Perception vs Reality, and innocent bystander usability...

The abomination at left is a $199 PC soon to be sold at Walmart. The self-described geeks at Engadget claim that its innards are actually quite small, and can't by themselves justify the big honkin' case. So why make the overall box so voluminous? From Engadget: "Research indicates that Walmart shoppers equate the size of a system to its capability."

I suppose the tech-savvy set doesn't shop for PCs at Walmart, so this is at least understandable. It's just unfortunate that as perception is pandered to and reality ignored, usability is left by the wayside. A smaller computer scores better on many measures of usability: lower transportation costs and efforts, less packaging, a smaller footprint in the home, and less junk to chuck at the end of the product lifecycle. (Ironically and sadly, this computer is also marketed as a "green" machine.) But if perception can drive sales, it will continue to guide the product - and we all end up suffering just a bit from our ignorance.

Under-Cabinet Vacuum - So long, dustpans...

From Galaxie-Vac and via Gizmodo, the horribly-branded but very functional "Sweep-Away" vacuum installs inside a cabinet, with the... uh, "sucker" flush with the kitchen floor through a cutout in the baseboard. Just sweep your stuff to the vicinity of the vac, flick it on for a few seconds, and you're done. Very usable - especially if the power switch is exposed and kickable, as it seems to be. It sure beats trying to get those last few stubborn crumbs over the edge into the dustpan - doesn't it always seems like you get half the remaining crumbs with each sweep? The pile gets smaller and smaller, but never disappears...

iPod Deathclock: Upper or downer?

The iPod Deathclock is a website which, after inputting your iPod serial number and usage patterns, purports to use some fancy math to determine just how long your musical buddy will live. The accuracy of something like this is, from an engineering standpoint, probably horrible. But for a user, it's a date that will enter the mind and most likely never leave.

The question is whether this quantification of the iPod's mortality is a bummer or a pick-me-up. It could be a bummer because, hey, you just dropped hundreds of bucks on this thing, and it'll only last until then? On the other hand, it could be a date to look forward to, because on that date you'll have to upgrade to the shiniest new one on the market. The perception of the quality of the iPod itself is also affected, seeming either to be either a junky thing that doesn't last or one of an exciting series of products that will just keep improving.

So, what influences whether a user sees the glass half empty or half full? Is it related to income? Tech-savviness? Natural optimism or pessimism? Apple or Microsoft fan?? It'd be fascinating to know, but we probably never will...

Blind Spots - Car cameras made more useful...

There have been a few backup- and blindspot-cameras available for cars for a while now, but nothing has really caught on. But Nissan's Around View Monitor (via Gizmodo) might have what it takes for a more mainstream adoption - the innovation is that it synthesizes images from several cameras (top image) into a virtual above-car view (bottom image). It's almost immediately obvious how this could help in more ways than checking blind spots: making sure you can swing that u-turn, confirming you're centered in that parking spot, or helping with the always-daunting task of parallel parking. And if there's a dog somewhere in there, you'll catch that too!

Memo Pad Phone - One pro, many cons...

An industrial-design exercise from designer Arthur Se at Yanko Design (via Gizmodo), the Memo Pad Phone simply puts a memo pad around the keypad of a phone. Let's itemize the usability pros and cons for this one:

PRO: It puts a memo pad right where you might need it, if you're scrambling to get down some info on a hastily-answered call.

CON: Much of the writing space is virtually unusable, since writing in the upper and left areas would cause your hand to mash the keys, making a symphony--no, cacophony--of tones for your unfortunate listener.

CON: This makes the aforementioned unusable paper a nasty waste - very non-green!

CON: Just to nitpick, ID folks never seem to make phones look like phones. Especially the handset - if this thing were ringing, I might not know quite where to "pick it up!"

CON: ...And who uses landline phones like this anymore, anyway?

Looks like this one fails by a score of 4 to 1. But one good idea isn't bad!

Bathroom Reading - Hands-free probably a good idea...

Not that I'm the type to read in the restroom (ahem), but here's something that might make any such endeavor a bit more convenient and sanitary. After all, if reading materials are making the perilous trek to the toilet, it's best to keep them away from the lap. So, this wastebasket from Snowtone Design steps up to the task, with a simple cutout in the top. Of course, this also assumes that the user is temporarily relocating the wastebasket, for easy reading, for the duration of the restroom visit. So some handles on the side might be a nice touch as well - antibacterial-coated, please! [via Gizmodo]

Your Body as the Clicker - Gestural remote control...

Gizmodo reports that at JVC recently showed off a television which can be remote-controlled by hand gestures and claps. Just the basics - volume, channel, maybe mute or pause - all detected with a small camera and microphone. The implementation is important (if it's unreliable, the system could be infuriating), but the idea is fascinating from a usability point of view. No more searching for the remote, or even keeping it out all the time (they can be eyesores). On the other hand, control can now be shared among all viewers simultaneously, which is a brave new world in the home-theater milieu - will there be power struggles? Or will the original purpose of the remote control, the elimination of any physical effort whatsoever, win out and result in everyone being too lazy to life a finger...?