US Navy will replace touchscreen with mechanical controls on its destroyers

Post by macintux » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 2:31 AM UTC

blackflame7000 wrote: post #112

joshgachnang wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if that were true everywhere, people drive vehicles other than the one they used for their drivers test in their lifetime.

And just like when they learn to use the shifter, they need to learn what that thing on the other side of the steering wheel does too before driving off whether it's tested or not.

Post by dredmorbius » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 2:33 AM UTC

ufmace wrote: post #308

octorian wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my own experience, any software developed under government contract has horrendous UI/UX. Probably because it's hard to specify "don't suck and be pleasant to use" in terms of formal system requirements.

I have seen the same thing for in-house corporate software. I don't think it's specific to government, but that any software that users are mandated to use and is developed for a small number of users will tend to have terrible UI. Particularly when the people building it are not allowed to talk directly to the people who will be using it, and have no idea how they do their jobs.

Post by jackvalentine » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 2:40 AM UTC

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #43

liability wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because when the sensor goes screwy I don't want my car to start flipping shit like the defroster on when it's not needed? Because manual controls make such automation totally unnecessary? Because even if the automated system were designed to be "fail safe", the state that's 'safe' is actually context dependent, therefore manual controls will be necessary anyway? It ain't broke, so stop trying to 'fix' it.

The problem is the current solution doesn't work. Because trying to perfect those settings manually while driving in near zero visibility is scary and dangerous. And nobody even knows the correct settings to use! There are YouTube videos testing whether cold or warm air is the fastest way to defrost and/or defog your window, because nobody knows or remembers. I honestly don't remember and my solution is "try both for…

Post by TheSpiceIsLife » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 2:46 AM UTC

chrismorgan wrote: post #317

CamperBob2 wrote: post #241

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I installed encoder knobs to emulate potentiometers There's really no need to force this decision to go in either direction. Ever since I first heard of capacitive multitouch, going back to the timeframe before the first iPhone announcement, I've been waiting for someone to build 'stick-on' encoder knobs that the touchscreen controller can read. These would simply take the form of a knob with a metal leaf or other po…

Very strongly related to what you describe is fiducial markers . They were a big thing in the small pond that was projected touch surfaces some years ago, though I haven’t heard anything much about it in recent years as the industry has headed in a different direction. It’s harder to find info on them now, but it’s still out there. A quick search yielded https://www.christianholz.net/fiberio.html which contains an im…

Post by dragonwriter » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 2:59 AM UTC

Someone1234 wrote: post #48

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honest question: Why don't modern cars yet monitor humidity in and outside the car and make the correct decisions to keep your windows clear? Why are we focusing on self-driving cars while our cars are too dumb to do this much on their own?

It isn't caused by any specific humidity levels. While it is depositing water droplets on to the glass surface, that same water is normally suspended harmlessly in the air (it is effectively de-humidifying the air onto the cold windows). It is caused by the glass's surface temperature being much lower than the air temperature inside the car. Humans are warm. The air we breath is warm. We're heating up the interior of…