The range of applications for high-quality automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems has grown dramatically with the advent of smart phones, in which speech recognition can greatly enhance the user experience. Currently, the languages with extensive ASR support on these devices are languages that have thousands of hours of transcribed speech corpora already collected. Developing a speech system for such a language is made simpler because extensive resources already exist. However for languages that are not as prominent, the process is more difficult. Many obstacles such as reliability and cost have hampered progress in this regard, and various separate tools for every stage of the development process have been developed to overcome these difficulties. Developing a system that is able to combine these identified partial solutions, involves customising existing tools and developing new ones to interface the overall end-to-end process. This work documents the integration of several tools to enable the end-to-end development of an Automatic Speech Recognition system in a typical under-resourced language. Google App Engine is employed as the core environment for data verification, storage and distribution, and used in conjunction with existing tools for gathering text data and for speech data recording. We analyse the data acquired by each of the tools and develop an ASR system in Shona, an important under-resourced language of Southern Africa. Although unexpected logistical problems complicated the process, we were able to collect a useable Shona speech corpus, and develop the first Automatic Speech Recognition system in that language. / MIng (Computer and Electronic Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The range of applications for high-quality automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems has grown dramatically with the advent of smart phones, in which speech recognition can greatly enhance the user experience. Currently, the languages with extensive ASR support on these devices are languages that have thousands of hours of transcribed speech corpora already collected. Developing a speech system for such a language is made simpler because extensive resources already exist. However for languages that are not as prominent, the process is more difficult. Many obstacles such as reliability and cost have hampered progress in this regard, and various separate tools for every stage of the development process have been developed to overcome these difficulties. Developing a system that is able to combine these identified partial solutions, involves customising existing tools and developing new ones to interface the overall end-to-end process. This work documents the integration of several tools to enable the end-to-end development of an Automatic Speech Recognition system in a typical under-resourced language. Google App Engine is employed as the core environment for data verification, storage and distribution, and used in conjunction with existing tools for gathering text data and for speech data recording. We analyse the data acquired by each of the tools and develop an ASR system in Shona, an important under-resourced language of Southern Africa. Although unexpected logistical problems complicated the process, we were able to collect a useable Shona speech corpus, and develop the first Automatic Speech Recognition system in that language. / MIng (Computer and Electronic Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Magistro baigiamajame darbe išanalizuotos mobilaus marketingo sprendimų ir priemonių įgyvendinimo verslo įmonėse galimybės ir įvertintas poveikis didinant veiklos efektyvumą. Pirmoje darbo dalyje pateikiama mobilaus marketingo sąvoka, analizuojamos mobilaus marketingo panaudojimo galimybės ir pagrindinės kliūtys. Taip pat išnagrinėta mobilaus marketingo strategijos reikšmė, mobilaus marketingo įtaka marketingo komplekso elementams bei aptartos mobilaus marketingo priemonės ir įrankiai. Antroje dalyje išanalizuotos išmaniųjų mobiliųjų įrenginių naudojimo tendencijos, mobilaus interneto plėtra, mobiliųjų technologijų pagrindiniai bruožai ir privalumai bei mobilaus marketingo rinka. Trečioje dalyje ištirtas mobilaus marketingo priemonių praktinis panaudojimas ir įvertintas mobilaus marketingo poveikis Lietuvos elektroninės prekybos įmonių veiklos efektyvumui. / The thesis focuses on mobile marketing marketing solutions and measures implementation possibilities in organizations and its impact on increasing efficiency. In the first part of the work the concept of mobile marketing, the mobile marketing usability and the main obstacles are analyzed. It is also considered a strategy value of mobile marketing, influence of marketing mix elements and also this part presented main mobile marketing tools. In the second part the use of smart mobile devices trends, mobile web development, and mobile technology and the key features and benefits of mobile marketing market are analyzed. The third part underlines the practical implementation of marketing tools and evaluated mobile marketing opportunities for increasing the efficiency of Lithuanian e-commerce companies.

The thesis focuses on bubble tea market in the Czech republic in relation to Bubbleology company. The objective of the thesis is to analyze the marketing mix of this company and suggest additions that would increase the awareness for the brand and subsequently increase the profits. First the target group is identified with the help of on-line questionnaire. Then leading bubble tea brands are described and the main competition for Bubbleology is identified. Follows analysis of the marketing mix. Proposed is increase in digital engagement with the help of social networks and mobile app. Improvements to promotions in the shopping malls are also suggested. The concepts are then verified with the help of focus groups.

The thesis focuses on consumer contests within the field of modern technologies. Its objective is to provide a comprehensive overview of the role consumer contests take as a part of the marketing communications mix, the current legislation governing the issue of consumer contests in the Czech Republic, and especially on how to use the Internet and mobile devices to create a successful contest campaign. Special attention is paid to describing a variety of contest concepts as well as to the most current platforms that can be used in a contest execution. The work also includes an online survey, providing unique data on involvement and preferences of the respondents about consumer contests.

In this exploration of the human battery interface, the way in which battery information and notifications effect interaction are analyzed through two small scale studies and a design proposal which is then user tested. With the first study, an attempt is made to gauge user’s feelings toward the current battery information display on their smartphones through a brief online questionnaire. Participants who were selected for further study installed battery monitoring software on their devices and shared the resulting data. This data was then analyzed and some usage patterns were extrapolated. After surveying current market solutions and research in the field, design opportunities were explored and a final design proposal was created and tested with possibilities for further applications being discussed.

V této práci vytváříme jednoduchý systém pro rychlou textovou komunikaci (IM), který využívá technologii Near-Field Communication (NFC) ke zlepšení bezpečnosti a soukromí. V první části zkoumáme samotnou technologii NFC. Poté se věnujeme možnostem NFC v operačním systému Android pro chytrá mobilní zařízení a také existujícím aplikacím, které tyto možnosti využívají. Rovněž zkoumáme nejmodernější přístup k bezpečnému IM, zejména Signal Protocol a jeho open-source implementaci pro Android. Dále pak navrhujeme IM systém, který používá Signal Protocol pro šifrování zpráv a NFC pro výměnu kryptografického materiálu, aniž by vyžadoval použití telefonních čísel nebo důvěryhodnou třetí stranu. Nakonec předkládáme vzorovou implementaci klientské i serverové aplikace a zhodnocení vlastností tohoto systému z hlediska soukromí a bezpečí.

Members of society today embrace multiple communication media for various purposes and intents. Text messaging has been identified as the medium of choice for continual relationship maintenance and text messaging from mobile devices overshadows all other media forms for the support of social connections. Text messaging is changing everything from how operators market their plans to how advertisers and service providers reach consumers. But just as technology usage of social media and internet access are different across generational boundaries, text messaging usage and habits may also be different for various generational groups. The majority of peer-reviewed research regarding text messaging usage habits has focused on adolescent and young adult users with less attention on text messaging usage habits by older adults; there is a scarcity of peer-reviewed research examining cross-generation text messaging habits and texting usage patterns. The primary goal of this study was to assess the similarities and differences in text messaging usage habits, purposes, and support of social connections differentiated by five of the commonly designated generational groups in America; the Post-War Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z. A mixed methods study provided data on the text messaging usage habits of members of the generational groups using a pool of adult college students, members of the researcher’s LinkedIn network, and data from a survey service to determine to what extent differences and similarities exist between users’ text messaging usage habits within each generational group. Results indicated generational group membership has a significant effect on a participant’s messaging volume (UV), text messaging partner choices (TMPC), and text messaging social habits (SH), regardless of gender, education level, or employment status. The older the generational group, the more likely they are to prefer talking over texting and to have issues with the device interface. The Post-War Silent generation texts their spouses the least of any group, while Generation X texts their spouses the most, and all generational groups with the exception of Generation Z would limit texting while driving. Generational characteristics seem to have some influence over texting behaviors. Contributions to the existing body of knowledge in the human computer interaction field include an investigation of factors that contribute to each generational group’s willingness to embrace or reject the text messaging medium, and an investigation into the into how each generation views and exploits the texting medium.

In 2018, there were 3.6 billion mobile internet users worldwide, which shows that digital designers have to tackle navigational patterns and menu anchor interactors for smartphone-sized screens early in their projects. As user satisfaction is crucial for the success of a website, and as successful navigation through a menu system is imperative to user satisfaction, the menu system is a key component in the UI. This study concerned three types of menu anchor interactors in smartphone UIs (Transient, Top persistent, and Navigation hub), on three website types (Single service, Brand, and Service directory). The goal was to investigate what influence the website type has on the user’s preferences of menu anchor itneractors. The theoretical base is previous research on menu systems in graphical UIs. The study was done by a questionnaire where the participants were presented images of three different menu anchor interactors on three different website types, and asked to score the assumed helpfulness of the menu anchor interactor from one to seven on a Likert scale. In addition, they were asked to clarify their scoring in a qualitative response. The key findings are that users prefer menu anchor interactors that display several navigation links, and that there are indications that the Top persistent menu anchor interactor works best on the Service directory website type, while Single service and Brand website types seem to benefit from a Navigation hub. However, the results also show the importance of studying UI components in their full UI context, as the whole UI affects the perceived usability of the menu anchor interactor. / 2018 fanns det 3,6 miljarder mobila internetanvändare i världen, vilket visar att digitala designers måste tackla navigationsmöster och menyinteraktörer till smarta telefoner och små skärmar tidigt i sina projekt. Då användarnöjdhet är avgörande för en webbsidas framgång, och då en lyckad navigationsprocess genom ett menysystem är nödvändig för användarnöjdheten, är menysystemet en nyckelkomponent i gränssnittet. Den här studien avser tre typer av menyinteraktörer (obeständig dold meny, beständig toppmeny och navigationshub), på tre typer av webbsidor (enskild tjänsteleverantör, varumärkessajt och tjänsteregister). Målet var att undersöka hur webbsidans typ påverkar användarens inställning till menyinteraktörer. Den teoretiska basen utgörs av tidigare forskning på menysystem i grafiska användargränssnitt. Studien genomfördes med hjälp av ett frågeformulär där bilder av tre olika menyinteraktörer på tre olika typer av webbsidor presenterades för deltagarna. De ombads att på en Likertskala från ett till sju bedöma hur hjälpsam den enskilda menyinteraktören uppfattas. Därtill ombads de att förtydliga sitt omdöme i ett kvalitativt svar. De viktigaste resultaten från studien visar att användare föredrar menyinteraktörer som visar flera navigationslänkar och det finns indikationer på att den beständiga toppmenyinteraktören fungerar bäst för webbsidor av typen tjänsteregister, medan sidor av typen enskild tjänsteleverantör och varumärkessajt gynnas av en navigationshub. Resultaten visar emellertid också vikten av att studera användargränssnittskomponenter i deras fullständiga gränssnittskontext, eftersom helheten påverkar den uppfattade användbarheten hon menyinteraktören.

We live in a high tech era of electronic media, which is changing our lives (Giddens, 1999). Apps are examples of technologies that affect our lives. An interesting question in this context is what apps will have for significance; on one hand for the development of technology, and on other hand for humans’ relation to technology. Since the development and change process are central issues in the science of education I will explore the development of applications. The purpose of this paper is to seek knowledge about applications (apps) development from a design and user perspective. This dissertation discusses activity theory as an academic framework for understanding of apps development from two different types of operating systems or practices, to be precise design practice and user practice. To clarify my point, I have defined the following questions: why user apps are designed, how user apps are designed, and what contradictions occur between the design and the use of apps? My research is based on a qualitative approach with an abductive approach. I used multiple case studies as research approach based on three data collection techniques: interviews, observiews (interviews and observations) and observations of social media and an archived document of wireframes about apps. The result shows that apps designed and published either for their function or for promotional purposes. The design process is fast and dynamic process where applications are published before they are ready and constantly updated later. The use of apps characterized by either an active or a passive use operations. In the passive activity apps are tested through trial and error, and when they do not meet the user's expectations they are thrown away. This activity contributes in relation to previous research on technology and social change to the consumer’s throwaway culture. While in the active using, activities becomes part of the development activities where development aspects are communicated through social media – interact active users and designers to develop the app, which is both an artifact and an object of their own development. Activity theory thus contributes to theories of design by considering design not only as production but also as a fully operational system itself with the production, consumption, exchange and distribution. / Vi lever i en högmodern tid som präglas av elektroniska medier som förändrar vårt liv enligt Giddens (1999). Appar är exempel på teknik som påverkar vårt liv. En intressant fråga i detta sammanhang är vad appar får för betydelse för – å ena sidan utveckling av teknik å andra sidan människans förhållande till teknik. Eftersom utveckling och förändringsprocesser är centrala i pedagogik vill jag studera utveckling av appar. Syftet med denna uppsats är att söka kunskap om apputveckling ur ett design- och användarperspektiv. I uppsatsen används verksamhetsteori som teoretiskt ramverk för att förstå apputveckling utifrån två olika typer av verksamhetssystem eller praktiker, nämligen designpraktiken och användarpraktiken. För att närmare precisera mitt syfte har jag definierat följande frågeställningar: varför designas respektive används appar, hur designas respektive används appar, och vilka motsättningar uppstår/finns mellan design och användning av appar? Min uppsats bygger på ett kvalitativt tillvägagångssätt med en abduktiv ansats som innebär en pendling mellan teori och empiri. Jag använder flerfallsstudien som forskningsansats, med tre datasamlingstekniker: intervjuer, observjuer och observationer av sociala medier och ett arkiverat dokument med skisser över appar. Resultatet visar att appar designas och publiceras antingen för sin funktion eller i marknadsföringssyfte. Designprocessen är en snabb, dynamisk process där appar publiceras innan de är klara och därefter ständigt uppdateras. Användning av appar kännetecknas av antingen en aktiv eller en passiv användning. I den passiva användningsverksamheten prövas appar genom trial-and-error och när de inte motsvarar användarens förväntningar kastas de bort. Denna verksamhet bidrar i relation till tidigare forskning om teknik och social förändring till konsumtionssamhällets slit och slängkultur. Den aktiva användningsverksamheten blir istället en del av utvecklings­verksamheten där utvecklingsaspekter kommuniceras via sociala medier där aktiva användare och designer samverkar i att utveckla appen som blir både en artefakt och ett objekt för sin egen utveckling. Verksamhetsteori bidrar således till teorier om design genom att betrakta design inte bara som produktion utan som ett helt verksamhetssystem i sig med produktion, konsumtion, utbyte och fördelning.