GCSE ICT Revision

Software

2006-12-04T17:15:00.000-08:00

Software are the programmes installed onto a computer that tell the hardware exactly what to do, basicly translating the inputsand doing things that are far too long and complicated for us to do. They are, when you get down to the 'nitty-gritty' a series of '1's and '0's that translate out to the tasks we want. There are two main types of software, system and application. System software contains the operating system and othet things that tell the hardware what to do. Application software are ypur everyday programs like Word or Excel that we use to tasks manually. They are also things like internet browsers and anti-virus software.

Operating System
I will refer to these as OS for the rest of this blog. OS are system software that basicly link the hardware to the other software, and also create a 'Human Computer Interface' or HCI that allows people to interact with the computer. The most simple of these was MS-DOS, which was simply a black screen with white writing on that allowed users to type in commands. Now-a-days the most common is Windows XP, soon to be replaced by Windows Vista. These are more colourful and include the use of a mouse, which allows useres to see what they are doing more clearly. Other OS include things like Linux, Unix or Mac OS X.
OS also sort out the alloctaion of RAM to the processes; allows users to sort their files using a folder system; allows users to print, save or open files; and manages data travelling between hardware.

Utility Programs
These are system programs, often actually built into the OS but sometimes freely downloaded, that do one, maybe two tasks very well. One example is WinZip, which compresses file. Other jobs utility pregrams can do include file retrieval, file repair, file naming, file conversion (eg: to mp3), printing jobs, backing up data and disk defragmentation.

Drivers
Small system software used to translate information from the OS to the hardware and back again. Each piece of hardware has a driver, but most are already installed on your computer as the hardware suppliers have been working closely with the OS makers to ensure this. New hardware usually has a dirver disc on it if it will need it to be installed. Hardware that have a driver include your mouse, keyboard, printer, moniter or joystick.

General Applications
These are software that have many different, but related, tasks. Things like Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Lotus Word Pro, Adobe Photoshop or Windows Media Player. They are sometimes called Generic Software as there are so many different brands and editions that do pretty much the same job, with only a few minor changes. Most users buy thess types of programs 'off the shelf', as they are relativly cheap, used so often that there will be few bugs and problems and have so many books and internet sites telling you where you've gone wrong.

Inetrgrated Packages
Many brands of software make packages with all their best products in one box. One example of this is Microsoft Works. Theier advantages include their cheapness, easyness to use and the fact they usually have the same user interface. However, they are rapidly being replaced by Bundled Suites, which are better than packages due to them having a common user interface, and havinf applications with a complete set of features. One popular one is Microsoft Office, which includes Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook and sometimes Publisher.

Specialist Software
These are software designed to do a single specific task, like to calculate accounts, map driving routes, handle appointments or work out income tax returns.

Tailor-made Software
If an organisation want something that simple 'off the shelf' software can't offer, then they can ask for a program to be specially written for them. The advantage is that it will do exactly what is needed, but the disadvantage is the high cost and time needed to program it. if new features are needed then this will cost more and take more time to test.

ICT In Society

2006-12-01T04:57:00.000-08:00

ICT is all very well and good, except when you get a virus. Or when your files are corrupted. Or when you get hacked and you bank details stolen. And come to think of it, no-one likes it when you get blasted with spam about, say, Spam Control 2007. But apart from that it's prettyuseful. But what is it's impact on our society, and how have we changed over the few decades that we have had computers? The answer may not strike you right on the forehead, but I bet if you thought hard enough you'd realise it had been nibbling your ankle for your whole life.

Entertainment
ICT plays a big part in what we do in our spare time. Goine are the days of watching a film in the cinema twice a week, reading books in the evening, listening to the radio at breakfast and newspapers being the first place to look for news. Well maybe not actually, but you see what I mean; we now have multi-channel digital TV, computer games, digital radios, CDs and DVDs. We can just sit at home and while away the evenings watching those great sitcoms from the 60's or re-runs of Batman, blasting our mates on multi-player Halo 2 or even just bopping away to a little Slipknot.

Family
There is a gap. Young people are now taught ICT as a core subject, up until year 10. This means they are at home with the ideas of technology, while their parents are often left in the dark. Most parents are taught how to use computers by their own children. I know I'm teaching my mum new things all the time. There are a group of people out there nicknamed 'Silver Surfers'. These are older people who have taken to using the internet as part of their lives, for example blogging their feelings on the web.
Another new feature of the internet is online shopping. 40% of woment asked feel their lives are more free now they shop online. It seems to help.

The Digital Divide
Also known as 'Social Exclusion', this means that some people cannot access this new fangled technology and use it. Mostly this is because of money. Computers and moblies cost, and not everyone can afford this 'necessary luxury'. There is a campaign to give homeless people mobiles or e-mail addresses to use as a contact when getting a job or a permanent residence. It would make life easier.
Another reason for not being able to use a computer is illiteracy. You can't type if you can't write in the first place. The Simputer is trying to put an end to this. It is a simple, low-cost alternative to a computer that allows people in LEDCs to use it. It is bridging this Digital Divide.
Different countries may have no electricity set up, or a telephone grid to access. This can be hard to keep up with the technolgy advancements made in countries like the UK. One lady in Bangladesh bought a mobile phone from the bank, and sold phone calls to all her neighbours. She was nicknamed 'the Telephone Lady', and has managed to save up the money to buy her son a bike to ride to school with.
Even within a MEDC there can be problems with lack of networks in the countryside. In the Uk, there has been a major attempt to provide even the most remote places with broadband acces though. And that's OK, because I've just upgraded recently!

Communications
We now have: mobiles, satellites, undersea cables, internet, emails, instant messaging, texting, video conferences and 24 hour rolling news. They have changed the way we communicate with people, sometimes for good, other times for bad.

Benefits - No matter where you are, you can talk and communicate with your friends and family, so long as you have the right equipment that is. Video conferences have reduced the need to travel, and so have cut fuel consumption and costs by quite a bit. People can work from home (teleworking), having access to their employer's network to do work, even from miles away. Other tasks done lond distance include training. Teachers can give lessons or be trained in a new software in places like Thailand by people all the way over in the UK.
24 hour news networks have raised world awareness by vast amounts. The speed and size of the response to the Tsunami on Boxing Day was mainly due to the amount of people who saw the news about the issue at the time.

Issues - All the new ways to communicate mean that people no longer even have to turn around to talk to a collegue a few feet away, they can text instead. Even in families people are known to talk only over instant messaging systems! People get distracted more easily by things like texts. Family ties are loosened as people spend more time on computers or watching TV instead of talking. People are less fit as there is less need to walk around, they can just stay in their home and just blob. Expensive items like mobiles are just magnets to theft, and crime is on the increase.

Conclusion
Like everything else in the world, ICT has it's ups and downs. Sometimes it seems like it's all you need, other times you wish you didn't have it. It can be confusing.

A Technology News Article 2

2006-11-30T06:42:00.001-08:00

iTunes achieves one billion mark

Apple's iTunes carries around 2 million songsA teenager in the US has made the one billionth purchase from Apple's online music service iTunes.

Alex Ostrovsky from West Bloomfield in Michigan bought Coldplay's Speed of Sound..
The 16-year-old won a number of prizes, including 10 music players, while Apple has said they will set up a music scholarship in his name.

The service was established three years ago and its sales have surpassed many conventional outlets in the US.

Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs said the billionth download represented "a major force against music piracy and the future of music distribution as we move from CDs to the internet".

Hardware

2006-11-29T09:53:00.001-08:00

Hardware. The physical items that make up the computer in all it's malfunctioning glory. These little bits and bobs come in man forms, varieties and costs. They can simply be clasified in three catagories: input, processes and outputs. Here be they:

Inputs

Things that allow information and commands to be entered into the computer to control it's actions.
Inputs are things like: a mouse, keyboard, scanner, joystick or stylus pad.

Processes

Things that do the actual work in the computer, adding sums and doings all the thinking, which is more than most people do.
Processing hardware include: the processor, funnily enough, RAM and other components on the motheboard.

Outputs

Outputs are the parts of the computer that show the final product of any information inputted into the system and processed.
These can be things like: a printer, monitor or projector.

And that's practically it for hardware. There really is nothing much else to it, apart from storage devices, but all they do is hold nformation and get read by the nput devices, like a CD drive or a USB port. Simple really.

Copyright Law

2006-11-28T12:55:00.000-08:00

The copyright law is there to prevent people stealing other people's work and using it as their own. It's like if someone stole your coursework and took your grade for it. The law clamps down on this and prevents people copying all sorts, from software, to music, to the coursework that you had to type on your computer that got hacked into and stolen.

The act has two main purposes:

To make sure people are rewarded for their endeavors.
To give protection to the copyright holder if someone tries to copy or steal their work.

Nearly everyone is guilty of copyright in some sense. Copying text from a site; installing your friends computer game on your own PC to play; downloading free music, we've all done it. But is it OK? Are these just petty examples and exempt from the law?

In computing software alone, a 10% decrease in piracy would result in 40000 new jobs and an extra £2.5 billion in tax for the government to do more with. Thsi could mean more games for us to play, or new software to use designed with the extra cash we are taking away by piracy.

If a student is caught trying to submit copied work, the exam boards will automatically disquallify them from the course, resulting in a fail.

Software you buy in he shop is not owned by you. It is merely a single-user license sold to you that allows you to install and run that software on your computer. It does not allow you to install that same software on your friends computer. Places like schools can buy muli-user licenses that allow them to have as many people as stated to use the software at oncce, or a site license that allows as many poeple as they like to use the software on the site.

The Data Protection Act (1998)

2006-11-21T12:55:00.000-08:00

The increasing use of computers for information stored in databases ment that many people started to worry about their rights to this data. Some of the most common concerns were:

Who will have access to this data?
Is this data accurate?
Will the data be sold?
Will the data be stored even if is not needed?

To address these concerns the Data Protection Act was set up in 1998.

There are several terms within the Data Protection Act that are used:

Data Subject: The person the data stored is about, everyone really.
Data User: The person or people who need to access the data and use it as part of their job. This could be a secutary that needs to send a letter home to you.
Data Controller: Often the person in charge of the organisation, but not all the time. Basically the person who decides which data needs to be collected and about who.
Data Commissioner: The person within the organisation who enforces the Data Protection Act, making sure no laws are broken to the best of their knowledge.
Personal Data: The information stored about a certain living individual.

There are eight principles to the Data Protection Act:

Personal data should be obtained and processed fairly and lawfully.
Personal data can be held only for specified and lawful purposes.
Personal data should be adequate, relevant and not excessive for the required purpose.
The personal data should be accurate and kept up-to-date.
The personal data should not be kept for longer than is necessary for the purpose for which it is collected.
Data must be processed in accordance with the rights of the data subjects.
Appropriate security measures must be taken against unauthorised access.
Personal data cannot be transferred to countries outside the European Union unless the country provides an adequate level of protection.

Certain data is deemed to be Sensitive Personal Data. This means it cannot be disclosed or told to anyone else. These are things like:

racial or ethnic origin
membership of a trade union
criminal convictions or offences
political opinions
religious beliefs
mental or physical welfare.
the commission or alleged commission by them of any offence

Under certain circumstances it might be essential to collect this data, for example if someone applies to a school of a certain religion.

The sixth Data Protection principle says that Data Sujects have the rights to:

see data held on themselves. They must apply in writing and pay a small fee (often around £10). The company must respond to the request within forty days
have any errors corrected
claim compensation for any distress caused if the Act has been broken
prevent processing likely to cause damage or distress
prevent processing for direct marketing by writing to the data controller to inform them that advertising material is not to be sent
prevent processing for automated decision taking by writing to the data controller to inform them that no decisions should be taken based on automatic processing. Some banks determine whether or not a customer should be given a mortgage on the basis of a computer program. The data subject has the right to prevent that happening.

If a valid reason is given, then Data Subjects might not be able to see thier data. These reasons are:

National Security
If required for the purpose of safeguarding national security, data controllers do not have to disclose the data held to data subjects.
Crime
Data which is being held in order to prevent or detect a crime does not have to be disclosed.
Taxation
any data collected for taxation purposes is exempt.
Heath, Education and Social Work
Personal data about the physical or mental health of the data subject. You have no automatic right to view your medical records. If a doctor believes that viewing them would harm your mental well being, they can be withheld from you.
Personal data relating to the present or past pupils of a school
Examination scripts and examination marks held by examination authorities
Personal data being processed by government departments or local authorities which is being used in the course of any investigation or monitoring.
Personal data that could form part of a confidential reference
(application for employment or a college course etc) This means that you have no legal right to ask to see a confidential or personal reference about yourself.

Viruses

2006-11-17T12:55:00.000-08:00

A virus in biology is an organsim that enters the body, latches onto cells and replicates itself over and over again, usually causing nasty side effects, eg: the common cold.
A computer virus is similar, except it attaches itself to computer programmes rather than people. Origionally they were fairly harmless, one caused letters on the screen to fall to the bottom; annoying but easy to fix. Later viruses became considerably more damaging, causing huge time, financial and patience loss.

Spread
Most viruses are spread via email attachments, some have even been designed to completly take over someones email system to replicate itself and send itself to other people.
Other ways include removable devices like floppy discs, CDs, DVDs or mempry sticks. Discs from large companies are unlikely to contain viruses, but home-burnt ones may.
Usually there is no immediate effect and people do not notice the virus until it becomes a problem.

Removal
The best way to remove a virus is with an anti-virus software, probably the most famous of which is Norton. These work by looking for patterns that match with known viruses and alert the user, giving a choice of ignoring, deleting or quaratining. As new viruses are being created all the time, they will need regular updates, either over the internet or by buying the latest version whenever it comes on the market. They usually cost, but it is worth it.
Anti-virus software can have disadvantages sometimes though, installing some programmes can be a pain, as the software will mistake the installation as a virus spreading through the system and prevent it. This is why most softwares tell you to deactivate your anti-virus software during installation.
Another way to delete the virus is manually, by directly going into the affected files and deleting them. This can cause problems though, especially if the file in question is an important one, and it only works if the virus is only installed there and hasn't spread yet.

Prevention
Viruses can be prevented from taking control by following a few simple steps:

using anti-virus software to scan your system daily or weekly
update the scanning software regularly
not allowing people to load applications \ executable files on your system
using special filtering software to prevent downloads of computer programs
scanning all incoming e-mails
not opening suspicious emails or attachments
avoiding software from unreliable sources
backing up data regularly so you can recover your data with clean copies

Other computer pests

Trojans: Applications that are disguised as useful programmes, eg: games, but really are doing something nasty. They can: log key strokes and send them,to capture passwords etc; allow someone to take control of your computer when you're online; take screenshots and send them, to capture personal information like bank details; and many other malicious tasks.

Worms: Lika a computer virus but will spread itself along a network. The main problem with them is the huge amount of bandwidth they use up, slowing networks right down.

Adware/spyware: These latch onto a computer and take notes on which ads the user clicks on, and then send more to the computer. They aren't really damaging but can be a right nuisance and tricky to remove.

Viruses and the law

The law states under the Computer Misuse Act of 1990 that a virus is an 'unautherised modification of the contents of a computer, impairing the operation of any programme or reliability of data'. Anyone caught distributing viruses knowingly faces an unlimited fine and up to a five year prison sentence.

Health and Safety

2006-11-16T15:05:00.000-08:00

There are many problems caused by using computers, and in this post I will cover some of the many health issues, how to avoid them and some of the laws that are associated with them.

RSI - Repetitive Strain Injury
This is what a lot of people had who worked in jobs that required a lot of repeated movements, like typing. The muscles in the hands and wrists would get overworked and stetched, so the hands would eventually curl up in a painful ball.
This can be prevented by taking regular breaks of 5 minutes every hour, and making sure people use the right chairs and arm rests to assure correct posture and a relaxed and comfortable position to work in.

Back pain
This is caused by incorrect posture and uncomfortable chairs. It can easily be prevented by adjustable chairs and foot rests that allow the user to sit at an easy height and placing the moniter so that the neck doesn't have to be bent to see.

Eye strain
Staring at a computer screen can cause pian, nausea, fatigue, blurred vision and headaches. It is usually temporary, but can be easily prevented by taking regular breaks, occasionally looking away from the screen while working and even fitting a filter over the moniter to prevent a lot of the harmful rays that are emitted.

Health, safety and the law
The law states that emploers must:

provide tiltable screens
provide screen filters
provide adjustable chairs
provide foot supports
make sure suitable lighting is available
ensure workstations are not cramped
inspect workstations regularly to make sure they meet health and safety requirments
train employees to use the workstations correctly
plan work at computers so people have regular breaks
pay for regular eye tests for anyone who needs pescription glasses in order to use a computer

Employees are required to:

use workstations and equipment correctly and follow the training provided by their employers
inform their employer of any problems relating to Health and Safety as soon as they arise.

Network Types

2006-11-14T12:55:00.000-08:00

There are three main types of networks: Bus, Ring and Star:

Bus

All devices are connected on a common cable
The wire is terminated at each end and is not allowed to form a closed loop
Easy to implement and extend, quick to setup for temporary networks and is less expensive than other networks
Difficult to administer, and can be slow. A break in the cable will down t.he whole network, as will a downed node

Ring

Devices are connected in a closed loop
If one node goes down then the network is unable to function, also if a computer needs to be added then the network needs to be closed temporarily
Files travel slower because they have to travel through every node on the way to their destination

Star

All nodes are connected to a central one that has control
Easy to add and change nodes without disturbing the rest of the network
No problems with data collision as all nodes are individually connected
Limited cabnle length limits numbers of nodes to be connected, and failure of the central node will down the whole network

Networks

2006-11-07T12:55:00.000-08:00

Advantages

Access files from different places
Some programmes can be lisenced on a network for cheaper
Certain hardware can be shared
Files can be backed up all at once, rather than for each individual computer
Messages can be sent to other computers over the network

Disadvantages

Vulnerable to viruses
Can be unreliable
If the server comes down then the whole network is offline
Wiring and installation can be expensive to buy and install
A trained person is needed to run it
External communication equipment can be expensive to run

LANs and WANs

LANs are local area networks, and are fairly close. Usually within a single building. They are connected with wires or radio wireless transmitters.
WANs are wide area networks. They are spread over a much larger area in different buildings, different sites and even different countries. They use telephones, satellites or cables. The internet is a WAN.

Levels of Access

Network Technician - Change passwords, Change shared files, Add new users, Plus all below

Head Teacher - View financial records, view staff records, Pluss all below

ICT Teacher - View student records, Plus all below

Student - Change own password, Use software for homework

A Technology News Article

2006-11-03T15:05:00.000-08:00

Computers vs consoles.

How does the PC gaming experience differ from that offered by consoles? PCs have a long precedent for online multiplayer gaming, something that's only just coming to Xbox and PS2. This is the most profound difference between gaming on the two different types of machine. But, for someone used to joypads, there's also the significant factor of the interface. Playing on a keyboard (which has its origins in typing for heaven's sakes) is a very different experience, and something that in many ways defines the viability of genres. So, are some games better suited to consoles and others to PCs?

Sure, Half Life is a classic first-person shooter. A benchmark. Roll on the sequel. However, the act of controlling Gordon Freeman with both your mouse and your keyboard, digits scampering around, is a drag compared to guiding Halo's Master Chief or your TimeSplitters 2 protagonist, by way of a reassuringly clutched joypad and a well-designed control system. (Sure PCs have joypad peripherals, but they're not the default.)

When playing other genre games – notably simulation and strategy games – PC is, thus far, the only option. For the while, the elaborate control system of a real-time strategy game like the majestic Rise Of Nations (the recent game from the designer of Civilization II) demands the keystroke versatility of a keyboard and the grunt of a PC memory. (Plus, there are those online opportunities.) With The Sims on a PS2, the gameplay feels awkward thanks to the commands having been squished into the joypad controls. And frankly, if you associate your console more with exploration, fighting and racing, The Sims feels turgid. Play a Sim on a PC and your expectations are different - you expect to commit to the game differently, interacting via your keyboard almost as if you're working.

These distinctions are not rigid, doubtless. Boundaries are blurred by the porting back and forth of games. And these days, both PCs and consoles are increasingly becoming “home media centres”. But the associations of plugging a console into your TV (something long associated with leisure) compared with those of playing on a PC (a machine with more explicit work connotations) mean that the experiences provided by consoles and PCs remain distinct. Daniel Etherington 27 June 03

Welcome

2006-11-03T14:35:00.000-08:00

Hey, I don't usually blog, but I have been set this assignment to do in ICT so I listen and I obey. I am starting this blog as a revision thingy to allow me to post things, let people comment, ask questions and answer mine, and so on. It could turn out to work, but I don't know. I don't usually need to revise much, but hey! Who cares! So on with the show!