Quantcast
Channel: The UI Observatory
Browsing latest articles
Browse All 23 View Live

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Ambiguity in Two-Factor Authentication Codes

Two-factor authentication is a great method for making logins more secure.2 Although this system is straightforward, I’ve occasionally made a pretty stupid error while using it. Thankfully, it’s an...

View Article



Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Downloading Speaker Slides from a Conference

Last month, my wife and I attended the O’Reilly Design Conference in San Francisco. The conference offered great keynotes and presentations, and the venue — Fort Mason Center — was spectacular....

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Please Tell Me Who Will Transport My Online Order

When you order something online, wouldn’t it be great if you could tell which carrier will deliver your order? Let me tell you a quick anecdote why I wish that every online retailer would provide this...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Unsubscribing from E-Mail Newsletters

Corporate newsletters that are actually worth reading are few and far between. If it wasn’t for rare gems like Sweetwater Music’s inSync emails with their blend of music tech news and production tips,...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Error Messages in Bounced Emails

Error messages are always annoying, but designers and developers can make them less painful by addressing three questions (in a language that is meaningful to their users): What went wrong? Why did it...

View Article


Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Apple DVD Player’s Way of Failing Silently

Our media collection contains a number of DVDs whose region code is 2, because I had bought them when I was still living in Germany. The region code of our DVD player is 1, though, and unfortunately,...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

The Mystery of the Glowing TV Power Light

Why do power lights on TVs and computer monitors stay on when the device is powered up? I’ve been scratching my head over this question for quite a while now. That obnoxious light in the corner of my...

View Article

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

The Fundamental Importance of Visual Cues

As much as I like the instant gratification of purchasing music online, I still prefer the experience of handling a physical CD and its — hopefully extensive — printed booklet. Consequently, I often...

View Article


Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

The Mobile App Connectivity Misery

Most mobile phone applications access or synchronize at least some data via the internet. If this connectivity is not available — for example, if you’re in an area that has flaky mobile service...

View Article


Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

A UI for a Sit/Stand Desk — How Complex Can It Be?

The sit/stand desk in our home studio is the best furniture investment we ever made. Prolonged sitting is linked to serious health risks, and a sit/stand desk helps alleviate those risks. I also feel...

View Article
Browsing latest articles
Browse All 23 View Live




Latest Images