Introduction to Technology

World Of Technology

Digital Literacy – having current knowledge and understanding of computers, mobile devices, the Internet, and related technologies

Computers

Computer – an electronic device, operating under the control of instructions stored in its own memory, that can accept data (input), process the data according to specified rules, produce information (output), and store the information for future use

User – anyone who interacts with a computer or mobile device, or utilizes the information it generates

Computers (Cont.)

Laptop – a thin lightweight mobile computer with a screen in its lid and a keyboard in its base

Tablets – a thin lighter-weight mobile computer that has a touch screen

Desktop – designed to be in a stationary location, where all of its components fit on or under a desk or table

Server – a computer dedicated to providing one or more services to other computers or devices on a network

Mobile Devices

Mobile Device – a computing device small enough to fit in your hand Smartphone – an Internet-capable phone that usually also includes a

calendar, an appointment book, an address book, a calculator, a notepad, games, and several other apps 3 types of messages can be sent using a smartphone – text, picture, or video

Portable Media Player – a mobile device on which you can store, organize, and play or view digital media.

E-Book Readers – a mobile device used primarily for reading e-books Game Console – a mobile computing device designed for single-player

or multi-player video games

Data

Data – a collection of unprocessed items, which can include text numbers, images, audio, and video Input Device – any hardware component that allows users to enter data

and instructions into a computer or mobile device Ex: Keyboards, Pointing Device, Microphones, Video (webcam), Scanner

Output Device – any hardware component that conveys information from a computer or mobile device to one or more people

Ex: Printer, Display, Speakers

Memory and Storage

A computer keeps data, instructions, and information on storage media Examples: hard disks, solid-state drives, USB flash drives, memory cards,

and optical disks A storage device records (writes) and/or retrieves (reads) items to

and from storage media Cloud Storage – an Internet service that provides storage to computer

users Example – skydrive, google drive, dropbox Cloud storage providers vary in services offered – specific types of media

and/or specifc amount of data it will store for the user

Internet

Internet – a worldwide collection of computer networks that connects millions of businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, and individuals.

World Wide Web (web) – a global library of information available to anyone connected to the Internet The web consists of a worldwide collection of electronic documents

Each document is called a webpage which can contain text, images, video, and audio

A website is a collection of related webpages A web server is a computer that delivers requested webpages to your computer

A web browser is software that allows users with an Internet connection to access and view webpages.

Digital Security & Safety

Malware – short for malicious software acts without the user’s knowledge and deliberately alters the devices operations Examples: viruses, worms, rootkits, spyware, adware, zombies

Things to do to protect your computer Use virus protection Use a firewall Do not open unknown emails Scan removable media Update your computer regularly

Passwords

When creating passwords Use at least 8 characters Use a variety of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and punctuations Change the password frequently Do not use the same password for everything Do not use a sequence

Programs and Apps

Software or Programs consist of a series of related instructions, organized for a common purpose, that tells the computer what tasks to perform and how to perform them Operating system is a set of programs that coordinates all the activities

among computer or mobile device hardware Applications or apps consists of programs designed to make users more

productive and/or assist them with personal tasks