24/7 Software Blog

“Virtual reality — long touted as the next big thing in tech — hasn't taken off as a consumer product, but employers are embracing it as a more efficient and effective tool for on-the-job training,” writes Yuki Noguchi in their recent NPR article entitled “Virtual Reality Goes To Work, Helping Train Employees.”

According to Noguchi, “This year, Walmart is training more than 1 million employees using virtual reality. And moving companies, airlines, food processing and financial firms are all using VR in different ways. In the virtual world, cashiers are taught to show greater empathy, mechanics learn to repair planes and retail workers experience how to deal with armed robbery.”

“The sensory immersion is key to its effectiveness. Because things look and sound as if they were real, the brain processes virtual reality as though it were a real experience, says Stanford communication professor Jeremy Bailenson, who also founded the school's Virtual Human Interaction Lab,” the article explains.

"People learn by doing ... getting feedback on mistakes, and then repeating and iterating," Bailenson says in the NPR piece.

Noguchi shares, “Not every workplace situation is conducive to virtual reality training. Some tactile skills, for example, are better experienced in real life. But the technology is especially useful for training people for novel or emergency situations.”

This statement resonated with us.

We’re not pushing VR as your next medium for training.

Although it might work, we’re still advocates of life environment training and tabletop exercises that help you get the closest you can to the real experience – safely.

It also gives you the hands-on practice with your operations management software.

Keep reading; we’re sharing the benefits in this article, especially when it comes to improving performance.

“The nominations for the 90th Academy Awards were announced Tuesday morning by a dapper, genial Andy Serkis and the always-intoxicating Tiffany Haddish,” writes Linda Holmes in their recent NPR article entitled “’Shape Of Water,' 'Dunkirk' And 'Three Billboards' Lead Oscar Nominations.”

According to Holmes, “Serkis became famous for motion-capture performances in films like The Lord Of The Rings films and the new take on Planet Of The Apes. Haddish hit big in Girls Trip this year and has earned countless admirers for being joyfully herself at every opportunity.”

“And while the nominees they announced weren't exactly unexpected given what we already knew – big showings for The Shape Of Water, Dunkirk and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri — they had enough freshness and enough room for new voices that they didn't feel rote. Agree or disagree, they didn't simply represent a full list of the films and the performances that sounded the most "Oscars-y" from the directors and writers who had been nominated before,” the article continues.

Now, make sure to read the article if you’re interested in learning some more about this year’s nominations.

But today, we’re focused on what you need to do to make your team famous.

While the Academy Awards, or best known as the Oscars, is a set of 24 awards for artistic and technical merit in the American film industry, we’re not in the film industry, are we?

But to be “Oscars-y” is notable, so why not consider doing the right things to achieve an Oscar-worthy performance every day, right?

Your customers will not only appreciate it – they’ll love it.

This article got us thinking about your operation and the ‘technical merit’ your team can surely achieve too.

Keep reading; we’re going to share how to ensure the next Oscar goes to you.

“Erica Brown called 911 for two days before a helicopter finally spotted her, trapped in her Houston home with her 7-month-old son and three other children. Sometimes when she called, she got nothing, just a busy signal, and a disconnection. Multiple times she was told that they'd try to send help. Hours would go by with no rescue,” writes Rebecca Hersher in her recent NPR article entitled “You Only Get One Life In This World': Voices From Houston's Convention Center.”

According to Hersher’s article, “The family spent two nights in their trailer watching the floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey rise up the foundation. ‘It was a hard feeling because I thought me and my kids were going to lose our life in this hurricane disaster."

“On Tuesday around 11 a.m., a rescue team finally came,” Hersher writes.

"The helicopter came over my house, and I heard him, and he saw me waving the white shirt. And he came on down, and he got us in the basket and pulled us up. They had to go two-by-two in the basket. She sent her two oldest girls, a third-grader and a first-grader, up first with a small suitcase of clothes,” says Brown, 29, in the NPR piece.

Hersher continues, “When the basket came back down, she lifted her kindergartner in ahead of her and then carried her infant son. It was still raining.”

“Brown and her family are now among the estimated 9,000 people at the downtown George R. Brown Convention Center, where officials said they had been expecting about 5,000. Outside on Tuesday, the scene is chaotic, with police, Red Cross volunteers and National Guard members patting people down, directing traffic and trying to help new arrivals and people dropping off donations,” according to the article.

It’s a great feeling to learn of proactive operations like George R. Brown Convention Center taking action to help those in need.

But, before we continue we’d like to share this message:

Each and every one of us at ISS 24/7 would like to extend our prayers and condolences to the families affected by Hurricane Harvey, and the relatives of the victims taken by this ongoing disaster.

“Building a better battery is the holy grail for people who want better technology. Now researchers at the University of Texas, Austin say they may have found that battery — or something close. But their claims have sparked controversy,” writes Moshe Buchele in their latest NPR article entitled “At 94, Lithium-Ion Pioneer Eyes A New Longer-Lasting Battery.”

A little controversy is expected when you’re challenging the status quo.

We’d also argue that it applies to every industry. Agree?

Buchele continues that “at the center of this debate is a towering figure in the world of science – John Goodenough, who teaches material science at the university.”

So, how does Goodenough play a role in this improvement?

According to the NPR article, “In 1980, his work led to the invention of the lithium-ion battery — now crucial to powering everything from cellphones and laptops to electric cars. For a lot of people, that would probably be enough. But at 94 years old, he's still at it.”

You read correctly. He’s 94 years old and still changing the world.

“Now, Goodenough and his team say they've created a new battery that may store up to five times more power than current ones. And, even better, such a battery would charge and recharge in a matter of minutes — all without exploding,” explains Buchele.

Goodenough’s team’s new invention could change the way we power everything, from how, to how long.

Accomplish a feat like this and anything is possible. The results would be exponential and influence innovation across all industries.

Did you watch the Oscars Sunday?

It was “crazy,” and certainly one that all 32.9 million viewers won’t forget.

According to the latest NPR article by Linda Holmes entitled “A Shocking Ending Caps A Big Oscar Night For 'Moonlight” the night didn’t end the way it started, by a long shot.

Holmes writes, “For quite a while, Sunday night's Oscars seemed fairly tame. La La Land, the retro musical with Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, came into the Oscars as a favorite, having tied the nomination record with a total of 14.

She continues that “by the time they prepared to announce best picture, La La Land had gone on a late run and nabbed six awards: for production design, cinematography, best original score, best original song ("City Of Stars"), best actress (Stone) and best director. Its path to best picture seemed clear.”

Or, did it?

Keep reading; because this is where the night gets interesting.

Silence.

All you can hear is your thoughts.

You stand with one leg on the block, the other flat on the Rio 2016 Olympics Aquatic Stadium floor.

Your eyes peer through the bright lights as you examine every aspect of the water in your lane. You’re queued to take your place on the block.

“I’m number one,” you say to yourself. All the work you’ve done over the last four years was for this moment.

You’re ready – and this time, it’s different. You’re up against the young man that beat you in the same event four years ago.

You’re the best in the world. You intend to prove it tonight.

“Please step down,” the announcer calmly says over the speaker. You’ve been deep in your thoughts that you didn’t realize the screams across the stadium.

Everyone is ready for you to make history. But, you’re too focused to let it affect your purpose.

You step off the block one last time. You remember why you’re here: to prove why you’re the best in the world. You’re number one.

The starting signal sounds.