Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category
Friday, January 25th, 2008
We have entered the age of digital cameras. The advantages of the traditional film camera over the digital camera have disappeared, and the former are increasingly becoming a part of our normal lives.
A digital camera produces digital pictures - these are so easy to load on a computer and they can be emailed across the world to your friends or relatives in a matter of minutes. It is easy to check digital pictures and delete them if you wish. If you find that a picture you have taken is useless, you can delete it easily instead of wasting film, which you cannot reuse. A film can go bad over time; so keeping a digital camera handy for use whenever necessary is a fine option.
One can characterize digital cameras by the image size. Digital pictures are made up of color dots called pixels. The pixels are expressed by height and width, for example 320 x 480. These numbers are then multiplied, providing the total amount of pixels. Large number of pixels provides more detailed images, but this resource is available mostly on the more expensive cameras. Two megapixels, which means 2 million pixels, is at the low end, and may result in defects when the picture is enlarged. On the other hand, seven megapixels represent a robust picture and can handle enlargement well.
One other point to consider is zooming. The Optical zoom feature adjusts the light which enters the camera, and this makes the scene to appear closer. The digital zoom feature adjusts the picture after being digitized, to produce a closer appearance. Both can produce the desired result, but optical zoom is preferable.
Digital cameras also come with internal storage, but this is usually too small. So you have to look at the kind of add on storage that the camera allows. The additional storage usually comes in the shape of a thumbnail sized chip, and you can carry these around conveniently if needed.
The battery is another area you have to consider. Some digital cameras use standard sized batteries, while others use less common, proprietary sizes. Some batteries hold a charge better; some battery systems are rechargeable, while some cameras just hog power.
Then there is the preview screen - which is an LCD (liquid crystal display) screen, which shows you what the camera would see at any given point if you wish to take a picture. In this system, the screen is active whenever you are preparing to take a picture, but this will also consume the battery while you are doing it.
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Friday, December 28th, 2007
The iPod has made its way into every aspect of our lives. They can be found in the homes, backpacks, and pockets of people of all ages across the nation. Just saying the name iPod and you automatically think of music, videos, and television programs. We get a lot of use out of our little iPod’s but are we taking care of them properly?
One common complaint is that the battery life of one doesn’t exactly keep pace with your need for it. To help you out with that and more, here are a few pieces of advice to lengthen the life of your iPod and keep your music playing without any interruptions.
- To keep you iPod looking good and new, clean the and plastic shell. Before you do this, it is important that anything plugged into the iPod is disconnected. Lock up the controls by using the “hold” button. Wipe away dirt and marks on it by using a soft, lint-free cloth.
- Only use your iPod in normal temperature conditions like room temperature. If you left it out in your car overnight and it seems frozen, it is best not to use it until it warms up to the temperature around it. Actually, even just keeping your iPod in temperatures other than room temperature can permanently damage it.
- Are you aware that the cable connection ports hold a lot of delicate pins and pieces? They can bend or break very easily which is why you should only use gentle pressure with the controls and cable connection. When a cable will not slide into the connector with gentle pressure, it is either incorrectly aligned or the cable is not suitable for that connector.
- In order to get the from the life of its internal battery, Apple recommends fully charging it at all times. The charging process can be monitored right on the display screen. After the iPod is fully charged, it will display a battery with a plug icon.
- You know that “Do Not Disconnect” message? Well, do what it says. It is extremely important that you eject the iPod from your computer and iTunes before disconnecting the cable. This can simply be done with a few clicks of the mouse. By not doing so, you run the risk of permanently damaging the files of the iPod.
- If you are taking your iPod with you biking, jogging or anything else physical, make sure that it is securely fastened to you so that if won’t fall and hot the ground. Also, be sure that any wires are not freely hanging out. You can run the risk of them becoming tangled up in something. Many companies sell wireless headphones and are not that expensive.
- You should charge your iPod’s the battery every 14 to 18 days when you are not using it. It still requires power in a sleeping state and not in use.
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Friday, December 28th, 2007
Technology is great. Every year things get smaller, faster, cheaper, and more convenient. Few people would argue that we were better off a century ago without things like cell phones and the internet. Anything seems within our grasp in this the age of information. In only the past decade we have seen revolutions and evolutions of technology which could be called a renaissance of sort.
In the western world especially, people live in comfort with amenities and conveniences which up until a few decades ago would have been called luxuries. Imagine pitching the concept of a microwave or cable television to someone from just three generations past. They would most probably think the idea was absurd. “Who needs such things?” they would think to themselves. After all, they managed to live out their whole lives without ever one having created a MySpace profile. Yet today people would not know what to do without any of these things.
As technology has advanced and evolved, so has our perspective on technology. Most have learned to accept technology and integrate it into their lives as just another piece of the life puzzle; a large piece at that.
And there in my opinion lies the problem. Technology has become a very major piece of our lives. Yes, technology in fact works for us, but it is also true that we depend on it. We are helpless without our gadgets. From birth we have been accustomed to rely on technology to get things done and we are as a race good at getting things done. Take away technology and we would have to relearn many things; the lost art of conversation for instance.
Which brings me to my second point: we spend so much time learning how to use technology that I am forced to wonder at what point the cost benefit ratio would no longer be in our favor. Think about how much time you have spent learning to use a new cell phone or video game system. Heck, think how long it took you to learn how to use the Internet. All these things are evolving and getting more complex. How much of our lives are we going to have to invest in order to adapt to future technologies. Think about how complex the world will be for the next generation, and the next.
In this reality one never get something from nothing. There is always a tradeoff. Even if one does not recognize the price for something, be assured that there is a price. With scientific and technological advances we gained much comfort and knowledge. In exchange we give up simplicity.
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