The Open University

The Open University was set up in Milton Keynes in 1969 to allow people who did not get a chance to study at university after school to access higher education through part time courses. The Open University "changed the face of education". It was different from the other universities because it was the first establishment to change higher education by allowing people who have left education long ago to continue learning and so improve their job prospects - this made a lot of difference as all of the other universities were aimed at students who had recently left education.

The Open University is also different from other universities because it facilitates distance learning. Even when the internet wasn't used by the Open University, students could send their work in the post to be marked.

The Open University links to the BBC because the BBC also used to show TV and radio recordings of the Open University's lectures. The students would do their work based on that and then send their work into the Open University that way.

Since the Open University first launched in 1969, over 1.6 million people worldwide became students and achieved their learning goals by studying with the Open University.

                                               

Websites I used:
http://www.open.ac.uk/

The History Of The Mobile Phone

The article "Faster, thinner, lighter... so what will we dial up next?" describes how mobile phones have altered the way we communicate.

As the article said, the phones we used to have - Nokia phones that were nicknamed "brick phones" - "did little else but ring and bleep". This shows that the first mobile phones were only ever used for ringing people and sending SMS text messages. The phones we have now are not like that but, surprisingly, twenty nine per cent of people aged over forty five still use their first mobile phone.
Now mobile phones are described as "powerful mini-computers" which "bear little resemblance to the clichéd 80s brick phones".
Nowadays, mobile phones are as the article's title states: "faster, thinner, lighter". The majority of people these days "rely on them for everything" as "there are now very few tasks we undertake that don't involve our phones", such as "keeping track of appointments" or "keeping us entertained at the gym".
The article says that "phones have become the centre of our universe", and that "the age of the phone as a calling device is well and truly over". As the article said, they are much more like "mini-computers" these days and, as the article said, the phones being made now are so different that many of us "look back with fondness on our first phone", and "get all nostalgic". This is not exactly surprising when you consider that, by the age of fourteen, seventy six per cent of eighteen-to-twenty-four year olds owned their first phone. They grew up with them.
More people own mobile phones nowadays as they are cheaper, people have more disposable income, and mobile phones are more widely viewed as an acceptable means of communication.
Here is the article:

 

Nowadays, there are many different types of phone. While basic phones, such as some of the early Nokia mobile phones, were very popular, after, phones such as blackberries with their qwerty keyboards were even more so and, nowadays, smartphones, such as touchscreen phones, even more than that. Because the phones are becoming more and more advanced with new technology, their usability and functionality have vastly improved, meaning that they can be used almost anywhere.

Crime and Crime Prevention

Task 1 - Mobile Phone Spam)

New crimes are often created due to new technology. For example, high-quality photocopiers make the forging of documents such as bank notes, concert tickets, and other event tickets.
The article below shows a new crime that has only come about due to new technology - mainly SMS messaging:

Mobile phone spam is a form of spamming that is directed at text messaging or other mobile phone communications services. It is sometimes called mobile spamming, SMS spam, text spam, m-spam or mspam.
It has become more widespread because, since the early 2000s, the popularity of mobile phones has increased as users frequently used text messaging as a form of communication. This has seen an increase in the number of unwanted and unsolicited commercial advertisements being set to people's mobile phones through text messaging.
This can be very annoying for the recipitent because, unlike in their email accounts, some recipitents can be charged a fee for every message they receive, including spam.

                                                                                                                                                                    

Task 2 - Crime Detection)

 

Crime detection has improved hugely in the past few decades, especially due to DNA testing and other crime scene investigation tools, including closed circuit TV systems. Furthermore, numerous police officers have been trained in ICT at all levels in order to ensure that the police service can take advantage of the benefits that can be gained from its use. Nowadays, ICT is seen as a major driving force to improve methods and efficiency by the police service.

These days, ICT affects the work of every police officer. Street officers can type up reports efficiently using word processing software and templates, rather than having to laboriously type up every report. Clear, secure, digital radio systems are also used now - they allow communication between mobile officers and a computer-aided-despatch (CAD) room at base.

Nationally, huge integrated crime databases are used to record crimes and attempt to find patterns in them. Biometric databases are used to store DNA evicence, handprints and fingerprints. Geographical analysis and other sophisticated networks are used to attempt to analyse patterns in criminal behaviour.
Additionally, evidence gathering has improved through the use of digital video and CCTV, as well as more sophisticated computerised forensic analysis.

The benefits of using ICT to improve methods and efficiency of the police service are very clear. Communication systems have greatly improved; it is possible for officers to work through their administrative duties much more quickly. The number and sophistication of the tools available  to help track down criminals, and hopefully deter them, has increased hugely.

Evidence collecting, tracking, analysis and availability have improved, and the amount of data now available to the police system to help in their work and monitor how effective they are has grown in proportion to this.

However, many believe that the police service are now too driven by technology. People miss the days when there was "a local police officer who knew what was happening in the local community". There is now a huge collection of data, but it is not easy to access what impact of these major initiatives have had on detecting and reducing crime overall.

Another more unexpected tool used by the police service is social networking - this is useful as it allows the police service to find criminals - something shown in the article below - but communication technology can sometimes be a problem when cases come to court.

 

 

Task 3 - How technology has changed crimes)
Technology has changed how crimes are committed because, with each new branch of technology, another avenue for criminals is also created. For example, when online banking was created, a whole new type of crime was made - criminals could illegally hack into people's accounts online and steal their money that way - they did not even have to leave the house. Another example is cyber attack - this would also not have been possible without our current technology because, if computers did not exist, neither would cyber attack.
However, new technology has also opened new gateways in more positive ways. For example, the missingpersons.police.uk website would not have been possible without modern technology and that has helped the police to solve many investigations.
Both of these arguments are presented in articles below:









"PC hijackers" are also becoming a growing problem. Increasing numbers of people are learning how to create types of malware such as ransomware and scareware. These types of malicious software - ransomware - can effectively lock or encode people's documents and, without paying whatever money the criminals are demanding in return for the full use of your computer, you will not be able to use your machine - it is much simpler to have anti-virus software downloaded and to use common sense - e.g. if your computer shows a pop-up that says the police have found something suspicious on your computer and want compensation - scareware - then do not pay it! They would not inform you of it in that way and any money you send would be sent to criminals.
This is shown in the article below:

 Another type of crime that would not be possible without modern technology is shown in the article below. It explains for, by using the internet - twitter for example - a group of criminals were able to trace the movements of the "super-rich" and apprehend them, demanding that they give them incredible expensive jewellery they were wearing, and they only knew this because the victims had posted where they were going online. To summarise, the "Millionaire Muggers", as the group were later nicknamed, "followed the movements of high-profile figures on the internet before robbing them".
Here is the article:





































On a more positive note, over the last decade, the crime rate has dropped in the United Kingdom because it is getting increasingly difficult to commit a crime and get away with it.

Websites I used:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_spam

Entertainment & Leisure

Task 1 - Read and summarise pages 29-31 in the textbook:

• The important of the convergence of digital technologies on entertainment and leisure has been huge.
• Almost every area of entertainment has been changed due to digital technology.
• Digital technology affects both production and distribution, and there is still further scope for change.
• It enables more personal creativity and choice.
• It is now simple and relatively inexpensive to produce creative works digitally such as:
• Music
• Video
• Sound
• Radio
• Magazines
• Books
• Art
• It is now a great deal easier to make and record music.
• It is now possible to record and mix music successfully on a home computer thanks to MIDI input devices, sequencers and sophisticated sound cards.
• Because of this, many independent "indie" bands have been using this software to edit and add to their music.
• As with the internet itself, this has the effect of:
• providing wide variety and allowing new talent to publish.
• allowing a great deal of mediocre work to be published.
• creating a certain similarity in feel to a great deal of what is published.
• Consumers have experienced a much wider choice of entertainment as a result of the digital age.
• Films can be sent to many different locations simultaneously in digital form so release dates can be brought forward.
• DVD release and broadcast distribution can be brought closer to the original date - this funds more movies and more choice.
• As with music, small independent production companies are able to produce TV and radio programmes.
• Broadcasting can happen almost anywhere in the world now thanks to simpler means of distribution.
• All of this broadens the choice for the consumer - however, many people feel that this dilutes the quality.
• It is certainly true that there is so much new music, so many TV stations, so many radio stations and so many films available that an individual could feel overwhelmed by choice, and not able to properly take advantage of these resources - this is a phenomenon knows as "information overload".
• An interesting way of dealing with this new "explosion of choice" is Sky + because it allows consumers to record TV onto hard disc.
• It's system is simple and flexible, effectively allowing people to build up their own personal channel onto which they can record their favourite programmes.
• It is also possible to skip the advertisements that effectively fund many programmes at the moment - this may have a longer-term effect on the way in which we pay for TV.
• Another massive impact of ICT on entertainment echoes that of communication.
• Entertainment is not restricted to the home or the theatre at set times, but is now available anywhere and at any time.
• The iPod, MP3 players and other similar devices allow you to transport and listen to the equivalent of entire CD collections at near CD quality wherever and whenever you are.
• Portable media players allow you to record TV or DVDs, and watch them anywhere and any time too.
• DVD recorders allow you to capture permanently movies and broadcast programmes in high quality and watch them anywhere and any time a DVD player is available.
• The most obvious effect of the digital age is the sheer amount of information / information sources that are available to us.
• To summarise, people are "bombarded with data and choice" in a way that they were not in the past.
• One impact of this is that people can feel stress and hopelessness as a result of this overload of information and choice, especially where information is contradictory, inconclusive or ambiguous.

                                                                                                                                                                         

Task 2 - Review the PowerPoint shown at the start of our lesson:

The PowerPoint shows us that the impact of technology on entertainment and leisure has been enormous. It has created digital television, radio, films and games, and all of these have been altered in the way they are produced and broadcast due to the digital age.
It also shows us that digital recording has allowed both professional and amateurs to record their work easily, and then to broadcast it online, as well as conventionally on television, radio or streamed online. It shows us that the archiving of television and radio programmes has "become second nature" - this was not the case when television and radio were new.
The presentation also shows us how the formats we use for digital technology have changed. Video became DVD which became CD-Rom, which became an HD-DVD which then became a Blue Ray DVD. Each format has its advantages and disadvantages but they all did the job they were created for.
The PowerPoint presentation shows us that films are still being released in cinemas nowadays. Cinemas were saved from closure by the development of The Point - the first multiplex cinema in the UK - which is in Milton Keynes. When cinemas were first created, if you wanted to see a film after its cinema release then you had to join one of several video rental stores. Many of these stores are now struggling as it is so much easier to access films online; e.g. with Netflix or LOVEFILM. These online film viewing services have expanded along with satellite television, now offering mobile services which give customers a longer period of time in which they can use these websites.
The presentation also showed that the development of BBS and eventually Sky was altered the way that television has been offered. Initially, BBS and then Sky have offered a wider choice and enabled isolated communities access to television for the first time. Satellite television has developed with improved boxes, allowing the recording of television programmes without the need of a video recorder. Television companies have started to offer red button services of live coverage, and HD cameras have allowed HD stations to be offered. Other companies have entered the television market now, such as Virgin and Freeview - each was offering a similar service, which involved allowing customers to pre-record programmes.
The presentation also showed us that technology has now taken over music, television and film industries. However, counterfeits, (e.g. pirate copies), have come into the market now - both on an individual and a commercial level - producing fake products ranging from cassettes, videos, CDs and concert tickets. With the invention of high quality but cheap printers, the production of high quality fakes was made much easier and so they are used more widely.
The PowerPoint presentation's final slide showed us how the industry for computer games has expanded enormously - from the simple pixel based games of tennis and hockey that worked due to a program file on a games box which was hooked onto a television screen in black and white, to the hand-held gaming systems with stunning graphics that are taken for granted nowadays.
                                                                                                                                                                         


Task 3 - Explain how the entertainment industry has been altered using the discussions in the textbook, and the articles provided:

Discussions:

Discussion 1 - Access to original entertainment:
"It has never been easier to publish original entertainment.
It has never been harder to see and hear original entertainment."
This discussion is clearly making a point that - because people can now successfully mix music at home, using software to: create sophisticated backing tracks by selecting a key signature and music style, provide a solid rhythmic backing from computerised drum machines, editing out mistakes, and even "correcting" voices that are out of tune - the work is no longer original or, if it is, it does not sound original because they are all edited in much the same way and can sound very similar.

Discussion 2 - Pirated entertainment:
What is the advantage of paying a supplier such as Apple for a legal music download?
The advantage of this is that the customer can guarantee that they will be paying for a download that is definitely going to be what they wanted in the first place, and will also be of a good quality. This saves you money as you do not have to pay for the CD, but you are also not illegally downloading a pirated copy of the music for free. Furthermore, sometimes downloading pirated copies could lead to you downloading a virus or other malicious malware onto your machine.
What is the disadvantage of buying a pirate DVD from a market stall?
The disadvantage is that the DVD could A) not be what you wished to purchase in the first place, B) it may be very poor quality so not worth watching anyway, or C) if you did not know how much a legal copy of the DVD cost, you could spend more money on a poorer-quality pirate DVD.
What is the disadvantage of getting a pirate download of the latest Hollywood blockbuster before its UK release?
There are many disadvantages of getting a pirate download of a film are: you could also be downloading malware onto your machine; you have no physical copy of the film; it is illegal; it could be traced back to you and you could be fined / arrested; you have no packaging - A.K.A. no tangible thing afterwards; you cannot watch it again; and it could be very poor quality.
What is the disadvantage to you of visiting an illicit music download site?
The disadvantages are that: a virus or other malware could be downloaded onto your machine; it is illegal; and you could be traced which could lead to you being fined / arrested.
Does widespread illicit downloading discourage the funding of new talent?
The funding of new talent could be discouraged due to widespread illicit downloading because people may not think that it is worth their while if people are going to download their material illicitly for free because they will make no profit from it.

Discussion 3 - Impact of games players:
One of the largest impacts of ICT on the personal lives of young people has been the "explosive growth" of home games players or "play" stations. An article from New Scientist - written on the 23rd of October in 2004 - stated that $3.8 thousand million of games were sold in 1995, rising to $6 thousand million in 1998, and $7 thousand million by 2003. Approximately 25% of these games were violent.
Why are computer games so popular?
One obvious reason for this could be escapism - playing computer games allows people to forget about their own worries as they lose themselves in something that will not affect their real life.
Do computer games make you more violent?
If a computer game is violent, the chance is that it could make you more violent too if you played it frequently. For example, if the game involved killing or attacking enemies - it could be anything from zombies to criminals - then the idea of killing or attacking, if you played the game enough, could begin to seem more normal to you which could lead to violent tendencies.
Do computer games make you more isolated?
If you spend a lot of time playing computer games alone, the likelihood is that you will become more isolated as you stop seeking human interaction and play computer games instead.
Do networked computer games make you more or less social?
Networked games allow you to talk to other players which, despite being social interaction, is not the same as talking to a person in "real life" and, if you only feel comfortable talking to people online, this could make it more difficult for you to interact with people in everyday life.


Articles:

Article no. 1) Under fire: Women who dare to game:

 

This article shows that it is not just the male population who like to buy video and computer games. This could persuade the entertainment industry to make games that are more stereotypically "female" so as to accommodate for everyone who plays the games, not just men.

Article no. 2) Gre@t show on the box:

This article shows that the entertainment industry is already accommodating "how we watch TV" with a graph showing which portable devices we use to watch our programmes, and how we choose what to watch from the wide selection of material provided for us.
 

Article no. 3) Pirate TV founder's deal with US courts:

This article is about a student who created a website that allowed people to watch films and TV for free. It shows how easily media can be downloaded nowadays, and that the people who make the material in the first place are losing out because many people no longer pay for the material.

Article no. 4) £1.1bn price-fixing fine for TV makers:

This article shows that the entertainment industry is not always a positive thing. Sometimes the customer demand for new entertainment is exploited and it is left to the European Union to punish this.

Article no. 5) Skyfall breaks box office record in 00 quick time:

This article shows the top grossing films in Britain - something people do not always realise about the entertainment industry is how much money it is making because of us. This shows just how effective the entertainment industry can be, showing that Skyfall earned £94,277,612 in 2012 and it is still increasing.

SMS - Has its time past?

Short Message Service (SMS) - otherwise known as text messaging - was created by engineer Neil Papworth, aged 22, on the 3rd of December in 1992.

SMS was originally devised to utilise mobile phone transmissions to send "short bursts of textual data" and it is now the preferred method of communication for many people. SMS is designed for short messages with as much meaning as possible - therefore, the SMS language has evolved based on abbreviations and informal phonics.

SMS has changed over the last twenty years as more and more people have used it. Emoticons have been developed and these also add more meaning to text messages as it can sometimes be hard for others to work out what you mean; e.g. if you are being sarcastic or not.

SMS has influenced our lives because we no longer need to meet people or ring them on the telephones. This could make people more antisocial but it also makes communicating much simpler and faster.

The following article describes how SMS came to be and why it may or may not be used so widely nowadays: