SEGMENT OVERVIEW and Web Ready Material
1.Are Flash based designs bad for usability – Yes and no, it depends on the application, and the designer. The example I have shown are primarily for entertainment purposes, and both IKEA and Microsoft have companion website to go along with the Flash sites they have developed.
2.What is usability anyway? - Wikipedia defines usability (I will paraphrase slightly) “the elegance and clarity with which the interaction with a computer program or website is designed” and I believe that sums it up pretty well. It is how easy something is to use; or put more generally – could my dear old Grandma figure out how to use this website?
3.Flash and usability can play nice together – some examples of good designs: In the segment I complain about IKEA but I also love them too – and I think that they have one of the best websites which combines Flash and good usability. Good design often comes down to little things – like how easy it is to find a link, and what information you get back when you click that link – and IKEA has done a good job of implementing that.

BodyGuardz
www.bodyguardz.com
$25
There are a number of BodyGuardz products for various mp3 players, phones, and other such portable gadgets, including the one for the iPhone which we tested out. The BodyGuardz are thin sheets of clear plastic of the same sort found on the front of cars to protect the paint from chipping. You have to soap up your hands and the sheets of plastic (from the included spray bottle) to ensure they don’t stick to the gadget you’re affixing them too, and then you can slide them around until they’re in the proper location on your gadget….then you use the included squeegee to squeeze out the soapy water. The good news is that once the water is removed, it sticks fairly firmly, provided you’ve done everything correctly, and it’s clear enough that you shouldn’t notice it’s there unless you look very carefully. I found that it removed a bit of sensitivity from the touch-screen, however, but I’m one of those people that always have weird interactions with touch-sensitive devices like notebook touchpads. Most people shouldn’t have a huge problem…but if they do, they can always carefully peel the plastic layer off with no ill effects. Each BodyGuardz box comes with two applications.

Invisible Shield
www.invisibleshield.com
$11 (screen only), $25 (full body)
Similar in concept to the BodyGuardz (above), the Invisible Shield products are supposedly the same technology used to protect helicopter blades in the military. Yow. Again, you wet the plastic sheets and squeegee out the excess to create a firm bond on your gadgets. The one nice thing about Invisible shield is that you can save a bit of money if you only want to protect the screen on your gadget – they sell the product either as “full body” or “screen only”.

iPhone MagnetFlipper Case
www.Senacases.com
$52
Sena’s line of cases are meant to be a bit more upscale, and consequently they’re a bit more expensive than the average iPod/iPhone accessories. The good news is that they come in a on of different colours and finishes, so you’ll probably find one to your particular tastes. The MagnetFlipper Case is designed to clip onto your hip like any other cell phone case, and it has a flip-up protective cover for the screen that uses a magnet to keep it from flapping around when not in use.

CellKeeper
www.CellKeeper.com
$30
The CellKeeper line of products is a bit more generic than some of the designs we’ve looked at, with a pocket that will accommodate a number of different types of MP3 player or phone, as well as a billfold area on the other side that will hold some cash and a number of cards. It’s available in original (faux leather), sporty (neoprene) and professional (herringbone) models, to make sure that there are different styles for different users. It also has a clip on the top for attachment to an included belt, allowing it to be clipped-on, dangled from a belt, or worn halter-style…some of these methods seem a bit awkward but at least there are some alternatives.

NekFit
www.nekfit.com
$34
Not a protective case per se, the NekFit is nonetheless a product designed to let you carry your iPod nano while you’re exercising, without it flying out of your hand or the pocket of your exercise shorts. As you’d guess from the name it’s designed to be used on your neck – a clip clips around the back of your neck, and a rubberized strip holds your iPod into position on the back of your neck. Little hooks on the clip are designed to manage your headphone cables too. Again, it seems a bit awkward, but it may be just the solution for those who don’t want to use an armband or their hand to carry around an iPod.