Week 4 - Input & Output

This week, Professor Rubin discussed the ways in which we input data into a computer and the ways in which we receive data from the machine.  The topics of input and output are fundamental to the basics of computing.  The concept of voice recognition was most intriguing to me, and I hope to integrate this technology within the SSMS (Shaw Shower Management System).

The primary interface of the SSMS will be the online portal, where residents can sign-up for their shower time.  In addition to the text-based web portal, I hope to offer a voice recognition feature that allows residents to talk to the system.  The webpage’s header might read: “You are welcome to reserve your shower time with the text-based system below, or you can interact with the SSMS orally.  To use the voice recognition feature, turn up your speakers, enable your microphone, and click here.”

After clicking on the hyperlink to enable the voice recognition function of the portal, residents could speak to the system and receive audio feedback about their requests.  For example, a user could state, “Bathroom Number One at eleven o’clock a.m.”  The system might reply, “Your time has been reserved.  Please proceed to Bathroom Number One at eleven o’clock this morning.  Remember to bring your Syracuse University ID Card!”  Although it would require some development, a voice recognition feature might make our system more convenient for endusers.

Personally, I think voice recognition is one of tomorrow’s up-and-coming technologies.  Although few users currently take advantage of voice recognition, the power of this concept is remarkable.  Someday, computers could be almost entirely voice-activated.  This might mean that you could start your computer, open a web browser, conduct a Google search and have the results read to you orally.  If this technology advances in the way I hope it will, your computer will “learn” your voice and accurately recognize your patterns of inflection and pronunciation.

I am enjoying each lecture in our IST 195 class, and look forward to hearing about other ways I could improve upon this entrepreneurial idea.

Week 2 - Spreadsheets

All week, I have been pondering how various technologies can improve the SSMS (Shaw Shower Management System).  Technology is a cornerstone to this idea.  Residents will access an interactive website to sign-up for their shower time and swipe their ID Card through an electronic reader to turn on the water.  Another section of the online portal might allow residents to post their feedback on the system, so the project's developers can receive comments directly from their users.

On Wednesday, Professor Rubin lectured on the use of Microsoft Excel and the power of data that is organized in a spreadsheet.  Professor Rubin explained that in today's world, it is critical for information professionals (and any other professional, for that matter!) to master the use of Excel.  Data is important, but valuable only when it is presented in a form that others can easily understand.

There are many ways in which an organized spreadsheet could benefit users and developers involved with the SSMS.  We could collect data about the number of residents using the SSMS, the number of showers taken each day, the length of each shower (in minutes), the most 'popular' shower times and the water temperature of each shower.  This data could be inputted into an Excel spreadsheet and organized into various charts and tables.  Then, the most relevant statistics could be exported and posted on the interactive website.  This would allow Shaw Residents to easily see data about their bathroom.  Access to organized data will be especially useful to our research department, as they will be interested in analyzing shower usage and system traffic.  Finally, data on water temperature could be a great reference for Syracuse University's Capital Improvement Plan.  By implementing a more environmentally and energy conscious solution, we might be able to reduce the wear and tear on Shaw Hall's ancient boilers.

The power of organized data should not be underestimated.  Spreadsheets and charts will undoubtedly play a vital role in the deployment and implementation of the SSMS.