Database Questions

Question 1:
You are a daycare center and want to create a database that would manage your client's information. Explain why databases are the right tool to chose.

Question 2:
The database you have build consists of three different parts essential to a database's anatomy. Distinguish between those three.

How Does A Computer Work?

This post will explain the work process of a Computer and its most common tools:

• Microprocessor
• RAM
• ROM
• Operating System
• HDD
• Graphics Card
• Screen

Step by Step:

When we sit at a Personal Computer (PC) we are very likely to be using an Operating System which allows us to access all the features of our unit. This OS is using something called G.U.I. or the Graphical User Interface which was the first step of personalizing the Computer. GUI takes whatever is processed by the microprocessor and visualizes so that we can understand what is happening by just looking at the screen. But what actually happens when we for example start an application on the PC?

Pinball Application on the Windows XP OS

Step 1: Input

Since the beginning of PCs we have used the mouse and keyboard to input information and select from a vast variety of options. This has not changed until today. Let's say in this case I want to start the very known Windows Application, Pinball. I use the mouse and select the application commanding the computer to start it. At this stage the OS tells the microprocessor to go to the HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and find the application i have selected. 

Step 2: Launch

At this stage the microprocessor loads all the data that will be needed for the application onto the RAM memory. The RAM memory is a storage space that stores files only temporary but can be accessed much faster than the HDD. Background processes also run on the RAM. Once the necessary files are loaded onto the RAM the Microprocessor can process the needed data in order to use the application. 

Step 3: Use

The application data is now on the RAM and the Microprocessor has processed its first appearance, or launch screen, and passed it on to the Graphics Card. This device then Converts the data it just received and passes it on through a variety of different possible Ports (VGA, HDMI, S-Video) to the Screen. We then see the the launch screen on the computer screen an are able to interact with it with the help of further input by using the mouse or keyboard. 

In the case of Pinball we wan to play the game in "full screen mode" so I press the "F4" button on the keyboard. The OS sends this information to the microprocessor that then checks the data on the RAM what this action does an receives and answer that it changes the appearance of the application from "window mode" to the full screen. So it sends this command to the graphic card that then enhances the picture on the screen an displays the game on the whole screen. 

Each further action has to go through the exact same loop and the outcome always depends on the kind of input that was given the OS, Microprocessor,... and so on. 

On a last note you may want to know that all these devices communicate with the same language which is known as the binary code, a mix of 1s and 0s. Each combination of those has a different meaning and is translated into a different command. 

Visualized example of a Binary Code

The Computer

What is a Computer?
A computer can be fined in many different ways but in this case we are looking at the "personal computer" (PC) which in today's world can be found in almost any technology based device, be it your laptop or mobile to a car.
The PC is a general-purpose tool built around the microprocessor, the heart of every computer. By general-purpose I mean that it can be used for any kind of process assuming that it is equipped with the right tools to do so.
A PC started off with just a microprocessor and a very simple in and output interface through which the user could enter commands that would then be interpreted by the processor. These processors spoke a certain language which at the earliest version was just a special combination of  0s and 1s but then developed into "Basic", an input language that could be used with normal words. This accelerated the development of the PC industry quite significantly.

Today a PC is still based on the same principle only that the processors have gained large amounts of processing power and became much smaller which allowed the industry to produce even more "personal" personal computers.

The Different Parts of a Computer
Even though the microprocessor does do most of the work of a personal computer it can not do so without certain other components that make the device a useful tool. Different forms of memory had to be added to a PC as it is not supposed to be used for the processes given to it at the moment, but also be able to look back and use codes and commands that had been used before. Disk Drives were the main hard drives where temporary files could be stored on. Later on other types such as the RAM (Random Access Memory) ROM (Read Only Memory) and BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) were introduced as the PC started running the OS (Operating System) and Multitasking became one of the main aims of any computer. With the RAM memory the machine could store temporary data that was useful for the operations run at the moment, therefor the more RAM the more programs can be run at the same time.
The BIOS memory is the first one to start when the computer is booted up. It makes sure all the necessary parts are present and functional and then hands further instructions for the processor over to the Operating System.

 Example of Today's PC Unit

You can already see that all these components interact with each other and are absolutely vital for a PC unit to operate as expected, but there is far more hardware under the hood of a PC. However as I already mentioned the importance of interaction of all the different components I can also introduce the Motherboard which is essentially a circuit board that connects all the parts mentioned above and many others that can be also attached to the system. A few other example of additional hardware is the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) that takes care of visualizing the processors output data and sending it to a screen, the IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics Controller) which is responsible for picking up the data from all sorts of present memory and sending it to the processor.

The Operating System
The Operating System (OS) is what essentially runs the computer and makes it for us possible to use it without having to know all the complex codes and commands that go into the microprocessor. In some way it can be seen as a translator and helper for the user to communicate with the processor.
Back in the days when the first PCs entered the market they consisted of a screen, the processor unit and a keyboard and the the user would have to use a simple text input interface to enter commands which would then be sent straight to the processor.

The Operating System was introduced to make this much easier and the biggest improvement was the introduction of GUI, The Graphical User Interface. Its main purpose was taking what used to be a mass of complex commands and turning them into something simple and visual. 

Same Ads on Different Search Engines

Example


Searched for "Flights to Amsterdam" on Yahoo, Bing and Google. The results are displayed in the screenshots below:

Bing:

Yahoo:

Google:

Analysis

As you can see the first few search results (advertisements) and the specific ads on the right sides match each other in almost all the cases. Google seems to be the only exception as it differs in order and content as it has one ad less on the main result section but many more on the side.
In all cases the advertisement section is highlighted by either a different toned background or just a significant format which makes the results stand out. This section is more likely when searching for a product than for something that cant be sold (a piece of information for example). These results are known as sponsored results.

Bing and Yahoo have the exact same advertisements displayed which means that they are either using the same software or have some kind of similar contract going on with the advertisement part of their search engines. 

Why?

The sponsored link is the part of every known search engine where an organization has paid the search engine to display their links every time a specific keyword is being typed into the engine. The business then has to pay the search engine for every time someone has clicked on their link. 

That is why I find it hard to conclude that organizations approached all three search engines and signed the exact same contracts with them as it would be almost impossible from a competitive point of view. I can only state that the most possible explanation for this is the platform that is used by the search engines. It has to be based on the same system which allows the possibility to have a contract with maybe not one of the engine companies but something like a union. This might also explain why Google has slightly different results as it is known as the most used search engine and seems like a more attractive point of advertisement. Companies approach Google individually in order to have their websites displayed as a result. 

Conclusion

Yahoo and Bing use the same platforms for their search results which allows companies to maintain contracts with something like a search engine union. Google however is more popular and able to sign individual contracts which explain the slightly different results.

However sponsored links are not recommended to be used as an actual source as they are just another form of advertisement.

False Web Advertisement

Webrewardstream:
http://www.benedelman.org/rightmedia-deception/

Deceptive Ads Examples:
http://www.benedelman.org/rightmedia-deception/deceptive-ads-webrewardstream-010709.html

Past Paper Questions

1. A spreadsheet is used to calculate the cost of carpeting a house. It is shown here with the formula view switched on so that you can see how it is constructed (Image is not included)

(a) Identify the two functions used in this spreadsheet. 

(b) Cell D12 contains the expression (D2:D10). Describe the meaning of the information in this expression. [2 marks] 

(c) Explain how features of a spreadsheet can be used in order to investigate “what-if” questions.[4 marks]

Answers:

a) - 

b) The information ranging from cell D2 to cell D10 (Example SUM=D12:D10, The sum of all number from cell D2 to D10)

c) The "what-if" function can be used in correlation with any feature of a spreadsheet as it merely checks  if the set conditions apply to that features outcome or not. Basically a true and false scenario. If a feature was used to calculate the outcome of various cells the "what-if" function can be used to determine whether the outcome of this feature meets certain conditions or not. 

__________________________________________________________________

2. One way to make money from a web site is to place advertisements on it. One web search engine company allows the web site owner to add some HTML code to the web site, which searches the site for content and delivers advertisements relevant to that site. When a visitor to the web site clicks on a link to an advertisement, the web site owner earns a small fee. The more visitors there are to the site the more chance the owner will make money from the advertisements displayed on the site. (Image is not included)

(a) HTTP stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol. Define the term protocol in this context. [2 marks]

(b) Describe how the search engine determines relevant advertisements to display on this or other web sites. [4 marks]

(c) Explain two ways in which the number of visitors to this or other web sites can be increased.[4 marks]

Answers:

a) Protocol defines the set of rules and guidelines that are followed by the website in order to become one in the first place. Websites can be written in different protocols that offer various functions. In this context Protocol stands for the language that was used to design a language which was Hyper Text.

b) Websites include keywords that define their purpose and use and are commonly also used for search engine optimization. By identifying these key elements the search engine can find matching advertisement and add it to the site.

c)Search engine optimization - The process of adding relevant keywords to your website so that users that are looking for something you are offering by using search engines, your website is more likely to pop up. 

Links from other websites - By being the subject or source on other websites people are more likely to end up on your site as they will notice that your information or product is popular and is being referred to by many others. This tec

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3. The Oyster card is an electronic ticket that is used in London to pay for travel on trains run by Transport for London. It contains an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) system and it can be charged with money. The amount of credit on the card is stored in the RFID chip on the card. Money is deducted each time a journey is made.

When entering an underground station the card is identified by being touched on the card reader so the RFID signal is detected. On leaving the station at the end of the journey the cost of the fare is deducted from the card. People are encouraged to use Oyster cards by making the fares much cheaper when using the card than buying a paper ticket. Also, there is a price “cap” which means that the user will never pay more than a maximum amount each day. If the card balance is too low, access to the trains is denied.

It is possible to register the card online. This allows the user to top it up with money and to view a journey history, like the one below.

Date	Time	Location	Action	Balance
23/01/07	15:03	Russell Square	Top-up	£21.00
	15:03	Russell Square	Entry
	15:17	Oxford Circus	Exit	£19.50
	18:49	Russell Square	Entry
	19:09	South Kensington	Exit	£17.00
24/01/07	08:42	Russell Square	Entry
	08:52	Euston Square	Exit	£12.40

(a) The RFID readers have a short range of 0-8 centimetres. Identify two reasons why the range needs to be short. [2 marks]

(b) Identify four possible tasks the Oyster software would need to perform when an Oyster card is used at a station. [4 marks]

(c) Explain one benefit and one drawback of extending the use of the Oyster card nationally. [4 marks]

Answers:

a) The gates through which people pass though in the London underground are very narrow to increase the amount of people that can go through at the same time. If the range of the readers were to be increased they might pick up the presence of a card accidentally an cause customers to pay by either unwanted means or maybe even more than once. 

Another reason is that the information exchange between the card and the reader could be easily eavesdropped as it is not highly secured. The higher the distance the easier it would be to do so.

b) 1. Matching the Serial number of the Oyster card with a database that includes the account information (amount of money on card).

2. Checking if the amount is sufficient for the distance that was traveled by the customer by checking the enter and exit points on another database.

3. Alarming customer if the amount on account is not sufficient for the distance that was traveled by simply not opening the gate. 

Booking System Development

Booking System Development

Get it here:

This is a different system as it was a project given to students. The aim of the project was to develop a theater booking system.

The student in this case decided to design his system using WindowsNT server as a the operating system and Visul InterDev as his tool. 

Using this software he created a number of pages that he then interlinked to form a website that provides the following functions:

• Logging in
• Forgot password option (answer corresponding to user ID)
• City, Movie, Screen, Date and Time selection

However this system does not include any kind of visual seat selection which is the number one aspect of booking system that make them more appealing. The only interactivity that is happening on this page is the selection of options from drop down menus. 

The project is reasonably outdated so it might have been more impressive at the time of its completion. At today's standards it does not even meet the satisfactory level. 

System Bookings

Get it here:

What does it do?

• Builds an online booking system entirely dependent on the clients needs

How?

• The clients needs are analyzed and then included into the booking system
• The client can built an own package from all the available features
• 
  

Pros

• Individual needs are met and satisfy every client
• Relatively cheap as it is not highly advanced
• Can be used for any kind of purpose (that needs booking systems)

Cons

• Website seems unprofessional --> low quality product

os Concert

Get it here:

What does it do?

• Provides on open source seat booking software for event organizers

How?

• By coming with many features such as:
• E-Ticketing (PDF)
• Creating a "Seat Plan" for individual needs
• Customer Accounts
• Customer Service
• Order Management (online box office)
• Special Sales
• Various payment methods

Pros

• Seat plan can be designed individually for special needs
• Open source - adjustments can be made along the way

Cons

• Technologically not on the newest stand
• Managing software not laid out nicely

Jane McGonigal: Gaming can make a better world

3 billion hours are spent weekly to play games --> the target is 21 billion hours

Jane McGonigal tries to convince the TED audience that the future of problem solving (education) lies in gaming. Her main argument is the "Epic Win" moment of game play:

THE EPIC WIN:

The epic win is a moment of ultimate achievement during which a player experiences both the surprise and satisfaction of achieving something that has not even seemed possible.

    Epic win expression

It is an emotion most frequently seen during game play.

In online gaming you are entrusted with a world saving mission right from the beginning of the game. These missions are always matched to your level in the game (always possible to solve).

The combination of trust and satisfaction is so strong that it seems more appealing to spend more time in these game world then in the real world --> bring real world scenarios into the game

Gamers have spent 5.93 million years on WOW alone, solving problems (playing)

Average Gamers have spent 10,000 hours by the age of 21 playing games. This amount almost equals the amount of hours an american kid spends in high school.

According to a theory if a person had spent 10,000 hours learning about anything it would became the master of that subject.

SO WHAT ARE GAMERS GETTING GOOD AT?

Urgent Optimism:

• Extreme self motivation
• Tackle a problem with a reasonable hope of success

Social Fabric:

• It takes trust to play a game with someone
• We like people better after playing with/against them
• Builds bonds, trust and cooperation

Blissful Productivity:

• We are happier working hard, even in games

Epic meaning:

• The importance of tasks and missions is "epic"

These four lead us to believe that gamers are: Super-Empowered Hopeful Individuals

These are people that believe they can change the world on their own.

The only problem is that they believe they can change the virtual worlds not the real world.

THE SOLUTION:

Developing games that end up in finding the solution to real world problems in order to set the gamers way of thinking in a specific way.

By creating Epic Wins in the real world people will strive to achieve them in the game and therefor have a better view on how to solve them in the real world.

Jane McGonigal has developed several such games which are already online and playable by anyone with a computer and internet access.