Usability guru Jakob Nielsen devoted his Alertbox post this week to showing how interfaces can become confusing if elements like buttons and checkboxes are too far away from the objects they act on, using the iPhone app updating interface in iTunes as an example. Our take is that the overall mistake here is that Apple is relying on iTunes for too many unrelated tasks that call out for different interface approaches.

Your Mac Life host Shawn King admitted that he normally glazes over when topics like multitasking are broached, but a good time was had by all while discussing all the things we think of when we say "multitasking" and how (or if) we'll see support for them in the iPhone OS.

Our friends at the EFF have compiled a list of situations in which the anti-circumvention provisions of the DMCA - the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 - have been used to chill free expression and scientific research, attack fair use, impede competition and innovation, and interfere with computer intrusion laws. Isn't it time to rewrite the DMCA so it can no longer be used to hinder the legitimate activities of journalists, scientists, innovators, and the rest of us?

How do you design software for a device that doesn't yet exist in the market? Developers can use the iPad simulator included with Apple's Xcode, but that's a limited approach when the main method of interaction is touch. In a blog post, the Omni Group reveals how they're using paper mockups, a prototype created with a 3D printer (which we saw at Macworld Expo - it's cool), and even a pad of graph paper cut down to size with a table saw to develop OmniGraphSketcher for the iPad.

PaidContent.uk writes about a recent presentation made by Penguin Books CEO John Makinson, who was demonstrating the company's ideas for how to offer content on the iPad. Penguin plans to offer books as applications, primarily, to take advantage of multimedia features (such as interactive travel maps, children's games, and animated textbook illustrations) that are difficult or impossible to include in the EPUB format currently required by the iBookstore. Be sure to watch the accompanying video to see what Penguin has in mind. It's great to see a book publisher jump on the possibilities made by the iPad and other electronic readers - with pixels and processors, why merely stick with a reproduction of the paper experience?

In a statement to Gizmodo, Apple publicly acknowledged the vexing display issues plaguing its latest iMac models. The symptoms of these issues, which mostly affect the 27-inch model, include yellow discoloration and screen flickering. In its statement Apple said, "We've addressed the issues that caused display flickering and yellow tint. Customers concerned that their iMac is affected should contact AppleCare." While the company has been too slow in addressing this problem, better late than never.

On the Tech Night Owl Live podcast, Adam talks about the success of Macworld Expo with host Gene Steinberg, after which the discussion veers off to Google's privacy missteps with Google Buzz.

Apple has announced the winner of its iTunes Countdown to 10 Billion Songs. The lucky iTunes shopper is Louie Sulcer of Woodstock, Georgia, whose purchase of Johnny Cash's "Guess Things Happen That Way" has earned him a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card. The winning song may come as a surprise when iTunes's current list of top songs is dominated by recent pop and hip-hop singles, but it just goes to show that the iTunes Store continues to serve a wide spectrum of fans and tastes.

Despite the skepticism we've heard from some people about the iPad, All Things Digital is reporting on an RBC/ChangeWave survey that found 13 percent of respondents were somewhat or very likely to buy an iPad, compared to 9 percent who said they'd buy the original iPhone in a similar survey before its launch. The difference is being attributed to the iPad's entry-level $499 price.

As Apple sells tens of millions of devices each year, increased attention has been focused on the company's outside suppliers and the conditions of the workers in those companies. Apple has now released its 2010 Supplier Responsibility Progress Report, outlining what Apple requires of suppliers, how the companies have fared in audits, and how Apple deals with lack of compliance. It of course paints Apple in a positive light, but is indicative of how Apple is trying to be a good corporate citizen.

Jim Rea's ProVUE Panorama was one of the first ready-to-market applications when the Macintosh premiered in 1984, and it's still going strong. Hear and see Jim reminiscing at Macworld Expo about those early days, with some hints about the upcoming Panorama 6, in this short pair of YouTube videos from TUAW. It's just like having lunch with Jim, but without the food!

The New York Times reports on Wal-Mart's acquisition of Vudu, a company behind the eponymous online movie service incorporated into many HD televisions and Blu-ray players. While specifics on the deal haven't yet been released, it seems clear that Wal-Mart is attempting to embrace the future of media distribution in a climate of dwindling DVD sales.

If you found Macworld Expo useful this year, or if you're regretting having missed it, you can register for a free pass for next year's show (January 25th through 29th, 2011). The offer is good until 8 March 2010.

We're all aware of how Apple refrains from talking about unannounced products, but this Reuters article gives a sense of just how far Apple also goes to maintain secrecy with manufacturing suppliers like Foxconn. The picture it paints of Apple's approach is simultaneously entirely understandable and a little chilling.

Joining networks like NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX, HBO has dipped its toes into the waters of Web television with its new GO service - sort of. While the other aforementioned networks enable anyone with a computer hooked up to the Internet to access content, HBO's GO will be available only to customers currently signed up for its regular cable service. For those folks, Web access to over 600 hours of premium shows and movies is free; for everyone else, there isn't even an option to pay a fee - at least not yet. It will be interesting to watch how HBO develops this service and its audience in the coming year.