Getting to Consistency

I just found slides from the SXSW Interactive Panel I moderated back in 2007. Making software predictable and consistent makes it much easier to use. This session will explain UI consistency and point out examples of failures and their consequences. We’ll discuss when it’s appropriate to break consistency, and how to build tools and process …

They don’t make things like they used to

Last year, I stayed with a friend in north Austin during SXSW. A bike was the best way to make the three-mile journey downtown. I had a few options: Renting I called Bicycle Sport Shop and a couple other stores. The problem is that people rent bicycles as entertainment, not transportation, and they’re priced accordingly. …

Think your airline joining Star Alliance helps you?

Last fall, Continental Airlines joined Star Alliance. Since I have most of my points/miles with Air Canada’s Aeroplan—also a member of Star Alliance—I thought that would be good news. It’s not. There’s no way to combine points from both programs to get an award, and no way to move points from from one Star Alliance …

When to buy a refurbished Mac

No, I’m not going to tell you when during the year to buy a Mac (“not the week before WWDC”), but I am going to share a neat trick. Tragedy of the commons, here we go. Apple’s online store has refurbished Macs for sale. These are often a very good deal — today’s selections range from …