City of Bits BlogUsability, user experience, technology, ethnography, design, the workplace, e-government and public policy, from a UK perspectiveDRM = bad user experience Interesting piece at St...- February 28, 2006 DRM = bad user experienceInteresting piece at Sterophile of why DRM is a bad idea for everyone including consumers, in their coverage of a speech by Dave Goldberg, general manager of Yahoo Music, at the Music 2.0 conference in Los Angeles. ...the part that caught our attention was his analysis of how DRM discourages consumers from purchasing legitimate music files, since it imposes restrictions on the use of that music that illegal alternatives do not."We believe that music should be in my car..http://www.louiseferguson.com/archives/2006_02_01_/archives/cityofbits_archive.htm#1141153... Audio transcription utilities Researchers often f...- February 28, 2006 Audio transcription utilitiesResearchers often find that standard tools don't meet their needs: digital audio devices that can record are often designed primarily for sound reproduction of prerecorded material, with recording an afterthought (poor quality, risible quantity). And for transcribing recordings, most tools offer insufficient precision for dealing with voice rather than music. We are seen as consumers rather than producers, and it shows.Mads Rydahl, husband of anthropologist Kathrine.http://www.louiseferguson.com/archives/2006_02_01_/archives/cityofbits_archive.htm#1141120... Doors of Perception 9 John Tahackara has just ann...- February 28, 2006 Doors of Perception 9John Tahackara has just announced that the next Doors of Perception (Doors 9) will take place in India in 2007.http://www.louiseferguson.com/archives/2006_02_01_/archives/cityofbits_archive.htm#1141118... PAS 78 launch PAS 78: Guide to Good Practice in C...- February 27, 2006 PAS 78 launchPAS 78: Guide to Good Practice in Commissioning Accessible Websites, commissioned by the Disability Rights Commission, will be launched at an event in Hammersmith, London on March 8...."A very limited number of free places available (sponsored by DRC) and once those have gone the remaining places are subject to a fee. So if you are interested in attending, book your place now. Call BSI on 020 8996 7620"http://www.louiseferguson.com/archives/2006_02_01_/archives/cityofbits_archive.htm#1141071... Remote controls The Squeezebox 3 is a lovely prod...- February 27, 2006 Remote controlsThe Squeezebox 3 is a lovely product, but I wonder what possessed them with the remote (left hand side). It's an integral part of the product, but doesn't seem to have been treated with the same tlc as the Squeezebox unit. No rhyme or reason to relative button size, shape and position. Following a formula perhaps Feels tacky. Lessons to be learned from the Sky remote here...http://www.louiseferguson.com/archives/2006_02_01_/archives/cityofbits_archive.htm#1141062... Blog falls apart Yes, the archives are a complete...- February 27, 2006 Blog falls apartYes, the archives are a complete mess. I am also, as always, highly dissatisfied with - the lack of - certain developments at Blogger HQ. So what was with the great Google takeover I'd rather see improvements to the platform than blue hoodies mailed out from Mountain View (blue is not my colour).Thinking about a migration to Wordpress...again.http://www.louiseferguson.com/archives/2006_02_01_/archives/cityofbits_archive.htm#1141060... Upcoming vs. Eventful for events In response to m...- February 27, 2006 Upcoming vs. Eventful for eventsIn response to my last post, about Upcoming, I've just had an email from Mark Vanderbeeken in Turin, who points out that Eventful's feature set is better than that offered by Upcoming.I haven't had a chance to compare the two yet. And on the other side, I'd suggest that with Yahoo! backing it, Upcoming is likely to improve somewhat. And Upcoming does already have a number of people from this community on board (including those at Yahoo! Europe itself). It also...http://www.louiseferguson.com/archives/2006_02_01_/archives/cityofbits_archive.htm#1141059... Events calendar After over three years of slog, I...- February 27, 2006 Events calendarAfter over three years of slog, I've decided to stop maintaining the events calendar elsewhere on this site. Just no time, and there are other priorities. However, I know that a number of people who did use that calendar are signed up on Upcoming - in fact, I've even spotted fellow UX-er Martin Ortlieb there, as well as Joshua Kaufman and Nico Macdonald. And the best solution for all seems to use such a shared calendar system (which is what Joshua, Nico, me, and the US end were...http://www.louiseferguson.com/archives/2006_02_01_/archives/cityofbits_archive.htm#1141056... Paul Mercer, Jonathan Ive Slashdot reports today ...- February 27, 2006 Paul Mercer, Jonathan IveSlashdot reports today a New York Times story about the Samsung Z5 portable MP3 player - to appear on US shelves 5 March - and the involvement of Paul Mercer's team. Mercer has done work for Apple.The original iPod concept is looking a little tired now, with limited on-board functionality, poor battery life etc etc. Presumably Mercer's company Iventor doesn't have Jonathan Ive on board (though the company name certainly suggests it). The backend is satisficing stuff....http://www.louiseferguson.com/archives/2006_02_01_/archives/cityofbits_archive.htm#1141048... My apologies Apologies to regular readers here. I...- February 27, 2006 My apologiesApologies to regular readers here. I've been hyper-busy recently, not just with clients, but with projects like Open Rights Group.Hope to resume normal service this week.http://www.louiseferguson.com/archives/2006_02_01_/archives/cityofbits_archive.htm#1141047... |