Point of Sale Systems

Wherever we go to shop nowadays, every transaction is processed through a POS(Point of Sale) system or terminal through which we pay for our goods or services. In earlier days we probably remember seeing POS systems that only had buttons and a small teleprompter with a seven segment display to show the prices to the customer. However now in the modern days, we see advanced terminals almost everywhere we go whether it is at a bar, restaurant, retail store, or even an ATM machine. These systems have evolved from buttons and tele-prompters to touch screen computers and digital pads where customers can view prices and finish off their transaction if a credit or debit card is used. At restaurants we I have seen how employees can view a floor map with the tables of the restaurant on the screen and they are able to hold reservations for people. Also you may have noticed how tabs are saved in the systems for later checkouts. The digital pads we see at stores allow the customer to sign their name and sometimes give out contact information such as an email after a transaction. At some restaurants and even on airplanes I have seen handheld devices where transactions can be executed. The next time you go out to a bar, restaurant, or store, pay close attention to how you interact with modern business technologies that are used to day in the retail industry.

Augmented Reality

Augmented reality is an upcoming technology that is changing the way we see the world. With augmented reality we are now able to use computer generated sensory input such as pictures, video, sound or GPS information to determine an output. The iPhone has an app called Skyview which is free and lets you visualize the exact location of the stars, satellites, moon and more all in real time. The app uses GPS data to determine your location and then calculates the location of outer space objects. The user is able to interact with the graphics generated by the computer and the graphics will react back. It is a real time interaction with humans and computers. The new Google Glasses which have not yet been released will use augmented reality technology to analyze visual input and give an output that can range from location to information about a building you may be looking at. This technology will become the next generation of human-computer interaction and will enhance our daily lives. Click on the link below to see a real demonstration of augmented reality technology.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4pHP-pgwlI

Apple Maps

For those of you who have not tried the Apple maps app yet, don't worry you haven't missed out on much yet. As Apple tried to move away from Google Maps they started to be more and more criticized for the change in part because their own version of Google Maps was horrible. Apple Maps in fact does have a nice, smooth and clean interface. However the app itself has too many bugs and the images embedded for the maps are distorted and an overall embarrassment to the company. In some instances Apple Maps will tell you that there are no results for the location you are looking for when Google Maps will display 1 or more results. By looking at the left image above you an see how bad it is. A bridge warping under looks like it is something out of the movie "War of the Worlds". Not only are the images terrible but the directions to certain places were wrong to. Although it is great to see APple taking the next step by making their own version of Google Maps, it will take much more time for them to make their product better and then be able to compete to a refined Google Maps application that is widely used on both android and IOS devices and it has also become the preferred choice of Maps application to use. Overall the interface for Apple Maps is nice but with the functional problems it has and the broken images it uses, it will take a will before they are able to convince users that interact with Google Maps to switch over.

Windows 8

Right now I am going to do my own review on Microsoft's new Operating System Windows 8. The recently released OS is nice, sleek, and very very different to its predecessors. However the main problem witht his new OS is that it is mainly designed to be tablet or touchscreen driven. This new operating system is so different that I believe people will have to take classes on how to learn to use a computer all over again. After test driving the WIndows 8 I had major probles figuring out where the basic functionalities were such as My Computer, Control Panel etc. The new tile window is basically the new start menu. The start menu icon is now replaced by the Internet Explorer button. In my opinion the interface for Windows 8 is one the worst interfaces ever designed and not because of the way it looks but because it is too diferent from all other desktop operating system interfaces and it is not very user friendly. The Windows 8 interface would probably be ideal for a tablet or some other mobile device but not for desktops. Companies are going to have to invest a lot of time and money in order to get their employees up to par with this new operating system. When I was using Windows 8 I felt like someone who had never used a computer before. I was basically lost. If I were to rate Windows 8 I would give it 2 stars since it is developer  friendly with the javascript/HTML 5 apps and it is also very fast. Until Microsoft decides to redesign the interface, customers will not be too pleased.

Interacting with Gas Pumps

          An interesting type of system that most of us interact with at least once a week are gas pumps. If you do not go inside to pay cash you will most likely interact with the system that has been put in place for people to use. This system has been designed to allow consumers to pump fuel using a debit or credit card without the need of leaving their vehicle unattended and going inside to pay.  The pump shown in the image above gives the users the option to enter their pin number when using debit, select which type of gas they wish to purchase, select the option of buying a car wash, and also to receive a receipt of purchase.

         Pumps have evolved a lot throughout the years and have been able to give consumers and gas station owners a much more satisfying and less time consuming experience. The interface designed on these pumps are very easy and fast to use. The instructions displayed on the screen are straight forward and does not require a Computer Scientist to figure out what it is asking. Some pumps may be all touch screen, however the one shown above only receives input based on the arrow buttons selected on the sides. An example of how this works is when purchasing a car wash. The arrows will represent a different type of car wash and price. Selecting one of these arrows will add to your total purchase. Overall this type of system is something that we don't generally think as a typical computer that we interact with, but it does take part in our lives whenever we fuel up our vehicles.

Smart Televisions UI

It is very interesting to me to see how much televisions have evolved. They have gone from tube televisions, to Plasma, then LCD and LED's with 3D, and now smart TV's. Smart TV's enable you to experience the world in a different way by allowing you to watch television an access the internet at the same time.

     The remote controls are used to navigate through the apps and features embedded with the Smart TV just like you would with an Xbox or Playstation 3. As you can see from the picture above, the user can still watch the television program and access the apps and internet. This UI gives the user a reliable and effective experience.

One last observation made on this Samsung Smart TV is that this TV was designed to allow the user to access the basic features such as on, off, volume up and down by only placing your hand behind the TV. When the user places his or her hand behind the TV the symbols you see above are instantly shown. Touch sensors on the back buttons enable the highlighting of the symbols on the screen. A very clever idea for a better human computer interaction experience.

Hi all, I am starting this blog to keep track of all User interfaces that I may run across in public places such as restaurants, stores, movie theaters etc. It is interesting to see how different industries use different interfaces. For example at the restaurant all POS systems have user interfaces which how a layout of the restaurants floor and tables and at the same time it will have a normal UI for running transactions. The colors and layouts used in these systems seem to vary by industry. A restaurant will have a layout of the tables in the restaurant to keep track of reservations, while a critical system in a hospital will have numbers and graphs showing results of a patient. As most of our lives today are all involved with some technology, it will be a constant opportunity of observing the different user interfaces that people interact with on a daily basis.