COMP327 Mobile Computing Exercises 1
In this Lecture Set In this set we collate the different exercises listed throughout the course These can be used to promote discussion Acts as a revision aid... 2
What are the main differences between the GSM and UMTS radio network? 3
In-App purchasing is a mechanism whereby applications can sell additional services directly from the application. Discuss why micropayments may be desirable in such applications, and by means of an example, give a brief explanation of how micropayments work. 4
Why is HCI so important in getting a device adopted? Although Heckle s law suggests HCI will not prevent adoption if the device (or software s) capability is highly desirable, describe how good HCI improves the user experience 5
Why is there a need for service discovery by mobile devices? Discuss how devices could discover other services within a home environment, and speculate how a mobile device might be used to control the output of a rendering device 6
Describe the challenges of transcoding for mobile devices, and give examples of how a User Agent Profile could guide the transcoding for a given device. 7
Compare and contrast the delivery mechanisms used by SMS and MMS. Describe each, and give details about how MMS messages are sent to legacy (non MMS capable) devices. 8
Why were physical keyboards originally undesirable, yet why are they still generally preferred over the use of writing? Describe the challenges of character recognition, and how glyphs can be simplified 9
How does a Projected Capacitance Touch Interface improve the resolution of user interaction, and how has this changed the way in which gestures can be used as an input modality? 10
How does a mobile device augment traditional commerce? Speculate on how RFID sensors could be used to transform a mobile device into a self-pay point-of-sales device? How could a store differentiate between legitimate purchases and shoplifted goods? 11
What is a handover, and which network components are involved? 12
What are the main challenges in typing in text on a numeric keypad? Describe two methods (a simple one, and a predictive one), and explain how approaches can be adapted to the user. 13
Describe why context can be relevant for mobile applications, and detail two different scenarios where mobile applications could be used within a tourist environment. 14
Network costs for 2G communications can seriously hamper the use of credit-card payments, especially when using mobile devices with numeric keypads Describe a scenario whereby communication costs can be reduced when paying for goods, and give details of how the payment could be made 15
If periodic, peer-to-peer transmission of data is required between two devices (e.g. a camera-phone and a printer), which of the following technologies would you use: IrDA or Bluetooth? Explain why, and the limitations of each approach for this application. 16
Discuss ethical issues of Bluecasting and Bluejacking! 17
Compare and contrast the use of WiFi technology with 3G standards, and illustrate two scenarios where one may be better than the other. 18
Discuss the modularisation approaches used within GSM, and discuss how EDGE improves throughput. 19
Describe the Deck-of-Cards metaphor, and explain its origins and motivation. How does it improve the user experience over GSM networks? 20
Why did WAP appear to fail, and why is the future of Mobile Computing more promising? What challenges learned from the WAP experience still need to be overcome? 21
The Desktop and Mobile E-Commerce experience can differ wildly. Describe one limitation and one advantage of using a mobile device for e-commerce. 22
What types of spreading factors would be used when streaming media in low occupancy cells? Explain why, and describe the implications. 23