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Update: Futiro promptly replaced the defective unit at their cost and I am quite satisfied with their response to the issue.

I tested out Skype with Macbook’s built-in mic and speaker but it didn’t deliver quite satisfactory result to me. So I purchased Futiro Solo, a Skype-compatiable USB phone from Futiro.com’s online store a week ago and I received it today. I chose Futiro Solo because of its ergonomic and futuristic design, small size, and cable-containing mechanism on its own body, even though the price, US$75 was very high compared to others.

< stylish design with cable management system >

A driver for Mac was not included on the CD and I had to download a driver file from Futiro’s web site but it was very straight forward. They provide 2 custom launchers each for Skype and iChat. They work flawlessly. While I was winding the USB cable, I have found a defect on one side and another on the other side. You can’t miss this white long defects because other body parts are all black!!!

Can you possibly not see this one when you tie up the cable?

< The other defect >

I expected a high quality USB phone with great design when I paid US$75. But what Futiro delivered to me was an unpolished product manufactured without care. I don’t really think that they manufacture thousands of Futiro Solo per month. It won’t be too much to ask them to inspect all of the units with simple QA policy. It’s just a matter of whether you really care about your customers. I sent an email to Futiro requesting the replacement of the product and I am expecting their answer. I don’t know how they’ll respond to my request. We will see if Futiro really cares about their customers or not. They can run away or correct their mistake. Now the question should go to me: Do I really care about my customers?

Update: Bob McDonald, a sales manager at Futiro promptly responded to my request and promised to ship the replacement with DHL couriers ASAP. He apologized and claimed that they never had this kind of issue with Futiro Solo. He also promised to inform their QC people of this issue. I am very satisfied with his prompt response and his professional way of handling the issue. I will update the post when I get the replacement.

I’ve just set up a new Skype contact.

There was more than a slight hassle when I was creating an account in Skype. It only asks user name and password for mandatory information and email address is optional. If you typed your email address, you can retrieve your password with user name and email address on Skype’s homepage. I guess it is for easy registration and Skype provides at least a way to retrieve your password by email. Seems reasonable??

Here’s my hassle:

At first I didn’t enter my email address and somehow mis-typed my password, so I couldn’t log in. But I could not retrieve my password since there is no way to verify it’s me!! I just had to create a new one and the user name that I wanted was already taken by *me*.

Second time, I mis-typed my email address and Skype told me it’s wrong email address and turned me down. But it didn’t give me a chance to correct my typo and again and I couldn’t log in with the new account name & password. Again, the user name I entered second time became taken by *me*.

Third time, I made it finally. So now I have 3 Skype accounts: 2 out of 3 unaccessible. I guess, they never made use case scenario with which they could easily prevent this hassle caused by a simple mistake that anybody can make.

Or am I the only one who makes these stupid mistakes??

update: I think my best solution to this matter is asking two email entries to check if it’s correctly inputed. Just like we type our password two times. Still email address can be optional like now.

So far I have spent several hours to make my blog easier for people to access but it�s not as easy as I expected. Most of us think about functionality first and then turn into usability matter later. I tried to find plugins which can provide functions that I need and found some and installed them. Yet I found out that they are not to be called user-friendly.

I am not sure that I should re-design the whole site including theme, which will be very much time-consuming, I�m afraid.

Hmmm, I guess, soon you will find out.