No-swipe smart cards
These bank cards do not require the user to swipe them or insert them — the information is read just by being near the reader. Interesting potentials for hands-free use, if the card could be worn or mounted. On the other hand, how does the user get feedback that the correct transaction has occurred, and how are accidental activations reversed?
Unsticking Wiki
Article on Wiki usability:
On your market…
Article on the role of marketing in promoting usability:
Take it easy
Results of a survey showing the burgeoning consumer preferences for attractive design and usability over the last two years:
Design, Ease Of Operation Ring Up Cellular Phone Sales
And a propos of the last two paragraphs, which predict battery life will become a more critical issue:
Text to speech for all the world to hear
This device takes incoming text messages in SMS format (as from a wireless text terminal), converts it to synthetic speech, and plays it out a public address system. Although it’s called a “tool for armchair activists”, it would serve well for any public space that needs to integrate text and audio messaging, such as an airport or train station.
Rivers of babble-on
Description of an attempt to bridge linguistic usability issues via machine translation. Suggested software test: Have it translate the phrase “Out of sight, out of mind” into a language of choice. If it doesn’t spit back the equivalent of “Invisible insanity,” we’ll know progress is going in the right direction.
Adorable stripped down mobile phone
Well, “adorable” or “insipid”; we report, you decide. At any rate, the cute teddy bear here (in pink or blue) is another easy-to-use GSM phone. The four paws are four buttons for calling four pre-programmed numbers. That’s it — no display, no camera, just the basics.