AQA ICT for A2 © Hodder Education 2011 Chapter 1 Future developments

AQA ICT for A2 © Hodder Education 2011

Chapter 1Future developments


This topic is about• Emerging technologies (recent developments)• Likely future uses of ICT• The impact on society• The impact on organisations• The impact on individuals• Issues surrounding rapid development of ICT

(e.g. social, cultural, environmental, economic etc.)


Exam questions• Questions are likely to be fairly general• You will choose examples• But will probably have a theme, for example

• mobile computing• potential future uses of ICT• likely effects of future developments in ICT on the

environment, society and how people do their jobs• impact of escalating computer power• impact of developments in ICT on organisations

over last 20 years


Examples of recent developments

• Specified in the syllabus• Devices for remote and mobile working

• You need to have other examples at your fingertips

• Both business and leisure applications• Benefits


Devices for remote and mobile working

Examples• PDAs• GPS• Smartphone (defined on book page 1)• Mobile dongle• Ultra mobile PCs• Digital readers (eReaders)• iPhone (released in 2007 – now thousands of

apps)• Case study 1 (on book page 2)


Some other examples

• Medical (such as ocular biometry)• Online publishing• Hands-free control systems• Photography• Music, media and downloading• Virtual meetings• Add your own


Photography• Rapid move to digital since the late 1990s• Early digital cameras – blurry, small images• Now, large, sharp images• Present on most smartphones• Digital video cameras• Online services – Case studies 4 and 5 (on book

page 7)


Developments in music technology

• Gramophone – played 78 rpm records• Record players – played 33 rpm LPs in stereo• Audio tapes – reel to reel, cassettes (more

compact, e.g. Sony Walkman)• CDs• MP3• Downloading, local storage• Streaming


Online gambling• In 2008, 10% of adults participated in remote

gambling• Up from 2006, mainly because National Lottery

available online• Ethical issues – not allowed in USA


eGovernmentOnline public services, for example• Filing tax returns

• Saves £10 for each tax return• Offers later filing date

• Paying Council tax• Renewing and reserving library book• Vehicle licensing• Save 93p for each licence• Online voting and e-counting have been

suggested for elections (see book page 12).


Social issues at work

• IT professionals often work from home and get out of touch with colleagues

• Never away from work – stress• Increase in outsourcing and offshoring (see book

chapter 15)• Many jobs require IT skills• Companies have ICT departments• Legal requirements


Social issues for leisure users

Benefits, for example• Easier booking of concerts• Cheaper flights, hotels etc.• Easier contact with relatives and friends

overseasDrawbacks, for example• Social networking, chat rooms used instead of

fact-to-face interaction• Children play on computers instead of outside• Gaming for long periods may affect health –

eyesight, RSI etc.


Impact on society• Digital divide (covered at AS level)• Online sales versus high-street shops• “Big Brother” state, for example

• Joined-up systems – health, finance, education, criminal, car, Internet usage etc.

• Where are you? – GPS in car for road use pricing, mobile phone, CCTV


Ethical and moral issues

• Privacy – loss of privacy• Employment patterns – loss of jobs• Digital divide – greater divide between

“information rich” and “information poor”• Property Rights – threat to intellectual property

rights (e.g. downloading video and music)• ISP stores your browsing and email history• Phorm’s technology targets adverts based on the

surfing activity of the user


Economic issues• Costs

• New technology• Training• ICT professionals

• Benefits, for example• Paperless billing and banking• Offshoring (see Book chapter 15) – call centres


Environmental issues

• Problems, for example• Disposal of old equipment (WEEE directive)• Power requirements (nearly as much as aviation?)• Mobile phone masts

• Benefits, for example• Less paper• Less travel• Intelligent heating systems


Technical issues for workers

• More ICT skills needed in workforce• Constant updating of ICT skills• Business managers must keep up to date with

developments• Retraining needed for those returning to

employment


Other technical issues

• Broadband availability• Broadband speed• Government promise that all homes in the UK

will have speeds of at least 2 Mbps by 2012

Documents

AQA ICT for A2 © Hodder Education 2011 Chapter 1 Future developments