Mobile information
for this session we looked at the pros and cons of mobile information services IE context awareness for GPS locations and the limitation of screen and keyboard sizes.
Context awareness, GPS can provide web searches with local results provided by satellites pinpointing the location of the hardware to within 40 meters, most smart phones contain this capability and they also have compass and accelerometer capabilities so will know with direction you are facing which is useful for gaining directions via a piece of mapping software, it also allows you to geotag pictures and also access local information via wikipedia or alike.
how bluetooth can be used to send advertising to people discreetly and also the privacy issues with bluetooth.
the problems of limited screen size, how web sites provide mobile versions of their sites that allow easier navigation by a mobile devise and how servers can throw away information not needed by the user. it also can recognise the OS of the device and could in theory only send compatible information to the device but the technology isn't quite there for that yet.
how Mobile sites should be designed with the Mobile device in mid, keeping the need to scroll to a minimum, keeping graphics low, and all but basic navigation removed.
Keyboard size, the trade off with button numbers and size, the use of virtual keyboards on touchscreen devices how their are different keyboards for different tasks, the use of auto complete and the emergence of gesture control.
we then looked at what people actually use their mobile device for, mostly trivia and local information.
finally we looked at the combination of social media and location services and how this can add rich metadata to photos ect but also allow for serious privacy breaches.
during the lab session we discussed what a city student would want out of a mobile information app. we talked about using augmented reality to help guide someone around the campus, acess to the library catalouge, the inclusion of a social network to discuss lectures and recieve timetable changes.
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
DITA session 6
Web services and API's
we looked at the future of software as a service where the programme is not stored locally on a hard drive it is help on the net and the user accesses it via a web portal, only paying for what they use thus reducing the cost as you wouldn't need to buy a whole suite.
the possibilities of cloud computing, where all the users data is stored n the net with very little held on hard drives and thus leaves the home computer mearly as a window to the Internet to access all your files.
web services, we looked at the use of XML, the difference between a web page and a web service, how XML is not a language despite its name but is in fact a set of conventions to create a language that is similar to HTML, how XML documents consist of elements how each element contains other elements or text and can also have attributes and a document will have one root element.
API's hide the internal complexity of web services and allows programmers to with ease build on exisiting functionality. almost all programming is done via api's.
finally we looked at mashups which uses API's and web services to create new innovative systems, how no programming experience is needed how javascript can be used to manipulate web services and API's how many services publish code that can be used in HTML.
an example of my mash up can be found here
we looked at the future of software as a service where the programme is not stored locally on a hard drive it is help on the net and the user accesses it via a web portal, only paying for what they use thus reducing the cost as you wouldn't need to buy a whole suite.
the possibilities of cloud computing, where all the users data is stored n the net with very little held on hard drives and thus leaves the home computer mearly as a window to the Internet to access all your files.
web services, we looked at the use of XML, the difference between a web page and a web service, how XML is not a language despite its name but is in fact a set of conventions to create a language that is similar to HTML, how XML documents consist of elements how each element contains other elements or text and can also have attributes and a document will have one root element.
API's hide the internal complexity of web services and allows programmers to with ease build on exisiting functionality. almost all programming is done via api's.
finally we looked at mashups which uses API's and web services to create new innovative systems, how no programming experience is needed how javascript can be used to manipulate web services and API's how many services publish code that can be used in HTML.
an example of my mash up can be found here
DITA session 5
This session focused on what web 2.0 is and the impact it has had on the way that the Internet is used.
We used the definition of that Web 1.0 was the read web and Web2.0 is the Read/Write web as used by the majority of users.
how it contains a rich user experience, encourages user participation, has dynamic content, uses meta data and promotes openness and freedom.
we looked at the limitations of HTML in terms of delivering rich user experiences and the promise of HTML 5 to provide this, how multiple users interacting can give a site purpose, the ability to tag items bringing together and adding metadata to more items without the need for a more formal library style metadata system but also how this can be abused, and how social interaction has lowered the amount of censorship and freedom of speech and how the narrative of a site will constrain the social constraints.
we then went on to look at Facebook and its impact on the web. how it is a non specific tool and you can do most social networking things on it, how the lack of avatars and handles gives a real online personality, its dependence on mutual agreements between 'friends', how your online activity becomes visible and commendable on, how it utilises a IM and email system, and finally we looked at the privacy issues contained within FaceBook.
Wikipedia is another form of web 2.0 we looked at and how anyone can contribute within the set editorial constraints, the pros and the cons of this method of gathering information, the wider contexts of wiki over a traditional encyclopedia, how it provides anonymity and how it can create a hive mind effect.
Blogs and how they are chronological pieces of short writing, their birth as diaries and how they have progressed to micro journalism and professional self promotion tools. how interlink blogosphers allow cross communication and the impact of micro blogging, ie twiter.
finally we looked at the negatives/criticisms of Web 2.0 how it can lead to buzz and hype, its promotion of narcissism and amateurism and enhances the fickle nature of peoples personalities.
We used the definition of that Web 1.0 was the read web and Web2.0 is the Read/Write web as used by the majority of users.
how it contains a rich user experience, encourages user participation, has dynamic content, uses meta data and promotes openness and freedom.
we looked at the limitations of HTML in terms of delivering rich user experiences and the promise of HTML 5 to provide this, how multiple users interacting can give a site purpose, the ability to tag items bringing together and adding metadata to more items without the need for a more formal library style metadata system but also how this can be abused, and how social interaction has lowered the amount of censorship and freedom of speech and how the narrative of a site will constrain the social constraints.
we then went on to look at Facebook and its impact on the web. how it is a non specific tool and you can do most social networking things on it, how the lack of avatars and handles gives a real online personality, its dependence on mutual agreements between 'friends', how your online activity becomes visible and commendable on, how it utilises a IM and email system, and finally we looked at the privacy issues contained within FaceBook.
Wikipedia is another form of web 2.0 we looked at and how anyone can contribute within the set editorial constraints, the pros and the cons of this method of gathering information, the wider contexts of wiki over a traditional encyclopedia, how it provides anonymity and how it can create a hive mind effect.
Blogs and how they are chronological pieces of short writing, their birth as diaries and how they have progressed to micro journalism and professional self promotion tools. how interlink blogosphers allow cross communication and the impact of micro blogging, ie twiter.
finally we looked at the negatives/criticisms of Web 2.0 how it can lead to buzz and hype, its promotion of narcissism and amateurism and enhances the fickle nature of peoples personalities.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)