Ergonomics and Human Factors in the News

New Blog: Humanistic by Design

2012-01-05T20:04:00.001+11:00

I have started a new blog on practice and research issues in the human-centred design disciplines (human factors, ergonomics, user experience/UX, interaction design) at http://humanisticbydesign.blogspot.com/. Please come over.

For updates on human factors in the news, see http://www.iehf.org/news and follow IEHF on twitter @ukiehf and @stevenshorrock for real time news updates. Past news stories can still be found below.

Goodbye 'Ergonomics and Human Factors in the News'. Hello new IEHF Website.

2010-04-01T03:44:00.003+11:00

Hello! I'll no longer be maintaining this blog. Instead, I'll be adding Ergonomics and Human Factors news stories directly to the Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors Website, at http://www.iehf.org/news

The case for a 21 hour working week

2010-02-27T23:52:00.003+11:00

The Guardian reports on a proposal by New Economics Foundation (NEF) is proposing a much shorter working week, with 21 hours as the goal, to address three major crises that confront us in the 21st century. A much shorter working week would help us all to live more sustainable, satisfying lives by sharing out paid and unpaid time more evenly across the population.

NEF is calling for a slow shift across the course of a decade or more swapping wage increments for shorter hours improved flexibility, and better training to offset skills shortages. A higher minimum wage and more progressive taxation could be gradually introduced.

"Ideas about what is normal can sometimes change quite suddenly – as with not smoking in bars and restaurants. The weight of public opinion can swing from antipathy to routine acceptance, usually when there's a combination of new evidence, changing conditions, a sense of crisis and a strong campaign," said Anna Coote, head of social policy for NEF in the Guardian report.

NEF argues the case in its report, 21 Hours.

Read the full article at The Guardian, 17 February 2010, tinyurl.com/yz3apjy.
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dm-set/ / CC BY 2.0

Ergonomics helps older workers at BMW

2010-02-26T09:02:00.001+11:00

A recent experiment at a BMW car plant in Germany suggests an ageing workforce is not necessarily a problem. The BMW powertrain plant in Dingolfing, southern Bavaria, faced an increase in worker age from 39 in 2007 to 47 in 2017, risking a productivity decline. Two department managers and the workers’ council came up with a combination of ergonomics, work-time rules and health and nutrition education.

Christoph Loch and Fabian Sting report that a test production line was set up staffed by workers with an average age of 47. The workers participated in workshops in their own (unpaid) time and came up with 70 load-easing changes: from a wooden floor that dampened pounding and allowed easier turning, to cushioned shoes, tilted screens with bigger lettering, height-adjustable workbenches, tools with lower gripping force, and leather chair cushions instead of plastic. A work rotation was introduced in the middle of the shift.

These changes were cheap to install and reduced fatigue. Logistics and maintenance personnel helped by making adjustments quickly within normal working hours and an ergonomist gave advice. After one year, the line was as productive as lines with people 10 years younger (while delivering perfect quality throughout), at a cost of €40,000. BMW has incorporated the practices in its production system.

According to Lock, it is a glimpse of what might be possible. Organisations can unlock innovation by helping people figure it out for themselves. Source: Sunday Times, 14 February, 2010. tinyurl.com/yeu5my4

Proposals to track musculoskeletal disorders opposed by US business lobby

2010-02-26T08:35:00.000+11:00

In the US, a proposal by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) related to repetitive-strain injuries is facing stiff opposition from big business. The proposal would require employers to track and report "musculoskeletal disorders" to health officials. But the US Chamber, the biggest pro-business lobby group in Washington, says it believes OSHA is opposing the move.

"There are a lot of scientific questions on whether ergonomic injuries are caused by the workplace or outside the workplace, including lifestyle and genetics," said Marc Freedman at the US chamber. "Unlike every other hazard for which Osha regulates, ergonomics is not limited to the workplace. That makes it extremely problematic."

OSHA stated it sought the information because of fears ergonomic injuries had been "significantly underreported" as a reason employees miss work. In some cases, OSHA has received reports that employers have scheduled employees for surgery to address ergonomic injuries on Friday afternoons and had them back at work on Monday so that the cases did not have to be recorded as "days away" from work. Souce: Financial Times, 03 February 2010. tinyurl.com/ydg9t45

http://www.flickr.com/photos/handcoding/ / CC BY 2.0

Career by numbers: Ergonomics

2010-02-26T08:12:00.000+11:00

What is the typical starting salary of a recently graduated ergonomist? What percentage of ergonomics are male and female? How many students are doing a BSc or MSc in ergonomics in any one year?

Find out in the Guardian 6 February 2010 at tinyurl.com/yf58nfa

Dummy patient helps train medics in Berkshire

2010-02-26T08:07:00.000+11:00

A new operating theatre, set up to train medical staff in Berkshire, features one of the most advanced dummy patients so trainees can carry out mock operations. The pupils react to light, and it has breath and heart sounds, allowing any type of emergency to be simulated. The idea is to recreate emergencues that medics don't usually see.

BBC South's health correspondent David Fenton had a go on the dummy, who has been named Davina. Watch the BBC report at http://tinyurl.com/yzxlxra

Better fitting condoms could cut sexually transmitted diseases

2010-02-26T08:01:00.000+11:00

Poorly fitting condoms raise the risks of infection and pregnancy, according to a survey of 436 men reported in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections. Ill-fitting condoms more than doubled the chances of them splitting or slipping off, and doubled the chance of men taking them off midway through sex. Out of the 436 men, 195 reported that their last sexual encounter involved an ill-fitting condom. A total of 120 of these said that this had reduced their own sexual pleasure, and 57 said it had reduced it for their partner. Problems were far less frequent among men who reported a well-fitted condom.

One solution, according to the US researchers, would be better public health efforts to make sure that men achieved the best fit. Simon Blake, from advisory charity Brook, said that, used correctly, condoms were 98% effective and protected against both unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

However, while different sizes and shapes are available in Europe and the US, Gill Gordon, from the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, and says the size and fit issue must be addressed if condoms are to be used effectively to reduce the number of new HIV infections in Africa, "If we are serious about people being able to use condoms consistently, then we need to listen to their needs," she said. Source: BBC, 16 February, 2010. tinyurl.com/yhzto57

Progress bar, meet traffic light

2010-01-27T08:21:00.007+11:00

While progress indications are a crucial feature of most consumer software nowadays, they are not so common in public technology. Now the "Eko Traffic Light" has incorporated a circular progress bar around a the red traffic light. Designer Damjan Stankovic claims the device would reduce stress felt by drivers and could help the environment.

The outer rim of the traffic light has segments which turn from red to black in a clockwise direction. The Serbian designer said the Eko can be easily installed onto existing traffic light systems that have a bigger red light.

He spent three years developing initial sketches into a prototype that was a winner at this year's Red Dot design awards. The designer is in negotiations with manufacturers. Similar versions are already operational in Ukraine, Thailand and Brazil. Source: Daily Mail, 19 December 2009. tinyurl.com/y8g466o

Photo credit: relogik.com/eko

New strategies may cut screening errors

2010-01-27T07:47:00.003+11:00

A study in Current Biology has found a possible way to cut the number of mistakes made by medical staff looking for breast and cervical cancers. US researchers found that the time spent and errors made made during a visual search for target items in X-ray images varied according to the chances of finding the target.

"If you are trying to find 20 cases of breast cancer from 40 mammograms, you'll find more of them than if you look for the same 20 cases from 2,000 mammograms", said lead author, Jeremy Wolfe of Harvard Medical School.

The authors say that doing a booster exercise before starting work helps them to visualise what they are looking for and improves their search success rate in the subsequent session.

Richard Evans, Chief Executive of the Society of Radiographers said: "I look forward to seeing more details about this research, but radiographers would welcome techniques which help ensure the best possible standards." He pointed out that the NHS already monitors the performance of everyone involved in breast screening through a regular audit. Source: BBC, 16 January, 2010. tinyurl.com/yg4mson

NHS faces 'potentially serious problems' from wrong prescriptions

2010-01-27T07:21:00.002+11:00

The Telegraph reports on the problems faced by junior doctors, who fill out five or six prescription forms on average during their time in medical school only to have to complete dozens on their first day on the wards. The inadequate preparation contributes to errors that could harm patients - such as omitting drugs, wrong doses, not taking account of a patient's allergies, illegible handwriting or ambiguous orders. According to the General Medical Council 10 per cent of all prescriptions issued by doctors contained such errors.

Now the British Pharmacological Society (BPS) is calling for an exam for medical students and a "prescribing simulator" complete with virtual patients to be introduced to the curriculum so that medics are better prepared when they start in hospitals. Professor Simon Maxwell, chairman of the BPS, said: "We would not accept this kind of error rate in other industries such as aviation. It is a recipe for problems." Source: Telegraph, 15 December, 2009. tinyurl.com/ybnvpnx

US troops 'vulnerable to back pain'

2010-01-27T06:56:00.000+11:00

A study reported in the Lancet has found that US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are more likely to be withdrawn from the battlefield due to back or joint pain than combat injuries. The study, looked at the injuries suffered by 34,000 US military personel in Iraq and Afghanistan. Back, joint and muscle pain were the leading medical problems suffered by soldiers, accounting for almost one-quarter of all injuries. The study is prompting the US Department of Defence to look at the weight of equipment that soldiers are routinely required to carry, and the length of their tours of duty. Source: BBC, 22 January 2010. tinyurl.com/yl3flpb

Nearly one in 10 prescriptions has mistakes

2010-01-08T03:05:00.008+11:00

Nearly one in 10 hospital prescriptions contains a mistake, ranging from the minor to the potentially lethal, according to research commissioned by the General Medical Council. However, very few errors would have caused serious harm. The research team, led by Professor Tim Dornan of the University of Manchester, examined the issue amid rising fears inexperienced doctors were making prescription errors which could, at worst, result in a patient dying.

The team examined 124,260 prescriptions across 19 hospitals - and found just under 9% contained errors. Of these 11,077 errors, overwhelmingly intercepted and corrected before reaching the patient, about 2% contained potentially lethal instructions - such as failing to take account of a patient's allergies. More than half involved errors in which a patient's medication was not prescribed and 40% were involved illegible or ambiguous prescriptions.

Very few of these mistakes caused actual harm to a patient because on the whole they were stopped by senior doctors, nurses - and in particular pharmacists. But the study did not find doctors fresh out of medical school were making the most mistakes - as has often been suggested,

"The research shows the complexity of the circumstances in which errors occur and argues against education as a single quick-fix solution”, said Professor Dornan. However, the GMC is calling for a UK-wide standard prescription chart as exists in Wales. Support for the idea is provided by Professor Peter Rubin (chairman of the GMC), Dr Hamish Meldrum (British Medical Association), and Joyce Robins (Co-Director of Patient Concern). A Department of Health spokesman said it would continue to look into the benefits of electronic prescribing system.

However, Professor Simon Maxwell, of the British Pharmacological Society said he was “dismayed at the suggestion that improved education and training is not a central part of the solution. There is plenty of evidence from around the world to show that when appropriate education and training are delivered, prescribing improves." Source: BBC, 3 December 2009. http://tinyurl.com/ydfbepb

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kokopinto/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Windows 7 tries to “create a Mac look and feel”, claims Microsoft executive

2010-01-08T02:59:00.005+11:00

A Microsoft executive was quoted in an interview as saying "what we've tried to do with Windows 7...is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics". According to the BBC, there have been previous suggestions that Microsoft has borrowed technology ideas.

Many similarities exist between Windows 7 and Mac OS X. "One of the things that people say an awful lot about the Apple Mac is that the OS is fantastic, that it's very graphical and easy to use," said Mr Aldous. “What we've tried to do with Windows 7 - whether it's traditional format or in a touch format - is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics. We've significantly improved the graphical user interface, but it's built on that very stable core Vista technology, which is far more stable than the current Mac platform, for instance."

Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc countered the claims in a post on the official Windows blog. "Unfortunately this came from a Microsoft employee who was not involved in any aspect of designing Windows 7," adding that the claims were “inaccurate and uninformed." Source: BBC, 13 November 2009. tinyurl.com/yeye8kz

http://www.flickr.com/photos/robertnelson/ / CC BY 2.0

Ford develops airbags for seat belts

2010-01-08T02:54:00.004+11:00

Inflatable seat belts will appear in the back seat of a new Ford Explorer four-by-four to be launched next autumn in the US, and if they prove to be popular the belts could be used in Britain.

They have a cylindrical air bag that stretches from the buckle to the shoulder and fits inside a pocket sewn into the belt. In a crash, the car sends a signal that releases the bag, which inflates more gently than air bags found in steering wheels or dashboards, making it safer for children.

Dr Srini Sundararajan, the Ford engineer who was chiefly responsible for developing the device, said “The top two life-saving devices today are the seat belt and the air bag. This combines them into one great feature”. The wider belt and airbags help to spread the forces resulting from a crash across the occupant’s chest, reducing injury risk.

Clarence Ditlow, of the Centre for Auto Safety in the US, said the belts were particularly effective at protecting elderly people, especially from broken ribs.

Ford also carried out a significant amount of testing to make sure the bags would protect children, even if they were sleeping and their heads drooping.

Sue Cischke, Ford’s group vice president for sustainability, environmental and safety engineering said the technology was expensive and it would be offered as an option. Source: Telegraph, 7 November. tinyurl.com/yfavuwt

Mobile phones now ‘too complicated’, says Motorola inventor

2010-01-08T02:48:00.004+11:00

The Telegraph reports that Martin Cooper, lead engineer of the Motorola team that developed the mobile phone, told a privacy conference in Madrid that today's phones try to do many things for too many people. The 80 year old said, “Whenever you create a universal device that does all things for all people, it does not do any things well. Our future I think is a number of specialist devices that focus on one thing that will improve our lives”. Mr Cooper, who has previously criticised the iPhone for being overly complicated and hard to use.

However, recent sales figures contradict Cooper’s assertions. While in 2007, Nokia's simple 1100 was the world's top-selling gadget, over the past year sales of smartphones have risen by 140 per cent over the past year, accounting for close to one in ten phones bought according to GfK market research.

Dr Jon Agar, senior lecturer in science and technology studies at UCL and author of ‘Constant Touch: A Global History of the Mobile Phone’, argued that users prefer more features on a single gadget than more gadgets with more specialised features. “Martin Cooper's assertion flies in the face of current trends, and I see no particular evidence to suggest that the trend towards more 'universal' mobile phones is going to change direction".

But Ben Wood, director of research at CCS Insight, said the “technology arms race is starting to slow down now, and that there would always be a market for the simpler “talk and text phones”. Source: Telegraph, 6 November, 2009. tinyurl.com/y8kz4lz

http://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhook/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

We’re not techno-hermits

2010-01-08T02:39:00.007+11:00

Contrary to popular belief, technology is not leading to social isolation and people who use the internet and mobile phones have larger and more diverse social networks, according to a new study. Keith Hampton, lead author of the report by the Pew Internet and American Life Project and assistant professor of communication at the University of Pennsylvania said, "People's social worlds are enhanced by new communication technologies. It is a mistake to believe that internet use and mobile phones plunge people into a spiral of isolation."

The authors said key findings of the study - "Social Isolation and New Technology" - "challenge previous research and commonplace fears about the harmful social impact of new technology. There is a tendency by critics to blame technology first when social change occurs.

This is the first research that actually explores the connection between technology use and social isolation and we find the opposite. It turns out that those who use the internet and mobile phones have notable social advantages. People use the technology to stay in touch and share information in ways that keep them socially active and connected to their communities."

The study found that six per cent of Americans can be described as socially isolated - a figure that has hardly changed since 1985. People's discussion networks (those with whom they discuss important matters) and core networks (their closest and most significant confidants), are larger among technology users. At the same time, the study found that Americans' discussion networks have shrunk by about one-third since 1985.

The study involved telephone interviews with 2,512 adults between July 9, 2008 and August 10, 2008 and has a sampling error of 2.1 per cent. Source: AFP, in Sydney Morning Herald, 5 November 2009. tinyurl.com/ydhy8sg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/luc/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Scramble crossing arrives at Oxford St

2010-01-08T02:33:00.005+11:00

A scramble crossing has been introduced to Oxford street to allow pedestrians to cross in all directions, with the aid of a giant white X on the tarmac. Around every 90 seconds, all four sets of traffic lights at the intersection of Oxford Street and Regent Street turn red and pedestrians have 30 seconds to cross, with the hope of easing congestions by doubling the number of pedestrians who cross at any one time. At peak times, as many as 32,000 people cross each hour. The crossing was modelled on Tokyo’s Shibuya crossing.

“This project is a triumph for British engineering, Japanese innovation and good old-fashioned common sense,” said Boris Johnson, Mayor of London. “The head-scratching frustration caused by the previous design is over and we’ve brought one of the world’s greatest crossroads into the 21st century.”

The Times reports, however, that most pedestrians continued to cross as they always had done, from east to west, north or south. Source: The Times, 3 November 2009. tinyurl.com/y8pkzaz

http://www.flickr.com/photos/magnus_d/ / CC BY 2.0

Passenger accidentally activates ejector seat

2009-11-08T20:41:00.000+11:00

The Telegraph report a story on a tricky and not uncommon design problem - that of a safety-critical control that needs to be very quick and easy to access, without it ever being activated acidentally. A novice aviator took off for a joyride with an experienced pilot from South Africa's Silver Falcons air display team, and got a free parachute ride. During an aerobatic manoeuvre, the flier accidentally pulled on the black and yellow emergency handle between his legs, activating two rockets attached to the back of the seat. The seat and occupant were sent through the jet's perspex canopy and 100 metres into the sky. The lever is fitted as standard in the Pilatus PC-7 Mk II jets. The man floated back down to Earth on a parachute as the South African Airforce bosses scrambled a helicopter to pick up the passenger near Langebaanweg airfield, 80 miles north of Cape Town. Source: Telegraph, 1 November 2009. tinyurl.com/yk76k95

Mobile phone use and inattentional blindness

2009-10-29T11:56:00.000+11:00

It's always good to be on the lookout for unicycling clowns and other dangers while on the move, but if you're talking on a mobile phone, chances are they will escape your attention, according to research highlighted in the Independent. Researchers at Washington University observed pedestrians as they crossed the campus either talking on a mobile phone, listening to a personal music player, in conversation with another pedestrian, or walking alone, without any electronic devices.

The researchers noted aspects of their walking behaviour – the time it took them to cross the square, whether they stopped, zig-zagged or stumbled, direction changes , and collisions or near collisions with others. The researchers also observed whether they noticed an obvious distraction just off the walking path, like a brightly-colored unicycling clown ("very rare on campus pathways", according to the study authors).

Only 25 percent of people using their mobile phones noticed the clown, compared to more than half of people in the other groups. Pedestrians talking on a mobile phone were slower, change direction more, have difficulty navigating. The study did not blame electronic devices per se (61% of people using a music player saw the unicyclist) or on having a conversation (chatting couples were the most vigilant with a 71% detection rate).

Instead, mobile phone users fail to notice what is going on around them due to inattentional blindness. The study provides further evidence of the dangers of phone driving and will be published in the December issue of Applied Cognitive Psychology. Source: Independent, 26 October 2009. tinyurl.com/yz57dj5

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anoldent/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Apple files multi-touch interface patent

2009-10-29T11:34:00.001+11:00

Following the success of the iPhone and iTouch, a larger 'tablet' has been rumoured to provide a multi-touch interface to Apple's computer range. Indeed, Apple has submitted a patent for a sophisticated keyboard-sized touch interface. The Telegraph reports that the patent application, filed in June by Fingerworks, an Apple-owned company, shows two hands hovering over a flexible, screenlike device, which will offer "unprecedented integration of typing, resting, pointing, scrolling, 3D manipulation and handwriting into a versatile, ergonomic computer input device".

If the product is developed, another level of automation could be on its way. According to Apple, the multi-touch interface would be able to interpret gestures made by the whole hand or individual fingers, and also predict what the user might want to do – type, write or draw or launch programs, menus or interfaces. Source: Telegraph, 02 October, 2009. tinyurl.com/ydtdm6c

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ndevil/ / CC BY 2.0

Crash me if you can

2009-10-13T16:47:00.002+11:00

Richard Blackburn of the Sydney Morning Herald discusses forthcoming automotive technologies that may bring us closer to "the world's first uncrashable cars". Some of the advanced technologies available now or soon should help drivers to remain stability, stay in lane, avoid low-speed rear-end collisions. Looking further ahead, your car could tell you whether it's safe to overtake or whether you're approaching a corner too fast, help you decide if you have enough time to get across an intersection before the oncoming traffic arrives. You car could even drive itself in a “platoon” formation on the freeway, and automatically avoid pedestrians.

Toyota's product planning manager, Peter Evans, is cautious about predicting dramatic reductions in the road toll in the next decade: you can build an intelligent car but developing intelligent roads and drivers is more of a challenge. "It's that old saying about the nut behind the wheel being the most unreliable part of the car," he says.

The SMH points to intelligent speed adaptation technology being considered by the New South Wales Government in Australia. The technology relies on satellite-linked devices which can read road signs and alert the driver if he or she is speeding. The technology has the potential to actively decrease the flow of fuel to the engine if a car is speeding. Unlike some of the devices being used in the NSW Government trial, a BMW system provides information only. It doesn't intervene to slow the car down. The responsibility for that remains with the driver.

Meanwhile in Japan, car companies including Toyota and Nissan are working with the Government to develop intelligent freeways. Toyota is about to debut technology that will feed real-time traffic information from roadside sensors into a car's cabin. The technology has the potential to stop minor collisions becoming deadly pile-ups.

Interested readers should view the whole article. Source: Sydney Morning Herald. 25 September 2009. tinyurl.com/yea4ma3

Pedestrian friendly cars within sight

2009-10-13T15:50:00.001+11:00

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, hundreds of lives could be saved if new pedestrian avoidance technology filters its way in to mainstream cars in the near future. Volvo will soon introduce a car that can automatically apply maximum braking to avoid hitting a pedestrian or reduce injuries. The “Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake and Pedestrian Detection” will arrive in the new S60 in 2010.

Using a radar and a camera, it can react within 50ms, avoid an impact below 25km/h and reduce speed by 25km/h (at higher speeds). Volvo says its system, also being developed by Audi and Mercedes-Benz, has the potential to reduce injury risk to pedestrians by 83 per cent.

Software was ‘trained’ after analysing 530,000 kilometres of real world driving to recognise people of all shapes and sizes in thousands of scenarios and even take in to account prams and special clothes. Applying the brakes before a collision is intended to help account for the inattention, which Volvo says contributes to 93 per cent of crashes. “In 47 per cent of crashes the driver doesn’t do anything [brake or steer] before the collision”, said Volvo manager of active safety functions Jonas Tisell.

The SMH warns the hundreds of thousands of kangaroos killed on Australian roads each year not to get too excited. Tisell noted that “The next step is handling animals. But the difficulty with animals is that they are shaped by evolution not to be seen.” Pedestrians will still need their wits about them too. The system may not detect a person stepping out from behind a bus or truck and is unable to detect pedestrians at night. The system is as an iterative step in safety improvement.

The Volvo pedestrian detection system is part of a trend towards crash avoidance rather than vehicle occupant protection. Mercedes-Benz is working on an innovative anchor-like metal and rubber-faced airbag that deploys beneath the car on to the road surface when it detects a collision is imminent. Source: Sydney Morning Herald, 18 September 2009. tinyurl.com/yfk6vuy

http://www.flickr.com/photos/crazytales562/ / CC BY 2.0

Under 25's ditch maps for sat-nav

2009-09-25T16:40:00.003+10:00

The Telegraph reports that a generational gap may be developing with older drivers sticking with printed road maps while under 25 rely on the electronic systems to navigate the roads. A survey by Autonational Rescue found that three in 10 motorists checked a road map first to double check their location, but only one in 10 of under-25s did this. It also found that one in three prefer to print a route from the internet and take it with them, although almost one in 10 of these drivers found internet instructions can sometimes take them miles out of their way.

Out of the satnav motorists, more than one in 10 said the machines took them on a long-winded route. Four fifths are happy with the system. "It seems we have a generational satnav age gap," said Ronan Hart, Autonational's marketing manager. But Hart reckons that sat-nav is making younger drivers lazier and less geographically aware.

Also, last year it was reported that satellite navigation systems were blamed for causing around 300,000 people to crash in Britain, while a further 1.5 million admitted performing sudden direction changes because they were following the devices' directions.

Andrew Howard, head of road safety at the AA noted that, "When you're driving a car, a satnav is a darn site easier and safer to use than a roadmap, but when sitting in the living room plotting what to do a roadmap is easier to use... The question is whether they are supplementary or complementary." Source: The Telegraph, 14 September 2009. tinyurl.com/y99nhne

http://www.flickr.com/photos/exfordy/ / CC BY 2.0

How the mouse points us to the future

2009-09-23T13:18:00.003+10:00

Melbourne's 'The Age' reviews the past, present and future of the humble mouse, "the incredibly simple tool that translated a user's physical hand movements to virtual onscreen gestures". Douglas Engelbart's original prototype at the Stanford Research Institute in California in 1963 had two external wheels that translated the X-Y position into an electrical signal that moved an onscreen cursor. Bill English (of Xerox PARC facility fame) improved on Engelbart's design by moving the sensors to the inside of the mouse. Since then, the mouse has changed quite dramatically, with Apple's Mighty Mouse and Logitech's top-of-the-range MX Revolution on the scene. Mice now have foot covers and have lost their tails, They can have 1, 2, 3, or 4 buttons and a scroll wheel, or two. Out are rubber balls in in are LEDs. But now the Mark I finger seems to be taking over again, from track pads to touch screens. "It's natural, obvious and smells of the future." Source: The Age, 3 September 2009. tinyurl.com/nmfgor

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21560098@N06/ / CC BY 2.0

Facebook lite goes back to basics

2009-09-13T19:59:00.001+10:00

A sleeker, trimmer, cleaner version of Facebook is now available. Facebook lite, initially developed for those with slow connections, is faster and simpler, offering fewer services than the classic site. The options are limited to letting users write on their wall, post photos and videos, view events and browse other user's profiles. There are no apps or special boxes.

"It appears, at a quick glance, to be a better site for Facebook newbies or for anyone who finds the current site overwhelming and noisy," said Rafe Needleman at technology website Cnet. Terence O'Brien at Switched.com said "The simple site loads noticeably faster, is easier to navigate, and is much easier on the eyes thanks to the lack of people sending you 'virtual booze' or asking you to join their 'vampire fraternity'".

Many industry watchers said they believed that even users with good internet connections might well flock to Facebook Lite because of its new look and ease of use. "It's good to see Facebook listening to their users," wrote one user. Source: BBC, 11 September 2009. tinyurl.com/krz7js

Human factors concerns as Samoan drivers switch to the left-hand side

2009-09-13T12:30:00.005+10:00

On 7 September, drivers in Samoa in the Pacific switched from driving on the right-hand side of the road to the left. The change was pitched as economically beneficial by the Government, allowing tens of thousands of expatriate Samoans living in New Zealand and Australia to send used cars to their families back home, making cars will cheaper and more available in rural areas.

There are fewer than 20,000 vehicles on Samoa's roads, and about 4,000 are currently right-hand drive. The changeover met with fierce opposition. Critics claimed that the government has failed to consult the public on the change or conduct any feasibility studies. In April last year an estimated 18,000 people - about 10% of Samoa's population - demonstrated against the change.

Opponents argued that confused drivers will forget which lane to pull into and pedestrians will look the wrong way. "Cars are going to crash, people are going to die - not to mention the huge expense to our country," said lawyer Tole'afoa Solomona Toa'iloa, who headed a legal challenge in the Supreme Court. Traffic analysts testifying in court agreed that more accidents were likely to occur. But the Supreme Court rejected the legal challenge. Local bus owners are furious about having to either buy new vehicles or convert their old ones so passengers don't have to step off into the middle of the road.

New signs directing drivers to keep left have been removed, and directional arrows on the road have been painted over to point the wrong way. But critics insist not enough has been done to prepare drivers. Samoa's Chamber of Commerce estimates that it will cost at least $300m (£185m) in direct and indirect costs. Source: BBC, 6 September 2009. tinyurl.com/ljyo42

http://www.flickr.com/photos/treyguinn/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Text-driving video "one of the best public information films ever"

2009-09-06T08:37:00.008+10:00

The dangers of text-driving have been highlighted around the world thanks to a road safety film made by police in Gwent, South Wales. The video has become a global hit and been described as one of the best public information films ever. In the film, a fictional 17-year-old is distracted for a few seconds while driving with two friends. She causes a crash which kills her friends, and another couple.

The `viral video’ has reached web users across the world, including India and South America and has over 2 million hits on You Tube. It has also featured on CNN, discussed in Time magazine, and described by an advertiser as possibly one of the most powerful public information films ever made.

The 30-minute film is to be shown on BBC Wales in October. The force is also working on a schools learning pack. Gwent’s Chief Constable Mick Giannasi said: "I am astonished but encouraged by the way news of the film had spread" and has had suggestions that it should be used as part of the theory test for young drivers. The film was made for just "a few thousand pounds" by the force using amateur actors. The force had intended to make a film about joyriders but were told by youngsters from nearby Tredegar Comprehensive School that texting is more dangerous. The film director Peter Watkin-Hughes said: "If we can get one person to change their behaviour then it is worthwhile." Source: Telegraph, 4 September 2009. tinyurl.com/nvy59m

Trains bombard passengers with announcements

2009-08-25T13:30:00.004+10:00

Imagine an experiment which presented 31 announcements in 32 minutes to participants who were trying to relax. Well, you don't have to if you were on a South West train from Portsmouth to Petersfield, where passengers were asked to keep aisles free and reminded that they must have a ticket. MP David Willetts has complained to the rail watchdog, claiming he endures around 50 announcements on his 80 minute journey from Havant to London Waterloo. He is now calling on South West Trains to cut the number of announcements which cause "considerable irritation" and make relaxation impossible. In a letter to the rail consumer watchdog Passenger Focus, he added: "I travel across the country a lot and have been struck by the intrusiveness and frequency of passenger announcements on South West Trains."

South West Trains admitted customers have complained that there are too many announcements. The company says they are in accordance with EU regulations, which state all trains have to display and announce information regarding the destination and upcoming stops. Spokeswoman Emma Knight said: "Unfortunately passengers who join at the beginning of the journey will have to hear a number of repeats due to the need to inform passengers joining en-route. The information given and the quantity is reviewed on a regular basis but there are clear guidelines that South West Trains has to follow." She said other announcements were to keep passengers in the know. Source: Telegraph, 7 August 2009. tinyurl.com/lq6qxe

Hands-free car phones no safe option

2009-08-25T12:45:00.004+10:00

The Sydney Morning Herald reports on several studies that highlight the dangers of driving while using hands-free car phones. A long-term study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US in 2003, but only recently reported in the New York Times, uncovered “negligible differences in safety relevant behaviour and performance between using a hand-held and hands-free communications devices while driving from the standpoint of cognitive distraction”. Advice from authorities is conflicting. In Australia, the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority urges drivers to keep their mobile conversations short and to avoid “complex or emotional” topics, but the the NRMA motoring organisation goes a step further, advising drivers who want to make or receive a call or send a text, to pull over before using their mobiles. “Even when you’re on a mobile hands-free, you are diverting your attention from driving and increase the risk of having a crash," NRMA Insurance spokesman John Hallal said.

In 2005, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety undertook a study to cross-match traffic accidents with phone billing data. The findings indicated a four-fold increase in injury crash risk from the use of mobile phones, consistent across male and female drivers, older and younger drivers, and hand-held and hands-free phones.

Another study by Griffith University in 2004 revealed that it was not only hand-held mobiles that caused problems, and the interference from talking to someone not in same context was problematic. Russell White, a driving expert who helped to conduct the 2004 study, said: “We discovered that distraction didn’t come from the type of conversation... It was the factor of having the chat, during which we saw changes in driving performance in terms of perception, awareness and also vehicle control... We found they braked later and cornered harder when having telephone conversation as opposed to when there were no distractions.” He said the key problem was the internal process of having a phone call, which takes them out of their current situation.

In spite of the mounting evidence, equipment manufacturers continue to market hands-free systems as safe alternatives to hand-held phones. “Hands-free car kits allow the convenient and safe use of your mobile phone so you can maximise down time while driving,” Telstra says on its website.

But an outright ban on hands-free dialling will not solve existing safety concerns said Thilo Koslowski, Gartner’s car industry analyst: “What we need are more studies to examine the cognitive load of talking on a mobile phone. I think ultimately the automobile industry will find the answer in sophisticated communication systems that can interact with driving data,” he said. Source: Sydney Morning Herald, 29 July 2009. tinyurl.com/n9dydo

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tsmall/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Yahoo gets user-centred treatment

2009-08-25T12:35:00.004+10:00

Yahoo has given its front page a makeover in an attempt to consolidate its position as the main portal to the web. "We want to be at the centre of people's lives online," said Yahoo's consumer experiences head Tapan Bhat. "There is a destination for everything you are about in just a click or two. Now we are looking at Yahoo holistically, all centred around the user," Mr Bhat told reporters. Users are now able to personalise the page and customise links to Yahoo and other services they use the most from news to social networks to email to movies. There are over 60 applications, with more expected, and consumers can add their own. Yahoo has described the overhaul as the most "radical" and "fundamental" make-over of the site since it began more than a decade ago. Yahoo's front page is seen as vital to the company's future and is regarded as prime real estate because it serves as an entry point for users, and as a result commands premium advertisement prices. Users who want to take advantage of the new home page will have to opt-in and click on a link to select the new design. Source: BBC, 21 July 2009. tinyurl.com/lysf8g

Rage against the machines

2009-08-25T12:13:00.003+10:00

Ariane Sherine laments the age of the machines in The Guardian. "When, last week, I asked a bus driver, 'Please can you tell me when we get to the hospital?' he replied gruffly, 'The bus will tell you. It speaks.'" The number of automated checkout machines at her local supermarket has quadrupled, from 4 to 17, "taking our jobs", while touchscreens in doctors surgeries are an ideal virus spreading mechanism. While technology is often seen as synonymous with progress, Sherine has some advice that may appeal to those of a human-centred bent: "progress doesn't mean replacing people with machines that copy us badly and rule out friendly human interactions, smiles, apologies and kindness...Progress, in this area, would be programming machines to do the things human beings can't or won't do". While us ergonomists may have some particularly practical uses in mind, Sherine suggests more novel uses for automated PA systems on public transport that dispense unspeakable social truths: "For the comfort of fellow passengers, will the man in the blue shirt please apply deodorant or alight at the next stop?", or "Don't just sit there like a lemon – stand up for the old man/pregnant woman!". Designers could even pit technology against itself: "Will the young man ostentatiously flaunting his new iPhone please put the bloody thing away – it isn't impressing anybody". Food for thought. Source: Guardian, 19 July 2009. tinyurl.com/lx9vee

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cesarastudillo/ / CC BY 2.

Senior officer urges less spending on CCTV cameras, more on people

2009-07-26T09:41:00.008+10:00

The police are failing to use CCTV to catch as many criminals as they could, a senior officer has told the BBC. Det Ch Insp Mick Neville of the Met police's CCTV unit said most forces do not have systems to retrieve, process and distribute CCTV crime scene images. DCI Neville told the BBC's The World At One and Newsnight that, while his own force had made errors, the picture for the rest of the country "isn't good". "Because we had CCTV first, we made all the mistakes", he said. DCI Neville stated that the mistake was that the money was spent on kit instead of people and processes. He added, "Unless there is a systematic way of gathering CCTV then it will continue not to be as effective as it could be. What I would say, is we've got enough cameras, let's stop now, we don't want any more cameras. Let's invest that money that's available and use it for the training of people, and the processes to make sure whatever we've captured is effectively used." Source: BBC, 20 July 2009. tinyurl.com/m2ksk9

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotdmike/ / CC BY 2.0

Do social netwoking sites deliberately exploit poor privacy usability?

2009-07-25T08:36:00.009+10:00

Bruce Schneier, BT's chief security technology officer, discusses "privacy salience" in The Guardian. Leslie John, Alessandro Acquisti, and George Loewenstein at Carnegie Mellon University demonstrated in a series of experiments that reassuring people about privacy makes them more, not less, concerned. In experimental online surveys, when privacy issues were made salient, people reacted negatively to the subsequent confidentiality assurance and were less likely to reveal personal information.

Schneier argues that this phenomenon does a lot to explain how social networking sites think about privacy. "From a business perspective, social networking sites don't want their members to exercise their privacy rights very much. They want members to be comfortable disclosing a lot of data about themselves."

Joseph Bonneau and Soeren Preibusch of Cambridge University have studied privacy on 45 social networking sites and found that privacy settings were often confusing and hard to access. Facebook was the worst. Privacy tends to increase with the age and popularity of a site. General-use sites tend to have more privacy features than niche sites. The researchers found that sites consistently hide privacy details, while promoting promote the benefits of disclosing personal data.

A two-track marketing strategy seems to obscure privacy issues from the general user, but reassure 'privacy fundamentalists'. "The marketing need to reduce privacy salience will frustrate market solutions to improve privacy; sites would much rather obfuscate the issue than compete on it as a feature", says Schneier. Source: Guardian, 15 July 2009. tinyurl.com/ml7kv4

Spent: dehumanised work and chronic fatigue

2009-07-22T21:04:00.004+10:00

Journalist and author William Leith explores hidden problems with living in a 24-hour world in an article in The Guardian. Leith interviews Kate, a 36-year-old counsellor who is "drained beyond belief", and Greg, a man in his 40s "crushed with tiredness". Both suffered series' of viral attacks and subsequent sleep and fatigue problems.

Leith discusses a number of books on the consequences of modern life in the Western world, and speaks to Dr Frank Lipman, a South African doctor working in New York who argues that the total amount of physical, psychological and environmental stress on a person's body in the developed world has quadrupled in the past 30 years. "My philosophy," Lipman tells Leith, "is that we are out of sync with our body rhythms. We're also overfed and undernourished with food, and undernourished when it comes to light."

"We get spent," writes Lipman, "because our modern lifestyle has removed us from nature and we have become divorced from its rhythms and cycles. We are slaves to the corporate model," he says. "I think it is going to get worse and worse - and I don't see any improvement in the near future until we reach some kind of tipping point and wake up." Source: Guardian, 12 July 2009. tinyurl.com/nkafxd

http://www.flickr.com/photos/obo-bobolina/ / CC BY 2.0

Travelators actually slow you down

2009-07-20T08:09:00.009+10:00

Research published in the New Scientist reveals that using the travelator at airports, especially at busy times, can actually slow you down. The study by Manoj Srinivasan of Princeton University confirms previous research by Dr Seth Young of Ohio State University, which found that, when using a travelator, people reduce their walking pace and cause blockages. "Moving walkways are the only form of transportation that actually slow people down," said Dr Young.

Srinivasan's work suggests that the eye picks up that you are going faster than normal 'leg speed’ and so slows you down to a more comfortable speed - which is only slightly greater than it would have been on regular ground. But the odds are that other travellers will block the way - so on average it takes longer to get from A to B.

The Telegraph reports that travelators have come under fire recently for causing a wave of injuries. In 2006, London Underground estimated they were the most common cause of accidents across the network, and reported 933 injuries from their use. Source: Telegraph, 16 July 2009. tinyurl.com/l24wpl

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aquino_paolo/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Facebook sorts out privacy mess

2009-07-16T09:27:00.006+10:00

Following many privacy bungles, Facebook is overhauling its complicated privacy controls to simplify its users' ability to control which information they share with their friends, family, colleagues and strangers. Facebook is consolidating its existing six privacy pages and more than 30 settings onto a single privacy page with standardised privacy options for various pieces of content. Previously, users had to navigate page after page to exclude bosses or co-workers from seeing their photo albums, status updates or shared links. One of Facebook's most notable privacy mishaps was a tracking tool called "Beacon," which broadcast information about their activities at other Web sites. "They are learning how to listen carefully to their users," said Jules Polonetsky, co-chairman and director of the Washington-based Future of Privacy Forum and former chief privacy officer at AOL. He added that Facebook has learned from the past that suddenly making big changes, whatever they are, has not been the most effective approach. The site is also getting rid of its regional networks, which have led to users inadvertently sharing information with network members in an entire city or country. Source: Sydney Morning Herald, 2 July 2009. tinyurl.com/nxyazl

Report highlights Chicago air traffic controller fatigue

2009-07-13T20:54:00.005+10:00

Air traffic controllers at Chicago O'Hare International Airport have too little time off between shifts, according to a federal audit released Thursday. The report by the U.S. Department of Transportation criticised the Federal Aviation Administration for not acting sooner to alleviate air traffic controller fatigue at three of the country's busiest air traffic control facilities and recommended immediate changes. The audit showed most controllers at the three Chicago ATC facilities have had fewer than 10 hours rest between some shifts, progressively earlier start times on consecutive shifts and increased overtime hours. "This type of work schedule offers minimal opportunity for sleep when the time required for commuting, eating and other necessary daily activities is taken into account," the report said. The report stated that the FAA has failed to act on earlier National Transportation Safety Board recommendations on controller fatigue and that the agency "does not consistently address human factors issues, such as fatigue and situational awareness" in incident investigations. Source: Associated Press, 2 July 2009. tinyurl.com/neesfg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/storm-crypt/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Public safety signs "ugly, patronising and bossy"

2009-07-10T11:55:00.010+10:00

A collection of photographs of safety signs around the UK has been taken and compiled in a book called "Attention please" by The Manifesto Club, a London-based libertarian campaign group. The signs highlight a plethora of 'hazards' such as uneven beach surfaces, the potential of cemetery memorials to harm and the need to use escalators safely. A double-decker bus, it is claimed, displays 24 separate cautions. According to The Telegraph, the convenor of the Manifesto Club Josie Appleton said: "This collection of cones, safety tape and caution notices, which hang like Christmas decorations off the urban architecture, provides no useful information about hazards. Instead they are only an excuse to regulate public behaviour." Rather than effectively highlighting hazards, the safety signs are "swamping public space" and "ugly, patronising and bossy", says Appleton. Source: Telegraph, 2 July 2009. tinyurl.com/luo4he

http://www.flickr.com/photos/80375783@N00/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Naked safety video aims to get attention

2009-07-09T22:49:00.005+10:00

Human factors research has shown that passengers often fail to watch airline safety demonstrations because they feel they have seen them before. Well, Air New Zealand have a video that is unlikely to have the same turn-off effect, featuring a pilot and cabin crew dressed only in body paint made to resemble their normal uniforms. The video is upbeat and perky, with crews' private parts obscured by carefully positioned oxygen masks, life jackets, seat belts and luggage. According to the Telegraph, the "Bare essentials of safety" clip and a similar television advertisement introduced six weeks ago, have had passengers glued to their mini television sets. A copy of the au naturel briefing has been posted on YouTube, attracting over 3.8 million hits to date. It would be interesting to see the retention rate and emergency performance among flyers, compared to that of flyers after viewing a more staid production. Source: Telegraph, 2 July 2009. tinyurl.com/kuoc4k

Human factors 'emerge as trend' in air crashes

2009-07-08T19:45:00.005+10:00

Reuters report that Bill Voss, president of the U.S.-based Flight Safety Foundation, has stated that "human factors are emerging as a worrisome trend in global air crashes and other incidents as fatigue, complex flight systems, inconsistent training and regulation pose new challenges to airlines". Voss reportedly told industry and government officials that 2009 could be the worst year in a decade for major commercial aviation accidents. There have been 12 crashes this year through June and carriers globally are on pace to equal the 10-year high of 24 crashes in 1999, according to safety foundation figures. "We've seen an increase in loss of control," Voss said of reported in-flight mishaps linked to turbulence or other unexpected situations that usually do not result in crashes. "We're back in the human factors business," according to Voss. Source: Reuters, 30 June 2009. tinyurl.com/nb255j

Washington Metro crash highlights automation paradox

2009-07-08T19:07:00.012+10:00

A collision on the Washington Metro on 22 June killed nine people and injured 76. According to The Washington Post, early indications suggest a computer system may have malfunctioned, and various accounts have raised questions about whether the driver of the speeding train applied the brakes in time. Investigations often focus attention on discrete aspects of machine or human error, whereas the real problem tends to lie in the relationship between humans and their automated systems. "It is easy to focus on the last act that may or may not have prevented the collision," said John D. Lee, professor of industrial and systems engineering at the University of Wisconsin. "But you can trace the accident back to purchasing decisions, maintenance decisions and track layout. To lay the blame on the end result of when and how quickly someone activated the brake may not help with improving safety." Lee pointed out that making automated systems safer leads to a paradox at the heart of all human-machine interactions: "The better you make the automation, the more difficult it is to guard against these catastrophic failures in the future, because the automation becomes more and more powerful, and you rely on it more and more." John Lee is joined by Greg Jamieson and Raja Parasuraman later in the article to acknowledge the consensus that automated systems should be designed to enhance human performance rather than to supplant operators or make them complacent. Source: Washington Post, 29 June 2009. tinyurl.com/lghtq9

http://www.flickr.com/photos/traedmawr/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

No cure for IVF errors

2009-07-08T14:01:00.004+10:00

The chairman of the British Fertility Society has warned that IVF mix-ups, in which women are given someone else's embryo, will continue to happen. Recently a couple were told that their last frozen embryo had been mistakenly implanted into another patient. The woman went on to have a termination after being was told that she had been inseminated with a child that was not her own. A trainee embryologist was said to have taken the embryo from the wrong shelf at the IVF clinic, based at the University Hospital of Wales. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) already requires a system of "double witnessing" in which staff check and document each other's work, to reduce the risk of such mistakes. But the case has led to calls that embryos should be electronically "tagged" to prevent mix-ups ever happening again. Mr Rutherford said: "Everybody working in this field wants to avoid a mix up... but we do live in the real world and unfortunately when humans are involved there will be mistakes. But the risks are incredibly small". According to the Telegraph, some centres are reportedly experimenting with an electronic system, involving bar codes and alarms, to replace "double witnessing". But Mr Rutherford said that there were no guarantees that they would be any more successful than the current system. Source: Telegraph, 26 June 2009. tinyurl.com/km2uov

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ppym1/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Science writer Dr Simon Singh appeals against chiropractic libel judgement

2009-07-08T13:30:00.009+10:00

The Guardian reports on a legal case with significant implications for science journalism and claims made by healthcare practitioners. Dr Simon Singh, a leading science writer who is being sued for libel by the British Chiropractic Association (BCA), is taking his case to the Court of Appeal after a preliminary judgement went against him. In the original Guardian article, Singh criticised the BCA for claiming that its members could use spinal manipulation to treat children with colic, ear infections, asthma, sleeping and feeding conditions, and prolonged crying. Singh described the treatments as "bogus" and based on insufficient evidence, and criticised the BCA for "happily promoting" them. According to The Guardian, the BCA denied these criticisms and maintained that the efficacy of chiropractic treatments is well documented. At a preliminary hearing in May to decide the meaning of the article, Mr Justice Eady ruled that Singh's wording implied that the BCA was being consciously dishonest, an interpretation denied by Singh. Singh is appealing the ruling, and will take the case to the European courts if the appeal fails. The case has led to a campaign to raise awareness of English libel laws, which critics claim can stifle legitimate and open debate about scientific and health issues. A summary of articles on the issue is contained on Singh's Sense about Science website. Source: Guardian, 4 June 2009. tinyurl.com/op6och

http://www.flickr.com/photos/diamondgeyser/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Right ear better for hearing

2009-07-06T23:10:00.010+10:00

Italian researchers have found in three separate tests that people are better at processing information when requests were made to their right ear. They believe this is because the left side of the brain, which is better at processing requests, deals with information from the right ear. The findings are reported online in the journal Naturwissenschaften. In conclusion, the researchers said: "Talk into the right ear you send your words into a slightly more amenable part of the brain. These results seem to be consistent with the hypothesised specialisation of right and left hemispheres." Professor Sophie Scott, of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London, agreed, and noted "we can also see this tendency when people use the phone, most will naturally hold it to their right ear." The research may have implications for the presentation of auditory information. Source: BBC, 24 June 2009. tinyurl.com/ksu9on
http://www.flickr.com/photos/banlon1964/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Anti-stab knife soon to go on sale

2009-07-06T21:30:00.007+10:00

The first "anti-stab" knife will soon go on sale in Britain, designed to work as normal in the kitchen, but be less effective as a weapon. The knife has a unique "combination tip" with a rounded edge instead of a point and the blade for cutting is underneath. The tip can chop vegetables, but makes penetration more difficult, instead snagging on clothing and skin. An ergonomic handle also reduces the aggressiveness of the knife. Doctors have lobbied in the past for kitchen knives to be redesigned. They argue that while a redesign is not a complete solution to the complex problem of knife crime, it could help to save lives. The New Point knife has been developed by industrial designer John Cornock, who was inspired to create the product after watching a documentary on knife crime. It has taken four years to develop. Source: BBC, 15 June 2009. tinyurl.com/nm3c7f

Qantas A380 economy seat wins design award

2009-07-06T21:10:00.008+10:00

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Qantas's A380 economy seat has won the 2009 Australian International Design Award of the Year, with judges saying the Marc Newson-designed seat cannot be faulted. The seat topped the six criteria: innovation, visual and emotional appeal, functionality, quality and manufacture, human factors (including ergonomics, safety and semantics) and environmental sustainability. Source: Sydney Morning Herald, 13 June 2009. tinyurl.com/okwqcc

A media release by Standards Australia noted that the judges were particularly impressed with the level of innovation and attention to detail given to all aspects of the seat. The design process clearly considered all features from the materials and aesthetics right through to the revolutionary footrest net, recline space and user interface of the entertainment unit. The environmental aspects of flying were also considered with lightweight carbon fibre selected to help reduce weight. Source: Standards Australia, 29 May 2009. tinyurl.com/7fmrzf

From input error to near disaster at Melbourne airport

2009-07-03T20:02:00.013+10:00

An Emirates flight EK-407 from Melbourne to Dubai narrowly avoided disaster, with 275 people on the Airbus jet. On the flight deck, the first officer and the captain fed routine information, including the plane's weight and fuel load, into a computer. The procedure was for them to check each other's work to avoid mistakes. The first officer opened the throttles and headed down runway. As the first officer tried to ease the aircraft off the runway, the jet stayed grounded. On a second attempt, the nose came up — but the jet's rear repeatedly hit and dragged along runway, puncturing the skin of the jet, tearing off a panel and breaching the air pressurisation. Eventually, at the end of the runway, the jet began climbing. But it was still too low, hitting a runway light, then antenna equipment on the ground, and scraping the grass. With seconds to spare, the jet climbed and finally reached a safe height. The pilots dumped most of their fuel over the bay and, with smoke in the cabin, the plane was given emergency clearance to land. When the pilots checked their instruments they spotted the potentially fatal mistake. Before take-off, their fuelled-up jet weighed 362 tonnes. But they had accidentally keyed in 262 tonnes, resulting in too little engine power. Only the captain's rapid reactions averted a disaster. Source: Sydney Morning Herald, 01 May 2009. tinyurl.com/kjd3r2
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/storm-crypt/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Five million days lost to Repetitive Surf Injury in Britain

2009-07-03T20:01:00.002+10:00

More than five million days a year are lost to business as a result of workers injuring themselves through surfing the internet. "Repetitive Surf Injury" (RSI), which is thought to affect more than half a million workers in the UK, is being blamed for a surge in the number of people suffering painful muscle damage as they spend hours hunched over keyboards, balancing laptops on their knees or continually texting on mobile devices. Iain Thompson, the general manager of Yahoo! Finance Europe, said: "RSI-type conditions have been estimated to cost industry of up to £20 billion a year. Yahoo! has teamed up with the British Chiropractic Association to help internet users avoid RSI. Source: Telegraph, 02 May 2009. tinyurl.com/dky4uj

Passengers unhappy with poor design

2009-07-03T19:44:00.014+10:00

Cramped, poorly designed lavatories and a lack of luggage space on long-distance trains are biggest source of passenger discontent, a survey by Passenger Focus has found. The study investigated passengers' experience of nine existing long distance rail operators. It comes as industry awaits delivery of the next generation of carriages to replace the ageing Inter City fleet. The survey found that nearly two out of three of passengers who used Virgin's Pendolino trains between London and Scotland were unhappy. Even though train lavatories were considered largely clean and well maintained, passengers were unhappy about their design, particularly small size, and the washing and drying facilities. There were also complaints about poor signage to the lavatories and the lack of instructions about how to lock the door. In some cases the poor design meant that the floors were wet. Passengers on South West Trains were particularly unhappy with the “cramped” vestibule area by the doors, with some passengers facing difficulties manoeuvring luggage and push chairs. Passengers were also unhappy with security, accessibility and amount of stowage space. Anthony Smith, Passenger Focus chief executive, said the findings should be taken into account when the detailed designs are put together for the new fleet of long distance carriages. Source: Telegraph, 06 May 2009. tinyurl.com/oqebdo

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewblack/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Have you forgotten your memory stick?

2009-07-03T17:59:00.017+10:00

A report into the loss of a memory stick containing data on 6,360 prisoners and ex-prisoners found – predictably – that human error and procedural violation was to blame. The USB stick was being used to back up clinical databases at HMP Preston and was lost on 30 December. The data lost was encrypted but, in a classic example of how IT security actually causes users to bypass defences, the password had been written on a note attached to the misplaced memory stick. Source: BBC, 17 April 2009. tinyurl.com/dl3ceu
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zlatanm/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

International Design Scoreboard ranks countries

2009-07-03T17:58:00.006+10:00

The first International Design Scoreboard, which ranks countries by their design capabilities, sees the US top in absolute terms and UK fourth. When the size of the economy is taken to account, Singapore tops the table, with the UK dropping down to sixth and the US to 11th. The Scoreboard has been produced by a consortium of British universities led by the University of Cambridge and supported by the Design Council. It measures countries’ design capability based on a number of factors, including public investment in design, total number of design graduates, and number of World Intellectual Patent Office design registrations, and levels of employment in the design sector. Source: Design Week, 15 April 2009. http://tinyurl.com/c36ywv

Intensive care errors ‘frequent’

2009-07-03T17:56:00.006+10:00

Errors in the administration of injected medication occur frequently in intensive care units, a study of 113 units across 27 countries suggests. Over a 24-hour period, 441 patients out of 1,300 were subject to errors, and seven suffered permanent harm. Nearly half of the affected patients suffered more than one mistake. The most frequent errors related to the wrong time of administration and missing doses. Stress, tiredness, recent changes in the drug’s name, poor communication, and protocol violations were cited as contributing factors. Lead researcher Dr Andreas Valentin recommended error reporting systems and routine checks at shift changes. The Intensive Care Society said many units had developed patient safety training programmes, including measures to learn from ‘near misses’. Work was also under way to standardise concentrations of some drugs for critically ill patients, refine the use of antibiotics and minimise the risk of adverse drug reactions. Source: BBC, 13 March 2009. http://tinyurl.com/b9cqz6

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ringai/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Pedestrian crossings: Animal kwackers

2009-07-03T17:55:00.010+10:00

Comedian Frank Skinner reports on the planned Tokyo-style ‘scramble crossing’ at Oxford Circus in The Times. According to Skinner, the crossings work in Japan and Canada because its inhabitants are, “extremely polite and civilised, so both crossings were a delight to use”. But in London, “It’ll only need a brushed elbow or a blocked step to spin the whole thing into a whirl of aggressive indignation”. In the 1960s, the Ministry of Transport developed ‘panda crossing’. Unlike its zebra-esque colleague, the panda road pattern took the form of triangles. It also had stop lights and a sign for pedestrians that said ‘CROSS’. However, it didn’t have a sign that said ‘DON’T CROSS’ because, quaintly, this would have contravened the existing right-of-way law. (The now defunct crossing used a coding mechanism based on flashing and pulsating amber phases which were subtle yet very significant.) Skinner laments the misuse of acronyms and lack of animal resemblance in this and other animal-inspired crossings, including the pelican crossing, puffin crossing, toucan crossing, and pegasus crossing. But “despite the DfT’s idiosyncrasies – maybe even because of them – I love pedestrian crossings. They seem to epitomise man’s struggle to tame technology”, says Skinner. Source: The Times, April 17 2009. http://tinyurl.com/czeahm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kunel/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

“You’re always on your @#$&&$ computer!!!”

2009-07-03T17:53:00.001+10:00

Microsoft’s Bill Buxton reflects that, in the pre-computer age, we had specific rooms in our homes for certain activities. Nowadays, for many everyday activities, social cues have disappeared as activities are centred around a single digital device. And this causes all kinds of trouble. So how can we redesign tools and technologies such that they encourage behaviours, and visibility of activity, that are consistent with our places and values? Buxton suggests extending the “persona” concept used in user-centred design with the notion of “placona”, the canonical set of physical and social spaces within which an activity might be situated. “If one of the purposes of design and innovation is to improve our lives – for business, artistic, or familial purposes – then design that does not consider the larger social, cultural, and physical ecosystem is going to miss the mark.” Source: Business Week. http://tinyurl.com/d78nud

Blame the user? Pah! Bypass the user!

2009-07-03T17:23:00.007+10:00

Security is often a hindrance to users, and this means that it is often bypassed. Bruce Schneier, IT security guru, argues that "security systems that require the user to do the right thing are doomed to fail." The solution? Assume uneducated users: to prevent them from changing security settings that would leave them exposed to undue risk, or – even better – to take security out of their hands entirely. Source: Guardian. http://tinyurl.com/bcr7h8

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nekonoir/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Trust in automation lands lorry in ditch

2009-07-03T17:21:00.005+10:00

In another case of automation-induced complacency, a articulated lorry driver ended up in a ditch in the tuny Cotswald village of Syde. "Then they look at their sat-nav and potter off down these lanes, which are so narrow, and all of a sudden this happens," according to a local councillor. Gloucestershire County Council is running a trial scheme to ban HGVs from country lanes around the Cotswolds, including Syde. Source: Telegraph. http://tinyurl.com/detn3

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All sites may harm your computer

2009-07-03T17:12:00.005+10:00

The world's dependency on Google was brought into focus on Saturday, 31 January when users were unable to access search results, as the entire internet was erroneously flagged as malware. For a period, all results brought with them the warning that the site "may harm your computer", and advice to choose another hit. "What happened? Very simply, human error," wrote Marissa Mayer, Google vice president search products and user experience, on the Official Google Blog. When Google updated the list on in conjunction with stopbadware.org, it mistakenly flagged all sites as potentially dangerous. Source: BBC. http://tinyurl.com/bm8ahx

When one letter makes a big difference

2009-07-03T17:09:00.006+10:00

Traveller Samantha Lazzaris was planning a holiday in San José, Costa Rica, filled with yoga, meditation, hiking and voluntary work. She ended up in San Juan, Peurto Rico. Waiting outside the airport, she asked the taxi driver to take her to her hotel, giving him an address in San José, Costa Rica. “He looked in amazement, speechless,” she said. “Then [he] laughed and said, ‘This is not Costa Rica. It’s Puerto Rico’.”’ How did it happen? Apparently, the Bristol branch of Thomas Cook had entered the wrong code. Both similar sounding places, with even more similar sounding, and looking, codes - SJO (San José) and SJU (San Juan). To make matters worse, San Jose is also known as Juan Santamaria. According to The Times, tourists looking forward to a trip to San José had also found themselves in San José, California. La Paz, Bolivia gets confused with La Paz, Mexico, and Santiago in Chile gets confused with San Diego, in southern California. Source: Times, 11 February 2009. http://tinyurl.com/c83vou

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

How to survive a plane crash

2009-07-03T16:57:00.000+10:00

Two experts offer some tips. Ed Calea, Professor of mathematical modelling at the University of Greenwich in London: keep your footwear on during climb and descent; sit close to an exit; sit by the aisle; seat your family together; practise releasing your seat belt; know where the exit is; and practise the brace position. According to Amanda Ripley, author of 'The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes – And Why': take the lead - don't just sit there; listen to the safety briefing; near the exit, take responsibility and prepare to throw the exit door out; educate yourself on why the safety procedures are life-saving; and realise accidents are survivable, and that what you do can make the difference - an active, engaged, confident outlook about your role in the situation is very powerful. Source: Guardian. http://tinyurl.com/bnewa2

Aviation safety still on course

2009-07-03T16:54:00.003+10:00

The Turkish Airlines crash is thankfully a rare occurrence in Europe. The European Aviation and Safety Agency report three in 2007, and six in 2006, with a decade average of six fatal air accidents per year, against a trend of increasing traffic. Only five per cent of worldwide fatal air accidents involved European carriers last year. "Take a million flights and the likelihood of being involved in a fatal accident anywhere in the world is still just 0.79 per cent." Source: Times. http://tinyurl.com/d67tp6
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rnw: / / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Safety issues cause one-third of deaths in Britain’s military

2009-07-03T16:42:00.004+10:00

Ministry of Defence figures obtained by The Independent on Sunday reportedly reveal that nearly 800 service personnel have been killed over 10 years in accidents ranging from car crashes to electric shocks. According to IoS, MoD figures reveal that 201 members of the armed forces died in 2007. Eighty of these deaths were caused by accidents, 50 of them in land transport accidents. The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 removes the MoD’s Crown immunity in health and safety matters, leaving senior defence officials open to the same risk of prosecution as employers in the private and public sectors. Source: Independent, 22 Feb 2009. http://tinyurl.com/c8hygw

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