User Centered

My friend Dan, having read and heard about my quest for the best travel mug (see this and this) bequeathed unto me the best gift ever... (which I just realized he hinted at in the comments of the Brugo review)

The Stanley outdoor travel mug. It meets just about every requirement I have- namely, thermos-like temperature, sealable, and ability to drink from like a regular mug:

I'm looking for a thermos that I can easily drink from (without pouring) and get access to coffee with one hand, or at least that doesn't require "unscrewing" the lid to get access. Or, if we go the other way, a standard travel mug that I cant put in a bag and not worry about spilling and doesn't have the goofy handle.

This Stanley mug is the only one that I actually use on a daily basis. The Bruno mug I reviewed a while back? It's on my "close but no cigar" shelf of failed coffee mugs.

...but there are a few catches. First, the lid assembly requires the prowess normally reserved for US Marine's piecing together their rifle:

My fiancee had a hard time figuring out how the whole thing went together when she pulled it from the dishwasher.

Second, the first mug I received had a poor rubber seal somewhere in this assembly and it leaked coffee at inopportune times (ie- all over my white work shirt). I'm happy to report however, that when I notified Stanley PMI about the leaky cup, they promptly shipped me a brand new one, free of charge, no questions asked. It turns out this one leaks as well, but diligent "reseating" of the rubber seals seems to (literally) stem the flow.


But these minor problems don't take away from the fact that thing keeps my coffee freakin' scalding throughout the day. You know that tepid first sip you take of a hot cup of coffee? I roll like that all the way until 2:00 in the afternoon! (even if I leave the lid in "drink mode") That also means I drink significantly less coffee as I'm nursing this single cup all day long.

Operation is simple once you figure out the moving parts, you just twist the ring as you would on any regular mug and you have a small opening, twist it back to seal it up and throw in a bag. Of course, there's likely a small amount of coffee still caught up in all those rings, seals, and compartments, so use caution when tossing into a bag. It's metal inside and well insulated, and you can tell the lid has insulation -it looks like a bank vault.

Two (spoon) thumbs up. And thanks to Dan for the gift- you know me well. Granted I've had this mug for a year and a half now, but I like to really give'er a go before I write a review

• Pros: Easy travel mug, fits in most cup holders, WELL insulated, easy to drink from
  
• Cons: A bit tall and lean, rubber grommets and rings are prone to slight leaks, requires basic training to figure outthe assembly of the lid.
  
  

I suppose the product design team and testers over at Apple have "casual day" all during the week- or at least they don't rock the super cool "no tie" dress shirt like this business casual author is prone to do.

I say this because anyone who's spent any time with a)iPhone headphones and b) a collar would notice that the headphone "clicker" is perfectly designed to catch on the edge of my collar every time I turn my head.

How about you smooth over that hard edge Apple?

My truck, knock on wood, has been a paragon of reliability and good fortune. Karma, fates, all those willing to do me harm, take note: I ultimately like my truck because it successfully has gotten me from point A to B with no major events for the better part of 9 years.

That said, I wanted to pull this post up: It's hip to be square (or why I would like a minivan) up from the "User Centered Archives*" again because I still manage to encounter this on a weekly basis. Only this time, you have the benefit of a MS Paint illustration! See? ...Retreads can be exciting and new!

...you realize that you have now caged yourself off from the known world. Pinned between your car's interior, your two doors and the car behind you. Not too bad a proposition, until you realize that your groceries and child are on the other side of the doors. So you have to load them all up while opening and closing the door each time (why not put everything in the back? -I live in Minnesota)

Oh boy- ...those doors aren't to scale


*We have a preservation society of volunteer historians that administrate the archives. Lot's of faded yellow parchment, magnifying glasses, environmental controls, protective glass cases, etc...

Microwave meals.

In this day an age, we pretty much assume that microwave meals are "self contained," save for a utensil or two. They even have their own bowl/plate! If I were to conduct some field research on the microwave meal consumer, I'm sure my participants would find the typical use cases to be:

1. those who carry to work for a lunch....
   
2. those that are unwilling or unable to kick start the 'ol oven/range and cook up something from scratch.
   

well, those are pretty much the big use cases I'd guess... In any event, I'm sure if we'd canvas those participants, I'm sure the "a's" would not have access to a meat thermometer, and the "b's" would not care enough use one.

On Step 5, the text reads:

Check that the product is cooked thoroughly
*Internal temperature need to reach 165 degrees as measured by a food thermometer

From the interfaces-to-fall-in-love-with department comes Stephen Elop's presentation and video about imagined future productivity.

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