OPINION

I Think I Am in Trouble

By Terry Calhoun

Today, November 3, 2005 is the first annual World Usability Day. I learned of it through a message from a friend directing me to a USA Today article called “Why are tech gizmos so hard to figure out?” The concept resonates with me. More and more I use elaborate converged devices, like my wonderful Treo 650, but I use decreasingly smaller subsets of their overall functionality.

So, I looked forward to reading the article. But I was caught up after the first paragraph – and as I begin writing this article, I have not even yet read beyond the third paragraph - by the image of a beautiful, white iPod. The byline for the image read: “Usability experts point to the iPod as the poster child of good usability.” Gulp.

IT NEWS

Computers Catching Bird Flu

It's not the worst virus in the world, but "Naiva.A" (Read it backwards.) surely is timely. (WebProWorld) Read more

University of Florida's ICARUS Program Stops Even Legal Downloading

The system detects the use of P2P programs and shuts down the network connection without making any attempt to determine is the file sharing is legal or not. (The Independent Alligator Online) Read more

Texas Tech University's eRaider System Target of Complaints

All network users must now change their passwords, to very tight specifications, every 90 days. (The Daily Toreador) Read more

Got an Extra $7B for New Hardware?

The American Council on Education, and others, is fighting the NEA CALEA law, saying that colleges and universities would have to spend more than $7B to comply . . . and the bill provides no funds. (The Hoya.com, Georgetown University) Read more

RESOURCES

Why Are Tech Gizmos So Hard To Figure Out?

A group of designers, testers, and manufacturers want to figure that out and change it. Celebrate World Usability Day today. (USA Today) Find out more

DEALS, CONTRACTS, AWARDS

Microsoft to Offer Software for Use Via Web

Jumping head-on into the fray with Google and others, Windows Live, for individuals is free for now, but chock full of ads. Oh, and it d'esn't work with Firefox yet. (USA Today) Read more