Virtual Reality is becoming an attainable reality
It used to be that VR headsets were clunky, less-than attractive devices for geeks. But now that Oculus Rift has announced a consumer version and other brands like Valve are jumping on the bandwagon, we’re getting much closer to VR replacing the PlayStations in our living rooms (and maybe even our TVs).
The software is getting better too. Companies like Leap Motion are making the experience more real than ever – allowing you to bring your own hands into the virtual reality environment.
The moment of UX truth
Google has finally put a prototype of its long-talked about self-driving cars on the streets of user testing. Watch the video to see reactions as the first testers get to enjoy the ride.
While Google’s prototype seems to be a success, here’s one company that could have benefited from more user testing. Because Qantas Airlines out of Australia didn’t have access to a real Apple Watch when building it’s boarding pass app, it didn’t know until too late that peoples’ wrists wouldn’t fit in the actual scanners at the airport. Bummer!
Wondering how much user testing is needed to make sure your moment of truth is a smooth ride? You might be surprised to know that you only need 5 people (hmm, feels a lot like what Google did). Read more about how the majority of usability problems are found with just a few key users.
Is that a pizza you’re eating?
Ever wonder how Facebook automatically knows which friends to tag in your photos? The area of machine learning (think IBM Watson) is really taking off. Computers can now look the below picture and tell you that there are “Two pizzas sitting on top of a stove top oven.” Read more about the Google experiment here.
On the more fun side, check out his quick web app that Microsoft developed to use your photo to guess your age. It’s not perfect but we’re not too far off from beign able to use your phone to snap a picture and tell you how many calories are in that donut you’re eating.
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Tristan Dwyer is the Digital Experience Director at White Rhino. Whether he's animating, strategizing, designing or pushing code, Tristan is always thinking of how he can give the user the best experience possible. "I believe good creatives never stop learning, and try to learn something new every day, whether its the latest news in web design or a new After Effects technique" says Tristan.
