T I MP I How a.i is helping people today page 8 How technology in schools is affecting children page 8 app developers are affecting todays market page 20
How is technology affecting younger generations
Page 26
HOW TECHNOLOGY
IS EVOLVING Ezine Fall 2019
Virtual reality in the real world page 32
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
4 5 7 11 13 17
....................................... MEET THE EDITORS ....................................... EDITORS’ LETTER .......................................
SCIENCE FICTION NOW A REALITY
............................... TECHNOLOGY THROUGH
THE AGES
...............................
RISING TECHNOLOGY
...................... THE MOST POPULAR SOCIAL
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MEDIA PLATFORMS
19 23
..............................................
UX AND UI
.................................. WHICH MOBLE APP IS
25
BEST FOR YOU?
................................... AGING TECHNOLOGY
29 31 35 37
....................................... GENERATIONS OF
TECHNOLOGY
................................... VIRTUAL REALITY:
A NEW AGE OF TECHNOLOGY
........................................
ANATOMY OF A VR HEADSET
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Letter From The Editors: Dear Readers, This magazine is a product of hard work and inspiration. In these pages, stories are woven together, images provide perspective, graphics lend more context, and all of these features together show the expansion and evolution of technology before our very eyes. Technology is always at our fingertips, and it is expanding greatly in recent years, changing the way we look at and interact with different, unique applications. It has changed hugely in the past few decades, and as computers and access to information has improved exponentially, the applications and tools that we now rely on so much have improved signi cantly as well. In the captivating stories found in this magazine, you’ll learn tons more about technology, whether it’s about design using UX and app development, technology’s applications of AI and virtual reality or how this quickly expanding eld is affecting different generations and our education systems. You’ll also get to experience the viewpoints and perspectives of countless professionals, from principals and CEOs to designers and writers and see for yourself all of the complex work and processes that go into creating all of the design and applications in the modern world. This magazine is a compilation of technology’s unique new tidbits, existing and pre-existing effects on the world, creative and unique applications and more. So dive page-by-page into each story with curiosity and wonder, and you’ll surely learn something new by the end. We hope that you read these stories with pleasure and are able to understand the wide display of technology around you better after reading. Thank you for choosing and taking the time to read TIMPI! We hope you enjoy it!
Sincerely,
Chloe, Hudson, Kendra, Kyra and Ted
Photo by Nina Balachandran 6 | TIMPI - Ezine Fall 2018
KENDRA Hi, I’m Kendra Vaz. I’m a freshman at LASA. In my freeetime I enjoy drawing anime, reading fantsy and watching movies. Right now I like to watch movies and shows with great cinimatography. I also enjoy a good action movie like Pacific Rim.
Chloe
Chloe Kwan is a freshman at LASA. She has a labrador puppy that she loves walking and playing with. Chloe enjoys spending time with friends and plaing ultimate frisbee. Her favorite app is spotify because she loves listening to music.
Ted Ted is a freshman who enjoys playing with his labrodoodle puppy, Jake, playing tennis with his friends and playing spikeball in his freetime. He loves interacting with cool and unique apps on his phone, and his favorite app right now is Subway Surfers.
Kyra Kyra is a freshman at LASA and loves to read, draw, and watch Youtube. She is the middle child of her family and her favorite types of foods are sweets and seafood. In her freetime, she likes listening to music and messing with her brothers.
hudson
Hudson is a freshman at LASA who loves playing video games and rock climbing. His favorite app is the Wells Fargo app, as he loves seeing how much money he has (which isn’t a lot).
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Science Fiction now a reality AI and Human Interactions By Kendra Vaz
Neo and Trinity storm the building to rescue Morpheous. The air is filled with tensions event the watchers are filled with apprehension. After they get into the building, they are besieged by the evil AI that have taken over the rest of humanity’s minds. After the AI failed to create a perfect reality for humanity they decided to create a dictatorship. A storm of 8 | TIMPI - Ezine Fall 2018
bullets rains down upon them.
The Matrix has three main characters Trinity (left), Neo (center), and Morpheus (right). The Matrix is a movie in which these characters fight an evil Ai, that uses people as batteries, by locking them in a virtual world. This is the first thing that comes to mind when most people think about AI: an evil computer taking over the world. Photo by Warner Bros
AI, also known as Artificial Intelligence was created in 1957, but it was in the 60s and 70s that its exploration was started. AI is not the computer that takes over the world, who’s idea has inspired many science fiction books and movies like The Matrix. AI is beginning to gain prominence in today’s culture
and industry, but people have concerns and questions. Mark Macafee works in the security industry. His company uses AI and ML, which is machine learning for cyber security. He talked about how
the words AI and Ml are used in the security industry. “I would say that AI and ML are the biggest buzzwords in the industry right now,” Macafee said. “So for instance, I was at a conference, a big Department of Defense Intelligence conference, and every single company out there says that they’re doing it and they’re kind of doing it to a degree, but This shows how machine there’s a few learning works by a companies out diagram and showing there that what happens with and do a really information. It uses programs to different types of good was data such as supervised job and described data, this is watched have been by Macafee. by people to make sure doing it for the info is processed “It gets them a while and correctly. They tell a meeting or the end result. Photo are on their if their senior, by Jagreet Kaur Gill. 10th or 12th the CIO or CISO, or 20th iteration at the organization versus, ‘Oh, we just says, we need tools we need to do this so that we that have this,” Macafee said. sound cool, and people want “They can check a block and to talk to us.’” say, yeah, we were doing Using the words AI and ML machine learning we have affect the industry and help the this product and it does it? Is companies to an extent. The it doing it well? Is it really the extent of companies only use a right thing? Not necessarily, small amount of these methods but they can check them off.
There are two different types of AI that people normally use. Naveen Rao, the vice president of AI and the head of the AI for INTEL explained. “Usually, we differentiate between deep learning or neural networks, and then what we call classical machine learning,” Roa said. “The
This shows how deep learning processes information. The photo shows that when deep learning that person leaves the data unsupervised, and adds in more pictures. This is used in Ai for photo recognition. Photo by Jagreet Kaur Gill.
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bunch of lines into stripes. And then behind that there’s a bunch of neurons that say, maybe those stripes look like a zebra, and then behind that it says “zebra.”
“This is a whole new field called precision farming”
Naveen Roa is the head of INTEL’s AI and vice president of INTEL. He is the head of the AI department there. Photo by Intel Newsroom.
classical machine learning use statistical methods like linear regression or something like that. And real systems actually incorporate a bit of both.” AI, particularly deep learning is different that ML. Carey Kloss, a programmer at INTEL, describes how deep learning works in things like photo or image recognition. “Images come into your eyeball, and behind your eyeball there’s an initial set of neurons which kind of break the picture up into chunks, like edges or circle or lines,” Kloss said. ” And then behind that there’s another set of neurons, which combines a 10 | TIMPI - Ezine Fall 2018
Agriculture is important due to humans needing to obtain nutrients. With AI, farmers productivity is increased Rao explains along with the method AI uses. This is a whole new field called precision farming,” Rao said. “Actually, we’ve worked with a company called Blue River technologies, which was an AI company. It was actually bought by john deer, a tractor maker. So what they did was, this algorithm they built for lettuce thinning. He then goes on to explain what lettuce thinning is. “So when they plant a bunch of lettuce, you actually put a whole bunch of seeds down and a lot of them germinate,” Rao said. “Then what normally happens is farmers go through, and they say, “Okay, this plants doing really well, and that one’s doing poorly.” So they actually over fertilize the ones that are doing poorly
to kill them, so the ones that are doing well will thrive. And if they don’t do that, like all the plants won’t do as well. So they thin it out by kindaa of looking at the plants and assessing the state. So what Blue River did was they actually build a robot. It looks like a big tracker that goes to the field uses AI to look at the crops and say, Is it good or is it bad, and then apply the fertilizer. And so it just does the whole task automatically. You don’t need humans going out in the field. And what’s more is that because it does it so well and so precisely they actually increase yields, crop yields, by 10% just by applying that, you know, that fitting that algorithm really precisely. And so, they can do better than humans without new chemicals or anything like that just applying the same methodology just much more precise. Healthcare be helped with AI in two certain ways, but they both help with speed and productivity leading to saving more lives. Rao and Kloss both talk about one of the two methods. “So a good way to think about AI is that if a human can do a task, like, you know, a doctor is trained to look at X-rays or MRIs,” Rao said. “ And over time, they [the humans] get better and better at spotting where, you know, something bad might be happening. So like if someone does a brain scan, and they can see like, well, maybe
you have a tumor growing or you had a stroke or something like that. And so it takes a human years to learn how to do that effectively. And so we all we can do today is actually train a neural network, an algorithm to do that same sort of task, and then do it over and over again very cheaply.” “Say one doctor in a rural neighborhood can now treat more patients because only the ones where the AI is confused, actually make it to the doctor. Imagine the doctor in rural India has to travel, you know, hundreds of miles and there’s a million people, obviously that doctor is not going to be able to see all those people,” Kloss said. If you had to do the basic analysis of what’s wrong with people, and then the only flies to the doctor, the cases is that it was only 80% sure o, An area
There is an obvious difference between machine and deep learning as illustrated in this picture. Machine learning needs a person to show which features should be looked at before the classification section, while deep learning does both the feature and classification stages simultaneously. Photo by Jagreet Kaur Gill.
without doctors could end up having fairly decent medical
“With AI it’s hopefully a net, and it’s a net zero. It’ll go open up brand new markets and brand new jobs” support, and the doctor would spend his or her time working on the most important patients.”
As time goes on, people are worried about AI taking their jobs. As the scope of AI’s range and programming increase, Rao talks about how he views this fear as unfounded. There will be some jobs that are over time get replaced with AI but it’s hopefully a net, and it’s a net zero,” Rao said. “It’ll go open up brand new markets and brand new jobs, somebody who used to be answering the phones and the call center, maybe now can go and help a company label data, so that their Ai is better. And I would say there’s also a long time before AI becomes a general intelligence.” TIMPI - Ezine Fall 2018 | 11
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The people who had the first credit cards had to pay back the money that they took from the bank by the end of the month. The first credit card was made of cardboar and in 1962 was made into plastic.
Significant inventions that show the evolution of technology
1957-First AI System
1946-First Credit Card
1943-First Computer
AI is artifical intellegence. AI responds and learn due to feed back options. It uses machine and deep learning for diffrent tasks.
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This computer helped Britain codebreakers crack German messages.
Tech Through the Ages
TIMPI - Ezine Fall 2018 | 13
2005-First Google Maps
1999-First Flashdrive
This computer sold for 3,200 dollars. It was called Programma 101 and was introduced in the New York World Fair.
Google Maps take the info gathered form satilets and then showthe quickest route at that moment. It takes in info such as traffic and wrecks to project end times.
1964-First Desktop Computer
1959-First Computer Chip
Contributing Sources: Nerd Wallet, Computer Hope, World Info.org
Flashdrives store information without energy; this is called non-volitile. THey originally stored between 8MB to 32MB
H S A FL
E V I DR
Computer chips are made of silicon, a semi-conducter. One of the inentors on the computer chip made the portable calculator.
rising TechnolOGy
The rise of tech in schools and what this means for students. By: Kyra Dright
The building pictured here is the front of the Liberal Arts and Science Academy on 7309 Lazy Creek Drive in Austin, Texas. LASA High School is connected to Lindon B. Johnson High School, each occupying a separate floor. Provided By Wikipedia
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Just a decade ago, students lugged around 16-pound backpacks that were full of heavy textbooks and binders crammed with handwritten notes on their backs. Now, lightweight laptops are used in place of hefty textbooks and many alternative ways of obtaining class notes, such as snapping a picture or recording the lesson with
“Schools have rapidly changed and become more modern”
last decade allow technology to be more prominent in schools around the nation. Many schools in Austin, such as the Liberal Arts and Science Academy, are beginning to see the growth in technological involvement around campus and in classrooms. The technology that is assigned to most schools affects both student learning and mental health in many different ways.
the use of phones, are more commonly used. Schools have rapidly changed and become more modern, adapting to the quickly rising technological developments.
Before the major advancements to technology came, the learning that students received in schools was drastically different compared to now. Many teachers and staff members, such as Maricruz Aguayo, who has been a teacher at LASA for 19 years, says that technology has greatly improved the access to information for students.
Advancements seen over the
“One of those things that
[technology] helped me do is… narrating a lot of lectures,” Aguayo said. “So if a student misses class… they still get me explaining things in the lecture. There’s Crash Course and Khan Academy, and there’s a lot of other sites that do that too, so it has expanded the knowledge base.” Stacia Crescenzi, who has been working for the Austin Independent School District for 19 years and has been the principal of LASA for nine years, says that technology also helps students and parents keep up with grades easier, making the school experience simpler. “[Technology has helped with] their awareness of the grade book and their parents’ awareness of the grade book,” Crescenzi said. “I think in some families, that’s been a positive awareness. Kids feeling like, ‘I know what my grade is on an ongoing basis without having to have everything memorized,’. And in terms of parents being able to keep up with that; I think in some families that’s been really [helpful].”
However, as much as technology helps with student learning and development, it can also be detrimental to them at the same time. While Aguayo notices the great improvements technology has brought to learning in schools, she also realizes that technology isn’t the best method of teaching all the Students circle around focused time. on the devices in their hands.
Schools are becoming more technological with technology surrounding every interaction. Provided by The New York Times
“Generally speaking, technology is a wonderful 15|
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tool, [however], technology cannot replace the student and it cannot replace the teacher,” Aguayo said. “All of my classes are AP classes and… all of the AP tests are pencil-paper tests, so it doesn’t make any sense for me to have students practice essay writing and have them type their essays because they don’t get to do that on the real test.”
“Technology is another [possible way to escape]. You could do the same thing if you’re a reader: You could make that choice to escape into your book and not pay attention to the lesson. Does that mean books are bad? No, books are wonderful. Technology can be wonderful, but you have to be judicious in how you use it.”
Crescenzi also said that while technology could easily be seen as a distraction, it really depends on how it is used.
Although it is easy to see the possibility of technology being a distraction as something that would make it bad for schools, it can actually be beneficial to students and teachers by preparing students for how the real world is going to be — full of distractions. Crescenzi continued
“If you’re using it as something to escape during a time when you shouldn’t be escaping, then that’s a problem,” Crescenzi said.
on, saying that while technology could be a distraction, she would not ban them from LASA because that may lead to a misconception about technology. “I think it sends the wrong
“We need to learn to evolve and adjust to it.”
message,” Crescenzi said. “I don’t think an inanimate object in and of itself is a distraction. I think we all have to learn to live with what we have, and we need to learn to evolve and adjust to it, recognizing that it’s got potential to be distracting from what we should be doing at the time, but you have to manage that; not just get rid of it.” Aguayo also said that while technology could be a distraction from learning, it could also be a personal lesson of restraint for students.
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“[When] you get the computer up, you can have a billion tabs [open], and you can have all of these things that you’re doing,” Stacia Crescenzi is the Aguayo said. “But in principal of the Liberal a real environment Arts and Science Academy High when you all are School in Austin, Texas. She working, whether has been principal at LASA it’s in college or at for nine years. your job, you have Provided by Stacia Crescenzi to [learn to restrain] yourself. There’s not going to be someone to
tell you, ‘Put your phone away.’ You have to figure out how to do that for yourself.” Crescenzi goes on to say that not only has technology been beneficial to student learning in classrooms, but it has also helped teachers find more efficient ways to teach their students. “I think that there are ways that we’re learning to use technology to reach students in a better way,” Crescenzi said. “I think the social studies [teacher], Mr. Escandell, is great at this. His virtual office hours are fantastic. He’s online; he is sitting at home, and any 10th grader... can just log in and they can listen… Kids who can’t physically stay after school can still tune in [for online tutoring].” Alicia Salinas is a social worker who has worked in three districts and been a Wellness Counselor at LASA for 10 years. She said that she, along with another clinician, noticed people struggling with social skills because of their reliance on technology. “She is starting to see more young adults and college aged students who come to her and they’re working on intimacy issues,” Salinas said. “What she means by that is they don’t know how to have a conversation because everything’s through the phone, through text, through Snap[chat]. And they’re really struggling when they go off to college; [they realize], ‘Oh, I need to figure out how to work on relationships.’”
Students sit with their eyes glued to their screens preoccupied with the assignment they have been assigned. Schools have become more technological over the years, causing students to be around computers and phones often throughout the day. Provided by Medium
Even with all of the advancements to technology in schools, Salinas said that while she does not know what the future of technology will look like, she is waiting to see all of the changes that will come. She hopes that with the changes, more discoveries will be found about technology’s effects on mental health and student performance. Crescenzi said that in the future, she hopes that we as people adapt to the changes in technology and teach children how to manage and work alongside it.
“[What] I foresee happening over time is that we learn better how to teach our children how to interact [with technology],” Crescenzi said. “I think we don’t know some of the good and bad future consequences of our actions. I don’t know if there’s any way to know that except for just over time; we’ll figure it out.” Technology has grown dramatically, and with it, bringing many changes to the school environment and the entire school experience. As we look into the distant future, we can only imagine the changes to come. 17|
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THE MOST POPULAR
SOCIAL MEDIA platforms
By: Kyra Dright
The five of the most popular social media platforms in 2019
1
Facebook Facebook is a social media platform where users can connect with friends, family, and other people around the world by posting videos, pictures, and comments. It is the most popular social media platform in 2019. It was created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerburg. It is used by 2.41 billion people worldwide.
2
Youtube Youtube is a social media platform where users can watch and post all kinds of videos. It is the second most popular social media platforms in 2019. It is used by 1.8 billion people. It was created by Google in 2005.
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3
Instagram Facebook is a social media platform where users can connect with friends, family, and other people around the world by posting videos, pictures, and comments. It is the most popular social media platform in 2019. It was created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerburg. It is used by 2.41 billion people worldwide.
4
r e t t Twi
5
ia l med make a i c o s an is a ers c th oths r u e t e Twit rm wher nnect wi e o o is th platf ts and c ide. It n w ial comme rs world ular soc t is I e p er us most po in 2019. e. h pl fourt platform lion peo rsl Do d media y 126 mi by Jack s, an b s d a d e l e t G s a u Noah s cre It wa z Stone, n 2006. i i ey, B illiams W Evan
Snapchat Snapchat is a social medi a platform where users can make and post silly pictures and connect with other people. It is the fifth most popular social medi a platform in 2019. Snapchat wa s created by Evan Spiegel in 20 11. Information provided by Digital Information World, Dreamgrow, and Statista. TIMPI - Ezine Fall 2018 | 19
Making Life Easier How UX Design and App Development are Revolutionizing the Way we Look at and Interact with Technology By Ted Gershon
T
echnology is all around us, from iPads and computers to phones and watches, yet few people know the complex, humancentered design process that goes into creating these devices. User experience (UX) design and application development
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are the driving forces behind these devices. App developers and UX designers who work in these fields are responsible for creating appealing and interactive displays that enable users to easily interact with their devices. As technology is being integrated more and more into society, the
field of UX design and app development is quickly expanding, and this is creating innovation in the form of easier-to-access displays, more visually pleasing design and advancements in how humans can interact with technology. Tia Krupa, a veteran in the
User experience (UX) design and application development are growing faster than ever, and these quickly expanding fields are designing the future of technology. Photo by Lucci Nguyen.
“[For] people and users, it’s not about knowing that it’s great design, it’s about feeling that it’s great design.” field of UX design and currently a consultant at the successful UX company Slide, has accumulated over 15 years of experience in UX design, as well as experience in visual design and social psychology. She believes that humans have a natural, intuitive desire for design and interaction. “I think our experiences in having apps and phones at our fingertips just gives us this appetite for great design
and great interaction,” Krupa said. “[For] people and users, it’s not about knowing that it’s great design, it’s about feeling that it’s great design.” Jess Moss has been a long time UX designer at the Austin-based UX company projekt202, and in addition to UX design, she is an expert in user interface and visual design. She argues that while it’s beneficial to have an intuitive and visually pleasing design, the most important
factor to consider when designing is feasibility and functionality. “[UX design is] about ‘what does that person who works every day on that software want,’ as your job is to make their job easier,” Moss said. “Design is not always about being beautiful, it’s also about being what the user needs to do.” Scott Mount has worked for several years in the field TIMPI - Ezine Fall 2018 | 21
that are creating computer algorithms at the top end of the scale, we have infrastructure engineers that handle the server programming on the back end, we have mobile developers on the front end, QA engineers, designers and there are just all these different groups of people that I help stitch together and try to deliver a product.” Scott Mount organizes ideas for features to be included in an interactive display. Each sticky note represents a characteristic to consider when designing each part of the display, and these notes are organized based on many factors. Photo provided by Scott Mount.
of user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design, and he now holds the position of department head for UX and UI at Home Depot. He believes that there are three main factors to be considered when designing. “First, you look at the desirability, that’s the heart of everything,” Mount said. “The second thing is viability- is there a benefit that serves the app makers to create [an] app? So you look at the users first, the business second and then third, you look at the technologyhow feasible is it for us to actually build this application? So those three things together are, desirability, viability and feasibility.” John Graubner is a project manager and an app developer at Amazon, where he manages a group in charge of overseeing and developing the Amazon Mobile App. He says that once a 22 | TIMPI - Ezine Fall 2018
project has been established with the intent to benefit the experiences of Amazon users, many diverse groups of experts are involved throughout different stages of the project, and these experts contribute their unique skill sets to the final product. “I work vertically with [many] different people,” Graubner said. “We have Ph.D. scientists
Moss says that working with others is one of her favorite parts of UX design. She believes that working on different teams has made her much more empathetic. “I’ve grown a lot more empathy for others, especially with working on teams where people have very diverse backgrounds,” Moss said. “I think [working on teams has] really helped me understand that people do all kinds of jobs, and it isn’t just about design. It’s way bigger than that, and there are so many pieces that come together.”
This diagram models how mobile apps can communicate with users. It shows how mobile commands issued by users are completed using a front end server, which deciphers commands from the users amidst mobile traffic. Graphic by John Graubner.
Tia Krupa poses for a portrait photo outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to put on her online webpage for SlideUX. Photo provided by Tia Krupa.
Jess Moss smiles for a photo during projekt202’s annual photo day in Austin, Texas. Photo provided by Jess Moss.
Scott Mount smiles for a photo outside of his Home Depot office in Portland, Ohio. Photo provided by Scott Mount.
John Graubner smiles for a photo in Sunnyvale, California. Photo provided by John Graubner.
While working on teams is a big and often fun part of UX design and app development, many UX designers and app developers cite other inspirations for working in this field. Mount describes that his inspiration originates from the interaction-based work and creativity that he’s been able to experience in UX design.
with your friends or invite your friends to come join it.” Mount believes that creating a memorable experience revolves around being empathetic. He says that human-centered design requires you to think about the perspective of users, which embodies empathy.
“The opportunity to actually help create an interface or a visual language that allows people to interact with it is really fun,” Mount said. “It’s a fun way to get to understand human beings and create something that that can be used for a long time. [For] user experience, I think if you allow the time to do the research, to do the testing, to understand people and people at the center, it’s absolutely endless in terms of creativity.”
“Empathy, I think, is at the heart of user experience, being able to truly understand and design for people.”
Krupa says that her inspirations to work in the field of UX design originate from the influences that her work has on others. She describes user experience and user interactions as a multidimensional movement, where users can share their experiences with others.
“I think [UX design has] been able to give me a much more applied empathy,” Mount said. “Empathy, I think, is at the heart of user experience, being able to truly understand and design for people.”
“What inspired me about UX [was] that early inkling of just interaction design and the idea that our work can move and it’s not one dimensional- it’s got more depth and more life to it,” Krupa said. “Branding things go beyond the paper or the logo or what you’re trying to create. It’s about a movement almost and about creating a memorable experience that you can take home and share
Using empathy to design appealing visuals and interfaces, the design that we interact with so much can be expected to improve with time. As UX design and app development continue to expand in the future due to more advanced technology becoming integrated into society, we can expect the apps, websites and interactive features that we see around us to improve as well.
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Which Mobile App Is Best For You? By Ted Gershon Finding the Best App for You In Terms of Ordering Take-Out Food, Online Shopping, and Navigation Are you constantly hungry and unbearably lazy? Do you sometimes struggle to get out of bed? Or, are you always on the move, wondering how to minimize your time in the car, on the bike, or on foot by shortening your routes and maximizing your efficiency? Then this is the flowquiz for you! Dive into this quiz by picking which description best fits you, and we’ll match you with the app best suited to you in terms of navigation, online shopping, and ordering out. Have fun, and maybe you’ll learn more about yourself!
~Online Shopping~ Are You Willing to Pay More For Quick Delivery to Your House? Of course!! Do you really expect me to drive all the way to a store to shop? Wow...
No
Would You Be Interested in Same-Day Delivery? Yass! Is that really a thing?
a
Yes, but it’s probably too expensive for me
Amazon not only has every product you could think of, from inflatable saunas to mobile homes, but it also has free, 2-day shipping for the majority of its products and less than 1-day “Prime-Now” shipping for others. So, if you need something instantly, and wouldn’t mind if the shipping becomes pricey, then “PrimeNow” is for you.
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Yes, but I’d prefer to save money by using app services like drive-up shopping While target doesn’t offer shipping to its customers, it does offer free item pick up outside its stores via its mobile app, so users can purchase items online, and then drive to a target store to have the items brought out to their car. Since this service is free, it’s often much more cost-effective for customers than online shipping. While its selection is not nearly as large or expansive as Amazon’s, Walmart does have lots of products to choose from at reasonable prices. Also, it provides free, 2-day shipping on its products without requiring its customers to pay a membership fee. Wow.
~Navigation~ Which Style of Driving Best Suits You? I’m a speed demon, but don’t like it when the popo interfere with my driving
I’m rather conservative... Where Do You Primarily Use Navigation Apps?
Waze is a navigation app that relies on its users to input important information such as traffic speeds, gas prices, nearby police, roadside hazards, restauarants along the way, and more. This feature allows its users to choose between more acurately-timed routes. Also, Waze is structured like a video game, with rewards and prizes, allowing all people using it to have fun!!
he re
Next to my tractor in the Wild West
While HERE WeGo Maps doesn’t necessarily have a visual, easy to grasp display or extra map information like Google Maps and Waze do, it does have an extra special feature that its competitors lack: offline navigation. Now, users can navigate when tending to cattle, going horseback riding, or even driving their tractors through barren farmlands!
In the city, with 5 bars of golden connection...
G
Google Maps is a standard navigation app that relies on location to calculate the fastest routes. While it doesn’t include extra information like Waze does, Google Maps does mark landmarks and parks along the way and has a very easy-to-understand display.
~Ordering Out~ Do You Order Food Out Often? Yes!! Fees make great friends
Yes! How’d you know? Of course not! Who would? Do You Love Paying Unneccessary Fees?
Not really While favor generally does have a very high quality of service and delivery, it charges so many somewhat arbitrary fees per delivery so as to take away from the general experience. But, if you ignore the processing, delivery, and other fees, Favor does have the greatest selection and variety of restaurants to choose from when ordering out.
Uber
Eats
While UberEats may not have the widest selection of foods or the most restaurants to choose from, its unique business model allows its customers to spend the majority of their money on the food, and less on the overall delivery service.
Doordash not only has a relatively good variety of restaurants to choose from, but it also has a low number of fees to go along with this variety. While it’s variety is not nearly as great as Favor’s and its fees not as low as UberEats, it makes up for this with its great and friendly community of doordashers, ready to satisfy your hunger. TIMPI - Ezine Fall 2018 | 25
These are participants in one of Creating IT Futures adult programs. This program is called IT Ready which trains adults for technology occupations. Photo provided by Eric Larson.
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Chlo
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This is Charles Eaton talking about CompTIA’s non profit, Creating IT Futures. Charles Eaton is CEO of Creating IT Futures. Photo provided by Creatong IT Futures.
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Technology has always been prevalent in people’s lives but it just might be leaving some behind. Technology is a constantly evolving field and affects everyone’s life, from little kids learning to read and write, to people who have lived life before computers even existed. Technology is constantly changing and adapting. It connects people from different corners of the world. Despite the positive face value, there’s always risks associated something new. Even if the technology field is changing and exponentially advancing, not every technology user is as accepting of these changes. There are several viewpoints of this topic from the lenses of multiple people from multiple walks of life. But for the most part, the one agreed upon conclusion is that a generationally diverse workplace is a successful workplace.
Quinn Stewart is the instructional technology coordinator at the University of Texas Austin. He has been working in this field for over 20 years. Stewart was also a UT student and found that technology really improved his learning experience. “I have a handwriting disability called dysgraphia and so what allowed me to come back to UT was… a 1993 powerbook 180, it’s one of the first portable laptop ever created by Apple,” Stewart said. Technology was a tool he could use that helped him with his disability, allowing him to learn in a way he couldn’t before. Despite the educational benefits that technology has, Stewart also believed and advised that it should be used
with caution. “[Technology has] made some things a whole lot easier, but it’s also made some things a whole lot scarier,” Stewart said. “The scarier ones have to do with privacy and the information that you have sold as a commercial commodity without you really knowing what’s going on.” One of his reasons for being cautious when fully adopting technology in everyday life is the concern of privacy. Technology has allowed for everyone’s information to be broadcasted to the world TIMPI - Ezine Fall 2018 | 27
These people are learning about technology and training for technology jobs through Creating IT Futures program called IT Ready. IT Ready has trained over 300 out-of-work people in Minnesota alone. Photo provided by Eric Larson.
making security a potentially huge problem. Stewart said he works with a lot of different generations on the staff side, but on the student side he has a unique experience. Stewart is always working with young individuals at the same place in their life but with fresh ideas and ideals. “You become frozen in time when you go to work at UT because the only person whose age changes is yours,” Stewart said, ”The students are always 18-22 years old. Year after year after year, so you kind of get caught in the current generation.” When asked if it was important to have a generationally diverse workplace, Stewart responded with a definite yes. There’s a massive learning benefit to a colorful workplace. “One of the things that everyone should learn at university is that you’re a lifelong learner,” Stewart said, “You’re always going to be learning somehow someway. People that work in an academic setting really value that chance and opportunity to learn from all kinds of people and all ages as well.” Zachary Lynde is the former CFO of Factum, a blockchain innovation company which is a new way of digitally storing 28 | TIMPI - Ezine Fall 2018
information. Lynde works with lots of millennials and provides insight on the different characteristics that each generation brings to the table.
diverse workplace also provides more perspectives on life. Eric Larson works at Creating IT Futures, which is a section of CompTIA which aims to provide technology opportunities to people of all ages.
“I like working with every generation, they each have different characteristics and they’re motivated by different things but in our hiring process,” Lynde said. “We look for people who are motivated by the technology so that’s the one common factor that we all have regardless of age is that we love the technology and we want we wanted to make it work, and so we tried to use those those characteristics differently but around the commonality of technology.”
“I just love talking to people of different walks of life, different hobbies, different backgrounds, different histories… The older someone is, the more life experience they have,” Larson said.
Technology is constantly developing, which requires people that are also open to change. According to Stewart, change is the only constant in life and the technology field. Despite a person’s generation, if a person wants to work in IT (information technology) they should embrace an ever evolving world.
“Mainly it’s the way people internalize what’s happening,” Lynde said. “I find a lot of older generations tend to think of a very broad market, a very broad sense of the company as groups of people, whereas I find that younger generations tend to think of the company in more individualistic ways.”`
Having a generationally
Some general characteristics of different generations are the mindsets of each generation and how they process information. A big mindset difference is whether to think in a broad, entirety sense, or an individualized sense.
Larson has noticed a broad spectrum of technology
adopters in every generation. “So it’s really even within generations,” Larson said. “I think you find a wide range of people. Some [people] are early adopters..., [and] some who are almost Luddites like me.” There are general characteristics that most of a generation have in terms of technology usage, but each person has different experiences and knowledge about technology. For example, Larson said that his boss was a very early technology adopter and knows enough about technology to work in the IT department, whereas Larson himself doesn’t have very much technology in his house and is probably very annoying to the IT staff. Both of these people work in the technology field but have very different usage styles. Despite this, they both believe that a technology career can be hugely beneficial for everyone to at least look into. They believe that everyone young, old, male, female should have the opportunity to have the
means to be able to pursue a technology career. “To be in the technology field you have to have a desire to learn and you have to be able to search for and love searching for information to problems and that’s something that’s just a constant,” Larson said.
“I like working with every generation, they each have different characteristics.” Larson works with people of all generations with a common goal: being able to have a technology career. He can teach anyone technology skills but in order to be successful in the field, people have to be open to learning, have a desire for curiosity and love solving problems.
Additionally, it’s also important to have a diverse work environment in other aspects as well. “We’ve had 80 percent or more people of color and a number of women in our classes [but not] as high as we would like,” Larson said. “But it is higher than the industry average, which is about 25 percent. So we feel pretty passionately about diversifying the IT field the best we can.” Larson also believes that gender and race diversity improve the workplace. Because of this vastly changing, improving and idea diverse field, the people that work in the field should also be varied as well and come from all walks of life and backgrounds. In the end, it’s mutually agreed upon by many technologists that it’s important to be safe when you use technology and when you are, a generationally diverse workplace is always beneficial to the work environment.
These are tech interested girls that are part of Creating IT Future’s TechGirlz program. TechGirlz aims to get middle-school girls interested in technology and reduce the gender gap in the technology field. Photo provided by Eric Larson. TIMPI - Ezine Fall 2018 | 29
Generations of Technology Which generation do your technology views align with? By Chloe Kwan
Many generations have different viewpoints and opinions about technology usage in and out of the workplace. There are typically generational trends because technology has changed vastlty over many generations. Below are general discriptions of each generation’s technology views but you can always find a broad spectrum within each generation.
Quiz Answers Millenials (1981 – 1996) You love how technology makes your day to day life easier. You like to have up to date technology and think it’s a very smart solution to many problems. Technology is very important in your life and you couldn’t imagine your day without it.
Generation X You’re in the middle of opinions about technology. You aren’t very extreme about technology in the workplace. You would find it useful to have both new and user friendly technology.
Baby Boomers You typically prioratise user friendly technology over new and improved technology. It’s often hard for you to adjust to big technological improvements. You don’t usually think of technology as a solution but more as a problem.
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(Start) Communiation
Texting
Emails
Do you like/want technology in your job?
Your opinion on the internet?
No
Yes
Do you think it’s vital to have technology at work?
Your view on Social Media?
No
Yes
Good
Millenial
Bad
Do you want new or more user friendly technology in the workplace?
Are you likely to suggest technology as a solution?
Yes
Bad
Good
No
New
Gen X
Friendly
Baby Boomer
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A New Age of Technology Virtual Reality is Growing Rapidly By Hudson Wood
A woman sees something many people like to do in VR: go to the beach. Images provided by VRScout and Culture Trip
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Skydiving, the ground fast approaching. Watching movies where you are the main character. Talking to monotone, bossy, floating robots while running a convenience store. All of this can be done by putting on a pair of goggles you can get at the store, with the technology still growing to be more accessible than ever. VR, or virtual reality, is putting on a headset that puts you in another world, like a movie that happens all around you. It does this by essentially putting two TV screens in front of your eyes, making the images line up and putting in directional audio to make the experience feel as realistic as possible. Companies such as Oculus, HTC and Owlchemy labs brought back VR and made it better than ever. In Austin, which is now being called ‘The VR Capital of the World,’ an organization called VR Austin has started, encouraging new people to get into VR, game developers to show off
their creations to the community, and avid players to help out those just starting.
“Everything [was] stepped up to the next level” There have even been new wireless headsets coming out such as the Oculus Quest or the Oculus Go, which allow people to bring VR with them wherever they go, almost like a laptop.
VR started up in the 90’s, failed, and was brought back from the dead by a swath of companies looking to make money off of the next big, hyped up piece of tech. VR developer Patrick Curry noticed that “everything [was] stepped up to the next level” when he first entered modern VR. Another VR developer, Devin Reimer kickstarted the company Owlchemy Labs with his friend Alex Schwartz, “We just worked nonstop on what would end up being the birth of job simulator,” Reimer said. “There were so many things that we learned and then shared
Patrick Curry (left) and Melissa Swanpoel (right) pose after esablishing their new company, Farbridge. Image provided by Polygon. TIMPI - Ezine Fall 2018 | 33
with other people that this principle ended up being fundamental to how VR works.”
Reimer said. “In VR that character walks up the counter and the options are limitless.”
The VR community has been one of the greatest communities in technology, as the opportunities to create and play have been almost limitless. Because of the intuitive nature of VR, there are many more possibilities available when playing
In Austin, a large VR community has emerged, with Curry saying that “Lots of folks in Austin who are very, very passionate about virtual reality and have either made it their business or their full time hobby.”
Devin Reimer (left) and Alex Schwartz (right) talk about what they learened in the creation of ‘Job Simulator’ on Oct 14, 2019 Image Provided by Owlchemy Labs.
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With a hefty price tag being one of the major points people have to not buy VR, it doesn’t sell a lot. “We haven’t had our Angry Birds moment. No one has sold 10 million headsets of the exact same model,” Curry said.
Photo
games. In VR you walk up the counter and the options are limitless “We always talk about how we’re building a traditional videogame. OK. A character walks up to a counter and you have the option of getting X,”
trying,” Curry explained, asking, “How do you describe what it’s like to be in an airplane for the first time? How do you explain what it’s like to go deep sea diving ? You have to try it. So how do you describe VR to someone?”
Contrary to this, Playstation VR consumer Nikolai Chekaj bought the PSVR due to its cheap price point, along with being compatible with his home console, a Playstation 4.
“I played a lot more PlayStation and I was a console gamer. So I didn’t have a need to get an oculus or anything,” Chekaj VR may have its ups, but it explained. “I think that if also has its downs. you have the money to do it and you take the time to “I’d love to make VR less actually get used to it then expensive so that everyone you should definitely get it. can try it or have it and It’s a very cool experience. experience it, it’s really I would recommend it.” hard to show VR to other people without them People have explained
VR as being an amazing experience, with Chekaj even asking “Have you ever seen that video where Logan Paul put on the color blind glasses? It was like that.” VR has the ability to alter your perception of the world, and Curry believes that the future of VR is heading towards more practical uses. “It’s good for a cheap thrill of like, hey, I’m scared. I’m excited. I should’ve gone. I feel powerful. I climbed a mountain. I feel awesome.” Curry said.
VR can be used for many purposes, including those of our everyday lives, during school and just to escape, like watching a video on your phone on the bus to school.
‘Game Jam’ every year, which has been hugely popular not only with VR users, but also people who want to get into the hobby.
VR has become a hobby of people all around the world, and with it, Curry says that when VR a whole new branch of first started remerging technology has opened in Austin, “There was a up. Curry said that even growing number of people though games might here in Austin with similar not be where VR is opinions and they all found heading, “This new realm each other they ended of blending living in
He explains that, “We don’t know if that’s going to have the staying power of traditional video games.” He doesn’t think that having thrills will last, as people will get tired of these games quickly. He believed instead that VR would be put to better use in a practical application, as he thought, “That there are interesting benefits in the superpowers of VR. They are goggles that could be used for learning, training, tourism, escapism, communications that we just don’t know all of the great uses for them”.
The new ‘Oculus Quest’coming out in 2019. Image provided by Gotta Be Mobile
up getting involved in VRaustin, which is a local meetup here in town”.
the real world with the make believe that we can see here in front of us is pretty interesting, People in Austin have been pretty exciting, and I very passionate about VR, think that’s where a lot and they have even formed of innovation is going to a group that hosts a VR happen.” TIMPI - Ezine Fall 2018 | 35
Anatomy of a VR Headset The Liquid Crystal Display and how it Works By Hudson Wood The VR headset has many complex components, but a broken down, simplified version of one will greatly increase understanding of what it is and how it works.
Driver electronics to control output of the liquid crystal display. (LCD)
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Backlight to illuminate image display in frontal lenses.
Liquid crystal display. (Flatpaneled) OLED display
Spacer to provide a buffer between both liquid crystal displays.
2nd Liquid crystal display to provide bioptocal display for both eyes.
Housing to hold in all of the parts of the VR headset.
Lenses to show display while VR headset is being worn.
Source Information provided by Arstechnica. TIMPI - Ezine Fall 2018 | 37
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