Mood's In Control


Tuesday, March 8, 2011
WALL-E


I loved this movie. It's the full range of emotion that makes it such great storytelling. The fairly small amount of actual dialogue from the robots just goes to show that with perfect cinematography such as this, dialogue isn't even very necessary.

The favorite scenes for me would be, the flight sequences, especially when Wall-E first meet Eve. She glances up to the departing spaceship and it's as if she's thinking "Okay the boss has gone, nobody's looking" and she spreads her wings and takes to the air. Beautifully done especially with Thomas Newman's musical composition. I could watch it over and over. Another is Wall-E and Eve's first proper exchange of dialogue, telling each other their names. Wall-E struggles with Eve's name "Eve-ahh". It’s absolutely charming.

What I like most about this movie is that it’s a cautionary tale about the wasteful nature of human beings. They want to show that by adopting everything that the television is selling us and through our desperation to have things faster and easier, we’ve taken all the work and thought out of life where we could somehow miss the entire world around us because we’re so focused in on ourselves and our gadgets. It does show a perception of the future what it would be like if we humans would not be cautious and would totally be dependent to technology.

It's hard to say where I'd rank it compared to the other animated movies that I like, Toy Story 1,2 and Finding Nemo. All of them are great pieces of story-telling, but I think Wall-E's simple tale of true love conquering all and saving the planet, as well as the stunningly realistic art, puts it in a class of its own. It certainly deserves to be an enduring classic.



EAGLE EYE


Eagle Eye movie is not that great for me. Since I love action thrillers, I am more particular when it comes to its story, its plot, and especially looking for its twists. It’s a loud, violent movie and your ears are bombarded to painful levels. In this case, action scenes made the movie get into life. The story to which an unknown woman with a sort of sexy voice that is omnipresent and extremely powerful that can control just about everything on the planet, traffic lights, neon signs, cell phones, train lines, TV screens, computers, and even automatic paper towel dispensers that is in a presence and existence of a supercomputer named ARIA who is making the phone calls and controlling the whole operation, with the objective being to assassinate the President and all those in the succession order is exaggerated.

A lot of reviewers are going to blame the twist, but I think the film survives it’s potentially silly twist admirably. The problem comes as the movie tries to deal with the consequences of that twist, and slowly begins to lose its way. It’s also not helped by the Eagle Eye’s ending, which suffers from a bad case of War of the Worlds syndrome.

Eagle Eye has its flaws, but you’re not going to care or notice them. It sets out to be fun, empty escapism and succeeds at it. Lastly, pay heed to the movie's warning: Technological advancements might indeed become a concern in the future, especially if they allow for greater mass production of duds like this one.


SURROGATES


This is a movie that had a lot more potential than it utilized. It certainly makes you question the nature of reality and the possibilities of advancing technology. It’s enjoyable. Surrogates did a good job of showing the difference between surrogates and humans. Surrogates were always perfect and beautiful. The actors do an incredible job of portraying being a lifelike machine controlled by a person rather than just a person. Surrogates are clearly surrogates when they are on screen, all the details of humanity tweaked just a little bit off skew.

Although technology can certainly enhance our lives and help defeat lethal diseases, I really don't believe that technology will extend our life spans beyond how long our "healthy" bodies would otherwise survive. Artificial intelligence will always improve as better algorithms are written. But that's all it really is, preprogrammed algorithms.

The movie was fun, not the best, but definitely worth seeing. The movie points out that an SUV flipping twice into an unsuspecting crowd would be reported as vandalism, not murder. In this sense, the number of murders would be drastically reduced. The character with "too many surrogates than logic would dictate" is perfectly justified within the movie.

Overall, it was a good movie if you’re the contemplative sort, or if you just enjoy action with a science fiction twist. Surrogates, for me, was probably one of the best movies in the year 2009. I highly recommend seeing it.


PIRATES OF SILICON VALLEY


“Pirates of Silicon Valley” was a film based on a historical fact regarding on Steve Jobs and how Apple got started and also about Bill Gates and how Microsoft got started. The movie then proceeds to narrate the events that led to the development of the first Apple computer. Initially, I didn’t understand the concept of the film. It was later that I found out that this was sort of a documentary that’s why I forgive the rawness and the lack of effects. I can’t criticize the cinematography or the musical score because the movie was shown in 1999 and you can’t expect much when you’re trying to create a motion picture about a timeline that’s 3 decades earlier. There aren’t that many special effects needed because it is what it is, black and white. It’s an informative way of telling the story of the time when the big giants (Microsoft and Apple) started out small in their respective careers. Also, the movie is about hard work, and not to let money and power go to your head. Bill Gates worked hard and Steve Jobs worked hard. But when Apple became something, Steve Jobs let it go to his head. Eventually he was fired before he learned his lesson.

I was wondering at first why the title became as it is. At first I thought it’s only because it is about piracy in the computer world and Silicon Valley is a place in California where computers are built. Then I realized that the characters have an innocent way of displaying themselves but are actually deceptive and sneaky in most parts; all because of wanting to get that bigger piece of the computer pie. Hence, they became “pirates” in their own rights.

The movie was entertaining because of the humor and the insight of the revolution of the internet and computers. The movie “Pirates of Silicon Valley” was a very inspiring, forgiving, and a full of competitive views in terms of running a business. The characters (Steve Jobs and Bill Gates) in the movie are kind of people which can be able to admire and challenge anybody. In addition, the movie brought out the great minds of these great men behind the Apple Company and Microsoft Company which stimulated them to reach not just the threshold of their dreams but the climax of their success.


I, ROBOT


I, Robot is a smart, and a good action movie. I loved this action-comedy movie not only that it was starred by one of my favorite actors in Hollywood, Will Smith, but it really is a must see movie. Thinking that it was released in year 2004, imagining things about what the creation of robots can give, produce, and their benefits to us with high technological advancements and aspects applied is just amazing.

It's man against the machines. I, Robot is an intriguing movie that is a thinking person's action picture. Although it has plenty of humor, it expects to be taken quite seriously. It starts as a murder mystery and quickly blossoms from there into a movie with a lot on its mind. In addition to action and comedy, the film also explores some interesting ideas about robots and consciousness. It also explores the troubling idea that we can never be totally safe from our own mechanical creations.

This movie is entertaining, thanks mainly to a fine performance by Smith and solid supporting performances. Good character development and the great on-screen chemistry between Smith and Bridget Moynahan also give this movie a big boost. The film looks great, with excellent production design. The special effects are also excellent, with lots of gleaming robots created by teams led by visual effects supervisor John Andrew Berton Jr. and digital effects supervisor, Tyler Foell. Despite the abundance of blue screen effects, the live action and animation are well-integrated.

I, Robot may not break much new ground, but it's engaging enough in what it does to keep the viewer interested. Best of all, this is a story that's actually about something – the soul, free will, revolution. Very cool.


Posted by ♪_TARIZTA_♪ at 3:33 AM | 0 comments
Sunday, December 5, 2010

Man's pursuit of new knowledge, new information and new learning is endless for he is born with a brain to think in order to live in this very complicated world. God made man to rule over His kingdom as the highest- thinking- living thing alive which made him so much unique and different from all other animals on earth. For me, every move, every change, every discovery, and every advancement to improve his quality of life that man makes is considered technology. Every tool he used for his pursuit to learn to elevate and develop his life for the better is technology.

Now, why do we study technology/ies? It is but just very vital and is equally so important to study technology for it is what makes us alive in order to survive in this lifetime and forever-changing world. Every second, every minute, every hour a change in this world happens. And as a human being we have to live in the cadence of time. Man's intellect and intelligence to interact with what nature offers create new tools in order for man to continue living. Look how early men live from the way they fed, sheltered, and clothed themselves is now very far and different as much as what we are now. The simplicity and the complexity on how man lives today is but just called technology. So in order for man to survive and go on with the cadence and change of time, man has to keep studying what the future has to offer. Brilliant minds and geniuses discovered new things which gave rise to technology that aids man to live. From the simplest stones and rocks used to hunt and make for their food and now to the latest computer-aided and digital or just a press-buttons appliances and materials, from the simplest leaves to the branded clothes, from caves to mansions, from barefoot walking to the luxurious cars, from simple climbing to elevators, from horses to bullet trains and airplanes, from bows and arrows to highly sophisticated nuclear weapons, all these are but brought about by technologies. We really have to study technology in order for us to keep living and get paced with every change that this world offers. We can not just ignore any change for we are always part of it. We live in a fast changing world where technology is. Hence, in order for us to live and go with the cadence of time, we really have to study technology/ies.


Posted by ♪_TARIZTA_♪ at 8:26 AM | 0 comments
You were tasked by the IC-dean to evaluate the enrollment system of the university, list and briefly describe the characteristics that an anlayst(you) examines when choosing or defining deployment environment.

The choice of deployment environment is typically out of the hands of an individual developer. The environment an application is ultimately deployed in determined by factors such as corporate standards and large grained project requirements.

Application architecture designs exist as models, documents, and scenarios. However, applications must be deployed into a physical environment where infrastructure limitations may negate some of the architectural decisions. Therefore, you must consider the proposed deployment scenario and the infrastructure as part of your application design process.

When choosing or defining deployment environment, the following should be examined:

Arrow Choosing a Deployment Strategy
Choosing a deployment strategy requires design tradeoffs; for example, because of protocol or port restrictions, or specific deployment topologies in your target environment. Identify your deployment constraints early in the design phase to avoid surprises later. To help you avoid surprises, involve members of your network and infrastructure teams to help with this process.

When choosing a deployment strategy:
• Understand the target physical environment for deployment.
• Understand the architectural and design constraints based on the deployment environment.
• Understand the security and performance impacts of your deployment environment.

Arrow Consider Design Implications and Tradeoffs up Front
You need to consider aspects of scalability that may vary by application layer, tier, or type of data. Know your tradeoffs up front and know where you have flexibility and where you do not. Scaling up and then out with Web or application servers might not be the best approach. For example, although you can have an 8-processor server in this role, economics would probably drive you to a set of smaller servers instead of a few big ones. On the other hand, scaling up and then out might be the right approach for your database servers, depending on the role of the data and how the data is used. Apart from technical and performance considerations, you also need to take into account operational and management implications and related total cost of ownership (TCO) costs.

Arrow Stateless Components
If you have stateless components (for example, a Web front end with no in-process state and no stateful business components), this aspect of your design supports both scaling up and scaling out. Typically, you optimize the price and performance within the boundaries of the other constraints you may have. For example, 2-processor Web or application servers may be optimal when you evaluate price and performance compared with 4-processor servers; that is, four 2-processor servers may be better than two 4-processor servers. You also need to consider other constraints, such as the maximum number of servers you can have behind a particular load-balancing infrastructure. In general, there are no design tradeoffs if you adhere to a stateless design. You optimize price, performance, and manageability.

Arrow Network Infrastructure Security Considerations
Make sure that you understand the network structure provided by your target environment, and understand the baseline security requirements of the network in terms of filtering rules, port restrictions, supported protocols, and so on.

Arrow Manageability Considerations
The choices you make when deploying an application affect the capabilities for managing and monitoring the application. You should take into account the following recommendations:
• Deploy components of the application that are used by multiple consumers in a single central location to avoid duplication.
• Ensure that data is stored in a location where backup and restore facilities can access it.
• Components that rely on existing software or hardware (such as a proprietary network that can only be established from a particular computer) must be physically located on the same computer.
• Some libraries and adaptors cannot be deployed freely without incurring extra cost, or may be charged on a per-CPU basis; therefore, you should centralize these features.


Since I was tasked by the IC-dean to evaluate the enrollment system of the university, as an amateur analyst, I still need guidance on examining the right and productive way in choosing or defining the deployment environment of a specific system. But with the aid of the information I have read and gathered from the internet which I have mentioned above, it made possible for me to identify and describe the characteristics that an analyst should examine in defining the deployment environment and learned that setting up your deployment environment involves many decisions that affect everything from the number of physical servers to the type of pattern you choose. Each decision will affect how you set up your deployment environment.


Reference:

http://apparchguide.codeplex.com/wikipage?title=Chapter%205%20-%20Deployment%20Patterns&referringTitle=Home

Posted by ♪_TARIZTA_♪ at 8:21 AM | 0 comments
With reference to assignments 8 and 9, what characteristics does an analyst(you) examine when evalauating DFD quality?

When developing any type of computer program, from a simple command-line game to an ornate operating system, one of the most important things a programmer can do is to create a data flow diagram. Though it may be a bit annoying, creating a data flow diagram will allow the programmer to create a program with minimal discomfort in programming the actual code and further increase the productivity of the programmer (or programming group).

The most important thing a data flow diagram does is to keep the program organized. Programmers use data flow diagrams to plan exactly how their new program is going to accomplish its intended purpose. While more simpler programs could probably be made without using a data flow diagram for organization, creating more complex ones, especially with groups of programmers, definitely requires the use of a data flow diagram to help keep the program on track.

Now, for evaluating DFD quality. A high-quality set of DFDs is readable, is internally consistent, and accurately represents system requirements. Accuracy of representation is determined primarily by consulting users and other knowledgeable stakeholders. A project team can ensure readability and internal consistency by applying a few simple rules to DFD construction. Analysts can apply these rules while developing the DFDs or during a separate quality check after preparing DFD drafts.

Minimizing Complexity
People have limited ability to manipulate complex information. If too much information is presented at once, people experience a phenomenon called information overload.Information overload is the difficulty in understanding that occurs when a reader receives too much information at one time. When information overload occurs, a person has difficulty in understanding. The key to avoiding information overload is to divide information into small and relatively independent subsets. Each subset should contain a comprehensible amount of information that people can examine and understand in isolation.

Ensuring Data Flow Consistency
An analyst can often detect errors and omissions in a set of DFDs by looking for specific types of inconsistency. Three common and easily identifiable consistency errors are as follows:
• Differences in data flow content between a process and its process decomposition
• Data outflows without corresponding data inflows
• Data inflows without corresponding outflows

A process decomposition shows the internal details of a higher-level process in a more detailed form. In most cases, the data content of flows to and from a process a one DFD level should be equivalent to the content of data flows to and from all processes in a decomposition DFD are said to be “in balance”.

Note the use of the term data content in the previous paragraph. Data flow names can vary among DFD levels from a number of reasons, including decomposition of one combined data flow into several smaller flows. Thus, the analyst must be careful to look at the components of data flows, not just data flow names. For this reason, detailed analysis of balancing should not be undertaken until data flows have been fully defined.

Balancing is the equivalence of data content between data flows entering and leaving a process and data flows entering and leaving a decomposition DFD.

Unbalanced DFDs may be acceptable when the imbalance is due to data flows that were ignored at the higher levels.

Another type of DFD inconsistency can occur between the data inflows and outflows of a single process or data store. By definition, a process transforms data inflows into data outflows. In logical DFD, data should not be needlessly passed into a process. The following consistency rules can be derived from these facts:
• All data that flows into a process must flow out of the process or be used to generate data that flows out of the process.
• All data that flows out of a process must have flowed into the process or have been generated from data that flowed into the process.

Those that I mentioned above are the characteristics that I examine when evaluating Data Flow Diagram. I based those factors from what I read and learned in Systems Analysis and Design In a Changing World, fifth edition book by John W. Satzinger since those that he mentioned there are the most important factors that an analyst should consider and examine when evaluating data flow diagram. study

Posted by ♪_TARIZTA_♪ at 8:16 AM | 0 comments
Create at least 3 different types of Data flow diagram of USEP's pre-enrollment system.

Context Data Flow Diagram of Pre-Enrollment System


Level 0 Diagram


Exploded Diagram



Posted by ♪_TARIZTA_♪ at 8:02 AM | 0 comments
Using the same narrative as refelcted in your assignment 4, develop an activity diagram and a fully developed description for a use case.

USeP Pre-Enrollment System for New Applicants Activity Diagram



This activity diagram shows the workflow of a new applicant preparing to enroll to the university. The applicant first submit all application requirements to the UGTO officer and verifies it. If the requirements are complete, the UGTO officer releases payment slip which let the applicant pay for the USEPAT exam. The applicant then present the receipt back to the UGTO officer and have an application form to be filled up. The UGTO officer schedules the applicant and the applicant takes the exam. After the exam and results being released, applicant gets back to the UGTO to inquire for the result. If failed, the applicant must take the English Bridging Program. If passed, applicant may proceed to take medical test, next to college interview, comply final requirements, and is ready for advising.

USeP Pre-Enrollment System for Old Students Activity Diagram




This activity diagram shows the workflow of old students preparing to enroll again to the school. First, the student pays local and miscellaneous fees. Next, student presents passbook, signed clearance, and receipts to the adviser. Lastly, students gets PRF from the adviser.

Posted by ♪_TARIZTA_♪ at 7:43 AM | 0 comments
USeP Pre-Enrollment System for New Applicants Use Case

Consider USEP's pre-enrollment system, develop a use case diagram and write a brief use case description.

Submit application requirements description:
An applicant submits pertinent documents like filled-up application form, high school report card, ID picture. The UGTO officer validates document requirements if it is complete and filled-up properly. The UGTO officer gives admission test slip to the applicant for payment.

Pay test fee description:
The applicant pays the admission test fee. The cashier accepts the payment and renders a receipt to the applicant.

Take an admission test description:
The applicant verifies the date, time, place, name of building, room number of admission test. The applicant takes his scheduled exam. The exam officer assures that the examinee who is taking the exam is the exact person. The exam officer starts and ends the exam. The exam officer secures that the admission test is properly and smoothly conducted.

Go to college for interview description:
The applicant goes to college where he is suited for based on the result of his admission test. The faculty/dean interviews the applicant about the specific subjects regarding the course the applicant chooses.

Take medical exam description:
The applicant undergoes physical check-up in order to determine the health and fitness of mind and body. The medical officer gives a medical certificate if the applicant passes all medical tests.

Abide for subject bridging program description:
The applicant enrolls the subject bridging program like Math plus and English plus. The subject bridge program officer/instructor organizes and teaches this program.


USeP Pre-Enrollment System for Old Students Use Case



Complete Grades description:
The student gets the grades from the subjects he is enrolled for in previous semester through the scholastic passbook. The professor gives a passing or failing grade to a particular student and subject.

Signed Clearance Description:
The student settles all his obligations from different offices of the university through student clearance form. The Class Mayor, Academic Org. Officer, Local Council Officers, OCSC Officer, OSS Director, Bookkeeper, ROTC/CWTS Officer, Registrar, Class Adviser, College Dean sign their respective entries in the clearance form if the student is cleared from any obligations.

Pay Local and Miscellaneous Fees description:
The student pays local and miscellaneous fees like the headlight and the others to the student in-charge.

Advising description:
The student is now ready for advising and presents the passbook, signed clearance, and receipts to the adviser.

Posted by ♪_TARIZTA_♪ at 7:30 AM | 0 comments