Dr Odedra cites a number of infrastructural reasons for the lack of effective ICT. What are these?
-The lack of a reliable power supply to operate computers
-The need of a well functioning telephone network to transmit data (For 1000 people the number of telephones range between 12 and 50 depending on the country)
-The lack of foreign currency to import the technology
-The lack of computer literate people
What is identified as the most pressing need for Africa (in terms of ICT)?
-
How successful are computer-aid projects been? Why have they failed?
However, although the number of computers has increased rapidly in some places, the process of computerization has not been as successful as it should be in a majority of these countries. There is extensive under-utilization of equipment and major computer-based projects have failed (Odedra, 1990a). Examples abound of systems that are simply not used because of the lack of secondary equipment, suitable electric power, or training.
What computer skills are identified as lacking?
What lack of business skills are identified as a major problem?
A national identification card would be used to prove someone's identity to government officials. Each cardholder would have a unique card. The information stored on the card would be basic details and would be checked by and confirmed by the cardholder. Indentity theft would be reduced by using biometric information such as fingerprints in order to link the card to the cardholder. A large database called the "National Identity Register" would hold all the data.
Advantages
- Immigration control - Immgritation would become a lot easier to control and they would help border angents. Identifying individuals would be made much easier with the use of the identity cards as they would hold such information as height, weight, eye-colour, etc. Furthemore, border officials would be able to recieve much more control and would be able to find out the immigration status of individuals.
- Easy Identification – Many places ask for photographic proof of identification and for those without a driving license or another form of photo identification it would make proving your identity easy and hassle free. Also an easier form of identification would make check in times at airports less and also much easier to handle.
Disadvantages
- Feasibility – It would difficult to issue cards to citizens, permanent residents and legal immigrants. It would also mean staff would have to be trained to be able to issue cards. Also it would be difficult to ensure the population applied for cards. Homeless people may find it hard to produce identification in order to obtain a card as they may not birth certificates etc.
- Many people already have a form of identification such as a passport or drivers license. It would be pointless for people to carry around two forms of ID card. Also the costs of create national identity cards would outweigh the befits of having them
- Possible Invasion Of Privacy – By having the ID card the government would have to create a database in which personal information would have to be stored some people may see this as an invasion of privacy.
I think that the likelyhood of this happening and being a success is very small. It is too much trouble and will waste too much time and money to get every single person within the UK to change to this form of ID when we already have a perfectly decent identification system in place. Furthermore, the expense of changing the whole system, implementing it, training staff etc, would be better used in improving our country in somewhere that actually needed the help, like our healthcare system or something similar that is more likely to be much more beneficial.
http://www.ehow.com/about_5438693_pros-cons-national-id-cards.html
Spreadsheets
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spreadsheet
A spreadsheet is a computer application that simulates a paper worksheet. It displays a grid made up of rows and columns made of cells. Alphanumeric or numeric data is entered into these cells and calculations can be performed by entering certain formulae. Spreadsheets are frequently used for financial information because of their ability to re-calculate the entire sheet automatically after a change to a single cell is made. Spreadsheets are particularly useful when it comes to decision making as they have specific features that make viewing information easy, for example, conditional formatting. There is the opportunity to create charts and graphs simply and quickly so people can view information in a more user friendly way. Spreadsheets also allow information to be ordered into ascending or descending groups. Negative numbers are shown in red and comments can also be added to cells.
Simulation Software
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulation_software
Simulation software is based on the process of imitating a real phenomenon with a set of mathematical formulas. Essentially, it is a program that allows the user to observe an operation through simulation without actually performing that operation. Simulation software is used widely to design equipment so that the final product will be as close to design specs as possible without expensive in process modification.Simulation software allows many scenarios to be tested this means time and money is saved. Simulation software is valuable as actions that are uncertain can be tested and the outcomes and consequences can be reported.
Data Mining Tools
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_mining
Data mining is the process of extracting patterns from data. As more data is being gathered (with the amount of data doubling every three years), data mining is becoming an increasingly important tool to transform these data into information. It is commonly used in a wide range of profiling practices such as; marketing, surveillance, fraud detection and scientific discovery. While data mining can be used to uncover patterns in data samples, it is important to be aware that the use of non-representative samples of data may produce results that are not indicative of the domain. Similarly, data mining will not find patterns that may be present in the domain, if those patterns are not present in the sample being "mined".
Exception Reporting Tools
Exception Reporting Tools are able to find abnormalities in data. This saves money in the long term and makes information more reliable.
http://blog.activehome.co.uk/2007/03/mobile_phone_fo.html
A mobile phone has been designed for use by older people by an Austrian firm. The "Life" phone from Emporia Telecom is aimed at the '40+ generation' but has features designed specifically for those in their 50s and 60s and 70s who find modern day mobiles too complicated, too small and too difficult to use. It has many functions that elderly people may find useful;
· Large keys
· Large display
· Easy menu navigation
· Hearing aid suitability
· Emergency call key function
This phone assumes that many elderly people have hearing and eyesight problems and find technology hard to use. It has kept the complexity of calling and texting to a minimum as they understand that many old people tend not to buy a mobile as they find it complicated to use.
Why are computer games popular?
Computer games are extremely popular as it is a way of people being able to live a story without particular risk - they can act through characters and experience what they like through the game. Much like movies, computer games offer people the chance to be able to experience something out of their normal routine. For example, many people don't race cars in real life (as much as they'd like to) and even fewer are formula one racing drivers - however, gaming allows these people who enjoy such an activity to gain entertainment and an experience of what it might feel like to do so. Not only are they good for this, but they allow people to communicate with others and develop team work skills. As computer games are starting to incorporate internet access it means people from all over the world can come together and play their favourite game. Many games are now trying to appeal to the younger market and are incorporating educational features which allow people to develop important skills alongside teamwork.
Do computer games make you more violent?
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,372684,00.html
Computer games have a huge impact on many people's lives - I think that they are a key influence and do actually encourage the violent nature someone has. Computer games manage to detensensitise a lot of people (especially young children as the are going through the learning processes at a young age and learn from the game) from real life and how society is actually meant to be; Because people see that killing and shooting is fine on a game, they become desensitised that this would normally be percieved as wrong and dangerous. Generally, games are harmless and I don't think that it is intentional to bring out the violent side of someone - however, as stated I think that if they play these games as they are learning or are people who are easily influenced, it does bring out a violent side.
Do computer games make you more isolated?
In the long run, computer games are liable to make most more socially isolated. Most people enjoy computer games with their friends and family as they find it is a good way to relieve stress, ease boredom and also bond - but, there are many more games in which only one player is needed. This means people will start missing out on social events to complete the games. People will then find that they would rather stay at home and play on a game than go out and meet their friends. Also as computer games are a way of people to live fantasy lives they will soon start to like their fantasy life rather than their real life - it can be used as an effective escape method for someone who doesn't particularly like their life. Furthermore, if their social life deteriorates because of game playing, they are only likely to do moreso, and hence a cycle is created.
Do networked computer games make you more or less social?
Networked games are more likely to make you less social. Although you work within a team and communicate via this, it's not "real" communication - it's a fantasy world. Furthermore, it doesn't actually involve talking to someone and getting to know them, it's working with them in order to further yourself in a game. Also, by talking over a computer you aren’t developing any social skills. This, in turn, will make physical communication more difficult as they will find it harder to approach people they don’t have a common interest in. On the other hand networked games are a good way to find people with a common interest and friendships could be formed as a result.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Signs-of-a-Reliable-Web-Site&id=308686
There are many features people need access to make sure that the information they are viewing on websites are reliable;
1. Domain Name – if you recognise the URL you are more likely to trust the information it is displaying. There are no restrictions on who may apply for a; .com, .net, or .org domain for their website. However, the .edu and .gov domains are restricted to government agencies and educational institutions. Generally, information collected from these sites are considered to be more reliable.
2. Site Layout And Design – Poor design and clear lack of knowledge of how to design a successful website suggests the extent of reliability and validity of the information it is displaying. Broken image links, poor spelling and poor grammar may also question the site's reliability. On the other hand, a factor that must be taken into consideration is that all sites and all web-developers experience issues and technical difficulties within the website at one point or another.
3. Contact Information – A website displaying contact information or information about the author is a strong indictor about the website's quality and therefore reliability and validity. An author displaying contact information indicates to the public that they are proud of the quality of the work and are wanting people to ask questions about it this symbolises that the information the website is displaying is valid and reliable.
Generally, the trend of genders studying computing subjects is dominated by boys. The website "Computer Weekly" illustrates this from last years figures in England; 3.697 boys took A-level computing and only 302 girls. The article continues to say explain that "The ICT A-level was less stark, but there were 7,339 boys on the ICT course, compared to 4,609 girls so the difference is still pretty huge". An obvious factor of this is the stereotyping of the computing subjects - they are considered by society as male subjects. Huge outcomes of this for both society overall and the female gender. The numbers of people taking computer subjects are falling, which is worry for our society today - technology is a huge part and falling numbers studying this will result in less going into that profession and hence a huge slow down in the advancedment of technology and a major fall in our economics.
http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/witsend/2009/08/ten-times-more-boys-took-computing-a-level---why-this-matters-for-the-it-industry.html
Things needed more than internet;
1. Shelter
2. Food/Water
3. Money
4. Clothes
5. Warmth
Ways access to the internet could improve their life;
1. Search for jobs
2. Find maps
3.
4.
5.
- Economic Prosperity
More economically developed countries such as America and England, have more disposable income and can therefore afford advancements in things such as technology- causing the lesser economically developed countries (such as Chad, Mali, Niger etc) to fall even further behind as they do not have the money to begin or develop their technology.
- Political
Some countries have political leaders that invest more into developing other areas such as weaponary etc rather than technology.
- Educational
Educational factors play a huge part in the digital divide - countries that do not have the advancement in education services that other countries have cannot educate people on how to use technology. This therefore leads to less people in that country using it.
- Geographical
Issues regarding geographical locations can cause a further divide for countries - places in the desert, in the mountains etc. Furthermore, some countries lack the power and distribution factors that are needed to set up a computer network. In addition, the demand for computer related jobs in some countries is much less and therefore computer systems are less likely to be implemented and education for computing is not neccessarily needed.
What are the advantages of paying a supplier such as Apple for a legal music download?
- The quality is usually better than music downloaded from an illegal source
- The artist will recieve money for their work
- Ensured that viruses etc will not be downloaded along with the song
What are the disadvantages of purchasing a pirate DVD from a market song?
- Lesser quality
- Illegal
What are the disadvantages of getting a pirate download of the latest Hollywood blockbuster before its UK release?
- Already seen it by the time everyone else goes to see it - the novelty and excitement of the film will have worn off for you
- Illegal
- Lesser quality - impression of the film different
What are the disadvantages to you of visiting an illicit download site?
- Viruses
Does widespread illicit downloading discourage the funding of new talent?
- Yes, artist Lily Allen was reported to have said that she would not produce any more records due to the fact that too many people illegally download music;
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/lily-allen-quits-music-after-abuse-over-filesharing-fight-20090925-g5ie.html
- Less money is generated for new artists to further themselves properly e.g. create records etc.
- Illegal downloads of music don't allow the song downloaded to be counted within the charts - this reduces a lot of publicity for up-coming artists.
"It has never been easier to publish orginal entertainment"
With the expanding world of technology and internet, many sites have been created such as "YouTube", "Dailymotion" etc. (See links) These websites make it increbily easy for users to post new entertainment on the world wide web. Also, social networking sites such as "Facebook" and "MySpace" allow users to also upload videos, pictures and other media clips on them too - this gives an even wider range of users able to publish entertainment online.
"It has never been harder to see and hear original entertainment"
As it is so easy to access sites that allow users to publish their media, it becomes harder to actually view original entertainment. Repeats of and slight alterations to entertainment is made and therefore, posts stop being orginal. Also, where the access to internet has rapidly increase - more and more have been viewed.
I use emails in order to send and receive messages from family and friends. I also use emails so that I can transfer work from one computer to another - I attach documents, pictures etc to the email and send it to my own email address and then open it on the computer I wish to save it to. I access my email via an online email client called “hotmail”. There are many benefits of using email. It is a quick and easy method in order to send important information to contacts - also, it makes having discussions with several people much easier as we can all reply to emails and forward it to contacts that need to be involved etc. Also, emails allow the user to attach files etc, which is useful for transporting data and data sharing. However, email delivery is not always guaranteed and can often end up being marked as “spam” and automatically put into a junk folder. This can result in important emails not getting to the contact needed. Email often makes people more productive as they can get more done in a shorter amount of time. However, email can be a huge distraction from important work.
SPREADSHEET
Advantages
- Can calculate income/expenditure/stock
- Can easily order information
- Spreadsheets are easier to use than Databases- requires less training, etc
DATABASE
Advantanges
- Easily record, maintain and display customer information
- Link information to other information
- Databases can produce reports based on certain values
The need for typists would dramatically increase in the business and the need for secretaries would dramatically decrease. The information would no longer need to be sorted etc by secretaries, however, more data is needed to be inputted into computers etc. Also, new positions would be opened. They would require a technical support assisantant in order to solve any issues that occur with the programs etc. They would also require someone to design the spreadsheets and database in the first place.
Music is a good that is in great demand to download – it is the only good that I download from the internet. Downloading has many advantages to physically purchasing goods;
• Firstly, downloading music from the internet means that you can choose one specific song – you don’t have to purchase the whole album – you cannot do this in shops.
• Also, the music can be sampled first – you can listen to sections of songs in order to see if you like the CD before purchasing.
• Downloading can be done at any time, making it more accessible than music stores which have certain opening hours.
• Users do not have to travel in order to buy – this saves them time and ultimately more money as they do not have to pay for a means of travelling to the store.
• Music can be retrieved almost instantly – the user only has to wait the downloading time, which is often much faster than travelling to a store, purchasing the CD and returning home.
• Also, downloading music makes importing onto different mediums such as Ipods and MP3 players easier as the music is just downloaded and saved to the computer – CDs have to be uploaded onto the computer, and then transferred to the device.
However, there are also many disadvantages;
• Songs can be lost if you do not back them up on a memory stick, CD etc – if the computer malfunctions, gets a virus or needs rebuilding, this will require songs to be backed up or they will be lost.
• If the music is downloaded from a non-safe source, the user can receive viruses that can greatly affect the computer. Furthermore, the quality of music from such places is usually worse than CD quality.
• Furthermore, extra items received when purchasing CDs are not given – lyrics and pictures in the album booklet, etc.
• Also, if the user buys every song on the album, this might end up saving them little or no money at all.
• Downloading can also be time-consuming – if you have a poor or slow internet connection, it can take several attempts or a lot of time in order to download the required song.
A PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) will benefit John in several ways – he can use this in order to store documents such as customer receipts and receipts from stock purchases. Also, a calendar could be used in order to plan sales and other meetings. Furthermore, the PDA could double-up as a mobile phone if the right one was purchased – this would allow John to make important phone calls and keep contacts with names, numbers and addresses of clients. He would also be able to connect to the internet using a PDA and he could therefore search for products, send emails etc. Calculations would also be easy to make as they could be done using the PDA. This would mean that John would no longer need; the address book, a diary, small coins for phones, bulky sales catalogue(s), or a calculator.
Using GPS could benefit him also, as he could plot routes to clients, speed cameras etc can be located and also, it can calculate the quickest route which would help him in being punctual and would also result in John no longer requiring the large road atlas.
A laptop with certain software and internet installed would also benefit John greatly in improving his working style with the use of I.T. John could install specialised software along with basic software packages such as Microsoft office in order to further his business – he could create and maintain databases that contain customer data, spreadsheets to calculate expenses, use mail merge to create bulk letters etc. This would be of use to John as these can be created once and added to or altered – this means that he would not need to spend an entire day in the office, as all administration and sales would have been carried out more effectively by him after a sale. Furthermore, John can display items etc to customers which means that he no longer needs to carry around the hefty sales book with him every time.
Although all of these factors improve his work life greatly, there are some disadvantages. Using purely IT to store customer details may prove to be ineffective as a computer malfunction could occur and the customers could be lost. Therefore, back-up of information would have to be implemented every night in order to ensure the safety of details – if the data is lost, he could get fined because of the Data Protection Act. Also, John may become to dependent on the internet and use of I.T – if the battery on his phone/PDA or laptop runs out, he could not go to the client without first retrieving his old means of contacting – A-Zs, road atlas etc. This would therefore take more time and effort than taking the existing means with him in the first place. Furthermore, GPS systems can often mistake other areas as roads – for example, pedestrian walkways etc. This could cause some issues when John is travelling to clients and could result in making him later rather than earlier. Although all of these are issues, with the right precautions, John could easily overcome many issues relating to the use of I.T.
Online Education Sources;
1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/bitesize//
This website offers multiple ways of learning. Firstly, there are the simple fact-file type pages on each subject, divided into sections. The user would read this and take in the information. Then or instead of, there are tests for each section in order to check whether the user fully understands the key concepts and facts about that particular subject. Furthermore, within some subjects, for example languages, they have voice clips in order to aid the user in learning how native people from that language pronounce words etc. They also offer educational games in which the user must answer questions relating to a chosen subject. I think that this website is a good education source as it provides a variety of different methods in which the user can learn - if one method does not work, another method is likely. The site targets all three learning styles - visual, auditory and kinetic. Visual is the display of information in text or image form, auditary takes form in examples such as voice clips and kinetic involves the user actually doing something - for example, tests and games. Furthermore, if the user completes all three of these, it is more likely that the information learnt will stick for longer and they are more likely to achieve more from it.
2. http://www.lynda.com/home/DisplayCourse.aspx?lpk2=113
This website offers a video and voice clip in order to explain to users about blogs. This is effective as it is likely to interest many users and keep their attention throughout. Also, by having both video and voice over, it targets two of the three learning styles stated above, which will therefore make the information more evident and more likely to be remembered at a later date.
3. http://www.bayhouselearning.co.uk/
This site uses SCORM. This is Sharable Content Object Reference Model - a selection of principles and conditions used in e-learning. The SCORM method allows access from both home and school computers. Teachers can set homework and other tasks from this and students can complete this at home or at school and then upload them onto the VLE. This saves time and money – students do not have to use ink printing out certain documents etc and also there is no time wasted in handing documents over. Also, this method can be used as an alternative to book work.
http://www.lynda.com/home/DisplayCourse.aspx?lpk2=113
I used this website to use and research Flash learning. It is an online demonstration in which a voice over explains what needs to be done in order to create and manage a blog. The video is of the screen, displaying what the voice over explains. I found this very effective as it offers a way of visual and auditory learning as opposed to the conventional merely visual learning online via e-learning etc. Also, by having two of these learning techniques used within the Flash demonstration, I believe that it would be easier to pick up and understand almost instantaneously - it offers a double effect when learning. People usually re-read peices of text anyway when trying to learn and this gives them the effect of the additional read. However, by using computers to explain and teach, it means that if you do not understand, it will require you to send an email or something similar in order to recieve feedback for this - however, this does take time. Furthermore, some may argue that by just being shown the correct method and the way to get there, you don't really learn anything - many believe that humans need to make errors and correct themselves in order to learn appropiately. Overall, however, I think this is an effective way to learn - it will appeal to a wide range of users and also I believe it is a good teaching method as it uses two of the three possible learning styles.
http://frog.edschool.virginia.edu/Frog2/Dissection/Incisions/muscle1_first.html
This website prepares students for a frog disection. It explains the theory step-by-step and then uses simulations of a frog so that you get it correct at each stage. By doing this, it prepares students so that they have more of a chance of getting the practical correct and therefore improving skills. Also, computers interest younger children more - they are more willing to learn via a computer. Also, schools can use this as an alternative to using actual frogs as this may cause controversy within a class - some may not feel it is right to cut up a real frog. Furthermore, if this happens and an alternative is suggested like learning from the book, this appeals more as you can still actually do the disection but with a virtual frog instead of a real one.
Advantages to using e-learning
- Lessons can be attended wherever you are - as long as there is a computer and connection to the internet, it is possible to learn.
- Learning is available at any time - there are no timetables or specific time rules to abide by. This allows people to learn around previous commitments etc, for example work.
- Courses are liable to be cheaper to sign up to - if you had to go somewhere specific to learn, a teacher would be required and therefore you would have to cover the cost of the course and the educator.
- Any course can be taken as long as it is on the online courses list.
Disadvantages of using e-learning
- Help cannot be retrieved immediately - if the user does not understand something, they will have to submit a question and wait for a reply. This would take longer than usual classroom situations.
- Completing the course could prove to be a challenge for some users - they might use excuses not to log on and learn at times and therefore get into habits and take a very long time to complete or not at all. In a classroom situation, there are times to abide by and educators to ensure you learn and complete the course.
- Some people learn in different ways - often e-learning will be displayed as text - some people find it easier to learn by listening or doing, instead of reading etc.
This webpage informs users about a numerous amount of different subjects. It is aimed at A-level and vocational students who wish to further their knowledge online. The site uses numerous pictures in order to engage the reader - these relate to the subject(s) in which the user chooses to look at. The site has been well designed for its target audience as it has a reasonable amount of text and a of a medium sized font - this is particularly well suited to A-level students etc as they will not get bored reading it and find it easier to read smaller sized fonts than older users. The site uses navigation techniques such as buttons and hyperlinks and simple layout in order to aid the user in finding the area they wish to visit. There is also an additional search box function in which the user can type in the particular subject they are searching for. This produces a list of hyperlinks in which they may find what they were looking for, meaning minimal effort and time wasted in searching for a particular subject.
The site is very effective as a teaching tool - the user can easily find what they are looking for and study it carefully. However, there are some disadvantages. Firstly, the user must be connected to the internet to learn - this could prove costly. Also, some students may not be computer literate - this means that if they wish to learn from the site, it could become significantly more difficult (finding subjects etc). Furthermore, understanding the key concepts and language of the information on the site can be an issue. There are no tools in which aid users to understand better - e.g. there is no help, unlike a real classroom situation. Overall, however, the site appears to be a very useful object to aid further education.
- On the Virginia Library version of the ebook, the contents page has a list of hyperlinks to take the user to different sections of the book. This is useful as it helps navigate around the book. However, the link takes the user to that specific act/scene and from there, you can seemingly only read that act/scene. You then have to return to the contents page to select another act or scene. The Ebooks Cube version is fairly similar in respect to the use of a contents page for initial navigation, however, once one is clicked from there, there is a helpful navigation tool at the bottom of the page that allows the user to read on a page, go back a page, go back to the contents, etc.
- The text on the Virginia Library copy of the book is displayed via blocks of text on one page for one certain scene or act. The user must then return in order to view other pages. For the Ebooks Cube version, the structure is much more like a traditional book with pages that hold a set amount of text and the user can "turn" the page to read more.
The Ebooks Cube version of Hamlet is considerably better than the Virginia Library one as it is easier to use through navigation and much easier to read.
The weather forecast predicted by BBC on Wednesday the 23rd of September, proved to be incorrect. It was predicted to be sunny throughout the day, however, there were grey clouds all day and began to lightly rain at times.
Ebay is an online auction site in which people can buy and sell a wide variety of goods. Some items have to be bidded for and the bidder with the highest bid at the end of the auction, wins the bid and pays the price they last placed. However, some items have a "buy it now" feature, where the buyer can purchase the item for a set price. The transcation takes place through "paypal", which is a fast, safe way to pay money online. The site offers a wide range of goods and hence attracts a lot of custom and popularity. As well as attracting a wide variety of customers, it also attracts a range of ages of these customers, however only lets people over the age of 18 purchase or sell items. Their target market are continuing to grow as more people are using computers - older adults are more likely to use the internet and such sites as ebay etc. Popularity is also gained by ebay as many customers believe that they are getting goods at a very cheap price.
There are many benefits of using ebay over other auction sites. For example, a major advantage is that it is an absolutely hugely successful business and website and therefore has a good reputation. Furthermore, it is easier to track down products etc through ebay as they have been up and running successfully longer than many others. Also, support and help can be much more easily gained for the website because it is more well known than others. In addition, smaller businesses can find it easy to set up and run their businesses because of ebay as it allows them to have hosting for their products for a lot less than it would cost to set up an actual store or website of their own. Furthermore, they will recieve more attention from starting out on ebay as the site is trusted more than independant sites. A drawback of ebay is that there are costs to post images (which attract more customers etc) and other fees on top of this. This can end up being quite costly, however, if set at the right price the profit from selling the item should cover these fees. Also, buyers might not understand the product description or something similar and therefore would have to message the seller. However, this can take a number of days to recieve a reply and by this time, the product could have been sold or the customer could have lost interest.
BBC's weather forecast for Monday the 21st September was correct - it predicted the weather to be sunny all day with a chance of cloudy intervals.
BBC's weather forecast for Saturday the 19th of September was sunny intervals all day. This was correct - there were several sunny spells throughout the day.
BBC's weather forecast predicted Friday the 18th of September to be cloudy with sunny intervals throughout the day. I found the result to be incorrect - there was no sunshine - it was cloudy all day and at about 3.30 it rained lightly.
I am using the BBC website in order to check the weather forecasts for the next 5 days. I will evaluate the accuracy of the prediction each day and consider the factor of money - would paying for a service make it more reliable? etc.
If I took the car up to Tottenham Court Road, it would take me 2 hours 9 minutes to travel there (not including traffic and other stops.) The only cost I would require is to buy the petrol I need to travel up there. I received this information from AA route planner. I found the directions very easy to read and also there is an option to view the map in a normal map view or satellite view. This was a useful feature to me. Also, the route was planned very quickly so is therefore useful for busy people. Another advantage of this method is that I can just type in the address I wish to visit and I don’t have to find the nearest bus top/station etc to this.
http://www.theaa.com/route-planner/index.jsp
I also looked at planning my journey by train via National Rail. I found this considerably more challenging to use as in I had to find the nearest station to Tottenham Court Road. Furthermore, the cost of the journey is considerably higher and I would have to find a number of different means to travel to and from the train stations to other destinations and this would add extra time and effort into planning my journey and also extra money.
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/
Poverty stops love.
Snow wakes but spring leaves wonder.
A poison loiters.
Povrty stops luv.
Snow wakes but spring leaves wondr.
A poison loiters.
Using SMS to send this Haiku is an effective way to send (compared to email and instant messaging) as the words can be shortened using 'SMS language'. In instant messaging, you can get inturrupted whilst recieting the poem and emails are a more formal form of communication.
2. The message will be composed in an editing window or frame within the email client. This will be either text based or HTML based.
3. Then it will be sent via a SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol-port 25) server. It will be recieved by either a POP3 (Post Office Protocol-port 110) or an IMAP (Internet Mail Access Protocol-port 143). (See diagram)
When creating an ebook, there are many important accessibility issues. Some ebooks have several advtanges for accessibility;
→ Users are able to customise the size and font of the text.
→ Colours of the background and the text are adjustable.
→ The use of text-to-speech software.
→ 'Pages' can be 'turned' with the click of a button, switch or by using the keyboard.
However, some ebooks don't have these key points and are therefore going against the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). The issues stated must be carefully considered when creating an ebook to avoid such situations.
Project Gutenburg is referred to as a 'digital library' and offers a range of free ebooks in order to encourage the production and use of ebooks. It allows users to read ebooks from the site through several formats - all of which can be used on the majority of platforms so that the site and ebooks can be accessed and used widely (such formats as Plain text, HTML, pdf etc).
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=vmv7q4-HHRcC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_navlinks_s#v=twopage&q=&f=false
"Unleashing the killer app" is an ebook in which business people are given advice and information about business and IT merge and how businesses can lauch products successfully. The structure of the ebook is that of an actual book - it is set with paragraphs on pages, divided by chapters. An advantage of using it this way is that the users are already familiar with this format and find it easy to read and also to move to different parts of the book through the chapters. The ebook is very well navigated, having arrow buttons at the top of the page in order to allow the user to 'turn' the page. It also has hyperlinks on the contents page to ensure ease of access to certain areas of the book. For example, taking the user to "Part One", "Part Two" or "Part Three". There are further sub-divisions in this that take the user to certain chapters. There is an additional drop down list at the top of the page, in which the contents page hyperlinks are displayed again for ease of access when actually looking through the book (you don't have to scroll all the way back up to the top.) The ebook has several advantages and disadvantages. A major advantage of this ebook is the format - it is a HTML document using CSS - this allows a wide variety of users to read it as it can be displayed on any web browser and many different platforms (Windows, Macintoch, Linux, Palm and Pocket PC) as no specialised software is needed to upload or view the ebook. However, it is very important for a great amount of care to be taken when using HTML documents with CSS as often messy and poorly designed ebooks are created because of the flexibility of it.