Usability week ending July 10th

Friday, 8th July, 6:17 PM
User testing in the wild -- when your user has never used a computer: http://j.mp/psldVH #usability #ux #testing

Thursday, 7th July, 7:37 PM
The inscrutability of Gmail Detailed Technical Info and Yahoo Error Code 15 http://post.ly/2M1dZ

Thursday, 7th July, 5:18 PM
How building a great admin #dashboard can lead to an amazing product: http://j.mp/p1Tv8i #ui #saas /via @MapleButter

Thursday, 7th July, 2:20 PM
YouTube gets finger friendly usability redesign: http://j.mp/pE7xJi #youtube #ux #ui #vod

Wednesday, 6th July, 3:23 PM
Thoughts on Google+ attracting users and influence through intuitive #usability: http://j.mp/qlUD4j #googleplus #ux #facebook

Tuesday, 5th July, 3:27 PM
Why the WSJ Mobile App gets such terrible customer reviews, and how to fix it: http://j.mp/mDmYMP #ux #design #iphone #usability

Tuesday, 5th July, 3:13 PM
The imprimatur of the creator/publisher/distributor/retailer is its reputation for selecting/producing works users enjoy: http://j.mp/lVXDtx

via twitter.com/terretta

Microsoft gets the Cloud but not the Commons

Microsoft's new "The Future of Technology" ad is getting rave reviews:

The software giant just posted an impressive new Windows 7 and Windows Live advert that makes the viewer change their perspective. The commercial follows the trend of several Windows 7 adverts released recently that focus on Microsoft’s Cloud services with Windows Live. I won’t spoil it for you as it has to be seen and experienced. The video can be watched below and the full transcript is available too.
The reviews generally don't mention this ad is using a technique popularized by a YouTube video created for the "AARP U@50" contest, in which it placed second.  

Microsoft's ad is pushing the Cloud, but it is acting like it doesn't get the Commons.  It wouldn't have hurt Microsoft to credit the content creators, at least in their YouTube credits.

Here is "Lost Generation", with 14 million views to date:

Both pieces use an aspirational narrator (the thumbnail for Microsoft's ad features a woman one can imagine recording Lost Generation), scrolling text, a punchline for the reversal, and share the same mood and tone.

The "Lost Generation" creator credits inspiration to a political video created by an Argentinean agency, Savaglio/TBWA, entitled "Truth":

Also predating the Windows 7 ad is "The Future of Publishing" created by Dorling Kindersley Books and produced by Khaki Films :

They too credit Truth.