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really loving your response...]]> General http://leng-jai.info/index.php?itemid=46 Sun, 21 Oct 2007 04:51:12 +0000 http://leng-jai.info/index.php?itemid=44
I'll be calling up Sandisk tomorrow and asking them what's wrong with their usb drive. *sigh* A great start...]]> General http://leng-jai.info/index.php?itemid=44 Sat, 15 Sep 2007 19:23:54 +0000 http://leng-jai.info/index.php?itemid=42 System name: Windows Live Messenger (formerly known as MSN Messenger)

This application allows users to instant message friends and family (collectively known as contacts). It also allows users to communicate with contacts using voice conversations and video conversations via microphones and webcams. Functionality-wise, WLM addresses the pain points of communicating with contacts, but its implementation has several design issues. This is mainly due to adding functions (and access to these functions) on top of the existing structure and user interface.Interaction Design flaws:

1. Intrusive advertisements on the main window as well as individual contact windows are in-your-face and can turn users off the software

2. Tabs and notifications crowd the main window, making the screen cluttered and information hard to digest

3. Individual contact windows are cluttered with buttons and options, distracting users from the main function of the program

Recommended changes:

The first flaw can be corrected (or at least made less intrusive) by limiting advertisements to text. Text advertisments can be put into promonent places of a window, but not be obtrusive, thus not marring the user's experience of the software.

The second and third flaws are easily fixed. By making the user interface customisable, users can choose to limit the amount of "bloat" on their windows. Furthermore, large group surveys can define which functions users want to see by default, and which they want to be able to turn on and off i.e. power users.]]> HIT2308 http://leng-jai.info/index.php?itemid=42 Mon, 3 Sep 2007 07:11:50 +0000 http://leng-jai.info/index.php?itemid=40 Software: Joost

Overview:
To provide users with (legal) TV content while on the InternetKey weakness:
Users cannot select the quality that their selected content is streamed in or the amount of bandwidth the application uses.

Root cause:
Assumptions of the amount of bandwidth and speed of broadband that the user has available were too large. Many users have reported long load times, indicating internet speeds to stream content as listed in the system requirements was inaccurate. Not being able to select the quality of the streaming indicates that the programmers have not gone beyond the simplest of design requirements.

Suggested improvements:

1. Include options to stream content at different qualities

2. Include options to limit bandwidth usage of program]]> HIT2308 http://leng-jai.info/index.php?itemid=40 Mon, 3 Sep 2007 05:26:46 +0000 http://leng-jai.info/index.php?itemid=38 Product:
Sony SonicStage CP, allows users to organise their music library and transfer music to their Sony music player

Scenario:
Silent Thunder (herein known as ST) wants to be able to organise his music files and be able to transfer songs to his music player, no matter the original format or quality of the song files.
Due to the use of proprietary transfer techniques, SonicStage CP is the only way that ST can transfer music to his Sony music player.Actors and their Pain-points:
User's computer:
- Windows has no convenient way to organise and display music files other than by alphabetic order, date modified etc.
Sony:
- Wants more people to buy their music players
Primary user:
- unable to view song information i.e. name, artist, album, year and genre
- unable to create playlists for the music player

Functions:
- Allow user to catalogue and browse files based on artist name, album name and most commonly played
- Allow user to transfer music to and from their music player
- Allow user to automatically get music/cd info from internet application "GraceNote"
- Create and edit playlists for commonly played files
- Allow user to rip/burn music cds for archiving

Form:
- Graphical user interface
- Runs on a range of Windows operating systems (XP and above)
- Easy to use
- Easily available and for free

Sony SonicStage CP is designed to meet users' pain-points stated above. Developed for use with Sony's extensive range of music players, SonicStage is currently at revision 4.3. New revisions continue to further refine SonicStage's ability to organise music, including the recent addition of searching online databases for album information.
A sore point with many users is the fact that SonicStage must encode music files into a Sony proprietary format before sending to music devices. This is a two stage process (encoding and uploading) and is cumbersome and time consuming

The following improvements are recommended for SonicStage CP:
- Allow users to transfer music files without requiring encoding
- Provide a more intuitive graphical user interface, where commonly used functions have prominent buttons]]> HIT2308 http://leng-jai.info/index.php?itemid=38 Mon, 27 Aug 2007 07:24:45 +0000 http://leng-jai.info/index.php?itemid=37
General vision statements contain the following components:
- For (Audience)
- Who (statement of oppurtunity)
- The (product)
- That (key benefit/s)
- Unlike (alternative)
- Our product (statement of differentiation)

These components are then usually rolled into a single paragraph.Example 1:

Worms is a turn-based strategy game for children who are bored after school. Unlike Super Mario, Worms is designed to ensure hours of interactive game play between other children.

Example 2:

Minty Mints is a refreshing mint drop for coffee lovers who don't want to offend others with their bad breathe. Unlike gum, Minty Mints are custom designed to neutralise the smell molecules of coffee to ensure fresh breathe after a cup of hot coffee.]]> HIT2308 http://leng-jai.info/index.php?itemid=37 Mon, 20 Aug 2007 06:33:42 +0000 http://leng-jai.info/index.php?itemid=29 Item: Sony NW-S706FP music player
Manufacturer: Sony
Release Date: 10/12/2007
Release Price: AUD399

General Specifications:
- Capacity: 4GB
- Display Type: 3-Line OLED
- Dimesions (WxHxD): 88.1x27.4x17mm
- Weight: ~50gThe low-down
Looking to reassert its presence on the market of flash-based MP3 players, Sony comes out with the S700 series, the company's response to Apple's iPod Nano. While having similar memory capacities as the Nano, the S700 really defines itself with a sleek, modern design and it's unique headline feature: active noise cancelling.
Long the domain of many bulky and unwieldy earphones, Sony's unique design incorporates the noise cancelling signal processing circuitry into the main body of the unit and integrates microphones into the earbuds to monitor ambient noise. This design makes the unit streamlined, and without prior knowledge, one would not know it supported active noise cancellation.

The Good
- Stylish modern design
- Active noise cancellation
- 50 hour battery life (42 with active noise cancellation on)
- FM radio included

The Bad
- Damaged earbuds means a loss of active noise cancelling
- Screen glares in sunny/well lit conditions
- Sony's SonicStage software

Bottom Line: 9/10 - Excellent
A beautifully designed music player, easy on the eyes, a pleasure for yours ears and a long battery life to boot. Active noise cancelling works a treat, taking out the ambient noise on planes and commutes on either trains or buses. If you're patient enough to bear with SonicStage, you'll be treated to a music player well worth your money.]]> HIT2308 http://leng-jai.info/index.php?itemid=29 Sun, 19 Aug 2007 03:51:43 +0000 http://leng-jai.info/index.php?itemid=26
note: I have no reservations at all to programming, I like it and must have some knowledge if I got an HD for C++ last semester.

A requirement for this subject is blogging every week or so for our individual assignments. So if you've been reading this blog and wondering why I've been neglecting it so much, rejoice as you'll be treated to frequent (read: more frequent) updates including hardware/software reviews and course work. ]]> HIT2308 http://leng-jai.info/index.php?itemid=26 Sun, 19 Aug 2007 03:16:27 +0000 http://leng-jai.info/index.php?itemid=23 click here

there are no words to describe how bad the above story is. its like watching a train-wreck. you know how its going to end but you cant keep from watching it.

it's also quite a bad demonstration of how stupid youth can be these days. the world could do with a lot less of this type of people.]]> General http://leng-jai.info/index.php?itemid=23 Sun, 25 Feb 2007 14:31:00 +0000 http://leng-jai.info/index.php?itemid=22
Short blog, and I'm done.

]]> General http://leng-jai.info/index.php?itemid=22 Thu, 8 Feb 2007 22:51:28 +0000