May 07
(a)
(i) GHz(gigahertz) is commonly used to measure the speed of a processor in a computer. Hz (Hertz) is a unit of frequency and literary means a complete cycle per second. Therefore, GHz means 1 billion cycles per second. The computer will run faster if there are more GHz of processor.
(ii) The 1 GHz refers to the system clock of the processor. System clock is controls the timing of all operations that are done on the computer.
(b)
Microphone - It detects the analogue voice of the user so that it can be inputted in a computer. This may be an individual hardware that is placed around the computer but this may also be built in the computer.
Wireless - Wireless connection will avoid the usage of cables in order to connect the mirophone to the computer. This is especially important for people with disabilies because there will be flexibility in the position of the mircrophone.
(c)
The user must first train the voice acitivated system because the system needs to be adjusted to the user's voice. Because different people have difference tone, loudness, and pitch in their voice, the system needs to organize themself so that the voice can be interpreted. This is important because the system may detect the voice but may interpreted in a wrong way. Then, the command will be wrong, which will be a problem.
(d)
The improvement in technology has increased the use of voice activated systems and other IT resourses to aid the disabled people.
The voice activated systems or voice recognition will help people who cannot type an opportunity to interact with the computer through voice, without touching it. For example, if a person cannot use his hand, they can speak in order to command the computer. In other words, this allows users to have hand free use of the computer.
Voice recognition will increase productivity of the disabled people because they can now input data into the computer faster. Some disable people take a lot of type typing. However, the microphone will detect the user's voice so the process will flow faster.
Because the computer is an essential way in education, the disabled people will have a better opportunity to learn, just as an ordinary people. They can research on the Internet and use various software that will definitley facilitate and accelerate their education.
Because these devices increase opportunity for these diabled people to use computers, they will have more connection to the outside world. This is because they now have connection to the Internet so they can communicate with others through the network. For example, just as an ordinary person, a disabled people can use e-mail in order to send messages to other (such as friends and relatives). Patients who are in hospitals can use skype or any other videoconferencing software in order to contact with others. Disabled people can be more social by using these devices.
Here are the benefits for the disabled people using these helpful IT resources. The improvement in technology has definitley improve the life of the disabled people.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Online Pharmacy SCAM/SPAM
What is online pharmacy?
Online pharmacy is a pharmacy that can be done through the Internet. In other words, the medication is requested and received via the Internet. The main purpose of the online pharmacy is to sell prescription or licensed drugs.
This is advantageous for patients because they can recieve medicines online, without going to the drug stores. The transaction of money and medicine is done throught the Internet and the product is sent to the patient, so there is no need for travel and its travel cost. In addtion, this is especially beneficial for those who are ill and cannot get out of their homes. Therefore, online pharmacy increases convinience in the patient. On the other hand, this is also advantageous to the sellers because many people use the Internet now days so there will be more customers and their profit will increase.
However, there are also disadvantages and some issues to this. This sytem can only be used by users who have internet connection (equaltity of access). In addition, there are issues of reliability and authenticity on whether the product sent to the patient is the "real" thing that he/she desired. The pharmacy must be reliable in order to sell their product. In addition, there are security and privacy issues because personal accounts will be made in order to participate in this. While there is an increase in popularity of online pharmacies, there is also an increase in scam and spam that are not desired.
Online pharmacy is a pharmacy that can be done through the Internet. In other words, the medication is requested and received via the Internet. The main purpose of the online pharmacy is to sell prescription or licensed drugs.
This is advantageous for patients because they can recieve medicines online, without going to the drug stores. The transaction of money and medicine is done throught the Internet and the product is sent to the patient, so there is no need for travel and its travel cost. In addtion, this is especially beneficial for those who are ill and cannot get out of their homes. Therefore, online pharmacy increases convinience in the patient. On the other hand, this is also advantageous to the sellers because many people use the Internet now days so there will be more customers and their profit will increase.
However, there are also disadvantages and some issues to this. This sytem can only be used by users who have internet connection (equaltity of access). In addition, there are issues of reliability and authenticity on whether the product sent to the patient is the "real" thing that he/she desired. The pharmacy must be reliable in order to sell their product. In addition, there are security and privacy issues because personal accounts will be made in order to participate in this. While there is an increase in popularity of online pharmacies, there is also an increase in scam and spam that are not desired.
What is scam?
Scam generally refers to fraud thats done through the Internet; some use spams in order to do it. It advertises a product with a low price - althought the actual price is much more expensive. In addition, scams may include e-mail messages that have links to illegal websites. This is definitely a crime but it is difficult to identify this it is.
What is spam?
Spams are unsolicited e-mail that is indiscriminantly sent to the others. Spam is generally annoying if they many of them because it takes time to check them and to eliminate them. If these spams pile up, the users account will be full of capacity and the user would not be able to use his e-mail. There is no perfect way of elimininating all spams. However, there are ways in which the number of spams can be reduced. For example, a filter system is a software that will identify whether the incoming software is a spam or an regual e-mail. However, this has a limitation in that not all spams can be filtered because it is done through artificial intelligence. In this decade the number of spams has been exponentially increase and many of these are simply advertisements. The purpose of this spam is to advertise a product (sometimes drugs) or even there may be malware attached to it. This will cost money to the users because they should purchase anti-spam software. It is unethical to do these illegal acts to someone else.
Here is a video that discuss how to avoid spam:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYIQ7N-KrjM
Issues
- The users will be charged with high price product when it is suppose to be much lower
- Time consuming and irritating
- Difficult to distinguish between real e-mail and scam/spam
- Lack in reliability
- It will be a serious health issue if the patient receive the inappropriate medicine and takes it.
- Some patients might purchase drugs that are unnecessary to them
Bibliography
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/online-pharmacies/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-mail_spam
Patient Monitoring
What is patient monitoring?Patient monitoring is when the doctors or the nurses observe the patient in hostpitals, especially in emergency rooms. This is not only physically monitoring the patient but this is also done through monitoring camera. The doctors and nurses can monitor the patient from a distant place. In this way, the doctors and nurses can be aware of the patient anytime and they can immediately cope and react to them whenever something happens. The patients can have intensive and careful care if they are monitored. This is especially used when a patient is infected by a contagious virus. By monitoring the patient, this will drastically decrease the chance of spreading the virus.
The doctors and nurses can also observe the blood pressure, body temperature, respiration rate, and other important information that should be monitored.
IT system used
- Monitoring camera
- Sensores
- Wireless: Provide more confort and mobility to the patient because they can move without the wires.
Here is a video that talks about how wireless technology is beneficial in monitoring patients:
Advantages
- The doctors and nurses can respond to the patient's needs immediately - effective especially when emergent situations.
- Careful and intensive care
- Increase productivity - less time consuming compared to phyisically monitoring the patients.
Disadvantages and issues
- Privacy: This is the most major issue in patient monitoring. Because the patients are monitors, there will be no sense of privacy in them. The privacy of the patient will be lost.
- The doctors and the nurses must continue to observe the patient, which is time consuming and a lot of labor.
Bibliography
Monday, December 7, 2009
Medical Advice Online + CD
What is medical advice online?
Medical advice online is a way of getting medical knowledge through the Internet. There are many websites on the Internet that provide medical advices. In this way, the users are enabled to gain further knowledge and awareness to their health. In other words, this is one type of telemedicine that is mentioned before. Furthermore, similar to diagnosis software, medical advice online uses expert system. The websites will ask the patient series of questions (often about symptoms) and the patients will be guided towards the solution depending on their own answer. In the end, there will be an advice to the patient (usually possible treatments). Rather than visiting the actual doctor face by face, the patient can gain relevant information by himself. The advice was given through CDs in the past, however, these are not used these days due to the increase in popularity of the Internet.
- Reliability: Because the software runs by an expert system, it cannot be fully trusted. There are many illness and disease that have similar symptoms so there may be difficulities identifying the problem. There may be misleading solutions from the software. Therefore, the saftey of the patient is not ensured.
- Time consuming and high cost in order to create this software.
- Security: Hackers or any other external attacks may modify the database in a bad way. This will lead to a serious issue because the software deals with human health.
- Equality of access: Only people who has internet connection can use this.
Bibliography
http://www.webmd.com/
Medical advice online is a way of getting medical knowledge through the Internet. There are many websites on the Internet that provide medical advices. In this way, the users are enabled to gain further knowledge and awareness to their health. In other words, this is one type of telemedicine that is mentioned before. Furthermore, similar to diagnosis software, medical advice online uses expert system. The websites will ask the patient series of questions (often about symptoms) and the patients will be guided towards the solution depending on their own answer. In the end, there will be an advice to the patient (usually possible treatments). Rather than visiting the actual doctor face by face, the patient can gain relevant information by himself. The advice was given through CDs in the past, however, these are not used these days due to the increase in popularity of the Internet.
Here is an interesting website that gives some advice on the swing flue that has recently been spreading all around the world:
http://www.nhs.uk/NHSDirect/Pages/nhsdlanding.aspx
IT technology used
- User friendly
- Expert system
- Database: all information stored
- Internet connection
- Wireless
Advantages
- Users can gain knowledge at home
- No transportation and also its cost - especially beneficial for those who are ill and cannot move from their homes
- Time efficient - immediate solution
Disadvantage and issues
- Reliability: Because the software runs by an expert system, it cannot be fully trusted. There are many illness and disease that have similar symptoms so there may be difficulities identifying the problem. There may be misleading solutions from the software. Therefore, the saftey of the patient is not ensured.
- Time consuming and high cost in order to create this software.
- Security: Hackers or any other external attacks may modify the database in a bad way. This will lead to a serious issue because the software deals with human health.
- Equality of access: Only people who has internet connection can use this.
Bibliography
http://www.webmd.com/
Drug Development and Marketing
What is drug development and marketing?
The improvement of technology has also develeped the area of drugs or medicines. Because these medicines can now be delivered through the interation of the Internet, this increase the opportunity for marketing. Especially in Japan, this is required due to the aging population that needs these medicine. The knowlege of health and medicine has been spread throughout many countries (even developing countries). Drug development is when new medicines are introduced to the society. However, these medicines must go under research, investigation, and tesiting in order for it to go on the market. This process is done in five to ten years because it need careful care. Drug marketing is when drugs are bought and sold through the Internet.
Here is a video that talks about how drug development is processd in the modern world:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqxqotelP9c
Advantage
- Equality of access: These development and marketing will allow many people in the world to receive medication. Because these markets are online, medicines can be provided in cheaper prices (even to the developing countries).
- Globilization and cultural diversity: There will be many information traded online. This means that there will be more globiliztation in the medical society.
- More products can be sold, which will increase revenue for the producers.
Disadvantage
- Patients may take unnesessary medicine
- Possibility for fraud
- Reliability and authenticity: The medicine that are put on market may not be the medicine that it is suppose to be. The market must have reliable in order for the patients to take the medicines without any questions or worries.
- Privacy and security: Because personal information is presented such as credit card number on the Internet, privacy may be lost. Therefore, there must be suffient security.
Bibliography
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_development
Diagnosis Software
What is diagnosis software?
A diagnosis software in health enables users to identify their health problem by asking and answering relevant questions to the paitient. Based on the responses of the patient, the diagnosis software can ask other detailed and specific questions and finally come up with a possible solution. Furthermore, the software will automatically provide some possible treatments. These software generally asks questions about the symptoms or anything relevant to the circumstance the patient is in. In other words, the patient guides the diagnosis software in order to identify the problem.
In addition, there are medical diagnosis available online on the Internet website.
In this website, there are many buttons that indicate the possible symptoms of the patient. By clikcing the botton, the patient goes ahead to the next page that asks more detailed questions. For example, there are specific detailed yes/no questions.
Here is a video clip that talks about diagnosis software:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG2XXuJc5_8
In this video, a medical professure from Gifu University (Japan) is talking about how his medical students are using diagnosis software to train themselves in real-life situation where they will diagnose the problem of their patients. In other words, the students can virtually practice medical diagnosis.
IT system used
- Expert system: Decides on what questions to given to the patient.
- Database: All the questions and possible solutions are stored here.
- User friendly: The questions are easy to follow most of the time.
Advantages
- Quick solution
- Easy to follow
- Patients can find their illness at home using the Internet.
- No transportation: Especially beneficial to those who are ill or injured.
- No transportation costs
Disadvantages and issues
- The solutions are not definite
- Reliability: Because the software runs by an expert system, it cannot be fully trusted. There are many illness and disease that have similar symptoms so there may be difficulities identifying the problem. There may be misleading solutions from the software. Therefore, the saftey of the patient is not ensured.
- Time consuming and high cost in order to create this software.
- Security: Hackers or any other external attacks may modify the database in a bad way. This will lead to a serious issue because the software deals with human health.
Equality of access: Only people who has internet connection can use this.
Bibliography
Prosthetic Device
What is prosthetic device?
Prosthetic device is an artifical supporting device that is attached to human body. This is maily used for people who are missing a body part - and these devices function just as these body parts. For example, even if a person is missing an arm, they can attach prosthetic devices onto themselve - just as the picture below.. In this way, it reduces the inconvenience of the patient. In addition, these devices are also used for people who are injured. These may include heart simulation, hand, and limbs.
Prosthetic device is an artifical supporting device that is attached to human body. This is maily used for people who are missing a body part - and these devices function just as these body parts. For example, even if a person is missing an arm, they can attach prosthetic devices onto themselve - just as the picture below.. In this way, it reduces the inconvenience of the patient. In addition, these devices are also used for people who are injured. These may include heart simulation, hand, and limbs.
This article talks about a disable person who will attempt to complete a "marathon" race by using prosthetic legs. He mentions that this is a very challenging thing to do, however, he is still confident can trust the device.
- Software must be reliable and bug free
- Expert system and artificial intelligence
- Sensors
- Wirelss, infrared, bluetoothe
- User friendly
- Users must be trained to use them
Advantages
- Provide flexibility and convinience in life for users who have missing body parts. They can use their body just as an ordinary people can.
- Supports and aids user's life
Disadvantages and issues
- Reliablitiy: The hardware must be reliable so that the users do not need to worry about the functions. The prosthetic device must consistently do what is commanded. If there are some bugs or errors in the command, this may lead to disasterous situations to the user.
- There may be economical issues of cost. Not every users can afford this expensive device.
- Equality of access: Not every people in the world can use this device. People who can afford the cost can only have access to this device.
- There are some questions about the safety of the devices.
- People an machines: If these devices take place over many works that humans usually do, users will be overdependent on these devices.
This video talks about a user having pain in his leg when using the prosthetic legs. According to this video, these pains are still one of the issues that must be improved in the future. Please watch this video because it also talks about the mirror therapy which is very INTERESTING.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL_6OMPywnQ
Bibliography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_limb
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosthesis
http://airex.tksc.jaxa.jp/pl/dr/19960033280
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