Tomorrow’s Technology and You Chapter 1 Our Digital Planet ITGS: Mr. Crossman 1

Chapter 1: Objectives Describe several ways digital technology plays a critical role in modern life Discuss several key trends in the evolution of computers and digital technology Describe the major types of computers and their principle uses Explain how the explosive growth and evolution of the Internet is changing the way people use information technology Explain how our information age differs from any time that came before Discuss the social and ethical impact of information technology on our society 2

Creating Communities on the Living Web MySpace creates an online community experience for young people. Founders - Tom Anderson & Chris DeWolfe Facebook Founder Mark Zuckenberg Flickr creates a community for people to share their pictures. 3

Living in a Nondigital World Computers are no longer a luxury but rather a commodity. Computers and their applications are involved in all aspects of our daily life. 4

Computers in Perspective Every computer in use today follows the basic plan laid out by Charles Babbage and Lady Lovelace. 5

Computers in Perspective The first real computers: 1939: Konrad Zuse completed the first programmable, general-purpose digital computer. British government was assembling a top-secret team of mathematicians and engineers to crack Nazi military codes. 1943: The team led by mathematician Alan Turing and others completed Colossus, considered by many to be the first electronic digital computer. 6

Computers in Perspective 1939: Iowa State University professor John Atanasoff developed what could have been the first electronic digital computer, the Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC). 1944: Thanks to a one million dollar grant from IBM, Harvard professor Howard Aiken developed the Mark I. 7

Computers in Perspective John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert helped the U.S. effort in World War II by constructing a machine to calculate trajectory tables for new guns. ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) After the war, they started a private company called Sperry Created UNIVAC I, the first general-purpose commercial computer. 8

Computers in Perspective Vacuum tubes were used in early computers. Transistors replaced vacuum tubes starting in 1956. Mid-1960s transistors were replaced by integrated circuits. 9

Computers in Perspective Integrated circuits brought: Increased reliability Smaller size Higher speed Higher efficiency Lower cost 10

Computers in Perspective 1971: 1st microprocessor was invented by Intel engineers. Personal computer (PC) revolution began in 1970: Apple, Commodore, Tandy Moore’s law – Gordon Moore predicted that the number of transistors that can be packed into a silicon chip of the same price would roughly double every two years. 11

Computers Today: A Brief Taxonomy Desktop computers have also evolved. Embedded computers Special-purpose computer: dedicated computers that perform specific tasks. Controlling the temperature and humidity Monitoring your heart rate Monitoring your house security system Firmware - The program is etched on silicon so it cannot be altered. 12

Computers Today: A Brief Taxonomy Personal computers and workstations PCs serve a single user at a time PCs are a tool for: Enhancing productivity Creativity Communication PCs can be classified as: Desktop Workstation Laptop 13

Computers Today: A Brief Taxonomy Desktop computer PC designed to sit on a desk or table for extended periods of time Common components: Monitor Keyboard Mouse Speakers Power cables 14

Computers Today: A Brief Taxonomy Workstations High-end desktop computers with massive computing power used for high-end interactive applications As workstations become less expensive and desktops become more powerful 15

Computers Today: A Brief Taxonomy Laptop/Notebook Some components are left off to help keep size and weight down. 16

Computers Today: A Brief Taxonomy Handheld devices… PDA (personal digital assistant) Blackberry Smart phones iPhone 17

Computers Today: A Brief Taxonomy Servers: Computers designed to provide software and other resources to other computers over a networks Mainframes Used by large organizations, such as banks and airlines, for big computing jobs Communicate with mainframe through terminals Multiple communications at one time through process of timesharing 18

Computer Connections: The Internet Revolution Timesharing: mainframe computer can communicate with several users simultaneously Supercomputers: For power users who need access to the fastest, most powerful computers made Networks: connect devices together 1960s: Internet developed with backing of the U.S. government 19

Computer Connections: The Internet Revolution The Internet explosion–over a billion people with Internet access by the end of 2005 Electronic mail E-mail software World Wide Web Led the Internet’s transformation from a text-only environment into a multimedia landscape incorporating pictures, animation, sounds, and video 20

Computer Connections: The Internet Revolution Web browsers Programs that in effect, serve as navigable windows into the Web Hypertext links Tie together millions of Web pages created by diverse authors Internet supports varied activities eBay Real-time multiplayer games 21

Into the Information Age Events and ideas come together to transform the way people think, work, & live Paradigm shift – a change in thinking that results in a new way of seeing the world Agricultural Age – lasted until about 2 centuries ago Industrial Revolution – advances in machine technology Industrial Age – factory work promised a higher material standard of living Information Age- people earn their living working with words, numbers, and ideas. 22

Into the Information Age Living with digital technology Computer literacy is already improving our day-to-day lives and careers. Applications programs – software tools that transform general-purpose computers Web applications – stored on the webso they can accessed and used by multiple computers with Internet access 23

Implications: Social and Ethical issues… The threat to personal privacy posed by large databases and computer networks High-tech crime and the difficulty of keeping data secure The difficulty of defining and protecting intellectual property in an all-digital age 25

Living with Digital Technology The threat of automation and the dehumanization of work The abuse of information as a tool of political and economic power Digital Divide – Majority of people have never made a phone call, or used a computer. Will the “digital divide” between information technology “haves” and “have nots” leave the “have nots” behind. The emergence of biodigital technology Computer chips helping them overcome disabilities The dangers of dependence on complex technology 26

Into the Information Age Web search strategies Get to know your search engines Be specific when you search Know your plusses and minuses Be selective Organize your favorites Protect your privacy Be conscious of cookies and bugs Remember that online shopping isn’t always better Shop with care 27

Guidelines for deciding how to “do the right thing:” Computer ethics ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) - the world's largest educational and scientific computing society, delivers resources that advance computing as a science and a profession. Guidelines for deciding how to “do the right thing:” Know the rules and the law Don’t assume that it’s OK if it’s legal Think scenarios, when it doubt, talk it out Make yourself proud Remember the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you Take the long view, do your part 28