Company Background
Amazon was established in 1994 by Jeff Bezos and was originally named Cadabra. The name was changed to Amazon after the Amazon River, which is the largest in the world, which implies size.
Amazon is doing very well financially, even with the global recession and general economic problems affecting the population. In 2009 it received $902million of income. This meant that the business is now has a total of $13.8billion in money and resources.
Amazon has no actual shops because all transactions are made online. Apart from the company offices, the only buildings that Amazon owns are warehouses where they store the products they are selling.
Amazon was originally an American company, and is still based in Seattle. However due to its popularity and growth it has started to operate in many countries including Europe, Canada, China and Japan.
Monday, 22 November 2010
What is e-commerce? (introduction)
Defining E-commerce
E-commerce is where people make transactions online. These can range from buying groceries to ordering a new television to booking a holiday. Also, changing a mortgage policy or buying insurance over the internet can be classed as e-commerce.
How it is affect business
In June 2010 it is estimated that £4.4billion was spent online in the UK. This compares to the £3.7billion that was spent last June online in the UK. This shows that more people are using online shopping nowadays as opposed to last year
For the year 2010 e-commerce in the UK is predicted to reach £56billion. In 2001 ecommerce sales in the UK where £1.8 billion. These facts show that there has been an increase of approximately 3000% in 10.
E-commerce sites
Some of the most well known e-commerce sites are Tesco.com, Play.Com and Amazon.com.
Tesco Online is used predominantly for grocery shopping where the customer places an order and then the products get delivered in the next few days.
Play.com is known for selling a lot of computer equipment. This includes CDs, DVDs, Blue-ray discs and video-games.
Amazon has been described as an "online supermarket" in that it is possible to buy almost anything. All the products on Play.com can be found as well as many others. Although some food can be purchased on Amazon, the range of products is not as wide as the range from Tesco.
I will be looking in detail at Amazon because it is a very large business, has the widest range of products and has many features incorporated into the website.
E-commerce is where people make transactions online. These can range from buying groceries to ordering a new television to booking a holiday. Also, changing a mortgage policy or buying insurance over the internet can be classed as e-commerce.
How it is affect business
In June 2010 it is estimated that £4.4billion was spent online in the UK. This compares to the £3.7billion that was spent last June online in the UK. This shows that more people are using online shopping nowadays as opposed to last year
For the year 2010 e-commerce in the UK is predicted to reach £56billion. In 2001 ecommerce sales in the UK where £1.8 billion. These facts show that there has been an increase of approximately 3000% in 10.
E-commerce sites
Some of the most well known e-commerce sites are Tesco.com, Play.Com and Amazon.com.
Tesco Online is used predominantly for grocery shopping where the customer places an order and then the products get delivered in the next few days.
Play.com is known for selling a lot of computer equipment. This includes CDs, DVDs, Blue-ray discs and video-games.
Amazon has been described as an "online supermarket" in that it is possible to buy almost anything. All the products on Play.com can be found as well as many others. Although some food can be purchased on Amazon, the range of products is not as wide as the range from Tesco.
I will be looking in detail at Amazon because it is a very large business, has the widest range of products and has many features incorporated into the website.
Monday, 8 November 2010
What is the digital divide?
What is the digital divide?
"The Digital divide is the term used to describe a group of people that are "divided" from the modern ways of the internet and other forms of information technology. The groups that suffer the most tend to be senior citizens, those with literacy issues and poorer families and/or countries that simply don't have the financial means to keep up with the cost of acquiring the technology" http://answers.ask.com/Health/Mental/who_suffers_from_the_digital_divide
The digital divide can affect people in different ways based on who they are and what is causing the digital divide to happen to them. There are many causes of the digital divide. Some of the main ones are: poverty, access to resources and age. These can be specified to a person or affect a whole region or country.
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
graphs
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| http://www.metrics2.com/blog/2007/04/19/broadband_internet_access_reaches_77_wireless_conn.html |
The graph shows internet speeds in different countries. High speed email is the standard that developed countries try to use. Dial up modems are now considered to be old fashioned and very slow. These are being phased out in developed countries. This graph shows that in general developed countries have a higher proportion of people with high speed connections as opposed to dial up connections. Also less developed countries have a greater proportion of dial up connections as opposed to high speed connections.
Although the Uk is a developed country just over half of the population have a high speed connection. This is because there are a lot of upland and rural areas in the UK. This areas do not have high speed connections as it is difficult to lay the cables to provide it.
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| http://cleantech-nrg.com/csr-program.php |
This graph shows how a lot of third world countries do not have wide-spread access to electricity. This lack of electricity means that a lot of people can not use computers. A lot of developing countries burn wood for energy. This is often used to provide heating for houses. Rarely wood is used in power stations but it is very inefficient.
Monday, 1 November 2010
Conclusion
This graph shows how the amount of people using the internet changes over time. From 97-04 the amount of people using the internet in developed countries increased dramatically. Over the same time there is a very minor increase for developing countries. This means that the digital divide got worse during this time. However from 05-07 there is only a minor increase for developed countries. During the same time the amount of people who use the internet in developing countries is beginning to increase more rapidly. This shows that the digital divide is being reduced, and if this trend continues there will not be a large gap between developed and developing countries.
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| http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_divide |
graphs
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| http://www.scholarshipsforkids.org/images/poverty-map.png |
 |
| http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_divide |
This map shows an average of the number of computers per 100 people in different countries. It shows a similar pattern to the other map. In areas where people earn a lot of money lots of people have computers. Likewise in countries where people earn less amounts of money less people have computers.
 |
| http://tikor.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/digital-divide1.jpg |
These images shows a cycle which explains how low income jobs can increases the digital divide. If people have low income jobs they will find it harder to afford computers and connect to the internet. If people do not have computers they will not be able to gain the skills needed to use a computer or general information. This in turns results in them getting low paid jobs.
Friday, 29 October 2010
age
Age is also a contributing factor to the digital divide. Generally the younger generation is better at using computers as opposed to the older generation. The younger generations grew up with computers so using technology comes naturally to them. In contrast the older generations learnt about computers when grown up. People are generally less likely to use something if they learn about it in later life as opposed to at a young age. This can cause problems as technology is increasingly common in daily life and the older generation may not know how to use it.
For example a Tesco shop installed fully automated checkout, meant to reduce queues. This is were people scan the bar codes of the objects they want to buy themselves and then use a credit card to pay. This was problematic because some of the older generation did not understand how to use it properly. The staff members could not provide proper instructions and refused to open a normal till insisting that the automated machine was used. This caused really long delays and a number of customers just gave up and left. (Daily mail)
To try and reduce this from becoming too great a problem "schools" are set up which teach the older generations basic computer skills. These include using email to communicate with family, online banking and shopping.
Although a lot of the older generation can not use computers there are some who can. These people have been giving the nickname “silver surfers” These people are very computer literate because they know how to do all the basics as well as the younger generation.
For example a Tesco shop installed fully automated checkout, meant to reduce queues. This is were people scan the bar codes of the objects they want to buy themselves and then use a credit card to pay. This was problematic because some of the older generation did not understand how to use it properly. The staff members could not provide proper instructions and refused to open a normal till insisting that the automated machine was used. This caused really long delays and a number of customers just gave up and left. (Daily mail)
To try and reduce this from becoming too great a problem "schools" are set up which teach the older generations basic computer skills. These include using email to communicate with family, online banking and shopping.
Although a lot of the older generation can not use computers there are some who can. These people have been giving the nickname “silver surfers” These people are very computer literate because they know how to do all the basics as well as the younger generation.
Thursday, 28 October 2010
developed coutries
Resources (developed countries)
Access to resources is not such a large problem in developed countries as it is in developing countries. Everyone has access to electricity but some people do not have access to the internet. This is generally the case for farmers in rural areas because they are not near towns or cities so they are not connected to the underground cables which provide internet access.
This can result in farmers not earning all they could. This is because the farmers who have internet access sell online and therefore get a better price than those without internet access.
This problem is being solved because they government plans to get all of the UK
Mobile phone signal can become disrupted in hilly regions which can make it difficult for people to communicate. This is not a major problem because as new phones get released they have stronger signals meaning they are less likely to get disrupted.
3rd world countries
Resources (3rd world)
In many 3rd world countries lots of people do not have access electricity supplies. This means that a lot of appliances will not work. Another problem is that there is no network for mobile phones and the internet to connect to. This means the digital divide will increase because developed countries keep improving their networks while 3rd world countries can not.
This means that it is difficult for people in 3rd world countries to communicate with people elsewhere in the country. This creates similar problems as people not being able to afford technology. Farmers will not be able to communicate to get the best prices. Also contacting the emergency services is very difficult if there is no telephone network.
A solution to this problem is the OX laptops. These laptops do not use much electricity because the screen is made visible by natural light and there are no moving parts that require electricity. This means an OX laptop can run for 24 hours non-stop. These laptops use alternative sources of electricity for power. These include solar cells built into the design so it can use solar power. Also the children can use a ripcord to generate electricity via movement. The laptops can connect with other laptops to form networks so children can communicate.
Mobile internet cafés are being built for poor areas. These travel the area and provide people with a connection to the internet when they are in the area.
In many 3rd world countries lots of people do not have access electricity supplies. This means that a lot of appliances will not work. Another problem is that there is no network for mobile phones and the internet to connect to. This means the digital divide will increase because developed countries keep improving their networks while 3rd world countries can not.
This means that it is difficult for people in 3rd world countries to communicate with people elsewhere in the country. This creates similar problems as people not being able to afford technology. Farmers will not be able to communicate to get the best prices. Also contacting the emergency services is very difficult if there is no telephone network.
A solution to this problem is the OX laptops. These laptops do not use much electricity because the screen is made visible by natural light and there are no moving parts that require electricity. This means an OX laptop can run for 24 hours non-stop. These laptops use alternative sources of electricity for power. These include solar cells built into the design so it can use solar power. Also the children can use a ripcord to generate electricity via movement. The laptops can connect with other laptops to form networks so children can communicate.
Mobile internet cafés are being built for poor areas. These travel the area and provide people with a connection to the internet when they are in the area.
developed coutries
Poverty in developed countries
Poverty contributes to the digital divide in developed countries as well as 3rd world countries. Although the majority of a developed country can afford computers, laptops, phones and other technology, there are some people who can't.
This problem often affects children from poor families. They can struggle with school work as they do not have a computer at home to use for research. Also they will lack ICT skills which can slow down their work in the classroom. They will not be able to do research and a lot of work at home. When grown up, they will only minimalistic computer skills, meaning it will be very difficult for them to get job.
To remedy the problem, some schools are providing extra tuition on basic computer skills for struggling students. A lot of schools provide computers for students to use when they are out of lessons. Some schools and a branch of the government provide funds to get basic laptops to poor children.
These solutions mean that when the children leave school they will know enough about computers to get jobs.
Another problem is that nowadays mobile phones have a lot of other appliances built into them such as cameras, access to the internet and music players. These devices can cause problems as it makes the phones very expensive.
This article explains how a basic phone without any extras can now be sold for 99p. This could reduce the digital divide because more people will be able to communicate cheaply. However it could cause a problem if children start using these phones which could lead to health problems and very large phone bills.
Wednesday, 27 October 2010
3rd world
Poverty (3rd world)
The majority people in 3rd world have a very small income, especially compared to people in developed countries. This means that they only just have enough money to live on and can not afford anything else. This means they can not buy any technology. Since developed countries keep getting more technology the digital divide will continue to increase until the income of people living in 3rd world countries improves. This lack of technology means that people will not have a high income. For example, farmers will not be able to check prices in other places so will often not get the best deal possible for their crops. Also, because children do not get the chance to learn how to use technology they will only be able to get low paid jobs when they grow up. Lack of technology and low incomes create a vicious circle where one causes the other, so it is very difficult for the people to improve their lifestyle.
An idea that has been put in place to try and reduce the problem is called the “One Laptop per Child policy”. This is where children in poor countries are given a basic laptop that costs $100 to make. These laptops are known as OX laptops. These laptops are designed to be used in rough environments. This means that they can withstand impacts such as being dropped.
These laptops are often used to benefit the child’s education by having programs that teach the basic subjects (reading, writing, and arithmetic). These programs are written in a lot of languages so they can be used in many countries.
Sunday, 17 October 2010
banking and online shopping (disadvantages)
There are disadvantages to using technology for banking as well as advantages.
If the connection from the shop to the bank goes down it means that no-one will be able to buy anything using their credit card. This means that the people will not be able to buy what they want and that the shop will not get as much money. Although a PIN is required to purchase something in a shop, only the card number is needed to purchase something online. This means that if a card is stolen the thief will not be able to use it in a shop but will be able to make purchases online. This means that the person who the card legally belongs to will lose a lot of money. If some-one reports a missing card to their bank it takes the bank a long time to sort it out. Also the bank will re-imburse people for stolen money provided the cartd is stolen. This can result in the bank having to pay out a ot of money which could lead to financial difficulties
Another problem with online banking is that there is now a lot of “virtual” money as well as real money. This is because a lot of companies now do all of their banking and business only. This could lead to problems such as hyperinflation when there is not enough real money to equal the value of the virtual money.
A major problem with ATMs and card readers is that people are hacking into and modifying them. This hack means that the reader records all information on the card and sends it to the hacker. This means that criminals can gain access to the information on a card without having to get hold of the actual card.
There are disadvantages to online shopping as well.
A common one is that when people are buying objects off other people via the internet the products are not in a good condition and possibly do not work as they are meant to. Another problem is that because the general public are setting the prices there is no standard for them to use. This means that some of the prices can be ridiculously high for the product.
A problem with making reservations over the phone is that it is possible for companies to double book an appointment. This means that there are 2 appointments booked for the same time. This can lead to problems as one person may not get the service they have reserved. This can be very annoying for the person and can make them stop going to that company. Sometimes if companies double book a person is given the service at another time free of charge. This is to try and keep the customers so they keep going to that business. However providing a service for free means that the company loses money when it is trying to gain money.
banking and online shopping (advantages)
Teschnology has had a vast affect on how people bank and shop.
The main example of this is the use of credit cards. People carry around credit cards instead of a lot of money. Each credit card is linked with the bank that the person saves their money with. To buy something a person puts their credit card into a machine in the shop. The machine then scans the magnetic strip on the back of the card to obtain information. The person enters their PIN (personal identification number). This results in the money being transfered from the person's bank account to the shop. This is advantgeous as it means that people do not have to carry around a lot of money and that the transactions happen very quickly.
The PIN is required because if a card gets stolen the thief will not be able to use it to make a purchase that is paid for from some-one else's bank account.
Another use of credit cards is that they enable people to get money out of ATMs (automated telling machines). This means that people can go to the bank and get money out whenever they need it. This is a lot quicker than what happened in the olden days when people had to go into a bank and get a person to get some money out of their account.
A lot of banking is done online now. This means it is possible for someone to manage their finances and bank details from home. This means that it is a lot easier for transactions to be made, without a person having to go into their bank branch.
Online shopping has been made possible because of technolgy. Before the invention of phones and the internet all business had to be done face to face. Now almost anything can be acquired via the internet.
There are websites that enable people to buy products either direct from a company or via a second company. (video of amazon)
These websites are useful because they enable people to buy products which are in good condition without having to leave their house. Some of these websites also offer delivery services for the product as well. This is useful as it means that heavy packages get delivereed to the person's door.
Another type of commercial websites are ones where people sell items to the general public.
(video of ebay)
This is useful as it means that items are being moved around and used by another person instead of thrown away as rubbish. Also it is possible for people to find rare purchases that could not be found in a shop.
Telecommunications have made it possible to phone a company and make a reservation. This is often used to book seats at restaurants. A person phones up and requests for a table to be reserved at a certain time on a certain date. This means that they will have a seat when they arrive and will not have to take the chance that there are no spare tables.
The main example of this is the use of credit cards. People carry around credit cards instead of a lot of money. Each credit card is linked with the bank that the person saves their money with. To buy something a person puts their credit card into a machine in the shop. The machine then scans the magnetic strip on the back of the card to obtain information. The person enters their PIN (personal identification number). This results in the money being transfered from the person's bank account to the shop. This is advantgeous as it means that people do not have to carry around a lot of money and that the transactions happen very quickly.
The PIN is required because if a card gets stolen the thief will not be able to use it to make a purchase that is paid for from some-one else's bank account.
Online shopping has been made possible because of technolgy. Before the invention of phones and the internet all business had to be done face to face. Now almost anything can be acquired via the internet.
There are websites that enable people to buy products either direct from a company or via a second company. (video of amazon)
These websites are useful because they enable people to buy products which are in good condition without having to leave their house. Some of these websites also offer delivery services for the product as well. This is useful as it means that heavy packages get delivereed to the person's door.
Another type of commercial websites are ones where people sell items to the general public.
(video of ebay)
This is useful as it means that items are being moved around and used by another person instead of thrown away as rubbish. Also it is possible for people to find rare purchases that could not be found in a shop.
Telecommunications have made it possible to phone a company and make a reservation. This is often used to book seats at restaurants. A person phones up and requests for a table to be reserved at a certain time on a certain date. This means that they will have a seat when they arrive and will not have to take the chance that there are no spare tables.
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
technology, work (disadvantages)
There are some disadvantages in regards to how technology has affected working styles.
The main one is that the increased use of communications means that workers have less time to spend with family and friends. This is because of the use of blackberries. It is quite common nowadays for some-one to be doing something with their family or friends only to have their blackberry start ringing. As they are high level employees they are expected to respond to a problem wherever they are. This means that they have to stop what they are doing and check the message. If the people do not respond quickly to the message it is likely that they will get in trouble at work.
Another disadvantage is that improvements in technology have made a lot of people redundant. This is usually the case with assembly lines. Before assembly lines become automated there was likely to be several hundred people working on an assembly line. However after the assembly lines became automated all these people were no longer needed to work there so they were out of a job. Only a few highly trained professionals are needed in assembly nowadays. It is their job to make sure everything is working smoothly and to quickly fix any problems that occur.
Similarly many older people have had to learn how to use computers if they want a job. This is because nearly all jobs involve using computers and therefore the companies will only employ people who are computer literate. This can cause problems because the courses people need to go on to learn how to use computers are often expensive. This means that people may not be able to afford to go on these courses. Also these courses require a lot of time to complete. This means that people may not be able to find time to go on the course or that they may have to stop doing something else.
The main one is that the increased use of communications means that workers have less time to spend with family and friends. This is because of the use of blackberries. It is quite common nowadays for some-one to be doing something with their family or friends only to have their blackberry start ringing. As they are high level employees they are expected to respond to a problem wherever they are. This means that they have to stop what they are doing and check the message. If the people do not respond quickly to the message it is likely that they will get in trouble at work.
Another disadvantage is that improvements in technology have made a lot of people redundant. This is usually the case with assembly lines. Before assembly lines become automated there was likely to be several hundred people working on an assembly line. However after the assembly lines became automated all these people were no longer needed to work there so they were out of a job. Only a few highly trained professionals are needed in assembly nowadays. It is their job to make sure everything is working smoothly and to quickly fix any problems that occur.
Similarly many older people have had to learn how to use computers if they want a job. This is because nearly all jobs involve using computers and therefore the companies will only employ people who are computer literate. This can cause problems because the courses people need to go on to learn how to use computers are often expensive. This means that people may not be able to afford to go on these courses. Also these courses require a lot of time to complete. This means that people may not be able to find time to go on the course or that they may have to stop doing something else.
ICT and work (benefits)
The use of technology has greatly changed the way people work. There are a number of reasons for this.
Firstly the use of word processors have greatly improved the speed at which some-one can put something into text. The work could be a report on something or a list of products to name a couple of examples. Being able to produce a piece of work quicker means that the efficiency of the company will improve as well as how much work an individual can get done. Most word processors also have tools which highlight spelling and grammatical mistakes and provide options on how to fix them. This reduces the amount of time needed to proof read the work. All word processors enable people to change a part in a document without having to start again or change the whole thing. This is useful as it means people can quickly correct mistakes or modify a part of the document, possible due to a slight change in what is required. Word processors also have a function which lets people find any word in a document and replace it with another word. This is useful if a lot of pieces have to be produced that are all slightly different, i.e. letters.
Another way in which technology affects the way people work is the use of spreadsheet programs. Spreadsheets enable people to make very large tables to store information in. The information is usually numerical. Spreadsheets are very useful as they provide multiple calculations to use on the data. These calculations include adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing and finding the average of large amounts of data. This is very useful as it is far more accurate than working out by hand. Also it is possible to select groups of data for these calculations meaning it is quicker than typing it all into a calculator. Spreadsheets also make it easy to group data together so it is easier to see. Speadsheets are often used to show amounts of stock in a shop and when to order more. Similarly speadsheets are also used in manufacturing processes as they can be used to keep track of the amount of raw materials being delivered and the amount of products being shipped out. Spreadsheets are very useful because they can put the data into graphs allowing people to see trends in the data.
The improvements technology has made to communications have also affected the way people work. The virtually instantaneous communications mean that it is a lot easier for a worker to send a message to another worker and get a reply. These messages can include; asking some-one to do a job, asking how to do part of a job or sending a completed bit of work to be reviewed. Also fast communications mean that it is easier to contact parts of a company in other parts of the world. This is especially useful for journalists because they can find a story, type it and send it to the company quickly. The company will normally receive the story soon after it is sent even if the journalist is on the other side of the planet. A lot of companies now give important employees blackberries. A blackberry is a mobile communications system. It is different from a mobile phone because it can receive emails as well as calls and texts. These are given to employees so the company can immediately contact them if something occurs that needs to be sorted out. This means that a problem could be solved the evening it occurs, instead of having to wait for the person to come to work next morning.
Another aspect of how technoly has changed working styles can be seen in shops. Whenever a product is taken to a till a machine reads the bar code on the product. A barcode is a set of vertical lines of varying degrees of thickness. Every product in a shop has an individual barcode. This barcode tells the computer what the item is and how much it costs. Multiple items can be scanned this way, with the computer remembering the whole list and displaying the total cost at the end. This is more reliable than a human adding all of this up as computer sare less likely to make mistakes.
Another way technology has affected the way people work is through the use of automated assembly lines. This is where computers control robots to produce vast numbers of identical products very quickly. This is useful as it means that the products are made a lot quicker comapred to humans making them. This will greatly increase the efficiency of a company. Computer controlled robots do not need to rest and are far more accurate than humans can be. This means that they can work almost non-stop and with far greater precision.
Saturday, 9 October 2010
Blogger
A website that allows people to make and maintain a blog is blogger. Blogger is a service provided by Google
(video of blogger)
This video shows how it is possible to change what features appear in a blog. These include a label list. This shows the labels that have been given to blogs. This is useful as it groups similar blogs together and makes it quicker and easier to find a post about a certain subject. Another useful feature is the blog archive. This lists all the blogs that have been published in date order. This is useful to either find a specific post or to find all posts that were uploaded in a given amount of time. The labels on blogs also make it useful for the author of the blog to find a specific post. This can be because the author wants to modify said post. Blogger also enables the author to either publish a post immediately or save it as a draft to finish working on it later. This means that the author does not have to finish the post in one go and add changes to it later.
The main disadvantage with blogger is that while it shows the posts in date order it does not put modified posts on the top of the list. This is problematic because it means that if the author changes something in a post that was created a while ago very few people will be aware of these changes.
(2nd video of blogger)
Blogger also has a feature which enables the author to change what the blog looks like. This means that the blogs can look more professional. Also, dyslexics often find it easier to read something that has a black background and white text as opposed to the conventional white background with black text.
(video of blogger)
This video shows how it is possible to change what features appear in a blog. These include a label list. This shows the labels that have been given to blogs. This is useful as it groups similar blogs together and makes it quicker and easier to find a post about a certain subject. Another useful feature is the blog archive. This lists all the blogs that have been published in date order. This is useful to either find a specific post or to find all posts that were uploaded in a given amount of time. The labels on blogs also make it useful for the author of the blog to find a specific post. This can be because the author wants to modify said post. Blogger also enables the author to either publish a post immediately or save it as a draft to finish working on it later. This means that the author does not have to finish the post in one go and add changes to it later.
The main disadvantage with blogger is that while it shows the posts in date order it does not put modified posts on the top of the list. This is problematic because it means that if the author changes something in a post that was created a while ago very few people will be aware of these changes.
(2nd video of blogger)
Blogger also has a feature which enables the author to change what the blog looks like. This means that the blogs can look more professional. Also, dyslexics often find it easier to read something that has a black background and white text as opposed to the conventional white background with black text.
Friday, 8 October 2010
ICT communication disadvantages
The improvements that technology have created in regards to communication have created problems as well as benefits.
The main disadvantage is that these methods of communication can be very distracting. The main example of this is that a lot of people use their mobiles while driving. Although this is illegal, a lot of people ignore this rule. Using a phone while driving is very distracting and can lead to the driver not paying attention while on the road. This means that there is a greater risk of accidents and crashes happening which can be fatal.
Trinity Taylor, 23, died in 2005 after a lorry driver hit her car. The lorry driver in question was talking on his mobile at the time of the accident. The driver was jailed for 4 years.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-480348/Drivers-risk-years-jail-using-mobile-phones.html
Another concern with the use of technology for communication is that it can result in people finding it harder to talk to people in real life and losing their social skills. This is because people talk a lot online using instant messaging services.On instant messaging services people use abbreviations and ... for phrases. Some examples of these abbreviations are "LOL"(laugh out loud) and "GTG" (got to go). Although this can make people more sociable online it can cause them to have social difficulties when speaking to some-one in person. This can cause a problem because online communication does not convey nearly as much meaning as face to face communication. Only 5% of what people say is said in words. The rest of the meaning is conveyed either in the tone of voice a person is using or their body language. Instant messaging, text and email can not convey tone or body language. A phone call can convey tone of voice but not body language. Only video-calls can convey both tone and body-language, but video calls are not very common.
The main disadvantage is that these methods of communication can be very distracting. The main example of this is that a lot of people use their mobiles while driving. Although this is illegal, a lot of people ignore this rule. Using a phone while driving is very distracting and can lead to the driver not paying attention while on the road. This means that there is a greater risk of accidents and crashes happening which can be fatal.
Trinity Taylor, 23, died in 2005 after a lorry driver hit her car. The lorry driver in question was talking on his mobile at the time of the accident. The driver was jailed for 4 years.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-480348/Drivers-risk-years-jail-using-mobile-phones.html
Another concern with the use of technology for communication is that it can result in people finding it harder to talk to people in real life and losing their social skills. This is because people talk a lot online using instant messaging services.On instant messaging services people use abbreviations and ... for phrases. Some examples of these abbreviations are "LOL"(laugh out loud) and "GTG" (got to go). Although this can make people more sociable online it can cause them to have social difficulties when speaking to some-one in person. This can cause a problem because online communication does not convey nearly as much meaning as face to face communication. Only 5% of what people say is said in words. The rest of the meaning is conveyed either in the tone of voice a person is using or their body language. Instant messaging, text and email can not convey tone or body language. A phone call can convey tone of voice but not body language. Only video-calls can convey both tone and body-language, but video calls are not very common.
Thursday, 7 October 2010
communication benefits
ICT has had a dramatic effect on the way people communicate.
The main example of how technology has affected communication is mobile phones. Mobile phones enable people to communicate instantaneously with each other almost anyway on the planet. Mobile phones work by sending a signal containing the data for what is said. This signal is picked up by a mobile phone relay station. This signal is then sent to another mobile phone relay station and "bounced" towards a mobile phone relay station that is near the person you are phoning. Being able to communicate with a person instantly has obvious advantages. These include; just phoning some-one to have a conversation, or a business contacting some-one if a problem has arisen and they immediately need to speak with a person to resolve it.
Email is the process of sending a message from one computer to another via the internet. Email is virtually instantaneous and is cheaper than sending a message in the conventional way. Emails are sent, received and replied to using computers. Recently it has become possible for people to access email programs via their mobile phones. Using email has very similar benefits to using mobile phones. This is because both send the message almost instantaneously. There is another advantage to email because it is possible to attach any file, whether it is text, images, audio or movies, to an email and send them along with it so the person who receives it can also view those files.
Instant Messaging (IM) is similar to email in that a message is sent almost instantaneously via the internet. However with emails people often have to wait a little while for a reply. With instant messaging the person receives the message immediately and normally replies within a couple of minutes. Normally large messages are not sent through instant messaging. Normally people send a small phrase to a couple of sentences, which the other person replies to in kind.
(editted picture of facebook chat)
Video-calls are a relatively new type of technology that enable a person to see a live video with audio capabilites of the person they are communicating with and vice-versa. This is used a lot for important meetings for businesses. This is useful because it means that the people can see who they are talking to even if they are in separate parts of the county. This is useful for companies because information can be shown along with the person. Video calling is also useful for normal conversations. It creates a greater impression of actually talking to person as compared to using a phone. This is because the person can see who they are talking to and their body language.
The main example of how technology has affected communication is mobile phones. Mobile phones enable people to communicate instantaneously with each other almost anyway on the planet. Mobile phones work by sending a signal containing the data for what is said. This signal is picked up by a mobile phone relay station. This signal is then sent to another mobile phone relay station and "bounced" towards a mobile phone relay station that is near the person you are phoning. Being able to communicate with a person instantly has obvious advantages. These include; just phoning some-one to have a conversation, or a business contacting some-one if a problem has arisen and they immediately need to speak with a person to resolve it.
All mobiles also have the ability to send a text to some-one else. A text is a short message typed into a phone and sent via the same method as a phone call. The person who has received the text can then reply to it and send a different message back to the original sender. Texts are useful if the message is small as it can be quicker to send a small text than phone some-one and have a conversation. Also texting is good if a person is in an area where they have to be quiet.
All phones have memory which enables phone numbers to be stored then accessed at a later date. This is very useful as it means that people do not have to remember the phone numbers of the people they want to call. This helps because all mobile numbers are at least 10 digits long and very few have any obvious pattern.
Many phones now have extra features to enable them to connect to the internet, take photos and perform many other functions. This is useful as it means that people can access what they want wherever they are.
Instant Messaging (IM) is similar to email in that a message is sent almost instantaneously via the internet. However with emails people often have to wait a little while for a reply. With instant messaging the person receives the message immediately and normally replies within a couple of minutes. Normally large messages are not sent through instant messaging. Normally people send a small phrase to a couple of sentences, which the other person replies to in kind.
(editted picture of facebook chat)
Video-calls are a relatively new type of technology that enable a person to see a live video with audio capabilites of the person they are communicating with and vice-versa. This is used a lot for important meetings for businesses. This is useful because it means that the people can see who they are talking to even if they are in separate parts of the county. This is useful for companies because information can be shown along with the person. Video calling is also useful for normal conversations. It creates a greater impression of actually talking to person as compared to using a phone. This is because the person can see who they are talking to and their body language.
Monday, 4 October 2010
ICT and education, disadvantages
There are disadvantages of using ICT for education as well as benefits.
The main problem is that it is a lot easier for students to get distracted if they are using computers. This can lead tpo them not doing there work and going on sites like facebook and youtube instead. However, teachers are getting better at preventing this because most schools have a system that records all the websites that students visit. This is not the case at home though for many students. Since most parents do not watch their children doing homework, the children are free to go on sites that are not related to work.
Another problem with how ICT affects education is the use of blockers. Blockers can prevent access to certain types of sites. Blockers are set up in schools to prevent the students accessing inappropriate websites. These generally do a good job in that they prevent certain sites from being seen. However, soom of these blockers are too severe and block sites needed for school work. An example of this is; a blocker once blocked wikipedia under the catergory of gambling simple because the word gambling was on the web page. This resulted in students struggling to find the reseach they needed. This problem of blockers is made worse by the fact that a lot of websites have adverts on them to generate revenue for the compnay that made the web page. This is problematic as blockers check the contents of the adverts as well as the actual site which can also cause appropriate sites to be blocked.
The cost of using ICT for education has resulted in a number of schools not using it. This is because it is very expensivew to set up and maintain. Normally the cost of using ICT is the largest part in the school budget.
The main problem is that it is a lot easier for students to get distracted if they are using computers. This can lead tpo them not doing there work and going on sites like facebook and youtube instead. However, teachers are getting better at preventing this because most schools have a system that records all the websites that students visit. This is not the case at home though for many students. Since most parents do not watch their children doing homework, the children are free to go on sites that are not related to work.
Another problem with how ICT affects education is the use of blockers. Blockers can prevent access to certain types of sites. Blockers are set up in schools to prevent the students accessing inappropriate websites. These generally do a good job in that they prevent certain sites from being seen. However, soom of these blockers are too severe and block sites needed for school work. An example of this is; a blocker once blocked wikipedia under the catergory of gambling simple because the word gambling was on the web page. This resulted in students struggling to find the reseach they needed. This problem of blockers is made worse by the fact that a lot of websites have adverts on them to generate revenue for the compnay that made the web page. This is problematic as blockers check the contents of the adverts as well as the actual site which can also cause appropriate sites to be blocked.
The cost of using ICT for education has resulted in a number of schools not using it. This is because it is very expensivew to set up and maintain. Normally the cost of using ICT is the largest part in the school budget.
ict and education, benefits
The use of ICT in school environments has had a big impact on the education system.
Students are able to search the internet for research and any useful pictures to accompany this research. The main search engine that is used is Google.
(video of google)
This video shows that google makes it possible to search for a topic and then find an appropriate page of information. It then shows how it is possible to search for pictures.
Another useful website for research is wikipedia.
(video of wikipedia)
This video shows that wikipedia can recognise a word in different contexts and enable the person to choose which context they want. Wikipedia gives a brief description about the topic and then does into further detail. Wikipedia pages also have links to other pages that could be relevant. Wikipedia also has pictures on the pages to make it easier to understand what is being explained or described. The main problem with wikipedia however is that sometimes the information is very advanced and complicated, especially with articles relating to science or technology. This makes it very difficult to understand for anybody who has not studied the subject in great detail.
ICT in education also lets the students do work on line and have marked electronically
(Video of mymaths)
Students are able to search the internet for research and any useful pictures to accompany this research. The main search engine that is used is Google.
(video of google)
This video shows that google makes it possible to search for a topic and then find an appropriate page of information. It then shows how it is possible to search for pictures.
Another useful website for research is wikipedia.
(video of wikipedia)
This video shows that wikipedia can recognise a word in different contexts and enable the person to choose which context they want. Wikipedia gives a brief description about the topic and then does into further detail. Wikipedia pages also have links to other pages that could be relevant. Wikipedia also has pictures on the pages to make it easier to understand what is being explained or described. The main problem with wikipedia however is that sometimes the information is very advanced and complicated, especially with articles relating to science or technology. This makes it very difficult to understand for anybody who has not studied the subject in great detail.
ICT in education also lets the students do work on line and have marked electronically
(Video of mymaths)
Video shows how mymaths shows any outstanding tasks to be done along with online revision. People can also search for tasks that have not been set if they feel that they need to revise a subject. Anywork done is marked electronically giving the results immediately. It shows the correct answer which can be useful. However it does not explain where the student might have gone wrong.
Another use of ICT to benefit education is interactive white-boards. These are installed in a lot of classrooms. These enable the teachers to bring something up on their computer and then show it to the whole class at the same time using a projector. This means that the teachers will not need to spend as much time explaining how to do something. Also the teacher can show the class computer resources that would not be available for them if the white boards were not there. Most of these boards have special wireless "pens" which can be used to select certain things on the board. This is useful as it means the teacher can draw the class' attention to something. The lines these "pens" mark can be erased when they are no longer needed. A lot of these boards are also touch-screen. This means that the students can use them to do tasks while showing everyone else what to do as well.
Another useful feature of ICT are websites that students can go on to revise parts of the syllabus. A useful website for this is BBC bitesize
(video of bitesize)
This video shows that there are multiple subjects on bitesize, most of the main curriculm subjects. It is possible to select a subject and then select more detailed aspects that a person needs to revise. The explainations are straight to the point but are still easy to understand. There are also questions and tests so a person can check their understanding of the topic that was just covered.
Sunday, 3 October 2010
about posts
I have not been able to update my blog because for the topics I am covering I am using a lot of videos. However for some reason I can not upload the videos to blogger without my computer crashing.
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
Crime and law (disadvantages)
However, despite all the ways the internet has been benificaial towards stopping crime, it has also resulted in more crimes being performed.
A prime example of this is the fact that people posting stuff on facebook and twitter can lead to more burglaries occuring. This is because a lot of people post something saying that they are leaving their house. This causes problems as some websites say where the post originated. Other people put their address online. These mean that burgulars can find where a person lives and also if they are at home. If the burglar knows when the people will be out he will probably break in then as they will not be people around to stop him.
Another disadvantage of the internet in reference to crime is that it has made it a easier for people to gain access to restricted files. This is because a person could hack into a supposed secure network and steal or modify important files. This could compromise nation security and put the country at risk from attack. Even if it does not comprosise national security it can take a very long time and a lot of effort and money to correct and restore any files that have been damaged.
This is very similar to people hacking into compnay or government records either to steal money or to say they have paid for or done something that they actually have not. This can cause a large problem as it means that the company or government could have financial difficulties or give the person a service that they should not receive.
It is getting harder for the police to catch hackers. This is because hackers are getting better at hiding or "spoofing" their IP address. Every computer has a unique IP address. The police can normally find the IP address of a computer that has been used to hack into files. This IP can then be traced back to find where the computer is. As hackers are getting better at hiding their IP address it becomes harder for police to trace the computers that are being used.
The last major problem with the internet in regards to law enforcement could be viewed as the number of cameras used. Some people think that the cameras are invadining their privacy and should not be used as much or in public places. There are concerns that anyone could in theory gain access to the recordings or that the recordings are used for more purposes than just security. This could result in the data being used for something other than the purpose it was collected for, thus breaking the data collection act. Other people think that the cameras are ugly and ruin the asthetics of an area.
A prime example of this is the fact that people posting stuff on facebook and twitter can lead to more burglaries occuring. This is because a lot of people post something saying that they are leaving their house. This causes problems as some websites say where the post originated. Other people put their address online. These mean that burgulars can find where a person lives and also if they are at home. If the burglar knows when the people will be out he will probably break in then as they will not be people around to stop him.
Another disadvantage of the internet in reference to crime is that it has made it a easier for people to gain access to restricted files. This is because a person could hack into a supposed secure network and steal or modify important files. This could compromise nation security and put the country at risk from attack. Even if it does not comprosise national security it can take a very long time and a lot of effort and money to correct and restore any files that have been damaged.
This is very similar to people hacking into compnay or government records either to steal money or to say they have paid for or done something that they actually have not. This can cause a large problem as it means that the company or government could have financial difficulties or give the person a service that they should not receive.
It is getting harder for the police to catch hackers. This is because hackers are getting better at hiding or "spoofing" their IP address. Every computer has a unique IP address. The police can normally find the IP address of a computer that has been used to hack into files. This IP can then be traced back to find where the computer is. As hackers are getting better at hiding their IP address it becomes harder for police to trace the computers that are being used.
The last major problem with the internet in regards to law enforcement could be viewed as the number of cameras used. Some people think that the cameras are invadining their privacy and should not be used as much or in public places. There are concerns that anyone could in theory gain access to the recordings or that the recordings are used for more purposes than just security. This could result in the data being used for something other than the purpose it was collected for, thus breaking the data collection act. Other people think that the cameras are ugly and ruin the asthetics of an area.
wednesday 29.9 lesson
I am halfway through research about how the internet is having a negative affect on crime. I will finish and post it later today
Monday, 27 September 2010
Crime and law (benefits)
The internet has had a very large impact on crime and law enforcement.
Primarily the internet has improved how quickly the police are able to catch some-one and also how accurate they are in identifying a person.
A primary example of the internet beneffitting police officers is through traffic cameras. The are traffic cameras on most major roads now. The police can watch a live feed from the camera which is sent via the internet to the police station. This means that the police can react immediately if they see some-one breaking the law. Also the police can use the internet to access a database with every registered number plate on it which also contains information about who owns the car, if they have a licence, and whether that person has paid car tax. All this information can be used to help the police arrest people quicker. These traffic cameras can also be programmed to recognise specific license plates and immediately alert the police. This makes it easier to catch a person if the police already know what they are driving. Likewise it can also make it quicker to find stolen cars.
Speed cameras are similar to traffic cameras in that they monitor what is on the roads. However speed cameras are completely automatic. If they detect some-one speeding a picture is taken of the license plate. A computer then works out what the registration number is. The computer then accesses a database on the main server and finds the address that corresponds with the licence. The appropriate fine is then sent to the address. This is very beneficial to the police as it means that the officers can spend time doing other work instead of watching for speeders. Also a computer works a lot faster than a human when dealing with data. This means that while a human could fall behind in issuing the fines the computer will always stay up to date. Also computers make mistakes a lot more rarely than human, provided they have been programmed properly. This means that it is very rare for a fine either not to be sent or to be sent to the wronng address.
Traffic and speed cameras both work well because there is not a known way of obscuring the license plates while still making it readable for a human.
Normal security cameras work in a similar way to traffic cameras in that the police men can watch what is happening live. Security cameras are not as useful when it comes to recognising people as they can not recognise an individual person. However, they can be programmed to alert the police to anyone who looks similar to the suspect. Although not as useful as traffic cameras, this is still very useful as the police will still be informed, whereas without the camera the police would not know until later if at all.
Another way in which the internet is beneficial to the police force is that it has greatly sped up communication between officers. Nowadays an officer contact the station wherever they are really quickly. This means that they are able to report a crime, ask for backup or request information as soon as the need arises. This means that a response will be received quicker. This enables police to more successfully co-ordinate an operation, whether it is a car chase or a raid on a building. These increased levels of communication mean that the police can work more efficiently as a team which results in more arrests being made and less convicts escaping.
Another major advantage of the internet for the police is being able to search it very quickly to find something out about a person, place or company. The program google earth can be used along with other satellite tracking technology to follow where a person is going. This is useful if the police have lost visual contact with a subject or want to know where the person could be hiding illegal items or meeting other criminals.
The police can also run a program that very quickly finds images on the internet that look similar to an image. This is useful as it could let the police find out about a person even if they were only able to take a photo. This is closely linked with the police being able to quickly get a lot of information about other criminals and convicts from a central database. This means that the police can potentially identify if a suspect has any accomplices or any other outstanding charges.
Another benefit of the internet for police forces is satellite navigation (sat-nav). Satellite navigation works by having satellites triangulate where a sat-nav system is. The computer in the system receives the satellite signals and says where it is. It can then be programmed to find the quickest route to another location. This is useful as it means that police officers can get to a crime scene a lot qiucker because they will not get lost or take a wrong turn.
Also certain vehicles have sat-nat systems built into them. These are generally valuable vehicles such as ambulances or are delivery vans with valuables inside. This is so that if these vehicles are stolen the police can track it using the satellite navigation. This will speed up the time it takes for the police to find the stolen vehicle.
There is a process known as computer forensics. This is where police technicians can find out what has been saved on a computer. This is useful as it enables the police to find files on a suspect's computer that could lead to an arrest or a conviction in a court. This works even if the files have been deleted because there is still a record of the file. The files can be recovered even if the hard-drive has been broken or damaged. The only way to stop a file being recovered is to drop the hard-drive in very strong acid. This is working less because people are getting better at recovering the data.
However, even if the files can be recovered, if they are encrypted it can still be difficult to see the data. It is possible for people to break encryptions. However the more advanced an encryption is the longer it takes to break the encryption. This can be a problem if the data is needed immediately for a very important reason.
Primarily the internet has improved how quickly the police are able to catch some-one and also how accurate they are in identifying a person.
A primary example of the internet beneffitting police officers is through traffic cameras. The are traffic cameras on most major roads now. The police can watch a live feed from the camera which is sent via the internet to the police station. This means that the police can react immediately if they see some-one breaking the law. Also the police can use the internet to access a database with every registered number plate on it which also contains information about who owns the car, if they have a licence, and whether that person has paid car tax. All this information can be used to help the police arrest people quicker. These traffic cameras can also be programmed to recognise specific license plates and immediately alert the police. This makes it easier to catch a person if the police already know what they are driving. Likewise it can also make it quicker to find stolen cars.
Speed cameras are similar to traffic cameras in that they monitor what is on the roads. However speed cameras are completely automatic. If they detect some-one speeding a picture is taken of the license plate. A computer then works out what the registration number is. The computer then accesses a database on the main server and finds the address that corresponds with the licence. The appropriate fine is then sent to the address. This is very beneficial to the police as it means that the officers can spend time doing other work instead of watching for speeders. Also a computer works a lot faster than a human when dealing with data. This means that while a human could fall behind in issuing the fines the computer will always stay up to date. Also computers make mistakes a lot more rarely than human, provided they have been programmed properly. This means that it is very rare for a fine either not to be sent or to be sent to the wronng address.
Traffic and speed cameras both work well because there is not a known way of obscuring the license plates while still making it readable for a human.
Normal security cameras work in a similar way to traffic cameras in that the police men can watch what is happening live. Security cameras are not as useful when it comes to recognising people as they can not recognise an individual person. However, they can be programmed to alert the police to anyone who looks similar to the suspect. Although not as useful as traffic cameras, this is still very useful as the police will still be informed, whereas without the camera the police would not know until later if at all.
Another way in which the internet is beneficial to the police force is that it has greatly sped up communication between officers. Nowadays an officer contact the station wherever they are really quickly. This means that they are able to report a crime, ask for backup or request information as soon as the need arises. This means that a response will be received quicker. This enables police to more successfully co-ordinate an operation, whether it is a car chase or a raid on a building. These increased levels of communication mean that the police can work more efficiently as a team which results in more arrests being made and less convicts escaping.
Another major advantage of the internet for the police is being able to search it very quickly to find something out about a person, place or company. The program google earth can be used along with other satellite tracking technology to follow where a person is going. This is useful if the police have lost visual contact with a subject or want to know where the person could be hiding illegal items or meeting other criminals.
The police can also run a program that very quickly finds images on the internet that look similar to an image. This is useful as it could let the police find out about a person even if they were only able to take a photo. This is closely linked with the police being able to quickly get a lot of information about other criminals and convicts from a central database. This means that the police can potentially identify if a suspect has any accomplices or any other outstanding charges.
Another benefit of the internet for police forces is satellite navigation (sat-nav). Satellite navigation works by having satellites triangulate where a sat-nav system is. The computer in the system receives the satellite signals and says where it is. It can then be programmed to find the quickest route to another location. This is useful as it means that police officers can get to a crime scene a lot qiucker because they will not get lost or take a wrong turn.
Also certain vehicles have sat-nat systems built into them. These are generally valuable vehicles such as ambulances or are delivery vans with valuables inside. This is so that if these vehicles are stolen the police can track it using the satellite navigation. This will speed up the time it takes for the police to find the stolen vehicle.
There is a process known as computer forensics. This is where police technicians can find out what has been saved on a computer. This is useful as it enables the police to find files on a suspect's computer that could lead to an arrest or a conviction in a court. This works even if the files have been deleted because there is still a record of the file. The files can be recovered even if the hard-drive has been broken or damaged. The only way to stop a file being recovered is to drop the hard-drive in very strong acid. This is working less because people are getting better at recovering the data.
However, even if the files can be recovered, if they are encrypted it can still be difficult to see the data. It is possible for people to break encryptions. However the more advanced an encryption is the longer it takes to break the encryption. This can be a problem if the data is needed immediately for a very important reason.
1.2 topics
the effect of ICT on crime and the law
the effect of ICT on the way people work
the effect of ICT on the way we bank and shop
the effect of ICT on their school life
the effect of ICT on the way we communicate
the effect of ICT on the way we bank and shop
the effect of ICT on their school life
the effect of ICT on the way we communicate
Sunday, 26 September 2010
pics + pros/cons
An example of a video streaming site is Youtube.
Search bar-quickness
shows popular programs-quickness
only has channel 4 programs
Youtube is the primary source of listening to music on the internet.
Itunes to download music
search bar-quickness
There is a feature on Itunes which remembers what a person has bought or liked and suggests similar products. This is useful as it can mean a person can quickly find something wothout searching for it or without even knowing of its existance.
very wide variety but not everything (underground bands)
also sells audio books and downloadable films for computer and ipod/iphone etc
Example of games website is funny games
Most popular games-easy to see what others think is good
Newest games- quickly see new games adding no looking through lists
Links to classes of games-useful if after a specific genre
no search bar- hard to find certain game
annoying/ inappropriate adverts.
An example of an MMORPG is Runescape
News-quickly says how game has been changed
F2P(free to play) basic game, small area, less items
Members(pay monthly to play) full game, large area ots of items.
Another form of online entertainment is casino games. These games are electronic versions of games people would find in a casino. This means that people can play these games even when not at a casino. Most casino game websites provide an option to either bet with real money or to play for free. Using real money means that people can win money. However there is a greater chance or lossing a lot of money. Playing for free is just so people can enjoy the games.
Youtube can be used to catch up on parts on tv shows that people have missed. This is useful as it means that it is not that difficult for people to find out what they have missed. However, only parts of the show are uploaded onto youtube. This is because the shows are copyrighted and it would be illegal.
There is a feature on youtube which remembers what videos you have watched and suggests similar videos based on what the tags are. This is useful as it can reslt in finding what you are interested in a lot quicker than searching.
Youtube has a search which enables people to quickly find the video they are after.
Youtubebe is primarily used to upload amateur videos that people have made. This can be explaining how to do something. However most amateur youtube videos aim to be comical and entetaining.
(can't find where to put html code for video)
Another type of streaming website is 4OD (channel 4 on demand). The difference between this and youtube is that 4OD made by channel 4 so can show whole programs without copyright enfringement.
shows popular programs-quickness
only has channel 4 programs
Youtube is the primary source of listening to music on the internet.
Itunes to download music
search bar-quickness
There is a feature on Itunes which remembers what a person has bought or liked and suggests similar products. This is useful as it can mean a person can quickly find something wothout searching for it or without even knowing of its existance.
very wide variety but not everything (underground bands)
also sells audio books and downloadable films for computer and ipod/iphone etc
Example of games website is funny games
Most popular games-easy to see what others think is good
Newest games- quickly see new games adding no looking through lists
Links to classes of games-useful if after a specific genre
no search bar- hard to find certain game
annoying/ inappropriate adverts.
An example of an MMORPG is Runescape
F2P(free to play) basic game, small area, less items
Members(pay monthly to play) full game, large area ots of items.
Another form of online entertainment is casino games. These games are electronic versions of games people would find in a casino. This means that people can play these games even when not at a casino. Most casino game websites provide an option to either bet with real money or to play for free. Using real money means that people can win money. However there is a greater chance or lossing a lot of money. Playing for free is just so people can enjoy the games.
online entertainment (music and games)
There are a few ways of listening to music through the internet. The most common method is to use a streaming video that only contains a few images with the music as the audio. This has all the advantages and disadvantages of using streamed videos.
The main advantage of using the internet to listen to music is very similar to the advantages of using the internet to watch movies. This is that it is possible to find music on the internet that can not be found on CDs
The other main way of listening to music from the internet involves downloading the music onto a computer and then playing the file. This method is useful as it means that people can listen to the music even when offline. By law people are required to pay to download music. This can cause a problem as there are a lot of sites that allow people to illegally download music.
There are a few main types of games on the internet. One of the most common types are free to play games generally made using either flash or adobe. They can generally be found on games websites where people upload the games they have made for any-one to play.
Most of these games are relatively simple and straight-forward to play. This is good as it means that it is possible just to "pick up and play" these games whenever they have some free time on a computer.
These games can have a feature where they can save some files known as cookies onto the computer. This is advantageous as the player can save what progress has been made in the game. However there are a few problems with these cookie files. The main one is that they can fill up space in a computers hard drive resulting in the computer becoming slower. The other problem is that these cookies can contain virus files that can damage a computer.
The other main type of online gaming is in the form of MMORPGs(Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games). In these games the player creates a character that they control in the game. These characters can be made to interact with characters that other people have made.
Normally it is free to play a basic version of these games, however in order to be able to access everything in the game people will have to pay. These payments can either be a 1-time payment or a monthly charge.
These games are normally found on sites specifically made by the company that made the game for that game.
These games do not use cookies to save a persons progress, instead all the data is stored on a central server that the company has. When a person logs in their computer connects with the server to receive the saved game data. This means that it is possible to play these games from any computer.
It normally takes a very long time to create a powerful character in the game. This has resulted in people buying charcaters from other people, sometimes for really large sums of oney.
The main advantage of using the internet to listen to music is very similar to the advantages of using the internet to watch movies. This is that it is possible to find music on the internet that can not be found on CDs
The other main way of listening to music from the internet involves downloading the music onto a computer and then playing the file. This method is useful as it means that people can listen to the music even when offline. By law people are required to pay to download music. This can cause a problem as there are a lot of sites that allow people to illegally download music.
There are a few main types of games on the internet. One of the most common types are free to play games generally made using either flash or adobe. They can generally be found on games websites where people upload the games they have made for any-one to play.
Most of these games are relatively simple and straight-forward to play. This is good as it means that it is possible just to "pick up and play" these games whenever they have some free time on a computer.
These games can have a feature where they can save some files known as cookies onto the computer. This is advantageous as the player can save what progress has been made in the game. However there are a few problems with these cookie files. The main one is that they can fill up space in a computers hard drive resulting in the computer becoming slower. The other problem is that these cookies can contain virus files that can damage a computer.
The other main type of online gaming is in the form of MMORPGs(Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games). In these games the player creates a character that they control in the game. These characters can be made to interact with characters that other people have made.
Normally it is free to play a basic version of these games, however in order to be able to access everything in the game people will have to pay. These payments can either be a 1-time payment or a monthly charge.
These games are normally found on sites specifically made by the company that made the game for that game.
These games do not use cookies to save a persons progress, instead all the data is stored on a central server that the company has. When a person logs in their computer connects with the server to receive the saved game data. This means that it is possible to play these games from any computer.
It normally takes a very long time to create a powerful character in the game. This has resulted in people buying charcaters from other people, sometimes for really large sums of oney.
Thursday, 23 September 2010
online entertainment (videos)
There are a lot of different types of entertainment available via the internet. The main types of entertainment are watching videos, either professional or amateur, listening to music and playing online games.
A professional video is generally a video made by a company which is then usually sold to make money. An amateur video is generally made by the general public and not sold for money.
The main advatage of watching films on the internet is that it is possible to watch videos that are not available to watch on tele. These include various amateur videos, programs that are no longer being aired, or programs not aired in a particular region or country.
Most websites that enable people to watch videos enable a streaming feature. This is were it is possible to wath the video while it is being down loaded to the computers tempory internet files.
This means that it is is possible to start watching a video before it has been completely downloaded. This is very useful either for very large computer files or for when the internet is not downloading quickly.
The main disadvantage of this type of service is that if the internet is being very slow, possibly due to a lot of people watching movies via streaming services, the movie can play faster than it is being streamed. This results in the point where the movie is playing "catching up" with the point it has streamed to. This will result in the movie being stopped until it has streamed sufficiantly to continue. When the internet is particularly slow it is not uncommon for movies to play for about 2 seconds then have to stream for a few seconds only to play about 2 more seconds before having to stream for another few seconds.
Another problem is where one or more of the streaming bytes gets corrupted as it is is downloaded onto the compter. This can result in the movie freezing or the picture becoming disjointed with the sound. This is sometimes fixed by refreshing the page. If that does not work the only way to be able to watch the movie is to clear the tempory files. This is problematic as it takes a very long time to do and can cause problems on other websites.
Another way of watching movies from the internet is to download them completely to a computer and then watch them. This is normally the case with professional videos as there is a possibility of copy-right infringement if they are available via streaming.
A professional video is generally a video made by a company which is then usually sold to make money. An amateur video is generally made by the general public and not sold for money.
The main advatage of watching films on the internet is that it is possible to watch videos that are not available to watch on tele. These include various amateur videos, programs that are no longer being aired, or programs not aired in a particular region or country.
Most websites that enable people to watch videos enable a streaming feature. This is were it is possible to wath the video while it is being down loaded to the computers tempory internet files.
This means that it is is possible to start watching a video before it has been completely downloaded. This is very useful either for very large computer files or for when the internet is not downloading quickly.
The main disadvantage of this type of service is that if the internet is being very slow, possibly due to a lot of people watching movies via streaming services, the movie can play faster than it is being streamed. This results in the point where the movie is playing "catching up" with the point it has streamed to. This will result in the movie being stopped until it has streamed sufficiantly to continue. When the internet is particularly slow it is not uncommon for movies to play for about 2 seconds then have to stream for a few seconds only to play about 2 more seconds before having to stream for another few seconds.
Another problem is where one or more of the streaming bytes gets corrupted as it is is downloaded onto the compter. This can result in the movie freezing or the picture becoming disjointed with the sound. This is sometimes fixed by refreshing the page. If that does not work the only way to be able to watch the movie is to clear the tempory files. This is problematic as it takes a very long time to do and can cause problems on other websites.
Another way of watching movies from the internet is to download them completely to a computer and then watch them. This is normally the case with professional videos as there is a possibility of copy-right infringement if they are available via streaming.
Monday, 20 September 2010
E commerce news
The online shopping site "Amazon"'s net profit increased by 68% between April and June. This raised Amazon's total net profit to £194.5 million. The income from sales increased by 46% to provide a gross income of £456 billion.
Despite this raise in the companies gross and net profits the value of shares of Amazon has dropped by 6%.
An ex-paratrooper has been jailed for 10 months for selling stolen militar equipment on ebay. Allan peet stole £6500 of equipment including military boots, day sacks, hydration systems and rations. He stole the equipment from MoD stores at RAF St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan and then sold it on to military enthusiasts via ebay. He was caught because the equipment is not legally open for the public to buy. Therefore when it appeared on ebay the police were able to track the IP address of the computer. He also has to pay a £1000 fine and do 250 hours of community service
Despite this raise in the companies gross and net profits the value of shares of Amazon has dropped by 6%.
An ex-paratrooper has been jailed for 10 months for selling stolen militar equipment on ebay. Allan peet stole £6500 of equipment including military boots, day sacks, hydration systems and rations. He stole the equipment from MoD stores at RAF St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan and then sold it on to military enthusiasts via ebay. He was caught because the equipment is not legally open for the public to buy. Therefore when it appeared on ebay the police were able to track the IP address of the computer. He also has to pay a £1000 fine and do 250 hours of community service
Sunday, 19 September 2010
E commerce site (Ebay/ Tesco)
Another example of an E-commerce site is "Tesco Online".
This site is very similar in design to Amazon, with a search bar and drop down menus to make it quicker and easier for a person to find the product they are looking for.
Tesco Online is predominately used for grocery shopping. This is were a customer searches through all the grocery products available and then choose what they want and the quantity. This item it then added to their "basket", a webpage that keeps track of everything the customer has selected to buy but not yet bought. This "basket" system is useful as people can make huge lists of items and buy them all at once instead of taking time to make many smaller purchases.
The customer chooses a date and a 2 hour time slot at least 24 hours later than the current time. The products are then delivered at the time specified. This is useful because the person does not have to leave their house and that it is easy to deliver a large order using a van, as opposed to trying to fit it all in one car. The main disadvantage of this delivery is that someone has to be at the house in order to collect it. As it is a 2 hour slot this means that some-one has to make sure that they at in the house for those 2 hours. This can cause a problem either if a person can not get home to take the delivery or if they have got something else planned near that time slot.
It is possible that Tesco does not have some of the items you ordered in stock when they make the delivery. If this is the case they either substitute a similar item or do not charge the person for the item not delivered. This substitution of products can be problematic because a person might be allergic to ingredients in the new product.
Tesco Online keeps a record of what products you have bought from it. This is useful because it makes it easier to order the same products which is common with grocery shopping. A disadvantage of this however is that the list contains all grocery products brought. This means that some-one could click on and buy something they did not want. This can cause a problem if the product was bought once but the person found that they did not like it.
Another example of an E-commerce site is Ebay. Ebay is different from the majority of other E-commerce sites as the products for sale are not being sold by the company. Anybody with an ebay account can put items up for auction. Other people can then bid for these items.
Ebay also has a search bay and drop down menus which enable people to quickly find what they are looking.
Ebay contains an auto-bidding system. This is where a person states the maximum amount of money they are willing to bid for an item. A computer program then places a bid only a small amount above the current price. If another person places a higher bid the auto bidding computer system then increases the bid. This continues until on of the people reach their max bid. When this happens the computer stops bidding for that person. This is useful as it means that people will not have to constantly watch the item they are bidding on. It also means that people will pay the lowest possible price. The "bid history" shows the number of bids on an item. This is useful as it shows if other people have bid on a item. This can provide an idea of whether the product is worth bidding on.
As anyone can sell stuff on ebay there is a risk that the product may be damaged. People also have to be careful of what they buy. Although by law people have to accurately describe the product in the description box, sometimes people only read a bit of the description and focus more on the picture which can lead to them buying something they do not want. An example of this was when somebody took a photo of their car and turned it into a poster. He then put the poster up on Ebay . In the description box he described all the features of the actual car. Halfway throughthe description he mentioned it was a poster. However many people did not read this part and proceded to bid ridiculously high amounts of money. The person could not get prosecuted as he had said that he was selling a poster.
However an advantage of anyone being able to sell objects can result in people being able to find rare or limited edition items that can not be brought from a company.
Ebay uses a feature called pay-pal. This is were you tell the compnay pay-pal your credit card information. This is so that you can make payments through pay-pal and not directly. This is very useful becuase it dramatically reduces the risk of someone illegally gaining your credit card information, which they can work out if you pay them directly. The only concern is that pay-pal may use your credit card. However pay-pal is a professional company so it is very unlikely for that to happen
This site is very similar in design to Amazon, with a search bar and drop down menus to make it quicker and easier for a person to find the product they are looking for.
Tesco Online is predominately used for grocery shopping. This is were a customer searches through all the grocery products available and then choose what they want and the quantity. This item it then added to their "basket", a webpage that keeps track of everything the customer has selected to buy but not yet bought. This "basket" system is useful as people can make huge lists of items and buy them all at once instead of taking time to make many smaller purchases.
The customer chooses a date and a 2 hour time slot at least 24 hours later than the current time. The products are then delivered at the time specified. This is useful because the person does not have to leave their house and that it is easy to deliver a large order using a van, as opposed to trying to fit it all in one car. The main disadvantage of this delivery is that someone has to be at the house in order to collect it. As it is a 2 hour slot this means that some-one has to make sure that they at in the house for those 2 hours. This can cause a problem either if a person can not get home to take the delivery or if they have got something else planned near that time slot.
It is possible that Tesco does not have some of the items you ordered in stock when they make the delivery. If this is the case they either substitute a similar item or do not charge the person for the item not delivered. This substitution of products can be problematic because a person might be allergic to ingredients in the new product.
Tesco Online keeps a record of what products you have bought from it. This is useful because it makes it easier to order the same products which is common with grocery shopping. A disadvantage of this however is that the list contains all grocery products brought. This means that some-one could click on and buy something they did not want. This can cause a problem if the product was bought once but the person found that they did not like it.
There is a feature on Tesco online that shows recipes for meals. This is useful as it can provide people with ideas on what to cook. Each recipe lists the ingrediants needed and has an option of buying all of them at once. This can make it quicker for a person to order ingrediants to prepare a meal.
Another example of an E-commerce site is Ebay. Ebay is different from the majority of other E-commerce sites as the products for sale are not being sold by the company. Anybody with an ebay account can put items up for auction. Other people can then bid for these items.
As anyone can sell stuff on ebay there is a risk that the product may be damaged. People also have to be careful of what they buy. Although by law people have to accurately describe the product in the description box, sometimes people only read a bit of the description and focus more on the picture which can lead to them buying something they do not want. An example of this was when somebody took a photo of their car and turned it into a poster. He then put the poster up on Ebay . In the description box he described all the features of the actual car. Halfway throughthe description he mentioned it was a poster. However many people did not read this part and proceded to bid ridiculously high amounts of money. The person could not get prosecuted as he had said that he was selling a poster.
However an advantage of anyone being able to sell objects can result in people being able to find rare or limited edition items that can not be brought from a company.
Ebay uses a feature called pay-pal. This is were you tell the compnay pay-pal your credit card information. This is so that you can make payments through pay-pal and not directly. This is very useful becuase it dramatically reduces the risk of someone illegally gaining your credit card information, which they can work out if you pay them directly. The only concern is that pay-pal may use your credit card. However pay-pal is a professional company so it is very unlikely for that to happen
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