Ubiquitous Computing

Ubiquitous computing is applied to technology which appears in everyday objects and activities,

seemingly everywhere. For example, controlled lighting or a plant-watering system is deemed ubiquitous computing as it uses a variety of devices and connections, which the user can interact with or control.

Ubiquitous computing integrates control, management and human interaction and is evident in sensor technology, mobile computing, mobile communication and artificial intelligence (robotics).

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

Radio frequency tracking is the method for tracking wireless transfer of data.

This is widely integrated in everyday objects and work activities, and so could be termed as ubiquitous. Activities and objects that use RFID include:

 A fridge that monitors supplies

 Stock control and location in a warehouse

 Office buildings that record where people are in the building

 A plant-watering system or a pet collar

Practice Makes Perfect

Fill in the blanks below to complete the sentences:

1. ____________________ computing is a term used for virtual computing. (5)

2. A disadvantage of hosted applications is that they can be affected by _________________________. (7)

3. ____________________________________ affects speed of data transfer. (9)



Practice Makes Perfect

Fill in the blank below to complete the sentence:

1. Radio _____________________________ tracking is widely integrated into everyday objects. (9)



Activity 1 – Le arning Aim A

Activity 1

Work out the answers to the questions below and write them in the relevant boxes to reveal a word in the shaded squares which is connected with this chapter.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

1. IM stands for _________________ Messaging. (7) 2. A shortened version of a virtual learning

environment at a training centre, such as Moodle.

(3)

3. A digital __________ is used for online storage. (5) 4. This is a web page that can be edited directly from

a user's browser. (4)

5. A term for computing or technology that appears in everyday objects and activities. (10)

6. This refers to virtual computing and storage. (5) 7. This can be private or public and provides

information about a social network user. (7) 8. This is a program that works on a pay-per-click

basis. (9)

9. A means of viewing video in real time. (9)

10. This method makes files smaller in order to make them a manageable size to send via email or web transfer. (11)

Answer to shaded squares – 10 letters (clue: it refers to using appropriate behaviour when online).

Activity 2 – Le arning Aim A

Activity 2

1. Match each example on the left to the correct description on the right.

2. Fill in the blanks below to complete the sentences:

a. Files that are transferred over the Internet should be _______________________________ to make them smaller. (10)

b. Document ___________________________ are added to make sure that unauthorised users cannot access or make changes to a document. (9) c. The _____________ - _____________ option will protect the file from being overwritten or amended. (4-4)

d. File ________________________ refer to security controls that a user can set to secure files from unauthorised access, editing or formatting. (11) e. ___________________ levels are the levels of access that ensure only certain personnel have access to particular areas on the system. (6) f. Wikis, such as Wikipedia^®, are _____________________ encyclopaedias containing information contributed by other users. (6)

g. A ___________________________ profile enables a user to limit what content they want to share with other users by controlling access to their personal space, such as to friends and family. (7)

h. Guidelines that govern appropriate behaviour online are called ___________________________________. (10) i. ______________ enables real-time communication over the Internet, using speech and live video. (4)

1. Ubiquitous computing

2. Upload

3. Client

a. transfer files or a web page to the Internet

b. a computer which shares resources and communicates via a server

c. use of everyday objects with RFID microchip networking

1. The Internet

The Internet is a network of interconnected computers which communicate globally with each other via an IP (Internet Protocol) address. Accessing the Internet enables a user to access the World Wide Web (WWW). The World Wide Web is a collection of websites which are available on the Internet.

The Internet is very useful in the home, school or at work – allowing the user to research information quickly and easily. You may use the Internet for research projects at school or college. Governments use the Internet to issue passports. The Internet can also be used for online banking so that you can check your account balance, request a statement and move money between accounts without leaving the comfort of your own home.

The Internet can also be used to:

 Communicate – Emails, chat rooms, social networks, etc.

 Entertain – Downloading/streaming music and video, online gaming, etc.

 Inform – Wikis, articles, blogs, etc.

 Shop – For goods (e.g. clothes) and services (e.g. car hire).

Computers are networked together globally using telephone network

technology. Data is sent and received via a phone line in the form of analogue and digital signals. Analogue is the standard phone line signal and sends data in varying waves. This makes analogue slower than digital and more prone to corruption. Digital data is sent as ones and zeros and is constant. Digital data is transmitted faster than analogue.

ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line) is a form of broadband Internet connection. Data using ADSL can be sent via the phone line and also through broadband Internet communication. This enables the user to have permanent connection to the Internet without losing access to the phone line or fax (as happens with dial-up connection). ADSL requires a filter to be plugged into your existing phone line socket to split the incoming signal so that it separates data and voice.

A modem (short for modulator/demodulator) converts digital signals into analogue (a standard phone line signal is analogue) and vice versa to transfer data down a phone line. Modems operate at speeds known as transfer rates in bits per second.

The Internet can be accessed via a PC, laptop, smartphone, tablet, games console or Internet-ready (Smart) TV. Whatever media is used to access the Internet, it is important that, while online, the user is protected from risks and threats. The World Wide Web can be browsed (or surfed) using a web browser such as the following:

Popular browsers

B .

The Internet and the Exchange and Storage of Information by Digital