The Diskless PC Revolution

Discussion Questions
1) Using a flashdrive can be helpful, becasue it is more convenient than carrying around a personal computer, and one can transfer files form other computers into it easily. Also, you dont have to worry about losing information if your PC isn't working properly, or if the memory is malfunctioning, our data is always with us. The downside is that becasue it is so small, it can be easily lost, and one risks losing all their important files.

2) It would be more secure becasue you would have your informaton with you an a flashdrive, it wouldnt be cnnected to a server so no one could steal it and it would be less likey lost becaue you would always have it on your flashdrive, and wouldnt have to rely on computer memory.

Multiple Choice and Discussion Questions

Page 96-97

Multiple Choice:

1) C

2) D

3) A

4)E

5)D

6) E

7) C

8) A

9)

10)B

11)C

12)C

13)E

14)

15)C

Discussion Questions:

7) Non-Impact printers can print many pages quilkly with high quality. they are very durable and reliable. The disadvantages are tht they are more pricey and cant be used to print multipart forms.

8)These peripherals can be used to enter information into the computer, as well as display the output. An example can be memory devices, that can give information to the computer, as well as save/extract information from it. Touch screens are also a good example because they can be used to input commands, and display output at the same time.

9) Sequential Access Memory has a lot of space to hold information, however, it takes time to access information . It is usually used as a back-up memory. Random Access memory can retrieve information very quickly but cannot be used to store large amounts of information.

Biometrics

1- Define biometrics

A method of identifying individuals based on biological properties; The technology must scan the body part and compare and try to match the information to data previously stored in the database.



2- list and explain a use of a biometrics system in each area of impact



a) Business and Empoyment: Banks would use iris scanning technology so that only employees can access financial accounts and the office. Retailers also allow customers to pay for thie items using fingerprint scanners.

b) Education

c) Health: DNA recognition can be used to tell individuals apart based on DNA samples.

d) Arts, Entertainment, and Leisure: Regarding travel, airports will be using iris scanners when checking in [eople for flights.

e) Science and Enviroment

f) Politics and Government: Law enforcement uses DNA recognition to accurately find and identify criminals.



3- Explain how one type of biometric system works.

Iris recognition scans the iris and compares the scan to a database of iris patterns to math up the iris scan to data connected to it. FIngerprint scans work in the sane manner, the finger is scanned and the image is compared to other fingerprints in the database to math the print with data.

4- who approves/disapproves of the use of biometrics?



Companies and organizations concerned about security think biometric systems would be most secure and accurate and wish to adopt them in their systems. It is also effiecnet when it comes to certian processes and accurate in identifying people. COnsumers, howver, are suspicious that the government and any company using biometrics willa buse the information they are given from it



5- explain 3 concerns regarding the use of the biometrics system.



a) Security: corporations may abuse biometrics and use the information for personal needs.

b) Crime: People who want to access things that involve biometric security may startt o steal body parts and such to access the area.





6- explain 3 advantages to using the biometrics system.

a)Security: It can keep restricted offices and areas open to authorized personel only, so that others can't enter easily.

b) Accuracy: It is easier to identify people, because biological properties are unique to every individual, they can't be changed or forged in any way.

c) Less Chance of misidentification or identity theft: People's identities would be more secure.

7- what is the benefit of using biometrics as shown in the last clip?

It can be used by advertisers to recognize the consumer and advertise to their needs, calling them by name to make it more personal and appealing. it can help advertising agencies and businesses sell their products.

ITGS PROJECT: Criterion !

Criterion I: Planning

Week of Dec 27-Jan 2

-Talk to Client (sis Dalia) about the information to include on the website.

-Start figuring out what pages will be included. map them out

Week of Jan 3- Jan 9

-Finish mapping out website on paper, have all the information written out.

-Start designing intro page and basic pages that i already know how to make via microsoft publisher.

-Resaerch ways to create interactive pages, such as a quiz and some wort of excel sheet

Week of Jan 10-16

-Continue researching options. Try starting in any feasable methods found

- Make sure the basic information for the quiz, and any other page is already written so when the solution is found it can easily be transferred to the site.

Week of Jan 17- Jan23

-Show progress of website to client, ask if any changes should be made or included.

-Continue creating quiz and excel sheet pages

Week of Jan 24-Jan 30

-Continue fixing up anything that client said to fix. Show progress.

-Think of possible ways to make the page secure so only teachers can log in with passwords.

Week of Jan 31- Feb 5

-Start setting security/log in system on website if solution is found via research.

Week of Feb 6-Feb 12

-Make any final changes to the website

Week of Feb 13- Feb

-Introduce teachers to new system for logging in points. Assign passowrds that may be changed.

-Start writing paper on ITGS project

Weeks of Feb 19- march 4

-Finish Writing paper on Project.

Qwerty keyboard Social/Ethical Questions

Social Questions:

2) How did this issue emerge?

Many, including Parkinson were frustrated with the illogic of the QWERTY keyboard, because it makes i difficult to type efficiently.

3) Who are the stakeholders?

Stakeholders include Parkinson, the designer of a new alphabetically arranged keyboard, and any other who are interested in using/purchasing his new model because they are also frustrated with he QWERTY keyboard.

4)What are the Advantages and Disadvantages for the stakeholders?

The advantage is that those who want an easier to use keyboard that doesn't run on the QWERTY system, can now purchase one. The disadvantage is that because the QWERTY keyboard is so widespread, they'll still have to use it in other places and may not be in practice if they have the alphabetically arranged keyboard at home.

6)What areas of impact does it affect?

This affects business and employment because if the new keyboard become popular enough, many manufacturers will start to produce it and those still selling the QWERTY keyboard may have lower sales. it can also affect any other area because computers and keyboards play a role in all of them, and the people involved in these areas may switch to the new keyboard.

Ethical Questions

8) What are some ethical issues?

Although this new keyboard is being designed to help others it may harm them because if the new design doesn't become popular, those with it will still have to use QWERTY keyboards in other places and they may be out of practice.

9)Who is Responsible?

Parkinson and any who chooses to manufacture and sell the keyboard is responsible for its affects.

10)Who is Accountable?

Parkinson and any company who chooses to sell and manufacture the keyboard, as well as anyone who decides to purchase and use it.

12) Are there alternative solutions?

Those who aren't used to the QWERTY keyboard should simply practice more and get a hold of it. On the other hand if the keyboard is adopted then it should become the new standard used everywhere, or at least available in public libraries and internet cafes.

Article on Biometrics

New Biometric Passport System...

http://www.elsevierscitech.com/nl/btt/FreeArticles.asp

Review Questions pg 97

CRTs and LCDs

5) CRT moniters are less expensive than LCDS, and they also produce high-quality images at many different resolutions, as compared to a LCD.

6) Laptop computers and video projectors use LCDs to project output becasue they are more compact and easy to carry around. CRTs are too bulky/heavy and cannot project for large viewing audiences, making it unfavorable for these devices.

http://www.tipandtrick.net/2009/new-bluetooth-enabled-docupen-xtreme-x-series-high-resolution-portable-scanning-pen-by-planon/

For some reason the article link wasn't posting on here so i just made it the title^^^

I left my tech folder with the social/ethical Qs at home so ill turn in the assignment about the article with the QWERTY keyboard tomorrow night for late points iA. JAK

Reading Review: 12/23/09

List five input devices and three output devices that might be attached to a PC.
Describe a typical use for each.

INPUT DEVICES:
Keyboard: Used for inputing information into the computer through typing. Such as typing a repot using a word processor.
Mouse: Used to send commands to the computer, such as clicking on the link to a website
Scanner: Used to input pictures and text into computers.
White smartboard: Used in schools and otehr places for presentaitons to store tha images on the board in the computer.

OUTPUT DEVICES
Moniter: Allows the computer to display information and any work being done by the computer on the screen
Speakers: Allows one to hear the content in the computer such as videos, music, etc
Pritner: Allows one to print information displayed on the screen form the ocmputer onto paper.


Name and describe three special-purpose input devices people commonly use in public places, such as stores, banks, and libraries.

Touch Screens: USed in restaurants and stores to input information regardign a purchase tinto a computer during checkout.
Optical mark Readers: Used by test amking companies to score standardized tests by scanning pencil marks.
Bar code Readers: Allow stores to gather information on a product by scanning its barcode

Many people find that the mouse is impractical for use as a pointing device on a laptop computer. Describe at least three alternatives that are more appropriate.

There are many alternatives for a mouse:
Touchpad: commonly found on laptops; uses a small panel sensitive to touch to navigate the computer screen.
Trackball: Uses a protruding ball to control the pointer on the screen.
Pointing stick: A small joysttick on the keyboard that can be used to control the pointer by pushing it in the direction you wish teh cursor to move.

ITGS Project: Criterion G

This year, a new system was created for the school to encourage moral behavior and boost school spirit. This was a house system, modeled after the system practiced in British schools, that divided all Ib students into one of four houses. Each house would then be capable of earning or losing points for their house through their actions. Teachers and administration would have the power to give or take points from each house based on their judgment. This made teachers responsible for keeping track of points they awarded or took away and turning them in every week to those responsible for calculating points and keeping students up to date of which house was in the lead.
The system was initially successful and definitely boosted school spirit in a new way, but there were a few problems. Perhaps the most significant problem was that the current system had a very tedious way for teachers to keep track of points they gave or took away. This caused teachers to not reward or deduct points and therefore, caused students to forget there even was a house system. The administration and students who created the system want it to be more inherent in the school, and would like a more efficient and easy to use means for recoding points. They have expressed their concerns, but do not have the time to carry out anything for improvement.
In order to revive the system, a new more effect way for recording points must be created. Tow possible solutions include using spreadsheets in the computer lab. Teachers may access the spreadsheets and log in their data, which would automatically be calculated. Another method, which is more complex in terms of set up, but easier for teachers and those responsible for calculating points would be to create a website, where teachers may log in with their own passwords and plug g in points taken or given to houses. They may then be calculated automatically on the website and then the results can be posted on the website itself. The website can also have other house system-related features such as descriptions of the houses and a “sorting” personality quiz.
With a more efficient system in pace, teachers and students will likely participate more in the house system and school spirit and moral character will improve.

Get Ready for the Real Bionic Man

Discussion Questions Page 57

1) Glasses are more of a hassle in the sense that you have to take them on and off. They can also easily be danmaged and don't offer a full 360 degrees clear view; one is limited to seeing only within the frames of their glasses.

2) There are many benefits to using bionic devices with interated chips, becasue the devices will be able to perform more tasks and run more effiecently. It will make them more reliable overall. The downsides would be that no matter how reliable, a machine is a machine and it can never replicate the biological functions fo our body, they will still at one point or another lack in ability. We may rely on them too much and be dissapointed.

3) Yes, unless a clear threat is scene in their development and use, the development of bionic devices seems inveitable. Especially with the line between science and ethics thinning, and technological advances being seen as opportunities, technology will find its way into all aspects of life.

Chapter 3: Hardware Basics

Review Questions (page 60)

3) Both are different methods for a computer to break down and understand/manipulate any information input into it. The binary number system would denote the information into combinations fo two digits, while the ASCII code represents each character with a 8-bit code to break down the information.

4)Information is stored in binary formats because a computer cannot directly read any text, multipeida,etc, unless it breaks it down into binary code.

5) Not all software is compatible with every CPU, becasue software isusually written for a specifi processor, and not for any other ones. This is why mactintoch sfotware won't work with an intel processor.

6) Another factor besides clock speed that determines a CPU's performance level is the "architecture" of the CPU, as wella s how many bits it can process at one time (word size).

7)

8) Symmettric multi-processing is when chip makers put multiple CPUs in a single chip. Its more efficeint becasue it makes use of one operating ssytem to control more than one processor; it in creases a PCs performance without geenrating the heat that owould be generated by adding a single, faster CPU.

9) RAM is random access memory. it stores information until the processor is ready to handle it, but it only stores things temporarily. ROM, on the other hand, is read-only memory. It stores information for the computer to carry out essential functions permanently.

10)Primary storage, such as the RAM, stores data that needds to be instantly accessible to the CPU. Secondary storage, such as various storage devices (USBs, CDs,etc) stores any other data, that one can easily access and retrieve information with.

Hardware Basics Review

Questions 12/08/09

1)What are the four basic functions of a computer?
-Recieve Input
-Process information
-Produce Output
-Store Information

2)Waht oes CPU stand for?
Central Processing Unit

3) Explain what a bit is.
A computer must break down information input to it into binary numbers. The smallest Binary digit or unit of information is a bit.

4)Name two codes used to convert words into bits:
-Unicode
-ASCII

5)Why is information stored in some kind of binary format in computers?
A computer cannot read text,images,etc unless it first converts it into binary digits.

Notes "How Stuff Works" Video

Seven Major parts of A Computer:

Motherboard: Heart of the Computer

CPU: Central Processing Unit. The brain of the computer that runs much of its functions.

RAM: Random Access ememory. Hold the data and software you're currently running.

Video card: creates the images displayed on your computer.

Power suppy: Supplies the power to the computer.

Hard Disk: Holds information even when the powers off. When the computer turns on, the information is transferred tot he RAM.

Optical Drive: Uses a laser to read or write CDs and DVDs

Tech Reflect: 12/01

Discuss the advantages and disadvanteges of telecommuting:

The advantages of telecommuting include:
-less air pollution, becasue people aren't driving to work
-less office distractions
-more time for the employee to get work done becasue they're not stuck in traffic
-studies show that telecommuting shows increased productivity.
-Employee has more freedom as to how to use their time. Less control from project managers over employees in the aspect of time.

The disadvantages of telecommuting include:
-Holding meetings could be difficult.
-Those in charge would not be able to track an employees progress as easily ( control), or ask their employees direct questions.
- If the project managers, need to have an urgent conversation with an employee, they cannot do so as easily as a face to face conversation. ( reliability)