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Data synchronization is the problem of bringing multiple versions of the same data on different remote devices to the most up to date version. This thesis looks into the particular problem of key-value storage systems synchronization between mobile devices in a peer-to-peer environment. In this research, we describe, implement and evaluate a new key-value storage system synchronization algorithm using a 2-phase approach, combining approximate synchronization in the first phase and exact synchronization in the second phase. The 2-phase architecture helps the algorithm achieve considerable boost in performance in all three major criteria of a data synchronization algorithm, namely synchronization time, processing time and communication cost, while still being suitable to operate in a peer-to-peer environment. The performance increase makes it feasible to employ database synchronization technique in a wider range of mobile applications, especially those operating on a slow peer-to-peer network.

Our consumption habits are today under development and alteration. The market for mobile commerce is increasing, as well as the use of social networks with mobile devices. This relatively new approach to online shopping requires that retailers adjust to new strategies related to trust issues. The purpose of this study is to examine how social networks affect the establishment of trust between retailers and customers in mobile commerce. We investigate what kind of strategies retailers apply in order for consumers to gain trust in the mobile environment. We also explore how consumers perceive increased trust in retailers who establish activities in social network. The result of our study indicates that the use of social networks often affects retailers’ trademark in a positive way. We also found that the availability increases when the retailers performs these activities. This can be exemplified by the consumers’ opportunity to get in contact with the retailer through different communication channels. This, among other factors, contributes to a greater sense of trust amongst consumers, which is presented furtherer in the report.

Background: Millennials are the largest and most pertinent audience for mobile advertisements and yet, following an extensive literature review, there were no mobile marketing studies which delimited their scope specifically to Millennials. Furthermore, advertisements are complex presentations which are described by both content factors such as playfulness or informativeness, and also media type factors through which the advertisement is delivered. These different factors cause different attitude levels in Millennials. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to discuss and analyze different media type, content and context factors of mobile advertisements in order to gauge which of these factors mobile advertisements should possess. Method: The research has a quantitative approach and is based on a survey design. Both secondary and primary data were used. The primary data collection was conducted with the help of a questionnaire which was distributed online. Conclusions: The results show that Millennials have the most positive attitude towards advertisements which they were exposed to through Apps, and that the content factor which has the most influence on their attitude is the entertainment value. Therefore, marketers should focus on making highly entertaining ads and delivering them through Apps in order for Millennials to have more positive attitudes towards them.

The AECL National Research Universal (NRU) reactor has implemented a new mobile device to help Operators collect instrument data. Instruments display readings through various analog and digital devices. Before the change, Operators collected readings via a paper and pen method. With the implementation of the mobile device, Operators scan a barcode and input the instrument’s reading using a mobile device. To understand the factors that influence Operator acceptance of the new technology, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used to identify determinants that have the biggest impact on the Operators’ intention to use the mobile device. The TAM results identified the determinants that were most influential and the mobile interface was redesigned, based on the TAM results. Once the interfaces were redesigned they were evaluated through a usability study that compared the original interface with the newly designed screens. The results did not show statistically significant differences between the screens.

The AECL National Research Universal (NRU) reactor has implemented a new mobile device to help Operators collect instrument data. Instruments display readings through various analog and digital devices. Before the change, Operators collected readings via a paper and pen method. With the implementation of the mobile device, Operators scan a barcode and input the instrument’s reading using a mobile device. To understand the factors that influence Operator acceptance of the new technology, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used to identify determinants that have the biggest impact on the Operators’ intention to use the mobile device. The TAM results identified the determinants that were most influential and the mobile interface was redesigned, based on the TAM results. Once the interfaces were redesigned they were evaluated through a usability study that compared the original interface with the newly designed screens. The results did not show statistically significant differences between the screens.

The purpose of this research is to explore the business strategies of a firm seeking to develop and profitably market a mobile smartphone application to understand how small, digital entrepreneurships may build sustainable business models given substantial market barriers. Through a detailed examination of one firm’s process to try to commercialize their mobile app, we identify various business model decisions and marketing strategy approaches that hindered the company’s efforts. The case study describes two distinctly different business models adopted in succession, as well as the various adjustments the firm makes to its target market, distribution and pricing approach that led to their current strategy. This research looks closely at business-to-business-to-consumer distribution arrangement for mobile apps and in doing so challenges the rising positive bias that exists for the app store as the dominant actor in the mobile value chain. For practice, this paper suggests unanticipated hurdles small digital entrepreneurs may face if they rely heavily on mobile advertising and the app store to launch and sustain their business.

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex (OFDM) is a flexible, robust multi-carrier modulation scheme. The orthogonal spectral shaping and spacing of OFDM sub-carriers ensure that their spectra can be over-lapped without leading to undesirable inter-carrier interference. Conventional OFDM systems have non-band limited Sinc(x) shaped subcarrier spectra. An alternative form of OFDM, referred to hereafter as Spectrally Shaped OFDM, employs band limited Nyquist shaped sub-carrier spectra. The research described in this thesis investigates the strengths and weaknesses of Spectrally Shaped OFDM as a potential modulation scheme for future mobile radio applications. From this research a novel Digital Signal Processing architecture for modulating and demodulating Spectrally Shaped OFDM sub-carriers has been derived which exploits the combination of a complex Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) and PolyPhase Network (PPN) filter. This architecture is shown to significantly reduce the minimum number of computations required per symbol compared to previous designs. Using a custom coded computer simulation, the effects of varying the key parameters of the novel architecture's PolyPhase Filter (PPN) filter an the overall system complexity, spectral performance and system signal-to-distortion have been extensively studied. From these studies it is shown that compared to similar conventional OFDM systems, Spectrally Shaped OFDM systems possess superior out-of-band spectral qualities but significantly worse Peak-to-Average-Power-Ratio (PAPR) envelope performance. lt is also shown that the absolute value of the end PPN filter coefficients (dependent on the roll-off factor of the sub-carrier spectral shaping) dictate the system signal-to-distortion ratio when no time-domain windowing of the PPN filter coefficients is applied. Finally the effects of a both time and frequency selective fast fading channels on the modulation scheme's uncoded Bit Error Rate (BER) versus Signal-to-Noise (SNR) performance are simulated. The results obtained indicate that Spectrally Shaped OFDM is more robust (lower BER) to frequency-selective fading than time-selective fading.