1. Chapter 1 Using Technology to Change the World
Technology in Action
Chapter 1
Using Technology to Change the World
This chapter provides an overview of the importance of learning about computers and technology.

2. How Will You Put Technology in Action?
Technology on the World Stage
Technology and Our Society
This chapter provides an overview of the importance of learning about computers and technology.

3. Technology on the World Stage
Objective
How can becoming proficient with technology help you understand and participate in important issues in the world at large?
1. How can becoming proficient with technology help you understand and participate in important issues in the world at large?

4. Technology and Our Society
Objective
How can knowledge of technology help you influence the direction our society takes?
2. How can knowledge of technology help you influence the direction our society takes?
Net neutrality
Broadband access

5. How Will You Put Technology in Action?
Technology is not just:
A means for career advancement
A skill set needed to survive in society
Technology can provide ways you can make an impact beyond your own life
You can influence and participate in projects that can change the world
Ability to contribute on a larger scale
Technology today is not just a means for career advancement or merely a skill set needed to survive in society. It’s a tool that enables us all to make an impact beyond our own lives. Technology can be your ticket to doing just that, to influencing and participating in projects that will change the world. Your talents and skills in technology will let you contribute on a larger scale, beyond personal benefits.

6. Technology on the World Stage
Accelerating change around the world
Galvanizing people in new ways
Easier to have a voice that’s heard worldwide
Recent political and global issues are showing that technology is accelerating change around the world and galvanizing groups of people in new ways.

7. Technology on the World Stage Political Issues
Social networking tools enable groups to connect and exchange ideas
Crisis-mapping tools collect and map information and make it publicly available
Info collected/displayed w/o censorship
Social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter enable the gathering together of groups of people to connect and exchange ideas. They brought together people facing repression and censorship in many countries in the Arab and North African regions.
Crisis-mapping tools helped to share messages describing violence occurring all over Kenya after a disputed election.

8. Technology Can Allow Large Groups to Have More Power
Easier to track individuals who dissent from the government’s views
Governments can more easily control access to info by controlling internet access
Smartphones & Video Cameras contribute to a loss of privacy promoting gov’t control

9. Technology on the World Stage Global Issues
Health care
Develop and deliver vaccines
100% chance of flu pandemic in next century
Retinal prosthetics
Environment
Data tagged with geographical info could alert scientists to new trends in our environment
Health Care
Researchers say there is a nearly 100 percent chance of a flu pandemic in the next century. Technology could help us develop and deliver vaccines to save lives.
Retinal prosthetics are another example of global health concerns being addressed with technology.
Environment
Tagged with geographical information, the data could alert scientists to new trends in our environment.

10. Technology on the World Stage Global Issues
The Digital Divide
Great gap exists between levels of Internet access and availability of technical tools
Prevents use of all minds to solve problems
There is a great gap in the levels of Internet access and the availability of technical tools in different regions of the world. The term coined for this difference in ease of access to technology is the digital divide. One danger of a digital divide is that it prevents us from using all the minds on the planet to solve the planet’s problems. But this challenge created by technology is also being answered by technology.

11. Technology and Our Society How We Think
Web 2.0
New set of features and functionality
International collaboration
More web applications allow everyone to be a “creator” of the web
Contribute content easily
Easily connected to each other
Cognitive Surplus
Combination of leisure time and tools to be creative
As more web applications appeared that allowed everyone to become a “creator” of the web, a new kind of Internet came into being. Nicknamed Web 2.0, it had a set of new features and functionality that allowed users to contribute content easily and to be easily connected to each other. Now everyone could collaborate internationally at the click of a mouse.
Cognitive surplus is the combination of leisure time and the tools to be creative.

12. Technology and Our Society How We Think
Modern Theories of Motivation
Autonomy: freedom to work without constant direction and control
Mastery: feeling of confidence and excitement from seeing your own skills progress
Purpose: understanding that you are working for something larger than yourself
Modern theories of motivation show that what pushes people to apply their free time in altruistic causes, for no money, is the excitement of autonomy, mastery, and purpose. (See Figure 1.6.)
• Autonomy: the freedom to work without constant direction and control.
• Mastery: the feeling of confidence and excitement from seeing your own skills progress.
• Purpose: the understanding that you are working for something larger than yourself.

13. Technology and Our Society How We Connect
Music (virtual choir) videos synchronized & combined Eric Whitacre’s virtual choir #3: Water Night (3,746 videos from 73 countries)
see Map (page 9)
Blogs: connects members, builds sense of community
Business (Kickstarter, Crowdfunding): post ideas for community projects/inventions/ask for funding directly
Technology has added breadth to music. The first piece from the Virtual Choir was released with 50 recorded voices. A blog connects the members and builds a real sense of community between them.
Kickstarter helps us connect by allowing people to post their ideas for community projects, games, and inventions and to ask for funding directly.
This style of generating capital to start businesses is known as crowdfunding.

14. Technology and Our Society How We Consume
Marketing technology helps to:
Decide what to purchase
Actual buying process of goods and services
Strategies
QR (quick response) codes
Location-aware price comparison tools (Apps scan and compare prices
Mobile coupons (mobicoupons)
Crowdsourcing
Technology is changing how to decide what to purchase and how we actually purchase goods and services.
QR (quick response) codes link to online information and video content.
Apps scan the bar code of an item and compare prices with nearby stores and online prices.
Tech-savvy shoppers get mobile coupons delivered to their cell phones.
Marketers are aware of the phenomenon of crowdsourcing (checking in with the voice of the crowd.)

15. Technology and Our Society How We Consume
Access Versus Ownership
ZipCar (use of shared cars)
Call a Bike (bike sharing in Germany)
Collaborative consumption
Join together
as a group to use
a product more
efficiently
Access vs. ownership: Even the idea of ownership is evolving thanks to new technologies. Items like cars and bicycles can become “subscriptions” instead of large one-time purchases.
ZipCar allows hundreds of thousands of people to use shared cars, and Call a Bike is a popular bike-sharing program in Germany.
Collaborative consumption implies that we are joining together as a group to use a specific product more efficiently.

16. How will Technology Improve Your Life?
Technology at Home
Technology and Your Career
Technology is creating huge changes in the world and in how we behave socially, but it is also important on a personal level. Being computer-literate means being familiar enough with computers that you understand their capabilities and limitations and you know how to use them safely and efficiently. As we discuss here, the more you understand technology, the more productive and protected you’ll be at home, and the better prepared you’ll be for any career.

17. Technology at Home Objectives
What does it mean to be computer-literate?
How does being computer-literate make you a savvy computer user and consumer?
How can becoming computer-literate help you in a career?
What does it mean to be computer-literate?
How does being computer-literate make you a savvy computer user and consumer?

18. How Will Technology Improve Your Life?
Computer-literate
Understanding capabilities and limitations of computers
Knowing how to use computers safely and efficiently
(see page
15)
Being computer-literate means being familiar enough with computers that you understand their capabilities and limitations and that you know how to use them safely and efficiently.

19. Technology at Home Avoiding hackers and viruses
Protecting your privacy
Understanding the real risks
Using the Web wisely
Avoiding online annoyances
Maintain, upgrade, and troubleshoot
(can save money see
page 14))
Being aware of how hackers and viruses operate can help you avoid falling prey to them.
Do you know how to protect yourself from identity theft when you’re online?
Can you recognize real privacy and security risks?
Finding information and finding good information are two different things.
Do you know what programs to install to avoid online annoyances.
Caring for, maintaining, and knowing how to diagnose and fix problems can save you time and hassle.

20. Technology and Your Career
Information Technology (IT)
Management and processing of information
Automatic retrieval of information
Perform your job more effectively
“futureproof”: Easily and quickly react to next round of new technologies
More desirable as an employee
Information technology (IT) is a field of study focused on the management and processing of information and the automatic retrieval of information. One of the benefits of being computer-literate is that you will be able to perform your job more effectively. It also will make you more desirable as an employee. Your understanding of key concepts in technology can “futureproof” you, letting you easily and quickly react to the next round of new technologies.

21. Technology and Your Career Retail
Data mining
Process of searching huge amounts of data for patterns
Respond to consumer buying patterns
Businesses use a technique known as data mining, the process of searching huge amounts of data with the hope of finding a pattern. Managers can use mined data to determine that if a certain product is to sell well, they must lower its price—especially if they cut the price at one store and see sales increase, for example. Data mining allows retailers to respond to consumer buying patterns.

22. Technology and Your Career Arts
Many artists work exclusively with computers
Create and manage websites
Dance and music programs
Enhance visitors’ experiences at museums
Many artists today work with computers. Mastery of software programs is essential to creating digital art.
Artists may need to showcase their designs. It is helpful to know how to create and manage a website.
Dance and music programs use computers. Sensors capture a dancer’s movements. The computer then generates a virtual dancer which the operator can manipulate.
Museums use technology to enhance visitors’ experiences. Museums offer a full range of options for tech-savvy visitors.

23. Technology and Your Career Education
Course management software
Blackboard
Canvas
Research tool
Simulations and instructional software
Virtual tour websites (museums, tourist attractions)
The education industry uses computer technology. Courses are designed around course management software such as Blackboard and Canvas.
The Internet, as research tool, has advantages in the classroom as a research tool for students.
There are simulations and instructional software programs teachers can use to give students a taste of running a global business or the experience of the Interactive Body.
Many museums offer virtual tours on their websites that allow students to examine the museum collections.

24. Technology and Your Career Law Enforcement
Solve crimes
Search databases
Computer forensics (locate predator searches to gather legal evidence)
Facial reconstruction
Computers are being used in police cars and crime labs to solve an increasing number of crimes.
One technique used by modern detectives to solve crimes uses computers to search the vast number of databases on the Internet.
A law enforcement specialty called computer forensics is growing in importance in order to fight modern crime. Computer forensics analyzes computer systems with specific techniques to gather potential legal evidence.

25. Technology and Your Career Medicine
Modern biomedical chip research
Provides technological solutions to physical problems (digital medications) sensor detects patch worn on
skin (transmits data to Dr…when taken, heart rate,
respiration, temperature,
see page 21)
Can verify person’s identity and medical information (VeriMed)
Could be used to keep Alzheimer’s patients safe
Implantable versus
Unimplantable (newborns)
The goals of modern biomedical chip research are to provide technological solutions to physical problems and for identifying individuals.
VeriMed, a “personal ID chip”, is being implanted in humans as a means of verifying a person’s identity. When exposed to radio waves, it emits a signal that transmits its unique serial number to a scanner, which connects to a database.
VeriMed might be used to keep Alzheimer’s patients safe.

26. Technology and Your Career Science
Simulations are used in:
Weather forecasting with increased accuracy
Archeology
3-D scanners
imaging soft-
ware used for
virtual
reconstruction
Simulations model the structure of solar magnetic flares. By studying the data, forecasters hope to improve their predictions about weather phenomena.
Scientists use three-dimensional scanners and imaging software to capture a detailed record of the condition of ancient ruins. The virtual re-creation is very lifelike. Archaeologists study the ruins on-screen instead of at the actual site.

27. Technology and Your Career Psychology
MACH—My Automated Conversation Coach improves interpersonal skill in autism spectrum disorders (eye contact, social skills
Affective computing
systems recognize and
simulate human
emotions (used to
practice and analyze)
Researchers have developed a system to help improve interpersonal skills for people with autism. MACH (My Automated Conversation Coach) is a computer system that generates an on-screen person that can conduct a job interview or appear ready for a first date.
Affective computing is computing that can recognize and simulate human emotions. Engineers work to create computers that process data faster. Psychologists and computer scientists are working toward a more complete understanding of human behavior.

28. Check Your Understanding
What is the digital divide?
The gap in the levels of internet access and the availability of technical tools in different regions of the world (page 5).
2. What is spam? Is it a security risk?
Spam is electronic junk mail. It is not a security
risk, but it can be a nuisance (page 15)

29. Chapter Questions (continued)
What process do some retailers use to study consumer trends? Give two examples.
Retailers use the process of data mining. It can be used to target consumers for specific products, and to gather data from consumers for future marketing plans (page 16).
4. What does it mean to be computer literate?
Being familiar enough with computers that you understand their capabilities & limitations, and you know how to use them (page 16).