Using Mobile Phones in Public

Pros and Cons

Pros:

1. Genuine emergencies do occur, and some calls truly cannot wait. People who have sick or elderly family members, parents expecting an important call from their child, and those in the midst of a crisis believe it's acceptable to leave their phones on in public.
2. People can easily call for help if there's an emergency. For example if there's an accident.






Cons:

1. In airplanes and hospitals, cell phones can interfere with the functioning of delicate instruments, a serious consideration.
2. Many people go to places such as libraries specifically to focus and do work. Others attend church or religious services for time to worship and reflect. People who use their mobile phones in such a setting distract others.
3. Using mobile phones while driving is dangerous.







source: www.ehow.com

4G

4G refers to the fourth generation of cellular wireless standards.
It is built specifically to handle mobile internet and data more efficiently, allowing faster and more reliable mobile connectivity in a world where data usage is increasing 250% year on year.



How fast is it?

It is said to offer speeds of up to 20Mb per second, faster than many home broadband connections but way behind current home fibre optic offerings which provide speeds of upto 100Mb.

 

What affect will it have on Mobile Phone Usage?

• It will allow HD movies to be downloaded in minutes and TV streaming without buffering.
• It is fast and allows  users to maximise the use of online multimedia applications. Upload more pictures and  download more music.
• It enables users to video call, shop online and access social media, entertainment and information on the go more easily.
• All businesses that require connectivity, for example those that operate in entertainment, media and e-commerce, are set to benefit from faster and more reliable mobile data services, improving efficiency and productivity.

The benefits of 4G to the economy are also significant. Recent research into the potential of 4G in the UK economy by Capital Economics estimates that the UK's adoption of the new technology could unlock £5.5bn of direct private investment.


source: www.guidingtech.com
          www.bbc.co.uk

Online Education

Online Education or E-learning is the computer and network-enabled transfer of skills and knowledge. E-learning applications and processes include Web-based learning, computer-based learning, virtual education opportunities and digital collaboration.

Types of Online Education:

1. Traditional online education - highly produced web courses
2. Rapid online education - quickly produced web courses

Explore learning objects and simulations:

Website: www.makingthemodernworld.org.uk/
Making the Modern World learning module site gives powerful stories about science and invention from the eighteenth century to today.

 

Evaluation: This website does offer stories of invention history. It's easy to look for specific topics. The personal computers and information networks section in particular provides information about the development of computer and internet. The way it presented on the website is clear with related pictures that can be very helpful in understanding the information given.

 

Use a Simulation:


Website: frog.edschool.virginia.edu/
This website teaches and gives information and tutorial of the on-line dissection of frogs. It guides learner through a frog dissection that a learner can use as practice before or instead of an actual dissection.

Evaluation: This website is easy to a access and it has also pictures in it. It fulfil its purpose becaus it allowws learners to practise dissecting a frog before doing the actual dissection.

Macromedia virtual classroom:

Website: www.adobe.com/learning
Macromedia is under Adobe and it also provides elearning. It's learning solutions purpose is to empower everyone from CMOs to developers to solve business problems, find new opportunities for growth, and be more successful in their careers.

 

Evaluation: This website fulfil it's purpose because it offers training or tutorials, webinars or seminars and online courses that enables people to get the most out of Adobe products especially the use of its Macromedia softwares. This also provides certification that gives people a clear and focused way to tell the world about their expertise and communicate their proficiency in leading products from Adobe. This is one example of an exciting technology of elearning and what this offers that a traditional learning cannot give is the fast and easy accessibility of sources needed for learning. For example, the video tutorials conducted by professionals allow learners to watch and replay them in their own free time and at home. Another one is the virtual training that allows users to learn at home or anywhere that makes them comfortable to learn as long as there's an internet and the softwares needed for the training.

A major disadvantage to e-learning is the self-discipline it requires. While being able to work at your own pace can be an advantage, it can also be a disadvantage. This is especially true for students who have difficulty with time management and procrastination. These students tend to be more successful with the structure of traditional learning. Another disadvantage to e-learning is the technology involved. Some people do not have ready access to a computer and Internet connection. And some who do have the required equipment feel ill-equipped to use it. Lack of interaction between teacher and student is another drawback to e-learning. Some students need the immediate feedback that interaction provides.

Learning Objects:

Flash viewlet and Quicktime movies are marketed by a number of companies to the educational market as 'learning objects'. Teachers or students package a number of them to create a unique learning package.
Flash viewlet assists students and staff when learning to use software applications; these can be greatly enhanced using well thought out text annotations that inform and instruct the viewer. However using flash viewlet is not easy and time consuming but once the educational animation produced it will be used for a longer period of time and can be used repeatedly. Quicktime movies on the other hand can provide educational videos for students.


Research Online Education:

(1 - highest rank, 5 - lowest rank)

1. BBC Bitesize
BBC Bitesize is a free online study support resource for school-aged students in the UK. It is very accessible as it provides easy way to navigate subjects. This is ranked as the highest because it has a wide range lists of school subjects and tackels different levels of education from Key Stage 1 up to GCSEs and to higher education subjects. There are also video clips, games and quizzes provided for a more exciting way to learn. It has also a message board where the learners can communicate with other learners.
2. LearningSpace (The Open University)
LearningSpace provides online study support resource for university students. This is ranked second because there are different subjects included with a fully detailed topics of each subjects but it does not give specific educational information for students on different school levels unlike BBC Bitesize. Research, audios, videos and pictures are also provided to help students for their studies.
3. Kineo
Kineo's mission is to support companies to improve performance through learning and technology.
They aim to bring fresh thinking to deliver creative solutions whether it is a learning portal or custom e-Learning. It provides, demos, training and case studies for their clients.
4. Sponge
Sponge is a UK e-learning company that helps major organisations train their staff by creating customised online courses. It provides organisations specific training. It allows users to watch demos, train online and gives more information with case studies
5. Learndirect
Learndirect provides courses online for English, Maths and IT subjects. It allows people to enrol and learn online at one of its centres, where they get face to face support from staffs. Learners can also join to its online community where they can talk with other learners, ask for help and make new friends too. This is ranked as the lowest because it does not really provide information, demos or tutorials that helps the learners to improve their studies without the need to go to Learndirect centres. This website only gives guidance about the courses.

Sources:
www.makingthemodernworld.org.uk/
frog.edschool.virginia.edu/
www.adobe.com/learning
http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_4743220_advantages-disadvantages-elearning.html
http://archive.excellencegateway.org.uk/page.aspx?o=ferl.aclearn.resource.id7324
www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize
www.open.ac.uk
www.kineo.com
www.spongeuk.com
www.learndirect.co.uk

Online Banking

Online banking (or Internet banking) allows customers to conduct financial transactions on a secure website operated by their retail or virtual bank, credit union or building society.






Purpose of Online Banking:

The purpose of Online Banking is to let the bank customers manage their account online without making a trip to their bank. It's fast, safe and convenient. The customers can make transactions online like balance inquiry, fund transfer, statement view, bill pay and etc.

Target Audience:

The target audience or target customers of online banking are those bank customers who don't have time going to bank to make transactions. Mainly businessmen who always check if their business money transfers are sent or received. This is also targeted to international businessmen who are on trips. Also targeted to people who are paying tax or bills.

Advantages:

It's 24/7 service which means banks no longer need to keep their branches open in longer hours. This also means self-service and therefore the banks staff don't have to help or guide their customers since transactions can easily be done online through bank websites. It is also cost-effective because the banks won't need to employ more staffs and it's also paperless. Another advantage is it's georgraphical convenience which means customers can use it anywhere in the world as long as they have access to internet!


HSBC

HSBC is one of the largest banking and financial services organisations in the world.
Their Internet Banking can help their customers to access their account 24 hours a day.
The customers can:

• View online bank statement.
• Transfer money
• Make payments
• Order Travel Money
• Manage regular payments
• Manage Credit Card

Source: www.hsbc.co.uk

NatWest

NatWest is  a member of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group.
Using their Online and Mobile Banking, their customers can:

• View account balance or mini statements
• Find out which bills are paid
• Quickly transfer money
• View and search your transactions by type, date, description or amount

Source: www.natwest.com


Retail Banks in UK:

UK Bank	Bank License Holder
Abbey	Santander UK plc.
Alliance and Leicester	Santander UK plc.
Barclays Bank	Barclays Bank plc.
Cahoot	Santander UK plc.
Coutts & Co	Royal Bank of Scotland plc.
Egg	Egg Banking PLC
First Direct	HSBC Bank plc.
Halifax	HBOS
HSBC	HSBC Bank plc.
Intelligent Finance	HBOS
Isle of Man Bank	Royal Bank of Scotland plc.
Lloyds TSB	Lloyds Banking Group plc.
London Scottish Bank	London Scottish Bank plc.
Natwest	Natwest
Royal Bank of Scotland	Royal Bank of Scotland plc.
Sainsbury's Bank	Sainsbury's Bank plc.
Smile	Co-operative Group
Tesco Personal Finance	Tesco PLC
Unity Trust Bank plc.	Unity Trust Bank Ltd
Virgin Money	Virgin Group plc.
Yorkshire Bank	National Australia Bank Group

Planning a Journey

By Rail

Bedford Train Station to Tottenham Court Road (London)
Date: 17 October 2012, Wednesday morning.
1. Depart from the Bedford Station at 9:02 am.
2. Arrive at London St. Pancras International at 9:44 am.
3. Walk to King's Cross St Pancras Underground Station and take the Victoria Line  (Southbound,
    Platform 4) to Oxford Circus Underground Station.
    Transfer Time: 7 minutes
    Journey time: 5 minutes
5. Change and take the Central Line (Eastbound, Platform 2) to Tottenham Court Road Underground
    Station.
6. Arrive at Tottenham Court Road at 10:13 am.
* Ticket Type & Cost: Standard Single, £24.70

Evaluation:

• The national rail website provides accurate information with a clear and easy way to find about a journey. It provides useful train journey information such as departing and arriving time, platform number, train service, calling points, fare costs and additional information about the other services provided by the train. It does not only offer information for one region but it includes journey information all over the UK.
• The TFL website only provides a journey information for London underground, rail and bus. The information available in this website are departing and arriving time, fare prices, available facilities for each station, underground and rail services.

Source: www.nationalrail.co.uk
             www.tfl.gov.uk


By Car



From Bedford to Tottenham Court Road ( London)

Date: 17 October "012, Wednesday morning.
    Take M1 route. 56.3 miles

    Journey takes 1 hour and 12 minutes

    Estimated Fuel Cost: £11.42
    Vehicle & Fuel type: Standard and Petrol.

Evaluation:
Google maps is one way to get a journey information online. It provides petrol cost, duration of journey basing on the current traffic and a route planner.
 

     Source: https://maps.google.co.uk

 



Entertainment Through the Year

 








ICT has impacted entertainment and leisure by developing the different ways in which we spend our time. With the use of new technologies, the ways in which we entertain ourselves has increased and improved. The development of digital video games and television has made people to prefer stay more inside their houses and have a leisure time than actually going out.

Entertainment Technology Timeline:

1870's - Inventors Elisha Gray and Alexander Graham Bell both independently designed devices that
              could transmit speech electrically (the telephone).
1890's - Radio communication using Morse Code.
1900's - Guglielmo Marconi receives the first trans-Atlantic radio signal.
              At the World's Fair in Paris, the first International Congress of Electricity was held. That is
              where Russian Constantin Perskyi made the first known use of the word "television."
1910's - First commercial installation of a printing telegraph (teleprinter)
1920's - Hundreds of radio stations emerge in the U.S.A.
              Lee De Forest develops a sound system for motion pictures.
              The B.B.C. begins broadcasting from London. Philo T. Farnsworth, after moving from Utah
              to San Francisco, California, invents his electronic television system and early t.v. cameras
              using a prototype of the Farnsworth image disector tube.
1930's - RCA introduces electronic television at the New York World Fair, later agreeing to pay
              Philo T. Farnsworth for his patented inventions.
1940's - Calculation by computer begins at the University of Pennsylvania.
1950's - Development of microprocessor technologies.
              I.B.M. introduces the first fixed hard disk drive, the one-ton 5 MB RAMAC.

1971 - Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney form Syzygy, create the first arcade game, coin-operated
           Computer Space.
1977 - Apple Computer releases Apple II computer.
1979 - Atari releases its 400 and 800 computers.
1981 - Video game industry at $6MMM: $5MMM coin-operated, $1MMM home.
1982 - Microsoft releases Flight Simulator.
1983 - Modern Internet communication is born.
1984 - Apple Computer releases Macintosh computer.
1985 - Nintendo repackaged its Japanese Famicom for the U.S.A. market, creating the Nintendo
           Entertainment System (N.E.S.) in U.S.A
1989 - Nintendo releases its Game Boy, its first-generation (G1) handheld game.
1990 - Microsoft releases its Windows Game Pack.
1991 - Sir Timothy John "Tim" Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web.
1995 - Sony releases PlayStation (P.S.X.), its first-generation (G1) home game console.
2000 - Sony releases PlayStation 2 (P.S.2), its second-generation (G2) home game console.
2001 - Microsoft releases Xbox in U.S.A.
2004 - Game software industry at $25.4MMM.
2005 - Microsoft releases Xbox 360, its second-generation (G2) console.
2006 - Nintendo releases Wii, its fifth-generation (G5) home game console.

Source: www.oddgods.com
             www.bbc.co.uk

Digital Divide - International Picture

 

There is a widening gap between those with access to technology and those without. The gap between countries on the same continent is also getting wider. One of the ITU's analysts explained that the scale of a country's digital divide reflects the condition of its economy. There are many factors that create digital divide. These can be economic factors, politico-social factors and geographical factors. Countries with low level of English communication can also be a barrier in the development of technology in their countries because this affects their understanding of the use of internet and computers.



What leads on being on the wrong side of the digital divide?

The least digitally-developed countries like Guinea Biseau, Chad, Mali, Burkino Fasso and Niger might be on the wrong side of digital divide for many reasons.

These countries are located in Africa

One reason is they're one of the poorest countries in the world and they have limited economic prospect. Therefore they develop slowly with technology. In Chad, there are only 31, 200 telephones main lines in use and there are only 5 internet hosts available in the whole country as calculated in 2010. These countries have  inadequate system of radiotelephone communication stations. Burkina Faso is a poor, landlocked country that relies heavily on cotton and gold exports for revenue. The country has few natural resources and a weak industrial base.
Another reason is because of geographical factor. These countries are considered as mountainous countries and rainforest regions which give problems of developing their digital technologies.

Source: www.itu.int

             www.cia.gov

    


Impact of Access to Telecoms

Country	Population (2012)	Telephones/ Landlines (2011)	Mobile /Cellular (2011)	Telephone System	Radio Broadcast Stations	Country Code	Internet Hosts (2010)	Internet Users (2009)
Central African Republic	5,057,208	2,300	1.124 million	network consists principally of microwave radio relay and low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication	state-owned radio network is supplemented by a small number of privately-owned broadcast stations as well as a few community radio stations	238 Internet: .cf	20	22,600
Costa Rica	4,636,348	1.491 million	4.358 million	good domestic telephone service in terms of breadth of coverage;	more than 100 privately-owned radio stations and a public radio network (2007)	506 Internet: .cr	146,164	1.485 million
Singapore	5,353,494	2.017 million	7.755 million	excellent service	18 domestic radio stations broadcasting with MediaCorp.	65 Internet: .sg	1.932 million	3.235 million
UK	63,047,162	33.32 million (2009)	80.799 million (2009)	technologically advanced domestic and international system	BBC operates multiple national, regional, and local radio networks with multiple transmission sites.	44 Internet: .uk	8.409 million	51.444 million
South Korea	48,860,500	29.468 million	52.507 million	excellent domestic and international services featuring rapid incorporation of new technologies	publicly-operated radio broadcast networks and many privately-owned radio broadcasting networks, each with multiple affiliates, and independent local stations (2010)	82 Internet: .kr	293,862	39.4 million

source: www.cia.gov
 

Usage of Internet in the UK.

Usage of Internet in the UK:

There were 42.52 million adults (84 per cent) who had ever used the Internet at 2012 Q2.

Men (87 per cent) were more likely to be Internet users than women (82 per cent).

By region, the South East and London had the highest rate of Internet users (88 per cent); Northern Ireland the lowest (77 per cent).

In 2012, 21 million households in Great Britain (80 per cent) had Internet access, compared with 19 million (77 per cent) in 2011. The number of households with Internet access has increased by 7.1 million (23 percentage points) since 2006, when directly comparable records began.

Figure 1: Households with Internet access.



Year

 

Notes:

1. Base: UK households from 1998 to 2004. Great Britain households from 2005 to 2012.

Source: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_275775.pdf

 

Adults' use of computers:

For the first time this release contains estimates of adults’ use of computers to complement the

Internet Access estimates. In 2012, 67 per cent of adults in Great Britain used a computer every day,
up from 45 per cent in 2006 (a 22 percentage point increase). A further 12 per cent used computers
weekly in 2012, down 2 percentage points from the 2006 estimate of 14 per cent.

Figure 4: Frequency of computer use.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes:

1. Base: Adults (aged 16+) in Great Britain

For more information visit: www.ons.gov.uk