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Physical buttons are increasingly rare in modern cars. Most manufacturers are switching to touchscreens – which perform far worse in a test carried out by Vi Bilägare. The driver in the worst-performing car needs four times longer to perform simple tasks than in the best-performing car. The screens in modern cars keep getting bigger. Design teams at most car manufacturers love to ditch physical buttons and switches, although they are far superior safety-wise. That is the conclusion when Swedish car magazine Vi Bilägare performed a thurough test of the HMI system (Human-Machine Interface) in a total of twelve cars this...

The US Navy is to replace touchscreen controls on destroyers with physical systems in 2020 after a report into the fatal 2017 USS John S McCain collision branded the controls ‘unnecessarily complex’. The investigation into the accident that resulted in the deaths of 10 sailors said that the complexity of the control system and a lack of training led to the collision. Bridge design on US naval vessels is largely uncontrolled by the military, with a lack of specific requirements leaving design decisions to shipbuilders. The step-back in technology will give sailors more tactile feedback and remove the ambiguity and...

Traces of faeces have been found on every single McDonald’s touchscreen swabbed in an investigation by metro.co.uk. Samples were taken from the new machines that have been rolled out at restaurants across the country – every one of them had coliforms. Senior lecturer in microbiology at London Metropolitan University Dr Paul Matawele said: ‘We were all surprised how much gut and faecal bacteria there was on the touchscreen machines. These cause the kind of infections that people pick up in hospitals.' Unsuspecting diners choose their food on the touchscreens then head to the server to pick up their burgers more...

A “calibration issue” that reportedly flipped Republican votes into the Democratic column isn’t the only problem plaguing Maryland voting machines. State officials say two touch screens malfunctioned during early voting, too. Now the Maryland Republican Party is calling for an investigation. “No matter what the reason, steps must be taken to protect the integrity of this election,” state GOP Chair Diana Waterman told the Baltimore Sun after Watchdog.org reported the glitches. Nikki Charlson, deputy administrator of the Maryland Election Board, said the problems were limited to a handful of machines in just three counties. “We took three machines out of...

Want robots at McDonald's? Hike minimum wage: Zell Matthew J. Belvedere | @Matt_Belvedere Wednesday, 3 Sep 2014 Video Federal and state efforts to increase the minimum wage are misguided and pose serious risks to the economy and the job market, billionaire Sam Zell told CNBC on Wednesday. "The tinkering with the minimum wage is a very dangerous game," the chairman of Equity Group Investments said in a "Squawk Box" interview. "You start talking about a $13 or a $15 minimum wage, and you're going to have robots that are operating McDonald's."

Several Decatur County voters are concerned about problems with the voting machines at the Election Commission Office. Voters claim they tried to vote for McCain for President but the machine checked Obama instead. At least three voters encountered the problem when casting their early ballot on Saturday morning. Franklin Boroughs says he intended to vote for Republican but rather the computer had checked the Democratic candidate instead. Wanda and Barney Blasingim similarly said they tried to vote for McCain but the machine switched the vote. "I noticed the problem immediately," Wanda said Monday. She says she touched the "button" for...

Questions have been raised recently about touchscreen electronic voting machines, even as many states explore switching their election systems over to them. Some of the latest developments: -A July study by Johns Hopkins and Rice universities found one popular maker of electronic voting machines was susceptible to hacking. Diebold Election Systems said the study's findings were wrong and relied on outdated computer code. -Maryland, Georgia and New Jersey were among states that conducted or began studies into questions regarding electronic machines. Maryland's study concluded any problems could easily be addressed, though lawmakers called for a new study. -National Association...

Minor Voting Problems Reported In Central Florida Ballots Put In Box To Be Hand-Counted In Gotha, Fla. Updated: 12:59 p.m. EST November 5, 2002 ORLANDO, Fla. -- A few problems cropped up in Central Florida Tuesday but voters said they were minor compared to the past two statewide elections, according to Local 6 News. Computer problems briefly knocked out ballot scanners at three Central Florida precincts: one each in Brevard, Orange and Seminole counties. Local 6 News reported that the scanners were not working at the Gotha Precinct 101 in Orange County, Fla. Voters were putting their ballots in a...

Get Ready for Vote Fraud and Chaos NewsMax.com Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2002 MIAMI – Election chaos like the seemingly endless hassle in Florida two years ago could break out again in several states in today's off-year elections, including the Sunshine State. The biggest problem: Florida and other states are trying out voting systems for the first or second time. Doug Chapin, director of Election Reform Information Project, said three states bear the most watching. "The potential hot spots are obviously Florida, especially south Florida; Georgia is rolling out new touch screens to all 169 counties; and the state of Minnesota...