What makes a tech gadget calm? This certification firm has an 81-point checklist.
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"Technology should work even when it fails."
Failing gracefully was a core tenant of good software design at one time. We've moved away from that toward halting at any fault, and what to do about it is your problem. Nice to see this identified.
Failing gracefully was a core tenant of good software design at one time. We've moved away from that toward halting at any fault, and what to do about it is your problem. Nice to see this identified.
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My microwave has a setting for the beep volume. Which is good because it's so obnoxious and loud that I would have either literally replaced it or done surgery to find the speaker and destroy it.
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I remember when "chip reader" card readers first came along, they had this low "buzz" sound that was the very definition of an "error beep", and the constant string of shoppers who heard that "brr brr brr" and thought the card didn't go through. Eventually, they updated it into a pleasing "ding" that sounded a lot more like a "success" beep.
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This is sort-of an interesting alternative to simply starting a design consulting business; and for consumers an alternative to untrustworthy reviews. It doesn't cover even close to everything, however. A product could be completely calm but still a POS.
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Having experienced a time when the system would crash and show you “Error 3”, which meant you had to reach behind and cycle the on/off switch, I honestly have no idea when this fantastical period was when failing gracefully was a core tenet of software design.
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This. The entire neigborhood doesn't need to know I finished heating a late night meal.
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I moved to a new home last year, and from a very loud and aggressive door buzzer to a doorbell that goes "ding dong".
It's a small change, but I'm less angry at delivery people that get the wrong address now.
Edit: Can anyone recommend a microwave that doesn't wake up half the street when it's done?
It's a small change, but I'm less angry at delivery people that get the wrong address now.
Edit: Can anyone recommend a microwave that doesn't wake up half the street when it's done?
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Mine has a "mute" option. It turns out you really don't need four loud beeps audible across the street to tell you that sudden quiet is when the heating stops.
But it resets to the loudest setting on every power glitch...
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Regarding LEDs, I like red/amber for status or notification, and blue for alert.
I think this is kinda counter to what people are used to, where red=danger/attention, though.
E.g. my RV used a bright-ass blue LED backlit switch for the main interior lights, which directly faces the bed. A backlit switch makes sense, but red would have IMO been equally useful and less obnoxious at night.
I can get behind epaper for a lot of things, though. I absolutely love epaper ereaders and notepads. I have an Onyx Box Palma with (I think) Olauncher (a minimal replacement launcher), and it's a spectacular high-portability reader with a select few other functions. (Mostly DDG browser and NextCloud, for putting reading material on it when I'm not at a computer.) Enough so the epaper phones are tempting.
I think this is kinda counter to what people are used to, where red=danger/attention, though.
E.g. my RV used a bright-ass blue LED backlit switch for the main interior lights, which directly faces the bed. A backlit switch makes sense, but red would have IMO been equally useful and less obnoxious at night.
I can get behind epaper for a lot of things, though. I absolutely love epaper ereaders and notepads. I have an Onyx Box Palma with (I think) Olauncher (a minimal replacement launcher), and it's a spectacular high-portability reader with a select few other functions. (Mostly DDG browser and NextCloud, for putting reading material on it when I'm not at a computer.) Enough so the epaper phones are tempting.
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The issue seems to come from the desire to make things look good without consideration for functionality. Another casualty in eschewing professionals for some MBA or Lawyer with "ideas". The smooth car door looks cool but is utterly useless, the lack of microwave sound controls is to "make box look box". Both decisions made for those ridiculous commercials trying to make the product look "sexy". Give me a button covered horror that is clearly labeled, please. I dont want to send my fingers back to the gym to stretch another inch for "multi push stretchathon".
My father worked for a major telecom in the day. Led their marketing division. He always said that the customer would be upset with his product if he made it out to be something it wasn't. So the bulk of his commercials just talked about the stats and coverage of the telecom before flashing the actual product at the end before cutting to the emblem drop. He trusted the customer to pick the best phone for themselves, and the engineers to make the best product they could. It was about enticing the customer to take a closer look, not fool them or BS them. He laughs at some of the new garbage commenting "that looks like something marketing would design". Granted, phones then were just phones, for the most part. He was there for the dawn of internet phones.
Different times.
Now you have these wild commercials that make it seem like the iPhone can destroy God and people get all riled... to find it is just another iPhone. With worse touch controls than the last one. But hey! The metal came from outer space! Right?
My father worked for a major telecom in the day. Led their marketing division. He always said that the customer would be upset with his product if he made it out to be something it wasn't. So the bulk of his commercials just talked about the stats and coverage of the telecom before flashing the actual product at the end before cutting to the emblem drop. He trusted the customer to pick the best phone for themselves, and the engineers to make the best product they could. It was about enticing the customer to take a closer look, not fool them or BS them. He laughs at some of the new garbage commenting "that looks like something marketing would design". Granted, phones then were just phones, for the most part. He was there for the dawn of internet phones.
Different times.
Now you have these wild commercials that make it seem like the iPhone can destroy God and people get all riled... to find it is just another iPhone. With worse touch controls than the last one. But hey! The metal came from outer space! Right?
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Side note, I checked out the Daylight Computer.
No idea about the computer, but the website sucks: it's one of those where scrolling doesn't make information move on the screen, but rather fade in and out.
It's also blaring white, and is barley legible with DarkReader. Not very calming to have my preferred light levels suddenly overridden.
No idea about the computer, but the website sucks: it's one of those where scrolling doesn't make information move on the screen, but rather fade in and out.
It's also blaring white, and is barley legible with DarkReader. Not very calming to have my preferred light levels suddenly overridden.
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The first thing I do when I get a new microwave is to mute the damn beeping. There's usually a method in the user manual. Why does everything need to beep at me?
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I've just had a brilliant idea. A contented sigh is a pleasant, calming sound, isn't it? Why not have it so automatic doors sigh happily when they operate for you? Wouldn't that be lovely?
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I'm feeling all those comments about microwave beeps.
Our last washing machine was the worst though. Annoying beeps every ten minutes until you popped the door open.
Hey your washing's done...
Hey your washing's done...
Hey your washing's done...
Hey your washing's done...
I KNOW MY FUCKING WASHING IS DONE. THE WORLD WILL NOT END IF I UNLOAD IT AFTER DINNER!
...and deep blue oceans. Kittens & puppies. Touching grass.
OK, I got this.
Our last washing machine was the worst though. Annoying beeps every ten minutes until you popped the door open.
Hey your washing's done...
Hey your washing's done...
Hey your washing's done...
Hey your washing's done...
I KNOW MY FUCKING WASHING IS DONE. THE WORLD WILL NOT END IF I UNLOAD IT AFTER DINNER!
...and deep blue oceans. Kittens & puppies. Touching grass.
OK, I got this.
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Someone once commented to me that my cell phone ring tone was soothing. I was like, yeah, why not? We really shouldn't be panicking every time we get a phone call. This basic bit of self care seemed foreign to this person (and others I know.)
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That's one way to get your name in print twice
(what an odd photo btw. It looks like a headshot pasted on the front of one of those chain stand-up comedy clubs)
edit: It just occurred to me that her primary income stream is probably doing powerpoints at various companies. The headshot makes more sense if true.
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Our has a loud ping when the timer reaches zero, no volume control, but more irritating in my opinion is that if I turn it off before its done and manually turns the timer to zero it still pings and if you do not turn it to zero you run the risk of someone closing the door and setting it running empty which as far as I know is not good for it.
Apart from that its a very basic design with clear and easy to use physical nobs to turn to set the effect and time and just one button to stop it and open the door.
It starts as soon as the door closes.
So a mix of good and bad
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Look at the instructions usually on the inside edge of the door. Lots of microwaves have options to turn the beeps off entirely which is what I do. I would do that in offices I worked at too just to lower the environmental nuisances. Except one lady liked the beeps and only knew to reset it by unplugging the microwave and plugging it back in. Which reset the clock, which annoyed another coworker who would reprogram the clock. And then I'd go and turn the beeps off again
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Actually I want mine to beep....
once a minute if I forget to open the door and remove the hot contents.
No more finding the rewarmed side dish in the microwave the next morning.
My old one did it and the new one doesn't.
Now... the display light on the microwave that shines brighter than the sun?
That could use a dimmin'.
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A long time ago I made my college roommate disable the "beep every hour and half hour" on his digital watch.
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Shoutout one time to Samsung appliances that sing the entirety of Yankee Doodle Dandy or someshit every time the oven is up to temp or the launndry is done. Literally insane.
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One of the things I love about my OnePlus phone is the little physical slider on the side to noise/vibrate/silent.
My washing machine sounds like calliope when it's done.
My washing machine sounds like calliope when it's done.
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This made me think about my ring tone...and I don't actually know what it is. Kinda weird to think about, but at this point it's just an ingrained sound.
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speaking of tech not getting it right... you have no idea how much this vexes me :
And, to topic, the self checkout stations at certain grocery stores where the volume of the beeps on every scan is at max volume (and going through the motions of trying to lower it, and then those new volume settings not being respected) is MADDENING!!!!
And, to topic, the self checkout stations at certain grocery stores where the volume of the beeps on every scan is at max volume (and going through the motions of trying to lower it, and then those new volume settings not being respected) is MADDENING!!!!
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David Mayer
Ars Centurion
Both Ikea makes a microwave with two dials, one button and no diaplay. One dial controls power level, the other is a mechanical timer that rings a bell when done. The button opens the door. I would have bought one years ago if it wasn't <1000 w.
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Fun fact! In stimulus management, there are two thresholds that are relevant here - the threshold to which you become consciously aware of a given stimulus (as in, you don't notice a noise until it's loud enough to catch your attention), and another threshold at which that stimulus turns into discomfort (this can manifest as pain, but not necessarily). These thresholds are different for everybody, and can shift within the same individual depending on environment. A common issue in folks various kinds of sensory processing issues is that those thresholds can be very close together - that means a sensation can proceed very quickly from conscious awareness into active discomfort. When that happens, the person doesn't always have time to brace for said discomfort which can cause difficult to manage reactions. Another implication is that some people just have low thresholds for both - what doesn't bug you can directly cause spikes in heart rate and blood pressure well outside of conscious control in other people, with the resulting feelings of anxiety.
Source: My friend with a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy, and time spend as her test subject during her studies.
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David Mayer
Ars Centurion
Kinda like this?speaking of tech not getting it right... you have no idea how much this vexes me :
View attachment 110087
And, to topic, the self checkout stations at certain grocery stores where the volume of the beeps on every scan is at max volume (and going through the motions of trying to lower it, and then those new volume settings not being respected) is MADDENING!!!!
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I appreciate a lot of what they are trying to do, but I am not so enamored of the woo-woo new-agey style of it. That blue light is "energetic" is not why it's irritating. "Calm" is not why capacitive glass is bad for controls in cars. In fact, the latter comes in great part from pushing calm-dentist's-waiting-room minimalist aesthetics to the extreme everywhere.
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...The watch feature that was invented by the same guy that invented Chinese Water Torture.
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Supporting case: tinnitus. I have moderate tinnitus, and apparently "suicidal ideation" is a significant concern with that, as I got asked if I was having any such thoughts at least 5 times.
I'd rather not have it but I can't imagine offing myself over it, other people apparently do just that with my level and persistence of ringing.
Same perceived sound, radically different responses.
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