Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with interface

Can you turn a netbook into a Chumby?

bartleby — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:39:16 -0800

Is there a way to convert an old eee701 into something with a web-widget interface, like a Chumby or an AndroidOS-like device? I've got an early model ASUS eee701 netbook that's probably going to be retired after Xmas (if Santa brings me a newer netbook).

It's a little underpowered to really use for a modern netbook (and the keyboard is a bit too small for my fingers), and it doesn't have a touchscreen like later models do.

But I'm thinking that it might be a cute little cubicle companion at work if I could convert it into something that was a web-widget-based interface, like a Chumby (http://www.chumby.com/pages/learn_overview) or something that ran Android widgets instead of the default Xandros OS or the eeeBuntu that I'm running on it.

Something sitting off to the side of my desk with a half-dozen widgets (RSS, Pandora, skype, random flickr, etc.) that I can flip through.

But I also don't need to make a new hobby out of it. So if I'd have to code it myself, or spend a weekend recompiling, then never mind. But before giving up on the idea, I figured I'd ask around and see if anyone's done anything similar and had any opinions or advice.

Can I make my taskbar transparent in Vista?

Pope Guilty — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:40:27 -0800

I recently got a new computer with Vista (I'm behind the curve, I know) and I'd like to know if I can make the background of the taskbar transparent. Google produces a number of weird and contradictory answers. Here's a picture of my desktop. I like how the gadgets and taskbar sit on either side of the screen, but would absolutely love it if the taskbar elements could hang there without a visible taskbar the way the sidebar background hides itself when it's not moused-over. Is this possible?

Need advice for Garageband interface

raisingsand — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 13:26:51 -0800

Home recording filter: Hubby has a great new Macbook Pro, purchased per your advice. What type of 8-channel interface should he buy? He has some experience with Garageband and has really enjoyed it so far. He now needs an 8-channel interface. There are lots of options out there, and he would like some first-hand advice from the experts I keep bragging about on the green. Price range from $350 to $550 for new and used. He's looking at a Presonis, Focusrite, and M-Audio fastrack. He and his friends will use it for all types of recording, with an emphasis on (his) drum tracks. These guys are all professional, working musicians who like to hang out and record new stuff, and they're trying to get as smooth a sound as possible. They have good mics, top notch instruments, etc. They leave the Pro Tools for studio time, he's not looking to record a CD in the garage but wants the best sound he can get for the money. He's searched specs and reviews, and can't seem to find much difference between the units. What should he buy?

Are there needles in this haystack?

Other — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:24:20 -0800

I'm looking for user interface shops or departments within companies that do a particular kind of work, and that hire a particular kind of role (even if they have no jobs open right now). Do you know if they exist, and whether they're common or rare? Or, do you know how I can find out? What I'm looking for is defined by two things -- the kinds of interfaces the company creates and the kind of role I would have.

For the kinds of interfaces, examples of what I'd like would be the screen that a nurse uses to run a machine, or the pda application that a sales person uses to manage their road-trips. I like working on interfaces where:
-- The users have a goal to accomplish besides exploring the interface itself. So, not brand websites or information databases.
--The users really need or want to do the task; it's not something the company has to convince them to want to do. So, not most retail sites or marketing-related work.
--The goal is focused and concrete. So, not sprawling system or multi-purpose application work.
I think that embedded systems are more often good examples of this kind of interface than websites or PC applications, though I wouldn't rule those out if they satisfy the description.

For the kind of role
--I love gathering requirements and defining offerings through qualitative ethnographic research and analysis of the functions of comparable products.
--I love figuring out the logic and architecture.
--I don't mind qualitative usability testing.
--I don't mind some specification/documentation.
--I don't do any visual design.
--I don't do any quantitative testing, market testing, or ergonomic stuff like eye-tracking.
--I don't do any coding, not even in something like Flash or html.
So, I'd need a user experience role on a team where others are responsible for both the visual design and the techie parts.

Is defining the work and the role as above so narrow that I eliminate just about every position I might ever find? Or are there lots of potential matches? Do you know of any in particular? Or, do you know how I could find out, including for companies that aren't currently hiring?

My wife and I live in northern California now, but we're open to some other parts of the US. I can stay in my current, good job and out-wait the economy indefinitely.

Help me find my ideal micro mouse.

agentmunroe — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:30:16 -0800

I like small mice and I cannot lie... Help me find the ideal mini mouse for my laptop. (WARNING: Mouse geekery contained within!) (Egads, I wrote a ton on this! The important part is the list if you don't want to read my insane mouse ramblings...)

I've been going through a variety of laptop mice over the years, but have recently settled upon this cheap tchotchke from a 2006 conference as my surprising favorite. I've had very mild hand problems over the years and generally prefer the way smaller mice feel in my hand. Attributes specific to this model that I enjoy - it's light and maneuverable, and while the optical sensor is a bit picky, the wheel and mouse buttons are rather stiff, which I love.

Or loved, since I plugged it in this morning and while the sensor lights up, the cursor refuses to move (verified on two computers). Since I liked it so much, I'd like to replace it with something similar. - I wouldn't mind "upgrading" if that's a possibility, or picking up the same one if I can find someplace where I'm not buying 25 of them.

Key attributes, in order of importance:
- something the size of the Tomax mouse
- awesome surface-fu (great optical tracking abilities)
- as close as possible, the attributes I mentioned (small, light, stiff buttons/wheel)
- wireless is a plus, but not required - I realize the battery will weigh the mouse down. Bluetooth would be awesome, but I don't care about it that much.
- cost is not an issue, as I don't mind spending money on something I'll use nearly every day (over $100 would give me pause, but I'd likely still buy if it matches the other criteria)

As an example of something I'm not a huge fan of, I also have a Logitech V470 - it's a bluetooth laptop travel mouse that works well with my MacBook Pro. The main thing is it just feels too large and heavy compared to the mouse, but the buttons are more easier to click as well, which I don't like as much. The wheel is fine, though.

So, now that I've written a small treatise - any suggestions on mice I might like, or leads on where to buy the TOMAX one without getting a caseload? Any assistance appreciated!

Art, design, technology

Your Time Machine Sucks — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 03:23:01 -0800

Please recommend some sites to me that are focused on art and design and are technology-friendly to boot. Hello,

I am looking for sites (blogs or online magazines or similar) which have design and/or art as their focus, but which are tech-friendly in those areas and where it wouldn't be surprising to read about an unusual or well-designed UI along with good industrial design examples or art installations. Which are your favorites? Disclosure: I'm asking a) because I adore that kind of site and always want to find more, and b) because I think there is a possibility that sites with that focus might be interested in a project of mine.

Thank you very much!

Online Photography Display System

netbros — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:06:41 -0800

I'm planning to post photographs to my own website as a travelogue. I'm looking for an eye-catching interface that is easy to use and maintain. What would you recommend? I'm not interested in one of the photo sharing sites like Flickr. This will be on my own site. I've seen many of the Flash interfaces and photo-a-day blog types. Some seem to work fairly well, but others just aren't very viewer-friendly. Free obviously is best, but I don't mind spending something to get a nice, pleasant looking product. I am somewhat computer savvy, so I can probably deal with setup and configuration. In your experience, or from what you have observed, what is best? Thanks for your help.

Is there a way to view Amazon without all the crap

jcruelty — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 21:17:28 -0800

Is there a pared down, simplified version of amazon.com available anywhere? Right now whenever I go there I'm irritated by the fact that 90% of every page is noise. I want to browse, search and generally shop, and I don't mind 'stuff other people who bought this bought' and reviews, but I don't want to see a huge long page with all this other stuff on it.

Recommend Linux software to monitor e-mail, facebook, twitter, RSS feeds etc from across the room!

ranglin — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 07:00:56 -0800

Can you recommend software that will let me use a Linux machine to monitor e-mail, facebook, twitter, RSS feeds etc and see new content at a glance, from halfway across the room (ie. it has to be in BIG letters)? Hi All.

Currently, I've got a Linux machine sitting across the room from me acting as a simple PBX for the household. It runs a product called Trixbox on top of CentOS, which is a Linux distro.

Anyway, since the house is fairly quiet, the PBX doesn't get much use and I am wondering about other ways to use it. One idea I had was to use it to display data to me about my e-mail, facebook etc so that I can see what's going on without having to explicitly go to the different interfaces/pages. I've already got tools like this on my Mac (Gmail Notifier, Facebook Menu, Twitterific etc), but I guess what I really want is a 10-foot style interface running on the Linux machine that I can see from across the room (with rotating information).

I've tried everything to google for this, but I can't work out the right keywords to find it. I'm sure something like what I'm looking for must exist, even if it's just a fancy browser page I can go to.

The Linux machine is running Gnome currently, and I can VNC into it if I need to, but really wanted something that worked without any user input.

(It occurs to me that what I'm really after is a "build your own" Chumby, but having trouble googling that too!)

Thanks all!

Help me design a navigation interface for my portfolio that people won't hate.

bristolcat — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:10:22 -0800

Help me design a navigation interface for my portfolio that people won't hate. I'm redesigning my graphic design portfolio and hoping to come up with a solid way of navigating through the examples of my work. I started to put some extra thought into this when I noticed that when a photographer's site or something similar is linked in the blue, often one of the main complaints is how bad the interface is. I want to avoid this and impress future employers and clients!

So, what things should I avoid? What are some good examples of a solid design? I'd like to hear from you what you think works and doesn't.

If it helps, I'm using Joomla as my CMS. If you have any plug-in recommendations for something that would work well, that would be helpful, but I'm not afraid to cobble together a custom solution either. I'll be displaying website design, print design, photography, logo work and fine art - so, multiple categories.

MY EYES MY EYES - help me avoid the WordPress interface and still post to my blog.

jessamyn — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:48:15 -0800

I don't like the WordPress 2.5 look and feel. I am not interested in switching CMSes. What are my options for basic postings to my blog with minimal interaction with the WordPress interface? The suboptimal things include having to scroll to choose categories and add tags, the "3D" look to the buttons, all the extra headings and colors, the small "publish" button and all the nagging (I know 2.5.1 is available, I'd like to dismiss that message). I'd like to not have to scroll to write and publish a short post with tags and categories. I think this must be possible.

I am fairly tech-savvy. I want to post a blog entry with maybe a category and some tags, nothing else fancy (this is for my "work" blog, not my personal blog). I can write my own HTML, don't need WYSIWIG. I'm okay using the admin interface for more complicated things or for editing. I like what WP does, just not how it looks.

I had a nice custom admin section before I upgraded; my fallback plan is just to hack away at the CSS like I did last time. I have tried a few things that have not worked so well.

- ScribeFire and Deepest Sender addons for Firefox both kick back errors that I don't quite understand. (I get through installing/configuring them and see my categories but can't post. DS returns "TypeError: node is null" SF returns "The server returned a malformed response. Please check that your blog and API URLs are correct." If this is a chmod problem, I can chmod). If I could get either of those to work my problem would be solved. I have command line access to my account and a medium level of comfort with command line Unixy stuff.
- I have installed a few plugins that claim to make WP easier on the eyes including Retro-Dashboard Admin Theme, Admin Menus, Dashboard Lite and a few more that I may have already deleted. They are fine but don't solve these specific problems.
- I do not want to install an older version of WP just to fix this.
- I have searched the WP plugins admin section and Google for something that seems to do this and tried many things and didn't find anything that looked good.

I'd be happy to hear if you've found something that works but please don't direct me to the WP site (unless there's really something you think I've missed) or to a Google search. Any ideas would be appreciated, thanks!

Book catalogue with web OPAC?

Webbreader — Tue, 27 May 2008 03:30:53 -0800

Can anyone recommend a simple open source library management system / book database which offers a searchable web front-end / OPAC and which accepts imported data without MARC records (ie CSV or tab-delimited)? My organisation has a large collection of books which have been catalogued in Readerware, which is a basic book database with an auto-cataloguing function. We would like to make the catalogue available to outside users via a searchable web database. It needs the following features:

* Users can search by different fields (author, collection, keyword, etc).
* Records can be imported in CSV or tab-delimited format (my records do not have MARC data).
* Easy to set up and administer for a non-expert (with some qualified IT expertise on call).

My current server is a Windows server running Microsoft SQL 2005; there is some flexibility in server options, however.

It would be fine for this to be a static database without any significant management options - as long as I can import my existing data and allow other users to see it, my basic needs are met. However, more functionality is obviously better.

In the long term, this collection of books will be properly catalogued and we will want a proper library management system. So, a system with the potential to meet these needs would be nice, but my priority is something quick and easy.

I have some familiarity with Ruby on Rails, so a Rails system might be easier for me to administer, but this is not essential.

I've looked at some open source LMS such as Koha, and they may meet my needs, but I'm definitely in need of some input from the hivemind!

Which MIDI Interface to Purchase?

lekvar — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:10:10 -0800

I'm looking to buy a MIDI interface, and I'd like your opinion. I've had my eye on the MOTU MIDI Express 128 for a while, and I've got the money burning a hole in my pocket. I went to Guitar Center (I know, I know) to see what they had in stock and play with their toys for a while. While talking to the sales guy, he mentioned that the MIDI Express was unreliable and that I should check out M-Audio's Midisport 4x4.

Now, I'm fairly certain that he said that because he didn't have the MOTU model in stock, but I have no personal experience with either model. The Express 128 has 8 ins and 8 outs which would be really nice to have. The Midisport is $100 cheaper but only has 4 ins and 4 outs.

So, do you have personal experience with a MIDI interface (of any brand) you've particularly liked? Have you used either the Express 128 or the Midisport?

Which GPS is best for API access?

callingshotgun — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:26:10 -0800

I want to write some Location-based software (eventually on the mobile platform) and be able to test it on my laptop without faking GPS coordinates. What's a good, cheap GPS unit with a public API and/or some documentation/third party libraries for interacting with the device and retrieve information programmatically?

Intuitive to who?

OrlandoFurioso — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:46:54 -0800

Are there resources available that provide information about the intuitiveness of various user interface elements to various demographics? I am interested in real statistics similar to the fake statistics below. I am especially interested in whether certain elements are more or less intuitive to people from different countries or cultures. Are there good books or websites available on this topic?

Fake statistics:
In a survey of 150 Americans between the ages of 35 and 55 who use computers at least once a day:

21 percent were not able to correctly use multiselect boxes to select more than one item.

52 percent found it more intuitive to select an option using radio buttons than a dropdown list.

37 percent expected to be able to use the tab key to move between fields. 23 percent expected to be able to use the enter key.

Local File Browsing and Viewing Via a Web Interface?

WCityMike — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 11:08:35 -0800

I'm looking for a file browsing and HTML- and media-viewing interface that can be set up on a Mac OS X machine locally and accessed through a web browser. Remote access not necessary; I'm just looking for a local interface. Basically, I have a number of files -- HTML files, ASCII files, images (mostly JPEGs), PDFs, and movies (I think mostly AVIs, although there's some MOVs, MP4s, SWFs, and RMs). These files are mostly bits and pieces of my life that have gone with me from computer to computer, and I tend to find myself referring to them fairly often.

Right now, I access and browse these files via Mac OS X's Finder (well, technically, via Cocoatech's Path Finder).

What I'd like is to be able to access and browse these files from within the Firefox browser, preferably by setting up some sort of localhost file browsing solution that also has the power to display images, movie files, and PDFs, and to detect the difference between a text file and an HTML file.

I tend to access these files while in a web situation, so the added steps of exiting the browser and navigating through directories is a tad annoying. Being able to browse through the files via a web interface -- even if not actually mounted in a publicly accessible "live" webspace but only on my machine -- would be useful to me.

Fairly idiotproof instructions would be greatly appreciated.

If there are a number of different packages out there that can do this (as I suspect), essentially the qualities I would be looking for would be slickness of interface; the power to display images, movie files, and PDFs, and to detect the difference between a text file and an HTML file; and ease of installation.

How do you view podcast metadata on an iPhone?

popechunk — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 18:29:29 -0800

How do you view podcast metadata on an iPhone? If I have ten episodes of Fresh Air, how can I find the one that has Steve Carrell in it without listening to all ten of them? Using an iPod, you can select the podcast, and then hit select three more times to see the show description. I can't find a way to do this on my iPhone.

How do I create an interface to update an XML template?

The_Partridge_Family — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 09:26:47 -0800

How do I go about creating a simple interface to update only certain specific nodes in different XML templates? I have several XML templates which I use over and over again, updating the same specific nodes every time. At present I just do this by searching for the name of the node in the document, nexting through until I find the right ones, and then pasting in the new text. It strikes me that an interface which asks me to enter only the specific data I need to change and then updates the template for me would be a great great improvement - I do I go about creating such a thing, or where would I go to start learning how to do so?

(One caveat - there are multiple versions of the same nodes within the template, but I only need to update certain ones. So, for example, there are 20 "album" tags, each of which has let's say 10 "song" tags each, but I only need to update the 3rd song of the 5th album every time I reuse the template.)

Although I've never done anything like this before - and I only have basic programming knowledge - I'm *imagining* that creating an interface (a web interface?) which allows me to enter the template path and the new specific data shouldn't be brain surgery. I can learn pretty fast, and I'm looking at this half as a way to make my life easier, and half as a great opportunity to learn how to do something new.

Looking for a bank that gives good interface. Willing to test-drive.

diastematic — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 22:03:53 -0800

In my quest to find the ideal combination of good interest rates + good online banking interface, my wife and I will likely be opening multiple banking accounts -- that's how we'll kick the tires. Will opening, say, four new accounts at one time damage our credit at all? Actually, two questions:

1. Will this hurt our credit at all?
2. Suggestions on banks that offer BOTH high-interest checking + decent interface?

Programming Desktop GUIs Using OpenSource

jjsonp — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 06:24:18 -0800

How to develop graphical user interface programs via opensource software? At work I use VB.NET on Windows. We have installed Ubuntu on a development machine and are looking at potentially migrating to opensource for some of our programming and production.

IDE
I understand that Eclipse is a popular IDE for many opensource languages...which other IDEs are comparable (or preferable)? I certainly like .NET's intellisense feature and object browsing capability but am not entirely dependent upon these as I also develop in a text editor quite a bit. But for learning a new language 'advanced' features like these could be helpful.

Languages
Also, which languages are best for developing desktop based, graphically-driven programs and interfaces? I believe Java is most commonly used for this, but which other opensource languages are useful for creating graphical user interfaces?

Most of the programs we develop are for internal production, not external distribution. Unless/until we switch entirely to Linux these programs will have to be cross-platform and be able to run on Linux and various flavors of Windows (all 32-bit).

Thanks.

How can I quickly browse media rich RSS feeds?

stuart_s — Mon, 28 May 2007 11:38:26 -0800

Is there some format more suitable for quick scanning of image dense feeds than your standard RSS reader? I have an image rich feed. It's spliced together by Yahoo! Pipes from a number of other feeds. The source feeds are flickr tag feeds or flickr group feeds. Is there some format more suitable for quick scanning of this feed than your standard RSS reader? Someone else had this idea about three years ago. I'm hoping there's been some progress since then.

The solution may be particular to flickr or applicable to arbitrary RSS feeds. The solution may work from the single master RSS feed generated by Y! Pipes or I could give the program or website the list of source feeds. If it does a better job than Pipes in filtering duplicates that would be fantastic.

How can I become a better website designer?

geodave — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 21:58:37 -0800

Given that I'm somewhat proficient in website coding (php, CSS, xhtml and so on) how can I constructively educate myself on actual design? What resources exist that will make me a better designer? I've been doing back-end stuff for a while now, a ton of SEO-type work and optimization. I feel comfortable with anything code related, more or less, but as soon as I have to make significant design decisions on a site I get nervous.

For instance, you could draw out a layout and I'll put it together quickly, but for me to sit down and actually generate an intuitive, good-looking site design...it's a comedy of errors. My background has always been code, and I've never been a designer (I've always deferred to a graphic designer who helps me out with these things).

So if I'm fairly proficient with code, I can handle Photoshop as well as most, but all I need is help with cohesive and professional looking site design...where can I go? I'd love to get a degree in the field, but that's not feasible right now.

Can anyone here suggest websites, books or other resources which might allow me to feel more comfortable designing a site layout from scratch, and allow me to say I actually know what I'm doing?

Digital camera with pure software interface?

middleclasstool — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 16:30:27 -0800

I need recommendations on a decent camera with a good software interface for a custom rig I may be building. My father's business involves doing custom and repair work, and he's complained that he'd like to have a desktop rig made that will allow him to take pictures directly to his PC. He will likely be using this to take pictures of his custom work for his portfolio, but will also be using it to take pictures of the condition of customers' pieces when they bring them in for repair.

Here are the specs: The thing needs to have a pure PC software interface for taking pics (click a mouse, not the shutter button), should store the photo directly on the PC, and of course should have an on-screen preview of the shot. If it has an out-of-the-box program for doing this, great, but I also want an API that will allow me to use this camera with any software I may want to write. I've not done this kind of coding before, so this is all new to me.

It would also be nice if I can mount it in a lighted cabinet that I'd build for it as elegantly as possible (i.e., no velcroing a Sony CyberShot to the cabinet's ceiling). I'd like only the lens to show if possible. In fact, if they make a digital camera that is basically just an (I would assume) SLR-style lens body (no screen or shutter button or flash card) that can only be run off of a PC, that might be the perfect solution.

Sony Ericsson quality questions

trinarian — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 09:14:34 -0800

Are Sony Ericsson phones bad news or is it just in my head? My experience has been that phone brands are consistent. Every Nokia and Samsung I've had has been trouble-free. I've hated every Motorola I've owned. The one time I owned Sony Ericsson, I quickly gave it away. It was a relatively new hand-me-down that never got signal and the interface seemed exactly opposite of what I was used to. Thus, until today, I've avoided paying them any attention.

It seems though that C-Net and other online sources think highly of them and are pretty adamant that they're the best camera phones [which is important, I'm replacing a broken pocket-cam too] on the market.

The particular phone at issue is the K750 [vs. Samsung D600-900 series]

--- The Skinny ---

- Are Sony Ericsson's reliable? I'm in China... warranty's don't mean as much, methinks.

- Are they durable? I'm going to drop it. Again. It will likely have at least one brief episode where I find how quickly it sinks.

- Do they have intuitive interfaces? I don't mind having to relearn an interface, but I don't want something that's fundamentally flawed.

- Were they bad but got better or have I had isolated experiences?

Fixing Firefox

Blazecock Pileon — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 03:27:11 -0800

Making Firefox behave like a Mac application... While it's trivial to add OS X-like themes to Firefox to make it look like a Mac application, are there preference or component modifications that can make it behave like a proper Mac application?

Specifically, with respect to how mouse and keyboard input are managed, these are a couple examples of what I'm talking about:

• I double-click on a word to select it, and in all other Mac applications, dragging additional words selects those words in entirety, instead of letter by letter as in Firefox

• I use Alt and Command modifiers to move the cursor around in text input areas throughout the browser (within a page and in the widgets); in Mac applications, these modifiers work as expected, but in Firefox, they take on Firefox defaults

Thanks for any advice. I would love to move to Firefox from Safari, but its interface continually frustrates.