Yep, I can't control a mouse well enough to use YouTube.
Admittedly, this particular instance of me using the site's volume control is contrived and exaggerated, I have been experiencing off and on problems adjusting the volume on YouTube videos for a while. While this might be a classic example of Fitts's law, it is certainly related, and, not only do we have a small mouse target for the volume control, but it also changes size on us.
Given that the videos hosted on Youtube can vary quite a bit in volume and/or sound annoyance, I'd suspect that the volume control is used quite often. It would make sense to have it work well.
]]>I'm very curious to see how this camera performs. While the pixel count hasn't gone up compared to the previous incarnation, there appears to be promise for much improved high ISO image quality and improved dynamic range. Only time will tell.
]]>It's not only interesting to see all of the means of tracking out there at the moment, it's also interesting to see who occupies the top two spots. I know that they say that that they are trustworthy, but some aren't so sure, while others can't be bothered.
Exhibit A:
As you can see, the top links (Article, Discussion, Read, Edit, etc.) don't have a clearly defined top boundary. This makes it impossible for the user to clearly perceive each link's dimensions. While this isn't a classic example of Fitts's Law, since Fitts's only concerns itself with the size and distance of the target, having an target with a fuzzy, uncertain size certainly creates a similar problem. A target's size is no better than its perceived size.
What's next? Auto-hiding the remaining bit's of Chrome's chrome? I'm all for minimalism, but there might be a point where having some permanent interface elements might be useful. For one, it would appear as if the removal of the address bar would make phishing easier, since there is no way quickly check or monitor the domain of the sire you're currently visiting.
If you have added the META tag, please keep the tag <META name="y_key" content="somecharacters" /> in your site's home page.
Anyway, IE 9 has continued to implement Compatibility View, and this time the list of non-compatible sites is now web-accessible. happy reading. Oh, if your site is erroneously on the list just email iepo@microsoft.com to get it removed.
]]>It's actually a pretty scary story for anyone that has copied anything that they might not want the world to know about. I wonder how many people recently have copied this year's tax return? Or perhaps your tax preparer made a copy on a machine that has been resold? Just think about all of things that might be stored on copiers at your local Kinkos.
Steve Gibson, author of the venerable hard disk scanning and recovery application SpinRite, discusses this revelation along with other security-related news in a recent episode of Security Now.
While much of this risk, sadly, is outside of our control, this might be a good time to download Eraser or Darik's Boot And Nuke.
]]>Sometimes a simple screen capture says it best:
]]>Hopefully, there'll be some content here soon with more to communicate than my love of 18% gray.