Victoria <br>I'm very jealous. I recently tried to find the exact same thing for my 86-year-old step-grandfather, who is increasingly alarmed by all things technological. We ended up paying over the odds for simplicity - the only radio we could find that had the simplest of buttons was from an expensive brand. Hooray for the sadly departed Woolies. <br>
<br>Also re Rob's thoughts on digital clocks... I propose a different solution: turn off all unnecessary clocks. I remember reading somewhere that the energy needed to power the digital clock on a microwave for a year was more than the energy needed to power the microwave's cooking function over the same time. Why does a microwave need a clock anyway? The wall switch beckons. (This also prevents annnoying time differences between the myriad clocks around the house.)<br>
<br>Another one on car radios: we recently bought a car and our helpful salesman offered to tune the radio for us. 'What's your favourite station?', he asked, and when we responded (BBC) Radio 4, he tuned the radio's station 1 to Radio 4. We managed (barely) to conceal our horror until left alone in the car, when we immediately tuned station 1 to BBC Radio 1, station 2 to Radio 2 etc etc. Despite never listening to anything other than Radio 4. Sometimes interaction sense is less important than human whim. <br>
<br>And to bring together radios and microwaves: I grew up in Droitwich, right next to the Radio 4 transmitters, which are so powerful that (allegedly) telephones, microwaves and other electronic equipment all gently transmit the shipping forecast. So I particularly miss the departure of valve radios, which often displayed 'Droitwich' bravely on their dials. (Having said that, our old valve radio frequently scared the heck out of me by suddenly blasting out sound twenty minutes after having been switched on). <br>
<br>(Apologies to international subscribers for a very UK-focussed post!)<br><br>Abi<br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">2009/2/3 Victoria ColemanSmith <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:Victoria.ColemanSmith@thebrandunion.com">Victoria.ColemanSmith@thebrandunion.com</a>></span><br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
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<p><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">I recently bought a radio for my father from
the Worth it range of the sadly now defunct Woolies.</span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">It has an on off button that doubles as
the volume control (with an easily recognisable icon of the hill gradient
variety for louder, softer), a tuning dial and a 3 point sliding switch for am
fm and long wave.</span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">Given that most people only use about 2 or
3 radio stations, it is ideal for simple everyday use.</span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">… and at only £6.95 not only the cheapest
but one of the best pieces of technology I have purchased in recent years…</span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">Yours aye</span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">Happy ex-Woolies customer</span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">(Victoria)</span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
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<p><b><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma; font-weight: bold;" lang="EN-US">From:</span></font></b><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma;" lang="EN-US">
<a href="mailto:infodesign-cafe-bounces@list.informationdesign.org" target="_blank">infodesign-cafe-bounces@list.informationdesign.org</a>
[mailto:<a href="mailto:infodesign-cafe-bounces@list.informationdesign.org" target="_blank">infodesign-cafe-bounces@list.informationdesign.org</a>] <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">On Behalf Of </span></b>Ole E. Wattne<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> 03 February 2009 11:32<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> Discussions about information
design<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re: InfoD-Cafe:
Recharging batteries: lack of a common visualvocabulary</span></font><span lang="EN-US"></span></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">perhaps the concept of «steam radio» could be elaborated upon? Is this
the latest in radio-technology?</span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">:-)</span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ole</span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Funny Middleaged Man Department</span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">…who, by the way, completely agree on the idea of a common
batterycharger, digital clock and radio – especially car radio – grammar.</span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Den 3. feb.. 2009 kl. 11.39 skrev Rob Waller:</span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br>
<br>
</span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Other areas of everyday life where a grammar is required: </span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">- digital clocks. Moving to summer time is great feat of memory, manual
dexterity, deduction and luck, and my oven clock is only correct six months of
the year.</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">- car radios: every car seems to have a different set of abbreviations:
PTY, AST, TP, TA, etc. But only rarely On and Off.</span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In fact any radio is more complicated than the ones we used to have.
Not able to receive steam radio in the basement kitchen of our new home, I've
just ordered an internet radio. I'll need to tune it, so I think I won't make
any plans for the weekend.</span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Rob,</span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Grumpy Old Man Department</span></font></p>
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<p><span><font color="black" face="Helvetica" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Helvetica; color: black;">__________________________________</span></font></span><font color="black" face="Lucida Grande" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Lucida Grande"; color: black;"></span></font></p>
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<p><font color="black" face="Lucida Grande" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Lucida Grande"; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
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<p><span><font color="black" face="Lucida Grande" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Lucida Grande"; color: black;">Rob Waller</span></font></span><font color="black" face="Lucida Grande" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Lucida Grande"; color: black;"></span></font></p>
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<p><font color="black" face="Lucida Grande" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Lucida Grande"; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
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<p><span><font color="black" face="Lucida Grande" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Lucida Grande"; color: black;">Department of Typography & Graphic Communication</span></font></span><font color="black" face="Lucida Grande" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Lucida Grande"; color: black;"></span></font></p>
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<p><span><font color="black" face="Lucida Grande" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Lucida Grande"; color: black;">University</span></font></span><span><font color="black" face="Lucida Grande" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Lucida Grande"; color: black;"> of Reading</span></font></span><font color="black" face="Lucida Grande" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Lucida Grande"; color: black;"></span></font></p>
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<p><font color="black" face="Lucida Grande" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Lucida Grande"; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
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<p><font color="black" face="Helvetica" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Helvetica; color: black;"><br>
<br>
</span></font><font color="black" face="Lucida Grande" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Lucida Grande"; color: black;"></span></font></p></div></div></span>
</span></span></div>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span> </font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">On 2 Feb 2009, at 18:46, Conrad Taylor wrote:</span></font></p>
</div>
<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br>
<br>
</span></font></p>
<div>
<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This evening, I am recharging my batteries. No, that is not<br>
a metaphor. I have a bunch of Li-ion and NiMH rechargeable<br>
batteries. In anticipation of an expedition into Wessex,<br>
I am recharging them.<br>
<br>
The dedicated Li-ion batteries for the Nikon D-200 SLR and the<br>
Panasonic NV-GS320 DV-cam. And the AA and AAA "Hybrio" NiMH<br>
cells that I use for my digital audio recorders, flashgun and<br>
LED torch (I have two chargers for such batteries).<br>
<br>
One of the chargers has a green LED that stays on until the<br>
batteries are charged, then it goes out. One has an orange<br>
LED that flashes until the batteries are charges, then it<br>
stops flashing. One has a light that simply stays on all<br>
the time to show the batteries are connected to the circuit,<br>
and you have to guess whether the batteries have been charged<br>
or not. One charger has a light that starts out one colour,<br>
and then changes to another colour when the battery is charged.<br>
<br>
"Why oh why oh why oh why..." can't we have some kind of<br>
visual vocabulary standardisation in this area? (!*@?)<br>
<br>
Conrad<br>
<br>
(Who, mounted on a charger, fears a charge of hungry Li-ions)<br>
-- <br>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>
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<br></blockquote></div><br>