Apparently, π day is also update day. I plugged my iPhone 4 into my laptop this morning, wanting to back it up.  iTunes  informed me that an iOS upgrade was ready. I said yes, but then […]
Author: Peter Sheerin
Peter Sheerin is best known for the decade he spent as the Technical Editor of CADENCE magazine, where he was the acknowledged expert in Computer-Aided Design hardware and software. He has a long-standing passion for improving usability of software, hardware, and everyday objects that is always interwoven in his articles.
Peter is available for freelance technical writing and product reviews, and is exploring career opportunities in interaction design. His pet personal project is exploring the best ways to harmonize visual, tactile, and audible symbols for improving the effectiveness of alerting systems.
Road-Trip Results in Retro UI
Preparing for an unplanned road trip tomorrow, I pulled my old GPS out of mothballs, and was instantly transported back to 2003. The Garmin StreetPilot 2650 may be old, but will continue to work for […]
VistaSwitcher
While researching what I was going to share with you today, I stumbled across a cool utility that is just a little bit more interesting than my original topic.
One feature found in the last couple of Windows versions that I love is how multiple application windows can be combined into one application tab on the taskbar. Grouping the related windows together makes it much easier to find something when you’re working with a few dozen things open at the same time.
USPS Takes Consolidation a Bit Too Far
Making your customers feel happy and secure is important. You must evaluate whether your actions are accomplishing this at every step of each process that you have, because it doesn’t take much of a goof to give your paying customers the impression you only care about taking their money.
I ordered a small laptop accessory on eBay, and chose USPS First Class as the shipping method. Based on the shipper’s location (Connecticut), the ship date (the 17th), and the holiday falling in the middle, I expected delivery about Tuesday of this week.
However, when Thursday rolled around and I still didn’t have my item, I looked at the eBay item status, clicked on the tracking number, and was horrified to see a report of delivery on the 21st—IN MAINE!
Multiple Identities on One Small Screen
I’m in the middle of integrating a new email address/address book/VPN/etc. into my various computing devices, and am realizing more than I did before how much the screen size of my iPhone affects how I […]
Blackmailed Into Evernote Premium
I upgraded to Evernote premium yesterday, with very mixed emotions, but I really had no choice. Because I was blackmailed. By a good business model paired with software that does some very cool things in […]
When Technology Makes us Feel Incompetent
I started composing this article 15 minutes after dealing with a half-hour–long telephone meeting over the worst cellphone connection I’ve had in years. It made me feel incompetent, apologetic, and frustrated. Perhaps the most frustrating thing […]
Brilliant Technology Doesn’t Make Us Feel Stupid
I spent yesterday organizing and digitizing parts of my overflowing collection of analog media I’ve collected over the years. And I came face-to-face with many of the sad side-effects of technology-gone-wrong. Contained in those human-computer […]
The App That Won’t go Away
Apple’s prowess at making technology easy-to-use is unparalleled, but there are some areas where their products don’t live up to the smoothness we expect. For me, iTunes is one of those areas. I had tired […]
Undercover Boss = Must-See TV
When I first saw the teasers for Undercover Boss, I thought, “Great, yet another silly reality showâ€. But after watching several episodes, it has now become one of my favorites.
I can not over-emphasize how important watching this show is for anyone who is a CEO, wants to become one, or even manages a single employee/volunteer.