3 ms·

> If they’re setting the time with a knob, how do they get 1:35 instead of a guesstimate of the time? A stepped dial would solve this. > How do they change t

> If they’re setting the time with a knob, how do they get 1:35 instead of a guesstimate of the time? A stepped dial would solve this. > How do they change the power level, use the defrost mode, the popcorn preset? A grid of radio buttons would solve this. It's not like we don't know how to engineer accessible technology. They really do just want to cram AI into everything.

petepete 3y ago
What kind of feedback do you get from a grid of buttons? How do I know whether 1 is top left (like a phone) or bottom left (like a keyboard)? Once the initial setup is out of the way (which I admit is probably a bit of a pain) being able to either talk to it or have it announce what's about to happen seems like a good idea.
madaxe_again 3y ago
I don’t know - I think for an awful lot of applications, language is the ideal interface. In 10 years, I want to be able to say “make me some toast and then go feed the cats” to my domestic robot, not sit there twiddling dials to select the toast function and accidentally combining the command with “feed cat” and ending up with “feed me toasted cat”. Interfaces should be intuitive. Human language is intuitive for all humans who are ever likely to interact with an interface.
- ghusbands 3y ago
  Look at the comment from wincy detailing very dangerous outcomes [1] to see why voice control might not always be best. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36745581 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36745581
ghusbands 3y ago
> A stepped dial would solve this. I've used many stepped-dial microwaves, and not a single one of them would be good for blind users. The step often changes size after a certain point and steps are often missed. If you're aiming for six and a half minutes, having to do mental arithmetic or keep careful track is not fun ("12 ticks to reach a minute and then 11 ticks of half minutes, and let's hope it actually got them all"). In my direct experience, the best interfaces for blind users are ones that can have tactile/braille labels applied and ones with voice feedback, in that order.

petepete 3y ago

What kind of feedback do you get from a grid of buttons? How do I know whether 1 is top left (like a phone) or bottom left (like a keyboard)? Once the initial setup is out of the way (which I admit is probably a bit of a pain) being able to either talk to it or have it announce what's about to happen seems like a good idea.

madaxe_again 3y ago

I don’t know - I think for an awful lot of applications, language is the ideal interface. In 10 years, I want to be able to say “make me some toast and then go feed the cats” to my domestic robot, not sit there twiddling dials to select the toast function and accidentally combining the command with “feed cat” and ending up with “feed me toasted cat”. Interfaces should be intuitive. Human language is intuitive for all humans who are ever likely to interact with an interface.

ghusbands 3y ago
Look at the comment from wincy detailing very dangerous outcomes [1] to see why voice control might not always be best. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36745581 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36745581

ghusbands 3y ago

> A stepped dial would solve this. I've used many stepped-dial microwaves, and not a single one of them would be good for blind users. The step often changes size after a certain point and steps are often missed. If you're aiming for six and a half minutes, having to do mental arithmetic or keep careful track is not fun ("12 ticks to reach a minute and then 11 ticks of half minutes, and let's hope it actually got them all"). In my direct experience, the best interfaces for blind users are ones that can have tactile/braille labels applied and ones with voice feedback, in that order.