From the monthly archives:

July 2008

Unlike McCain, many seniors depend on the Web – Yahoo News

by Richard Pak

NEW YORK – If Sen. John McCain is really serious about becoming a Web-savvy citizen, perhaps Kathryn Robinson can help.
Robinson is now 106 — that’s 35 years older than McCain — and she began using the Internet at 98, at the Barclay Friends home in West Chester, Pa., where she lives. “I started to learn because I wanted to e-mail [...]

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This Human Factors Problem Should Be History By Now

by Anne McLaughlin

An old problem has hit the news again: chemicals that look too much like drinks. This story just came out in New Jersey, where six people drank tiki-torch fuel the color of apple juice.

It is an interesting problem… what SHOULD you make fuel look like? The tiki-torch fuel bottle did not fall into the Fabuloso problem of looking like [...]

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Chemicals all look the same

by Anne McLaughlin

I don’t usually post stories from Telegraph.uk, but this was a good one.
“Groundsman destroys golf course fairways with weedkiller
A golf club’s fairways were turned brown after the groundsman accidentally watered the course with industrial strength weedkiller”
The article continues HERE, with pictures.

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Interesting traffic signs

by Richard Pak

Some amusing and real traffic signals. They all seem to be from Australia.

Traffic Signals via Neatorama

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Driving and Talking in California

by Richard Pak

The new law, which generally bars drivers from talking on their phones unless they use a hands-free device, takes effect today, nearly two years after the Legislature passed it. In the weeks leading up to the deadline, customers have been flooding into stores to buy hands-free devices, particularly wireless headsets. 
The Mercury News
With recent news that it is now illegal [...]

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In Praise of a Good Interface

by Anne McLaughlin

Those interested in creative usability, learning, and feedback should check out Moe’s Southwest Grill nutrition information website. Of course, as delightful as the menu interface is, it is very difficult to link.
1. Turn down speakers
2. Go to Moe’s home page
3. Wait through annoying splash screen, circa 1995
4. Mouse over “Menu” and click on “nutrition”
5. Enjoy learning about every optional ingredient [...]

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