Dictionary:

For all of those out there, that don't know technologic lingo, we've decided to make a dictionary, to help you all along. At the moment, its a work in progress, and we wont be going down into specific detail, but will give the basics. Each week, it will be updated with a new letter of the alphabet, starting with A:

A

• Apple: The big American multinational corporation. It designs and manufactures computer and consumer electronics software, as well as the products. Its most well known products are the Ipod, Macintosh Computers and the Iphone. Established in California, 1976, and currently Steve Jobs is the organizations CEO
• Access Point: In a wireless network, it is the station that transmits and receives data (sometimes referred to as a transceiver). An access point connects users to other users within the network and also can serve as the point of interconnection between the WLAN and a fixed wire network.

• Active X: Essentially, a program created by Microsoft to facilitate rich media playback. It is used by the program Internet Explorer to load other software applications in the browser.
• Add on: An add on is either a hardware unit that can be added to a computer to increase its capabilities or a program utility that enhances a primary program.
• Ad-hoc network: An ad-hoc network is a local area network (LAN) that is built spontaneously as devices connect. Instead of relying on a base station to coordinate the flow of messages to each node in the network, the individual network nodes forward packets to and from each other.
• Animated GIF (Graphics Interchange Format): A graphic image on a Web page that moves.
• Anti-spyware software: A type of program designed to prevent and detect unwanted spyware program installations and to remove those programs if installed
• Antivirus software: A class of program that searches your hard drive and floppy disks for any known or potential viruses
• Applications: A program designed to perform a specific function directly for the user or, in some cases, for another application program.
• AVI File (Audio Video Interleaved): A sound and motion picture file.

That's it for this week, tune in next time for the letter b

Idiotproof Team

Youth Decide '09

Want to help fight climate change? Vote for your perfect world in the future, on Youth Decide '09 (http://www.youthdecide.com.au/). A concert will be held on the 16th September in Federation Square, Melbourne, Australia, starting at 5.

Good cause!

Mobile Phones- The Things That The Big Corporations Don't Want You To Know!

The world as it has developed has become inter-connected. Thanks to globalization, it is possible to speak to someone from, for example Sydney Australia, from all the way in Nuuk Greenland. Even now, as we start to develop smarter and safer technologies, the problems of mobile phones have started to rise. People are starting to get them at younger ages at alarming rates, with over 1/4 people over the age of 14 having them. Parents have given mobile phones to these children for a variety of reasons (the major reason being for safety), but are the consequences of giving them to their children coming back to bite them?

The children of the y-generation are the future of the world, and therefore, education plays a key and vital role in the future of the role. However, an alarming report in Melbourne (published on purepakisani.com) by the Monash University found that heavy mobile phone users (which were younger people) are slower, and have a poor memory capacity, compared with moderate users of mobile phones. Slower responses were also observed, as well as an increase in the amount of careless mistakes made by the heavy users. The sample size was 300 school students, aged between 12 and 14, from over 20 Melbourne private and public schools. Dr. Geza Benke, who was one of the authors of the report, said "We took into account age, gender, ethnicity and socio-economic status in our research.” The conclusion from the report: Children without this excessive use of the mobile phone had faster reactions, but not as accurate as their fellow excessive users. Dr Benke agrees that this trend will continue right up into adulthood, and it is no surprise.

Scientists have long know the effects of mobile phone use. In the most recent test on the radiation emitted by mobile phones by the European Commission Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR), the overall risks of mobile phone use was tested, and although the conclusion stated that no significant health effect had been found at normal exposure levels, this would not correspond to young people. Science has told us that high frequency radio waves can be sent across the world, to be used for communication purposes (which is a positive of mobile phones). The batteries inside the mobile phones are however, susceptible to overheating due to extreme heat exposure. Magnetic fields are emitted by mobile phones (as the waves used to pass information are part of the electromagnetic spectrum, and therefore, have a magnetic field in the wave). Studies in the past have indeed proved that, under certain circumstances (such as extreme exposure found in the younger generation) that this can affect human cells, even though these magnetic fields are produced in small amounts. Indeed, research has indicated that mobile phone use can increase the likelihood of a brain tumor forming 2.5 times, and we haven't even gotten into the over psychological affects of mobile phones (such as bullying via text messages).

A list has been made of the top 20 highest radiation mobile phones in the United States, with the Motorala taking out first, second, and third place. Indeed Motorola has 6 out of the top 20 phones on the list, with Blackberry taking out 4, and Samsung taking out 2 spots. These have been measured using the SAR level (digital). Specific Absorption Rate generally means the rate of absorption of energy into the body, when exposed to a radio frequency electromagnetic field. High levels are dangerous, and mobile phones have high levels.

Our advice? Parents, monitor your child's use, and kids, don't spend too long playing the latest applications off the Itunes website!

Resources:

http://www.purepakistani.com/2009/08/young-mobile-phone-addicts-have-slower-minds-and-weak-memory/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_radiation_and_health

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6602_7-5020357-1.html

http://www.tech-faq.com/how-are-mobile-phones-dangerous-to-our-health.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specific_absorption_rate

Welcome!

Welcome to the Idiot's guide to Technology! Here, we will give the low-down of what's new on the market in a range of different areas (such as Computers, Music Devices and Phones), as they are updated throughout the world.

A dictionary will be also added later on, to explain the different concepts and key words that are thrown around in the 21st century, to do with technology

So sit back, and be amazed, as we explore technology for the idiot!

Idiotproof Team