GCSE ICT/Edexcel GCSE ICT 2010/Unit 1 - Living in a Digital World/Chapter 1: Let's communicate!

=Mobile Phones=

Fashion phones
Fashion phones are phones that have a unique design but don't really have a lot of features on them. They may not be able to do most things that smart phones do but they would benefit someone who just wants a phone that looks good with a sleek design. On fashion phones the keypad might have a funky design or if its a slide phone it may slide out in a different way to a normal slide phone and the phone would be small and thin whereas some smart phones would have a larger design.

Multi-functional phones
these are combine both style and business features, appealing to the mass market rather than a niche. they have the best of both worlds: high spec features, large amounts of storage, high speed processing, slim design with touch screens and access to the Internet

Mobile phone safety advice
When thinking about a mobile phone there are many things to consider these include:

A child can lose a mobile phone more than once; this will cost a fortune for the parents Mobile phones also contain harmful chemicals which can be dangerous if not disposed of properly and to dispose of these properly will cost money also this will cause a problem for the environment. A child will also want to keep up with the latest fashion causing them to change pones and phones tend to get more and more expensive.
 * Cost

Police officers have come up with an idea to reduce the theft of mobile phone. This started off in the Colwyn Bay area the idea involves attaching the phones with the ultraviolet (UV) pen so that when stolen the phone can be easily detected. Mobile phones are stolen every 3 minutes so this would really help a person worried about theft.
 * Crime


 * Peace of mind

Parents need to know where their child is and how they are. Having a mobile phone can help this situation. If a child has to be somewhere after school the parents wouldn’t know which will get them worried and think of the worst things but if the child carries a mobile phone the parents would have peace on their minds.


 * Invasion of privacy

Privacy can also be an issue when it comes to mobile networks because the user can easily me hacked and their private things can be messed with mobile payment is also a problem when it comes to privacy.


 * Environmental cost

It may not cost as much to go through the making of a mobile phone but when it comes to the disposal phase that’s when the environment is at stake, mobile phones contains dangerous chemicals of not disposed of properly. Heavy metals such as mercury, lead and cadmium which are found especially in old mobile phones can be harmful. Problems begin if the handsets end up in landfill sites or if they are dumped illegally because this could lead to toxic substances seeping into the soil and groundwater.

In conclusion i believe that when buying a mobile phone the main things to consider are; weight, function and cost.

Difficulties using mobile phones
There are many difficulties using mobile phones, especially when elders are trying to use them. Some elders have hearing problems therefore they may not be able to hear the other person on the other line.

Other problems also apply to everyone such as the keyboard may be too small/too big, therefore using the keyboard to get to certain applications on the handset may be difficult.

Most people also find it hard getting around the handset to find certain applications or pieces of data.

When some people want to see the last calls they had made they find it difficult to find their way around also when they want to send a text message they may not know where the certain application is for creating text/ or maybe the keyboard for the handset maybe too big or too small.

Advantages of using mobile phones
It is for a fact that having a mobile phone nowadays is a sort of a necessity and it is an inevitable truth that mobile industry is taking everyone by a storm. From the very basic thing of making a call to texting, and now Internet access for just a touch of your finger tips. Do you have one of these? or do you know somebody who enjoys having such stuff? I do have one of those too and I wont deny the fact that I enjoys using them. So as one of the million subscriber of this technology I will share you some of the advantages and disadvantages I found, out of having a mobile phone.

First here are some advantages of having it:


 * It keeps you in constant contact with people you consider important
 * It can help you seek help immediately during emergency cases
 * It's a sense of being financially uplifted.
 * Through mobile phones you can lessen your boredom, example listen to your favorite music and as well as watching movies through downloading.
 * It can take photos
 * Mobile phones also gives us easier access on the Internet
 * You can carry it anywhere
 * It has a lot of useful functions like calendar, making notes, alarm clock, timer and calculator.

No doubt, our mobile phones makes our lives more convenient, but as the saying goes every technology has it's equal negative side and mobile phones are not so special to be exempted. Here are some disadvantages of having one:
 * Expensive
 * People spend less time bonding with there family and friends
 * People just contact through phone and became too lazy meeting outside
 * Disturb us on our works and studies
 * People spend lots and lots of money buying the latest model
 * May have a physiological effect because of radiation it produces
 * Easily broken
 * mobile phone makes it easier to invade privacy

In the end, it is up to the end user to weigh the advantages and the disadvantages of responsible mobile phone use.

=Computers=

Optical Disk Drive
An Optical Disc Drive (ODD) is a drive which reads the information on disks. Some drives can only read from discs, but recent drives are commonly both readers and recorders. Recorders are sometimes called burners or writers. Compact discs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs are common types of optical media which can be read and recorded by such drives. There are many type of disk formats and different types of drives to play the formats.

What is a usb Connection
''' A usb connection is standard cable connection. USB ports allow electronic devices to connect to things such as computers or laptops via cables. '''

=Socialising on the Internet=

Instant messaging
IM is a form of real-time direct text-based communication between two or more people using personal computers or other devices.

Some of the main advantages of using Instant Messaging are:
 * Messages are sent in real-time and responses are instantaneous.
 * Emotions cannot be expressed as well as they can be when actually talking to a person.
 * Proper conversations can be held with another person without running up a large bill.
 * Files/pictures can be sent in instant messaging conversations.
 * It is similar to talking face-to-face to a person.
 * It is free to use and normally quick to set up.
 * Instant messaging systems offer a safer environment than chat rooms.
 * You can monitor who is allowed to contact you at any given time and people can only 'add' you if they know your exact email address or username
 * It is possible to talk to many people at once.
 * Work can be done in groups, and (if still in school/higher education) the instant messaging system allows people to ask for help before going to their teacher.
 * Instant messaging systems allows people to talk to each other from different countries, allowing friends to keep in touch if one of them moves away.

However there are some disadvantages:
 * Instant messaging systems are often used for gossiping and rumour spreading.
 * People can send viruses through files sent on instant messaging servers.
 * A lot of bullying happens on instant messaging

Example of a use for Instant Messaging
Instant messaging is used by friends who use it to communicate over large distances, when a phone call wouldn't be practical, and would be too expensive.

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
VoIP (Voice over internet protocol is a piece of technology that lets you make worldwide calls as well as local calls over the internet instead of using the basic phone line.not only can use a computer to use VoIP or a specialised VoIP phone, you can use a traditional phone with a VoIP adapter.

Advantages of VoIP

 * VoIP doesn't cost an extreme amount, if you have a DSL or cable you can make PC to PC calls, which are FREE of charge, however you can make PC to Phone calls which will cost but not a large amount.
 * Portability is an advantage of VoIP because you can make a call world wide from any broadband connection.
 * VoIP has many features it has call waiting, Voice mail,Call forwarding, three way conversations as well as,Caller ID.

Disadvantages of VoIP

 * VoIP needs electric power and electric power costs and is not always reliable.
 * VoIP has limited emergency calls.
 * VoIP can have sound Quality and reliability problems.

Advantages of VoIP(Voice over Internet Protocol

 * VoIP is a great way to connect to anyone worldwide, you can use this for business, school, family households and personal needs.

=Social Networking=

What is social networking
social networking is a public site or activity that involves people from all over the world working together to make a virtual world were people can communicate, interact and meet new people. it often works by participants creating a profile and adding people as 'friends' on their account. once added you can chat, add other people through there profile, view one another's pictures, basically your open to all there account has to offer. such things as emailing, instant messaging and picture sharing would also be classed as social networking.

Examples of social sites

 * instagram
 * facebook
 * youtube
 * twitter
 * msn
 * ourworld

Conclusion
I'm a frequent user of social networking and I've come to realise its addictive, misinterpretive and will never beat a real face to face conversation however when you on the go or just bored social networking will keep you company you just need to learn to manage it efficiently.

User Forums
=Internet safety=

Cookies
A cookie is a text file containing a small amount of data that is downloaded to your computer when you visit certain websites. The majority of websites use cookies and tracking technologies.

Cookies can be used to guess your characteristics and general interests based on the pages you have been looking at online. Cookies can't lift personal details such as your name or address directly from your PC. They cannot view data on your hard drive or capture other data stored on your PC.

Worms
A computer worm is a self-replicating malware computer program. It uses a computer network to send copies of itself to other computers and it may do so automatically. This is due to security shortcomings on the target computer. Unlike a virus, it does not need to attach itself to an existing program. Worms almost always cause at least some harm to the network, even if only by consuming bandwidth, whereas viruses almost always corrupt or modify files on a targeted computer. Worms can replicate in great volume. For example, a worm can send out copies of itself to every contact in your e-mail address book, and then it can send itself to all of the contacts your contact's e-mail address books.

Some of the ways to prevent worms are:
 * Use a fire wall
 * Use antivirus software

You should always keep antivirus software up to date as new worms and malware are created regularly so require the antivirus software to be updated as well.

Viruses
What are computer Viruses?

Computer viruses are small software programs that are designed to spread from one computer to another and to interfere with computer operation. A virus might corrupt or delete data on your computer, use your e-mail program to spread itself to other computers, or even erase everything on your hard disk.

What can a computer Virus do to your computer?


 * Your computer runs more slowly than normal
 * Your computer stops responding or locks up often
 * Your computer crashes and restarts every few minutes
 * Your computer restarts on its own and then fails to run normally
 * Applications on your computer don't work correctly
 * Disks or disk drives are inaccessible
 * You can't print correctly
 * You see unusual error messages
 * You see distorted menus and dialog boxes

Spyware
What is a Spyware?

Spyware is a category of computer programs that attach themselves to your operating system in nefarious ways. They can suck the life out of your computer's processing power.

What can a spyware do to your computer?

Other kinds of spyware make changes to your computer that can be annoying and can cause your computer slow down or crash.

These programs can change your Web browser's home page or search page, or add additional components to your browser you don't need or want. They also make it very difficult for you to change your settings back to the way you had them.

Phishing
The act of sending an e-mail or a false web page which to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise or social networking site in an attempt to scam the user into giving private personal details that will be used for identity theft. Phishing is commonly found on false networking site web pages; as acting like the 'Facebook' welcome page... you could enter in your Facebook account details; which include username/email and passwork, The person can gain full access into your Facebook account

Cultural Implication
The cultural impact on technology is not something new to be found. Technology has been used in many ways i.e. to create new things.

We all underestimate the influence of technology on culture, this problem arises when we are thinking of the relationship between culture and technology.

Technology exists within the cultural boundary.

Culture runs the technology, as well as producing its applications, cultural forces can limit as well as remove the practical applications of technology, this may be due to societal predispositions.

Because of culture and technology are extremely intertwined, we must also think about religious, governmental, demographic and ethical influences as this can have serious cultural implications on technology.

Social Implications
There are many social implications of technology, some examples are:
 * virtual gaming
 * social networking site
 * mobile phones

Social networks Sites like Facebook have changed the way we socialize dramatically, they enable friends globally to organize events, share pictures and much more Mobile Phones
 * 20 years ago mobile phones were used only by businessmen, but today just about everybody has one. This has lead to a big social change, friends can organize social events from anywhere at anytime. Also mobile phones mean that friends globally can keep in touch.

Educational Implications
List of sources about Technology in education
 * http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8508040.stm
 * http://www.technology-in-education.co.uk/

'''Examples of how it could be used '''*In schools With the rebuilding of schools the government is buying laptops for classrooms Interactive whiteboards have been used in British schools for a long time now, Interactive Whiteboards are large interactive displays that connects to a computer and projector. A projector projects the computer's desktop onto the board's surface where users control the computer using a pen, finger or other device. The board is normally on a wall. A Virtual Learning environment, or Managed Learning Environment  is an online education tool, where teachers can post work or notes for their pupils who can log on to see it. It is now compulsory that every school in the UK uses one of these. The main VLE used by schools is Fronter.
 * Laptops
 * VLE or MLE

Globally
 * In LEDC's mobile phones and 3g enabled laptops are used to help teach children in hard to access places