Technology is used to build technology. You may need an integrated development environment to build software. A network simulator can be useful when planning and testing a network infrastructure design. If developing a database, a relational database management system would be necessary. Collaboration and communication tools could be needed when developing an information technology project.
Consider the tools and technologies you could use to develop your project. In your initial post, describe the tools and technologies you may use to design, implement and test your project. Provide links to any websites with information on these tools and technologies.
Then, review the tools and technologies posted by your classmates. Imagine that you were going to be tasked to assist them with their project. Based on their recommendations, do you feel that the tools and technologies are appropriate? Would you recommend anything different?
Peer Review #1
Christopher Matt posted
In the early planning stages, especially, it is inevitable that you will miss things and need to adapt and redesign. This is also a fine time to exercise out-of-the-box thinking and for valuable learning. Its only week 2, day 2 and that reality has already set in. In my case, my technology solution is in joining other technologies, or the sum of the parts, so to speak. To recap, I am building a prototype of crypto-coin miner that can be plugged into an existing car. However, a further reaching goal, following the scope of this 10-week course also revealed itself. My goal for the class is implementing the miner into a new car. The equipment I decided on for this prototype includes a 7” touch screen. I purchased a plastic stand that houses the screen, as well as the Raspberry Pi and a fan.
I learned that my power requirements were underestimated. For the project, I am running the device (Pi and screen) from a USB port you would find in a typical newer car. What I didn’t’ realize is that these ports only supply about “0.5 amp of charging power, far less than required to charge the modern smart phones” “For reference, your phone’s power bank or portable chargers are available with a power output delivery of 1 amp or 2 amp” (Shah, 2017, p. 2) The screen is still reasonably low-powered, as “one 2.5A power supply can handle a Pi and the display together” (Watson, 2017, p. 2) Regardless, the car’s integrated USB port just doesn’t provide adequate power, alone. My answer was to add a small power bank that contains a battery capable of a 16,000 mAh charge. This provides a good “buffer” that can charge from the car and supply the needed continuous output.
Another drawback of the prototype being powered off the car’s USB port is that the miner will only run while the car is turned on (the USB outlets are not powered unless the car is on) This leads to the longer-term goal I mentioned previously. For the purposes of this project, the USB port limitation is fine. However, if the miner were to be installed in a new car (gasoline or electric), the car’s integrated screen would be used instead. The screen added for the prototype is purely for display or demonstration purposes. When the car is turned off, additionally, the miner may be able to be configured to continue to run without the display as it could be wired directly into the car’s battery.
When thinking about tools needed for the project, my primary need is research. In other words, Google is my main tool. To date, the research has been constant, as new problems and challenges arise but then are solved. For example, I am leaning heavily on customizing and tweaking the Debian Linux operating system to do what is needed for a working prototype. Since I am, admittedly, a novice when it comes to electricity, I found a strong need to research power options when devising the solution described above. Resources on such topics are endless, but the challenge then becomes finding the resources that are accurate, or most applicable to the project’s needs. Finally, I will mention a underrated tool: experimentation. The Linux tweaks I mentioned do require much trial and error before the best solution is accomplished.
Peer Review #2
LaShaye Sykes posted
My project is to create an application to track the current state of a new disease for the awareness of citizens. An app that is specific to their country but can be enabled to track diseases from any country, and the proximity of this disease to a person’s home country. This application can advise people of new diseases that are not being reported yet, prevent the unknown spread of a deadly disease, equip citizens with accurate data, and facts surrounding the current state of an infectious disease.
To design the app I may use Adobe photoshop or InVision https://www.ishir.com/blog/7259/top-10-mobile-app-ui-design-tools-that-ui-ux-designers-love.htm. These would be easy-to-use tools that would provide me the ability to create phototypes or mock-ups. I could use an emulator or a simulator to test my project since I could have both a mobile app and the web app. “They are tools that are capable of emulating/simulating the behavior and working of mobile devices” (Mobile application 2019). I would have phones with different operating sytems so I can ensure that the project works across all platforms as expected. There is also the option of cloud-based testing which provides access to test the project without a real device. I would also use automated tools such as Test Complete, or Test IO which are automated tools that would help to implement and test my project https://www.testrigtechnologies.com/mobile-application-testing-tools-in-2020/. I would choose automated testing tools over manual since it would take less time, therefore, allowing me more time to focus on other tasks to make the app more efficient for users. Simply put “using test automation is the best way to reach an optimal level of test effectiveness, test efficiency, and testing coverage” (Shao, 2015).
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