Media: TRN reviews Keyhole Mobile Computer

"Handhelds gain space" by Kimberly Patch in Technology Research News reports on a device that turns the small screen of a handheld computer into a 'movable keyhole'. Rather than pressing scroll buttons to get to a position in a document, a user simply moves the handheld computer.

The researcher at the University of California at Berkeley, Ka-Ping Yee, has produced a screen as a window onto a larger virtual document. To navigate to the lower left corner of an on-screen map, a user would move the computer in and to the left.

'The idea sprung from real-world frustration over the sluggishness of small-screen navigation. "I was motivated by wanting to position the view directly instead of having to wait for the view to scroll," Yee said.'

This is a substantial article on the development.
The research is scheduled for presentation at CHI 2003 in Fort Lauderdale as "Peephole Displays: Pen Interaction on Spatially Aware Handheld Computers" but read about it here first!

Associated Link: TRN: Handhelds gain space

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.