ui

Lifelike
$13.98
If you like Ui you might like Big Lazy. They're a trio also out of New York. Less electronic but that same "wierd" vibe. Also a little darker. For what it's worth.

Extreme UI Design: The User is Always Right
$39.99
You know about Extreme Programming, Agile cooperation, and continuous improvement, but did you know you can apply these to UI design? I'll show you how to make your end users happy all the time by applying what you already know about software development to the design and implementation of user interfaces. More and more, developers are being called upon to create user interfaces without designers. Extreme UI Design: The User is Always Right will show you how to use your well-honed programming skills to build measurably effective front ends. It's all about usability, the software equivalent of flossing; you know you should do it, yet sometimes there just isn't time. For developers, there often isn't money to hire a designer. In tough times, developers who can design become essential, but most software engineers are schooled in algorithms and compilers and rarely in the intricacies of user interaction. This book is for all of you who find yourselves working on the front lines of software development and want to create an application that respects the maxim that all users are right. Discover best UI design practices for software engineers. Maximize usability right in your code with a few simple tools. Write software that works for the user! What you'll learn Distinguish usability myth from reality Give users both what they want and what they need (these aren't the same) Use your application prototypes as test beds for usability Apply rigorous heuristics to measuring UI effectiveness See why CRAP is important to creating good interfaces Identify and avoid common UI anti-patterns Who is this book for? Looking to get an edge in today's workplace? Worried about being downsized? As companies look to cut expenses, the developer who can do more has a better chance of survival. If the UI team gets the axe, can you step in and help run a usability test or whack out a paper-based prototype? After reading this book, you'll be more valuable to your software development organization, you'll have a more complete toolbox, and you'll create applications that don't make your users yack . This book is primarily aimed at software developers who are tasked with front-end development. Considering that almost all software has some kind of interface, it should appeal to a large audience. Depending on how the book is slanted, it should also interest the agile community.

Designing Interfaces
$49.95
I had to get this book for one of my classes and I will admit it is not a book for experts in the field of "Designing Interfaces", but it's great for beginners and good for anyone less than an expert but more than a beginner.

Tidwell brings design patterns you see daily on the web and in programs like Microsoft Word to your attention and then gives them a name, tells you how to use it, when to use it, and why to and not to use it.

I liked the organization of the information, and although the font is a little tough to read with the san serif font used but it's not a big enough problem to keep me from reading it.

I feel that in the end the book gave what her description promised, It's gonna go next to Steve Kuges book "Don't Make Me Think" and Tuftes book "Visual Explinations" on my book shelf.

Sony CDX-GT630UI MP3/WMA/AAC Compliant CD Receiver with iPod Direct Control via USB
$159.95
I'm an old audiophile, and am very picky about the sound quality of anything I use to play music. This radio replaced an old Denon unit in my Fiero. I normally buy Pioneer stereos for my cars, because I prefer their tuner section, but this radio managed to pull in a low power college station from 25 miles away (in the mountains), even while in the garage, with a metal roof and the steel garage door closed! The sensitivity is as good as I could hope for.

The volume/multi-function control is not as bad as some reviewers stated. If you are careful the volume control works well, but if you inadvertently press it in, you will have to locate the "cancel" button or wait 5 seconds for it to return to normal mode - not a good thing when you need to concentrate on the road. It would be better if Sony had engineered it so you have to hold the control in for a second or so (rather than instantaneous response) in order to access those functions.

Another mild annoyance is with the backlighting. The display dims when you turn on the car's lights, but the backlighting for the buttons doesn't, and that can be a distraction; I had to switch the lighting color from blue (my preference) to green to reduce the glare somewhat.

One final problem is with the MP3 playback. If you have a huge single file, there is no way to jump forward in large steps; the fast forward only goes at (maybe) 3-4 times normal speed. Most people don't have 1 or 2 hour long MP3s, though, so this might not be an issue for you.

The programming options are pretty comprehensive. The ability to turn off the animations on the display is a great feature, IMO.

Overall, I'm very satisfied with the stereo - the sound quality is equal to the quality of the Infinity speakers I have, and the sale price made this purchase a no-brainer. I think you would have to spend well over twice the price to get any better audio system for your car.