From the category archives:

Bring The Funny

Drum Warning!

by Paul Sherman on August 25, 2010 · View Comments

in Bring The Funny,Hardware

From a printer manufactured (or probably more accurately, rebadged…) by a nameless large PC manufacturer based in the southwest….

This error message evokes cinematic, ominous drums beating in the distance, implying an impending massive onslaught.

At least it does for me. Your mileage may vary…

But seriously, this is a not-so-great error message for a couple of reasons:

  • It’s not informative – it doesn’t tell me a) what the heck a drum is, and b) why I care about a drum warning.
  • It doesn’t provide a recommended action – so, I have a “drum warning”…now what? WTF do I do with this information?

And if you look at the available screen real estate, there’s clearly enough room for more information.

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Ferrari Fail: Steering Wheel From Hell

by Paul Sherman on May 6, 2010 · View Comments

in Bring The Funny,Design,Hardware

It’s all about context, yes. Some immensely complex UI’s are necessary in certain domains, for certain workflows. But sometimes you can just look at a UI and know that, for whoever its intended users are, it’s a horrible failure.

So it is with this Ferrari steering wheel. Via FastCompany and @JasonSpector, look upon the horror and of course watch the vid. Bonus points for the headline “Ferrari F10 Steering Wheel Looks Like a Robot Barfed on It.”

Ferrari steering wheel fail

Here’s the vid about it too. Enjoy.

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Elevate What, Exactly?

by Paul Sherman on March 23, 2010 · View Comments

in Bring The Funny,Software

Um, OK, whatever floats your digital boat. You require elevation, I need a face full of chocolate cookies, we all have our needs. Live and let elevate, I say. That’s my motto credo words to live by.

Elevation? Um, OK Whatever

<Colombo>There’s just one more thing…and you’ll have to forgive me, I’m slow with this kind of stuff…what exactly are you elevating? If ya don’t mind me asking of course. It’s just that I don’t understand exactly. </Columbo>

(Whoosh is the sound that last paragraph makes as it sails over the heads of the 20-somethings…)

Just kidding around here folks, I assume it’s referring to elevated permission levels. But still.

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