E-Learning

In this post I will be talking about how there are so many different websites that allows students of today to learn through different methods or websites that are on the Internet. E-Learning is the factor that all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching falls under. This sort of learning usually benefits the young as they are more into using technology than the older generation. E-learning enables students to have skills and knowledge to be picked up through the website or Internet.

Net Frog Website - http://frog.edschool.virginia.edu/Frog2/
This website is teaching anyone who wants to learn how to dissect a frog. The reason they teach you this is because they say on their website that 'dissecting a frog helps you learn human anatomy'. This website does do what it says in the sense that it teaches you how to dissect a frog, however different people learn in different ways. Some people can read up on how to do it and then they can remember it but others need to practise it over and over again to remember how to do it. The website tells you that you need certain instruments to be able to cut the frog and dissect it, the website explains all the parts of the frog and what all the instruments are but they don't tell you where you can get these certain instruments from. If someone wanted to explore at home then they would find it hard because they would not know where to get the correct instruments from.

Lynda Website - http://www.lynda.com/
This website offers online video tutorials which can be beneficial for some people but not for others, this is because a lot of people learn in different ways because they have different techniques of how to remember things. video tutorials can also sometimes be known as virtual learning, I have watched one of the video tutorials and I believe with my learning techniques that I would be able to learn from things I get told. It is also good in the way that you are theoretically receiving one-to-one tuition which means you tend to focus on yourself more, this is good for shyer children because they don't have peers around them to tease or laugh at them if they get something wrong.

Macro-media Tutorial - http://www.tutorialized.com/tutorials/Flash/1
This website offers in-detail descriptions of how to use Adobe Flash Player to enable you to understand how the programme works and also what you can do with the programme. Written descriptions and pictures are sometimes the best way for some people to learn, however some people can learn just from looking at pictures or just reading information. Some people would benefit more from watching videos of walk-through talk-throughs. With all of this set a side over all this website definitely achieves it aim on teaching people how to use Adobe Flash, it provides in depth tutorials of how to and also has its own forum where you can ask questions if you need help with anything.

E-Government

E-Government is good for the majority of the population because it allows people to air their opinions about the government and their view is looked at more quickly if we to use the old fashioned way.
http://www.number10.gov.uk/
This being said, the website is where the views of people can be aired and the government will constantly look at it and any subject that is bought up more than once will be addressed by the government of even the Prime Minister. The decision that the website was set up to be able to do this function is an advance in the right direction so to speak. This is because it makes a more efficient service on the governments behalf and puts the Prime Minister closer to the public to better understand what we want as a society. Also they have got on their website what roles and responsibilities they have as a government. What they are currently focusing on in this current time, at the moment is the war effort in Afghanistan, business innovation and skills, defence, HM treasury and much more. Compared to the old way that people's opinions were aired and the roles and responsibilities were known. It is a lot different because before you have to go out and research the information about the government and now all that information is just a couple of clicks away. Same applies to getting an opinion across, you used to write a letter to the prime minister or to local parliament and send it but now you just type your issue in and it can be seen by any member of parliament and Prime Minister and is more likely to get answered.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/dvla/
The DVLA has in many ways advanced the way in which crime has been enforced for motorists on the road today. In the past the DVLA found that fraud was a very frequent activity within the car industry due to counterfeit documents to do with tax and MOT of a car. However, they have advanced to putting all information about every car on the DVLA special database. This in turn reduces the likelihood of producing counterfeit documents, the reason for this is a car cannot be insured unless the car is taxed and passed an MOT. The mechanics who perform it have to give a document to the person and this document can only be presented by the a garage, once this document has been given then the results get put on the DVLA database. This record of the MOT will allow the car to be taxable and then after it can be insured. All this information is put on the DVLA database and the police traffic unit cars have the Automatic Number Plate Reader (ANPR) which runs off the DVLA database. This will scan a number plate and check it has been taxed insured and MOT'd. This is good because it cracks down on people who drive without insurance but also cracks down on people who used to use counterfeit documents. The best part of 10 years ago this technology didn't exist and it was almost impossible for the police to pick up fake drivers, this is also a good way to get dangerous and 'unworthy' drivers off the road.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/
This website provides a good online service and it appears easy to use. When you register as a user you will be able to sign up for online HMRC services. This will give you access to all areas of the website and it will give you more information about business tax. It will also send you a users email to help you better understand to use HMRC's online services and also how you can file documents online. They also have a dedicated part of the website where it shows you how to use the online services efficiently. It shows you how filing and using electronic payments online can benefit the person/business. It also has a part on the website where you can see frequently asked questions and also it allows you to ask a question yourself if you are unsure. How it has been bought along with technology is that now people can pay different types of tax and so forth without worrying about it getting lost in the post or someone getting hold of the letter and taking whatever confidential documents are in there. However you can now make payment from the comfort of your own home without any worry. There is just one worry that there could be spy ware on your computer that get your account details, this is usually very rare because this website is very strict on confidentiality.

http://www.bedford.gov.uk/
This website allows you to do many different operations, making a person life who lives in Bedford Borough simple. The way in which they do this is by allowing them to pay for different sections of life through the website. Sections such as mortgage payments, council tax, non domestic payments and more. They also allow you to request report and book stuff online. You can request a waste permit, assisted waste collection and much more. Also report various petty crimes that have happened in the area in which you live and you can do it anonymously as well.

All of these services that this website offers are really helpful in the way that it is a more efficient way to keep the government more in touch and close to the people of bedford, opposed to the old way of reporting a crime or paying for your council tax it is a lot more easy to do as well. It is more convenient for the person in Bedford because before you had to go to your local police station to report a crime, now you can do it in your own house. Also paying for different things is good as well because that can be done in your home but also you are less likely to miss a payment on various demanding finances.

Investigating Online Banking

Purpose, Target Audience and Advantages of Online Banking

Internet banking is the option that a bank offers. This is all done from the convenience of their own homes. Normally the customer would have to make a trip to the bank to do these transactions, but with the beginning of internet banking the ease of account operations for customers has increased dramatically.
Online banking was made for business men and business related people and also to make the banks job easier, however the younger half of the generation use it more than most people. The older generation tends mostly not to use it because the prefer to physically take the money to the bank and bank it. Use of internet banking has increased and a lot of the peopulation use it. 81% of people managed household finances using online banking at least once in the past 12 months. This statistic was taken from this site.

http://www.statisticbrain.com/online-banking-statistic/

I am going to look at 2 banks and how they help their customers by allowing them to use online banking. The 2 banks I am going to look at are Barclays and Lloyds TSB:

Barclays

You will need a valid account that has been set up with the Barclays bank. Barclays set up an online service for their business customers but discovered it would be easier for the bank and the customer if online banking was available to everyone. Focusing mainly on their customers, they introduced it to their everyday customers which was a good idea because a lot of people were extremely happy with the new service provided. So barclays decided to carry it on and is has been very successful. They sent questionnaires to their customers by email and the majority of the results say that the factor that was most liked about internet banking is that it was so quick and easy to do and that it was really convenient.

Advantages

Some of the Advantages of internet banking barclays state is as follows:

24 hour services means that at any time of the day that a customer may need access to their account and they cant wait until the next day then they can transfer money to any place they want. 

Online banking allows the bank to be greener because they will not use as much paper, instead their clients can check their statements in their online account.

There is a factor of geographical convenience because you can check your account statements anytime anywhere in the world as long as you have access to internet. You dont need to go to or be anywhere near a branch to check it.

Lloyds TSB

Like Barclays you need a valid and current account to be able to access it via the internet. Lloyds were one of the last banks to introduce internet banking, however they introduced it to both their business customers and also general customers at the same time. Lloyds saw it be popular amongst other banks and thought it to be a good idea to offer the same king of service to their customers.

Advantages

The advatages that Lloyds claim that online banking applies to are:

Funds are transferable and you dont even need to go into a Lloyds branch. You can do it from the comfort of your own home and you can use your own home computer or laptop. Also you can schedule automatic monthley payments from your online account.

You can make loan applications from your online account as well. With this the account will work out wether you are elligable to be given a loan or mortgage. You can buy and sell stocks and shares or even open or close with minimal effort on the customers behalf.

Weather In My Area

Today I will be looking at the weather for this weeks worth of week days. I will also be looking at the BBC website's weather forecast and also I will be contrasting the actual weather for each day with the forecast. Tuesdays Forecast was:

The forecast compared to the actual weather is quite accurate, it was sunny with imminant clouds from the start of the day until about 15:00. However, then there was a sudden terrencial downpoor of rain that lasted for 15-20 minutes. Lastly it cleared up but there was still a few light clouds. During the evening it was clear for the majority of time.

Wednesdays Forecast was:

The forecast for Wednesday was more accurate then it was for Tuesday. It was raining lightly around 10:00 however the sun didnt come out at 12:00 like it was forecasted. It was raining with cloud but there was no sign of the sun at all. Also at the time of 16:00 there was not even a spit of rain in sight. The evening of the forecast was the opposite way round, the white clouds came out at 16:00 and then at 18:00 all heavens opened at it was litterally terrential rain. Then it slowed down and eventually stopped at 19:30.

Thursdays Forecast was:

The forecast for thursday was almost spot on with the weather that actually happened. The only difference that occured was the fact that during 21:00 and 22:00 there was a small period of rain that was only light.

Fridays Forecast was:

The forecast for friday was not very accurate. It was not raining all morning there were clouds. Then at about 12:00 there was a short light spell of rain and then from 13:00 onwards there was clouds with sun, until 19:00 when there was another shower of rain (this one being more heavy). It lasted for an hour and a half then it was a fairly clear sky.

Overall the weather forecast for the week was pritty accurate bearing in mind the country's weather is usually unpredictable and it does what no-one can predict perfectly. This is a view that comes from a person that has lived in another country. In other countries their weather is inevitable depending on what time of year it is. I am not convinced however that if I was to pay for weather forecast that they would be anymore accurate, considering that money has no direct link to what the weather does.

Planning A Route

I am going to plan a route from my house to Tottenham Court Road in London. The first route planned is by car and the second route planned is by train.

Car
If I was to go by car then I would have to taker into account the costs such as autogas and congestion charges. Also I will be taking down a record of how long it will take and the source of where I planned the route. If I fill my gas tank up it will cost £35.25 and the congestion charge will be £10. So for the whole journey will cost just under £50. But the full tank of autogas will also get me from my house to tottenham road in london and back without stopping for gas. This is because my car can do 440miles on a full tank of gas and the journey there is almost 58miles. This journey should take me 1 hour and 29 minutes assuming the roads are clear and you abide by the speed limits. The route follows:
1 - I will follow the A4280 east until it meets the A6 when I will travel south along the A6.
2 - Then when I come to a junction that meets the A421 I will take that travelling southbound.
3 - I will then turn onto the M1 travelling southbound, until I get to the end of the M1 and I will take the exit heading onto the A406.
4 - Then take the A41 southbound and then at the end of that, turn onto the A501 then get off at the exit at the A400. Where I will need to pay congestion charges.
5 - Travelling south on the A400, I will eventually get to the end where I will turn right onto the first A40 turning.
6 - This will then lead me to a third turning on the right which will be the turning onto Tottenham Court Road. This journey should take me 1 hour and 29 minutes assuming the roads are clear and you abide by the speed limits.
http://www.theaa.com/route-planner/index.jsp#fromNode=18260040031663%7CMK40%203EB,%20Bedford%7CSTREET%7C506319%7C250256%7CtoNode=18260063383877%7CTottenham%20Court%20Road%20Underground%20Station,%20London%7CSTREET%7C529825%7C181374

Train
Contrasting this journey is if I take a train to Tottenham Court Road in London. The whole train journey will cost £26 for a train ticket there and a rail card of unlimited use on off-peak times. This journey will take in total 1 hour and 40 minutes assuming that there are no delays, this includes all the train stops and journeys.
1 - I will need to go to the Bedford St Johns station, it would take 6 mintues to get to another station in bedford.
2 - Then I will need to get off and get onto another train that goes to Farringdon this will take the longest part of my journey at 1 hour 5 minutes.
3 - I will then need to get off and get onto another train at the underground station in Farringdon. This next journey will take me to Tottenham Court Road underground station with the last journey lasting 20 minutes.
 http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/timesandfares/BSJ/Tottenham_Court_Road/tomorrow/1030/dep

The sources I have used have given me accurate routes and directions for getting from Bedford to Tottenham Court Road. But the real time information was not very accurate and it didnt give me much real time information. Most of the time it was based on the assumption that there would be cirtain circumstances (eg. assuming there is no traffic/assuming there is no delays)

Electronic Mail and Risks

Electronic Mail (Email)

This was very early online technology. To use email you need to have a connection to an email server also you will require an email client. An email client is a program that is on your computer that is connected to the internet, such a program called Outlook Express. However these clients can also be run through the internet aswell, sites such as hotmail or yahoo. Email is also readily available on all smartphones nowadays, it can even be used through smart TV's have internet capabilities. Email systems allow you to see who has sent you mail and also what the content of the email is. It can also allow you to compose mail and send it tro anyone that you want if you have their email address. Another useful perk is that you can attatch documents and media files for the person your sending it to see.

The message is started in an editing view. messages are ususally sent using Simple Mail Transfer Protocol-port 25(SMTP). Ususally they are recieved using post office protocol-port 110 (POP3) or an Internet Mail Access Protocol-port 143 (IMAP) server. With advantages it comes with disadvantages like email is often misused and even at a simple level people send inapproriate messages. Viruses, trojans and worms can easily be attatched.

Risks
Spoofing and Spamming -  It is fairly easy for an ordinary person to create a program that is given a fake address in the 'form' of an email. This makes the reciever to believe it is trusted and a decent source. Spoofing is sending mail that is someone of the incorrect identity and Spamming is using email to conduct a junk mail campaigne.
Virus - This is different to spamming and spoofing, this is actually a harmful piece of code that can damage a computer because it attaches itself to programs and files. e.g. When a file is opened it can be spread further because it can replicate itself in that file like a biological virus.
Worm - Unlike a virus this piece of coding can actually spread itself with out the assistance of the computers user. A result of this being their creaters can possibly control your computer remotely.
Trojan - This is like a virus in the way that it has a code but it is named after a Tojan Horse. The reason for this is because it is ususally disguised as an innocent document or an attractive attachment but really it contains a nasty surprise when you open it. When it has finished installing it can cause serious damage to a users computer but also it will almost definately take control of the users machine.

AS ICT Course and Statistics

ICT AS
We started the AS ICT course and also created a blog. The reason we created a blog is so that we can record everything we do in ICT to enable us to refer back to what happened in the past. http://www.blogger.com
We used different search enigines to search subjects and found that google gave the most results, and other search engines had some of the same content meaning that the search engines could be related in some way. (eg. MSN uses Bing)

Statistics
For home study i need to look at Office of National Statistics' website and look at internet useage by different age groups. http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/index.html - internet usage.

In 2010, 77% of the uk's adult population had used the internet in the 3 months prior to the survey. 18% had never used a computer before and 60% of adults included in the same survey had used it every day or almost everyday down from 21% in the previous year of 2009. Internet use is closely related to age: 60% of adults aged 65 and over said that they have never used a computer opposed to the age group of 16-25 which 100% of the people claim they had used a computer.
London was the highest place for usage of the internet with 87% of adults using it. 97% of adults who were educated up to degree level or higher had used more of the internet than the much lower 45% of adults who didnt really hold any formal qualifications.

Internet Mobile Usage
For the adults that used mobile devices to use the internet (eg. laptops, phones or palmtops), this statistic shows that from 2009 to 2010 there was a 5% increase from 40% to 45%. At the time the mobile phone was the most popular device with 31% of adults connecting this way. The use of mobile internet is being led by the age group 16-24, this accounts for 44% of users of internet.