Posts tagged usability

Note Taking

Feb27
2009 2 Comments

Taking notes is very important to me. I prefer using paper and pen. Instead of a PDA / Blackberry, I have used such simple tools as a Moleskin or index cards grouped with a binder clip. But I’d often misplace my PPA (Personal Paper Assistant). And the drawback to Moleskines is the HARD cover makes it uncomfortable to pocket.

I found a terrific note book in Camden Town in London. It’s cover is soft leather of color I chose (green). When the paper is filled up, I can remove it, and insert new paper via a simple leather tie. (I was surprised the vendor did not sell replacement paper. She suggested I find some of my liking down the road) The vendor put up a tough bargain: Six Pounds. I twice tried to talk her down but then came back to accept my fate: I would not walk away with this fine device for any less than six sterling! ( A friend suggested that this merchant was not the owner, but only an employee, and thus had no motive to come down on price).

Next, I needed a pen. With my go-to pens : Papermate blue : I found some trouble of late. Since it has a cap, you have to take time to remove it and then either connect it to the back or place it somewhere. Somewhere usually winds up being my mouth. This is uncomfortable and the inevitable drooling is unflattering.

I bought a “clicker” pen in a stationary shop. Unfortunately, the tip of the pen fell out or broke this past Monday. Now it’s back to Papermate. I was going to buy a neat “Magic Pencil” at the Van Gogh Museum, but I decided it would be more appropriate if I bought a pen at the Anne Frank Museum. Sadly, I discovered an ironic twist to her story: the gift shop does not offer any pens or pencils for sale! Nor does it offer any blank diaries; just copies of her entries.

Here’s the pics…


New Note Book.

Ah, the softest leather

Classic Paper Mate. I avoid the black ink. Blue only baby! Why you take so long to operate? Instant access requires I leave you uncovered, Baby Blue!


Holding the cap up to 2 Drool-Free Minutes.

Oh no! The tip of the ink is gone! Seeks a new life in Lille, France. Good luck, Inky! Au reveior!
Tie , Un-tie to remove, replace paper. Looks like I’ll be needing to find some parchment soon.
Posted in Software / Usability, Travel & Adventure

Yellow as pre-Green not just post-green

Feb18
2009 3 Comments

London’s traffic lights give more information than ours (in the U.S.).

You know how your friend thinks she’s so clever with her method for detecting when the red light will turn green–by looking to the perpendicular light for a yellow? And how that friend’s conclusion that a yellow to her 45 degrees means a green’s coming straight up is often wrong and sometimes troublesome: at worst, causing a pile-up; at best, prompting her to exclaim (post-disappointment) “who in God’s name is getting the Green? All of us are at Red! For heaven’s sake… oh, those a* holes are getting a left turn.. like they need it! Who invited them? Oh… snap!”

Well, England has a better way. I call it: “Yellows in Between.” Instead of only signaling the end of a green, the yellow light also is used to signal the end of a red–a pre-Green!

Splendid idea. Let’s get it state-side. Does Obama have a Transportation Secretary? If there’s at least a nominee, let’s get his back-taxes paid, and push for Congress to confirm him (or her). We need someone at the top to push this idea through.

Posted in Software / Usability, Travel & Adventure - Tagged

Way Out

Feb18
2009 1 Comment


In London’s Underground, the exits are indicated by signs that read “Way Out.” But since the sign includes an arrow, the message could simply read “Out.”

Or do you prefer “Exit?”

I just posed the question to one of my hosts here in London. He said he prefers ‘Way Out’ because it is (quintessential) London. He is a Hungarian from Iceland.

I told him about abbreviating to “Out.” He said that’s how it’s signaled in Iceland. Their word “Ut” (where the U has a comma over it) means “out.” Then he pointed out that it’s also a word in Hungarian. And then he remembered – or invented – that the word means “way” in Hungarian. Hmmm. Funny.

Posted in Software / Usability, Travel & Adventure - Tagged

Google Calendar: Time Zone Snag – No Absolute Time

Feb14
2009 1 Comment

Google Calendar is terrific. But a major problem I’ve found is a Time Zone is set not to the Event, but to the Google Calendar User. Thus, any event that user creates, is set to his user setting timezone.

So, if I live in Los Angeles but schedule an 8pm Monday London event, it will show up as a 3am Tuesday event to Londoners. As long as my user setting is PST, I have to do this: set the event for 1pm. In Google Calendar, a user can have more than one calendar. Each calendar can have its own setting for Time Zone.

Thus, I thought a bad but working solution would be to temporarily set a calendar to time zone London. But, that setting just dictates the Display of the time, not the absolute date time start. The absolute is still based on the user’s time zone.

The issue is all the more confounding because the Calendar gives much weight to an Event’s Location field. It wants specific information so that it can map it and offer directions or other services. Yet it’s not interested in the time?

Here I create a 9am New York City event. But to Google, it’s a 9 am PST start — 12 pm in NYC and 5pm in London.


Here’s how it’s published, in London Time:

The solution is: Google should let viewers / subscribers to a calendar set a timezone for “Viewing”– thus all events are translated into a time relative to that user’s view. In that case, if I’m looking at a 5pm New York event as a Californian (PST) I see it as 2pm.

The absolute time should be defined by the manager per event. When entering the time there should simply be a field to enter the time zone, which Google could ‘predict’ once location is entered (that would also require an alteration in the Form inputs so that Location is entered before Time).

Suggested:


As it is, Google Calendar cannot be accurately deployed by a manager of an entity that crosses time zones (sports teams, performers) or has subscribers across multiple time zones.

Oh Google! Yours is such an awesome, awesome company, and yet snags like these make me think you might spend just a wee bit too much time drinking your own Kool-Aid and not actually engineering for humans.

Posted in Software / Usability - Tagged , ,

Trader Joes Checkout Line

Feb07
2009 Leave a Comment

Trader Joes is an awesome store for many reasons. One of them is the way checkout is handled. The clerk takes your cart and empties it for you. That makes sense, and it removes that awkward discomfort of positioning yourself behind or in front of your cart as you strain to remove the objects. That’s how it’s done at “legacy” super markets. Most of the major chains have remodeled their stores over the past 5 years. Many of these stores are very pleasant places… and yet the checkout lines remain narrow passageways where the shopper is left to remove the items and place onto the conveyor belt. It’s got to change. Thanks, Trader Joes, for showing the way. And also, for those 3 sample coffees I had last week.

Posted in Software / Usability - Tagged ,
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