HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE
Hardware (physical components that make up a computer system.)

Can be internal or external
External hardware devices
1.
2.
3.
4.
Monitors
Keyboards
Mice
Printers
Internal hardware devices
1. Motherboard
 Printed circuit board found in a computer
 Allows CPU to function
 Contains several sockets and slots to connect to other computers
 Acts as HUB that other devices connect to
2. Central processing unit (CPU)
 Interprets and executes demands from hardware/software
 Made up of 3 main components:
­ Arithmetic logic unit (ALU)
­ Control unit
­ Immediate access store (RAM)
 Forms part of the motherboard
3. Random access memory
 Internal chip where data is temporarily stored (temporary/volatile memory)
 Can be written and read from
 All content is lost when computer has been powered off
4. Read only memory
 Internal chip where data is permanently stored (non-volatile)
 Data cannot be altered
 Contains Boot file (tells computer what to do when staring up)
5. Video card
 Enables computer to display images on the monitor
6. Sound card
 Enables computer to produce sound, connect to microphones
7. Internal hard disk drive (HDD)/ solid state drive (SDD)
 Stores data (text, photos, music, etc.)
 Stores most system and application software
Software (programs for controlling the operations system of a computer)
a. APPLICATION SOFTWARE (programs allowing user to perform specific tasks)
 Word processor: manipulates text documents
 Spreadsheets: organize and manipulate numerical data
 Database: organize, manipulate, analyze data
 Applications: runs on smartphones/tablets
 Photo editing: manipulate digital data
 Video editing: manipulates videos to produce video editing
 Graphics manipulation: bitmap, vector images can be changed
 Control and measuring allow computer to interact with sensors
b. SYSTEM SOFTWARE (programs that control the computer)
 Operating system program required to control input and output operations
Allows users to communicate with the system
Controls system resources
 device drivers allow hardware devices to communicate with computer operating
system
 compilers convert programs language to binary code
 linkers link code that programmer writes with other resources
 utilities help users with everyday tasks
USER INTERFACES: set of programs that do all the things needed to make a computer work
­
­
­
Human Computer Interface (HCI): controls what computer sees on screen
Graphic User Interface (GUI): interact with computer using pictures/icons
Command Line Interface (CLI): communicating with computer via keyboard
Backing storage: secondary storage device for data
External storge: separate from computer, plugs into USB port
TYPES OF COMPUTERS
LAPTOP
DESKTOP




Easy upgrade
Large screen
Internet
Keyboard and mouse
 Not portable
 Use a lot of space




SMARTPHONE




Pocket size
Calls, emails, text
Network
Transfer data
 Small screen
 Low battery life
Great for work
Functions
Network
Large screen
 Large/heavy
 Difficult to upgrade
TABLET




Portable
Easy to use
Network
Transfer data
 Expensive
 Lack ports
IMPACTS OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGY
1. Artificial Intelligence
 computer systems that perform tasks usually carried by humans
 voice recognition, language translation
2. Driverless cars
 Guided by a GPS, Wi-Fi, and spatial laser sensors
 Probably safer (no driver to cause accidents)
 Some may lose jobs, privacy concerns
3. 3D and Holographic Imaging
 Creation of 3D images that change when you move
 Has been improved in hospitals (used by surgeons to plan/evaluate procedures)
4. Computer Assisted Translation
 Translation by computer without human involvement
 CAT system creates and manages translation memory
­ Translators can reuse existing strings of previously translated text
5. Vision enhancement
 Implant placed in retina of a blind person (wear glasses that have video camera
mounted on it )
­ Data flows from camera to pocket computer where data is processed
­ Resulting information is sent along optic nerve to brains visual cortex
6. Robotics
 Able to copy actions of humans
 Produce work more consistently (more precise at task, work continuously)
 Can work in areas that are dangerous for humans
 Don’t need to be paid
7. Biometrics
 Provide strong authentication (fingerprints, retina scans, DNA, voice patterns)
­ Verification (to make sure person is who they say they are)
­ Identification (to identify a person in a crowd)
­ Screening (to match a person who may be on watchlist for security purpose)
8. Quantum Photography
 Uses physics to generate a key that relies on light (photons)
 Enables secret kept being sent from sender to receiver (used to decrypt encoded
messages)
 If eavesdropper looks at encrypted key, changes occur to particles of light being
observed.
9. 3D printers
 Make many 3D objects, using different materials
 printing layers of thousands of materials to form an object
10. drones
 aerial vehicle that crosses boundaries between robotic, aeronautics, electronics
 controlled by phone/remote
 military use, weather analysis, search rescue, deliveries
11. virtual reality
 computer generated environment used to immerse and perform actions
 used for virtual walkthrough museums,
 car manufacturers can create prototypes of new vehicles
 astronauts/pilots/medical students/use for training
CHANGE IN WORK PATTERNS









payroll workers
­ workers still employed in admissions learn to use new technologies
Typing
­ In modern day, documents are word processed/ produced on computers using
software
Car production workers
­ Robots are used in production lines
IT specialism
­ >80% of jobs that are in greatest demand globally, are IT related
Smart working styles
­ Online collaborations (videoconferencing, and VOIP)
­ Training events now moved online
­ Automated telephone messages
Increase employment due to IT
­ Increase in employment in other fields (web-designers, computers programmers,
delivery)
Web designer
­ Nowadays, artists and designers use computers to design and create their websites.
Computer programmer
­ Involves using special coded language that helps communicate with machine
­ Creates computer systems for education, health, finance, host of other fields
Delivery drivers
­ Online shopping and e-commerce are very popular, need for delivery is increasing
­ More delivery drivers needed by many courier companies that are operating now
Working Patterns




Job Sharing (job shared between 2 or more workers)
Flexi-Hours (employee can vary when they come to work)
Part-Time (full-time divided by 2 part-time workers)
Compressed (work their full hours for the week in less days)
Advantages and disadvantages of micro processed-controlled devices
Advantages
Disadvantages
 Save energy
 Lead to wasteful society
 Easy to program them to do specific
 Leaving devices on standby wastes
tasks
electricity
 Far more efficient
 We’re not very confident around
electronics
Advantages and disadvantages of micro processed-controlled devices in the home
Advantages
 No longer have to manual tasks
 Time for leisure activities
 Can control home devices with your
phone
 Smart fridge leading to healthier
lifestyle
Disadvantages
 Can lead to unhealthy lifestyle
 People become lazy
 People become less fit
 Potential to lose household skills
POTENTIAL HEALTH PROBLEMS RELATED TO PROLONGED USE OF IT EQUIPMENT
1. REPETETIVE STRAIN INJURY (RSI)
 CAUSED BY EXERTION OF WRIST MUSCLE
 JOB ROTAION STRATEGIES MINIMIZE RISKS OF RSI
2. BACK PROBLEMS
 SIT TOO LONG IN HUNCHED POSITION
 ADJUSTABLE CHAIRS/TAKE SHORT BREAKS
3. EYESIGHT PROBLEMS
 DUE TO DIRECTION OF LIGHTING AND THE GLARE
4. STRESS
5. OVERUSE OF THUMBS, WRISTS, EYES, NECK, AND BACK MUSCLES ARE COMMON TOO
PREVENTIONS
­ ADJUST YOUR CHAIR TO THE RIGHT ANGLE/POSITION
­ TAKE SHORT BREAKS EVERY COUPLE HOURS
­ POSITION YOUR SCREEN IN APPRORAITE POSITIONS
­ EXERCISE AND EAT SENSIBLY
SAFTEY AND SECURITY
HACKING
 It is unauthorized access to someone’s computer system
What effects does hacking have?


You can lose all your data
Hackers could use your personal data to impersonate you, they might apply for a credit card
and apply for loans in your name.
 Businesses could lose order or customer information
 Hackers could leak top-secret information, which could cause a huge worldwide security
problem.
 Hackers can see everything, and this leads to decreased privacy
What can I do to protect my data from hacking?
 Use authentication
 Keep copies of all your files onto another device in case you do get hacked
 Use user ids and passwords
 Make files unreadable by using data encryption
 Don’t keep the same password for all accounts, change passcodes regularly.
 Make sure you’ve got a strong password, weak passwords are easily guessed
Biometric data




records used to identify people e.g., fingerprints, face ID etc.
physiological biometric data: physical aspects. fingerprints and retina scan
behavioral biometrics: signatures, handwriting, and voice patterns
verification or identification
KEY TERMS:
1. digital certificate: method of keeping emails or messages private (name, email, serial
number, a public key, expiration date, digital signature)
2. public/private key: held in two files that allow you to create a digital certificate
3. Secure socket layer (SSL): protocol for managing security of a message transmission on the
internet.
Difference between SSL and digital certificate?
Digital certificate establishes credentials, SSL manages security of messages transmitted on the
internet.
Encryption
Making data difficult to read by scrambling mathematically, before reading contents must be
decrypted.
How to know if website is secure




Sometimes you get warning messages
Most websites display an icon to show they are secure (usually small, locked padlock)
Check if URL is http:// or https://
Red – out of date
Yellow – authenticity of certificate cannot be verified
White – normal validation
Green – extended validation. Browser and website are encrypted.
Phishing

Criminal activity trying to find sensitive information, such as passwords or banking details by
fraudulent means.
Pharming

Hacker installs malicious program on computer. Program code cause any clicks you make to
be redirected to another website without you knowing.
 Dns server converts letter-based website name into digits
Key terms
Dns server: domain name system server. Turns friendly version of domain name into numbers
Vishing

Combination of voice and phishing. Fraudsters obtain personal details of a victim through
their landline telephone.
How to guard against phishing, vishing, pharming






Do not open if you don’t recognize sender of email
Look at file name before opening as it could eb executable (.exe, .bat, .com, .reg)
Do not reply if it asks for personal information
Check if it looks legit
Be sus if they ask to provide personal info
Don’t respond to smishing messages
 Forums are online place to discuss topics with others. Moderated forum- all posts are
approved beforehand by moderator
 Internet is generally unmoderated cause no one owns the internet
 Email spam /junk mail/ unsolicited bulk email (UBE). Click on link and u may be sent to
phishing website
COMPUTER VIRUS:

piece of software that infects a computer by installing itself and copying itself into other
computers without you knowing
 virus might install spyware (records activities of user, passwords being entered and
transmits info to person who wrote the malware
how to protect computer from viruses
 install anti-virus
 install anti-malware software
 never download and install software from untrusted internet sites
 don’t open email attachments unless you have scanned them
 run virus scan on memory stick/ CD ROM before opening any files.
FIRE WALLS



Protective barrier between you and any other computers that you are connected to
Computer hardware or software that can help protect your network by filtering traffic and
blocking outsiders from gaining unauthorized access to private data.
Firewall will close off all port services that you are not using. if it did not do that, then your
computer could eb entered through the unused port number
CHAPTER 9: AUDIENCE
Already know a few facts about audience, now take it step-by-step
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Define who your audience is: who will be receiving the presentation
Define what you need to know about them: know audiences’ knowledge about topics
Decide how to conduct your analysis, create the means of carrying it out: collect information
Select representative group from your intended audience
Analyze your findings
Why is it important to need solutions to meet needs of audience?
*
*
*
*
Language used – use appropriate terms and language
Multimedia – use sound, video, animation
Length of presentation – short, sweet, straightforward, and easy to understand
Interactive presentation – ask easy to understand questions to get people to take part
LEGAL, MORAL, ETHICAL, AND CULTURAL APPRECIATION




Legal covers the law
Morality governs the private and personal interactions between people and is usually
determined by private data
Ethics governs professional interactions
Cultural refers to attitudes, values, and practices shared by society/group of people
KEY TERMS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Sustainable approach: seeking to minimize minimum effect (doesn’t damage livelihood of future
generations)
Copyright: refers to legal right of owner of intellectual property / the right to copy
Intellectual property: ideas and skills of other people that belong to them
Copyright law: law protects books/music/art/other written or recorder in the same way
Software copyright: protecting software from being used by a person with no permission
Owner will create license that defines T&C’s of its use if they want to be paid
 Anything that breaks the law is illegal
 Morality covers the human desire to distinguish between right and wrong
 Unethical is breaking any sort of code of conduct
KEY QUESTIONS TO DETERMINE WHETHER ETHICAL ISSUES MAY RISE
1. Does the product reflect/offend the conventions of society?
2. What impacts might the product have on people’s cultural sensibilities
3. What the implications are for the future and making sure products aren’t too damaging on
environment
4. What about sustainability, recycling, and conservation
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Types of issues designers may feel they have a responsibility to take into consideration include:
 Use of technology materials that limit the damage to the world’s environment
 Use of renewable energy that is replaced/cannot be used up
 Materials that are renewable are ones that can be replaced at least as fast as they’re used
 Reusable product (can be reused without need for processing)
 Recycling and reusing
POLICING THE INTERNET



control sites that are used to block those that a government does not want to us to use
Often blocked to stop what is seen as inappropriate material
Sites sometimes blocked if it is thought that they could lead you to info thought to be
unsuitable.
Chapter 10: COMMUNICATION
COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER USERS USING EMAIL





Several applications that can be used (email being the most common)
Internet can also be used for personal and group communication (email arrives instantly but
actual speed depends on how often emails are checked/read)
Communicating computers must both have email application on them (doesn’t have to be
the same kind)
Messages can be:
1. Composed
2. Files attached
3. Recipients chosen
4. Message sent from email application
Receiver can (1) read the message, (2) extract file, (3) see who sent the email
Advantage
­
­
­
Communication is addressed to person whereas letters are delivered physically whether the
person is there or not.
Receiver can collect it wherever they are using a computer
Ability to stay in touch is important to travelers, especially businesspeople that need to be
mobile
Constraints
Laws of the country
1. ACCEPTABLE LANGUAGE
­ Way you word your message may be formal, or casual, or brief, depending on your
audience
­ You need to consider…
 Who your audience is
 What their relationship is to you
 What sort of impression will your message give about you
­ Tips for emailing
 Decide whether it should be brief or more professional (proofread, check for
grammar errors, spelling etc. )
 If you wouldn’t say it to their face, DON’T SEND IT!!!
 Use subject line to indicate what email is about (some people don’t open
emails with no subject.)
 Use appropriate greetings and signings. Important to sign your name at the
end of an email.
 Use CC box if you want to send a copy of the email to someone.
(BCC box is if you want to send email to someone without them knowing
you’ve done so)
 Be brief and clear in your email
2. NETIQUETTE AND COPYRIGHT (interNET ettIQUETTE)
­
Courteous when you are posting online and respecting views of others
­ General rules to observe…






No personal abuse
You can strongly disagree with others POV, but still be polite
Don’t spam
Write clearly
Watch what you post because once it’s out, it’s out forever
Don’t post copyrighted material or you could be prosecuted owner
*emails can be used as evidence in a court of law in some countries if they constitute harassment*
3. NEED FOR SECURITY
­
­
Priority for business as threats from hackers, virus, spam, phishing grow
Failure to provide security could lead to virus infection that could destroy systems
 Loss of systems could severely damage a business if data/records are lost.
 May be held liable for losses suffered through infection you unknowingly
passed to others.
A PACKET SNIFFER







is a program that can sniff out and decode each packet flowing over a digital network.
Relatively simple for it to spot an email. It may see a subject line or part of an SMTP
command
On its route to recipient, email passes through hardware, cables and airspace operated by
different countries or organizations
Anywhere during journey it could be scanned to find out if it resembles spam or if it contains
malware
Emails need to be encrypted
Transport layer security (TLS) – method used to ensure emails can’t be intercepted
Make sure you keep your password safe, and change it regularly
SPAM (Junk mail you haven’t asked for)
When you use the internet to sign up to any website, you may be asked to (un)tick a box if you agree
to be sent correspondence from other similar sources



If you’re aware and read this properly then you can avoid spam.
Most spam will be from emails you have not agreed to receive
Spammers will get your email by buying lists of email addresses from people who have
legally collected them.
HOW TO DEAL WITH SPAM
 Read T&C’s: look for any check boxes they you may be opting into/out of
 Use the ‘unsubscribe’ option
 Use the ‘mark as spam’ and ‘Block Senders’ feature on your email account
 Make sure your password is safe
 Keep your antivirus program up to date
EFFECTIVE USE OF THE INTERNET
KEY WORDS:
1. Internet service provider allows a connection to the internet
2. Hypertext transfer protocol: used by worldwide web to define how web page is formatted or
transferred
3. Hypertext transfer protocol secure variant: HTTP using a secure encrypted link
4. Hyperlink: clickable area or word on a web page that lets you jump to different pages
5. Uniform resource locator: unique web address of every page on the world wide web
INTERNET is a global network of interconnected computer networks used to connect people,
communities, and countries worldwide
INTRANET is a private computer network within an organization. Even though intranet uses internet
technologies, it is safeguarded from the global network.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WEB AND THE INTERNET




Internet brings people together globally
The internet is used for email that uses Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (communication
protocol for mail servers for transmitting data)
The web is a way of accessing information using the internet (it uses HTTP to transmit data
allowing applications to communicate and share information)
The web uses browsers such as Internet Explorer, Safari, Chrome to access webpages linked
via hyperlinks
The structure of a URL(uniform resource locator)
Unique address of any web page. It works in a similar way to writing an address on the outside of an envelope
to show where you want the letter to go. URL is made up of several parts: the first part can also specify other
protocols such as https or ftp
Acronym
Protocol
When it is used
FTP
File transfer protocol
Transfer files from one host to
another. Downloading or uploading
a file
HTTP
Hypertext transfer protocol
Used by WWW to define how a web
is designed and transferred
SSL
Secure socket layer
Enable encrypted link between a
server and a browser all data
passing between them remains
private
HTTPS
Hypertext transfer protocol secure
HTTP is using SSL to protect against
eavesdropping
WEB BROWSERS AND SEARCH ENGINES
Web browser
­ App to go online
­ Software application used to retrieve web pages from servers on the internet and to
display them to the user
Search engine
­ A website with indexed pages
­ Used to enable you to search the internet to find information
­ you will see a box for you to type in the key words to be searched for you will get a
list of pages that best match your key words
YOU USE A WEB BROWSER TO ACCESS INFORMATION OVER THE INTERNET AND THE SERCH ENGINE WILL FIND IT FOR YOU
BLOGS AS A MEANS OF COMMUNICATION



used either as a diary of thoughts or to share ideas and opinions and links
people reading your blog have facility to comment directly on any of your entries
really useful for sharing information
WIKI AS A MEANS OF COMMUNICATION





allows you to become a participant in its creation
you can either create or edit the site contents
it is a collaborative site that’s always being revised
no one can change a post or a comment
a blog is more about individual opinion and wiki about group consensus
SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES AS A MEANS OF COMMUNICATION







large companies are using it for marketing and branding.
Large organizations monitor discussions about company products
They can communicate messages about what they offer
Tweets and blogs also help organizations to create communities which help in promotion of
their products or service
Social media is more cost effective than traditional approaches to marketing
Direct messaging
­ Allows you to send a direct message to “friends” inside a social network
­ Directly from one person to another without having to use email
­ Social medias direct message does have a limited number of characters allowed
Messages need to be kept succinct and focused
Advantages and disadvantages of using the internet
One of the main reasons we spend a lot of time on devices, but you need to be alert when using the internet
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
Limitless amount of available information
Searches for relevant info are not always as fast as you like
Speed of accessing information
Not always easy to find reliable information
Carry out research from home
Possibility of theft of personal information
Provides platforms for other products such as
VOIP
Entertainment
Viruses
Online services
Spamming
Extreme images, opinions, violence, and dangerous sites
available
Download music and software
Storage in the cloud
HOW TO EVALUATE THE RELIABILITY OF INFORMATION FOUND ON THE INTERNET







AUTHORSHIP – who wrote it?
ACCURACY – is it free from spelling and grammar errors?
CURRENCY – does document show publication date and is it still relevant and up to date?
BIAS – does the site reflect just one individual view?
Is the site associated with politics or a particular philosophical belief?
COUNTRY AND DOMAIN – is it a government site? An educational site?
Although many country codes are not strictly controlled, it is worth looking to see what the
country code is
CHAPTER 11: FILE MANAGEMENT
Goal of file management is to make sure you can quickly find what you’re looking for
*
*
*
File name: a way to identify a file
File extension: a way to identify the type of file
Comma separated value: data saved in table structured format
Identify different file types and their uses



Files become corrupt when you try open a file, while another is open, that wasn’t an
expected type for that application
To recover a file, you might have to perform a complete system restore back to the time you
made the error
You can open a file created in another application if you save the data file in a format that is
able to read by other applications
Exports and imports files of different types

Standard file types have been developed they can be understood by varies applications
If you have a spreadsheet saved in .csv format it can be used with any spreadsheet program.
However, they are different to other spreadsheet file types because you can only have a single
sheet in any one csv file and it won’t save details of columns, cells, or formatting, or formulas.
Only saves in the form of text file with information separated by commas
Advantages: data can be much faster to import spreadsheet data rather than entering data
Disadvantage: when you save data, it’ll tell you editing you have used will not be saved


If you import a csv, you need to save it as file type .xls
Other file types can be imported and opened such as…
­ .xml – because computer systems and databases contain data in compatible
formats. Xml will provide software and hardware independent of storing data
stor3ed in plain text to make it easier to be shared between different applications
­ .zip: uses compression technology as an efficient way of distributing data
­ .pdf: allows you to open/read files using free downloadable reader application
­ .txt: plain text file with no formatting
STORING AND LOCATING FILES
Few tips for managing your files
 Give every file a name that immediately tells you what’s in it
 Make folders to hold files of a similar nature
 Keep your folders in hierarchical structures
File names:

Important to decide on a method that suits you and keep it consistent
 Include date the document was composed in your file name
 Indicate what is in the document on the file name
 Before you finalize the save, specify which folder the files should be stored in
REDUCING FILE SIZE FOR STORAGE OR TRANSMISSION

Compress files to achieve faster transmission times for electronic files which’ll result in lower number
of bytes used to store and then transmit file
 Achieve through process of compression to encode files data into more efficiently by altering
structure of data temporarily
 2 different compression; lossy and lossless
Lossless compression
 Reduces files with no loss of information during process
 Enables original file to be recreated exactly when uncompressed
 File uncompressed, it is reconstructed by using reference points to put back original file
 Mainly used for documents, text and numerical data where it is essential not to lose any information
 Zip-lossless compression type that detects patterns and replaces them with single characters
Lossy compression




Works by eliminating some bits of info to reduce file size; permanently deletes unnecessary data
Often used with images, audio, graphic because loss of quality is usually a reasonable option
With lossy compression, original file is not retained
Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) is an example of lossy compression
TEXTING ENCODING




Usually file type .txt means that you can share text files without needing to know how text is
stored
Text you see on screen is stored as numerical values in text files and your computer
translates these values into characters that you can read
does this by an encoding standard
An encoding standard is numbering schemes that assign each text character in a character
set to a numeric value
Character set can include letters, numbers, and symbols
different languages consist of different sets of characters
EXTENSION
IDENTIFICATION
USES
.bmp
bitmap image file
store bitmap digital images
.css
cascading style sheets
describes how HTML elements are to be
displayed on screen
.csv
comma separated values
importing and exporting important info
.db
database files
storing info in structured database format
.gif
graphical interchange
format
image format
.htm
hypertext markup language
used for containing html language which
constructs a web page
.jpg
joint photographic experts’
group
digital image format which contains compressed
image data
.mdp
image file created by
FireAlpaca
format used to save images
.pdf
portable document format
used when you need to save files that can’t be
modified
.png
portable network graphic
used to offer a clear background to partially
transparent image
.ppt
PowerPoint
file extension for presentation file format used
by PowerPoint
.psd
photoshop document
supports layer of graphics in a single file
.rtf
rich text format
let’s you exchange text files between different
word processors
.tif
tagged image format
computer file format for storing raster graphics
image
.txt
text documents
store notes, step-by-step instructions,
manuscripts
.zip
compress 1 or more files into one place, reducing
overall size