Today, we finished the 'At The Start' tasks for the assessment.
The final thing to do was the Gantt Chart.

Hi LO Guessing Game

1. How many objects are referred to? What are they?
2 objects: Button 1 and Button 2

2. What is the name of the variable referred to?
Integer/Number that has to be guessed

3. What are the three text options that appear in textbox1?
'Higher', 'lower' and 'correct'

4. What do you think this code does?
This code is a guessing game where the user enters a number and the game tells them to go higher, lower, or if they're correct. The 'secretnum' is always a random number.

Augmented Reality

1. Define augmented reality (AR).
Augmented reality (AR) is a live view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data.

2. Provide some examples of how augmented reality might be used.
• Sports
• Handheld video games - Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita
• Phone apps
• etc

3. Traditionally a user would use text entry to search for information in Maps or a search engine. How does AR offer a different alternative?
People can look up recognisable objects and they can view relevant local data about that intersection of landmark. They can also provide turn-by-turn GPS.

4. How might the following people make use of AR;
A mechanic
They can view the structure of a machine without physically having to physically go through it. Also, augmented reality can also provide instructions live on how to fix the machine.

An interior decorator
They can use it to match the items that complement each other without the trouble of taking all the heavy objects and individuall putting them in a specific location.

A student
In excursions, students can use augmented reality to look up certain objects and they can receive data about that object.

Selection and Repetition

Selection
Moving through a set of traffic lights.
1. Start car
2. Drive along the streets
3. Check traffic light
4. If red then stop
5. Else continue
6. Repeat step 2

Deciding whether to take an umbrella to school.
1. Check weather
2. If raining take umbrella
3. Else don't take umbrella

Giving a student an A, B or C on their test.
1. Look at mark
2. If mark > 16 give A
3. Else if mark > 12 and < 16 give B
4. Else if mark > 8 and < 12 give C

Repetition
Adding the correct amount of cordial to water to make a drink.
1. Pour the right amount of cordial
2. Pour the right amount of water
3. Keep repeating 1 and 2 until bottle is full
Filling a bucket with water.
1. Open tap
2. Keep water running
3. Close tap when bucket is full
Blowing up a balloon.
1. Blow at the ballon
2. Keep blowing until desired balloon size
3. Tie up the balloon

Flowchart

1. What is a flowchart?
A flowchart is a diagrammatic representation that illustrates the sequence of operations to be performed to get the solution of a problem.

2. Describe the basic flowchart symbols for;

•  Start or end of the program - rectangle with curved edges
• Computational steps or processing function of a program - rectangle
• Input or output operation - parallelogram
• Decision making and branching - diamond
• Flow line - arrow

3. With the decision making symbol (diamond) and the process symbol (rectangle), what are the rules for how many lines may enter and leave the symbol.
Only one flow line should enter a decision symbol. Two or three flow lines should leave the decision symbol. Only one flow line should come out of the process symbol.

4. Study the sample flowcharts then create a flowchart for a coin toss where heads means Mary pays for the pizza and Tales means Bill pays.

Algorithms

1. Examine the algorithm above. What two properties of the algorithm enable it to correctly describe the solution to the problem of making a cup of coffee? What is it that makes an algorithm correct?

a. Sequence and selection
b. The two properties above.

2. Define Algorithms for the following processes.

Posting a letter
1. Write letter
2. Put in envelope
3. Seal the envelope
4. Write the address and postcode on the envelope
5. Drop envelope in the postbox.

Making toast
1. Spread butter on bread
2. Put bread in the toaster
3. Wait until toast comes out

Calling a friend on the phone
1. Dial the number of friend
2. Press call button
3. Wait until friend answersf

Storyboard

6. In the context of data transmission, what is “error detection”?

Error detection is the detection of errors caused by noise or other impairments during transmission from the transmitter to the receiver.

5. Define the term URL. Explain the components that make up the url.

URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator.
URL is the global address of documents and resources on the World Wide Web (WWW). It is a specific character string which is a reference to an Internet source.
An example of URL: http://google.com

http
The first part of the URL is a protocol identifier, which indicates which protocol to use (eg. HTTP, FTP, etc.).
google.com
The second part of the URL is a resource name, which specifies the IP address or the domain name (ie. google.com) where the resource is located.

These two parts (protocol identifier and resource name) are separated by a colon and two forward slashes. ://

4. There are two methods of data transmission – serial and parallel. Explain the difference between them.

Serial Data Transmission is the process of sending data one bit at a time, in a sequence, over a communication channel.
Parallel Data Transmission is the process of sending several data signals simultaneously over several parallel channels.

The difference between a parallel and a serial data transmission is that serial transmission sends data one bit/data at a time, while parallel transmission sends multiple bits/data in the same time. Also, serial transmission uses only one communication channel while parallel transmission uses multiple communication channels.

Smartphone Tour Review

1. Technology Hardware:
Mobile Phones – used to scan the QR code in order to view the information
Computers – used for the accessing and designing of the website, editing of photos, etc.
Digital Camera – used to take photos
Printer – used to print posters for the tour
Router – used to connect to the Internet which allowed for access to the websites

Software:
Image software – used to edit images: resize, rotate, add arrows, etc.
QR Code Reader – scans QR codes to present information on the websites
Google Docs – online collaboration tool to plan the tour
Google Sites – used to host and create websites for the tour
Voice recording app – used to record voices for audio for the websites

2. Constraints

Time – Only 4-5 lessons were given to make the whole tour which limited what we can do in a small amount of time.

Internet speed – The internet speed affected the amount of time it took to download and upload files (on StudentNet, website, etc.).
File size of the photo – compressed file formats (.jpeg) were used. The resolution of the images were limited in order to allow for a faster loading time.

Cost – We resorted to using free hosting services in order to  

3. Roles in the group

I had to make the website for the follow parts of the tour: BM Building to Science Labs and BM Building to Language Other Than English (LOTE) rooms. I had to create the QR codes to link to these websites. I had to find the appropriate photos for the tour (17 photos). After finding the photos, I edited them by adding arrows in to indicate which direction to go.

4. Problems and Solutions

Problem: Internet speed

Solution: Bringing the files (via USB) and working on the websites at home.

Problem: Knowing the status of each website

Solution: Using colour coding on a collaborative document to indicate which websites needed work.

Problem: Finding photos
Solution: Finding the photos needed and copying and pasting them into another folder, as well as renaming the photos with numbers in chronological order.

2. What are the following protocols used for?

TCP/IP
TCP stands for Transmission Control Protocol is one of the core protocols of the Internet Protocol Suite.
IP has two primary responsibilities: providing connectionless, best-effort delivery of datagrams through aninternetwork; and providing fragmentation and reassembly of datagrams to support data links with different maximum-transmission unit (MTU) sizes.

HTTP
HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol. HTTP's use is to exchange or transfer hypertext in distributed, collaborative, hypermedia information systems (ie. websites). HTTP defines how messages are formatted and transmitted and what actions Web servers and browsers should take in response to various commands. When the URL is entered in the browser, it sends an HTTP command to the web server 'telling' it to retrieve and transmit the information on the web page. This is why 'http://' is found at the beginning of a URL. Essentially, it is a method by which computers communicate webpages to one another. It is the foundation of data communication for the World Wide Web.

SMTP
SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. SMTP is an Internet standard for email transmissions (sending) across IP networks. It is used by most e-mail systems that send mail over the Internet to send messages from one server to another. Essentially, it is a protocol used for sending e-mail messages between servers.

POP
POP stands for Post Office Protocol. POP is an Internet standard protocol used by local e-mail clients to retrieve e-mail from a server (ie. SMTP) over a TCP/IP connection. Essentially, POP is a protocol used to retrieve e-mail from a mail server. It is used by most e-mail applications/clients, along with IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol).

FTP
FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. FTP is a standard network protocol used to transfer friles from one host to another over a TCP-based network (ie. the Internet). Essentially, FTP is the protocol used for exchanging files over the Internet. It works the same way as:
HTTP - for transferring web pages from a server to a user's browser
SMTP - for transferring e-mails across the Internet.
Essentially, FTP is used to download a file from a server using the Internet or to upload a file to a server.

1. Define the term - Protocol

A communications protocol is a system of digital message formats and rules for exchanging those messages in or between computing systems and in telecommunications. Protocols may involve signaling, authentication, and error detection and correction capabilities. A type of protocol is an Internet Protocol (IP).

The Internet Protocol (IP) is a network-layer (Layer 3) protocol that contains addressing information and some control information that enables packets to be routed.IP has two primary
responsibilities: providing connectionless, best-effort delivery of datagrams through an
internetwork; and providing fragmentation and reassembly of datagrams to support data links with different maximum-transmission unit (MTU) sizes.

part a question 4

• Copyright

In relation to online music stores, copyright is a form of legal protection for music and images (eg. album covers). The copyright laws provides the artist with legal rights to their original works. There are several copyright issues involved with online music stores. It is illegal for such databases to distribute music without the permission of the owner of the copyrighted sound recordings. Online music stores need a license from the record labels (of the songs) to legally distribute music and make it available for customers to download the songs. Also, there are issues involved with the album covers that are included in the purchase of a song/album. Ultimately, an online music store has to make it their responsibility to respect the rights of the copyright holders. They can do this by properly asking for permission to distribute their images and music and/or get approval from the record labels.

• Fair Pricing

Online music stores need to consider what they price their songs. It is one of their ethical responsibilities to ensure that the price that they are charging for the songs are fair. Online music stores should not take advantage of the fact that most people are purchasing their music online. They should make their prices reasonable and fair in order to avoid legal issues that may stem from it. This is important because if the songs were overpriced, customers may be discouraged from legally purchasing their music online. Instead, they may resort to illegal methods of obtaining music like stealing music from music sharing programs, etc. Also, this is disadvantageous for the copyright holders who gave permission for the distribution of their work. It is detrimental because people would not buy their music. It may also tarnish their reputations because people may think that the artists are overpricing their songs and are taking advantage of their listeners. The issue of fair pricing needs to be considered when implementing this database because it may potentially prevent future legal issues involving online distribution of music.

part a question 5

Some features that I would include in my database include: (this is based off of iTunes)

• Genius (similar music) – In my opinion, this is the best feature of an online music store. This is because the customer is suggested various songs or albums that are similar to the music that they have now. This gives the customer an opportunity to discover and listen to new music/artists that are very similar to the music that they enjoy listening to now.

• Top Charts – I particularly enjoy this feature for online music stores because I can see the top songs and albums that people are purchasing. This shows the music that is popular right now and what people are listening to. For some customers who like to be current with their music, this feature is very advantageous.

• Accounts – I think this feature of online music stores is very important for several reasons. For one, there is increased security. This is because the customer has to type in their username and password in order to purchase music. This reduces the chance of someone purchasing songs without the customer being aware that their money is being used. I like the idea of interaction between user accounts – how customers can gift other users with songs, etc. Also, the ability to store money in accounts from gift cards is a very nifty feature.

part a question 2

Data Dictionary:

Field	Description	Data Type	Example
Album Cover	This is an image which shows the customer how the cover of the album of the song they are looking at looks like. It is in .bmp file format.	OLE Object	How to Save a Life album cover
Song Title	This is the title of the song which the customer is viewing.	Text	Moments
Artist	This is the name of the artist who sang the song that the customer is viewing.	Text	Linkin Park
Album Title	This is the title of the album which the customer is viewing.	Text	The Black Parade
Genre	This is the type of music (genre) that the customer is viewing.	Text	Pop Rock
Price	This is the cost of the song which the customer is viewing. It is shown in numbers.	Currency	$8.99
Song Preview	This is a music file which, when clicked on, plays a 30 second preview of the song the customer is viewing. It is in .wav format.	OLE Object	Screaming Bloody Murder.wav preview

part a question 3

The storyboard is uploaded on StudentNet.

part a question 1

• Ease and convenience – It is easier to find the songs that the customer wants compared to pre-electronic methods because the customer can just type their criteria into a search bar as opposed to manually searching for it. Also, it is convenient especially for people who live in remote places. In these places, music stores may not be available to them but if it is online, they can purchase songs from the convenience of their homes.

• Checking for availability – It is much quicker to check for the availability of the song with a digital system. For example, if the customer was to physically search for a song or album in a store, they may find that the song is not available and therefore they have wasted their time. With a digital system, the customer can just type the song/album and quickly see whether it is available or not.

• Better organisation - Having a digital music store is much more convenient in the organisation of music. This is because, with just a few clicks of a button, the data (songs) can be easily sorted according to however the customer wants (eg. alphabetical according to song title, artist, album, etc.). In contrast, the pre-electronic methods have less methods of sorting and if the customer wants to find a certain song/album, they may need to know all of the information about it (which they may not know).

• Costs less – The music available in digital systems usually costs cheaper than if buying from a non-digital store. This is because it costs less money for the music distributors to produce the album covers, CDs and cases. Most of the time, if the customer only wants to buy one song, they may have to purchase the whole album that the song is in. This is true especially if the song is not a single and can only be obtained (physically) if bought from the whole album. This is disadvantageous because the customer may not want the whole album and just want a whole song. With a digital system, the user will be able to buy only one song if they wish and therefore it will cost them less money.

• Variety – There is a larger variety of songs in digital music systems. If a song is particularly not well-known then it may be more difficult to obtain it in a normal music store. However, in digital systems, the likelihood that the song is available to purchase is higher. This is because, again, it costs less to distribute the music and therefore the song will be likely to be available for purchase.

• Ability to preview songs – If the customer has no idea of what a song sounds like, they may need to hear a preview to help them decide if they want to buy the song or not. With normal music stores, the customer won’t have the option of previewing the song and therefore won’t be certain if they will like it. With digital systems, the customer can easily click a button and hear a preview of whatever song they like and can easily decide whether they like it or not.

• Exposure – Less popular artists have the opportunity to share their music with the public because virtually every type of music is available on digital music systems. Since it is easier for customers to find any types of music, these artists will greatly benefit because they can showcase their music. As a result of this, they can gain more exposure and extend their popularity.

creating a parameter query

This is a parameter query for surnames becoming with 'T'

adding buttons to a form

creating a form

data types

querying a database

Table that Data

1. Contact name and number of USA products

2. Product name of products over $20

3. Product name of products with over 30 in stock

creating a basic database

Above is an annotation of a database.

For the task, we were required to create a contact database. Types of fields included: Surname, First Name, Mobile, Home, DOB, Street, Suburb and Postcode.

Different data types used were:
Text - Surname, First Name, Street, Suburb
Number - Mobile, Home, Postcode
Date/time - DOB

data type

As it suggests, a data type is a type of data. A data type is a somewhat of a storage format which consists of specific types or range of values. It is the classification/grouping of similar and different types of information. This is done in order to make it easer to distinguish different types of data. Internal codes are used to keep track of that data that are being processed.

Common types of data include:
• integers
• floating point numbers
• characters
• strings
• arrays

data dictionary

A data dictionary is a file that describes the basics of a database. It contains a list of all information: all files in a database, number of records in each file, and names and types of each field. Most data dictionaries are hidden from users to prevent the accidental alteration/destruction of its contents. They don't contain data from the database but is able to keep information for management. Without one, the DBMS can't access data from the database.

DBMS

DataBase Management System

A database management system is a collection of programs/applications which enable you to select, organise and enter/edit data in a database.

Examples of database applications include:
• computerised library systems
• automated teller machinse
• flight reservation systems

report

A database report presents information that has been retrieved from a table or query. The information is displayed in a formatted and organised manner (eg. a table).

query

A query is a request for information on a database. It is the main mechanism for retrieving information, consisting of questions 'asked' to the database.

Three methods for posing queries include:
• choosing parameters (characteristics) from a menu (list of options/commands)
• query by example (QBE) - specifying fields that define the query
• query language - must be written in a special query language

file

A file is a collection of data/information with a name. Most information stored in a computer must be in a file so that they can be viewed.

Files store different types of information depending on the file type. Types of files include:
• data files
• text files
• program files
• directory files
• etc

record

Database records are complete sets of information. They are composed of fields, that each contain information. A set of records makes a file.

Records are sometimes referred to as tuples.

field

A database field is a space in a fixed/known location where a specific item or location is found. Fields are the smallest units of information that is accessable.

For example, when you're filling out a form online, you have to fill in your information in fields. Some fields are required where you have to put data/information, some are optional that you can leave blank, and some are calculated.

Examples include a tax form which contains several fields like:

• name

• Social Security number

• income

Do you see any dangers or disadvantages in this online version of the yellow pages?

• because you can easily find other people's addresses, other people can just as easily find your address - these people may be the kind of people you don't want to be involved with

• problems may arise with the website and the electronic Yellow Pages may not be available for access

• doesn't list how recent the current information is - so there's no knowing if the information is accurate

• certain people in society (eg. poorer, elderly) don't/won't have access to internet connection

What can you see as some of the advantages of using this electronic database compared to the conventional paper based version of the yellow pages?

• it is much easier to access and find the online Yellow Pages because it can be found on the web and its information isn't contained in one paper based version

• finding a location is much quicker because all it takes is to type the relevant information - as opposed to the paper based version that will need more time because there are many pages to flip through

• information is subject to change and the information on the electronic Yellow Pages can swiftly be changed - different to the paper based version

• electronic Yellow Pages contain maps which can provide an idea of the distances between different points

• electronic Yellow Pages can provide directions, starting from any location

• more environmentally friendly because the electronic Yellow Pages doesn't use hundreds of paper like the paper based version

• saves space

Is the yellow/white pages a database?

Yes, it is. This is because it consists of data that can be easily accessed. Like a phonebook, Yellow Pages have organised data (that are related) which makes it easier to find specific locations. The desired data is easily found since Yellow Pages asks for 'What' it is you are looking for and 'Where' it is.

Yellow Pages #4

Just for fun try the white pages and see if you can find a map of you or your friends house.

-

Yellow Pages #3

You want the phone numbers of some motels in Noosa QLD. But of course your phone book only has NSW numbers?

Hotel Laguna

ph: (07) 5447 3077

Noosa Heads Motel

ph: (07) 5440 4550

Noosa Village Motel

ph: (07) 5447 5800

Seahaven Beachfront Resort

ph: (07) 5447 3422

Yellow Pages #2

Sally lives in Merrylands on Fowler Rd. and she wants to know the closest florist to where she lives. Help her out (see if you can get her a map).

M & A Freshcut Flowers

91a Fowler Rd, Merrylands NSW 2160

ph: (02) 9892 1564

Yellow Pages #1

I know there is a computer shop in the main street of Katoomba (Katoomba St.), but I don't know its name. See if you can find the number for me.

Bennett Office Supplies

122 Katoomba St, Katoomba NSW 2780

ph: (02) 4782 2228

What may be a limitation of WolframAlpha?

Some limitations include:
• it only provides you with one result (answer) for your search (question)

• less variety of sources

• difficult to find specific things such as websites, articles, etc.

• because it is fairly new, it most likely covers less subjects/topics

How is WolframAlpha different?

WolframAlpha is different to the examples of databases listed because it is an answer-engine. It is different to search engines like Google because it provides one answer to the question/search, as opposed to search engines which provide you with a broader range of results. The difference with the rest of the examples is that it can only be accessed online.

examples of databases;

• search engines: Google, Yahoo, Bing
• phone books
• newspaper
• contacts (on the phone)
• library

What is a database?

A database is a collection of related data, organised for convenient access. It is organised in a way that it is easier to find and select a desired piece of data. It is somewhat of an electronic filing system.

In order to access a database, a Database Management System (DBMS) is required. This enables you to select, organise and edit/enter data in the database.