Tobby Smith joins Tim Keirnan for a longitudinal review of the Windows Phone 7.5 mobile operating system. Both guys have been using it on Nokia Lumia 710 handsets since last winter and are ready to explain why they enjoy the Windows Phone customer experience, as well as complain about the negative points which they hope Microsoft will fix in the upcoming Windows Phone 8.

Tobby is a long-time veteran of smart phone use, while Tim is new to smart phones, so both ends of the user continuum are included.

To see the user interface of Windows Phone, head over to a cell phone store in your area and try it for yourself OR point your browser to
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-US/features/default.aspx

The episode of Design Critique with Matt Hard that covered the Zune HD, the predecessor to Windows Phone, can be heard at
http://www.designcritique.biz/podcasts/critique-microsoft-zune-players-zune-4-0-software-and-zunepass-music-service

The GoldStar MA6511W microwave oven is a triumph of kitchen appliance interaction design. Featuring only two mechanical controls that are all too rare in an age of overly-complex digital designs, the MA6511W deserves as much praise as can be put into this 16 minute episode. The adjective “intuitive” is often over-used, but it applies to this small microwave oven.

Microwaves are functionally simple devices often made difficult to use by manufacturers who put frivolous features and buttons on something that doesn’t need to be complex. A mad dash for “features” at the expense of audience needs and usability is common in microwave oven design, but GoldStar’s design team tightly focused this oven for a particular audience (re-heating in space-cramped kitchens) and did NOT try to please everyone. The result is a wonderful appliance that has also proven very durable–7 years of trouble-free service at the time of this episode’s publishing.

The How Stuff Works website referred to in the episode has some podcasts you might be interested in:
http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/hsw-shows/hsw-podcast.htm

“Attack of the Pointless Modal Confirmations”
Tim critiques almost two years of experience with the TomTomXL335TM portable GPS in a longitudinal review plagued by a ragged voice from a nasty January filled with mishaps, and a mental wooziness that we hope isn’t too obvious. But food poisonings, auto wrecks, and seasonal colds cannot prevent the fact that the XL335 is a GPS that has terrific voices which sound wonderful, but unreliable software and horrid modal confirmation abuses throughout.
Just reflect on this one example of interaction design gone wrong; sadly, it is typical of the TomTom Way:

It takes eleven, that’s 11, taps to change voices on the XL335TM. I am not making this up.

And here are TomTom’s excellent marketing of its Star Wars celebrity voices:
Darth Vader in the recording studio: http://youtu.be/2ljFfL-mL70
Yoda in the recording studio: http://youtu.be/FdcJVuylmsM

Two feedback emails round out this 46-minute episode.

In which Tim Keirnan and Mike Beasley discuss vintage shaving tool designs, featuring the safety razor and straight razor. Shaving with these old methods has many advantages, including:
* Closer shaves that last longer before the dreaded 5 o’clock shadow appears
* Improved skin condition due to premium creams and soaps used
* Lower cost of ownership (unless you start collecting gear as a hobby)
* Sustainable technology compared with disposable plastic-dominated, modern, overpriced crap
* Better user experience due to mindful nature of single-blade shaving that many find relaxing and even fun, due to the “gourmet” shave creams and soaps, brushes, and blades used. As Mike says, it’s more classy.

Two forums in particular helped us convert from multi-bladed cartridge monstrosities with industrial “goop in a can” to vintage shaving:
http://straightrazorplace.com/
Mike frequents this forum and likes it a lot.

http://www.pogonotomy.com/
Tim favors this one for forum owner Bruce’s blog and the very international nature forum that is small enough to feel neighborly and doesn’t overwhelm you with millions of posts per day.

Legendary Zack’s article on boar bristle shave brushes, and some other blogs:
http://www.shavemyface.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=35880
http://www.shaving101.com/
http://sharpologist.com/

YouTube channels that helped us greatly include:
http://www.youtube.com/user/mantic59
Legendary Mantic59’s Shave Tutor channel. Excellent how to videos.

http://www.youtube.com/user/geofatboy
Geo does a lot of terrific reviews of razors old and new, shaving with them while doing his reviews.

http://www.youtube.com/user/mokujingris1
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrGuysRazors

And Michael Ham’s reference how-to book on safety razor shaves:

http://leisureguy.wordpress.com/shaving-book-reviews/

Recorded live at Internet User Experience 2011 on October 11th, it’s the panel session “The State of the Internet User Experience” starring
Marti Gukeisen
Dave Mitropoulos-Rundus
Dante Murphy
Susan Weinschenk

and Tim Keirnan as the moderator.

Learn more about the panelists at
http://www.iue2011.com/presentation_stateofux.html

Thanks to all four panelists for allowing Design Critique to distribute this recording.