Design Critique

You don't have to look like you're waving in planes at the airport to enjoy good headphone sound. This is another single point perspective, where only one person has experience with the product. In this case, Tim couldn't bear to live even a week without his PX-100 headphones, but he allows Tom to at least try them on during the show. What makes a great headphone design? It isn't only about audio quality and price. New word: cosmesis... Funny stories about cords... Another song from the house band... Email address coming soon!

Occasionally, Design Critique features a single-point perspective on a product because the other guy isn't able to borrow it long enough to be thorough. Such is the case with Tom's cyclometers, exercise computers for bicycles. Tom can't lend his bike to Tim for a month or more, but he can explain what cyclometers do, how they do it, and why he prefers one to the other. Learn along with Tim about these handy gadgets. What makes a good cyclometer design? Also, more music from our "house band".

In our first "word of the day"-type show, Tom brings us the infamous term Luddite. Is there such a thing as a neo-Luddite? Tim hazily yet fondly recalls Neil Postman's classic book Technopoly and its warnings against technological determinism. Is your life enhanced or hindered by technology? We all have choices. Finally, the Design Critique "house band" makes its debut.

Tim and Tom review the Apple iPod Shuffle. Tim explains Design Critique's "longitudinal review" approach. After we praise the Shuffle's strong design points, Tim rages against MP3 players' tendency to insert gaps of silence between tracks that are seamless on compact disc. The righteous indignation continues as we discuss customer experience with regard to digital rights management. Is the music industry at war with its own customers? Hold onto your hats, folks...

Tim and Tom debate the merits of the Sony Shower CD Radio, model ICF-CD73V. Topics include the difficulty of designing for a complex audience, and the need for buffers in electronics so they remember things like: point last played on a CD, their settings when batteries are changed, and a few seconds of music to compensate for bump-induced skips during playback.