Honeymoon Usability III: Leaping Remote Control

Next up in the Honeymoon Usability series, the DVD player's remote control. This was a fun one to discover, albeit a little frustrating: see that graceful concave curve on the underside of the remote? Well, if you just imagine the remote sitting a tiny bit further to the right in this photo, the curve slides on the smooth wood top of the bedside table, and the whole remote leaps right off the edge. Combine that with a hard marble floor, and the batteries go flying. The fact that this remote is just dying to jump to its own demise means you have to get the thing squarely on the table without the slightest overhang - a balancing act that's a bit much to ask when you've just returned from an all-inclusive open bar! I'll sacrifice a little industrial-design curviness for a non-suicidal flat-bottomed version any day...