As many of you will know, Wikipedia, has been around for a number of years now.  The idea behind it is to create a free and open encyclopaedia that anyone can edit and update (both registered and unregistered users).  The main idea behind it is sound, in that the collective knowledge of potentially tens of millions of people will be able to produce a comprehensive, up to date, reliable and broad view on every topic imaginable.

The main problem has been however, malicious edits or users basically editing and updating with good faith, but doing so in an inaccurate way.  This is counter balanced partly due to the fact that everybody can in effect peer review each others work.

But can we now say that we can consider Wikipedia a reliable source?  The answer is both yes and no.

In the past, educational institutions have frowned upon and specifically advised against using Wikipedia in any way for academic purposes.  And most importantly, it has been prohibited for use as a ‘reliable’ source of information for dissertations and assignments.

Wikipedia has come a long way, but unfortunately, for academic purposes, it cannot be considered wholly reliable.  Having reviewed many topics on Wikipedia there is a big difference from article to article on reliability and correctness.  Some articles are well covered, referenced and factual however this cannot be relied upon.  When learning a topic, you need to know that the information you are reading is correct, to prevent you making any drastic errors!  So from an academic point of view, if you are going to read up about things using Wikipedia, you are best to look up topics that you are already broadly familiar with so that you will be able to make your own judgement on whether the article is fit for purpose.  It is also a good idea to check out the general quality of articles in the subject area, and look at articles on a subject matter that you are quite familiar with.

For example, the networking articles on Wikipedia seem to be largely accurate and useful, whereas other areas such as business process modelling (BPM) articles seem to lack references, miscommunicate concepts and include opinion and conjecture.

However, when wanting to find out information for social purposes (i.e. where unreliability isn’t going to have a major impact on you) then Wikipedia can be great.

Overall for academic purposes, Wikipedia is very hit and miss and it would be strongly advised that you look for alternative, more reliable and authoritative sources.  For general information, reading about celebrities, places etc by all means, Wikipedia can be a good source for things like this!

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Welcome to our first ‘Draw Something’ challenge!!

First person to guess gets 1 point!!

And also feel free to discuss the image and drawing in question.  A very artistic person has drawn it but maybe missed the point ever so slightly .

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A new ‘fun’ section has been launched on DPS Computing to contain all our posts for fun and games.

The first game to be launched in this section is the ‘Draw Something’ game.  We pick some ‘fantastic’ (some genuinely are, some are evidently not ) examples of user drawn images from Draw Something.

The aim of the game is to be the first one to comment with the correct answer – and don’t forget, no cheating!! .

DPS David will decide the winner for each post and update the points table accordingly.

Have fun and good luck!! .

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Yesterday, all of the servers for the iPad game Chronicles of Merlin (CoM) mysteriously disappeared.  It was around this time that the latest update for the game was released – whether this is a coincidence of not is not known, but it could provide one (albeit hard to understand) explanation for the disappearance.

CoM has been blighted by errors recently, and the release of version 1.35 of the game hopes to solve many issues.  DPS Computing can verify the the ‘disappearing’ time for farm occupation has been fixed and the games stability seems to have improved somewhat.

However, one of the major bugs, the alliance crashing bug has still yet to be addressed (as far as we know, as it wasn’t mentioned in the developers comments regarding the update).

Altogether there have been around 12 bugs and errors that have been claimed to be fixed and although all bug fixes are welcome, it still seems like the game has some issues with regards to stability and crashing on the iPad.

Having said this, the recent update has addressed more issues than the last update and doesn’t seem to, so far, in testing have created any new errors as happened with the previous update.

The alliance bug still is the most pressing bug with the game and players will be hoping that this is top of the developers priorities for the next release.

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In the previous article we discussed the iterative design model, which leads very nicely onto the topic of rapid application prototyping.

Rapid application prototyping is the main model used for iterative design.  It is also the model that is most suited to iterative design.  Rapid application prototyping is a dynamic method of software development, contrasting to the more linear waterfall model, which we have also discussed previously.

Rapid application prototyping will involve several iterations of the software development process, as with other iterative models.  The production of prototypes is not intended to be fully representative of the final system.  In fact the final system may be very different from the prototypes.  The focus isn’t so much on the prototype itself, but what we learn from the prototypes.

A prototype is a representation of an idea or a system (or part thereof).  It may be a full mock up of the system.  Equally it may just focus on one or two features of the system.

Prototypes are a very useful tool, especially when working for a customer or company which doesn’t have a lot of technical expertise and experience.  Non-technical customers find it hard to understand complex design documents, technical specifications and modelling diagrams.  However, they find it much easier to see and interact with something – such as a prototype.

There are two types of prototype – throw away and evolutionary.  Throw away prototypes are, as the name suggests, “thrown away” after they have been developed, tested by users and then evaluated.  The next prototype is then created based on the results obtained from the evaluation.  With an evolutionary prototype the same steps are followed, but the prototype isn’t thrown away.  The results and knowledge gained from the evaluation are reincorporated into an updated design which is then used to update and improve the prototype.

The ultimate aim of rapid application prototyping is to create the best system possible, over as many iterations as it is possible to fit within the defined project time.

The benefits of prototyping can be very large – it might make it obvious that the final system would not function correctly or not be fit for purpose.  It may indicate that certain planned functionality isn’t possible on the target operating system or company network environment.   It’s better to find out these things sooner rather than later!

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Further to our previous article on the Waterfall Model, we will now discuss interactive systems design using an iterative model.

The iterative design model is a fairly new model when compared to the waterfall model, however it is growing in popularity for a number of reasons.  Firstly, what exactly is the iterative design model?

The iterative design model is a dynamic model of design that involves multiple iterations of the design process, rather than just one (such as in the Waterfall model).  The iterative design model implies repeated design, implementation and evaluation of a system.  An aspect which is often feature in and works well with iterative design is prototyping, in the form of rapid prototype development.  Iterative design also lends itself to User Centred Design (UCD).

Rapid prototype development has multiple benefits and as many prototypes as can fit into the allocated project time should be created.

The first benefit of iterative design is that it allows initial design mistakes to be overcome.  It is rare in any project that a design is right the first time – in fact, it is usually hard to know the exact requirements of a project before implementation has started.  In a linear model, after the design stage is over, it’s over.  There’s no going back and modifying the design during the implementation stage.  Whether your design decisions were good or bad, you are stuck with them and this can impact the final system you create.  With an iterative approach, this problem is solved (partly).  You set out your requirements, design the system, produce a prototype and then evaluate the prototype.  You can then use what you have learnt from that prototype to redesign the system and produce another prototype.  The idea is that the system improves with each iteration.

Secondly, as previously mentioned, during the requirements phase of a project you are unlikely to know the exact requirements of the system.  As you realise more requirements or changes to your requirements later during the iteration, you can make modifications to the design on the next iteration.

Another benefit is that, in many cases, you will be working for and with a non technical customer (and possibly non technical users).  They may not necessarily understand complex design documents or technical specifications.  However, they do understand prototypes that they can play with!!  It’s a lot easier for them to test a prototype, see it in action, and see the implications of decisions made during the requirements and design phases.

One thing that does have to be noted though is, as with any other design model, this isn’t perfect.  And you most certainly can’t make huge errors due to carelessness and expect their to be no implications.  Sometimes, initial bad design decisions cannot be overcome due to design inertia – basically some decisions made in the early stages of the project can have such drastic consequences or be so fundamental that it cannot be changed significantly enough to negate the initial bad design decision.

Overall, the iterative design model is a good design model, that is currently underused.  Some businesses have become aware of its potential and have started using it with their software products with some promising results.  The iterative design model is likely to increase in popularity in the future, but there will also be a place for the Waterfall model as well.

When choosing a design model for a project it is always important to consider which design model best suits the project and the circumstances surrounding it.  There isn’t one model that is good for every project – some models benefit some projects better than others!

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DPS Computing is proud to announce the release date for the first in a series of learning to drive pieces of software, DPS Drive – Interactive Theory Test.  The release date has been set for the 1st June at which point DPS Computing will be taking orders for the new Interactive Theory Test software.

A pricing structure will be published in due course and will offer great value for money when compared with other theory test products.

A demo of the software is due to go live on the 24th May – a week prior to release.  This demo will be available to all of our members and visitors on this website.

We’ll keep you up to date on the progress .

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The Waterfall model of computer application design has been around for a long time.  It has been typically favoured in the past compared with other design models – and to some extent still is today.

The Waterfall model involves exactly one iteration of the design process.  Usually there is a requirements phase, a design phase, an

implementation phase, a verification phase and a maintenance phase.

During the requirements phase the actual requirements of the final system are defined.  This is formed in conjunction by the person or organisation commissioning the project – basically the customer.  During this stage you have to be careful with how you treat the customers input.  Remember, as strange as it sounds, the customer may not actually know what they want!  Now

this can sound strange, but keep it in mind.  Unless suitably qualified, the customer may suggest certain implementations that are not possible, not efficient or simply won’t work.  However, it is important to consider the customers input carefully so that you end up producing a system that the customer is both happy with and can use for its intended purpose.

The design phase involves designing the actual application.  Usually during this stage, storyboards will be developed, the user interface will be mapped out and exactly what is in the system will be defined – as well as how the functionality in the system will work.  During the design phase it is often good to consult and show the customer your designs so that their initial ideas that they expressed during the requirements phase are fully understood and that the customer sees the designs evolving in the way in which the originally intended.  It is important to catch important misunderstandings at this stage – if found out a later stage they can be very detrimental to the project – and in some cases cause the whole project to fail.

The implementation phase is where the designs are put into practice.  This involves the design of the multimedia elements of the system as well as the programming code for the final system.  As much as possible the implementation should fully represent the original designs.  With the Waterfall model, there is little room for manoeuvre and there is no redesign stage – you must stick to the original design!

The verification stage is the final development process phase which would include the testing phase.  The testing may include many different types of testing including functionality and user interface testing.  During this stage there may also be an evaluation stage which reports on the project and can include the input of the customer based on the product that you have developed.

The maintenance stage is a post development process phase which can continue for a very long time depending on the software.  This phase involves providing routine maintenance and possibly additions to the system as necessary.  It

also can include making patches for the software to rectify errors.  Equally it can include patches to improve security or make improvements based on technological developments since the implementation of the original software.

Overall, the Waterfall method is very inflexible.  Mistakes in the design, unless rectified at the time, become mistakes of the final system.  The use of the Waterfall method can also cause unnecessary delay on at any stage, as the designers and developers are aware that once that stage has passed, it has passed – there is no going back to it.  The Waterfall method is a traditional method of application development – and is still relatively popular.  However, companies are now embracing alternatives such as iterative design, which, although it can be more volatile, can lead to much better results for the final application.

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So, you’ve got an Android phone and you’ve jumped at the chance to get an iPhone.  Surely transferring things over will be easy.  Well no, due to the massive differences between the Android and iOS operating systems, you could be in for a long battle to transfer all of your stuff from your old phone to your new one.

Usually, one of the most important things that people want to transfer is their contacts (yes, that’s right, some people actually use their phones to make phone calls – shocking I know – especially now that Angry Birds is around ).

Unfortunately, for people making a switch to the dark side (;)), this isn’t easy.  There are usually a number of different ways this can be achieved but most of these won’t work when transferring between these two types of phone.

Firstly, forget bluetoothing your contacts (or any data for that matter) between your Android phone and your iPhone – it just isn’t going to happen in most, if not all cases.  You’re not even going to be able to pair the phones together to even attempt to start a transfer.  You can scan and find each of the devices but bluetooth wise, that is as good as it gets.

Secondly, you can forget Google to help.  As an Android user you probably have already uploaded and backed up your contacts to your Google account.  There are no free apps that we have found on investigation that successfully import your Google contacts to your iPhone.  They way they store them and the formats used are fundamentally different.  There were some paid apps out there ranging from approximately £1.99 to £5.99.  However, there are reports and reviews on at least some of these that they don’t work.  And do you want to risk spending loads and loads of money on a series of apps that leave you no better off than you were before you purchased them?

Thirdly, most of the import / export options look pretty on paper, but don’t seem to actually work between the devices.  The “Outlook transfer” method doesn’t seem to work on Android phones – the export seems to only register your first contact in Outlook, despite assurances that it has exported your whole address book.  Our investigations show that the entire address book has probably been exported (although it took us three attempts at the export to get this to work correctly) but Outlook (2007) seems to have issues with importing it – despite supporting the file format (.vcf).

However, don’t worry, there is one final thing you can try – and we’ve tested the method, its fully working!!

The two phones that we used to test this were an HTC Wildfire (Android) and iPhone 4s (iOS) however any Android / iOS phone combination should work.

Firstly you need to get your Android and export all of the contacts to your SD card (yes, you will need an SD card – but these are pretty standard in most phones nowadays).

After you have done that, connect your Android phone to your computer (using the USB cable that came with your phone – sometimes this cable forms part of your charger).  Mount the phone as a disk drive.

Open up the “Removable disk” that has now appeared in My Computer – this represents the SD card on your phone which is where your contacts export file will be placed.  It could be called anything – this is determined by the phone, but it will be the latest .vcf file on your SD card.  Copy this to your desktop.

Open Thunderbird (if you don’t have this on your computer then download it for free).  Please note that we did try this with Outlook 2007 and it didn’t work.  Use the Import / Export (Tools) option in Thunderbird and import the contacts to your address book.

Disconnect your Android phone from your computer.

Now connect your iPhone to the computer and start iTunes.

If you’ve used your iPhone on the computer you are using before, great, it should all start loading up.  If not, register it, then it will load up  - there is a wizard to help you do this.

Select the iPhone and go to the Info tab – there will be a contacts section in here.

Set it to import contacts from the relevant source (in our case Thunderbird – although you can use Windows contacts as well – it works in a pretty similar manner although obviously you would import the vcf file from the SD card into Windows Contacts rather than Thunderbird.

Scroll to the bottom and tick the ‘Contacts’ box so that it overwrites the contacts on your iPhone with the address book from your computer.  Please note that if you already have contacts in your iPhone these may be lost during this process.  We are assuming if you are following this guide then this isn’t going to be an issue as you have most likely just got your phone and have no contacts stored in it anyway.

Click the ‘Sync’ button to start syncing the data.  A progress bar should show how far it has got with this and how long it is going to take.  After its all finished you are free to unplug your iPhone from your computer.

All your contacts should now magically be on your iPhone!

Please, please, please be aware that this is not a perfect process – but it is the best you are going to get.  Android and iOS are fundamentally different and it is not designed to have information shared between the operating systems.  You will likely notice that some of your fields or contact phone numbers have not been imported (Android fields do not all directly map to iOS fields and vice versa).  From our tests, numbers stored under mobile, home and office seemed to transfer fine, but numbers that had been stored under ‘Other’ or in other categories didn’t transfer successfully.  These have to be manually added – but look on the bright side, at least you don’t have to do them all.

It is strongly recommended that you check all your contacts in your iPhone and add any details or phone numbers which have been omitted.

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Cognitive psychology is an important aspect of human computer interaction and is a key component that needs to be considered when optimising applications for their use by end users.

Firstly, cognitive psychology is essentially the way that people, and therefore your users, think and learn things.  Cognitive psychology plays a part in computer applications development when how your users think and learn is then accommodated within the design and implementation of your application.

There are certain processes that occur for your users to learn and acquire knowledge, and subsequently recall and use that learned knowledge to use your application.

A number of factors have to be considered including:

• Perception
• Attention
• Memory
• Learning
• Thinking
• Social influences
• Environmental influences

Perception – how does your user perceive the application and the tasks that it is supposed to perform.

Attention – how can you draw and channel the users attention so that they can effectively use your application.

Memory – the human memory has to be considered when designing applications.  Short term memory has a small capacity (around 7 items) so it is important not to overwhelm the user with too much information.  The program must be logical, easy to use and include a help system.  If a user initially gets frustrated with using your application, then they may well seek an alternative rather than trying to master your application.  Make it easy for your end user – especially at the beginning.  Only provide necessary and relevant information to the task.  Don’t overfill your screens.  Use sections and divide your program up into tasks and subtasks.

Learning – consider how the human mind learns processes, gains knowledge and subsequently recalls and uses this knowledge.

Thinking – consider how your end user thinks and how they will believe that certain tasks should be carried out.  Integrate this thinking into your application as much as possible.

Social influences – are there any social influences that affect your application or its target user audience?  If so, don’t forget to consider these when designing and implementing your application.

Environmental influences – equally, are there any environmental influences that will affect the way the user uses your application or the target users?  If so, then again consider these when designing and implementing your application.

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