Computing and IT in the Workplace

CT006-1

Computer Applications in Society

At the end of this section, YOU should be able
to:

• Describe how computers have made a difference in

various disciplines
• Describe how embedded & mobile computers may
improve the quality of life

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 • Computer Use in Various Disciplines/Industries
• Embedded Computing

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 Computer Use – Education
• Traditional Model – people learn from other
people e.g. parents, teachers, employers
using printed material like books, manuals
• Today’s Model – educators use computers to
aid education
• Schools and organizations equip labs and
classrooms with computers

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 Computer Use – Education

• Delivery of education occurs at one place while

learning occurs at other locations e.g. students
can take classes on the Web
• Blended class – learning in classroom and on
the Web

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 Computer Use – Finance

• Computers are used to manage finances

• Finance Software – Balance Cheque Books, Pay Bills,
Track Personal Income and Expenses, Manage
Investments and Evaluate Financial Plans
• Online Banking – users can access account balances,
pay bills, track monthly transactions from their bank’s
computer right to their PCs
• Advantage – worldwide
access from anywhere

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 Computer Use – Finance

• Online Investing – buy and sell stocks and bonds

without a broker
• Advantage – no transaction fee (charged by the broker)

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 Computer Use – Government

• Government provides society with

direction by making and
administering policies
• Governments have Web sites to
provide up-to-date information
• Services – Income tax, permits and
licenses, parking tickets, report
crimes, vehicle registration renewal
• In the USA – computers are used to
man 911 centres for medical
emergencies, fire, police

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 Computer Use – Health Care

• Most areas of health care use

computers e.g. regular checkup, lab
work, outpatient test, emergency
surgery
• Hospitals use computers and mobile
devices to maintain and access
patient records
• Computers monitor patients’ vital
signs in hospitals, homes
• Robots deliver medication to nurse
stations in hospitals

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 Computer Use – Health Care

• Computers and computerized

devices assist doctors, nurses,
technicians with medical test
• Doctors use the Web and medical
software to assist with researching
and diagnosing health conditions
• Doctors use email to correspond
with patients
• Surgeons implant computerized
devices e.g. pace makers allowing
heart patients to live longer

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 Computer Use – Health Care

• Long distance health care: telemedicine and

telesurgery
• Telemedicine – Health care professionals in separate
locations conduct live conferences on the computer
• Example: to discuss bone X-ray through live images
from each doctor’s computer
• Telesurgery – Called Remote Surgery
• Surgeon performs surgery on a patient not physically
located in the same room as the surgeon
• Example: Surgeons direct robots to perform surgery via
computers connected to a high-speed network

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 Computer Use – Health Care

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 Computer Use – Science

• All branches of science from biology to astronomy use

computers to collect, analyze, model data
• Breakthroughs in surgery, medicine and treatments
often result from scientists’ use of computers
• Example: tiny computers imitate functions of the
central nervous system, retina, cochlear e.g. a
cochlear implant aids a deaf person to hear
• Example: electrodes implanted in the brain stop
Parkinson Disease’s tremors, cameras small
enough to swallow, called camera pill, take
pictures inside the body to detect polyps, cancer
and abnormalities
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 Computer Use – Science

• Neural Network – system that attempts to imitate

human brain behavior
• Scientists create neural networks by connecting
thousands of processors similar to how brain neurons
are connected
• The capability of a PC to recognize spoken words is a
direct result of scientific experimentation with neural
networks
Note: Neurons are the cells in the brain that convey
information about the world around us, help us make
sense of the world, and send commands to our
muscles to act. We have roughly 86 billion neurons
in our brains
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 Computer Use – Publishing

• Publishing – process of making words available too

public i.e. books, magazine, newspapers, film, video
• Special software assist
– graphic designers to develop pages that include
text, pictures, graphics
– artists to compose songs
– filmmakers in creating and editing
films

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 Computer Use – Manufacturing

• CAM – using computers to assist with manufacturing

processes e.g. assembly
• CAM is used to reduce production development cost,
shorten time to market and stay ahead of competition
• Robots carry out CAM processes
• CAM used in many industries i.e. oil drilling, power
generation, food production and automobile
manufacturing

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 Embedded Computing

1. Weather forecast – researchers envision an umbrella

with embedded cell phone in the handle that will dial and
download weather forecast
• The handle will glow green for good weather and flash
red for imminent storms
2. Wearing hidden embedded computers can help the
elderly and people recovering from accidents and
surgeries to monitor their walking stride and pace
• When steps are uneven, embedded computer will
sound a warning to prevent a fall
3. Embedded computers woven into clothing can
monitor heart and breathing rates
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 Mobile Computing

• Access to networks with the help of portable

communication devices e.g. laptops and PDAs
• Allow users to Access, Transfer, Share data
any time and place
• Common application areas for wireless networks and
mobile communication includes:
• Vehicles
• Emergencies
• Businesses
• Replacement of wired networks
• Infotainment and more
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Application areas for Mobile Computing
1. Vehicles
• Devices, instruments and application allows users to
be informed or control their surroundings.
• Examples: music, news, road conditions, weather
reports via digital audio broadcasting (DAB)

2. Emergencies
• Ambulance services with high-quality wireless
connection to hospitals
• Victim’s vital data sent to hospital from emergency
scene
• In Hospitals, mobile technology helps doctors access
vital information on the move or during emergencies
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 Application areas for Mobile Computing
3. Business
•Sales staff need instant access to the company’s
database
•Efficient and synchronization mechanisms needed for
data consistency
4. Replacement of wired networks
•Alternative owing to economical, environmental and
regulatory constraints or flexibility issues
•Example: Remote sensors, Tradeshows

5. Infotainment
•Up-to-date data with Internet access
•Example: Online payments, purchases, entertainment
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 Multimedia
• Term used to describe many different
aspects of technology and communication
• Use of computer to present and combine
text, graphics, audio and video with links and
tools that let the user navigate, interact, create
and communicate

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 Multimedia Technology
• Video Implies moving photographic pictures such as
those appearing in movies and video.
• Audio including music , sound effects and the human
voice.
• Text All alphanumeric symbols and numbers & statistics
as well as blocks of text.
• Graphics Images including drawing and artwork produced
conventionally scanning into digital form.
• Animation Spans the range from film-based animation to
computer generated images. A simulation of
movement created by displaying a series of pictures, or frames.
Cartoon on television is one example of animation

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 Sample Animation

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Graphics and Multimedia Software

What are
some
popular
graphics
and
multimedia
software
products?

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 Desktop Publishing Software
• Enables you to design and produce sophisticated
documents that contain text, graphics,
and brilliant colors
• Tool for graphic
designers and
non-designers to
create visual
communications
(brochures, business
cards, greeting cards

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 Paint/Image Editing Software

• Used to create
and modify
graphical images
• Sometimes
called
illustration
software

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 Video and Audio Editing Software

• Video editing
software allows
to modify
video segment
(called a clip)
• Audio editing
software allows
to modify audio
clips

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 Research

1. UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System)

2. GPS (Global Positioning System)
3. WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) / Piconets
4. GSM (Global System for Mobile communication)

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 Question and Answer Session

Q&A

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What we will cover next

Topic of next session

Human Aspects of Computing

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