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I-Series Computing Concepts

Stephen Haag, University of Denver
Maeve Cummings, Pittsburg State University
Alan I Rea, Jr., Western Michigan University

Modules A-F

LLL/E

NEW TECHNOLOGIES IMPACTING YOUR LIFE
What’s Going on Around You Today?

Technology has become an integral part of our lives. With eachgeneration, technology becomes more infused into everything we do.Your parents probably can’t imagine living without telephonesor electricity. And we bet you don’t remember how you gotalong without the Web, cable television, or e-mail and instantmessaging on your computer or cell phone.

The speed of technological infusion is phenomenal. Wirelessappliances, such as PDAs, allow us to bring computing power with useverywhere we go. We now have Internet appliances to monitor ourhouses and communicate with refrigerators, toasters, and microwaveovens. We can even turn on house lights or water the lawn from ourwireless PDA.

We have high definition televisions connected to DVD players formovie quality entertainment. And if we get bored watching movies,we can turn on a myriad of gaming consoles, such as the Xbox,Playstation 2, or Nintendo Gamecube, and play games so realistic wealmost forget it’s a game. Of course, in the near futurewe’ll be able to purchase a virtual reality device that willtransport us into a virtual world so realistic we’ll forgetit’s not real.

But we can still explore the real world in style as well. We canget in cars fueled with a combination of gas and electricity. Wewon’t need to ask for directions because our car is linked toa GPS telling us exactly where we are. And if we forget our CDs tolisten to or DVDs to watch, cars now have an onboard computer tosurf the Web or read e-mail, as well as a satellite radio withhundreds of stations.

Click on the links below.

Portable Computing
Internet And Household Appliances
Entertainment Technology
Virtual Reality And Perceptual User Interfaces
Life-Enhancing Technologies

Portable Computing

Portable computing includes everything from notebook computersto wearable computers and PDAs to devices that aid law enforcementand hospital-patient care. And the range of possibilities forportable or mobile computing is growing every day.

Microsoft and other companies are now selling Tablet PCs, whichare portable machines that look a bit like the old-fashionedEtch-A-Sketch tablets, but which can recognize handwriting, takespeech dictation, and run on batteries for almost eight hours.

These Tablet PCs are about the size of a legal notepad andweight only half as much as a notebook PC. Tablet PCs run onWindows XP, and Bill Gates predicts that the Tablet PC will be themost popular type of PC sold within five years. See Microsoft’s Web site formore information.

Below are some examples of the many uses to which portablecomputing has put.

Hospital patient care: Wirelesstechnology gives health care workers access to critical informationno matter where they are, as long as they are in range. Palm-sizedevices can transmit and receive notes to and from physicians abouta patient’s vital signs. Such small devices can also becarried around on the nurses’ hips so that they can receivealerts about patients’ blood pressure, ECG or other vitalsigns.

Phone calls can be relayed to medical staff with portabledevices built not to interfere with biomedical equipment. Nursescan also use the same phone device to look up patient drug recordsand lab results.

Infrared locators on the walls or ceilings of hospital corridorsand rooms work with badges worn by hospital staff and biomedicalequipment to locate a person or piece of equipment immediately.

Hospital staff need to be able to monitor patient in case theyfall or start wandering off. There are several such alert systems.One such system involves sensors installed in doors, hallways, andelevators that sound an alarm at the nurses station.

Wearable computing: Wearable computer devices are greatfor people who need to input or access data but who need theirhands free. One example is warehouse workers or grocery shelfstockers. They can wear a portable device on their belt and connectit to a headset and microphone, then they can move about freely anduse both hands while talking into the computer device.McDonald’s uses this system for its drive-in customers.McDonald’s staff, equipped with wearable computers, takeorders from people in the drive-in line at peak businesshours.

Law enforcement: A new system is being developed to savetime and paper for the police force when they stop a car on thehighway. The handheld device allows the officers to enterinformation on 27 different features on the circumstances of thetraffic stop by tapping on boxes on the screen. At the end of theshift, the officers download all the information to the policestation network. This type of system allows for very detailedanalysis of the situations encountered by the members of the forcealong with their actions and reactions during each incident.

Other government agencies, like the National Park Service arealso interested in having portable computing for their employees tohelp them in their jobs.

To learn more about portable computing, its advances, and itsuses, click on the links below.

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Internet and Household Appliances

The home of the future will be fully networked withall your major appliances connected to your computer and perhapseven to the Web. Many people already control the lights andcurtains in their houses with their computers, but in the future wemay all run our washers and dryers from our computernetwork.

Soon we’ll all tell our computer to set ourwasher to the right water temperature, cycle type, and length oftime, We’ll also be able to tell it to run during the off-peakhours. We’ll be able to let our refrigerators alert us whenfood is past it’s use-by date, or even to reorder milk, eggs,and other perishables when supplies start getting low.

For the kitchen, you can now get a system thatbrings you not only TV reception, but also a CD and DVD player andInternet access. Since the biggest messes often occur in thekitchen, the system has a washable keyboard that you can put intothe dishwasher with your dishes.

Would you line a camera system that alerts you onyour PDA or pager, even when you’re on vacation, when someoneis approaching your house? How about a locked drop box outside yourfront door for packages delivered when you’re not there? Thislocked box has a code only you and your delivery service know andwill send you an e-mail when it gets a delivery.

Also under development are counter tops and ovensthat can follow recipes, weigh ingredients, and control cooking.There are also plans for intelligent carpets that communicate withshoes, and intelligent garments and will let you ask your computer"Where are my Gap jeans?" Sensors will locate them from the chipsewn into the seams and the jeans will shout back "We’re inthe dryer."

You can find out more at these sites.

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Entertainment Technology

We all know there’s more to life thancalculating spreadsheet formulas, making business calls from yourcar, or organizing appointments on your PDA. Fortunately, so do thebusinesses who make it their job to create games for computers,cell phones, and PDAs.

Of course, you’ll need specialized equipmentfor much of your entertainment–-especially if you want to usea computer to combine your work and play.

Perhaps you’d prefer your entertainmentsystem separate from items you use for work. In that case, you canchoose from a variety of gaming consoles that play games, CD music,and DVD movies. Perhaps you’d rather take your entertainmenton the go. Handheld gaming systems and MP3 players might be a goodchoice for you.

If you’re looking for other forms oftechnology entertainment, we’ve listed cool "techno-gadgets"as well. We’ll show you items such as Sony’s AIBO,programmable AI bugs, and remote control devices that youdon’t really need but are fun to play with.

Computer Games

Tired of playing solitaire or minesweeper on yourcomputer? You can choose from thousands of software games to playon your computer. Perhaps you like action and adventure,role-playing, or sports games. No matter what your preference, youcan rest assured that there is a game (or two) for you.

Every week new games are introduced sothere’s no way we can keep you informed on all the new gamesout there.

But we can point you to where you can getinformation you need. Here are some valuable Websites to keep youinformed about new games. While you’re there, read gamereviews to find out what other "gamers" are saying:

Games can be expensive. New games can cost asmuch as $50-$60 or more. We’d recommend trying demos orshareware versions of games before deciding if you want to buythem. Here’s some hyperlinks to check for games:

Web Games

Many of the newer games have a multiplayerfeature. This means that you can play with other people who havethe game over the Internet. Games like Quake III,Counterstrike, and Tribes 2 allow youto work with other people to accomplish goals.

But there are a myriad of games that don’trequire anything more than a Web browser and an Internet connectionto compete with people from around the world. Web gaming sites arepopular because you can play a quick game of chess, pool, or evenMonopoly when you have a few spare minutes (and even when youdon’t).

Some Websites such as Yahoo! have an extensivecollection of games. At last count over 50 different types of gameswere available for you to play in categories such as Board Games,Card Games, and Fantasy Sports games. Most of these sites onlyrequire you to register to play. In addition to Yahoo!, here aresome Web gaming sites to check out:

PDA and Cell Phone Games

Of course, you don’t need a computer to playgames anymore. You can find games designed for your Palm Pilot orPocket PC. Make sure to check the available memory and operatingsystem of your PDA before downloading any of the games below. Youneed to make sure your PDA can run the game you select andinstall.

If you have a Java-enabled cell phone you canplay games on it. Of course, the screen size, resolution, and smallkeys limit what games you can play, but engineers are working onsolving these problems:

Gaming Computers

You know how important your computer’shardware and operating system are when it comes to accomplishingdaily tasks. Chapters 5 and 6 of the textbook cover the importanceof RAM, processing speed, and storage in your computer. Forexample, you know that a Pentium I computer wouldn’t be thebest choice to run Windows XP because it doesn’t have the"horsepower" to run such an advanced operating system. A betterchoice might be a Pentium 4 computer.

The same analogy holds true for gaming. Manycomputer games you buy will work fine on a Pentium II or highercomputer. However, you should always look at the software box orWeb information on a computer game before trying it on yourcomputer. Many older computer systems just can’t handle thesoftware requirements of some of the newer games.

Many people who play games, or gamers, havecomputers that can handle the intense multimedia and processingrequirements of today’s newer games. These high-end computers,called "gaming rigs", incorporate hardware that makes your system atrue multimedia powerhouse. Large monitors, "tons" of RAM, dualprocessors, and high-end sound systems are standard fare. Whilesome people build these computer systems from scratch, there arecompanies that will build one for you. Here are a few ofthem:

Even though your computer might not be similar toone of the ones listed above, that doesn’t mean you can’tplay games. Here are the minimum requirements for a basic gamingrig:

AMD AthlonXP 1800+ 266 FSB Processor

nVidia nForce Chipset MB 1AGP 5PCI

40.0 GB Hard Drive, 7200 RPM

256MB PC2100 DDR Memory

nVidia GeForce3 Ti200 Video 64mb

nVidia nForce Chipset 5.1 Dolby Sound

16X Toshiba DVD (48x CDROM)

Plextor 16/10/40a CDRW Drive

Logitech Optical Wheel Mouse

Microsoft Keyboard

1.44MB Floppy Drive

Mid Tower Case, 300w PS

Microsoft Windows XP Home

Custom Mousing Surface

10/100 Network Card

Gaming Consoles, Handheld Devices, andPlayers

You don’t need a computer to play intense videogames. Since the days of Atari (www.atari.com), gaming consoleshave been a big part of the gaming scene. Today’s newerconsoles allow you to play intense video games, listen to musicCDs, and watch DVD movies.

We’ve included hyperlinks tothe newest gaming consoles. Even though the games come on CDs,these won’t work in your computer. They are designed forspecific gaming consoles. For example, a Playstation 2 gamewon’t work in the Xbox. Make sure that you only use gamesdesigned for your particular gaming console:

Of course, gaming consoles stillrequire a television or multimedia system. They’re not allthat portable. If you want to take games with you, you’ll needa handheld device. Some of these devices will work with a gamingconsole as well. For example, the Nintendo Gameboy Advance allowsyou to interface with your Nintendo Gamecube and sharegames.

Other handheld devices combinemore than just entertainment. They allow you to talk with friendswith instant messages, surf the Web, send e-mail, and, of course,play games:

Finally, if games aren’t yourforte, but you’d still like to watch movies or listen to musicon the go, MP3 and multimedia players might be for you. Many of thenewer devices also can be used as backup storage for importantfiles. Technology allows you to listen to your favorite music,watch a video clip, and store your term paper all on the samedevice:

Techno-Gadgets

Of course, you can choose from avariety of entertainment devices that aren’t specificallydesigned for gaming, but are still a lot of fun to play with.Expect to see more of these techno-gadgets with each advance intechnology and computing power. Here are a few of ourfavorites:

No matter what type ofentertainment you enjoy, there’s a technology designed foryou.

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Virtual Reality AndPerceptual User Interfaces

Did you know that humans have beenusing a keyboard and a mouse to interact with computers for almost20 years? Before that we simply used a keyboard. With all theadvances in computing technology, most of us still point, click,and type to work or play on our computers.

Many companies and researchers arefinding new ways for us to interact with computers. Maybeyou’d like to feel how "heavy" a file is as you move it acrossyour desktop. Perhaps you’d like to sit down at a table totalk with friends hundreds of miles away instead of typing messagesin chat software. Or maybe you’d like to simply talk to yourcomputer to tell it what to do. All of these become possible withadvances in virtual reality and perceptual userinterfaces.

VirtualReality

In the textbook we discuss VRML(Virtual Reality Modeling Language). We’ve also provided somelinks to VRML resources within this Web site (VRMLResources). VRML is a technology that you can use to createa virtual world in which users have the illusion that they arephysically participating. All you need is a Web browser, a plug-in,and a little programming to create your own world. For the mostpart, VRML applications still rely on you to use a keyboard, mouse,and a monitor to experience them.

While VRML is a readily availableand affordable technology, most Virtual Reality (VR) applicationsaren’t. There are various VR systems that range in price froma few hundred to thousands of dollars. Many don’t readily workwith your computer. Still, VR promises to bring us new ways ofinteracting with a computing environment other than click, point,and type. One of the key components of VR systems is their abilityto involve more than one sense (sight, touch, taste, smell, andsound). Let’s explore some of the levels of VR you canexperience. Each VR system increases in the number of sensesinvolved, as well as price.

Entry-Level VRSystem

A VRML interface can be consideredan entry-level VR system. Other types of entry-level systems wouldbe those that still depend on the monitor, keyboard, and mouse, butuse software that makes you feel like you’re there. Games suchas Sierra’s Half-Life (half-life.sierra.com) bringa level of interactivity that makes you think you’re takingpart in a realistic experience.

While games make up a largeportion of this level, there are other applications you can use onyour computer. To use this software all you need is a computersimilar to the basic gaming rig. Here are some software programsyou can use:

Basic-Level VRSystem

Think of a basic level VR systemas a "pumped-up" entry-level VR system. If you want to run your ownbasic VR system, you’ll need a fast and powerfulcomputer--faster than the basic gaming rig. You’ll also needto add a few more devices to increase the level of interactivityand senses involved.

A basic level VR system includesinput devices like a Microsoft Sidewinder force feedback joystickor Logitech’s iFeel mouse. Both devices react to what happensin the VR environment. This is called "haptic feedback." Hapticfeedback provides touch feedback to you as you experience anenvironment. This might mean an intense rumbling sensation when yourev a virtual car’s engine or a sense of heaviness as you movea large object in the VR world.

Basic level VR systems also changethe way you see the information on the screen. You might use a headmounted display (HMD). Instead of looking at a monitor, you’reable to see the world in 360 degrees as you rotate yourhead.

New affordable VR devices arebecoming available each day. Many are designed for your computerand gaming console systems because there’s an existing marketfor these devices. We’ve listed a few below:

Advanced-Level VRSystems

Most of us can’t afford topurchase an advanced level VR system. These complex systems havemultiple computers, expensive multimedia equipment, and specializedsensory devices to immerse you in the experience. Many new thrillrides are in this category. You can experience roller coasterrides, high-speed chases, or even deep sea diving without everleaving your chair:

VR is used for morethan entertainment. NASA researchers can explore and experiment inVR representations of different worlds and doctors can practicecomplex surgical procedures on virtual patients. Many researchersuse an environment called a CAVE. This is an enclosed space thatcreates a world around you that you can interact with. It’snot as complex as the holodeck on Star Trek, but give technologysome time. Here are Websites of researchers using advanced-level VRsystems:

Perceptual UserInterfaces

While VRenvironments focus on changing the way you interact with thecomputer, perceptual user interfaces (PUI) focus on how thecomputer can better interact with you. PUIs are still very much inthe research stage. There aren’t any released yet for consumeruse.

However, imagineyour computer knew when you entered the room and sat down to work.It immediately turns on and starts reading your e-mail to you. Inthe middle of a message your phone rings and you reach to answerit. Immediately your computer stops reading and waits for you toend your conversation. Microsoft research is doing much work withPUIs. Perhaps we’ll see them soon in the next version of theWindows OS:

We know itwon’t be long until you start seeing more PUI equippedcomputers and other devices. Check back for new links as more PUIapplications become available.

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Life-EnhancingTechnologies

We’ve includedthis last category to show which aspects of your life thattechnology enhances. Of course, we can’t cover everything, buthere are a few areas where technology is really making a differencefor you.

Transportation

We now have carsthat know exactly where you are at all times and can even give yougraphic and verbal directions to your pre-programmed destination.You can even buy a car that has infrared technology embedded in thedashboard so you can see objects beyond your headlights atnight.

Did you know thatSun has created a Java-enabled car? Your car has its own network,server, and even its own Web site. You can check e-mail, surf theWeb, or even connect your laptop to one of the many ports in thecar and do some work.

If your car breaksdown on the highway, you can use the embedded cell phone to callRoadside Assistance. They can then log into your car’s Webpage and tell you what’s wrong. They might even be able to fixit from their workstation with a few commands. If not, they’lldispatch a vehicle to fix the problem. Talk aboutservice.

Your car key is ajava-powered ring. With it, you can unlock the car, have it adjustto your settings (seat, favorite radio station, etc.) and start itup. You can even talk to your car and it will talk back toyou.

While not all carswill have all this technology embedded into them right away,it’s only a matter of time before the technology becomesaffordable enough to make this happen. Here are a few moretechnologies soon to be appearing in cars:

Of course with smart cars you need smart highways. Have you ever been stuck in traffic? What if there were a way to avoid this. Metropolitan areas are looking to smart highways to help. Smart highways use technology to guide specially-equipped cars. Once you enter a smart highway, you’d be asked for your destination. Then, you’d pass through a computer sensor station (like a toll booth) that would deduct toll fees and make sure your car would function on the smart highway system. If approved, you would just sit back and you car would drive itself. When you come to your highway exit, your car’s controls would be turned back over to you.

Of course, carsaren’t the only means of transportation that technology ischanging. Air travel, trains, and even how you move on sidewalksare all being enhanced by technology:

Healthcare

Wouldn’t it behelpful if emergency room doctors immediately knew your medicalhistory if you were rushed in for treatment? Would you inject smallrobots into your body to fight cancer? Wouldn’t it be great ifparalyzed people could walk again, or at least use wheelchairs thatcould climb stairs and help them reach items on highshelves?

Advances inhealthcare technology is moving so quickly they’re hard tokeep up. Bioengineering, genetic mapping, advanced medical imaging,and cybernetics are just a few of the areas that are profoundlyimpacting the healthcare field.

Youcan now have a chip the size of a grain of rice implanted in yourbody that contains all your medical information, includingallergies, x-rays, and past test results. As you grow older, thisinformation is updated and kept current. Research in underway toplace technology in this chip that will help police find missingchildren or locate you if you getlost.

Medical imaging allows doctors to look for medicalabnormalities in bones, skin, tissue, and organs without needing tooperate on patients. If surgery is required, surgeons can cut smallincisions and operate with small robotic arms and lasers. A patientcan have heart surgery and walk out of the hospital the sameday.

Ofcourse, doctors and scientists can examine you at the cellularlevel as well. With genetic mapping, experts can see if you mightbe more susceptible to certain diseases and conditions. Manycouples now go for genetic counseling before having children. Thiscounseling lets them know if their children might have futuremedical problems.

Manyamputees are now regaining lost limbs with cybernetics. Prostheticarms and legs controlled by nerve impulses allow people to regainlost hands, arms, and legs. Researchers are also developing fullbody exoskeletons designed to enhance movement, stamina, andstrength. While these are primarily being developed for combattroops, the medical field will use these to allow paralyzed andolder individuals to regain lost mobility andstrength:

Environment

Whatif we no longer had garbage accumulating in landfills or ifeveryone in the world had drinkable water? What if we could findbetter ways to predict earthquakes, tornados, and volcaniceruptions so we could evacuate people in time? Scientists are usingtechnology to help make all thispossible.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) scientists are usingtechnology to determine how we can clean up existing soil, water,and air contamination. They are also looking for technologicalsolutions to stop polluting the environment as well. For example,people can use solar and hydroelectric power instead of coal andoil.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)scientists are using technology to help them predict changes in theEarth’s environment. They use supercomputers to track weatherpatterns. The US Geological Survey Administration tracks changes inthe earth’s formation and predicts earthquakes and monitorvolcanic activity. Neither of these agencies would be able tooperate without technology:

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