SIGNAL VS. NOISE

Thank You

As, I believe, SvN's first guest poster, I say "Thank you". To the good folks at SvN, and to those who put up with me, comforted me, and bantered about with me. A memorable April, to be sure.

I'll note this occasion with an expensive cigar tonight.

iTunes Music Store: Making it Even Better

Yes, Apple's done it again with the iTunes Music Store. This is no small achievement -- they've done a remarkable job so far. And, I know it's a 1.0 release, and I'm sure many -- if not all -- of these ideas are planned, but here are some quick, simple thoughts on how to improve the usability and overall experience. If I have some extra time I'll mock up some visual examples of the verbal examples below:

• Mark songs I've already purchased. If I'm browsing the store, and I come across a a track or album I've already purchased, provide some visual indicator (a small icon, perhaps) that lets me know I've already purchased it so I don't try again. Currently the store will let me know via a dialog that I've already purchased it, but this is only after I click "BUY SONG."
• Allow me to select multiple songs on the same album to purchase all at once. The 1-click purchasing experience is fantastic, but it would be even better if I didn't have to click the BUY SONG button for 5 separate songs on the same album (especially since, as I noted above, there's no visual indicator of which songs I've purchased). How about letting me shift-click multiple songs and then, being asked when I click the BUY SONG button (or right-click any of the selected songs), if I want to purchase all the selected songs. I realize they do have a shopping-cart option (it's in the preferences), but it seems like this idea might be a nice in-between.
• Allow me to bookmark or wish-list an album. I'm sure this is on the way, but they really should allow people to bookmark or wish-list an album. Maybe I don't want the album right now. Maybe I want to check out another corner of the store first. Maybe I want to compare a few albums before buying. Right now there's really no way to keep a list or see a history of albums you've viewed.
• Allow me to email an album URL, reference, or "song clipping" to a friend who is using iTunes 4. There's no easy way to tell someone else how to check out a particular album or song except to tell them to search for it. It would be nice if each song, album, and artist page could have some sort of unique URL that would point directly to the particular song, album, or discography page. Continuing this thought... It would be cool to be able to drag a song or album onto your desktop and create a "song clipping." Double clicking the clipping would return you to the iTunes 4 section for that song, album, or artist page. You could then email these little clippings (or drop one on iChat to IM the URL for that item) to friends or keep a collection for yourself.
• Allow drag-and-drop buying. Allow people to drag Music Store tracks directly into an iTunes playlist, or onto an iPod, to initiate the buying process (confirmed with a dialog, of course).
• Allow me to sync my purchased music between authorized computers. I purchased some music at work, and some at home, but now I can't (easily) get the music from work to the machine at home. I'd really like to be able to redownload the tracks I purchased at work when I'm at home. Is this a rights issue?
• Allow me to subscribe to an artist to be alerted when new material from this artist is released. It would be nice to be able to subscribe to an artist (or genre, I suppose) to be notified when new material from that artist, or in that genre, is released. It would be great if those clickable alerts showed up on the store's home page ("Hey Jason, U2 just released their latest album!")
• Allow me to buy box sets. How about offering customers digital box sets? A collection of 3 top albums, perhaps? And this doesn't have to be artist specific -- they could offer Blues Box Sets or Country Box Sets that mix and match artists.
• Allow me to sample an entire album or subset. How about playing the 30 second previews for all the songs in an album in a row? Or, allow me to select a few and then play those samples in progression.

The Tipping Point

Well, if Jason Kottke was the last person in American to hear Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, then I guess I'm the last one to read "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell. If you're unfamiliar, the book examines how ideas and behaviors and new products move through a population the same way a disease does. And it's fascinating. Each chapter features a new anecdote or revelation that really makes you think about the world in a different way.

Gladwell's site features some of his articles for the New Yorker and information about the book. Here he explains the title and how he first arrived at the idea for the book.

The word "Tipping Point", for example, comes from the world of epidemiology. It's the name given to that moment in an epidemic when a virus reaches critical mass. It's the boiling point. It's the moment on the graph when the line starts to shoot straight upwards. AIDS tipped in 1982, when it went from a rare disease affecting a few gay men to a worldwide epidemic. Crime in New York City tipped in the mid 1990's, when the murder rate suddenly plummeted. When I heard that phrase for the first time I remember thinking--wow. What if everything has a Tipping Point? Wouldn't it be cool to try and look for Tipping Points in business, or in social policy, or in advertising or in any number of other nonmedical areas?

When it's time to kick back

When it's time to relax, where do you go and what do you do?

In the evenings, I like to retreat to my backyard chimenea with a glass of wine or bourbon and a couple of premium cigars, and watch the heavens. Last night: seven satellites and one shooting star.

Happy Earth Day

Happy Earth Day, everyone. In the U.S., the federal government has put together a few things you can do at home and at work. What, if anything, are you planning?

Gawker Stalker

Gawker is now offering a new feature: the Gawker Stalker. "Send me celebrity sightings (i.e., Renee Zellweger, Nobu, 12:40PM) and I'll post them in real time," reads the site.

The scary part is that I can see this totally taking off. Can't you just imagine spotters getting rated (a la eBay) on the accuracy of their sightings? And stalkers/fans/'razzi rushing to spots where a celeb is rumored to be? Yikes.

The Ultimate Usability Nightmare

What's the worst Usability Nightmare?

I have what I think is the hands-down winner: Just try to get your Credit Report corrected after one or more mistakes -- by that I mean, mistakes by lenders.

I got a copy of mine last night. An account that I paid off and closed in 1993 is still showing up as unpaid! This after I sent the Credit Reporting Agency the proof -- in 1995!

My Spyder loan has been paid; it shows up as still open -- at $109,000!

Another car loan -- paid in full in 2001 -- shows up as open with a $981 balance.

And that's not all of the mistakes. The hassle of getting this fix will be rewarded, I'm sure, by more mistakes. I'm glad we've adopted a "pay cash" attitude.

Downshifting

I don't like automatic transmissions except in big, American cars. It should be a law: If your car has "GT" on it, it must be a five- or six-speed manual transmission.

When driving my SAAB 900, I like to downshift. I've been told not to, that "brakes are cheaper than clutches", but I have learned my gear ratios to the point that I can rev the engine and be spot on when I downshift. In fact, I sometimes forgo the clutch and just pull it into gear. Works fine.

But what I'm wondering is: Is downshifting a "guy thing" or an "American thing", or is it even more common in Europe, where manual transmissions are more common?

Do you downshift? Does all of Europe? Or just we cool Pennsylvania guys? :)

Receipt Usability

Usually it's the anticipation of good food that brings a smile to my face when the delivery guy rings the bell, but this time it was the credit card receipt. Check out the row under the "Total" line. It shows tips for 15%, 18%, and 20%. Great idea. Figuring out the proper tip amount is one of those things that flusters (and embarrasses) a lot of folks. Spelling out the tip "options" for the customer is not only great receipt usability, but it also probably leads to more people tipping 18% or 20% than 15% in much the same way that most people will select the middle-priced bottle of wine if given a choice between cheap, moderate, and expensive.

Where do you keep your stuff?

I have emails and text files, pictures, PDF's ... notes all over the place. Some at my office, some at clients' offices.

What's a good way to store everything so that I can reach it via the web? The cheaper the better; free would be wonderful.

Profits Are Possible If You're Smart

Southwest Airlines just posted yet another quarterly profit. Plus, when fewer are traveling and flights are being cut, Southwest's traffic rose 4.8 percent and capacity increased by 5.3 percent. Meanwhile, analysts expect U.S. airlines to report operating losses totaling up to $3.5 billion for the quarter, making it one of the worst three-month periods in aviation industry history. Smoothly executed, trend-bucking businesses are beautiful things.

The Boot

It occurred to me the other day that the "Boot" they give to over-parkers is a pretty innovative idea. What do you do with a car that keeps parking for too long? Make it stay there even longer! Rather brilliant in a Sun Tzu/Bruce Lee/Jujitsu "cripple your enemy by turning his strength into a weakness" kinda way.

Here are some nifty judo quotes.

The fact, however, to which I want to call attention is that the master of Judo never relies upon his own strength. He scarcely uses his own strength in the greatest emergency. Then what does he use? Simply the strength of his antagonist. The force of the enemy is the only means by which that enemy is overcome.

J "Gangsta" F

So, I've been working on my first Gansta Rap album for a few years now. Problem isn't that I'm not a gansta (just ask ML or SU -- de'll tell ya), it's that I got writas blizock. I need some help. Here's the chorus of my first single called "Who's Gotz Da Bimmer, Who'z Gotz Da Bently"...

Who gotz da Bimmer, who gotz the Bently
Ya best not be axin' which hoes sent me
Who gotz da Bimmer, who gotz the Bently
Cause, G, I gotsta have room when I'm rollin'

I know. It's tha shiznit. Safe. Respect. But, that's all I got so far. Can ya help me finish it up? And, BTW, in case you are wondering, my rap name is 99.99. Aight.

Working Overtime

According to the International Labor Organization, Americans now work 1,978 hours annually, a full 350 hours - nine weeks - more than Western Europeans. The average American actually worked 199 hours more in 2000 than he or she did in 1973, a period during which worker productivity per hour nearly doubled.

This NY Times piece on the subject points out that "by contrast, over the past 30 years, Europeans have made a different choice - to live simpler, more balanced lives and work fewer hours. The average Norwegian, for instance, works 29 percent less than the average American - 14 weeks per year - yet his average income is only 16 percent less. Western Europeans average five to six weeks of paid vacation a year; we average two."

What do you think? Why the drive to work so much and vacation so little? Are Americans missing the point of what's important about life? Or is this emphasis on productivity a good thing?

Race Car Driver

Maybe I'm a bad bad person, but hearing that Rodney King crashed his SUV into a house after weaving through traffic at 100 mph just makes me chuckle. I didn't laugh when he was beaten by the cops in 1991, or when he was convicted of spouse abuse in 1999, or when he pleaded no contest to three counts of being under the influence of PCP and a count of indecent exposure in 2001, but I've never been able to keep a straight face after learning someone crashed into a house. And, BTW, what's up with him not getting arrested for this latest adventure? The authorities in FLA didn't have must trouble arresting a hyperactive sixth-grader for stomping in puddle.

Can Men and Women Be Friends?

From When Harry Met Sally:

Harry Burns: You realize of course that we could never be friends.
Sally Albright: Why not?
Harry Burns: What I'm saying is -- and this is not a come-on in any way, shape or form -- is that men and women can't be friends because the sex part always gets in the way.

Many of my friends and I struggle with this phenomenon daily, with varying degrees of success. Even in the 21st Century, can men and women be friends with no complications attached?

Jack White

The new Flaming Lips EP features a song titled "Thank You Jack White (For The Fiber Optic Jesus That You Gave Me)." Also, The Onion interviews Jack White in this week's issue.

That's the best compliment of all, when a kid likes it, because you know they're not lying. A young child... When they get older, they start maybe liking what everybody else likes, but little kids don't lie. I love that, because it seems like... I don't know what it might be that appeals to them. Maybe there's some sort of cartoony aspect of our band that on one level appeals to them. People tell us, "Our 5-year-old listens to you all day long, and knows the lyrics to certain songs." It's flattering.

99 vs 00

Does the "99" trick work on you? Are you more willing to buy something that's $9.99 instead of $10.00? $99.99 instead of $100? What about 95 vs 99? Does these subtle little pricing tricks consciously affect your buying decisions?

When Tragedy Strikes ...

When Tragedy strikes, how you do mark the occasion? My brother's son was an Eagle Scout and one of the most popular kids in high class. Now, he's gone.

Do you have a ritual that you use to memorialize such occasions? I'm not listening to music for a few days, because I don't want a song to spark a horrific memory. But, I'm going to have a cigar in Harry's memory on Thursday following his memorial service. Then, when I have that particular brand of cigar again in the future, I'll use that to remember Harry and what a great kid he was.

R.I.P. Harry Schenck.

Good or Bad Apple?

Rumor has it that Apple is in talks to buy Universal Music. Half of me thinks this would be the worst business move ever (the music industry is a mess), the other half says it would be the best (the music industry is a mess -- there's a huge opportunity to set the future course of digital music distribution). Either way, it's bold as hell. Wall Street isn't liking it (Apple is down about $0.93 right now), but the street rarely favors a company that is about to spend $6 billion. Is this related to the rumored Apple Music Service. Could Apple just be in talks with Universal about being a part of the new Apple Music Service instead of an actual buyout? Apple is one of the few companies that can truly "Think Different" and advance an industry. We certainly know the music industry is ripe for a change. Someone/something needs to push that industry forward. Apple? What do you think?

Close enough for government work?

I don't think so! Check out this site. Decent navigation on the left-hand side, right? Well ... try the Image Archive link. If it's not up, why bother?

Want to check a Federal Firearms License (FFL) number? Just click on the link on the left ... er ... uh ... how about Other Programs. Now that's intuitive.

Okay, here is the link to the FFL EzCheck site. But if you go there, be warned; there's no return from that black hole.

Precision-guided missles? No problem. Web sites? "Well get back to you".

A Shock To The System

Google News had a collection of stories on the Arab reaction to Saddam's demise (several listed below). Though we laughed at the Iraqi Information Minister, many Arabs apparently took him seriously.

Independent,UK: Arab world dismayed at 'new colonialism'
SF Gate: Events in Baghdad disillusion - and relieve - Arabs elsewhere
Reuters,UK: Arabs Watch Saddam's Demise in Disbelief
Reuters,UK: Jordanians Angry and Let Down After Baghdad's Fall
Washington Post: Arab Media Confront the 'New Rules of the Game'

Utopia: Coming To A Browser Near You

My idea of the ideal lifestyle.

Got a website the describes your ideals?

New World History, As Seen On TV - No Reserve!

I wonder how long it will be until the Saddam statue shows up on eBay.

"Stupid lawyers"

Someone says "Stupid lawyers. Why the hell do you need terms and conditions for package tracking?"

Perhaps to fend off stupid lawsuits?

Usability Details (The Little Things Count)

UPS spends millions and millions on a new identity/logo and a revamped web site, yet they're still missing the point when it comes to the simplest of things that can make or break an online shipping experience: form buttons. Not only do they still have clear/reset buttons on most of their forms (the blue buttons above are from their new site), but they are the same color, possess the same type treatment, and are only separated from the main action submit button by a single pixel (if you're going to have 'em, at least put some space between them -- not everyone has razor sharp mouse dexterity). In some cases, the clear/reset button is almost the same size as the main action submit button (see the "Track" button above). It's too easy to make a mistake -- and the last mistake I want to make is entering five of those tricky 18-character tracking numbers and hitting "Clear" . While not as clean and sleek, their old button design with a distinct main action submit button and wider spacing was better:

Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf

You've got to admire the Iraqi Information Minister's tenacity in staying on message.

Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf told reporters Iraqi forces were slaughtering the enemy and denied that U.S. tanks had captured the palaces..."As our leader Saddam Hussein said, God is grilling their stomachs in hell," said Sahaf, standing defiantly on a roof in central Baghdad [note: since his own ministry was not secure enough for him to preside over] and ignoring U.S. tanks a few hundred yards away across the Tigris.

Dave is a teapot

Oh, the things you find when doing Google searches.

What have you found?

New Yahoo vs. Old Google

Yahoo, in a bid to take on Google, launched their new search today. It's very Google-like (fast, cached results, minimal interface, etc.). After giving it a few tries, will you switch? Is it compelling enough? Is it really faster, more convenient, better? What do you think? (BTW, we were asked to bid on this Yahoo search-redesign project but we didn't win it)

29

Born 7:31 AM (almost in a cab -- or so the story goes), April 7, 1974.
Here's to the last year of my 20s. It's going to be a good one. (April 7th is also the birthday of: Russell Crowe, John Oates, Bill Bellamy, Jackie Chan, Francis Ford Coppola, Jerry Brown (the mayor), Tony Dorsett...)

Motivations

I'm no psychiatrist, but the actions of nations as compared to individuals has interested me lately. Obviously it's a gross oversimplification to summarize motivations so glibly, but let's try anyway...

The USA is the spoiled rich kid who always gets his way ("No Mommy, I will not give up my SUV!"). France is the touchy, feely type who always wants to communicate about her feelings ("I think it's time we had a talk about where this relationship is going."). Germany is the recovering addict who can't even stand to look at booze anymore (see Jon Stewart). The Arab world seems like a group of abused children who now view the world through a prism where everyone is always out to humiliate and exploit them (e.g. This NY Times article claims many if not most Arabs feel "only resistance to the United States can redeem Arab pride and that the Iraqis are fighting a pan-Arab battle for self-respect."). And of course, everyone assumes it's the other guy who has a problem.

Individuals can go to counseling or get some pills. What do you do with a dysfunctional country though?

Oh, the irony

You'd think that a web site about Industrial Design would exhibit good design.

You'd think wrong.

Coolest ever

Okay, this is the coolest case mod ever.

Disco Yoga

Among the new classes being offered at the local Crunch gym: Disco Yoga. According to one instructor, "Disco brought us love and freedom; that's what you want to find within your pose."

"You're known by the company you keep."

Mom always said I was known by the company I keep. Also told me that I'd be guilty by association, whether that's fair or not.

I'm a member of Surfrider, I regularly contribute here at SvN, and also at the Cigar Aficionado magazine's online forum. I also associate with my square foot garden.

So, with whom -- real or virtual -- do you associate?

Elegant Design ... and fun, too!

Not sure what the deal is with this site, but I find myself coming back again and again. The elegance, down to the pleasing color scheme and appropriate typefaces, is compelling.

And, it's fun! Ya think?

Trump TV

NBC and The Donald are getting together to field a new reality show (and recruiting tool) that pits MBA students and street hustlers against each other to find out who will become Donald's "Apprentice." Trump will personally "fire" one person a show. Sign me up. That bastard took me for $300 last week. And, BTW, talk about misleading -- check out the picture on this Trump Casino page. First off, the casino is in Gary, Indiana, not Chicago, IL. Secondly, there's no hint of a "TRUMP" building in Chicago.

Woody Norris and HSS

The Sound of Things to Come (NY Times) is an interesting profile of Woody Norris, the mind behind HyperSonic Sound (HSS), an amplifier that directs sound much as a laser beam directs light. Popular Science magazine bestowed upon HSS its grand prize for new inventions of 2002 (over the Segway) and the story's author claims, "HSS represents the first revolution in acoustics since the loudspeaker was invented 78 years ago." Norris says, "If I'd known how many people had tried to invent this thing, and how smart those people were, I never would have touched it."