multi-tasking

Distracted Learning

April 4, 2012

In addition to distracted driving, and walking, now there is increasing awareness of distracted learning.  This has long been a problem in academic circles but it’s finally getting some news coverage. Some professors in Ottawa want the right to ban laptops in class: The University of Ottawa is considering a proposal which would give its professors the power to ban [...]

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Paper isn’t so bad…

December 15, 2011

One thing that annoys me is the silly argument that paper is bad or paper kills. Such hollow arguments are used to encourage technology adoption in airplane cockpits, the class room, and hospitals. Usually they are associated with silly statistics about how much paper is saved or how much less weight is carried, or how much easier it will be [...]

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Update on the BMW iDrive

September 8, 2011
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Nice writeup by BimmerFile on the iDrive, a single-button input device for the non-driving functions of the BMW. I’ve excerpted my favorite portions below — specifically their connection of iDrive design to the proximity-compatibility principle and the principles of importance and frequency of use.  BimmerFile was recently invited to Munich and into the very secret BMW labs that birthed the [...]

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HF Potpourri

September 20, 2010

Social networking for your car? As if we need another distraction while driving.  A new system (Bump.com) connects drivers by license plate so you can text message that person that cut you off (Thanks Paul!). Harry Brignull (of the 90percentiseverything blog) collects egregious examples of evil interfaces in his Dark Patterns website. Dark Patterns: User Interfaces Designed to Trick People [...]

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Blogging APA Division 21: The Cost of Automation Failure

August 27, 2010
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Arathi Sethumadhavan, currently of Medtronic and recently of Texas Tech, was this year’s winner of the George E. Briggs dissertation award, for the best dissertation this year in the field of applied experimental psychology. Her advisor was Frank Durso. Her work was inspired by our need to increase automation in aviation, due to increases in air traffic. However, automation does [...]

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Driving, texting, and eating?

April 21, 2010
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Multiple behavioral studies have demonstrated our difficulties with multi-tasking. A new study provides the neurological mechanisms for those findings (and more behavioral data, of course!). From the LiveScience article: For those who find it tough to juggle more than a couple things at once, don’t despair. The brain is set up to manage two tasks, but not more, a new [...]

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“Sully” Sullenberger to Speak at the HFES 2010 Conference

March 17, 2010
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I received word today that Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger will give the keynote address at the 2010 Human Factors and Ergonomics Conference in San Francisco this October. Not only am I excited to hear him speak, I am excited because he is the perfect choice for a Human Factors audience: he has spoken publicly on interface and instruction issues in [...]

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Distracted Driving: The Experience

January 3, 2010
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We’ve posted quite a bit on driving before, but these new links are too good to be missed. This first video from the NYT goes over the dangers of multi-tasking while driving (including on-the-street interviews of what American’s might think) and ends with an interview with David Strayer of the University of Utah, including a video of his lab simulator [...]

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Driving and Writing: Audi MMI

December 2, 2009
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The new Audi A8 sedan has a novel text entry input system:  writing.  Instead of using a knob (an indirect velocity control) or touchscreen (direct position control), the system accepts input using a touch sensitive pad (indirect position control) that can recognize letter input: This seems to be an improvement over current systems that make you use an indirect input [...]

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