As everyone knows, usability doesn’t just stink on the web or with that latest computer application. I’m sure you’ve all seen the sign, elevator, door handle, car, ATM, instructions, etc. that just don’t make sense. Seth Godin, the author, has a nice little video from his session at Gel 2006 that’s pretty funny. My favorite…the Taxi cab line at the airport. Yes, at JFK and other airports, why do we have to wait in a line at the airport when there’s 20 people in line and 20 taxi’s waiting? Check out the video on Google here.

Tech design flaws hit Mercedes, BMW, and Audi in J. D. Power’s 2006 study - German carmakers. Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi–widely respected as titans of engineering and pioneers in car tech–all suffered a considerable drop in the nameplate rankings, with BMW slipping from 3rd to 28th and Mercedes falling by a similar margin, from 6th to 26th. Audi skidded from 8th place last year to 19th in 2006.
So what was behind this sudden slump? It turns out that this year’s IQS factored in a whole new set of data on design flaws, which included the usability of each car’s cabin technology.

(Via CNET)