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.