Media: Awards from TechDigest reward Best and Worst Gadgets

"shuffle takes Chav gadget award" works as a lifestyle update. Tech Digest, Shiny Shiny and Games Digest in conjunction with broadband/digital TV/telephony company Telewest gave awards based on the coolest - and least cool - of the year's new devices. Selected by a 'panel of the UK’s top gadget experts', they reward the most stylish and most vulgar (how does one translate 'Chav' for non-Brits?):

'The shuffle is perfect for chavs. It's cheap. It’s by a cool brand, and you can let others know you have one as it is designed to be worn round your neck. ... The sad part is that the shuffle is the worst player in the Apple range – more like some dodgy back street knock-off than the excellent other iPods.'

The awards also include gongs for 'most indispensable mobile phone', which was won by the Samsung SGH-D600 and the 'most bling gadget' which went to 'BabyPhat’s gold-plated £20,000 case for the Sony PSP'.

Other victors: 'Gadget of the year, which was voted for by the websites’ readers, went to the Sony PSP handheld gaming console, Apple’s excellent iPod nano won the Shiny Shiny icon award while the Sky Gnome, an add-on for the company’s satellite systems that lets users listen to music and radio channels anywhere in the home, took best gadget accessory.'

No mention of usability, but user experience speaks loudly through the text.

Associated Link: TechDigest: shuffle takes Chav gadget award

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.