Esther Lombardi - ThoughtCo

The Scaffold in Nathaniel Hawthrone´s The Scarlet Letter

The symbol of the scaffold evolves in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet letter is build around the symbolic scaffold. The main characters transform the scaffold from the exposition to resolution. Next the traits of the scaffold itself deteriorate throughout the novel. Finally, the scaffold is applied symbolically throughout Hawthorne’s novel. The scaffold transforms throughout the book because they are there for different reasons. In the beginning Hester Prynne is there to be punished for her sin. Her sin was that she commits adultery and cheats on her husband. She cheats on Chillingworth with Dimmesdale. She ends up getting pregnant and she has a baby girl and she names her Pearl. Because she is beautiful and because she costs a great price. She must stand on the scaffold in front of the town to reveal her sin. Its to humiliate her for what she has done. The second scene is when Hester, Pearl and Dimmesdale are all standing together and being together. It’s the first time that Dimmesdale has claimed them in public. Before this Pearl felt like he wouldn’t claim and that he was ashamed to have anything to do with her. So when they all stand up there together she feels like it’s the right way. Dimmesdale also feels like its right thing to do. She shows her approval to him by giving him a kiss. The thir d is when Chillingworth gets up on the scaffold and shows his burning sin under his clothes and it is to helps him becauseShow MoreRelatedThe Scaffold Scenes in Nathaniel Hawthrone ´s The Scarlet Letter791 Words   |  3 Pages Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is known as a psychological novel regarding humanity, sin, guilt, and a fair amount of other ambiguous concepts. One of those is the significance of the three scaffold scenes throughout the work. The scaffold scenes signify religious and moral ideas, such as sinfulness, the spiritual figures the characters each portray, and the character development achieved by public and private absolution. The first scaffold scene begins the novel. In chapters two throughRead MoreSymbolism Is The Use Of Symbols To Signify Important Meaning1305 Words   |  6 Pagesthe continual hold of the past on the present. Hawthorne focused on his Calvinist lineage and America s Calvinist ideological past, as well, in hopes of coming to terms and making sense of it. Hawthorne s writing is full of symbolic characters, settings, and objects. Hawthorne s characters and settings are not always actually important for what they are, but for what they exemplify. Hawthorne s audience finds the meanings of his symbols as they grow among his characters efforts to tell the audience

Sensing of Volatile Organic Compounds †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Sensing of Volatile Organic Compounds. Answer: Introduction In order to prepare this report the user the reviewer needs to visit the worlds worst website. Three general perspectives such as the navigation, visual affect (in terms of colour schemes, typography and page layout) and navigation/website layout/access to different web pages on the website are considered for preparing this report professionally. The report illustrates the need regarding the development practices and after analysing the website the reviewer needs to demonstrate whether the website is web responsive or not. After analysing the website if it has been found that, certain changes are required to be adapted by the system developers to improve the current situation of the system Management. Under the selected criteria, the issues that are affecting the general website guidelines will be elaborated in this report. Apart from this, in order to overcome the issues certain general recommendations are also provided in this report. Identification of issues 1 After analysing the current state of the website it has been found that navigation of a website is referred to as one of the most important aspect that might make large difference between the traditional state and the upcoming state of professional website. The resultant generated from the website navigation is strictly dependent upon the structure and labels of the website navigation. After analysing worlds worst website it can be said that the navigation of this website is quite attractive and the overall presence is quite impressive. The navigation of worlds worst website deals with Home page, the list of the worst websites developed in the year between 2005 and 2014, different bad website design approaches, different articles and web design checklist at the same time [1]. Though, the website has many positive features but on the other hand the employees and users can also be negatively impacted by the navigation of the website. It has been identified that, there is no option to t hose users who are going through the websites professionally. As the page lacks the consumer feedback part, thus the website developers will fail to meet the criteria as per the changing demand of the consumers. Apart from this there is not presence of accurate customer care number. It means that, if the consumers of the website will to know anything extra or wants to add up anything to the website then they will fail to do so. On the other hand, the navigation of the worlds worst website do not display any Google map that might display the accurate location of the users. Identification of issues 2 The second criterion for the nominated website worlds worst website is its visual affect. After going through the visual affect of the nominated website it has been found that, the visual display of the website is not that much attractive towards the consumers. The website mainly consists of the list of worst websites that has been developed in the year between 2005 and 2015 [4]. Though, the list of worst websites of 2015, are also coming soon in the website. Thus it can be concluded that the colour scheme of the website is not bad but at the same time it also maintains all the standard of the responsive web design approach. Typography is referred to as an art and technique of the type arrangement. It also includes the thoughtful and deliberate selection criteria of the arrangement of different components that are necessary to develop the website. The type face of typography holds point size, length of the lines, leading, tracking facility, kerning, colour and certain more design affects [7]. The typography of the website is well maintained. The colour combination, the line length and the design affects are quite attractive from the consumers perspectives. After considering the concept of page layout it has been found that, page layout generally holds five different segments such as header, footer, sidebar left, sidebar right and content. However, after analysing the page layout of the website it has been found that the website displays a header section, footer section and a content part [3]. However, though there is a left sidebar but there is not such right sidebar in the website. If the view size of the website changes, then the display of the website will also change accordingly. Name: Navigation/website layout/access to different web-pages on the website After considering the website of worlds worst website it has been found that the layout is not similar for all the pages. Moreover, all the components of the navigation do not have drop down option [2]. The home page has the drop down button, the year wise collection of the websites shows, a drop down button where all collection years are visible. Recommendations In order to mitigate the challenges that the website of worlds worst website is facing certain recommendations are also provided. The recommendations are as follow: Usage of white space Management: In order to make the website more attractive, the developers must, use white space in the page so that all the images and the content of the page becomes clearly visible to the users. Speed of the webpage: While, the users are willing to open one page from another, then the speed of the page in required being fast. The quick response will help to grab more number of consumers throughout the world. Usage of attractive calls to action: In order to improve the current situation of the website the developer are required to use attractive calls to action such as quick response and customer care number, invoice section etc. Conclusion From the overall discussion it has been concluded that the worlds worst website website is efficient and very much attractive to the users. From this website the users will get to know about the list of the worst websites developed by the website developers. Three different perspectives are considered for analysing and review the website professionally. The review aspects include Navigation, Visual effects in terms of colour scheme, typography and page layout and navigation. The entire resultant of the website has been elaborated in this report. References English, A.B.A.,. Recommended website.European Association for Computer Assisted Language Learning, p.53. 2015 Gustafson, A.,.Adaptive web design: crafting rich experiences with progressive enhancement. New Riders. 2015 Lu, W., Wei, Z., Gu, Z.Y., Liu, T.F., Park, J., Park, J., Tian, J., Zhang, M., Zhang, Q., Gentle III, T. and Bosch, M.,. Tuning the structure and function of metalorganic frameworks via linker design.Chemical Society Reviews,43(16), pp.5561-5593. 2014 Maslowska, E., Malthouse, E.C. and Bernritter, S.F.,. Too good to be true: the role of online reviews features in probability to buy.International Journal of Advertising,36(1), pp.142-163., 2017 Melnyk, S.A., Narasimhan, R. and DeCampos, H.A Supply chain design: issues, challenges, frameworks and solutions. ., 2014. Mishra, V.K. and Prantika, A.,. Impact of Social networking/Web 2.0 features in Library management software: a case study of Koha, ILMS., 2016 Sun, Z., Huang, Q., He, T., Li, Z., Zhang, Y. and Yi, L., Multistimuli?Responsive Supramolecular Gels: Design Rationale, Recent Advances, and Perspectives.ChemPhysChem,15(12), pp.2421-2430. 2014. Zhang, M., Feng, G., Song, Z., Zhou, Y.P., Chao, H.Y., Yuan, D., Tan, T.T., Guo, Z., Hu, Z., Tang, B.Z. and Liu, B.,. Two-dimensional metalorganic framework with wide channels and responsive turn-on fluorescence for the chemical sensing of volatile organic compounds.Journal of the American Chemical Society,136(20), pp.7241-7244. 2014

Noise Pollution free essay sample

Noise pollution is the disturbing or excessive noise that may harm the activity or balance of human or animal life. The source of most outdoor noise worldwide is mainly caused bymachines and transportation systems, motor vehicles, aircraft, and trains. [1][2] Outdoor noise is summarized by the word environmental noise. Poor urban planning may give rise to noise pollution, since side-by-side industrial and residential buildings can result in noise pollution in the residential areas. Indoor noise is caused by machines, building activities, music performances, and especially in some workplaces. There is no great difference whether noise-induced hearing loss is brought about by outside (e. g. trains) or inside (e. g. music) noise. High noise levels can contribute to cardiovascular effects in humans, a rise in blood pressure, and an increase in stress and vasoconstriction, and an increased incidence of coronary artery disease. In animals, noise can increase the risk of death by altering predator or prey detection and avoidance, interfere with reproduction and navigation, and contribute to permanent hearing loss. We will write a custom essay sample on Noise pollution or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is extremely important that we understand how sound pollution affects us. Some of us may be suffering from the negative effects of sound pollution and not know it because they dismiss it assomething trival when it is actually not. Therefore this page will be dedicated to explaining exactly what noise pollution is about, what causes it, how to calculate sound and how fast it travels. Effects Human[edit] Noise pollution affects both health and behavior. Unwanted sound (noise) can damage psychological health. Noise pollution can cause trouble, hypertension, high stress levels,tinnitus, hearing loss, sleep disturbances, and other harmful effects. [3][4][5][6] Furthermore, stress and hypertension are the leading causes to health problems. [4][7] Sound becomes unwanted when it either interferes with normal activities such as sleeping, conversation, or disrupts or diminishes one’s quality of life. [8] Chronic exposure to noise may cause noise-induced hearing loss. Older males exposed to significant occupational noise demonstrate more significantly reduced hearing sensitivity than their non-exposed peers, though differences in hearing sensitivity decrease with time and the two groups are indistinguishable by age 79. A comparison of Maaban tribesmen, who were insignificantly exposed to transportation or industrial noise, to a typical U. S. population showed that chronic exposure to moderately high levels of environmental noise contributes to hearing loss. [3] High noise levels can contribute to cardiovascular effects and exposure to moderately high levels during a single eight-hour period causes a statistical rise in blood pressure of five to ten points and an increase in stress,[3] and vasoconstriction leading to theincreased blood pressure noted above, as well as to increased incidence of coronary artery disease. Noise pollution also is a cause of annoyance. A 2005 study by Spanish researchers found that in urban areas households are willing to pay approximately four Euros per decibel per year for noise reduction. [10] Wildlife[edit] Noise can have a detrimental effect on wild animals, increasing the risk of death by changing the delicate balance in predator or prey detection and avoidance, and interfering the use of the sounds in communication, especially in relation to reproduction and in navigation. Acoustic overexposure can lead to temporary or permanent loss of hearing. An impact of noise on wild animal life is the reduction of usable habitat that noisy areas may cause, which in the case of endangered species may be part of the path to extinction. Noise pollution has caused the death of certain species of whales that beachedthemselves after being exposed to the loud sound of military sonar,[12] (see also Marine mammals and sonar). Noise also makes species communicate more loudly, which is called Lombard vocal response. [13] Scientists and researchers have conducted experiments that show whales song length is longer when submarine-detectors are on. If creatures do not speak loudly enough, their voice will be masked by anthropogenic sounds. These unheard voices might be warnings, finding of prey, or preparations of net-bubbling. When one species begins speaking more loudly, it will mask other species voice, causing the whole ecosystem eventually to speak more loudly. Marine invertebrates, such as crabs (Carcinus maenas), have also been shown to be impacted by ship noise. [15][16] Larger crabs were noted to be impacted more by the sounds than smaller crabs. Repeated exposure to the sounds did lead to acclimatization. Â  European Robins living in urban environments are more likely to sing at night in places with high levels of noise pollution during the day, suggesting that they sing at night because it is quieter, and their message can propagate through the environment more clearly. [17] The same study showed that daytime noise was a stronger predictor of nocturnal singing than night-time light pollution, to which the phenomenon often is attributed. Zebra finches become less faithful to their partners when exposed to traffic noise. This could alter a populations evolutionary trajectory by selecting traits, sapping resources normally devoted to other activities and thus leading to profound genetic and evolutionary consequences. [18] CAUSES When one thinks of Unwanted Sounds or Noise Pollution, it always brings to mind images of transportation vehicles, industrial machinery, construction sites, loud speaker, big events, etc. These are very common or usual reasons of noise pollution in our internal and external surroundings. This article will give you further information about the causes of disgusting noise in our environment. Â  Public/Private Transportation Vehicle – these are one of the daily causes of noise pollution in our streets, public hi-way, etc. Why? Because in every kind of vehicle it creates disturbing sounds by starting the engines, blowing of horns, playing music from car amplifier, etc. As a result the city has now become exposed from these types of unavoidable and uncontrollable noise. 2. Industrial Machinery – there are so many various examples of industrial machinery that creates severe disturbing and hazardous sounds to the industrial workers. The multiple kinds of industrial machinery are huge generators, large compressors, cranes, furnaces, exhaust fans and many more. It is through these objects that adds distractions and complications in our ambience. 3. Construction Sites – we all know that every construction area uses huge equipments as part of their job like pay loader, crane, cement mixer, bulldozer, etc. These construction items are expected to perform vibrations and loud noise that can affect illnesses to all construction workers. 4. Loud Speaker – using loud speaker in public or private areas like residential, commercial establishment, public market, concert arena, etc. , can definitely and instantly contributes disturbing sounds in our community or environment. The sounds from the loud speakers can immediately spread in our atmosphere and undoubtedly becomes one of the causes of noise pollution. 5. Big Events – we all love celebrating big events such as birthdays, anniversaries, house parties, festivals. But, do you realize how much noise you and your special visitors can create unpleasant and very disturbing sounds in your external surroundings or neighborhood? While you and your friends are enjoying your special occasion, your angry neighborhoods are having difficulties in their sleeping hours. These are the common causes and very prominent distractions in our precious space or environment. But there are still many ways to avoid and to decrease the sounds of these unlikable and harmful sounds in your local area. With a strong understanding about the main cause of noise pollution in your area, you will surely find the perfect solution of this kind of dilemma. Measurement of Sound : The intensity of sound is measured on a scale called decibel scale or db scale. It measures the loudness of sound in terms or relative units of energy or power on a logarithm scale. The scale starts from 0 db and is considered as threshold of hearing which the human can hear. A sound of 10 db is ten times louder than 0 (zero) db and a sound of 20 db is 10 x 10 times louder and likewise a sound of 30 db is 10 x 10 x 10 times louder. Mitigation[edit] Roadway noise can be reduced by the use of noise barriers, limitation of vehicle speeds, alteration of roadway surface texture, limitation of heavy vehicles, use of traffic controls that smooth vehicle flow to reduce braking and acceleration, and tire design. An important factor in applying these strategies is a computer model for roadway noise, that is capable of addressing local topography, meteorology, traffic operations, and hypothetical mitigation. Costs of building-in mitigation can be modest, provided these solutions are sought in the planning stage of a roadway project. Aircraft noise can be reduced by using quieter jet engines. Altering flight paths and time of day runway has benefitted residents near airports. Industrial noise has been addressed since the 1930s via redesign of industrial equipment, shock mounted assemblies and physical barriers in the workplace. Legal status[edit] Main article: Noise regulation Up until the 1970s governments viewed noise as a nuisance rather than an environmental problem. In the United States, there are federal standards for highway and aircraft noise; states and local governments typically have very specific statutes on building codes, urban planning, and roadway development. Noise laws and ordinances vary widely among municipalities and indeed do not even exist in some cities. An ordinance may contain a general prohibition against making noise that is a nuisance, or it may set out specific guidelines for the level of noise allowable at certain times of the day and for certain activities. The Environmental Protection Agency retains authority to investigate and study noise and its effect, disseminate information to the public regarding noise pollution and its adverse health effects, respond to inquiries on matters related to noise, and evaluate the effectiveness of existing regulations for protecting the public health and welfare, pursuant to the Noise Control Act of 1972 and the Quiet Communities Act of 1978. Portland, Oregon instituted the first comprehensive noise code in 1975 with funding from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and HUD (Housing and Urban Development). The Portland Noise Code includes potential fines of up to $5000 per infraction and is the basis for other major U. S. and Canadian city noise ordinances. [21] Many conflicts over noise pollution are handled by negotiation between the emitter and the receiver. Escalation procedures vary by country, and may include action in conjunction with local authorities, in particular the police.

Accessibility of Mobile Phone HTC Hero by visually impaired people The WritePass Journal

Accessibility of Mobile Phone HTC Hero by visually impaired people Abstract Accessibility of Mobile Phone HTC Hero by visually impaired people Abstract1. IntroductionIn this report I will investigate the issues that visually impaired people are facing when using human computer interfaces, especially with the touch screen phone HTC Hero.1.1 Physical factors associated with visually impaired people and impact on the use of technologyMaking the most of technology can have a very positive impact, helping people who are blind and partially sighted to increase their independence and more importantly feel and be as equal as normal sighted people.1.2 What is accessibility?1.3 Considerations of human physical factors when developing a mobile phone for a visually impaired person2. Review of HTC Hero2.1 Usability testing (the Heuristic evaluation)   2.1.2. Hardware2.1.2 Software2.1.3. Services2.2 Nielsens Ten Usability Heuristics3. Personal suggested improvements3.1 Audio Input and Output3.2 Tactile Input and Output3.3 Touch screen advances3.4 Introduce Mobile Magnifier3.5 Follow W3C Guidelines for Mobile Web Services4. Conclusion5. ReferencesRelated Abstract Touch screen technology has progressed a lot in the past few years and introduced a wave of various new touch screen based devices. Most of the touch screens are still not accessible to blind users, who have to take on various other ways to use them and to make them accessible. Touch screens are inaccessible to the people with visual impairment because the human computer interface technique involves the user to visually locate objects on the screen and they do not provide verbal output to communicate where controls are located on the screen or what control the user has selected. 1. Introduction The purpose of this report is to evaluate the accessibility of the HTC Hero mobile phone for visually impaired people, in particular people that have totally lost their vision (referred as blind people) and people with partially lost vision (referred as partially sighted people or partially blind). ‘The World Health Organization (WHO) defines blindness as severe sight loss, where a person is unable to see clearly how many fingers are being held up at a distance of 3m (9.8 feet) or less, even when they are wearing glasses or contact lenses. However, someone who is blind may still have some degree of vision’. Also the‘ WHO defines partial sightedness as where a person cannot clearly see how many fingers are being held up at a distance of 6m (19 feet) or less, even when they are wearing glasses or contact lenses’. The HTC Hero has touch screen technology as the main means to input and output information. Additional issues for accessibility have been brought in as touch screen technology is being introduced to interfaces. In this report I will investigate the issues that visually impaired people are facing when using human computer interfaces, especially with the touch screen phone HTC Hero. 1.1 Physical factors associated with visually impaired people and impact on the use of technology People with total or partial blindness have decreased ability to perform the activities of daily living. Total and partial blindness affect a persons ability to read, to determine the colour of items, and general day to day activities. These people must rely on memory or depend on someone else for help. Visually impaired people rely on the technology to make their daily living easier. As visually impaired people can’t see where they walk, they run the risk of falling down much more than sighted people, therefore having mobile phone can be potentially life saver. Also, visually impaired people are less likely to be doing activities like normal sighted people, so having a mobile phone is like their eyes to the world i.e. they can reach out to people at any time and feel less isolated. The technology can help visually impaired people interact with others and communicate more effectively. Also the technology can enable visual impaired people to have more access to information, become more independent and achieve their individual aims and goals in life. The market is flooded with a variety of mobile phones, but not all of them are easily usable by people with visual impairments. It is important that technology should assist visually impaired people of all ages. Making the most of technology can have a very positive impact, helping people who are blind and partially sighted to increase their independence and more importantly feel and be as equal as normal sighted people. 1.2 What is accessibility? According to Gnome, ‘Accessibility means helping people with disabilities to participate in substantial life activities. That includes work and the use of services, products, and information’. From the definition, the understanding is that accessibility is the level to which something is accessible or usable by people with disabilities. For information technology, accessibility will mean people with disabilities be able to use software, hardware and other services that are designed and available for sighted people. Software, hardware and other services should be universally designed. Article 2 from The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, says that: Universal design means the design of products, environments, programmes and services to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. â€Å"Universal design† shall not exclude assistive devices for particular groups of persons with disabilities where this is needed. 1.3 Considerations of human physical factors when developing a mobile phone for a visually impaired person If we compare the mobile phones from a decade ago to todays phones, we notice that mobile phones are getting more and more complicated. In the past, all input was done via a keypad which could have been used by visually impaired people, because keypads had raised dot or raised bar on the 5 key which made it easy for visually impaired person to navigate and dial a number. Nowadays, with most mobile phones we use a touch screen or buttons and interact at any time; we can browse the internet, check our emails, take pictures and chat with friends. A visually impaired person will not be able to see the screen of the mobile phone, or navigate through the touch phone’s screen. It appears that as we are getting more advanced in the technology of mobile phones the accessibility has not improved at the same rate as the advancement in the technology. A visually impaired person cannot read the screen, cannot input information or read the output on a touch screen, and there isn’t an audible device to inform where they are navigating or have touched the phone. Therefore it is very important when developing mobile phones to take into account that visually impaired people can hear, can feel different surfaces with their fingers, but cannot read and navigate via a touch screen. 2. Review of HTC Hero The HTC Hero is a small, all-in-one device that is used for communication and computing functions. It enables us to choose the applications we want to install and use, as well as personalize the range of applications to suit our needs. Picture 1: Main Screen of HTC Hero mobile phone. Source: www.htc.com/www/product/hero/overview.html (Accessed 12 Feb 2011) We can note from the main screen of the HTC Hero mobile phone (See Picture 1) that the standard keypad has been omitted and touch screen technology is used, the human computer interaction is done by touching the screen for input and output. For a person to be able to make even a phone call on HTC Hero they need to see where on the screen they are touching; in other terms, the user of the phone interacts directly by seeing what they are touching. 2.1 Usability testing (the Heuristic evaluation) The international standard ISO 9241 Part 11 (www.iso.org) defines usability as; â€Å"The extent to which a product or system can be used by users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use† Based on this definition for usability, the further understanding is that is a system or product is not accessible, consequentially is not usable to the set of users that are unable to access it. Below is a brief heuristic evaluation of the HTC Hero mobile phone, to determine if it is accessible to a visually impaired person. The heuristic evaluation is broken into three sections: Hardware Software Services    2.1.2. Hardware Hardware is the physical mobile phone Picture 2: HTC Hero. Source: engadget.com/2009/07/23/htc-hero-review/ (Accessed 12 Feb 2011) The HTC Hero is very slim, light in weight, and can be held in the palm. The phone has definite shape and definite front/back/top/bottom to inform us which way round it should be used. The visual information displayed on the main screen is in immediate contrast with the background and is clear, but visually impaired person will not be able to see it. The phone has a white track ball (see arrow on Pic. 2) and touchpad. The track ball enables movement between screens and selects some services. A visually impaired person will not be able to see on which application or screen the trackball has stopped. The HTC Hero has 6 buttons located on the bottom of the phone, their colour is in contrast with the immediate background, and a visually impaired person by touching will recognize that there are buttons. The buttons are easy to press and have a positive â€Å"click† feel when pressed (although no noise is heard), which means that a visually impaired person will know they have pressed a button but not know the output function of the button pressed as there is no Braille labeling of buttons. A visually impaired person will not be able to see that the HTC Hero is compatible with other devices such as USB cable and Wi-Fi and there are no instructions in alternative media (such as Braille or audio). 2.1.2 Software The HTC Hero supports input and output via the touchpad. The input and output methods are via touchpad and they restrain the blind or partially sighted user from accessing the mobile phone. The software does not play an audible sound when an action is committed such as pressing a button, and the visually impaired person will not know on what is the function of the button pressed. The software does have speakerphone functionality, however the visually impaired person will not know how to access and navigate it. The HTC Hero does not have tactile input or output, such as Braille, to assist visually impaired users. 2.1.3. Services Services represent applications that can be accessed by touching an icon on the screen (See picture 3). Picture 3: HTC Hero applications and services. Source: engadget.com/2009/07/23/htc-hero-review/ (Accessed 12 Feb 2011) If the user wants to make a phone call they need to touch an icon on the screen (see arrow on Picture 3) and HTC hero will display list of all contacts. (See Picture 5). Picture 4: HTC Hero – List of Contacts and numerical keyboard. Source: www.htc.com/www/product/hero/overview.html (Accessed 12 Feb 2011) From pictures 3 and 4, it is noticeable that the input commands are on a touch screen, and the visually impaired person will not be able to use these functions on the smartphone HTC Hero. The HTC Hero doesn’t have audio, Braille controls or magnifier to navigate to assist the visually impaired person to select an application or service such as the web services. Also, the web services have not been designed following the W3C guidelines for Mobile Web Best Practices. 2.2 Nielsens Ten Usability Heuristics (Taken from Nielsens website www.useit.com ) Visibility of system status Match between system and the real world User control and freedom Consistency and standards Error prevention Recognition rather than recall Flexibility and efficiency of use Aesthetic and minimalist design Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors Help and documentation 3. Personal suggested improvements The HTC Hero has excluded tactile information and there is a lack of facilities to enable visually impaired people to access the information displayed on the touch screen. There is also a lack of audible input and output which makes it inaccessible to visually impaired people. Below are several personal suggestions that could improve the accessibility and usability of the HTC Hero for visually impaired people: 3.1 Audio Input and Output Introducing a form of Audio Input and Output functionality to the software will make an enormous difference to the HTC Hero. One suggestion would be a system where the user can press an icon on the touchpad and the phone audibly informs the user which icon the have pressed and navigates them to the next logical steps. 3.2 Tactile Input and Output Adding tactile input and output functionality to the HTC Hero could potentially help visually impaired people. The system should have the option to switch Braille on and off. Although Braille literacy is very low in number (only 2% of UK blind people can read Braille) this functionality within the software should not be omitted. 3.3 Touch screen advances A major improvement on touch screen accessibility would be made by adopting the audio-haptic interface techniques to allow non-visual access to touch screen appliances, as suggested per Vanderheiden’s Talking Fingertip Technique (Vanderheiden 2010). The Talking Fingertip Technique is a touch screen that speaks the descriptive names of the controls as the user accesses the screen by touch. 3.4 Introduce Mobile Magnifier Adding an assisted device such as a Mobile Magnifier would help partially sighted people on touch screen phone of the HTC Hero. The mobile magnifier enlarges and enhances the readability of the screen. 3.5 Follow W3C Guidelines for Mobile Web Services The HTC Hero could adopt the W3C Guidelines for developing Mobile Web Services to improve the accessibility for visually impaired people. 4. Conclusion In this report I have investigated the issues of accessibility faced by visually impaired people when using human computer interface, in particular the touch screen mobile phone. I have used the example of the HTC Hero mobile phone for a case study of accessibility and usability. I have evaluated it against the current accessibility and usability guidelines. During my research, I have found several issues that should be addressed if the HTC Hero is to become accessible and usable by visually impaired people. These issues include a lack of usage of assisted devices such as: audio input and output tactile input and output magnifier for visually impaired people not following the W3C Guidelines for Mobile Web Services I have suggested several improvements to the HTC Hero that can be made by using existing technology. These suggestions for improvements include following W3C guidelines for improving accessibility for mobile phones, introducing audio input and output, tactile input and output, adoption the Vanderheiden’s Talking Fingertip Technique and possibly the adoption of mobile magnifier. Hopefully, these suggestions will help developers to add accessibility to their applications in a way that is straight forward for the developer and intuitive for the user. 5. References Definition for blindness and partial blind: nhs.uk/conditions/Visual-impairment/Pages/Introduction.aspx   (Last Accessed 12 Feb 2011). Definition of Accessibility, Gnome: http://library.gnome.org/devel/accessibility-devel-guide/stable/gad.html.en (Last Accessed 12 Feb 2011). Definition of usability: iso.org/iso/ (Last Accessed 12 Feb 2011). Mobile Magnifier, sightandsound.co.uk/products/?category=1subcat=31minorcat=8 (Last Accessed 27 Feb 2011). Pictures1, 2 3: www.htc.com/www/product/hero/overview.html (Last Accessed 12 Feb 2011). Picture 4: engadget.com/2009/07/23/htc-hero-review/ (Last Accessed 12 Feb 2011). Statistics about Braille literacy: webbie.org.uk/webbie.htm (Last Accessed 26 Feb 2011). UN convention for the rights of people with disabilities: un.org/disabilities/convention/conventionfull.shtml (Last Accessed 26 Feb 2011). Use of audio-haptic interface (Vanderheiden) http://trace.wisc.edu/docs/touchscreen/chi_conf.htm (Last Accessed 27 Feb 2011). W3C guidelines for Mobile w3.org/TR/mobile-bp/   (Last Accessed 27 Feb 2011).

How to Answer the Hypothetical Interview Question

How to Answer the Hypothetical Interview Question Pop quiz, hotshot: It’s your first day on the job, and everything is going wrong. How do you fix it? If you get this kind of question during a job interview, it can be alarming, to say the least. It feels like the interviewer is giving you a direct challenge, and if you answer incorrectly, you shall not pass. But if you are asked to solve a hypothetical problem, don’t panic. There’s a method that will help you get through it. Here’s how you can answer the hypothetical interview question.DO take a few seconds to gather yourself.First instincts may get you through in bar trivia nights or emergency situations, but this is neither. You want to make sure you’re giving a reasoned, thoughtful response. The person is testing your problem solving skills and your thinking processes, so you want to make sure you’re showing those off.DON’T blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.This isn’t Jeopardy!, and you don’t get a bonus fo r being the first to buzz in. Again, the interviewer is watching you to see how you approach something, not just the end result.DO ask questions if you need to clarify.This can also buy you a little thinking-on-your-feet time.DON’T ramble or go off on tangents.This is a nervous habit that can be tough to break, and the best way to get around that tendency is to think about this ahead of time. Sure, it’s difficult to anticipate beforehand exactly what (if any) hypothetical situations the interviewer could use, so do some general prep.Look closely at the job description. Is it heavy on client service? If so, you might be asked to talk about how to handle a sticky situation with a client or stakeholder. Is the job focused around deadlines? You might have to field a question about what to do about potentially missing one of those deadlines. It’s unlikely that the interviewer will ask you something entirely unrelated to the job you’re seeking, so the descripti on is a good place to start for anticipating such a question.DO think about your own history.The hypothetical question is a cousin to the â€Å"tell me about a time you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  question. And that’s one you should already have in your pocket ahead of interview day. Have you-specific examples of things like problem solving, communication successes, or challenges you’ve faced down. If these are at all related to the hypothetical situation posed, you can adapt. If it’s very similar, you can say, â€Å"That’s actually like a situation I had at X Corp. Here’s what I did in that scenario†¦Ã¢â‚¬ DON’T feel pressured to give a definitive answer to the problem.Talk about the process of resolving: where you would start, who you would loop in, which steps you would take to arrive at a possible solution, and then what you would do to choose the best option. The interviewer isn’t asking you to solve the problem and achieve world peace right now, she wants to see how you would approach it.The hypothetical question can be a sticky point in an interview, but if you know what they’re looking for (process) and how to lay it out (clearly and calmly), you’ll be past it and back into more familiar territory in no time.

Code-switching Among Students in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Code-switching Among Students in the UK - Essay Example This paper has been a pilot study to investigate the code-switching between English and Arabic among the Kuwaiti students in the utterances and construction level in the speech.The respondents of this study were undergraduate and postgraduate Kuwaiti students, studying in one of the UK universities programmes of both genders in different ages. The target population were from different universities, majors, and social status. The graph shows the results of the analysis. Most of the respondents do not find it a reason to code switch from Arabic to English because they want to raise audience and interest of what they are talking about with about 40 per cent said they slightly agree. There was about 25 per cent of those who disagree slightly with this fact while about 15 per cent strongly disagree. The first language of the target and sample population is Arabic, and second language is English where most of them have learned it as a compulsory subject at the age of six in the state schoo ls or earlier if they were in private schools. The quantitative method was used in this research. This was aimed at providing data for meeting the objectives of the study. This report makes a conclusion that this was a pilot study and it was aimed at finding out how the actual research will be conducted. The main aim was to find out the structure of the questions and how well they were understood by the respondents. Based on the results analyzed, most of the research questions were well understood. This is because there was no missing question that the respondents did not answer.