Tuesday, April 22, 2003

Take Note of NoteTaker (21-Apr-2003; 19.9K) [TidBITS] 8:44:18 AM

Mac OS X compatible iShell 3 arrives [MacCentral] 8:44:07 AM

Tribeworks launches iShell 3 multimedia tool [The Macintosh News Network] 7:23:07 AM

Useit.Com: Low-End Media for User Empowerment. Almost every Web usability study we've ever conducted found that low-end media forms are superior to high-end media forms. Even the few exceptions to these findings confirm the phenomenon underlying low-end media's superiority: users want to be in control. [Tomalak's Realm] Summary: Fancy media on websites typically fails user testing. Simple text and clear photos not only communicate better with users, they also enhance users' feeling of control and thus support the Web's mission as an instant gratification environment. Exactly how do you make a 3-D model spin? Differently on each site. Different = Difficult. In contrast, people already know how to read text and look at photos. Still, low-end media will remain a favorite because of one fundamental factor: it lets users control their experience. The Web exists to provide instant gratification. Users place their hand on the mouse and decide where to go. The easier it is for users to get exactly what they need, when they need it, the more satisfied they will be. Low-end media gives users control over three key processes: 1) how they read, 2) how easily they find relevant information, and 3) how easily they can produce information. low-end media has a higher percentage of information-rich content, while high-end media has a higher percentage of show-off content The more layers between the knowledge and the authoring, the weaker the content. The more layers between the knowledge and the authoring, the weaker the content. The more layers between the knowledge and the authoring, the weaker the content. Low-end media works best in most cases, and it's almost always considerably cheaper to implement than high-end media. So why do so many websites use inappropriately ornate media? 1) Design agencies sometimes recommend more elaborate solutions than the client really needs in order to increase their billing. 2) Technology vendors push whatever high-end technologies they happen to sell. 3) No sales people pester Web managers to save money by spending just a little on good photography and a few pages of concise writing. 7:17:37 AM

The dangers of democracy. This season's intellectual pinup, Fareed Zakaria, author of "The Future of Freedom," explains why the romantic myth of freedom could harm Iraq -- and why power elites aren't so bad. [Salon.com] 6:47:44 AM

Reinventing the McDrama. "Boomtown" creator Graham Yost has given the TV cop 'n' lawyer formula an extreme makeover. Will NBC give his fresh and unique show a second chance? [Salon.com] 6:44:24 AM

Can Apple Corner Music Market?. Rumored online service would sell Mac users songs from top record labels and integrate seamlessly with iPod players and iTunes software, insiders say. Record execs swoon over another feature: The service would pay royalties to troubled music biz. [Wired News] 6:40:35 AM