Blog

How Does a Machine Find an Object? An introduction to Machine Learning Computer Vision

The difference between how machines “see” and identify objects compared to humans may not be so obvious. We are able to instantly identify any object we see and sometimes even objects we’ve never seen before, because we are using our memories and collective experiences. Without conscious thought, we create a complex web of connections between any new object we see and through the process of comparison we can approximate its purpose. Sometimes we even can correctly guess the name of this object. Even with incredibly fast GPU’s, improved algorithms and an unbelievably huge amount of collected data, machines are not yet able to do this. That’s because it’s still extremely difficult for machines to think outside of the box.

How to improve accessibility of your iOS app with VoiceOver? - Part 3

In the past couple of weeks, we have discussed the basics of accessibility in iOS and VoiceOver gestures. Today, let’s continue with another Accessibility topic: Custom Views. VoiceOver will work out of the box in case of using UIKit components such as UILabel, UIButton, UISlider, etc. But what if you are using Custom Views, which use an overridden version of draw method, or you have used plain UIViews to compose them to draw some charts? Don’t worry! It is still super easy to support VoiceOver for Custom Views, which we’ll cover in this post.

Unveiling the Uniqueness of the Magento Awards

Magento is more than an e-commerce platform, it’s a powerful example of open-source software meeting business and commerce. Magento Masters (Makers, Movers, Mentors), Top Contributors, and Alumni — what is it all about? The power of the Magento community is that anyone around the world can contribute to the docs, development, code, users and teaching of Magento. This creates limitless possibilities of contribution and creative work in the Magento environment — from the code to supporting new Magento developers with mentorship and training. The unique thing about these awards is that it’s not just for people directly employed by Magento.

How to improve accessibility of your iOS app with VoiceOver? - Part 2

Accessibility is a crucial aspect of modern-day app development, and in our previous post, we explored the fundamentals of iOS accessibility, including how to make your User Interface compatible with assistive technologies such as VoiceOver. Today, we are going to explore more advanced topics such as managing VoiceOver gestures. VoiceOver provides users with pre-defined system gestures that enable them to interact seamlessly with the app's user interface. In this post, we will dive into some examples of these gestures and discuss how to handle them effectively. Keep reading to learn more!

How to improve accessibility of your iOS app with VoiceOver? - Part 1

In this post, we will explore some best practices for making your app accessible to VoiceOver users. VoiceOver is a feature that provides spoken descriptions and braille output of onscreen elements, which is essential for users with visual impairments. But the benefits of VoiceOver go beyond just improving the experience for visually impaired users. By encouraging the use of VoiceOver, you can support the majority of accessibility tools that rely on the same Accessibility API. This can have a significant impact on your app's accessibility and usability for all users. Additionally, supporting VoiceOver can also simplify UI testing, as it is based on the same API. Let's dive into some of these practices and learn how they can make your app more accessible to all users.

Robotics and eCommerce. Snowdog's partnership with SoftBank Robotics

Snowdog announces a partnership with SoftBank Robotics, introducing Pepper, the programmable, emotionally intelligent humanoid robot. With over 25,000 of their robots in use worldwide, SoftBank Robotics believes in the potential for robots to assist humans in daily activities. Snowdog sees this partnership as a chance to explore the possibilities for a unique and enjoyable commerce experience. The Snowdog team plans to develop applications for Pepper that could make it smarter and more adaptable, and create interactions and experiences between Pepper and customers.

How I prepared for the Magento 2 Certified Professional Front End Developer exam?

A few days ago I went to Kraków with the goal to pass the Magento 2 exam for front end developers. It was nice to visit this beautiful city, where there will soon be another Meet Magento PL edition. I 100% achieved my goal! Or perhaps I should say 85% as this was my actual score. I can’t tell you what questions I got but I can tell you about how I prepared for the exam and give you some general tips you should remember when taking any exam.

Securing user data with Keychain for iOS

If you’ve ever built an iOS app, you’ve probably come across a situation where you need to store sensitive information on behalf of the user. For this, Apple’s Keychain Services is your guy; it’s good for saving secure data. UserDefaults are fine, when you’re dealing with preferences, but you should never store credentials in them. The keychain is not limited to passwords. You can store other secrets that the user explicitly cares about, such as credit card information or even short notes. You can also store items that the user needs but may not be aware of, for example, the cryptographic keys and certificates that you manage. You can use the keychain to store these items as well. Keep in mind that Keychain is stored in a secure enclave in the A7 or newest chips. There are many wrappers where you can easily use Keychain, but I want to show that Keychain is not difficult and we can use it as well.

Vue Storefront Hackathon 2nd Edition

The 2nd edition of the Vue Storefront Hackathon hosted by Snowdog on August 3rd 2018. Vue Storefront is a standalone Progressive Web Application storefront for ecommerce that works with any back-end such as Magento and Shopify. The hackathon includes coding, lunch, networking, and a Livestream on YouTube.

What I learned at Funka Accessibility Days - Part 2

I had the great opportunity to represent a11y group of MeetMagento Association at Funka accessibility days. You can read Part 1 of this post, which focuses on EU policy and directives and the general conference track, while here I will be discussing some more technical aspects of accessibility.