Usability improvements that I have requested in my blog: Some results

Here are updates on two usability advances that I had discussed in earlier blog posts:

The BBC has made one important improvement: Back in November I complained about automatically running videos launched from RSS feed items. Now the BBC RSS feed identifies such items as 'VIDEO'. However I would still prefer that videos don't play by default, so you can 'stack up' tabs with videos ready to play. Also, there is still too much category clutter on the BBC site; my complaints about that still stand.

Apple, in its announcement of iOS 5 has responded to my November suggestion (and that of countless others) that there be quick access to the camera app. The beta of iOS 5 now allows the camera to be accessed by double-clicking the home key when the device is locked. If the device is not locked, you would presumably press 'off', then double-click 'home'. In either case this can be done quickly and with gloved hands, which can be important. Taking pictures in the camera app becomes possible with the volume key, a good idea, despite overloading the functionality of that key. Thank heavens they have not yet removed the "home" button, as had been rumoured. The camera app in iOS