SensoryMetrics

If you’ve ever sold your house, you’re familiar with all the prep-work real-estate agents ask of you… some people don’t take the advice.

It’s Lovely, I’ll Take It is a great blog to go through this summer. Seattle-based Sara compiles pictures of the most unappealing house pictures featured in MLS… I hope your house isn’t shown here!

Popularity: 25%

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Business, User Experience its-lovely-ill-take-it, mls, real-estate

When you think of Silverback – you might think of a big monkey, or MSP software offered by Dell, or Atlanta’s pro soccer team. Here something else to think about – Silverback is new usability testing software offered by Clearleft. Silverback lets you create usability projects and record user sessions. For example, you can record people trying out your new website design for the first time. Simply launch Silverback before your participants begin to interact with your application. Screenshots are all recorded along with video and voice. You can add notes and download the video to Quicktime.

This all works quietly in the background… and it’s super easy to use and install! It only runs on a Mac (but then if usability is your concern…) and it’s only $50 with a 30 free trial.

This is a perfect application for “ambush usability” – that’s when you hang out in social places like Starbucks and ask people around you to test your app. Because Silverback uses all the Macbook’s built-in hardware, this usability setup is very mobile! Two big hairy thumbs up.

Here’s a screenshot of my test:

Popularity: 33%

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Mobility, Software, Usability, User Experience, Web 3.0, Web Apps ambush-usability-testing, silverback-usability

If you’ve never been up here in the frozen tundra, you wouldn’t be familiar with Harveys – Canada’s premier burger chain. Harvey’s, like Tim Hortons are Canadian fast-food icons. It’s surprising the chain has lasted since 1959. Now owned by Cara Foods, the chain is notorious for mismanaging customer relations. It has flip-flopped on special promotions – including it’s free burger day. Now it’s re-introducing it’s Frings – a half order of fries with a half order of onion rings. it intends to charge an extra buck to substitute it in a combo – despite the combo price including either fries or rings… what gives? Despite my rusty math skills I still know that a half plus a half equals one.

Harvey’s has also stalled with it’s lacklustre loyalty program – harveys.ca is not much of a destination. Compare this to the top food-related loyalty sites like kraftfoods.com, mycokerewards.com, or even General Mills’ virtual world millsberry.com. Even McDonald’s has Ronald.com!

I’m not sure what the point is for signing up to the Harvey’s Club. Unless you like getting emails advertising overpriced promotions.

Popularity: 31%

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Branding, Business, Media, Pirates, User Experience, Web 3.0 bad-combo-deal, frings, harvey's, loyalty-program

With the bombastic claim that it’s the “world’s biggest search engine“, Cuil (pronounced cool) officially launched today. I admit that taking on Google is a daunting challenge. If Microsoft isn’t up to it, how can a VC-funded startup? One of the founders is an ex-Googler, maybe there was something in the water at the Goolgleplex…

Cuil’s unique idea is to offer search categories along with the results. Searching for “user experience” gives us most of the likely results, but the category menu offers “Windows Vista” as the first category available. What’s up with that?

Search for “Cuil” using Cuil and it can’t find itself. It offers categories like Towns and Villagers In Sligo, French Breads, Argyll and Bute… nowhere is the “world’s biggest search engine” to be found!

Finally what’s the deal naming this site a completely unpronounceable word. Cuil is a french word used in recipes to mean spoon. According to the Urban Dictionary, spoon means lots of things, including cuddling (and more extreme acts), or a type of “pipe” used for smoking various combustible substances, or a common insult hurled at someone with intellectual limitations… Apparently www.dolt.com was already taken.

So check out Cuil – the world’s biggest search engine… try searching “arrogance without substance”

Popularity: 34%

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Branding, Innovation, Software, Usability, User Experience, Web 3.0 cuil-de-sac, cuil-search, intellectually-limited, search engine

According to some online market survey companies, Molson is researching the viability of a couple new brands. The first is named “Molson Light”. Catchy name, huh. Molson has used this clever name before – back in the 70s. With this renewed Light, Molson is targeting men who are grounded (make sure you stay away electrical storms!) Warning, do NOT drink this beer if you’re not

grounded, hard-working, beer-loving guys who know that there are some occasions that call for a light beer, but don’t want to lose everything they love about beer.

Another test beer is simply named “M”. You might think it’s stands for Molson – no. Magnum? no. Mister Magoo? Unfortunately, no. (note to Molson, I probably would buy a beer named Mister Magoo…)

M is for Montreal. The city that is full of love, life and culture. Molson has bottled this joix-de-vivre for your beer drinking pleasure. You’re excited, aren’t you. To help curb your enthusiasm, the marketing folks have designed a bland-looking label. We don’t have a picture, but it resembles an infinity symbol with a stylized M in the center. The execution of this brand has as much connection to Montreal, as I do to with Paris Hilton.

Now, it’s obvious that Molson’s marketing director is struggling. Maybe imagination wasn’t his/her best subject in school! We’d like to help! If you have any beer brand suggestions, write them in as comments. Help save Molson from banality!

Popularity: 30%

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Branding, Business, User Experience beer-branded, market-research, molson, molson-light, molson-m, molson-montreal, product-naming

It’s actually pretty bizarre that a tech magazine would publish a Franken-pic this bad!

First, the curvature of the screen is all wonky.

Second, it’s a Macbook titanium laptop in a Microsoft magazine.

Third, the Vista OS window is bigger than the screen.

Fourth – that lady is surfing a really old page for Open Office!

Can you spot any more weirdness? (really, editohrr is spelled that way for dramatic effect LOL)

UPDATE: Thanks to the magic of Tin Eye, we found the original… wondering why that woman is staring at a blank screen??

via Fotochop Dezasterz

Popularity: 38%

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Bones, Branding, Business MacBook, Microsoft, Open-office, photoshop-disasters, Vista, Vista-magazine

SMS is the technology of choice for most people vying for a Darwin Award. This week, the Wall Street Journal reports that everyday this summer Chicago’s hospitals treat people who have suffered accidents due to texting while walking. According to Dr. Adams of the Northwestern Memorial Hospital,

fallen texters are more prone to facial injuries: They tend to hold their devices close to their faces, so their hands are less likely to break their fall. By the time their hands hit, their face immediately hits and they smash to the ground. The common outcomes are scraped chins, noses and foreheads, along with broken glasses.

You may have seen pictures of padded lampposts installed this spring on a London street. It was an experiment to see if texting injuries could be reduced. Like all good things – cigarettes, booze and KFC – the public health care system ends up footing the bill for the harm that people cause to themselves or others.

Not convinced? Here’s a typical SMS conversation:
— \< I really fancy you.
—/< I really fancy you too but have had eight pints.
=:-( Ok, so I’m having a bad hair day.
.-) They used to call me Lucky.
:-}-8=< I’m delighted with the results of your silicon implants.
<]:^) Stop clowning around.

Popularity: 27%

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Bones, Gadgets, Media, Mobility, User Experience darwin-awards, padded-lampposts, SMS, texting-accidents

Another popular Utah warning:
The Center for OS Sanity reminds everyone not to install Vista.

Popularity: 21%

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Usability, User Experience warning-messages

It was 1967, and the Grateful Dead had just released their first album, with the lovable tune “Cream Puff War”. This was also the year that Clairtone introduced the “Tripping the Light Fantastic” hi-fi system. This featured two plastic orbs and some coloured lights. The innovative “translator” would alter the light patterns based on the music playing. According to a new archive site featuring Clairtone, this is the rarest product the company ever offered.

The company was founded in 1957 in Toronto. It quickly became famous for its innovative design for high-end audio systems. The beautiful wooden cabinets were the favourites for uptown bachelor pads. Apparently Frank Sinatra and Hugh Hefner had one.

Sadly the company failed after trying their luck at the colour TV market. One year before its demise in 1971, it was bought by the Province of Nova Scotia. Provinces should not buy technology companies!

Featured on the left is a variant of the company’s flagship product Project G – the Ottawa model!

Popularity: 32%

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Branding, Business, Gadgets, Innovation, Media, User Experience canadian-companies, clairtone, hi-fi, trip-the-light-fantastic

For the past 30 minutes (and maybe for another 45) these apps for the iPhone are all the rage. As pictured, it turns your phone into a simulated glass of beer or milk. Using the accelerometer, it mimics pouring, shaking, and drinking. Advanced features include multi-level shakes and simulated burping. Offered by HotTrix, the company offers 24/7 support.

Support for a $3 iPhone gag?? No wonder Steve Jobs hasn’t been feeling well lately!

I’m going to store my iBeer in the closet along with my Pet Rock, Pog collection, Mood Ring, Dancing Baby, Hoodia Supplements, HD-DVD, Roller Shoes, Furby, Windows ME, Jumping Beans, Kilroy, and all my Hannah Montana collectibles!

What’s in your closet?

Popularity: 36%

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Business, Gadgets, Geek Wear, Media, User Experience fads, ibeer, imilk, iphone