Collaborating with Google on Chrome OS, Lenovo as a hardware partner, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor, the goal was to deliver seamless live TV with real-time data services and content via the MediaFLO network. While navigating technical and market challenges, the project aimed to position FLO TV as a leader in the emerging smartbook space.
Project Overview
This project focused on FLO TV’s vision to redefine smartbooks with a live datacasting service. Datacasting is the transmission of digital data over traditional broadcast signals, enabling devices to receive information like video, audio, or other data without requiring internet connectivity.
Collaborating with Google on Chrome OS, Lenovo as a hardware partner, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor, the goal was to deliver seamless live TV with real-time data services and content via the MediaFLO network. While navigating technical and market challenges, the project aimed to position FLO TV as a leader in the emerging smartbook space.
The Problem
This project addressed the lack of a compelling live TV experience on Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs), especially in the emerging smartbook category. Traditional 3G streaming suffered from poor quality, high costs, and battery drain. FLO TV’s datacasting technology offered a more efficient and reliable solution but required integration with the cloud-centric Chrome OS ecosystem. Additionally, we saw an opportunity to differentiate the category via real-time datacasting services.
Key challenges included designing a user-friendly interface, integrating social media, expanding content delivery beyond live TV, and tackling business goals like increasing subscribers, reducing churn, and enabling market growth.
The Problem
This project addressed the lack of a compelling live TV experience on Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs), especially in the emerging smartbook category. Traditional 3G streaming suffered from poor quality, high costs, and battery drain. FLO TV’s datacasting technology offered a more efficient and reliable solution but required integration with the cloud-centric Chrome OS ecosystem. Additionally, we saw an opportunity to differentiate the category via real-time datacasting services.
Key challenges included designing a user-friendly interface, integrating social media, expanding content delivery beyond live TV, and tackling business goals like increasing subscribers, reducing churn, and enabling market growth.
The Solution
The project created a FLO TV application for Lenovo smartbooks on Chrome OS, delivering reliable live TV and datacasting via the MediaFLO network with an optimized, web-based interface.
Key features included channel browsing, live data, social media integration, expanded content (e.g., ebooks, YouTube), DRM protection, and subscription management. Designed for portability, it provided a seamless user experience while supporting future growth.
The Solution
The project created a FLO TV application for Lenovo smartbooks on Chrome OS, delivering reliable live TV and datacasting via the MediaFLO network with an optimized, web-based interface.
Key features included channel browsing, live data, social media integration, expanded content (e.g., ebooks, YouTube), DRM protection, and subscription management. Designed for portability, it provided a seamless user experience while supporting future growth.
The Result
A functional FLO TV smartbook proof-of-concept was showcased at Mobile World Congress 2010, demonstrating its potential to redefine the category.
The project integrated FLO TV’s datacasting with Chrome OS and Snapdragon, enabling seamless live TV with smooth streaming and low power use.
A user-friendly interface was designed, including a TV player, guide, search, and social media features, detailed in wireframes and specs.
It explored diverse content delivery, from live TV to cached video, news feeds, and ebooks, including concepts like a “YouTube channel” for cached videos.
By leveraging datacasting, the project solved the challenge of delivering high-quality mobile TV without overloading cellular networks.
Collaborations with Google and Lenovo underscored the project’s potential to shape the smartbook market.
The Result
A functional FLO TV smartbook proof-of-concept was showcased at Mobile World Congress 2010, demonstrating its potential to redefine the category.
The project integrated FLO TV’s datacasting with Chrome OS and Snapdragon, enabling seamless live TV with smooth streaming and low power use.
A user-friendly interface was designed, including a TV player, guide, search, and social media features, detailed in wireframes and specs.
It explored diverse content delivery, from live TV to cached video, news feeds, and ebooks, including concepts like a “YouTube channel” for cached videos.
By leveraging datacasting, the project solved the challenge of delivering high-quality mobile TV without overloading cellular networks.
Collaborations with Google and Lenovo underscored the project’s potential to shape the smartbook market.
Designing for the Cloud: A User-Centric Approach to FLO TV on Chrome OS
This project presented a unique challenge: designing a live TV experience for a cloud-centric operating system like Chrome OS. This meant rethinking traditional desktop application paradigms and embracing the web as the platform. I utilized HTML5, JavaScript, and Google Gadgets to create a seamless and engaging user interface that aligned with Chrome OS's principles of speed, simplicity, and security.
A key focus was ensuring intuitive navigation and ease of use for a diverse user base. I developed detailed wireframes and specifications, mapping out user flows for core features like tuning channels, browsing the guide, searching for content, recording programs, and managing subscriptions. The design prioritized a clean, uncluttered layout, consistent with Chrome OS’s aesthetic, while incorporating familiar TV viewing elements. This approach aimed to create a user experience that felt both innovative and familiar.
Designing for the Cloud: A User-Centric Approach to FLO TV on Chrome OS
This project presented a unique challenge: designing a live TV experience for a cloud-centric operating system like Chrome OS. This meant rethinking traditional desktop application paradigms and embracing the web as the platform. I utilized HTML5, JavaScript, and Google Gadgets to create a seamless and engaging user interface that aligned with Chrome OS's principles of speed, simplicity, and security.
A key focus was ensuring intuitive navigation and ease of use for a diverse user base. I developed detailed wireframes and specifications, mapping out user flows for core features like tuning channels, browsing the guide, searching for content, recording programs, and managing subscriptions. The design prioritized a clean, uncluttered layout, consistent with Chrome OS’s aesthetic, while incorporating familiar TV viewing elements. This approach aimed to create a user experience that felt both innovative and familiar.
Beyond Live TV: Exploring Content Diversity and Delivery on Smartbooks
FLO TV recognized the need to offer more than just live TV channels to succeed in the evolving mobile entertainment landscape. My role involved exploring various content types and delivery methods to create a more versatile and engaging experience on Smartbooks. This included researching and prototyping concepts for:
"YouTube channel" that continually cached and played popular YouTube videos in a linear fashion, essentially creating a curated video playlist.
"Twitter channel" aggregating and displaying videos shared on Twitter, leveraging the platform's real-time trends and conversations.
Integration of daily newspapers and ebooks, delivered via datacasting and potentially viewed through dedicated readers or Google Gadgets.
These explorations aimed to position FLO TV as a comprehensive mobile entertainment hub, capable of delivering a diverse range of content beyond traditional live TV.
Beyond Live TV: Exploring Content Diversity and Delivery on Smartbooks
FLO TV recognized the need to offer more than just live TV channels to succeed in the evolving mobile entertainment landscape. My role involved exploring various content types and delivery methods to create a more versatile and engaging experience on Smartbooks. This included researching and prototyping concepts for:
"YouTube channel" that continually cached and played popular YouTube videos in a linear fashion, essentially creating a curated video playlist.
"Twitter channel" aggregating and displaying videos shared on Twitter, leveraging the platform's real-time trends and conversations.
Integration of daily newspapers and ebooks, delivered via datacasting and potentially viewed through dedicated readers or Google Gadgets.
These explorations aimed to position FLO TV as a comprehensive mobile entertainment hub, capable of delivering a diverse range of content beyond traditional live TV.
The Power of Datacasting: Addressing the Challenges of Mobile TV Streaming
A major hurdle for mobile TV adoption was the limited bandwidth and high latency of traditional cellular networks. Streaming live TV often resulted in buffering, low-resolution video, and significant battery drain, impacting the user experience. FLO TV addressed this challenge through its datacasting technology, which allowed for efficient content delivery without relying heavily on cellular bandwidth.
My role was to showcase the benefits of datacasting in the user interface and overall design of the FLO TV application. This included highlighting the:
Smooth, uninterrupted streaming experience enabled by datacasting.
Extended battery life due to reduced reliance on power-hungry cellular connections.
Potential for delivering a wider variety of content, including data-intensive formats like high-definition video.
The Power of Datacasting: Addressing the Challenges of Mobile TV Streaming
A major hurdle for mobile TV adoption was the limited bandwidth and high latency of traditional cellular networks. Streaming live TV often resulted in buffering, low-resolution video, and significant battery drain, impacting the user experience. FLO TV addressed this challenge through its datacasting technology, which allowed for efficient content delivery without relying heavily on cellular bandwidth.
My role was to showcase the benefits of datacasting in the user interface and overall design of the FLO TV application. This included highlighting the:
Smooth, uninterrupted streaming experience enabled by datacasting.
Extended battery life due to reduced reliance on power-hungry cellular connections.
Potential for delivering a wider variety of content, including data-intensive formats like high-definition video.
Collaborating with Industry Leaders: Google and Lenovo
Developing the FLO TV application for smartbooks required close collaboration with key industry players. Google, as the developer of the Chrome OS operating system, was a crucial partner in ensuring seamless integration and optimal performance. Lenovo, as a potential hardware manufacturer, provided valuable insights into the technical specifications and capabilities of their smartbook devices.
This collaborative process involved:
Regular meetings and communication to discuss technical requirements, design considerations, and potential challenges.
Sharing of design documents and prototypes to gather feedback and ensure alignment between FLO TV, Google, and Lenovo.
Active participation in industry events like Mobile World Congress to showcase the project's progress and demonstrate its potential.
Collaborating with Industry Leaders: Google and Lenovo
Developing the FLO TV application for smartbooks required close collaboration with key industry players. Google, as the developer of the Chrome OS operating system, was a crucial partner in ensuring seamless integration and optimal performance. Lenovo, as a potential hardware manufacturer, provided valuable insights into the technical specifications and capabilities of their smartbook devices.
This collaborative process involved:
Regular meetings and communication to discuss technical requirements, design considerations, and potential challenges.
Sharing of design documents and prototypes to gather feedback and ensure alignment between FLO TV, Google, and Lenovo.
Active participation in industry events like Mobile World Congress to showcase the project's progress and demonstrate its potential.
Bridging the Gap Between Smartphones and Laptops
Smartbooks emerged as a new category of mobile devices, promising to combine the portability of smartphones with the functionality and larger screen size of laptops. The challenge for FLO TV was to design an application that capitalized on these unique characteristics and delivered a user experience that bridged the gap between these two device types.
This involved creating a design that:
Optimized the FLO TV interface for both touch and non-touch input methods.
Leveraged the larger screen size to enhance the TV viewing experience.
Incorporated features and functionalities commonly found on both smartphones and laptops.
Bridging the Gap Between Smartphones and Laptops
Smartbooks emerged as a new category of mobile devices, promising to combine the portability of smartphones with the functionality and larger screen size of laptops. The challenge for FLO TV was to design an application that capitalized on these unique characteristics and delivered a user experience that bridged the gap between these two device types.
This involved creating a design that:
Optimized the FLO TV interface for both touch and non-touch input methods.
Leveraged the larger screen size to enhance the TV viewing experience.
Incorporated features and functionalities commonly found on both smartphones and laptops.
My Role
Overall concept development, UX, interaction design and usability
Point-of-contact for Google and Lenovo to ensure brand and legal alignment, and coordinating engineering requests and questions
I worked directly with a lead Visual Designer, a Lead Developer, and a Director of Engineering, to deliver this for public demonstration at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona
Obtaining content and approvals, writing and editing most of the content
Creating user flows, wireframes, and specifications for an intuitive and engaging interface.
Integrating social media features like Twitter and Facebook for user engagement.
Conducting user research and developing personas to align with audience media habits.
My Role
Overall concept development, UX, interaction design and usability
Point-of-contact for Google and Lenovo to ensure brand and legal alignment, and coordinating engineering requests and questions
I worked directly with a lead Visual Designer, a Lead Developer, and a Director of Engineering, to deliver this for public demonstration at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona
Obtaining content and approvals, writing and editing most of the content
Creating user flows, wireframes, and specifications for an intuitive and engaging interface.
Integrating social media features like Twitter and Facebook for user engagement.
Conducting user research and developing personas to align with audience media habits.