Chris Rourke's Blog

Evidence suggests that as more people are feeling the pinch of higher fuel and household bills, they are seeking savings online. 

Could greater use of e-commerce be a silver lining to the cloud of the Credit Crunch?

Booking flights online can be tricky and mistakes are common due to poor usability.   

Apparently, however, many airlines are unwilling to refund these user errors or learn lessons from them.

Recent reported accessibility problems with American Express' web statements exemplify a common challenge for financial service websites and those reliant on PDFs.

RIAs like Ajax often have an accessibility weak spot since they need to work with JavaScript off to meet the basic accessibility guidelines.

Rumour has it that the next version of the popular screen reader Jaws may be able to handle Ajax interfaces. 

The cost of failing to usability test designs before deployment has unfortunately been shown again in Scotland's controversial election results.

This week saw the official launch of Adaptex, the software from Keypoint Technologies that can help users of PDAs enter data and text much faster and easier. Communicating and buying via your PDA or smartphone whilst on the road can be a lot easier potentially.

Whilst we get all excited about social software and Web 2.0, does the average web user care at all?  Should they?

I have been thinking a lot about search lately, not only due to my reliance on Google that we all now share, but also because I currently reading an excellent book, The Search by John Batelle , about all things search and Google.

A social conference is a physical embodiment of the web 2.0 world and like the web itself presents a unique and invigorating opportunity to communicate and connect. Is this the future of conferencing?

For most busy people, the desktop is their short term dumping ground for files that they intend to put somewhere specific. The BumpTop is meant to make your messy computer desktop more like a messy real desk top - but do users want that or would they find a file explorer's built in organisational system more usable?