From the category archives:

human-computer Interaction

QR codes at the Mattress Factory

November 18, 2009

An experiment in digital media and museums and a how to guide.

Read the full article →

Conflating interactivity and social interaction

November 11, 2009

Christian Heath and Dirk vom Lehn argue for distinguishing between interactivity and social interaction, particularly with respect to exhibit design.
Indeed, underlying the design and deployment of many computer- based exhibits is the idea that in developing new forms of ‘interactivity’ the installations facilitate social interaction and co-participation. Unfortunately, however, while creating innovative, and in some cases [...]

Read the full article →

The challenges of studying mobile devices

July 27, 2009

I tend to think that  mobile technologies are making salient the importance of attending to the pervasive aspects of any technology. In the long run I suspect that conversations about immersion (i.e., the potential for Second Life, etc.) will be replaced by discussions about pervasive technologies (mobile devices, game consoles, etc.) in fields like the [...]

Read the full article →

Sony Walkman: Review of an “antique technology”

July 6, 2009

A 13 year old tries out the Walkman for a week.
On the form factor:

From a practical point of view, the Walkman is rather cumbersome, and it is certainly not pocket-sized, unless you have large pockets. It comes with a handy belt clip screwed on to the back, yet the weight of the unit is enough [...]

Read the full article →

designing (for) behavior and representations of activity

June 26, 2009

Adrian Chan has a nice response to Josh Porter’s post on hard-wired behavior. They are trying to understand why people collect followers on Twitter or engage in similar kinds of behavior using social networking sites, games, etc. Josh asks:
How would twitter change if you didn’t know how many followers you have?

Josh’s position is that humans [...]

Read the full article →

Improving OS usability

June 24, 2009

Start with the packaging.

Here’s a bit of good news for anyone who struggled with the cruel puzzle that was the Windows Vista retail packaging. Microsoft today released details and pictures of the upcoming Windows 7 packaging, promising a much more simple and streamlined experience.
“We’ve reduced the number of elements in the package down to three: the plastic [...]

Read the full article →

Making passwords visible

June 24, 2009

Jakob Nielsen has a posting that I think runs against the grain of what most security experts would say is necessary for protecting passwords. He argues that masking passwords, a practice left over from the web’s early days, does not really improve security and reduces usability.

Read the full article →

Testing Find My iPhone

June 23, 2009

It works.
With some suggestions from the user:
I’d been amazed that the phone had enough battery life to make it through the night and still beam its location; the moment its battery was dead, then it would be game over for our little scavenger hunt. I unlocked my phone and saw almost 20 missed calls. And [...]

Read the full article →

The system cannot read your mind

June 23, 2009

Paul Sherman’s experience with the phone company reminds me of Lucy Suchman’s book, Plans and Situated Actions.

Read the full article →