March 2015 – Page 3 – CS4784: Human-Computer Interaction Capstone

Press release #3: Pass It On! Inc Gains a Sponsor!

March 4, 2015April 1, 2015 Kurt Luther Leave a comment

Blacksburg, VA, February 27, 2015: The members of Pass It On! Inc have been diligently busy for the past week working hard to bring Pass It On! together. One of the main developments for the past week has been that Pass It On! has gained a Sponsor!

Dr. Horning will be joining Pass It On! Inc in a leadership role, providing consulting and oversight to the group. Dr. Horning is a professor within the Communications Department at Virginia Tech. His main focus of study is the social and psychological effects of communications. Already, he has provided valuable sources as we move into contextual analysis and eventually prototyping. The group looks forward to working with Dr. Horning and is excited for what they can produce together with him.

“Dr. Horning is an experienced professional who can provide us invaluable information to us especially in terms of design and building out the community that will make Pass it On! a successful application” Minahm Kim

“I’m excited to hear that Dr. Horning has joined the team as a sponsor. I’m sure he will be a valuable asset to have as we move forward with the project.” Matthew Chittum

“After working on the planning document I’m very excited about getting started on designing the website. I’m also very excited about our sponsor Dr. Horning!” Joshua White

“Pass It On! Inc has really gained some momentum after picking up Dr. Horning as a sponsor, I am eager to begin our contextual inquiry.” Alex CIccone

Past this, the group has been working hard to come up with a solid implementation plan for the upcoming months. Plans to conduct a contextual inquiry have been finalized and will be executed next week, allowing Pass It On! to gain valuable related user information. A survey to gather user interest and feedback is planned to be sent out next week. Also, plans to perform inperson interviews are being finalized currently (if you are interested in the project and would like to be a part of the contextual inquiry, email Alex!).

Press release #3: Civil War driving tour app developers make plans for development

March 4, 2015April 1, 2015 Kurt Luther Leave a comment

BLACKSBURG, Va., Feb. 27, 2015 – This week was an important week for the three developers, Laura Avakian, Seth Canon, and Ryan Kiel. Two of the three met with their client, Professor Paul Quigley, on Wednesday, February 25th, and the three then came up with a project plan and deadlines.

Paul Quigley expressed that he was indeed interested in an iOS driving tour application, and specifically said that he would like an interactive map that allows the user to see different marked locations. The user could click on these locations and learn about the history about their historical significance in terms of the Civil War.

Additionally, there would be features allowing the user to share these locations on social media and a couple optional tours for visiting nearby locations. Overall, the ideas are all on the table at this point, and the team is in a very good place in terms of moving forward.

The team came up with their project plan and their deadlines by keeping the meeting in mind and deciding who was going to do what based on the team members’ skill sets. They will be continuing their weekly meetings, and at the moment are on track to have the final deliverable available around May 6th.

Next week, the team will be focusing on developing their contextual inquiry, and thinking about the design of the app.

As stated in the last press release, the team was reconsidering a new name but decided to stick with its beloved “Kool Katz,” with an appropriately accompanying slogan: “All your Civil War needs right here right meow.”

Contact Laura Avakian for any further inquiries.

Press release #3: War of Ages

March 4, 2015April 1, 2015 Kurt Luther Leave a comment

Blacksburg, VA; February 27, 2015 –

A schedule has now been planned out for the War of Ages development and an official release date has been set! Developers have confirmed, the release date for War of Ages will be May 4, 2015. War of Ages will be available to Android users, and the price has not yet been announced.

War of Ages also revealed a look at the factions and units available to the players.

First, from the Northern Realm of the ice factions, the mystical vikings have the power to control artifacts of the frozen tundra. They can freeze the battlefield and slow down their clans’ greatest enemies. There is no colder place on earth than their war path!

Next, an ancient horde of cavemen who can bend the earth to their will. They are known to create trenches and cliffs, hurl giant boulders, and even command earthquakes. In the battle of brain versus brawn, they leave brains splattered across the battlefield!

Finally, a group of high tech soldiers from the future have stumbled on the Field of Ages. Those, who have access to incredible technology that allows them to launch explosives across the battlefield, detonate mines with the flip of a switch, and even cheat unbreakable odds. War grinds their gears to their fullest!

“We are very excited about the gameplay options these factions introduce, it truly is a war of the ages” said Scott Fraser. “Each faction has a unique play style and gives the user lots of options on how they want to play. ” War of Ages’ Graphics Designer, Joe Wileman, has created logos that are specific to each faction:

Each faction’s symbol represents their dedication and fullness to war. The symbol of the Northern Realm holds each viking faction to the soaring ideals of bravery, courage, and sacrifice. Meaning “deny witchcraft”, their symbol is a constant reminder of the clans’ willingness to serve no one but themselves!

The symbol of the caveman horde is simple and bold. Resembling their sacred rock, the cavemen call to the Boulder Cube as a reminder of their strength in battle. While numbers enrich their army’s advantage, each caveman cannot deny the oldest of sayings: “nothing is as hard as a rock!”

Lastly, the mechanics symbol is a communion of all the inventors lost in time. Many slain by wild beasts after the event, their symbol is a constant reminder of those ideas lost to simpler forces. Their beacon of hope remains as they will slay anything to return to a time that accepts them. “Long live the eternal!”

Which side will you take on the Field of Ages?…

The team plans to conduct several interviews to gain feedback about the concept from the general population. With that in hand, we will be able to refine our design and make preparations for the War of Ages

For more information, please contact Joe Wileman: wjoe113@vt.edu