This week (week two) we looked at examples of software and hardware and the advantages and disadvantages of new technologies.
Information can be stored and transferred in a number of different ways. Some examples of hardware and software which I am familiar with are
· USB
· Memory cards
· External hard drives
· Computers
· Facebook
· YouTube
· Microsoft word programmes
· Compact discs
· Norton anti-virus programmes
· Cameras
· Cell phones
Digital Cameras are the latest and most common form of today. They are cameras that will take still and more than often video images which can be stored on the camera with the use of a memory card which thousands of images can be stored on "Digital Camera", n.d.). These differ from traditional cameras and instead of having a film which the images would need to be developed before being able to see them, you can see instantaneously and from there either save or delete the images to create more space. The introduction of Digital cameras has created a lot of convenience for the consumer and also cut down costs. They no longer have to worry about films, having to take them to get developed and then waiting for up to a day to get their photos back. Digital cameras also allow the choice of deleting unwanted photos and give instant results. They will also often come with re-chargeable batteries which would further cut down costs.
Video Cameras are most often a handheld device which is used predominantly to capture motion picture ("Video Camera", n.d.). Like a digital camera it has the ability to hold vast amounts of information which can be viewed instantly and if is unwanted can be deleted. Originally videotape was used to store the images but now there are things such as optical discs, hard discs and flash memory. It can be stored on these things and then either played directly through a DVD player or through the television or computer using specific chords. These can be a useful tool in Occupational Therapy in both teaching patients how to perform tasks by getting them to observe and mimic and also for the therapist to video a patient doing an assessment and then look back over what happened.
Mobile Phones have become an extremely common accessory in fact it is seen as abnormal if an individual does not have one. For those who don’t know mobile phones are devices used to make phone calls, recordings, text messages, emails, pictures and even videos across a wide geographic area unlike a telephone which is limited to phone calls within specific area which is not very big in size ("Mobile Phone", n.d.). These can be saved to the phone either to the actual phone or a SIM card in the phone an can be send to other mobile phones or computers and travel huge distances. Mobile phones can be extremely useful for the communication of individuals and are an extremely popular method of capturing, transporting and storing information.
“A new technology is rarely superior to an old one in every feature”
I agree with this statement to a certain degree. Take the example of digital camera technology in comparison to traditional film based cameras. On one hand digital cameras offer a lot more convenience and quality from a technical point of view. They eliminate the need to buy films, batteries, printing and having to wait for the film to be developed to see the photos. Instant viewing of photos is available and if they are unwanted can be deleted with the click of a button. Although all these things are great I feel so much of the value is taken away from what once was a really treasured possession. People would take care not to waste their 30 pictures on the film and it was a really exciting thing when you got them developed. With this you would be more likely to have things like photo albums rather than just saving them to your desktop on computers which is generally people do these days.
Whenever pictures are taken there are instantly ethical considerations that need to be taken into account. With the rapid prevalence of image capturing and distribution of information technology certain problems can arise for example there is a lot on in the news at present talking about Facebook hacking. Individual’s pictures are being copied and used as the face on fake profiles made by scammers. Another example is the huge controversy which arose when Google street view was introduced with people worrying that their privacy would be intruded and inappropriate images may have been caught. These worries came true with an array of images popping up on the internet of people in their homes, people whom have been in accidents and a number of other scenes which were not ethically correct to be posted on the internet. These are just two examples of the ethical issue which arise due to the fast paced rate of image capturing of information technology.
Digital images are being used in Occupational Therapy to teach clients how to carry out certain tasks e.g learning by observing and mimicking. It is also used by OT’s in assessment where an OT will video the client performing a task and then use that footage to look back and further assess or pick up things they may have missed during the actual assessment. This can then also be used to show the progress of a patient taking videos of them at the start and end points of intervention.
References
References
Retrieved 3/04/11 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_camera
Retrieved 3/04/11 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_camera
Retrieved 3/04/11 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone
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