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Innovation and emerging technologies
Impact of emerging technology: Information and communication technologies
When completing your innovation case study you are expected to analyse the impact of emerging technologies on innovation and appraise the ecological, economic, social, ethical and legal implications of new and emerging technologies. This tutorial provides some issues to consider and sources of information that may be useful for your analysis and appraisal of emerging technologies, in particular, information and communication technology.
Outcomes
This material addresses aspects of the following syllabus outcome:
H6.2 The student critically assesses the emergence and impact of new technologies, and the factors affecting their development.
Source: Board of Studies NSW, Stage 6 Design and Technology Syllabus, Preliminary and HSC Courses (2007)
Information and communication technologies
Over recent years, there have been huge changes in how we communicate with each other and how we store and access information. This has seen changes in the way that we do business, pay our bills, purchase everyday items and organise our day to day lives. We want to be in touch with the world at all times and we want the world to be in touch with us. We want to know what has happened the instant that it happens.
Look at History of mobile phones 
. Here you can read about the history of the mobile phone going back to 1947.
Inventors and innovators alike, solve problems based upon their own needs. Where they receive their first inspirations from for a solution can come from a variety of sources. They may have improved upon an existing idea, they may have taken a concept from a totally different source and then applied it to this situation. Perhaps a new technology has become available allowing for a solution to now become economically viable.
Where that result goes to from here and what it develops into in the future is up to the user of the end product and how rapidly we accept it into our lives.
We accept and use an end product being unaware of the technology that has gone into its creation and development. We have no notion of which technologies have been combined to create the end product. Often, the combining of technologies changes the purpose and intention of the use of the end product. The more we continue to accept, adapt to and use newer versions of the end product, in addition to the availability of more new technology, will determine where further development will go, or with what other technologies it can or will be combined.
Activity
- Think about your current mobile phone and note how many different technologies have been combined to create it.
- How is your current phone different from or more advanced than your previous phone. How old is your old one?
- Where do you see mobile phone technology going to in the future?
The impact of information technology
Information technology (IT) is the combining of computers with communication technologies. It encompasses any technology which allows us to search for, create, store, manipulate and share information.
We are all familiar with the convenience of mobile phones and the internet. All too often, we go to the internet as our first (and only) method of finding information. We text and email regularly, we check our email boxes regularly. We have prompts to let us know that a new message has arrived. We have internet access at work and at home.
But what other methods of information technology do we also use? We use social networking websites like Facebook and MySpace. We use wikis, podcasts, RSS, and blogs. We have several memory sticks and think that a 2G stick is small, forgetting that they used to be considered large not that long ago. We have external hard drives that are measured in terabytes.
Technology review is a powerful website that has far reaching implications in innovation and emerging technology. It is constantly being updated so each time you check, it will seem to be different. Any articles that you wish to review again, you will need to note the ‘channel' that you are in and the 5 digit number.
You will notice that information technology isn't just about computers and mobile phones but covers many wide ranging, yet associated fields.
Activity
- Click on the link to Technology Review and choose the Infotech channel. Choose an emerging technology from here. Try to find some past history on this technology and predict where it may go in the future.
- How might this technology impact on Australia and Australians now and in the future?
For more information on the impact of information and communication technologies try the following:
The downside of information and communication technologies
The introduction of new innovations and technology into our day-to-day lives has certainly made life easier and more pleasant, but there can be a downside to technology.
There is a loss of socialising on a personal level. This can be due to the technology allowing us to communicate with others, yet we never need to speak to them, e.g. texting, emails etc. We expect to get information and feedback instantly and become impatient when we don't. We can work from home and never need to go into the office.
The introduction of television in the 50s, resulted in a loss of family conversation and interaction. VCRs, DVDs, iPods and computers have had a similar impact. Even at home, we tend to sit at a computer often with the iPod, rather than engage in activities with others in the family. It is easier to email or text someone rather than pick up the phone and ring them. We are becoming more inactive.
To combat much of the negativity surrounding the use of modern computer games, they are being designed to be less focussed on one player only and allow for multiple players. Mobile phones and computers have video capabilites allowing us to see who we are speaking to or what we have just filmed.
Activity
1. Make a list of modern technology that is allowing for a more socialised existence.
2. Predict where technology will take us to in the future to give us a more interactive and social life.
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