Morae 3.1 is the latest and greatest version of Morae, which was released earlier this week. And whats a little different about this one is that it's a free upgrade if you are already on Morae 3.0. With Morae 3.0, we added the ability to record using 2 cameras. This means that now you can use Morae for focus groups, field studies and any other research method that does not require screen recording.

With Morae 3.1, we've continued the improvements, read on to hear about all the new features. As always, we want to hear what you think. What's still missing from Morae? What is your favorite feature? Please keep the feedback coming.

Katie Birmingham
Newsletter Editor
 

The Morae team really went above and beyond for the 3.1 release. Check out this list of new features. It's pretty long...

Easy and secure online sharing - upload to a free Screencast.com account with a click.

MPEG-4 production - Flash-compatible, easy viewing from any platform.

Set markers with a Wii^TM remote - Set markers and log tasks during recording.

Audio enhancements - Consistent volume and a new waveform on the timeline.

Create and edit image clips - Show the interface you are testing.

Better task logging in Observer - More flexibility for logging and creating tasks during the session.

Rich text support in AutoPilot - Make instructions clear with text formatting options.

Task success rate graph - See the percentage of partic ipants who were successful with the task.

New look - Morae has ditched the orange and moved to a teal look.

More details on the new features >>

How to upgrade

If you are already using Morae 3.0, the product should prompt you to install 3.1.

If you are on an older version, you can request upgrade pricing. By the way, you'll get all the features from 3.0 and 3.1. Visit the What's New page for a full feature list.
 

Open Solutions Inc.® is a provider of software solutions for the financial services industry. As the Director of Human Factors Engineering, Michael Rawlins has the task of ensuring that Open Solutions' products are efficient, easy to use and that their clients are satisfied using them.

To do this, Michael and his team have created a new, state-of-the-art usability lab, which is centered around Morae.

Why did he choose Morae?

Michael explains "I was an early adopter of the technology, using it at some of my previous companies, and it made sense to position it as the cornerstone of our new lab. The traditional usability lab requires you have a one-way mirror, some type of taping facility, that sort of thing. But Morae streamlines all that. It allowed us to convert an existing room — in this case, a theatre and model bank that's one of the nicest spaces in the building — into a high-visibility laboratory where we bring clients to help us improve the design of existing and new software."

He goes on the explain that, "Morae also provides a very comfortable environment in which our stakeholders observe the usability testing. And as much as we like our new lab, it's not always convenient for testers and stakeholders to come to us. Morae allows us to include remote participants in the process because we're no longer tethered to one physical location, and that means our testing is more comprehensive and therefore more effective."

What is his favorite thing about Morae?

Morae has three different components for the different parties involved in usability testing. The Morae Recorder lets us capture usability tests within the corporate lab or remotely. Michael states that "The Morae Recorder untethers the tester from a specific location - which provides incredible flexibility for our business stakeholders." Michael also added that "Morae Observer is easily my favorite. The key to effective usability is in across-the-board participation, but the key people aren't always just across the street. Observer allows us to have stakeholders observe the sessions even if they can't be at our lab."

To top it off, Michael also finds the analysis in Morae Manager extremely helpful. He and his team are able to use clickstream, keystrokes, mouse clicks, paths users have taken and more to provide stakeholders with a clear understanding of the user's experience.

Michael states that, "Morae has been invaluable in helping me make the business case to my stakeholders."

To read more about Open Solutions' usability lab check out this press release.