Session 8 and Session 9... (Two in one post)

Yeah!! I'm back!! After finished my first draft FYP report, now my life becomes normal again :p. Almost 2 weeks I only touched my report, and ignored other subjects that I take this semester. Heheeheh.. And now I'm back with revision on session 8 and session 9. Let's start from the session 8.

Session 8: Interactive Design
Yup. Session 8 was all about design. In this session, we started the session with presentation of proof-of-concept for each team. We presented our proof of concept in different way this time. Instead of using power point or flash, we did it by using skit !!! And then followed by demo of our sub application inside eSing, our business plan. This application is a bus guide. But it is not like old fashioned street directory book, this application is dedicated to mobile phone and the user can access this application from their own phone. Here is the snapshot of the bus guide application
Another interesting presentation was conducted by Team Visionaries. Their user interface design was very attractive. They did it using Flash. Before you interact with the user interface, you'll never know what's inside. But once you interact with the apps, you will be amazed by this interface. This interface will attract your attention and it will enhance a user experience.

Okay, let's go to the lesson. In this session we discussed about designing an interface for application especially in Critical Design Trends for application developer when designing an application. Prof. Gilbert gave us nice analogy by using a simple game. This game required the two players to each take turn to choose a number for a set of numbers between 1 to 9 till either side got a total of 15 from the addition of the numbers each pick. At the beginning, the class confused about the game rule. The game rule seemed complicate and hard to play. Eventually, this game is a version of Tic Tac Toe game that I'm sure you all know how to play. Moral of the story is with proper interface, the application will be easier to understand by customer.

Actually, I'm quite interesting with one of the slides that Prof. Gilbert gave us from edventure. It is a slide about Creating Initial Design. Well, the contents of this slide are related with my Industrial Attachment. Before I share my IA experience about creating a User Interface for our application, let's highlight the contents of the slide. Here they are:

• Intelligent borrowing
• Derive principles from other applications
• Copy specific interaction techniques
• Only then conside a new solutions

One of the phases in my IA project was designing user interface for the application. At that time our team made a Windows-based application. This means, we must follows the User Interface of the Windows XP. After I read the Creating Initial Design slide, I feel that the slide summarize the essence of my experience during my IA. Okay, let me give you an example in designing a Windows-based application.
Refer to figure above, all the buttons in the User Interface are placed on the right side (right-alligned style) and Microsoft as well as Windows always put their trio buttons ('OK' button, 'Cancel' button, 'Apply' button) on the corner of the Windows.

And at that time, I didn't follow this kind of example. I designed the user interface with my own design. In the end, one of my friends told me that your application is not a Windows application if the User Interface design is different from what Windows does. =D

So, moral of the story is, follow what Windows does when you design User Interface for a Windows-based application.

Okay, le't go to session 9. I think its enough for session 8 review :p..

Session 9: Scenario Planning
Let's start from the definition of scenario planning. In formal definition, Scenario planning or Scenario thinking is a strategic planning method that some organizations use to make flexible long-term plans. It is in large part an adaptation and generalization of classic methods used by military intelligence.

he basic method is that a group of analysts generate simulation games for policy makers. The games combine known facts about the future, such as demographics, geography, military, political, industrial information, and mineral reserves, with plausible alternative social, technical, economic and political (STEP) trends which are key driving forces.

Scenario planning can include anticipatory thinking elements that are difficult to formalize, such as subjective interpretations of facts, shifts in values, new regulations or invention

In this session, Prof. Gilbert highlighted the importance of scenario planning to help in our forecast about competitor's strategy. In this session, Prof. Gilbert gave us an example using a table to represent the Structural Dimension and Scenarios. We need to identify the structural factors for decision making process. Looking at 3 or 4 dimensions is very good to analyze the problem. Using only 2 dimensions will result in many way of contradicting answers.

That's all for these 2 sessions =D

Ciao..

Podcasting... yay!! Sounds cool!!!

Yup yup.. actually I was quite busy during the recess week, since I had several things to settle about my Final Year Project. Hehehe. That's why I update this blog just before the week 8 session starts :p..

Last 2 week, we had a discussion about Podcast. Actually I have already heard this term quite frequently, however I didn't know the exact meaning before I attended this session. :p So, what is podcast??

Podcast is...

In the formal definition, podcast is a method publishing files to the internet, allowing users to subscribe to a feed and receive new files automatically by subscription, usually at no cost. It first became popular in late 2004, commonly used for large audio files. The term 'podcast' itself is derived from Apple's popular product, iPod. More detailed information about the name can be found here. :D

iPod by Apple

Podcast is distinguished from other digital audio formats by its ability to be downloaded automatically, using software capable of reading feed formats such as RSS or Atom.

Okay, definition will become clearer if it is supported by some examples. Here are some of the podcast examples, take a look at them

• From mac.com
• http://audio.weblogs.com

Podcast potential...

In the lesson, we discussed about podcast's abilities and potential. Eventually, we conclude that podcast has great potential to enhance our education and learning experiences, for example:

• portable, can be played anytime anywhere, as long as you download the file and save it in your own computer
• suitable for self-paced learning, student can arrange their convenient and best time to study:D
• provide flexibility to the student
  
• it enhances our learning experience

Here is the example of podcast for education, The Education Podcast Network

How to....

Let's go to practical things. How-to section!!!!. :D
This how-to section will teach you how to make a podcast. Sounds fun right??!! :D

First you must create your own audio content. In this step you need computer, working mic, and sound editor software. Free sound editor software like Audacity is quite good for your first podcast:D. You can download Audacity here.

Audacity is a freeware, so you don't need to pay to use it :D

Save your finished audio show at maximum quality in the native format of your audio application. That way you can go back and edit it or reuse it and you'll have a good version.

Convert the file to MP3 format. Once you have your audio content, you need to save it in MP3 format. MP3 is the defacto standard format for podcasts. Stick with MP3 unless you've got a very good reason for using another format. Using anything but MP3 will mean that some users may not be able to use your podcast.

Use the minimum bit rate that provide good results. Here are some suggested settings:

• 48 - 56k Mono - sermons, audio books, talk radio
• 64k+ Stereo - music, music & talk combinations
• 128k Stereo - good quality music

Publish your MP3 - save your MP3 files to your web server, and test them with any MP3 player. The files can go anywhere on your site, but you may want to put all of them into one directory, so they are easy to find and manage.

Create your podcast newsfeed - Podcast feeds are RSS files that describe your podcast, along with information for each show. An RSS file is just a text file that links to your MP3 file.

For a brief introduction of to RSS, check the article Understanding RSS Feeds. For details on RSS, check the RSS 2.0 Specification. The specification includes an example file that can be used as a starting point for creating new RSS files.

You can use any text editor to create an RSS news feed. However, most podcasters use blogging programs or other applications to automatically generate newsfeeds.

If you have a blogging tool that lets you reference enclosures, just create an item for each MP3 file you publish, and use URL of the audio content as your enclosure. If your blogging tool doesn't support enclosures yet, don't worry, it will soon because of the popularity of podcasts

In the meantime, you can edit your RSS file with any text editor to add the enclosure tag. Here's an example from the Trade Secrets podcast newsfeed:

RSS newsfeeds normally feature news Items that contain a Title, Link, and Description. Each item in a news feed provides meta-information about a URL on the web. In the case of a podcast newsfeed, each Item describes the content of an audio file referenced by the enclosure URL. Save your RSS file with a .rss or .xml extension.

Normally, you'll want to have one news feed that contains all of your recent podcasts, ordered from newest to oldest.

Publish your podcast news feed - transfer your podcast RSS file to your webserver, like you would any other content. Validate it using an online RSS validator. If the podcast news feed is valid, it's ready to be published to the web.

Hehehehe... That's all for this session. Enjoy podcasting!!!

Case study and analysis...

This session we discuss about how to handle a case study. Actually I was very sleepy in this session because I didn't have enough sleep the night before T_T.. but nevermind, after Prof. Gilbert asked me to get some coffee, I regained my freshness and energy ehehehe.. ^^v

Okay, let's get back to the topic, case study. First of all, what is case study? After entering "case study" to Wikipedia search book, here is the definition that I get

A case study is a research strategy, sometimes likened to an experiment, a history, or a simulation, though not linked to any particular type of evidence or method of data collection

Case Analysis

Yup, usually case study is used to depict some condition and we, as the analyst, should solve the problem inside the case study. And usually this activity is called case analysis. There are 3 basic parts in composing case analysis :

1. Identification, this part means provide a sharply focused diagnosis of strategic issues and key problems and that you demonstrate a good grasp of the company's present situation.
2. Analysis and evaluation. This is usually the hardest part of the report. Analysis is hard work! Check out the firm's financial ratios, its profit margins and rates of return, and its capital structure, and decide how strong the firm is financially. Look at marketing, production, managerial competence, and other factors underlying the organization's strategic successes and failures. Decide whether the firm has valuable resource strengths and competencies and, if so, whether it is capitalizing on them
3. Recommendation. The final section of the written case analysis should consist of a set of definite recommendations and a plan of action. Your set of recommendations should address all of the problems/issues you identified and analyzed. If the recommendations come as a surprise or do not follow logically from the analysis, the effect is to weaken greatly your suggestions of what to do. Obviously, your recommendations for actions should offer a reasonable prospect of success. State how your recommendations will solve the problems you identified. Be sure the company is financially able to carry out what you recommend; also check to see if your recommendations are workable in terms of acceptance by the persons involved, the organization's competence to implement them, and prevailing market and environmental constraints.

Click here if you want to know more about how to compose a case analysis

Different Approaches in Case Analysis

Let's look at what are different approaches to construct a case analysis. Here they are

1. Value chain or process flow analysis
2. Value system analysis
3. Competitive analysis
4. Market analysis
5. Policy analysis
6. Financial analysis
7. Organizational analysis

In this session, Prof. Gilbert gave us example in value chain analysis and also competitive analysis.

The value chain categorizes the generic value-adding activities of an organization. The "primary activities" include: inbound logistics, operations (production), outbound logistics, marketing and sales, and services (maintenance). The "support activities" include: administrative infrastructure management, human resource management, R&D, and procurement. The costs and value drivers are identified for each value activity. The value chain framework quickly made its way to the forefront of management thought as a powerful analysis tool for strategic planning. Its ultimate goal is to maximize value creation while minimizing costs. Here is an example of wireless value chainCompetitive analysis allows you to identify your competitors and evaluate their respective strengths and weaknesses. By knowing the actions of your competitors, you will have a better understanding of what products or services you should offer, how you can market them effectively, and how you can position your business. There are 4 basic steps to conduct competitive analysis

1. Identify your competition
2. Analyze strength and weakness
3. Look at opportunities and threats
4. Determine your position

Click here for more detailed information ^^v

Other than that, I was very happy at that time because there is no assignment for this week ^^v.. laaa laaa laaa... :D.. however don't forget to upload the edited version of the elevator pitch. I can't wait to present our edited elevator pitch. Ciaooo!!!

It's show time!!

It's all about elevator pitch :D

Yup!! It's showtime!!! This session each group presented its elevator pitch!!.. And, this is our group elevator pitch. We managed to upload it to YouTube before our session start ^^
Here it is...



Actually we plan to produce an Integrated Singapore Tourist Information System. We realize that tourists that come to Singapore don't have enough information about Singapore tourist destination, as well as Singapore current tourist event. In this system, we will provide the latest information about Singapore such as shopping places (including information about their special offers or special items), places to stay (including information about special offers from hotel or motel), transport information from one place to another place, exotic eating places, and also Singapore's current events.

Hehehe.. I think that's all for sneak preview about our business plan. Let's get back to the elevator pitch. Our elevator pitch received several critics and suggestions from Prof. Gilbert. Here they are (from what I remember at that time)

1. It's better to use more exciting picture as the opening of elevator pitch. Our elevator pitch uses AMG's logo as the opening and Prof. Gilbert was right, content-related picture will gain more attention that a logo. Prof. Gilbert also suggested that AMG's logo is put at the ending of elevator pitch as closing phase of the elevator pitch.
   
2. Make the elevator pitch pace faster, so we can insert more content.
   
3. Put business model and also revenue model inside the elevator pitch, so that the investor will be more attracted to our idea/business plan.
   

In the end of the session, Prof. Gilbert also suggested all groups to improve their elevator pitch and publish it in the YouTube. :D

Governing the freedom economy: Do we need new rules??

Yup, that's the topic for our discussion this week. Basically we discuss about how technology influence daily norms and convert them into some new laws. Let's see a realistic example, I found an interesting article about MP3 and copyright law. You can read the full article here. In this case, EMI tries to remove copy protection in MP3 so that people can download and play the song easily anytime everywhere. And in my opinion, this is an example of how technology, in this case is MP3, change our norms. Last time, when people still used audio cassette, people hardly copy a song from one audio cassette to another audio cassette since the quality will decrease a lot. However, after MP3 is introduced, people start to rip audio CD and convert them to MP3 format and distribute the songs to their friends. This actions infringe the copyright of song producer and make government to make copyright law to protect the song producer.

In the other hand, now, some recording companies such as EMI, want to remove the copyright protection in their digital music file to get more customers. Hmm.. I think this move may create new norms in the future. Especially in the way people obtain digital songs, maybe this move can reduce the number of pirated music. :D

Jurong Bird Park Information System....

Jurong Bird Park Information System

In this session, our group, AMG (which is the acronym of our names : Arinto, M. Hamidullah and Gabriel) presented our proposed Jurong Bird Park Information Sytem. Actually the objective of this system is to provide unforgettable experience for Jurong Bird Park visitor. And the main obstacle is how to communicate the information about the bird/attraction effectively to the visitor. Jurong Bird Park had installed multilingual broadcasting speaker in its monorail but it is not currently in operation since the contractor is no longer able to maintain the system...

To overcome this problem, we proposed AMG Information System for Jurong Bird Park which use bluetooth technology as the backbone of this solution. We present our solution in a use case diagram. Prof. Gilbert also mentioned this type of diagram during this session. Later I'll give you more information about use case diagram.

Refer to diagram beside, AMG provides 2 main services which called Blue-Info-Counter and Voice Recorded Information Service.

Blue-Info-Counter is a bluetooth-based solution. We plan to install many bluetooth access points in Jurong Bird Park where user with bluetooth capable cellphone can download the information through the bluetooth access point. This service is divided into several features for Jurong Bird Park visitor. Here they are:

• Location Information, this feature will inform the location of the Jurong Bird Park Visitor based on their nearest access point
• Text Information, this feature will send Jurong Bird Park Visitor with text-based information about the animal or other interesting things inside Jurong Bird Park
• Special Event Information, this feature will send information about Jurong Bird Park's special event such as Bird shows or other shows
• Video Information, visitor can download their desired information in video format, so they can stream it or store it in their cellphone
• Image Information, visitor also can download their desired information in image format, such as the image of specific bird or other species in Jurong Bird Park
• Species Locator, visitor can query location of specific species inside Jurong Bird Park, and the system will send the nearest bluetooth access point to the queried species
• Client Application, this is an application that will be installed in visitor's handphone to download the available contents inside all above features

On the other hand, AMG also provides Voice Recorded Service for visitors who don't have bluetooth-capable cellphone. In this feature, visitor can dial specific number, choose what kind of information that they want to hear and listen to them...

Wisdom of Crowd (again)...

Yup yup, and in the start and end of our presentation, Prof. Gilbert gave us suggestion to enlarge the font. Yup, at that time we made the slide using Microsoft Visio and we didn't enlarge the default font. And in when the last group finished their presentation, Prof. Gilbert combined all our ideas into several common main idea using Wisdom of Crowd concept that we learned in our previous session.

Based on our class discussion, the common main idea is by using an application that installed inside the visitor's cellphone when they enter Jurong Bird Park(JBP) for the first time. This aspect is almost similar with OCBC Bank's 2nd factor authentication using cellphone. OCBC provides option to their customer to choose what kind of 2nd factor authentication that they want. One of them is by installing an application inside customer's cellphone. Here are the snapshot.

From my perspective, this approach is quite effective since users only need little configuration to make that things work. Very practical and easy to use :D

Use Case Diagram - from requirements to features... :D

Yup as the title states, Use Case diagram is used for describing all the system's features to fulfill the requirements or objective of the system. Let's go through 3 main ingredients of use case diagram.

• Feature of the system. This features is depicted as an oval shape as shown in our example about JBP information system. We put each feature inside 1 oval shape.
  
• Actor. Then we also have other entities that interact with our system. This outside entity is called actor. In our example the actor is the visitor of JBP. Usually actor is depicted as a human shape as shown in above example.
  
• System boundary. This ingredient is depicted as large rectangle that contains all the oval shape as the feature.

Yup yup, we already cover the 3 basic ingredients of use case diagram. As I state above, use case is just a tool to depict our idea and it usually used for confirm our understanding with customer or people who give the system requirements to us. After all, use case diagram is just a tools, it still depends on our skills to produce good solution :D