Usability Testing

According to Usability.gov a usability test evaluates a product, or service’s, effectiveness in the hands of users. Typically, the user will perform the task as he/she follows instructions, but in this class our scripts and videos were not finished. Therefore, we were only able to collect quantitative data on script direction. The usability test gathered information on task difficulty, their customer satisfaction level, possible improvements or changes, and objective goals.
Possible candidates for a usability test include classmates, peers, and perhaps professionals. It is important to gather information on individuals who aren’t familiar with the task, or have minimal knowledge on the topic. They will provide a baseline of easiness/proper instruction for newcomers. Professionals can critique any missteps or improvements that can be implemented in your product or service. Both sides of the spectrum are important to attain in fully encompassing usability test.

Introduction

In the video I will be showing the viewers how to zip and unzip a file and send it through google drive. The benefits of using this method include: not needing a USB, proper information transfer, and accessibility. Google drive provides users with a large amount of free space that many individuals do not take advantage of. Google drive is also available anywhere with an internet connection. The versatility of this method for data transfer is astounding. 

Objectives

The objective is to provide a safe and efficient method for transporting files. We also wish to familiarize users with zipping and unzipping files, as well as the google drive lay out.

Method

My draft resembles the final product. However, it should include more humor and user direction. I will definitely incorporate better Google drive template explanations. My target readers should be students and people needing assistance with data movement. The users will be at home, at school, or anywhere with a computer access. I will rate their satisfaction upon how fast they accomplished the task and a difficulty rating they provide.

Results and Discussion

My questionnaire can be viewed bellow: 

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In my video I will be zipping up file, saving it to a google drive, and unzipping it on another computer. The process is designed to transfer files without the use of a USB. The only requirement is a computer with online access and a google drive.

Do you feel that you are able to complete the task?




How long, if you had to guess, do you think it would take?





How satisfied would you be with the end product (safely transferred file on another computer)?





Would you recommend any changes to improve user performance and satisfaction?

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Nick said, “The script was a little vague, but I’m sure a visual representation would clear everything up.”

Due to this comment, I will include in depth Google page layout explanation. Also a highlighted cursor may assist the viewer.

Ben said, “My humor was off flavor.”

Seeing this I should watch more standup on Netflix, in order to spark inspiration and ideas. In addition, I could leave the humor department to Ben.

Nick also stated, “My explanation of Google drive was quick and to the point. I also believe I could complete this task quickly. I might have to try it out!”

My explanation of Google Drive is good and bad at the same time, for Google Drive has many options that the viewer may desire to find out more on. However, this is a video on just the file sending process. So I need to be quick and to the point. Nick’s affirming his ability to finish the task is a response as well. It means I’m on the right track. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, the peer review was extremely helpful in discovering what I needed to improve upon. My script needed development in clarity, humor, and direction. I will take advantage of a usability test in the future for other projects.

Quantum Computing

Computer Science has had an age long thorn sticking in its side, are P (polynomial time) problems equal to NP (non-polynomial or exponential time) problems? NP- Complete problems, or NPC, could potentially take an immeasurable amount of time to solve. NP problems can be reduced to P or polynomial time, in certain situations. However, the gap arises when we aren’t able to reduce every situation to a P case. If we can’t simplify, the program could potentially run infinitely. Quantum computers may bring a resolution to the NP reduction issue. They may also bring about faster computational prowess and change the paradigm of personal computers.

Quantum computers have been theory crafted in laboratories for a few decades and have just recently come into the public’s eye. Yuri Manin, a renowned German physician and mathematician, first proposed the concept in 1980. An entire bibliography of Yuri’s life can be found here. Quantum computers have qubits. Qubits implement superposition in order to take on many different states simultaneously. Therefore, the computational ability of a single processor is increased exponentially. The only downside to this – the bytes don’t have a state until they have been read in. This is troublesome when determining a byte pattern beforehand. Creating a readable string requires the byte state to first be known; without this knowledge, they aren't fed through the correct resistors. 

The unreadability of a qubit prevents their hostile takeover of current personal computers. They flip up or down depending upon the electronic field charge. Due to current understanding of quantum physics, we aren’t able to know the position and state of the molecule simultaneously. This severely inhibits personal application. In the near future, technology may allow us to decipher the state before being read in. Nearly 8,000 articles were published last year alone on the subject of developing a universal quantum computer according to Tech Crunch. If this reality comes to fruition the personal computer will become obsolete and a new age of technology will dawn upon us.

Quantum computers are able to conquer NP problems with ease. A 64 qubit quantum computer has the equivalent computational capacity of a 2^64th power personal computer. In a personal computer 3 bytes can only store 1 of 8 possibilities of 1’s and 0’s. A quantum computer with 3 qubits can be all 8 possibilities at once! With each addition of a qubit the possibilities double. Thus where the 2^64th power increase comes from. With practically 18 billion times more bytes, exponential and undetermined mathematical algorithms can be solved within seconds. The mathematical calculation and in depth explanation of quantum computation is explained thoroughly in the Tale of Two Qubits. Computer scientists would no longer need to optimize algorithms. We aren’t able to prove P = NP, but NP and NP-Complete will become an obsolete categorization of problems.

Even though quantum computers are still far from where they need to be, they have come leaps and bounds since they’ve been conceived. They are the solution to NP problems and will propel us to faster computational speeds. In the next ten years we may possibly see a personal quantum computer! I do believe they are humanity’s next age of progression, and will reveal many questions pertaining to the universe.