Digital Divide

                                                    Digital Divide
A digital divide is an economic inequality between groups, broadly construed, in terms of access to, use of, or knowledge of information and communication technologies (ICT). The divide inside countries (such as the digital divide in the United States) can refer to inequalities between individuals, households, businesses, and geographic areas at different socioeconomic and other demographic levels, while the Global digital divide designates countries as the units of analysis and examines the divide between developing and developed countries on an international scale.

The Digital Divide, or the digital split, is a social issue referring to the differing amount of information between those who have access to the Internet (specially broadband access) and those who do not have access. The term became popular among concerned parties, such as scholars, policy makers, and advocacy groups, in the late 1990s.

The digital divide is not indeed a clear single gap which divides a society into two groups. Researchers report that disadvantage can take such forms as lower-performance computers, lower-quality or high price connections (i.e. narrow band or dial up connection), difficulty of obtaining technical assistance, and lower access to subscription-based contents.

As for solutions:

Researchers report a wide variety of factors which favour the increasing gap, such as, among others, low income and other financial limitations, lower-quality or high-priced connections, low level of education, lack of digital literacy, poor technical assistance, and limited access to quality ICT content.

The cost and affordability of ICT is a big issue in many countries, but a bigger one is the lack of knowledge and understanding of the technology. Studies show that over 40 per cent of the world population does not have the opportunity to learn how to use a computer. This is the hardest issue to address, as it implies changes in both education and mentality, as well as investments in e-services. E-governance should play the leading role in creating usable e-government tools, regardless of the level of education. Some governmental websites are very complicated and unfriendly both in access and content. Adopting an integrated and citizen-oriented approach may lead Governments to increase equal opportunities in the use of ICTs.

Spread Sheet

What is Mcrosoft Excel?

Microsoft Excel is a commercial spreadsheet application written and distributed by Microsoft for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications. It has been a very widely applied spreadsheet for these platforms, especially since version 5 in 1993, and it has almost completely replaced Lotus 1-2-3 as the industry standard for spreadsheets. Excel forms part of Microsoft Office. The current versions are 2010 for Microsoft Windows and 2011 for Mac OS X.Microsoft Excel provides a grid interface to organize nearly any type of information.  The power of Excel lies in its flexibility to define the layout and structure of the information you want to manage.  Basic tasks require no special training, and Excel allows you to work with text, numbers, and date information in a relatively open and unstructured way.  Nearly 30 years after its initial introduction, Excel remains the world’s leading spreadsheet software.

Uses of Microsoft excel:

Spreadsheets are often used to store financial data. Formulas and functions that are used on this type of data include:

• Performing basic mathematical operations such as summing columns and rows of figures.
• Finding values such as profit or loss.
• Calculating repayment plans for loans or mortgages.
• Finding the average, maximum, or minimum values in a specified range of data.

Other common operations that Excel can be used for include:

• graphing or charting data to assist users in identifying data trends.
• sorting and filtering data to find specific information.

The information garnered in a spreadsheet can easily be incorporated into electronic presentations, web pages, or printed off in report form.

What Are Spreadsheet models?

A computer spreadsheet program allows you to create, edit and maintain a spreadsheet (or worksheet) full of data. Spreadsheets allow you to make budgets, invoices and similar documents. They're used heavily in the business and financial sectors. Spreadsheet models allow most of the preparation work to be done for you.

Spreadsheet models exist for a variety of different common purposes, such as the budget of an event or the organization of a payroll.Common uses for spreadsheet models include getting budget estimates or inputting different sets of data to experiment with different financial outcomes.

Spreadsheet models usually come in a certain file format. Microsoft Excel has a large spreadsheet program; other options include Apple Numbers, Google Docs (which reads many formats) and Lotus Symphony.

Advantages of models:

1. Formula can be used to instantly to recalculate totals. 
2. The information can be presented in different ways.
3. You can carry out what if investigations.

Using a spreadsheet you can see all the data at once and when you change any data all computations can be instantaneously updated with the change.

It is a place where you can organize your information. Also if you are using numbers, you can input eqautions to help run those numbers (ex. Excel).

you don't really have to any of the work because if you are finding out sums(working out) you can just drag it and it will bring up all of the other answers for you.

System Life Cycle

The Systems development life cycle (SDLC), or Software development process insystems engineering, information systems and software engineering, is a process of creating or altering information systems, and the models and methodologies that people use to develop these systems. In software engineering, the SDLC concept underpins many kinds ofsoftware development methodologies. These methodologies form the framework for planning and controlling the creation of an information system:^[1] the software development process.

The SDLC is a process used by a systems analyst to develop an information system, training, and user (stakeholder) ownership. The SDLC aims to produce a high quality system that meets or exceeds customer expectations, reaches completion within time and cost estimates, works effectively and efficiently in the current and planned Information Technology infrastructure, and is inexpensive to maintain and cost-effective to enhance.^[2] Computer systems are complex and often (especially with the recent rise of service-oriented architecture) link multiple traditional systems potentially supplied by different software vendors. To manage this level of complexity, a number of SDLC models or methodologies have been created, such as "waterfall"; "spiral"; "Agile software development"; "rapid prototyping"; "incremental"; and "synchronize and stabilize".^[3]

SDLC models can be described along spectrum of agile to iterative to sequential. Agile methodologies, such as XP and Scrum, focus on lightweight processes which allow for rapid changes along the development cycle. Iterative methodologies, such as Rational Unified Process and dynamic systems development method, focus on limited project scope and expanding or improving products by multiple iterations. Sequential or big-design-up-front (BDUF) models, such as Waterfall, focus on complete and correct planning to guide large projects and risks to successful and predictable results^{[citation needed]}. Other models, such as Anamorphic Development, tend to focus on a form of development that is guided by project scope and adaptive iterations of feature development.

In project management a project can be defined both with a project life cycle (PLC) and an SDLC, during which slightly different activities occur. According to Taylor (2004) "the project life cycle encompasses all the activities of the project, while the systems development life cycle focuses on realizing the product requirements".^[4] SDLC (systems development life cycle) is used during the development of an IT project, it describes the different stages involved in the project from the drawing board, through the completion of the project.

Air Conditiong

Air conditioning is the removal of heat from indoor air for thermal comfort.
In another sense, the term can refer to any form of cooling, heating, ventilation, or disinfection that modifies the condition of air.^[1] An air conditioner (often referred to as AC or air con.) is an appliance, system, or machine designed to change the air temperature and humidity within an area (used for cooling as well as heating depending on the air properties at a given time), typically using a refrigeration cycle but sometimes using evaporation, commonly for comfort cooling in buildings and motor vehicles.

An air conditioner (often referred to as AC) is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle. In construction, a complete system of heating, ventilation and air conditioning is referred to as "HVAC".

Advantage and Disadvantage of Biometric system

Advantages of biometric System

The advantages of biometrics are the person is the key so you need never remember your card or key again. Each body part is unique and Biometrics uses your unique identity to enable a purchase activate something or unlock something. Biometrics encompasses Voice, Vein, Eye, Fingerprint, Facial recognition and more.

• Unique: The various biometrics systems have been developed around unique characteristics of individuals. The probability of 2 people sharing the same biometric data is virtually nil.
• Cannot be shared: Because a biometric property is an intrinsic property of an individual, it is extremely difficult to duplicate or share (you cannot give a copy of your face or your hand to someone!).
• Cannot be copied: Biometric characteristics are nearly impossible to forge or spoof, especially with new technologies ensuring that the biometric being identified is from a live person.
• Cannot be lost: A biometric property of an individual can be lost only in case of serious accident.

Disadvantages of biometric system:

The disadvantages are numerous however: criminals have been known to remove fingers to open biometric locks, Biometrics requires a lot of data to be kept on a person, these systems are not always reliable as human beings change over time if you are ill; eyes puffy, voice hoarse or your fingers are rough from laboring for example it maybe more difficult for the machinery to identify you accurately. Every time you use Biometrics you are being tracked by a database bringing up a range of privacy issues. The final disadvantage is the expense and technical complexity of such systems.

The finger print of those people working in Chemical industries are often affected. Therefore these companies should not use the finger print mode of authentication.

It is found that with age, the voice of a person differs. Also when the person has flu or throat infection the voice changes or if there there are too much noise in the environment this method maynot authenticate correctly. Therefore this method of verification is not workable all the time

For people affected with diabetes, the eyes get affected resulting in differences.

Biometrics is an expensive security solution.

Advantages of Biometrics :

Biometric Applications

Biometirc Finger application

PC / Laptop Security

Fingerprint scanner and smart card scanner systems which prevent unauthorised access to your laptop or hand held PC are becoming key increase in protection of data and information . Together with our great range of fingerprint software we can now eliminate the need for multiple passwords whilst ensuring the highest security is maintained.

Our range of USB fingerprint scanners are ideal for protection of your home / work or laptop computers...   Take a look at our cheapest and best-selling solution : the Secugen Hamster Plus along with SecuDesktop software.  These 2 products together allow you to replace your windows login with a fingerprint, encrypt files & folders and protect your screen-saver - all using your fingerprint for authorisation.

Network Login Solution

For business networks which require that extra level of security, biometric login solutions eliminate the possibility of passwords being lost / intercepted or guessed by malicious users.  Using a biometric login solution for your network, access is restricted from the server machine ensuring any accounts you have created are being authenticated by their intended users.

Password management duties are also eliminated which will save your IT staff valuable time and resources.  Unlike passwords, cards or tokens, fingerprints cannot be lost, forgotten, misplaced or stolen.

Our network login solutions can integrate seamlessly with your network to increase security, fingerprint readers can be embedded in normal computer peripherals - eg/ Secugen Optimouse Plus

For Novell networks - see our Secugen NMAS solution.

Telephones

An Olivetti rotary dial telephone, c.1940s

The telephone (from the Greek: τῆλε, tēle, "far" and φωνή, phōnē, "voice"), often colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sound, most commonly the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other. It is one of the most common appliances in the developed world, and has long been considered indispensable to businesses, households and governments. The word "telephone" has been adapted to many languages and is widely recognized around the world.

All telephones have a microphone to speak into, an earphone which reproduces the voice of the other person, a ringer which makes a sound to alert the owner when a call is coming in, and a keypad (or in older phones a telephone dial or no manual device) to enter the telephone number of the telephone being called. The microphone and earphone are usually built into a handset which is held up to the face to talk. The keypad may be part of the handset or of a base unit to which the handset would be connected. A landline telephone is connected by a pair of wires to the telephone network, while a mobile phone or cell phone is portable and communicates with the telephone network by radio. A cordless telephone has a portable handset which communicates by radio with a base station connected by wire to the telephone network, and can only be used within a limited range of the base station