The disadvantages of email are some message deliveries are delayed and sometimes fail, occasionally servers could be down for maintenance so you might not be able to access your email, for shopping websites you must have email otherwise you cannot access them.
Email effects people’s lives because companies, schools etc contact people through email because of the ease, people use email for shopping online and they use it to keep in touch with others and like the ease and simplicity of email.
I.T also includes communication and this also has an impact on people’s lives.
Mobile Phones
Nowadays, nearly everyone has a mobile telephone and they all come in different varieties, some are touch screen, some are like mini computers and all of them offer different features, there are also different ways of paying, some are on contract (pay a certain amount of money per month for a certain number of months, this usually includes free texts and phone calls) and others are on pay as you go (where you only pay for the calls and texts you make).
Mobiles are used all the time; especially in secondary schools, nearly all children will have a mobile phone. If you walk along a street, it is very likely that you will see someone using a mobile. In fact whether you’re riding a bus, on a train or where ever you are among people at least one person will be using a mobile.
Phones allow people to take pictures and some phones have amazing picture quality (just as good as a proper camera.) People will take quick pictures of friends, landscapes, landmarks and generally anything which they want to take a quick snap of. People like using phones to take pictures because it’s easier than carrying a camera, on the phone they can edit photos, add frames and effects to pictures which on most cameras you cannot do. In schools kids are always taking pictures of their mates and themselves and then maybe uploading onto blogging sites.
Most new phones have built in GPRS; this is very useful because it lets the user access maps of where they are at the time, the names of streets, they can find the nearest restaurants, pubs, shops and places to suit their shopping requirements. This is very useful because they can quickly find out where they are and where they can go.
Most phones have organizers built in; this can include calendars, to do lists and memos. This is all very useful because you can enter appointments and dates and people can write themselves notes and all of this can be accessed on a phone. It helps people keep organized.
Most phones have Bluetooth, people use this because it makes it very easy to send files to other Bluetooth devices e.g. other mobiles, Bluetooth enabled computers, and other products which have Bluetooth. ]
Messaging and making calls with mobiles are very easy. For a message all the user has to do is pick a number to send to and then write the message and making a call all they have to do is choose a number and dial it, it is very simple and this is why people like using mobiles.
New phones let people access their emails, this is very useful especially for business people, because they always need to keep up speed with their business and they mainly do this with email, so if they Can check them when they are away from a computer with their mobile it is very useful, individuals also use this service to check their emails.
Phones are beginning to feature WI-FI, this means if they are in cities or anywhere where there is a wireless hotspot, people will be able to connect to the internet for free and check emails, go on messengers and generally surf the web and the number of hotspots is increasing.
Mobile phones have an impact on the individual because they are getting used more and more. An example is shopping websites, if an item is out of stock some sites can provide a stock alert facility which means when the product comes back in stock the company will send you a text message saying that it is in stock and can give you the current price of it. Schools are also starting to set up SMS alerts, so if they have an important announcement they can quickly send a message to all parents. There are always new advertisements for mobiles about new mobile technology coming into shops, this affects the individual because people with mobiles always want upgrades because of the newer and better technology coming out and they want it. With all the different networks, phones and price plans there is a very good variety of phones for sale.
People are always upgrading and more people are buying mobiles because of the amazing technology built in, the amount of programs they can offer and they can use them in all different ways instead of just calling. Mobiles are very useful for emergency phone calls and some people get phones mainly for this reason.
I asked people why they use mobiles. The first person I asked replied “I use my mobile because I can easily contact people, send messages, quickly take photos and sometimes I use it to check my email which is very useful when I’m not near my laptop.” The second person said “I like using my mobile because of the multimedia features. I like using the camera because I can quickly take one and then edit it with comical effects, frames and then I upload them to my blogging site.” The third person I asked replied “I mainly use my phone for emergencies; however I do find it useful to be able to quickly call people and occasionally check my emails.”
The advantages of mobiles are, they offer a great number of facilities, they can be personalized (with backgrounds, themes,) mobiles offer programs which computers do which is very useful when people do not have access to computers., you can get strong phone reception is many places, there is a wide range of phones and ways to pay for them, the battery life is mostly very good among phones, new technology is being developed for mobiles all the time, people can find the phone which will suit their requirements.
The disadvantages of mobiles are when new ones are released they are very expensive, contract phones tend to be quite expensive, you cannot get reception everywhere that you go, a lot of facilities like web browsing and email cost money and can cost a lot if they are used regularly, people are constantly pressured into upgrading because of the number of advertisements and new technology which they really want.
WI-FI
WI-FI falls under the category of mobile access. WI-FI is also known as wireless LAN. WI-FI means that people with a WI-FI enabled device can connect to a wireless network, with this people can surf the internet, check emails and share information with other devices on the same network. Sources of WI-FI can be wireless routers (where a phone line is plugged into a small box and then wireless signals are transmitted for wireless devices to connect to. These are now very common in homes because it is so much easier to connect and less hassle because there are no wires. In some restaurants, hotels, town centres and other buildings are supplying wireless hotspots. This is where an area is covered by a wireless connection and allows people with WI-FI devices to connect to, most of the time it is free to connect to the network, however other times there is a small fee and in return people get to use the network and access the internet. Products like laptops, even if they are not wireless enabled there are wireless adapters available for purchase with will enable them to connect to wireless networks. Even some mobiles can connect to wireless networks, this is very useful because if they find a connection, which is free to connect to, this will save a lot of money because standard mobile internet costs, quit a bit of money.
People use WI-FI because it is very easy to connect to a network (all is needed is to search for wireless networks then you need to choose one and simply connect to it, because there are no wires and it can all be done wirelessly, it makes WI-FI very attractive to use. It is very simple to use, which means the user can quickly connect to a network and start surfing the internet. People who have their own wireless networks in their house choose WI-FI as a network because they can get a connection mostly, throughout their house. So if they want to go into the garden they can take a laptop and be able to connect, this is very useful because people do not have to always have to be in the same place to connect to the internet.
Some people who have their own router, sometimes have the problem of others hacking into their networks and using it to connect to the internet, however if the people know how, a password can be applied to a network so when people want to connect to it they must enter the correct password.
WI-FI has an effect on people lives because more wireless hotspots are being created, in some cities they are nearly covered with wireless networks. Products are coming out all the time equipped to connect to these networks. There are many types of routers available for purchase offering different speeds, ranges and facilities. More and more people are switching to wireless networks because they can get rid of wires and have more freedom when on the internet.
I asked people why they use WI-FI. The first person said “I choose WI-FI to connect to the internet because I can go anywhere in my house and be able to connect to the internet, before I got a wireless router I connected to the internet via a wire, however since I’ve got wireless internet I can connect to my network with my laptop, mobile, Nintendo ds and my Nintendo wii, since they all wireless enabled. WI-FI is very simple because I can quickly connect to the internet. I also find wireless hotspots very useful because even when I’m out and about I can still connect to the internet and most of the time I can connect to wireless networks for free.
The second person I asked replied “WI-FI is very simple to use, the range of it is very good and I especially like it because by applying a password I can be sure that no one is hacking into my network.”
The advantages of WI-FI are simplicity, there are no wires, in a house a person could go anywhere and be able to connect, the ranges of the networks can be very good, routers offer different speeds (this means people can buy the appropriate router for their needs), there are wireless hotspots and they can be very useful because people can get on the internet outside the range of their own network, devices can connect to the wireless networks quickly, passwords can be applied to increase the security levels of networks, WI-FI adapters can be bought for laptops and computers so they can be wirelessly enabled and take advantage of the wireless network facility.
Disadvantages are people can hack into others networks without their permission (however a password can be applied to stop this), sometimes connections can be unreliable and occasionally connection can be lost, some hotspots charge a fee for connecting to their network and not all devices support WI-FI so an alternate network source has to be found.
Digital Cameras
Digital cameras fall under the category of data capture
Nowadays digital cameras are used heavily, people are always taking photographs when they go on holiday, go to special events where they want to capture moments and to later look back on them. Digital cameras all come in different varieties. Some are very simple and straight forward, which will suit many people, this type of cameras normally just have a shutter button and buttons to adjust the zoom, however people who like to put their own mark on their photos, like to adjust more of the settings and like to be more professional when they take their photos, this is why people like this buy more expensive cameras, these types of cameras are known as DSLR cameras. Cameras like this allow the users to adjust settings like, focus, exposure, effects and various other settings, whereas on simpler cameras you would not be able to do this. People like to adjust these settings because they want to make their photos their own and to seem more professional. DSLR cameras provide superb picture quality and all photographers will have one, however smaller cameras are being produced which will take outstanding pictures, some as good as a professional one. Newer cameras have facilities like face tracking, so the camera will focus in on faces; there is also a program where it will only take a picture when people are smiling.
People like using digital cameras because it is very easy to take a picture, all they need to do is choose a zoom level (if they need to) and then press down on the shutter button. After they take a picture, they can view it on the LCD screen on the reverse of the camera, then if they do not like the picture they took they can simply delete it in a matter of seconds, this is a reason why digital cameras are so good because when you delete a photo it frees up memory to take another. Digital cameras are very useful because they have different pre programmed settings, some of these include, landscape, portrait, night, sunny, cloudy and many others, this helps to get the best picture you can.
Cameras are used all the time at birthdays, parties, weddings, and days out, events which include people’s relatives, friends and other events where people want to take a picture to remember the place where they took it. Newspaper/ magazine companies are constantly using digital cameras to get great pictures for their stories and headlines. In some supermarkets, chemists and shops there are special photo printing machines which are very simple to use, all people need to do is take the memory card out of the camera, choose which photos to print and then wait for them to print, these machines are very useful because of the convenience and ease of printing photos.
People choose to use digital cameras because they can easily take pictures when they want, choose different settings to get the best possible photo. It is very easy to delete pictures. Excellent quality is produced by digital cameras; there are many accessories available for purchase to enhance people’s photography. There are always newer and better cameras coming to shops producing amazing quality.
I asked people why they choose to use digital cameras. The first person I asked answered “I choose to use a digital camera because I find it very and simple to use and if it was complicated I would most likely choose not to use it however since I can easily take a picture with it I choose to use a digital camera.”
The second person I asked responded “I like using digital cameras because I can adjust the settings to get my pictures just right, I love to capture those special moments and later look back on them and if I need to delete a picture it is very simple and allows me to take more photos.”
Digital TV’s
This falls under the category of entertainment
All new digital televisions are flat screen, built in freeview and HD ready, because these TV's are HD and other built in technology, they offer and produce amazingly clear and crisp image quality, for example if you’re watching a football match, the picture will be so good it will be almost like your there yourself and because they are flat screen they save a lot more room than older televisions which a lot of people appreciate. Most new televisions have built in Freeview, this is useful because it means people do not have to buy a separate freeview box and they only need the one remote, this is good because quite a few people tend to loose or misplace remote controls. People who play games on consoles (Xbox, play stations, Nintendo etc), by using a digital television, it will enhance their gaming experience because of the clearer and more realistic image and sound all this will make the user happier and will make them enjoy using the television. With the newer and better televisions, like digital ones it has the ports which provide the facility to plug in laptops, cameras and other devices which use the brilliant screen of the television to display pictures, videos and other ways which make use of the television screen.
If you were to combine the clear screen of a digital television and something like a Blu-ray DVD, you would be able to achieve a stunning picture, amazing sound and very realistic quality and detail. Nearly everyone has a television and many of these people have upgraded to a digital television because of the shear quality of them and because so many people upgrade their televisions and buy these newer TV's it affects individuals in the field of I.T.
People use digital TV’s because they deliver much crisper images, better sound and makes it much more enjoyable to watch television. It enhances television experience. If the users have a gaming console, it will enrich their gaming experience. Laptops, cameras can be connected and then people like to display pictures on the amazingly clear screen. The main reason people upgrade to digital televisions is because of the greatly improved quality.
I asked people why they use digital televisions and if they upgraded I asked them why.
The first person I asked replied. “I used to have an older television, however when I saw the quality of these new televisions with HD and the built in freeview, I eventually bought a new one because my friends had one and by seeing the amazing quality I bought one and I love it, when I watch sport matches it is like I’m there, that is how good the detail is.”
The second person I asked, answered “I have a gaming console and when I bought my new digital television and played my console on it, the picture was outstanding, because of the quality I use my console even more now, it is much more enjoyable to watch TV as well because of the quality, it’s amazing how much televisions have improved and advanced.
Advantages of digital televisions are, very good quality, crisp sound, enhances TV and gaming quality, ability to plug in laptops etc, built in freeview, because they are flat screen instead of the old bulky ones a lot of space is freed for other uses, some have built in DVD players (no need to purchase a separate player and there is one less remote to keep track of) and screen sizes vary to suit every home.
The only real main disadvantage is the price, because the newer TV’s feature very good technology which is built in and the bigger screen sizes, when they come out they tend to be very expensive and out of a lot of people’s price range however some companies offer a rental service where people pay a set fee per month and in return they get a digital TV from the range which they supply.
