Top 5 Design Considerations for Human-Machine Interfaces > ENGINEERING.com | Polycarbonate Embossed Sheet

The reason for the new L10 platform was to take the popular XSLATE B10 and not only enhance and improve it with state-of-the-art technology, but evolve it into a comprehensive tablet ecosystem covering a wide range of performance and functionality demands. Hence this new trio of very rugged mobile computers for the field and use under the harshest conditions, and all sharing the same extensions, add-ons and accessories.

“We are seeing people trying to get rid of clutter to make their garages more comfortable and attractive,” he said. “They are adding insulation, flat-screen TVs and ceiling fans. The garage then becomes an extension of their home, and the resale value is also amazing.”

Ive’s dominance wasn’t immediate. Michael Ive recalled a conversation he had with his son in 2001: “ ‘It’ll have a thousand songs, Dad.’ I said, ‘Who wants a thousand songs?’ He said, ‘You’ll see.’ ” Tony Fadell, a former Apple engineer who can take much of the credit for the iPod’s functionality, was recently quoted by Fast Company as saying, “We gave it to Jony to skin it.” That is, Ive’s contribution was to combine, as elegantly as possible, elements decided largely by engineers and others: a battery, a disk drive, an L.C.D. screen, a track wheel. Fadell went on to found Nest, which was later bought by Google; he recently took charge of Google Glass. His phrase may have been strategically irreverent—“We’ve never skinned anything,” Tim Cook told me in response—but it contained at least a partial truth. Ive gave the music player an irresistible white-and-silver form, causing a generation of designers to endure clients asking for the “iPod version” of this or that. (Richard Seymour, in London, recalled a meeting about the iPod of moisturizers.) But the industrial-design studio was not yet the company’s central workshop.

Acousticians can be expensive, and many retail designers figure that they can get away without one. Worse, commercial architectural acoustics has historically involved designs that offend architects and business owners—think of those dowdy dropped ceilings of mid-century schools and offices. For glossy retail spaces and fancy restaurants, they were too much of a drag. But then again, so were hoity-toity fine-dining establishments 40 years ago, when the shift to today’s dining din began.

The Lexan EXL also works nicely with Nolan’s use of the environmentally-conscious water-based paint and clear-coating preparations.

Ive would prefer an unobserved life, but he likes nice things. He also has an Aston Martin DB4. He acquired his first Bentley, a two-door model, ten years ago, after an inner zigzag between doubt and self-justification. “I’ve always loved the big old-school square Bentleys,” he said. “The reasons are entirely design-based. But because of the other connotations I resisted and resisted, and then I thought, This is the most bizarre vanity, because I’m concerned that people will perceive me to be this way—I’m not. So I’m going to—” A pause. “And so I am uncomfortable about it.” Jeff Williams, Apple’s senior vice-president of operations, drives an old Toyota Camry. Ive’s verdict, according to Williams, is “Oh, God.”

Most mid-range smartphones these days come with either metallic or glass casings, which is why the Honor 8C struck me as a bit of an oddity the moment I held it in my hand for the first time. It is made from plastic (or maybe polycarbonate?), but that’s not a bad thing at all. The 8C is a well-built smartphone, and one that has a solid in-hand feel. The plastic construction also helps in keeping the weight of the smartphone under control. Weighing in at 167 grams, the 8C feels surprisingly light for a smartphone with a 4,000mAh cell (more on this later) packed inside.

Slimline LED fog lights further enhance the Velar’s technology-enabled design and are seamlessly integrated into the lower black feature line that wraps round the vehicle.

Another big problem I faced was that some apps would simply not take advantage of the full screen and would be cut off halfway through. Pocophone has promised a fix for this as well, but for now, it’s a waiting game.

Fender vents which begin in line with the front axle flow backwards to the front doors, emphasizing the dynamic character of the Velar.

I’ve had a few tech21 cases over the years, and they all follow the same basic design: a clear back with a pattern, plus a colored frame. The Pixel 2 versions use the exact same formula, and while the result isn’t bad, it’s certainly not worth the $39.99 (add $5 for the XL) tech21 charges.

This week the bus will be in Lot 15 again, or maybe parked by Fishbone Grill & Oyster Bar across the street from AT&T Stadium before the Cowboys take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Darwin will be on the grill. Sandy will be cooking something on the stove. Family and friends will be hanging out and strangers will come by to take some pictures.