Usability Archive

  • Swyft Technology Launches New Smartphone Sales App

    Posted on September 14, 2010 | No Comments
    var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF'; var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000'; var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF'; var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC'; var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000'; try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';} document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=2053203&zs=3436385f3630&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62)); JACKSONVILLE, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Swyft Technology today announces Swyft for Mobile, a...

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  • HTC has fix in the works for EVO 4G screen sensitivity; separation problems are minor

    HTC has fix in the works for EVO 4G screen sensitivity; separation problems are minor

    Posted on June 18, 2010 | No Comments
    We've just been tipped off on a couple feel-good items for EVO 4G owners that should end your Friday on a bright note:
    • The glass separation issues are real, but said to be super minor and have no effect on the usability of the phone apart from a nearly imperceptible "give" to the touch. That said, HTC has made some assembly changes that should reduce or eliminate the problem going forward, and it'll keep an eye on the situation.
    • This is really interesting: the screen sensitivity problems are also real and are apparently far more prevalent in arid climates, but it can be fixed with a software patch alone. That patch will be rolling out to EVOs soon.
    See? Told you it was feel-good news. More on this stuff as we get it.

    HTC has fix in the works for EVO 4G screen sensitivity; separation problems are minor originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Verizon’s FiOS DVR Manager for webOS is out, getting good reviews

    Verizon’s FiOS DVR Manager for webOS is out, getting good reviews

    Posted on June 7, 2010 | No Comments
    You might recall that Verizon recently touted expanded device compatibility for its DVR Manager app, a boon for anyone looking to nab the latest episode of Income Property while hundreds of miles away from the homestead (we know, it happens all the time) -- but what Big Red didn't really highlight in its press release was that webOS was one of the platforms now being supported. As with the app's counterparts on other mobile operating systems, the Palm-flavored build lets customers "set parental controls, set bookmarks, browse and search TV programming, view the DVR status to see how much space is left for recording, browse and search VOD listings, and see their lists of scheduled and recorded programs" -- and so far, it's getting well over four stars on a five-star scale since going live in the App Catalog, a good sign for usability. We don't mean to get too hopelessly optimistic, but heck, who knows -- this might even be a good sign for Verizon's continued interest in Palm's (or make that HP's) platform in the long term.

    Verizon's FiOS DVR Manager for webOS is out, getting good reviews originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 23:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • HP releases new Pavilion notebooks

    HP releases new Pavilion notebooks

    Posted on May 4, 2010 | No Comments
    If there’s anything better than consumer grade sub-$800 notebooks, God kept it for himself. HP just announced the dm4, dv5, dv6, and dv7 notebooks. All are running the latest processors and the dm4 and dv7 support discrete graphics. The dv6 is a touchscreen laptop, which is great for people who like to touch their screens. Not [...]

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  • The Sony Dash is available for pre-ordering if you have a spare $199

    The Sony Dash is available for pre-ordering if you have a spare $199

    Posted on March 2, 2010 | No Comments
    Good news. You can finally pre-order the Sony Dash. You know, the Chumby clone announced at CES 2010. That is, of course, if you actually want the $199 table-top thing.

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  • Review: Sprint Overdrive 3G/4G WiFi hotspot

    Review: Sprint Overdrive 3G/4G WiFi hotspot

    Posted on January 11, 2010 | No Comments
    Short Version: The Sprint Overdrive is a small, compact portable 3G/4G cellular data network to WiFi dongle designed for use by up to five people simultaneously. The best part is the ease of use and the worst part is the dearth of 4G networking outside of a few major cities. Features: Internal, replaceable battery Front OLED screen Sprint 4G [...]

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  • Mophie iPhone credit card reader coming to a CES near you

    Mophie iPhone credit card reader coming to a CES near you

    Posted on December 31, 2009 | No Comments
    iPhone accessory maker and recession antidote regular Mophie is about to make the most buzzworthy move of its short history by offering a credit card reader and accompanying transaction app for the Apple handset. Positioned as a direct competitor to Jack Dorsey's Square iPhone Payment System, Mophie's solution looks to be integrated into an iPhone case -- making it possible to keep the reader on permanently, albeit at a slight cost to your device's aesthetics. The decidedly cube-shaped Square system has a less ergonomic design, but we suspect that the winner (if either of these two succeeds) will be primarily determined by the usability of the app and affordability of the service. Look out for more info to emerge at some point during the maelstrom that will be CES 2010.

    Mophie iPhone credit card reader coming to a CES near you originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Motorola Motus spied, snapped by the worst camera in history?

    Motorola Motus spied, snapped by the worst camera in history?

    Posted on November 19, 2009 | No Comments
    Given what we've heard and seen so far, we wouldn't say we're "excited" about the upcoming Motorola Motus -- it's just a midrange Android set, after all, and the Droid has taught us that Moto's capable of so much more -- but a spy shot's a spy shot, and we'll take what we can get, right? We can't confirm the authenticity of this positively awful photo spotted on motofan.ru, but it looks roughly like what we'd expect for a 2010-spec Android phone designed to appeal to the masses. The usability of that trick keyboard is an open question -- the Droid has already proven that the company isn't afraid to sacrifice a little usability for +5 points in the thin and sexy departments, so we'll just have to wait and see where this puppy lands.

    [Thanks, Vitala]

    Motorola Motus spied, snapped by the worst camera in history? originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Skyhook’s Maps Booster makes S60 navigation more awesome for $2.99

    Skyhook’s Maps Booster makes S60 navigation more awesome for $2.99

    Posted on November 11, 2009 | No Comments

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    There's solid evidence from its success on other platforms that Skyhook's unique WiFi-based positioning system makes a big difference in GPS usability on handsets -- and if you're looking for it on your Nokia, your moment has arrived. Maps Booster for S60 runs quietly in the background, augmenting the phone's built-in GPS capabilities to deliver faster, better results (theoretically, anyway) no matter what application you're using, which seems to make it a solid purchase if you spend much of your time trying to find your way through urban canyons, heavy vegetation, or some combination thereof. It'll be available early next week for $2.99.

    Continue reading Skyhook's Maps Booster makes S60 navigation more awesome for $2.99

    Skyhook's Maps Booster makes S60 navigation more awesome for $2.99 originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • So! How excited are you about Windows 7

    So! How excited are you about Windows 7

    Posted on October 21, 2009 | 1 Comment
    It's nigh on a few hours before the Windows 7 launch and things are heating up in the big city. Folks are lining up at the Windows store, children are quieter and more attentive in school, and the troubles of the world - global warming, terrorists, the economy - are on hold. We are waiting for a miracle and when it comes it will rhyme with 'dindows' and end with '7' How happy are you about Windows 7? Like how totally happy? A poll, if you will, after the jump.

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  • Windows 7 launches tomorrow. Are you going to bite?

    Windows 7 launches tomorrow. Are you going to bite?

    Posted on October 21, 2009 | No Comments
    Windows 7 has been a long time coming. In some ways it's what Windows Vista was suppose to be back in 2006. It's fast, super stable, but also clean and sleek. I love it and switch from OS X because of Windows 7. It has restored my faith in Microsoft and it feels good to be back on a Windows system after a five year hiatus. I don't think I'm alone either. Reviews and previews of Windows 7 have been posted ever since the first public beta in January of 2009. Everyone seems to love it. I haven't seen or heard of any major bugs or flaws in the operating system. Microsoft nailed this one and should be proud. Tomorrow, October 22, is the official launch date of Windows 7. Preorders are already shipping out from online retailers and I wouldn't be surprised if the retail boxes are already on the shelves in some brick and mortar stores. In fact, TG Daily is reporting that Windows 7 has dethroned Harry Potter as Amazon's most successful preorder item of all time. It's clear that people want Windows 7.

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  • Possible new Windows Mobile 7 mockups give 6.5 a well-deserved spanking

    Possible new Windows Mobile 7 mockups give 6.5 a well-deserved spanking

    Posted on October 20, 2009 | No Comments

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    Certain user interface elements of the sundry Windows Mobile 7 mockups we've seen floating around over the years have remained more or less constant -- a general gravitation toward better touchscreen usability and some positively bizarre bottom-aligned signal and battery meters, most notably. WMExperts is showing off a newly-acquired document of some sort comparing screens in 6.5 and what was apparently supposed to be 6.5.1 -- the finger-friendly tweak of 6.5 that would precede 7 -- but those mockups on the bottom there have apparently been pushed forward and are now being repurposed as guidance for 7's visuals. For what it's worth, the mockups look so drastically different from 6.5 (and so similar to what we've seen prior 7 leaks) that we're inclined to believe this stuff was destined for 7 all along -- and it actually looks pretty snazzy, save for those dang meters down below -- but whatever, Microsoft, let's just get this moved to RTM already.

    Possible new Windows Mobile 7 mockups give 6.5 a well-deserved spanking originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • No One Wants Linux Netbooks. Can Google Do Better?

    No One Wants Linux Netbooks. Can Google Do Better?

    Posted on July 8, 2009 | No Comments
    Google’s netbook-friendly Chrome OS takes direct aim at Microsoft, whose 8-year-old Windows XP leads the netbook market. But the odds are stacked against Google. In competing with Windows, Google Chrome OS will have to deal with many of the same challenges Linux has: compatibility, usability and unfamiliarity. The record isn’t good: In the past year, Linux-based [...]

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  • Garmin announces the BMW Motorrad Navigator IV GPS

    Garmin announces the BMW Motorrad Navigator IV GPS

    Posted on July 6, 2009 | No Comments
    GPS’s are mostly uninteresting to me since I have little use for one in NYC, so this post is mostly for my brother and his BMW. It’s unclear what the “expanded relationship” is between Garmin and BMW Motorrad, but I’m pretty sure the announcement of the BMW Motorrad Navigator IV GPS is the extent of that whole business.

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  • Microsoft Touch Pack brings Surface experience to Windows 7

    Microsoft Touch Pack brings Surface experience to Windows 7

    Posted on May 27, 2009 | No Comments
    Our initial experience with Windows 7's multitouch was decidedly less than stellar, but it looks like Microsoft's taking the initiative to ramp up the usability with the newly-unveiled Touch Pack. It's a software suite consisting of three games and three Surface apps, including a a globe you can pinch and twist around, the ever-popular surface collage for images, and and a zen-inspired lagoon screensaver. OEMs making touchscreen-capable Windows 7 rigs are being offered the pack to use as a pre-installed option, so look for these to arrive around the same time as the new OS, which should be sometime this holiday season. In the meantime, GottaBeMobile's gotten their hands on the app collection early, and you can view their efforts in the video after the break.

    Gallery: Microsoft Touch Pack brings Surface experience to Windows 7


    Read - Windows 7 Team Blog
    Read - GottaBeMobile's hands-on

    Continue reading Microsoft Touch Pack brings Surface experience to Windows 7

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    Microsoft Touch Pack brings Surface experience to Windows 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 May 2009 20:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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