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Electric Toothbrush & Function Allocation | 07/28/2010
Several months ago I bought my first electric toothbrush, and I have to admit that I’m in love. Not only is it a great toothbrush, but it’s a great example of a classic Human Factors design issue: function allocation between humans and machines. This is an issue that dates back to at least 1951 with Fitts Lists, and HABA-MABA lists, such as:
- Humans are best at (HABA) information retrieval using context and associations, machines are best at (MABA) information retrieval based on long lists and structured information.
- Humans are best at creative and adaptive tasks, machines are best at precise and repetitive tasks.
The lists change as machine capabilities change, but they are helpful when assessing a complex system and looking for places where machine automation can help, such as scanning barcodes at the grocery store instead of typing in prices, and where they introduce new problems, such as airplane pilots having difficulty staying awake during long flights because so many tasks have been automated. So how does this apply to my toothbrush?
The toothbrush takes care of the aspects of brushing my teeth that a machine is best at.
- It vibrates the head of the toothbrush, moving the bristles across my teeth much faster than I could ever hope to do (machines are better at small, repetitive motions).
- It automatically stops after the ADA-recommended 2 minutes, so I keep brushing until it stops (machines are better at judging time).
- It has a special beep (really a brief change in the vibrating speed) every 30 seconds that lets me know when to switch quadrants, so that I don’t over- or under-brush different areas (again with the time).
- It even has a quick 1- minute mode for days when I’m in a rush to make sure I get at least some minimal brushing in, since humans are even worse at judging time when they’re stressed (machines don’t get stressed about being late).
That leaves me, the human, to focus on the things that I’m better at, like slowly moving the toothbrush and getting that brush head into the back corners of my mouth. I get better brushing coverage, since I’m not distracted by trying to also keep up the repetitive brushing motions (humans aren’t very good at doing multiple things at once).
Cleaner teeth and a quick lesson in function allocation. I love it!
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Netflix CEO talks PS3 streaming, Hulu Plus | 07/22/2010
Reed Hastings tells investors a new version of its Sony PS3 user interface to stream movies and TV shows won't require a disc.
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U.S. Exports Are Up…and Imports Are, Too | 07/13/2010
Despite the fact that U.S. exports climbed a little over 2 percent in May, the U.S. trade deficit widened as imports increased 2.9 percent.
Washington Post reporter Howard Schneider states:
“The Obama administration is pushing to boost exports as a way to create jobs, and the increase was welcome news after a disappointing decline in April.
“The overall widening of the country’s trade deficit, however, showed how difficult it will be to rebalance the global economy so that the United States does not consume far more than it produces.”
The monthly trade deficit with China rose $3 billion (to $22 billion) and Schneider quoted AAM Executive Director Scott Paul who said that the deficit represents “wealth and jobs headed overseas.”
Paul was also quoted by Dow Jones Newswires’ Ian Talley and Tom Barkley:
The figures are likely to exacerbate pressure from federal lawmakers on the Obama administration to take China to task on its currency policy. Although China last month announced a move to a more flexible exchange rate, lawmakers say the yuan is still artificially low, undermining U.S. competivity. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner declined in a currency report last week to label China a currency manipulator, prompting a fusillade of criticism from Capitol Hill. Legislators are threatening to pass retaliatory laws that would penalize imports from countries that are deemed to be manipulating their currency.
ManufactureThis covered Treasury’s announcement in detail, with a statement released by Paul on behalf of AAM.
Read more here.
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Modern Life? | 07/13/2010
Image: Chaoslevel.com
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New Hire Orientation Programs Suck | 07/12/2010
Have you heard of the welcome wagon? It’s an informal neighborhood welcoming committee that greets you when you move into your new home.
Ken and I bought a home in 1999 and a few neighbors stopped by the house, dropped off a plate of cookies, and delivered a pamphlet with the names of our neighbors and their children, personal phone numbers, and information about local pizza and Chinese delivery.
I suggested, “You can put this on the internet.”
I was thinking GeoCities or a simple email distribution list.
“That’s not very safe,” my neighbor said.
That’s when I learned that the welcome wagon is a stupid concept. Get out of my house. I’m too busy unpacking my stuff and getting acclimated to hear about the best local dentist and the neighbor down the block with too many cats.
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I think about the welcome wagon when I’m asked about new hire orientation programs. Human Resources departments want to roll out the red carpet and provide guidance, assistance, and advice to new employees. We want to make the transition easier, and we want employees to be productive as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, in the real world, transitions are complicated. Instead of assuming that our new employees are emotionally and intellectually mature, Human Resources departments want to create training courses on how to ‘manage change.’ When a new colleague arrives at our company, we want to assign her a lunch buddy.
So stupid.
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Not that anyone has ever asked me, but when I start a job at a new company, here’s what I want.
- I want a network username and password that actually works. If I can’t access my company computer and email account on the first day, I know my time at your organization is limited.
- I don’t want to spend the first two days of my job in HR orientation hell. Use technology and video to automate as much as possible.
- Please let me go to lunch with my new team and learn their names before I attend the mandatory sexual harassment training class. I can’t harass them if I don’t meet them first.
- I don’t want to walk out of new hire orientation with a pen, a tote bag, a stress ball, a mug, and digital clock for my desk. Please don’t spend company money on that crap.
- If you want me to sign eighteen forms on my first day of work, you should really send me those forms before my first day.
- Don’t assume that I will have a difficult time navigating my way through the company, the culture, or the political infrastructure. You hired me because I’m awesome — not because I need someone to hold my hand.
The best way to avoid an awful new hire orientation experience is to make your own job and orient yourself.
If your next job is the one you create, what will you tell yourself on your first day?
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Frustrated your Company can’t fill the one and only open Position? Know why? | 07/12/2010
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Job opening for an RFID Project Manager in Indiana Click here | 07/10/2010
Shared by EASTeam
this one is HOT!!! #in
Job opening for an RFID Project Manager in Indiana Click here for more info http://bit.ly/8745JKA #jobs #recruiter #mfg #automation
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Pew: Gen Y to remain active social networkers | 07/09/2010
Pew Internet Research completes a survey of "tech experts" over how users of social-networking tools plan to use their favorite services 10 years from now.
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To Utility…and beyond! | 07/08/2010
Shared by EASTeam
Wow - very impressed with this browser... :)
Today, we’re shipping a great update to Vuze. Check Chris’ post for the full scoop, but needless to say, there are many things I’m excited about.
First the packaging – We’ve entirely revamped our website. “What’s with the dark background” some of you would ask. Well, our website was about video content, so it made sense to create an immersive look-and-feel. Today, we’re more focused on features, and ease of use. We’re about utility. So it made sense to redesign the site to articulate what Vuze does, with a more “utilitarian” look, and a lot of real estate dedicated to features. And yes, it’s on a white theme.
Speaking of utility and features, we are also releasing Vuze 4.4, with a lot of cool stuff in store, such as a major update of our video player: It’s fast, it supports gorgeous 1080p, and it has subtitles and languages built-in. We’re also upgrading our device playback engine, with faster transcoding and new native support for iPad and connected TVs such as Samsung.
Also, we’re launching a version of Vuze with premium features. Vuze Plus is a new offering that we’re super excited about. We see it as a great way to finance all the innovation that goes into Vuze, and allow the main product to remain free. Some call it a freemium model, I call it a win-win for users. All Vuze users will benefit from us having more resources to innovate with the product they love, and Vuze Plus users will enjoy top-notch features (DVD burning, better search, torrent virus scanning) neatly integrated into Vuze.
Overall, today’s release is a small “avant-gout” of big things to come later in 2010. We’re working on a new project. It’s about digital media, it’s about your television, it’s not related to bittorrent. In fact, in many ways, it’s not related to your computer. Quite simply, its about doing more with your digital entertainment. We can’t say much about it just yet, but we think you’ll love it.
In the meantime, enjoy the new site, Vuze 4.4, and Vuze Plus, and as always, let us know what you think.
Gilles.
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Low esteem and the factory | 07/08/2010
If you want to hire people to do a job, to be cogs in the system and to do what they're told, you might want to focus on people who don't think very highly of themselves.
People with low self esteem might be more happy to be bossed around, timed, abused, misused and micromanaged, no?
And the converse is true as well. If you want to raise your game and build an organization filled with people who will change everything, the first thing to look for is someone who hasn't been brainwashed into believing that they're not capable of great work.
A harried teacher might find it easier to teach a class to obey first and think second, but is that sort of behavior valuable or scarce now?
Industries that need to subjugate women or demonstrate power over one class of person or another are always on the lookout for people they can diminish. Our task, then, is to find people we can encourage and nurture until they're as impatient with average as we are.
The paradox is that the very people that are the easiest to categorize, to command and to dominate are the last people we want to work with.
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