HNDBA1135

Information
Technology I

Week 8 - Personal Technology: The Future Is You

 Chapter Topics
UNIT 7A:Personal Devices for Improving Productivity at School & Work
7.1 Convergence, Portability, & Personalization
7.2 Smartphones: More Than Talk
7.3 Tablets & E-Readers
7.4 Portable Media Players
UNIT 7B: personal Devices for Enriching Leisure & Life
7.5 Digital Cameras: Changing Photography
7.6 High-Tech Radio: Satellite, Hybrid Digital, & Internet
7.7 Digital Television
7.8 Videogame Systems: The Ultimate Convergence Machine?

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UNIT 7A: Personal Devices for Improving
Productivity at School & Work

• The ongoing shift toward a more interactive and

participatory web is exemplified by the mashup,
a creative combination of content or elements
from different sources, such as a web page that
blends data from two or more sources to create
new services or content.
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 7.1 Convergence, Portability,
& Personalization
Three major trends in information technology continue to be
convergence, portability, and personalization.

Convergence: Combining of several industries –

computers, communications, consumer electronics,
entertainment, and mass media – through various
devices that exchange data in digital form
– Pros:
• Increased convenience of devices; more affordable; more
functions
– Cons: 4
• Multiple features that compromise the primary feature—no
single feature works optimally
• Security risks are increasing
Portability
– Pros
• Devices that enable phone, texting, and email access from
anywhere, portable digital music, GPS, and convenient
cheap digital photos that allow people to remain
connected even while on the move
– Cons
• Bombardment by texts and phone calls; intrusiveness; time
wasters 5

• Lack of face-to-face contact can lead to misinterpretations

Personalization
– Pros
• People can do many things, customized just for them.
Downloaded hundreds or thousands of songs, so that they
have their own personalized library of music; create lists of
“favorites” or “bookmarks” so that they can readily access
favorite website; access or contribute to blogs or personalized
online diaries. In addition, PC software can be used to create
all kinds of personal projects, ranging from artwork to finances
to genealogy.
• Get preselected news topics delivered to one’s electronic
devices as needed.

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• Personalization (continued)
• Cons
– Having many personalized devices leads to multitasking, which can lead to “absent presence” and
nonfocus
– Regret about choices
– Inaction
– Excessive expectations
– Self-blame
– “Paralysis” from too many choices
– Filtering
– Facts are facts: news should reflect the world, not us

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 7.2 Smartphones – More Than Talk
Smartphone = cellphone with microprocessor,
memory, display screen, modem, apps, and Internet
access
– Allows phone calls, email, web browsing, music
availability, text messaging, videogames, digital TV
viewing, search tools, GPS, personal information
management, and so on
– Storage
• Data is stored in flash memory card
• Data does not disappear when phone is turned off 8
CELLPHONES: DESIGNED FOR CALLS & PERHAPS TEXTING
– Lower-priced than smartphones, cellphones are compact, have a straightforward keypad, let

you receive and send text messages, and allow you to store frequently used phone numbers.

Cellphones were originally designed for calls, and perhaps texting, but many have cameras,

can access high-speed data networks, and support Bluetooth headsets for hands-free

communication.
SMARTPHONES: DESIGNED WITH ADVANCED OPERATING SYSTEMS & TOUCH SCREENS
– Smartphones are more expensive than cellphones, have advanced operating systems (Apple’s

iOS, Google’s Android, Windows Phone 8) that give them access to thousands of apps and

have larger touch-screen displays and more advanced cameras than those on conventional

phones, GPS navigation technology, Wi-Fi capabilities, and higher mobile wireless data

speeds, which gives users better web browsing, search functions, and streaming media. They

can also have a sophisticated organizer and allow you to do text messaging, handle multiple

email accounts, review and edit documents, and create and edit spreadsheets. Many have
– Cellphones are radios
• OS is stored in ROM; apps are downloaded
• Display screens are 2 – 5 inches, color
• Storage usually on flash memory cards
• Have tactile or touch-screen keyboards
• Microphone for voice commands
• Receiver/Speaker to hear voice calls
• Have headset connector
• Are MP3/media players
• Use Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth
• Have GPS and camera
• Can show TV and video
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• Text messaging, or texting or SMS (for short
message service), is the sending of short messages,
generally no more than 160 characters in length
(including spaces), to a smartphone or other
handheld device.

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• Societal Effects of Cellphones
– Positive (among others)
• Parents can more easily monitor their children
• Police dispatchers can help people who are lost
• Information and amusements are readily available
• Get road assistance
• Information can get out quickly during emergencies
– Negative (among others)
• People are less polite, courteous, and respectful using
cellphones
• Cellphones are answered in theaters and restaurants
• Cellphone users engage in loud conversations in public places
• Cellphone use while driving is dangerous 12
 7.3 Tablets & E-Readers
A tablet is a general-purpose computer contained in a
single panel; it is a combination of smartphone and
laptop computer with wireless connections, a 7- to
12-inch multitouch screen, and a virtual screen.
• Platforms (OS): iPad, Android, Windows RT

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E-readers are better than tablets for reading e-books in
terms of price, screen quality, simplicity and portability.

• E-Book, or electronic book: electronic text, the digital-

media equivalent of a conventional printed book
• E-Book Reader: electronic device that can download
books (wired and wirelessly)
• Examples: Kindle (Amazon); Nook (Barnes & Noble)

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• Some Benefits of E-Readers
– One e-book reader can store hundreds or thousands of
books.
– Easy to download books by wireless access; books are
less expensive.
– Type size and face can be adjusted.
– Usually can be read in low light.
– Automatically opens to the page where you left off.
– Text can be searched and cross-referenced.
– Dictionary automatically available.
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How an E-Reader Works
– E-readers use E Ink, which is composed of millions of tiny
particles that display text.
– Different e-books use different e-software formats.
– E-books are downloaded by wireless access (3G or Wi-
Fi).
Some drawbacks of e-readers:
– Photos, charts, diagrams, foreign characters, and tables
not as good as in print version—or are left out of the e-
book
– Battery needs to be recharged
– Reader doesn’t own the downloaded books
– Are not always designed for college textbook use
– Can be hacked
– Can’t lend your books
– They can malfunction
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 7.4 Portable Media Players
Portable media players include music players, media players, and some mobile phones.

• Portable media players (PMPs) are portable

devices that play digital audio, video, and/or image
files.
• MP3 is a format that allows audio files to be
compressed so they are small enough to be sent
over the Internet and stored as digital files.

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PMP Technology Considerations: What’s Useful to Know?

– Storage capacity (both – Other features such as:

hard drive and flash • FM radio reception
memory) • Music recording using
– Sampling rate microphone
– Transferring files – Getting music and video
files
– Battery life
– Using PMP in a car
– Display screens

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Societal Effects
– PMPs offer convenience and portability to music
listeners.
– May also cause people to isolate themselves.
– MP3 players are used almost everywhere by many
people, but they do have the ability to damage hearing,
so users should be careful with the volume controls.
Over 85 decibels can cause hearing loss! (85 decibels is
as loud as a vacuum cleaner or a crowded restaurant .)
– Over-the-ear headphones are safer than earbuds.

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UNIT 7B: Personal Devices for Enriching Leisure & Life

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 7.5 Digital Cameras - Changing
Photography
A digital camera takes video and photographs and digitally converts the analog data by
recording images via an electronic image sensor (they do not require film).
– Point-and-shoot digital camera
• Automatically adjusts settings such as exposure and focus
• Easy to use, but manual controls can allow you to tweak the
settings to get better photos
– Single-lens reflex (SLR) digital camera
• Uses a reflecting mirror to reflect the incoming light so the
viewfinder shows what the lens is framing
• Brighter and crisper photos 22

• Used by professionals
Resolution: Megapixels and Sensors
– Megapixels = millions of picture elements (electronic dots making up an image); the more megapixels,
the higher the resolution
– 10 – 16 megapixels common for point-and-shoot cameras; 10 – 24 for SLR
– The larger the sensor chip, the sharper the images

Lenses
– Digital zoom
• Means the image is cropped in the camera
• Lowers the resolution and so can produce a grainy photo
– Optical zoom
• Enlarges the subject without you needing to move closer
• Lens extends to focus on distant objects; clearer image

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Storage
– Use flash memory cards inside camera; cards are
reusable
– 64 MB holds only a handful of images; 512 MB – 1 GB is
better
Viewing images
– Optical viewfinders let you see the image to be
photographed before you snap the picture
– LCD screens let you review the photos you have taken

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• Start-up time
– Digital cameras require time to start up
– Look for one that has a short start-up time
– Also, the shutter can lag, delaying the time between
when you press the button and the shutter clicks; look
for a camera that allows “burst” or “continuous “ mode
– Continuous mode allows you to take a certain number
of shots without pausing or reclicking a button

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• Battery life
– The camera requires a battery to function
– Some rechargeable batteries are available with many
models
– Some recharge in the camera, while others require a
separate charging stand
– Get a battery that can last a whole day
– Carry a spare battery

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Principle methods for transferring images
– Use a direct connection between your camera and your
computer (with a USB cable and software)
– Wireless connection
– Insert the memory card into your computer or card
reader
– Put your camera into a cradle attached to the PC
– Use an online photo service
– Use a photo printer with a built-in card slot
– Use a photo-printing kiosk
– Use a photo lab 27

– Bring along your own card reader and CDs and use
others’ computers
Societal Effects of Digital Cameras
– People are taking their cameras everywhere
– People take far more pictures than they used to
– Photography is becoming more casual
– People are touching up their photos, making them look
better
– Camera use can be intrusive and even illegal (voyeurism)

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7.6 High-Tech Radio - Satellite, Hybrid
Digital, & Internet
Satellite radio
– Digital radio signals are sent from satellites in
orbit around the earth to subscribers that
have special radios, often in cars.
– CD-quality sound is better than normal radio.
– More channels than regular radio.
– U.S. provider is Sirius XM satellite radio.
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– Commercial-free.
HD (Hybrid Digital) Radio
– Provides CD-quality sound on the FM dial
– Allow broadcasters to squeeze one analog and two
digital stations on the same frequency
– Broadcasts are free—no subscription charges
– Broadcasters are hoping HD radio can introduce more
local or innovative programming
Internet Radio
– Continuous streaming of audio over the Internet.
Internet users can listen to radio on their computers and
various handheld devices, such as a smartphone 30

(Pandora, iHeartRadio, Slacker)

Podcasting
– Involves the recording of Internet radio or similar
Internet programs
– Requires no studio or broadcast tower and is not
regulated by the FCC (Federal Communications
Commission)
– Allows amateur deejays and hobbyists to create their
own radio shows and offer them on the Internet
– Podcasting-receiving software, called an aggregator, is
necessary
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 7.7 Digital Television

Digital Television:
– Interactive TV
• Lets you interact with the show you’re watching
– Internet TV
• Television distributed via the Internet, viewable on
computers and mobile devices
– Internet-Ready TV
• TVs with broadband modems allow viewers to watch TV
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shows as well as go online to browse, get news, stream
movies, view photos, etc.
3 Kinds of Digital TV Broadcasting
– Digital television (DTV): uses a digital signal (not analog)
• Is clearer and less prone to interference than analog
• FCC has mandated that all TV stations be capable of digital
broadcasting
• People with analog TVs use a converter box to deal with digital
broadcast signals
– High-definition television (HDTV)
• Works with digital broadcasting signals
• Has broader screen and higher resolution than analog TV
• Uses a lot of bandwidth
– Standard-definition television (SDTV)
• Uses lower resolution than HDTV and so can transmit more 33

information within the HDTV bandwidth

• Allows multicasting – up to 5 SDTV programs at the same time
• Societal Effects of Digital TV
– Time shifting: Changing when you watch TV
– Space shifting: Changing where you watch TV
– Content shifting: Changing the nature of TV programs
– Video on demand (VOD or VoD) consists of a wide set
of technologies that enable viewers to select videos or
TV programs from a central server to watch when they
want, rather than when TV programmers offer them

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7.8 Videogame Systems - The Ultimate
Convergence Machine?
Videogame consoles, or gameboxes, are specialized
computers powered by operating systems and CPUs
different from those in desktop computers.
• These may be the “ultimate convergence machine.”
• People buy them to play games, but they do a lot
more: play music, share photos, watch movies
– Microsoft Xbox
– Sony PlayStation 4 35

– Nintendo’s Wii U