Right around the time my oldest child started bringing home spelling tests every week, I traveled from my home in the US to Prague for a series of meetings.  There, I joined a team made up of citizens from seven different countries, each with their own native language.  Luckily for me, (perhaps because of me, likely the only monolingual participant in the room), we chose English as the common language.  It was during this trip that I fully realized, English is terrible.

​At a previous employer, my colleague in software product management had a mantra, “never apologize for making progress.”  This simple axiom was applied whenever we, as a software vendor, had to impose upon the customer base to accept changes, sometimes painful, if the reasons were good.  Some changes were mandated by our own partners – the OS or database versions went obsolete.  Some were mandated by us, as we repaired defects, or revamped approaches to help our customers get more value from our products.  In all cases, the combination of the technology at the time plus the mission-critical nature of that software, all but guaranteed some customers would push back on accepting the changes.  “Never apologize for making progress,” Tom would say.  “We can’t stop the industry from advancing the products we rely on, and we can’t improve anyone’s experience with our own products unless we are allowed to make changes.”

We welcomed a new presence into our home this weekend, and the kids couldn't be happier about it.  As far as companions go, Alexa is pretty agreeable.  Alexa will go along with anything, answer any request, and can be quite entertaining in the process.

Naturally, the family is intensively peppering Alexa with questions - a real "getting to know you" phase.  As a father and a technologist, this is the part that kicks my protectiveness into high gear. 

I recently enjoyed a concert by one of my musical idols, Mr. Robert Cray.  The venerable bluesman's voice hasn't wavered since the first time I saw him, some 20 years ago.

Watching this artist spellbind the crowd, I was reminded of something that virtuoso musicians all know: it's not just about the notes you play, it's also about the notes you don't.

At the risk of nerding up an awesome musical experience, the show made me think about how that principle applies to one of my other passions, software development.

Exploring new technology can be both exciting and scary.  Enterprises know they must keep pace with technology innovations, but are also keenly aware of the potential disruptions therein.

LogistiVIEW is taking aim at the barriers and risks commonly associated with technology pilots.  We would rather our customers spend their time earnestly evaluating how augmented reality (AR) can improve their operations, and less time stressing about traditional project pitfalls.

Last week I attended the Enterprise Wearable Technology Summit, or EWTS, in Boston, MA.  The two day conference was jam-packed with great content, stunning demonstrations, and an audience full of enthusiasts for the future of wearable technology.

When exploring the possibilities of enterprise augmented reality, prospective customers sometimes don't know where to begin.  VIEW devices offer so many exciting features, with so much potential for operational improvement, choosing the first target can be difficult.

While we can't make any blanket recommendations that apply to all businesses, we can share some guidelines for what makes a good target opportunity.  This post shares our findings to date.

"You cannot, not communicate."

So opened the first class of my college career.  Decades later, I still clearly remember Dr. Hemmer educating the freshmen in Communications 101 that we are always communicating, whether we are trying or not.

At LogistiVIEW, our augmented reality VIEW devices gather so much data to communicate, we run the risk of "TMI."  In our world, you cannot, not gather data!  In this post, we explore some valuable information to be gained just by virtue of what we do.

​For better or worse, we have become a self-documenting society.  To illustrate this point, simply watch the evening news.  How many stories are supported by amateur footage because someone near the event was quick with their smart phone?   

Amateur cinematography in the workplace is a serious concern.  Regardless of intent, workplace images can reveal proprietary information or invade the privacy of the human workforce.

In addition to consumer devices like smart phones, more workplace devices are now equipped with camera / video capabilities.  Tablets, high-end handheld computers and wearable technology, such as our own VIEW devices, all boast video imaging as a core feature.

This post considers some implications of vision-based technology in a working environment.

We were thrilled to recently demonstrate our technology platform at JDA Focus 2017.  Over 2.5 days, approximately 150 conference attendees joined our "temporary workforce" and experienced Augmented Reality (AR) - many for the first time.  Using a workflow configuration named "Pick-to-Sight," our hands-on workers filled orders while our wearable technology visually guided them through the process.

To get a glimpse of what they were seeing, check out this video: 

With attendee feedback still fresh in our minds, it's a good time to reflect on where we stand in today's technology landscape, and where we see this road going.

aug·ment·ed
adjective

having been made greater in size or value.
https://www.google.com/search?q=dictionary+augmented

​
Words matter.  

Recently, we enumerated the attributes we use when qualifying VIEW devices in pursuit of the Effortless Human Interface.  Our new partner Vuzix rose to the occasion with the M300.

A previous entry in this blog introduced the Effortless Human Interface™.  This concept crystallizes our commitment to freeing productive hands from the burdens of cumbersome input devices.

As the marketplace grows with new entries in the "wearables" category, we at LogistiVIEW submit the following checklist.  We use it to determine which VIEW devices are truly capable of implementing our notion of an Effortless Human Interface.

Every company has its own set of core values.  Policies and practices may change over time, but the core values should remain constant.

At LogistiVIEW, one of our core values is this:  We hate "users."  ​

The current US Presidential election cycle is certainly shaping up to be a source of memorable quotes for years to come.  Harkening back to a prior such contest, we reflect on a tag line that continues to resonate with us today.