Module 3.

1 – Keeping up with
technology
How to stay informed

 It is important to spend a little bit of time a day catching up on what’s new in the
technological world
 Blogs are the best to read
o They’re free
o Magazines don’t contain all content most of the time
o Most books are outdated by the time they’re released
 Subscribe to RSS feeds, use a RSS reader app to have all blogs available in one place to read
o Blogs are the best to subscribe to as they are always up to date, they compete with
other bloggers to have the most accurate information
o E.g. TechCrunch, Gigaom, The Register…
 RSS – Really simple syndication
o Web/news feeds that automatically provide the user with the latest information
o Can be read from the web or through an application
o Chronological order

How to be ‘green’

 IT waste / e-waste
o Any item relating to electronics that is thrown away
o E.g. TVs, Gaming devices, batteries, old computers, broken hard drives
 Harmful substances were used in making most of these devices, especially the older models
o Lead is used in soldering, arsenic is used to make glass
 These items can be toxic and carcinogenic – cancer causing – and must be disposed of
properly in dump sites
o Can contaminate water sources, cause soil erosion
o Valuable materials are retrieved (Gold, Copper
 E-waste should be recycled properly, or given to others that may need the parts

Power

 Most devices are never completely powered off, as they will be in standby/low power mode
to allow for a fast start-up response
o TV and their led light, its capacitor receiver
o Chargers that are still plugged in the socket
 o This needs electricity
 Electronic devices generally need a power source, and electricity needs to be made to supply
power
 The electricity produced to supply power uses a lot of fossil fuels, which is a main issue of
climate change as it pollutes the air
 It is important that you collectively reduce the impact on the environment by switching off
and unplugging devices that are not in use
o Setting the brightness to low
o Choosing low performance settings
o Auto-setting to hibernate mode

How to keep software up to date

 Software updates are important to

o Fix bugs in the program
o Fix security vulnerabilities, preventing malware and hacking
o Add new features and improvements
 Patch – Updates that fix specific bugs in software
o Usually security vulnerabilities
 Service Pack – Contains corrections and new features of the original software
o They are large files, larger than patches, as they include all content from previous
service packs
o Contains patches and additional features
 It is important to backup data before major updates to software for safety reasons
 Make use of automatic updates to prevent security vulnerabilities
 Downloading software to a central location will save time and data for all devices connected
to the network
o The connected devices can remain efficient and updated regularly