Great Marching Band Halftime Show? There’s an App for ThatAt Ohio State University, where Buckeye fans stay glued to their seats at halftime, the OSU Marching Band stepped it up big time this year thanks to two students who suggested using iPads to reduce the massive amount of paper used each week to diagram Saturday’s on-field performance.
The Future of Touch Technology: Feel Textures on a Flat ScreenWhile swiping and tapping icons and displays on screens is remarkable, there is no physical feeling the way there is with buttons and keys. But now that's changing: New developments in the field of tactile, or “haptic,” devices soon will let users feel textures on a flat touchscreen.
White House Wants Beta Testers for “We the People” Petition WebsiteThe White House is looking for a few good beta testers for We the People, an online platform that lets people generate and sign petitions requesting the government take action on an issue. Anyone interested in participating in the beta period for the We the People API are invited to apply online.
November Security News RoundupIn the following roundup of the latest security news, read how a team of researchers from North Carolina State University discovered security flaws in Google's Android OS and how seven popular open source applications and products contain vulnerabilities that hackers could potentially exploit.
Are Toddlers a New User Base for Software Products?The use of digital information and devices among toddlers has been steadily increasing each year. Recent studies from the non-profit firm Common Sense Media show that 38 percent of two-year-olds are using mobile devices. Rajini Padmanaban looks at toddlers as a software user base.
Will Google’s Flu Trends Be Better This Year?Unfortunately, it’s that time of year when you may feel like you’re coming down with the flu. If so, what do you do first? Call the doctor? There’s a good chance you—and millions of others—plugs “flu symptoms” into their web browser. Pamela Rentz looks at Google Flu Trends and its accuracy.
Is There a Recommended Duration of Time for a User-Facing Test?When end-user-involved test programs are done before release to production, the duration of tests is a very critical factor in determining the product's success or failure in meeting its goal. How long should you run the program in order to be sure you have enough data points to make a decision?
New Software Will Save UPS Millions and Deliver Your Packages QuickerUPS has invested heavily in a new software project called ORION—On-Road Integrated Optimization and Navigation—that helps determine the best course from point A to point B, saving time, money, and fuel. It's already a success, and because it depends on heuristics, suggestions should only get better.
