A maturidade da área de Interação Humano-Computador (IHC) pode ser atestada pela grande quantidade de conjuntos formados por regras, diretrizes e normas (aqui designados como diretivas) que têm sido formulados por dezenas de autores como guias para o estudo, criação e melhoria de interfaces de usuário. No entanto, esses conjuntos apresentam diferenças significativas entre si: muitas dessas diretivas, incluindo algumas já consagradas no universo da IHC, não pertencem ao mesmo nível de abstração nem formam um conjunto homogêneo de enunciados. Essa falta de unidade, aliada à acelerada evolução das tecnologias digitais, tem contribuído para manter essas diretivas (e a própria disciplina de IHC, segundo alguns) em um estado constante de fragmentação e permanente modificação. Mesmo assim, podem ser encontrados princípios — ou leis essenciais, universais e imutáveis — que são subjacentes às diretivas e que podem delas ser extraídos através de uma metodologia adequada. Para contribuir com esse processo, a presente pesquisa apresenta uma revisão dos critérios utilizados para a compilação de conjuntos de diretivas de usabilidade, além de um método de três etapas para a redução progressiva de um número significativo de diretivas a uma lista simples de princípios de usabilidade. Os resultados deste trabalho incluem um modelo metodológico e um conjunto de sete princípios que podem ser utilizados para a pesquisa a e prática da Interação Humano-Computador. / The maturity of the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) field can be attested by the large number of existing sets of rules, guidelines and standards (called directives herein) that have been formulated by dozens of authors as guidelines for the study, design and improvement of user interfaces. Still, these sets present significant differences among themselves: many of these directives, including some already established in the realm of HCI, do not belong to the same level of abstraction and do not constitute a homogeneous set of statements. This lack of unity, coupled with the rapid evolution of digital technologies, has contributed to maintain these directives (and, according to some, the very discipline of HCI) in a constant state of fragmentation and perpetual change. Even so, it is possible to find among them certain principles — i.e., essential laws that are universal and immutable — which underlie these directives and can be extracted from them using an appropriate methodology. To contribute to this process, this research presents a review of the criteria used to compile these sets of usability directives and a three-step method for the progressive reduction of a significant number of directives to a simple list of usability principles. The results include a methodological framework and seven principles that can be used for the research and practice of Human-Computer Interaction.

(in English): The goal of this thesis is to analyze mainly advantages of iPad use during lectures at special primary schools. In addition, the thesis takes a look at disadvantages of this style of education. The theoretical part includes the first four chapters. The main information source for this part is expert literature. The first step presents the basic terms from the field of education. The next step presents important information about mental retardation and autistic spectrum disorders, including the specific aspects of education of children with such mental disorders. Following are the characteristics of the iPad devices and the history of the device and its manufacturer, the Apple company. This part also includes other information and communication technology used for educational purposes at regular as well as special schools. Last chapter of this part excerpts advantages and disadvantages of iPad listed in used expert literature. The practical part uses the method of qualitative analysis, in the form of semi-structured interview to find out which positive and negative effects can iPad usage have for both parties involved - children and teachers. The analysis builds on the foundation laid in the theoretical part, checking how the answeres of the interviewees correspond to the contemporary...

The main purpose of this project is to build a bank system that offers a friendly and simple interface to let users easily manage their lightweight currencies. The Lightweight Currency Protocol (LCP) was originally proposed to solve the problem of fairness in resource cooperatives. However, there are other possible applications of the protocol, including the control of spam and as a general purpose medium of exchange for low value transactions. This project investigates the implementation issues of the LCP, and also investigates LCP bank services to provide human interface to currency operations.

The purpose of this project is to design, build, and implement a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system for a bank. CRM BANKING is an online application that caters to strengthening and stabilizing customer relationships in a bank.

In smart item environments, multitude of sensors are applied to capture data about product conditions and usage to guide business decisions as well as production automation processes. A big issue in this application area is posed by the restricted quality of sensor data due to limited sensor precision as well as sensor failures and malfunctions. Decisions derived on incorrect or misleading sensor data are likely to be faulty. The issue of how to efficiently provide applications with information about data quality (DQ) is still an open research problem. In this paper, we present a flexible model for the efficient transfer and management of data quality for streaming as well as static data. We propose a data stream metamodel to allow for the propagation of data quality from the sensors up to the respective business application without a significant overhead of data. Furthermore, we present the extension of the traditional RDBMS metamodel to permit the persistent storage of data quality information in a relational database. Finally, we demonstrate a data quality metadata mapping to close the gap between the streaming environment and the target database. Our solution maintains a flexible number of DQ dimensions and supports applications directly consuming streaming data or processing data filed in a persistent database.

The study investigated the use of mobile phones in disseminating information on agriculture to the farming community of Mashonaland West Province of Zimbabwe, with a view to improving the coverage gap created by the available initiatives. Relevant literature on the available and successful mobile phones agricultural information dissemination platforms were extensively reviewed, taking into consideration the Mashonaland West Province farmers’ information needs. Formats, channels and sources currently being used to transmit agricultural information to farmers were investigated. Barriers to the use of mobile phones in transmitting agricultural information were as well investigated. Data was gathered on the farmers’ access to mobile phones and ownership of mobile phones. The survey research methodology was used for data collection because the research involved a large sample in a widespread geographical area. Quantitative research approach was used and questionnaires were used for data collection. The respondents for the study comprised farmers, network providers and other agricultural stakeholders in the province. A sample of 384 farmers, and 13 network providers and other stakeholders participated in the survey. Quantitative data was analysed using the the SPSS software while the little qualitative data which was available was analysed through content analysis. The findings of the study indicated that farmers in Mashonaland West Province of Zimbabwe were willing to get updates on agricultural information via cell phones. However, majority of the farmers could not afford the high mobile data tariffs being charged by network service providers, and the costs of subscription charged by the available agricultural information dissemination platforms. The study mainly recommended that the government should establish mobile phone agricultural information dissemination platforms that can be accessed by farmers for free or that which will charge affordable rates. The study adds to the existing knowledge on how mobile phones can be used in disseminating agricultural information to farmers. / Information Science / D. Inf. (Information Science)

In developing countries, acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are responsible for two million deaths per year. Most victims are children who are less than 5 years old. Pneumonia kills 5000 children per day. The statistics for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are even more alarming. According to a 2009 report from the World Health Organization (WHO), CVDs kill 17 million people per year. In many resource-poor parts of the world such as India and China, many people are unable to access cardiologists, pulmonologists, and other specialists. Hence, low skilled health professionals are responsible for screening people for ARIs and CVDs in these areas. For example, in the rural areas of the Philippines, there is only one doctor for every 10,000 people. By contrast, the United States has one doctor for every 500 Americans. Due to advances in technology, it is now possible to use a smartphone for audio recording, signal processing, and machine learning. In my thesis, I have developed an Android application named Smart Auscultation. Auscultation is a process in which physicians listen to heart and lung sounds to diagnose disorders. Cardiologists spend years mastering this skill. The Smart Auscultation application is capable of recording and classifying heart sounds, and can be used by public or clinical health workers. This application can detect abnormal heart sounds with up to 92-98% accuracy. In addition, the application can record, but not yet classify, lung sounds. This application will be able to help save thousands of lives by allowing anyone to identify abnormal heart and lung sounds.

在當前競爭日益激烈的網際網路商業環境中，企業對能提升經營績效之創新管理方法與工具的需求更形殷切。尤其在資訊科技快速發展的推波助瀾下，各式新型商品與新穎服務的開發與提供，不但改變了傳統的供需關係，更使企業經營面臨必須全面檢討與不斷創新的壓力。故在知識經濟時代裏，組織的經營重心將是擺在創新上，而新產品的開發又是在創新上最具體的成果，雖然研究發展活動需要投入相當多的資源，但是卻是一個科技公司所依賴維持競爭力的一項企業活動。 　　基於此，故本論文將在知識創新和研發程序二者之間做相關性探討，而所選擇的專案案例是以企業應用軟體研發程序專案為基礎，從此基礎試著以知識創新活動內容的過程中和技術知識特質中，分析出屬於企業應用軟體產業的知識創新活動內容中的行為為何?以及技術知識特質和這些知識創新行為之間關聯性，進而提供以知識創新行為基礎，架構如何發展成功的研發程序模式，來提昇企業競爭力。 　　為了分析客觀起見，所選擇的應用軟體研發程序專案案例將有三種不同個案---1.個案一「ERP導入專案」，2.個案二「企業應用客製化軟體開發專案」，3.個案三「企業協同作業方法論專案」。而這三種不同個案有其三個不同類型---導入程序、客製化軟體開發程序、作業方法論程序。這些不同類型在分析軟體技術知識特質和知識創新活動行為之間關聯性，將試著找出共同點，進而得出本論文的研究發現。 　　從整個論文發展過程中，可知最主要是要發現在企業應用軟體研發程序下的軟體技術知識特質應該運用何種知識創新行為，並以此行為做為企業應用軟體產業在研發程序專案順利完成的成功因素。 / On competitive internet business environment, corporate need innovation management methodology and tool , in order to submit business performance urgently. Especially, sorts of new product and service provide content by information technology development submit rapidly, but also change traditional supply-demand concern, not only corporate business must face to discussing impress with continual innovation totally. On knowledge economic decade, it's important to innovate that organization business aimed, and new product development is physical result in innovation. Maybe R&D activity need input more resources, it is need business R&D activity that one technology corporate maintain competitive. 　　Based on the above mentioned, The text do relate discussion between knowledge innovation and R&D procedure. Its selected case is base on business application software R&D procedure project, with knowledge innovation activity and software technical knowledge nature by these cases, analysis what is its content with knowledge innovation for corporate application software industry, and what is relation between knowledge innovation activity and software technical knowledge nature, more, it design module how to develop success R&D procedure based on knowledge innovation in order to submit corporate competition. 　　Because of analysis seriously. The text select three sorts of cases: case1: ERP implementation project; case2: business application customized development software project; case3: business collaboration process methodology project. The text try to find common item with these different cases in order to obtain research discovery by analysis relation between knowledge innovation activity and software technical knowledge nature. 　　From the text development procedure, it mainly find which knowledge innovation content on software technical knowledge nature for business application software R&D procedure, and take these content to success factory for R&D project on business application software industry.

CAPES / As tecnologias de informação e comunicação (TIC’s) estão presentes diariamente na vida da sociedade e provocam mudanças no seu modo de viver. As TIC’s possibilitam a criação de novos produtos e serviços para melhorar a vida das pessoas. Elas têm sido utilizadas no trabalho, nos relacionamentos, serviços públicos, entretenimento e lazer com o objetivo de mitigar a exclusão social, melhorar o desempenho econômico, criar oportunidades de emprego, melhorar a qualidade de vida e promover a participação social. Neste contexto de desenvolvimentos tecnológicos e hiperconectividade combinado com as preocupações referentes a um crescimento urbano sustentável, governabilidade eficaz e melhores formas de analisar e explorar dados, diversas pesquisas emergem levando em consideração os conceitos sobre cidades inteligentes, cidades digitais e cidades virtuais. Observando-se os benefícios proporcionados pelas cidades inteligentes, digitais e virtuais (na perspectiva de um jogo digital) e pelo fato de que não há atualmente conhecimentos consolidados, tampouco uma plataforma computacional com os recursos necessários para integrar aplicações associadas ao ambiente físico de vivência dos cidadãos que envolvem aspectos de caráter social, governamental, comercial, educacional, científico e de entretenimento, este trabalho busca responder a seguinte pergunta: é possível desenvolver uma cidade virtual na perspectiva de um jogo digital com o propósito de ser uma plataforma para execução de aplicações que trazem benefícios para a vida dos cidadãos de uma região? A partir desta pergunta, surgiu a presente dissertação organizada em quatro camadas de interesses: tecnológica, ética, sociocultural e ações públicas, originando desta forma a Curitiba-ViewPort (C-VP). Em relação ao desenvolvimento da camada tecnológica (foco desta dissertação), o projeto foi dividido em quatro atividades principais: modelagem gráfica, criação da base de dados, desenvolvimento de um servidor Web Services e finalmente, o desenvolvimento do jogo propriamente dito. Levando em consideração o protótipo desenvolvido e os resultados obtidos, a C-VP mostrou-se capaz de ser uma cidade virtual na perspectiva de um jogo digital com o propósito de ser uma plataforma para execução de aplicações, respondendo desta forma, a pergunta que originou esta dissertação. / Information and communication technologies (ICT’s) are present daily in the life of society and cause changes in the way they live. ICT’s enable the creation of new products and services to improve people’s lives. It has been used in work, relationships, public services, entertainment and leisure with the aim of mitigate social exclusion, improving economic performance, creating employment opportunities, improving quality of life and promoting social participation. In this context of technological developments and hyperconnectivity combined with concerns about sustainable urban growth, effective governance and better ways of analyzing and exploring data, a variety of research emerges taking into account the concepts of smart cities, digital cities and virtual cities. Noting the benefits provided by smart, digital and virtual cities (from the perspective of a digital game) and the fact that there is currently no consolidated knowledge, nor a computational platform with the necessary resources to integrate applications associated with the physical environment of citizens that involve social, governmental, commercial, educational, scientific and entertainment aspects, this work seeks to answer the following question: is it possible to develop a virtual city in the perspective of a digital game with the purpose of being a platform for execution of applications that bring benefits to the lives of citizens of a region? From this question, the present dissertation was organized in four layers of interests: technological, ethical, sociocultural and public actions. In relation to the development of the technological layer (focus of this dissertation), the project was divided into four main activities: graphic modeling, database creation, web server development and finally the development of the game itself . Taking into account the developed prototype and the results obtained, the C-VP proved to be a virtual city in the perspective of a digital game with the purpose of being a platform for application execution, thus answering the question that originated this dissertation.

Increasing speed of networks and worldwide availability has made the World Wide Web the most significant medium for information exchange. Web technologies have become more and more important as large and small businesses continue to make their presence on the web. Today's businesses have more than just a "face" on the worldwide web. The use of a web browser is no longer restricted to viewing static pages. Browsers are becoming more and more a standard interface to a multifaceted reign of programs that live on the worldwide web. Two main technologies stand out for the implementation of web applications, Sun Microsystems' Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) and Microsoft' Dot Net Framework. The purpose of this study is to provide an unbiased comparison of the two technologies based on performance and other software qualities.