Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Employment

Employment is crucial in life in order to uphold a pleasant lifestyle, however being employed comes with both pros and cons. Employment has dramatically changed over the last 30-40 years due to new technology becoming more advanced.
An example of how much technology has advanced is this, about 35 years ago people who had an office job would store all there data and other important files in filing cabinets, and nowadays everything is stored on spreadsheets on a hard drive. A paperless office is a work environment in which the use of paper is eliminated or greatly reduced. This is done by converting documents and other papers on to a computer. Supporters claim that "going paperless" can save money, boost productivity, save space, make documentation and information sharing easier, keep personal information more secure, and help the environment.
Similarly a few decades ago in an old styled office there would be an old fashioned fax machine or a telephone line which you would have to use to communicate to people; in the current 21st century we wouldn’t even know how to use a fax machine we would email, text or phone people if we need to get hold of them. Before the use of e-mailing we would have to use a fax machine or hand write a letter, because letters were being hand written there was no need for photocopiers or printers. E-mailing was the next step to enhancing technology further. In the current 21st century we have a wide variety of different technology, these include: PDA, Tablets, Laptops, Computers, Smart phones etc.
Technology such as CCTV is often installed in the workplace to make sure that if any criminal offence happens in that place there will be recorded evidence of it. Cameras can focus onto the PC monitors as well as yourself and the room in which you work in. Modern day technology is not only used in offices, a large amount of technology is used in schools as a part of teaching. In almost every school you go and look at you will always see interactive whiteboards, computers and sometimes depending on how equipped the school is tablets or laptops. As part of the 21st century with all the new types of technology there has been a new course that has been introduced into the syllabus at school, this is called ICT which stands for information technology. ICT is designed to educate children on the use of computers as when they leave school and get a job pretty much any job they chose they will need to know how to use a computer.
Employment is something which a vast majority of people experience; this can be anything from doing work experience at school to having a full time job. There are many job descriptions which now involve people having performed roles of the use of computer skills.
Digital Revolution
The Digital Revolution mentions to the progression of technology from analog electronic and mechanical devices to the digital technology available today. The digital revolution era started to during the 1980s and is ongoing.
The Digital Revolution also marks the beginning of the Information Era.

Advantages
-Having a wider variety of technology is saves time and resources. It is a lot quicker to type a document up rather than to hand write it.
-New technology such as smart phones, tablets, laptops etc allows you to work whenever and wherever. You will often find when business people are on the train to London in the morning they are working.
-Technology allows us to contact people instantly through phoning or emailing them; this is simple and efficient as you can find out the answer of what you’re looking for straight away.
-Technology helps to save the environment as less paper is being used.
-You can find out practically any information you’re looking for through the internet, this enhances your intellectual development.
-You can get the internet from pretty much wherever you are through your phone using 3G or 4G, this allows you to search for what you’re looking for from anywhere as long as you have signal on your phone.
-Mobile phones are one of the most popular uses of technology, they are good because they allow you to call, text or email whoever you want and the majority of the time you will receive an immediate response.

Disadvantages
-Because of all the types of technology you can always be contacted even when it’s your day off from work, this can become very annoying especially when you’re trying to spend time with your family.
-It is easy to get distracted because there are so many web pages online you can easily search up something to waste time or if you’re bored.
-People who have an e-mail account often receive a lot of junk mail, this blocks up your hard drive which means you can only send a limited amount of emails to other people. To get rid of this problem you would have to delete all received, sent and junk emails.
-If you bring your own laptop/tablet to work it has the possibility of getting a virus.
-Lots of people are loosing their jobs because new technology is expanding.
-The message you tried to print is protected with the Information Rights Management.
The sender didn't give you the rights necessary to print the message.
-With technology expanding it’s causing global warming to increase.


Personal Experiences
I am currently in employment as I have a part time job. I work at the Spa Hotel and we do have a vast range of technology there that we have to use, for example, when my shift is about to start I have to ‘clock in’ this means I have to put my hand on a scanner which reads my fingerprints and clocks me in; I also have to do this when my shift ends. Another type of technology we use is radios so whenever we are needed someone contacts us through radio; this makes it quicker and easier to contact people and makes the hotel run smoothly.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Online Entertainment


Online entertainment has become more popular during the 21st century. Online entertainment is a good resource to have as you can watch things when you want to watch them, you don’t need a set time to watch whatever you wish to view. Nowadays it is very common that you can view online entertainment through a variety of different devices; examples of which would be: PS3, Wii, Xbox, PC, mac, mobiles, tablets and many more.
Online Downloading

There are many online entertainment sites which allow you to download films, songs, TV programmes etc. One type of an online entertainment downloading site is Netflix. Netflix is a site which allows you to download any film or TV programme that is streamed instantly over the internet. First time customers receive an offer which allows you to have a one month free trial in order to see if you like using Netflix or not. After the trail period is over customers who decide to carry on using Netflix must pay £5.99 per month. Netflix is also a very popular online entertainment site as it allows you to cancel the contract anytime.
Another type of an online entertainment site which allows people to view TV series and films online is lovefilm.com which is an Amazon company. Similar to Netflix, LOVEFILM allows new customers a 30 day trial period before making them pay £5.99 a month for ‘LOVEFILM instant’, £7.99 for ‘LOVEFILM by post’ or £9.99 a month for ‘LOVEFILM instant and post’.

Advantages
-Watching movies or TV series on a mobile device is very convenient. Netflix’s application is free to download.
-There are thousands of things to watch on Netflix and LOVEFILM so it’s unlikely you won’t find anything to watch that you dislike.
-It’s a cheap way of entertainment.
-You can view these types of online entertainment through a variety of different devices, for example, if you’re on the train going to work you can watch on your phone, Ipad, Ipod, tablet etc a TV programme or short film whilst waiting.

Disadvantages
-The films are fairly old, they rarely get updated.
-Online streaming is very bad.
-You have to pay for postage when you want the film to be delivered to your home.
-There aren’t always all the episodes to a TV series.
-Waiting around for the DVD to turn up can be frustrating if you want to watch it there and then.

Personal Experience
I don’t have Netflix of LOVEFILM because I buy the majority of my movies from filmflex on Virgin Media. However, I have heard that Netflix and LOVEFILM are very good website’s to choose films from and that’s why many people use these companies. I also think that the pricing for both companies are very reasonable and affordable, this is probably also what makes people hire films from these companies.

iTunes
iTunes was first released on the 8th January 2001. iTunes is a media player and media library device developed by Apple Inc. It is used to play, download, and organize music and videos on people’s personal computers. You can also download music and videos from iTunes onto your Iphone, Ipod or Ipad as they are all part of the Apple company. The iTunes player keeps all your music, films and TV programmes all in one place. iTunes is a very popular site because it saves you going through stacks of CDs when you can just import them iTunes and quickly browse your entire collection. Likewise iTunes have created a genius which makes a great mix of songs that go great together. iTunes is regularly updated with all the new releases, you can buy a single song from an album or you can buy the entire album. Prices range from £0.99 for one song to £10.99 for the whole album. This is very popular with customers as it is rare that you like every song on an album, this way by selecting your favourite songs it is cheaper and more suited to your needs.

Advantages
-It’s easier and quicker for people to buy songs when doing it through iTunes.
-You can buy pretty much any song you’re looking for through iTunes as they have thousands of different songs.
-You can buy episodes of certain programmes.
-It’s more eco-friendly as people don’t have to burn the songs onto CD’s.
-You don’t have to buy the entire album you can chose what songs you like the best and buy only them ones. This saves people a great deal of money.

Disadvantages
-It’s easier for people to pirate the music.
-iTunes makes CD making factories such as HMV, blockbuster etc redundant, this causes a great deal of people to lose their jobs etc.
-Sometimes buying albums and TV programmes can be expensive.
-The only way to access iTunes is through the internet.
-iTunes can also be very slow sometimes as there are a lot of people using it and downloading things.

Personal Experience
I have an iTunes account and I think it’s really good. I regularly check the iTunes website to look who is in the charts and what songs are popular etc. Although I have an iTunes account I hardly use it because I have another app on my phone where I can download any music I want for free. I do this because I often download new songs every few days, if I brought all my songs from iTunes I would be spending a vast amount of money on music. Lots of my friends have iTunes and they all think it’s a really good way of downloading entertainment because its quick and easy to do.

eBooks
The first eBook to be created was called the Index Thomisticus which was a heavily annotated electronic index to the works of Thomas Aquinas in 1940. eBooks are an electronic version of a printed book that can be read on a computer or handheld device. On eBooks you can buy or download any book you’re looking for this saves people a lot of time and money. Amazon have recently been said to have been the best sellers of the Kindle eBooks. Prices for eBooks range between £99-£199 the more expensive eBooks being the new Kindle Fire HDX. The average price to download a book onto an eBook is normally around £2.99, this is far cheaper than buying a paperback book in a bookshop. Amazon is very well known for their reasonable prices of books, it is common that students buy their textbooks on sites such as Amazon because they are a great deal cheaper than buying them from a bookshop such as Waterstones.

Advantages
-eBooks promote reading.
-eBooks are good for the environment because they remove the need for filling up landfills with old books.
- eBooks save transportation costs and the pollution associated with shipping books across the country and the world.
-eBooks are mobile.
-eBooks are easily updateable, for correcting errors and adding information.
-eBooks are quick and easy to use.

Disadvantages
-The best types of eBooks can be expensive.
-Some programmes are not always compatible with computers or other devices.
-eBooks can cause eyestrain.
-It has been said that eBooks can be hacked.
-eBooks cause bookshops such as Waterstones etc to be closed down as people aren’t buying from them.

Personal Experiences
I don’t own an eBook but my Nan has the new Kindle Fire HDX and she loves using it which is a shock as she isn’t familiar with technology and often finds it difficult to operate; however, she finds it very easy and quick to use. My personal opinion is that eBooks are better than buying paper books from a bookshop because it’s better for the environment and a quick, simple and effective way of reading.

Monday, November 4, 2013

E-Government

The government always have a responsibility to keep in touch and talk to people in the UK. E- Government stands for electronic government which involves digital links between the government and citizens; for example, wide area networks, the Internet, and mobile computing that have the potential to make relationships better between citizens, businesses, and other arms of government. These types of different types of technologies can help in a variety of different ways such as helping the government deliver services to citizens to improve relations between business and industry, citizen’s being able to access certain information, or more efficient government management. This results in there being less exploitation, greater convenience, revenue growth, and cost reductions. Citizens also make it clear that it doesn’t always have to be the government who communicate with us but we (citizens) can help to communicate to them (government). Citizens communicate to the government in a transactional manner. Citizens can find a variety of different information from going online to see how much tax/ insurance is on certain houses and cars. We can also find out information depending in which area you are situated in such as information on crime rates, school performance etc. Citizens can also, book driving tests, apply for driving tests, claim benefits, get health advice, check travel advice, and get information about employees’ rights all through communication between citizens and the government.
Advantages
- For anyone who wants to contact the government it saves them time and money. - The society is moving towards having more e-government online, it make it more accessible for people.
- Anyone can access different types of e-government
- It’s quick and easy to access as long as you have access to the internet.
Disadvantages
- Because most e-government services are technology based it’s easy to have problems with the service you need, this could causes a lot of difficulty.
- It’s based more on a younger generation for example, senior citizens, who would not have much experience using the computer probably wouldn’t understand how to access e-government services.
- People need to be able to access the internet for e-government services which are on offer therefore if you do not have any access to the internet you are unable to find out the information you need.
Personal experiences
Because I am only 16 I haven’t had any personal experiences with e-government, however when I turn 17 I will because I will be able to apply for driving lessons and my driver’s licence through the government. Also because I am still living at home with my parents I don’t have to pay any council tax to the government.


Education

Nowadays there are many online services which allow students to access help for educational purposes. Educational online services are used to help students with their learning; the internet offers a variety of different educational online services which give children the help that they need in order to find learning easier. The internet uses programmes such as: Youtube, BBC Bitesize, MyMaths, SAM learning, VLE system, Blogging, Online forums and online exams to help with educational online services.
Videos- Youtube
It is common that many teachers play their students clips of videos from sites such as ‘Youtube’. Back in the day teachers would play video clips or movies that they wanted to show students through old TV’s and use video players because this was the only way of showing the children clips etc. However, technology has dramatically improved since and nowadays teachers would use DVD players or the interactive whiteboard to show students scenes from a movie or any other educational clips that need to be shown. Youtube is a very good video site because you can virtually watch anything you need on there; this can be anything from a movie clip to a song that could help you remember something. Youtube now offers a special version of the programme for schools to help educate, engage and inspire children to learn more.
Advantages
- Youtube can be accessed anywhere as long as you have access to the internet.
- You can download Youtube as an App on to an Iphone, Ipod etc.
- You can watch nearly any clip you’re looking for.
- People can rate the video and give their opinion.
Disadvantages
- Disturbing images can come up when you’re watching something on Youtube, some viewers may find these offensive.
-Sometimes the school doesn’t allow students to access to Youtube so it can be difficult when trying to look for something if the site is blocked.
-Sometimes technology can mess up and it can stop teachers watching clips that they want to students if they said ‘content is unable to play’.
-It is common that they projectors play up and stop people from seeing anything that are being projected on the board.
Personal Experience
My personal experience of using video sites such as Youtube has been positive. I would often be shown clips on Youtube by teachers that would help me understand things better; it was also through a song on Youtube where I learnt about the greenhouse effect. However, it is annoying that I can’t access Youtube at school because I need to use it frequently. A video site called ‘IMDB’ is also very useful for when I’m doing my film studies work because it allows me to watch certain clips from films that I need.

BBC Bitesize/MyMaths/ SAM learning
BBC Bitesize, MyMaths and SAM learning are al examples of educational online services. BBC Bitesize is one of the most popular ways for online revision; it has become very successful over the years. Children from as young as KS1 can use Bitesize to help them with something they’re finding difficult or for revision purposes. BBC Bitesize offers a Scottish version as they have a different syllabus to children learning in the England. Bitesize is for all ages up to GCSE years, they also offer higher sections for people who are more advanced at a certain subject. The higher tier section gives more detailed information than people who are doing foundation. MyMaths is another educational online service. MyMaths is a site where each school has their own username and password that they enter and it helps students who are struggling with maths. Online homework tasks can also be set through MyMaths; there is a choice to do the higher tier or foundation tier. SAM learning is another educational online service which gets students to compete with others to see who can get the highest score in a task which they have been set. SAM learning makes you enter a centre ID, for example, SGCCS (St Gregory’s Catholic Comprehensive School), a username which is your DOB followed by your initials and your password is the same as your username, this helps SAM learning identify who you are.
Advantages
-You can always access these sites at school.
-They’re very easy to use and full of things that will help you with your learning.
-They cover information for people as young as the age of 6 to people as old as 16-17.
-Lots of helpful facts and figures that will help people learn.
-You can always access these sites as long as you have wifi connection around you.
Disadvantages
-Sometimes very complex words are used therefore children find it hard to understand what something means.
-Some students don’t know their usernames or passwords for sites such as MyMaths.
-SAM learning often crashes therefore students are not able to always go on that site.
Personal Experainces
I often use educational online services to help me with revision. I would use BBC Bitesize a lot to revise for subjects such as science and geography. Also educational online services such as MyMaths was very helpful for me because it would show me clearly how to work something out if I didn’t understand it. I used to frequently get MyMaths set for homework and it was very quick and easy to access. SAM learning also helped me maily with my spanish because there would be a passage of text in spanish and I would have to fill in the missing words, this helped me remember specific keywords. I enjoyed using all these sites because they were easy to access from home and school and they’re simple and effective to use in order to help me with revision etc.

Blogging/ Online Forums
Examples of online forum sites are websites such as Wiki Answers, Yahoo answers, ask.com and there are many more. Examples of educational online blogging sites are; edublogawards, blogger, http://mywebspace.quinnipiac.edu/PHastings/bac.htm, http://classblogmeister.com/ and there are also many more. Educational Blogging is blogging by students, teachers, administrators and anyone else that focus’s on educational needs. Educational online forums are used for people to discuss and share their ideas or to answer questions that other members of the public may have about certain subjects.
Advantages
-It helps people collect information or answer questions that need to be answered.
-It’s a way of finding out something you want to know easier if other peeople have the answer.
-It’s a good way to meet new people and dicuss what your interested in or if you need help on the same subject.
Disadvantages
-Some people may write inappropriate things on online forums or blogging websites.
-Online bullying can happen through blogs or online forums.
-Sometimes people don’t have the write answer or they give you the wrong one on purpose.
-Everyone will normally give slightly different answers each time so its hard to know who to believe.
Online Experiences
I don’t really use online forum or blogging sites but I think they’re helpful for people that need to find out certain information, however they can sometimes be dangerous to use as you can get some strange people that go and use online forums.