Marini Abu Bakar

A generic framework for developing map-based mobile application

The development of Location Based Services (LBS) applications specifically on mobile devices requires research into various fields of studies which include cartography, map visualization techniques, mobile graphic engine and wireless network support. Mobile devices however pose limitations such as small screen size, low resolution, limited memory and processing power for map display and navigation. In this study, a generic framework which serves as a guide for developing map-based mobile applications has been proposed. It takes into consideration the constraints of mobile devices and discusses methods to overcome the problems which include visualization techniques, Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG) and TinyLine SVG, mobile cartography concepts. A prototype application for finding point of interest in a university campus was developed using the framework as a guide. This application is intended for use on mobile devices equipped with Java and Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG) supports. Generalisation technique has been adapted in map display to avoid cluttering, while the concept of mobile cartography such as colour, symbol, and context was applied in map generation. This study explores the potential of SVG and TinyLine SVG for image display in mobile devices. The application prototype was developed using Java 2 Mobile Edition (J2ME) package, TinyLine SVG software development kit, Servlet technology and MySQL database management system.

Usability guidelines for developing mobile application in the construction industry

A key issue in the construction industry is that the atmosphere and working environment at construction sites are very different from the atmosphere in a typical office. The construction site workers are influenced by climatic factors, constraint of limited infrastructure for office, network and communication technology. Todays advanced mobile devices are very suitable for the construction industry because of its small size, easy to carry and have a wide range of support functions that can be leveraged into mobile applications to help workers in this industry carry out everyday tasks. However, some mobile applications are not very effective because their development is not based on the guidelines usability of mobile applications such as ISO9126, People At The Center of Mobile Application Development (PACMAD) model and Moe Usability Guidelines. The objective of the study is to identify usability elements of mobile applications for the construction industry as well as developing detailed usability guidelines of mobile applications based on the selected element for the construction industry. The methodology included theoretical study using content analysis and empirical study involving interviews mobile application developers to identify usability elements of mobile applications for the construction industry. The results of content analysis of seven model and usability guidelines shows thirteen elements are suitable to be adapted for the construction industry, namely the effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction, ability to learn, get the attention of consumers, presentations, human-computer interaction, navigation, data are obtained from the map, installation, mobile context, security and assistance. Findings from the interviews are used to construct the detailed usability guidelines for development of mobile applications. Assessment guidelines by experts showed the proposed usability guidelines mobile applications are capable of providing guidance to application developers to implement its usability elements in the development of applications for the construction industry.

Light weight student mobile organizer for netbook: A preliminary study

This paper describes a proposed Student Mobile Organizer application to help university students in organizing their college and personal activities. The application is designed to run in a netbook with Linux Ubuntu operating system. The application will be integrated with a university server, which is a case study at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). The integration allows the application to retrieve data from the server to improve the capability of the application system with additional functions. The examples of the data are lectures schedule, university announcement and important university dates. All the retrieved data is placed in the students schedule. In order to develop the integrated organizer, a methodology is proposed, that will cover from requirements until implementation. A framework to support the system is also proposed. This paper ends with conclusion and discussion that describe the benefits, disadvantages and suggestions to complete the organizers features.