Media: A-Clue takes a Cool Assessment of Trends

Dana Blankenhorn takes a look at what is happening worldwide in technology from a US-centric perspective, that is also most infomative.

Worth a quick read for its cool-headed engagement with developments that looks beyond the hype and the wishful thinking.

'And that's the real turning point. America has dominated every stage of computing up until now. IBM controlled the 1960s, and Microsoft came to dominance in the 1980s. The 1990s were a Golden Age of American technology, with nearly every major Internet company headquartered here.

'No more. Wireless and open source have changed the name of the game. Pandora is out of its box. The U.S. can't even rely on its huge home market anymore - the Chinese mobile market is much larger than ours. And it's more competitive, more innovative, more dynamic. In fact, we're becoming a Third World country in many ways, far more rapidly than anyone could have foreseen.'

Associated Link: A-Clue: The Year of Wireless

All change at the top for System Concepts
Source: System Concepts Ltd, 3 July 2009
 
Leslie Fountain has been promoted to joint Managing Director of leading usability consultancy System Concepts.

Life in UCD immortalised in fiction: you couldn't make it up
Source: UN, 2 July 2009
 
Sarah Herman's fictitious book on life in a user-centred design company has hit the shelves and The Guardian's book pages...

Interfaces Magazine - Issue 79: The Education Issue
Source: Interaction Group, 1 July 2009
 
The latest issue of Interfaces is now available as a free download from the Interaction Website.

Two new Behavioural research Tools from Noldus
Source: UN, 30 June 2009
 
Tool updates make on-site behavioural data collection easier.

Cell Phones that Listen and Learn
Source: MIT Technology Review, 29 June 2009
 
New software tracks a user's behavior by monitoring everyday sounds.

Top Six Don’ts for Usability Testing
Source: FutureNow Inc., 27 June 2009
 
Six tips for creating quality usability tests to ensure useful feedback from testers.

Usability: ‘Lovely software. But I can’t work it’
Source: FT.com, 26 June 2009
 
In a recent survey by Global Graphics, 77 per cent of office workers estimate they lose up to one hour a week because business software is difficult to use.

And what do you do?
Source: Dexo Design, 25 June 2009
 
How do you describe your job role? Here are the results of a recent 'Preferred UX/UI Title' Poll.

Most Doctors cite Usability as critical to Electronic Health Record Adoption
Source: TMCNet, 24 June 2009
 
It's all about 'meaningful use'.

Glossy monitors look good but can hurt
Source: QUT, 23 June 2009
 
A new advisory cites research which suggests high gloss monitors make users sit awkwardly.