2C: changing nature of apps

Question 1

why has the nature of software apps changed

Answer 1

originally: writing apps for desktop computers + servers
now: recent changes due to widespread acceptance + use of internet/mobile devices

Question 2

web-based software + examples

Answer 2

WWW: part of internet where web browsers access files stored on web servers
- Web 2.0 tools
- cloud computing
- learning management systems

Question 3

how do web servers work

Answer 3

generates dynamic content specific to individual requests from user’s web browser; content sent by software on web server through languages like PHP/Perl

Question 4

client side languages + HTML

Answer 4

client side languages: JavaScript, ActionScript
- HTML5: latest ver of HTML, allows functionality previously acquired from third party languages

Question 5

server + client code

Answer 5

both needed to execute web-based applications

Question 6

learning object

Answer 6

a collection of resources used to teach a specific chunk of knowledge

Question 7

LCMS

Answer 7

LCMS: learning content management system; produces + published digital content for learning objects

Question 8

LMS

Answer 8

LMS: learning management system; delivers learning objects to students through web browser/internet
- tracks + records student progress + results
- delivers assessment items

Question 9

widgets

Answer 9

• GUI element(menus, text boxes)
• also refers to desktop widgets(apps on desktop of personal computers); utilise internet, updates content at regular intervals

Question 10

web widgets

Answer 10

type of widget as part of web page
- social networking sites allows users to include small widgets on their pages(small interactive games, content from other sites)

Question 11

app

Answer 11

applications executed on mobile phones
- smaller than comp apps due to less RAM + secondary storage

Question 12

apple app store restrictions

Answer 12

all iPhone apps downloaded from app store; developers must register, 30% of revenue goes to app store

Question 13

android

Answer 13

• does not have the same restrictions as apple
• google’s android market = most popular app for app download
• google owned android’s operating system until 2008, released under open source
• android apps: variety of different sources

Question 14

applet

Answer 14

a small application
- not fully featured but perform basic tasks(paint, notepad)
- runs within web page or another application
- many websites: include java applets to allow browser to run java bytecode

Question 15

web 2.0 tools

Answer 15

• about user participation/collaboration
• allows users to discuss, share, contribute in a more human/intuitive manner than before
• promotes users creating data + sharing/combining their data across apps

Question 16

cloud computing

Answer 16

refers to software as a service(SaaS)
- application runs over internet, on remote server with some parts executing on client

Question 17

where does cloud computing usually run + cloud meaning

Answer 17

operates within the user’s web browser, but includes many features found in the equivalent desktop application
cloud: refers to unknown nature of the devices providing the service

Question 18

how is the internet usually represented

Answer 18

as a cloud shape, indicating data + information flowing into + out of the cloud, with no need to understand what occurs within the cloud

Question 19

cloud applications

Answer 19

similar to internet, users don’t need to know where execution occurs or where data is located

Question 20

cloud servers

Answer 20

usually apps allow local saves, but most times it is saved on remote servers, which allow traditional documents to be accessed + edited by multiple users

Question 21

mobile phone tech

Answer 21

web-based apps routinely accessed using mobile phones due to connectivity + other hardware features

Question 22

mobile phone tech added functionalities

Answer 22

• GPS functionality used in apps to track location, filer data + mark location of photos/videos
• access points, data networks, bluetooth, GPS receivers

Question 23

collaborative environments

Answer 23

• variety of software apps aim to create collaborative environments for ease of communication
• currently possible: real time chat, CVS
• working on: high quality voice + real time video w/ good quality