Computer Awareness Programme (Module 1) － Joy to the Computer World

[III] News Clippings

Good Use of Computers
News section Think about it Reference Room
The keyboard is a “garbage dump”  Has your Keyboards are most afraid of milk, juices,
computer at soft drinks and other liquids. If your keyboard
Many people may not be aware that the keyboard we use for our home or at gets wet, it may malfunction and become
work every day can make us sick. First, the keyboard is a “garbage school unusable!
dump” because you can find dust, hair, body hair and eyelashes, accumulated any
etc., in it. According to statistics, this type of filth accumulates at a filth?
rate of about 2 grams per month. Other than that, the keyboard  Will filth affect
surface is also covered with a large amount of germs such as the normal
streptococcus, staphylococcus aureus and aspergillus fumigatus, operation of a
etc. keyboard?
 How can you
keep your
(Source: extract from Wen Wei Po 21.4.2006) keyboard clean?
Computers contain flame retardants Long-term  Would you give In fact, other than computer monitors,
exposure may harm health up using printers and photocopiers also release gases
computers for which make people feel uncomfortable. If you
Urban people’s daily lives revolve around electronics and household your health? smell something acrid or pungent, you’ll have
products such as computers, televisions, plastic and furniture. To  How can we to be careful!
prevent such items from burning, they are often added with the prevent
flame retardant polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). In the computers from To keep our bodies healthy, we should
event of a fire, PBDEs can prevent flames from spreading. However, harming our ensure good air circulation when using such
this substance will release corrosive gases. The Consumer Council health? tools to prevent toxic gases from
says that it has been found from animal studies that if mice are accumulating; when buying such products, it
given long-term exposure to PBDEs, their behavior, neural system, is best to choose more environmentally
liver and thyroid gland will be affected, so PBDEs may be a potential friendly products.
threat to human health or the environment. Therefore the public is
advised to use such products with caution.

(Source: extract from Wen Wei Po 17.2.2009)

Reference Room – News Clippings 4.14

 Computer Awareness Programme (Module 1) － Joy to the Computer World

News section Think about it Reference Room

Vision, nearsightedness and pseudomyopia (sudden  How does Often looking at things up close during the
nearsightedness)? nearsightedness development stage can very likely lead to
inconvenience nearsightedness.
you?
What are the causes of real nearsightedness? Other than being
 How to prevent Therefore we need to reduce the time we
hereditary, the main reason for this is abnormal growth of the eye
nearsightedness habitually spend on viewing things up close.
and an inability to focus properly due to prolonged periods of staring
? For every 10 minutes we spend using the
at items at close range and lack of outdoor exercise. The most
computer, we should spend 10 minutes
fundamental thing to suppressing nearsightedness is to improve
looking at something far away in the
your habits and customs. A news report once said that after summer
distance. Regularly checking your eyes is
vacation, a child had surged to 9.0 diopters (900 degrees) due to
also a way to protect your eyes.
use of a tablet. This figure may partly be due to pseudomyopia as
staring at a tablet for a long period of time causes ciliary muscle
tension, but true nearsightedness often follows this and so it should
not be overlooked.

(Source: Department of Opthalmology, National Taiwan University

Hospital extracted on 12.12.2013)
School computer overheats and catches on fire  Do you know How to prevent computer equipment from
how to prevent catching on fire:
At a visual arts academy of a certain university, a computer was left computer  Do not place flammable objects, such as
on overnight and was suspected to have caught on fire due to short equipment from candles, cigarettes and incense burners,
circuiting, which then spread to nearby miscellaneous items and was catching on fire? near computers.
reported by students after they saw this. The fire had been put out  Don’t play with fire.
by the automatic sprinkler system before firefighters arrived at the  When going out, turn off the power source
scene. Computers and a number of miscellaneous items were of appliances or pull out the power cord.
destroyed by the fire, but no injuries were caused by the event.  Do not place appliances in high-
temperature or humid places.
(Source: extract from Apple Daily 28.11.2008)  Do not obstruct the space required for the
dispersal of heat.
 Use safe plugs, extension units or
adaptors; do not overload the electrical
outlet.

Reference Room – News Clippings 4.15

 Computer Awareness Programme (Module 1) － Joy to the Computer World

News section Think about it Reference Room

Good posture and protection of your eyes  Do you know Correct posture when using a computer:
what the correct
If you are fixed in a certain position for long periods of time or need posture for using
to do repetitive movements during your daily life (e.g. playing video a computer is?
games or using a computer), then this can lead to muscle fatigue.  Do you use the
Being in a bad posture over the long-term can lead to chronic wear correct posture
and tear of ligaments and cartilage, resulting in neck and waist when using a
fatigue and pain. Viewing a computer monitor up close for long computer?
periods of time can lead to ciliary muscle fatigue.

(Source: Department of Health web page extracted on 12.12.2013)

Computer Recycling Program  Do you know In theory, 90% of materials used to

which parts of manufacture a computer can be recovered
Computer products contain many substances harmful to the human computers can and reused. To protect the environment, the
body and environment. Therefore in order to reduce computer be recovered recovery and reuse of computers is
waste, we should not replace our computers at whim. If we really and reused? encouraged. When we buy a computer, we
need to replace a computer, we should try as hard as possible to let can choose brands which provide a recycling
the old computer be reused or recovered and recycled. The parts service. Before we throw away our old
and materials in a computer, such as metals and plastics, can computer, we can try our best to find it a new
actually be recovered and reused. Some abandoned computers can owner.
be reused as a second-hand computer once they are repaired.

(Source：Environmental Protection Department extracted on

12.12.2013)

Reference Room – News Clippings 4.16

 Computer Awareness Programme (Module 1) － Joy to the Computer World

News section Think about it Reference Room

Using the computer too much is harmful?  What benefits do IT is actually just a tool, so whether it is
you think you get harmful or beneficial to us depends on how
Exposing children to IT products too early can result in addiction and from a we use it. We should constantly review how
therefore fewer opportunities for children to learn and explore computer? we use computers, how long we use them for
through other channels, which detriments their social activities, large  What harm do and our attitude towards computers. We
muscle movement, their sense of touch and other aspects of you think a should insist on being the master of our
physical and mental development. Therefore adults should be computer does to computers and never become its slave and
nearby to supervise children when they engage in such activities to you? be bound by it!
ensure appropriate use, so as to enable such activities to be used
educationally.

(Source: Department of Health extracted on 12.12.2013)

Reference Room – News Clippings 4.17

 Computer Awareness Programme (Module 1) － Joy to the Computer World

IT applications to our lives [生活中的資訊科技 transliterate]

News section Think about it Reference Room
3D simulated orthodontics more effective  Do you know 3D computer simulation programs can be
what else 3D used to draw three dimensional objects on a
We can now use 3D simulation programs on computers to simulate computer flat surface (computer monitor) to make it
the predicted effects at different stages of treatment, and match this simulation more convenient for us to simulate the real
with invisible bracers thinner than 0.1 mm to reduce the impact programs can be situation and arrangements of an object.
bracers have on our appearance. The dentist will first send the used for? Other than being used for video games,
dental mold to the USA and use a 3D computer simulation program models and computer animation, 3D
for the progress and predicted effects of the whole treatment to simulation programs can also be used to
make 20 to 30 invisible bracers which are suitable for different assist product design, and allows designed
stages of progress and are changed every two weeks. products to directly control the production
process.
(Source: extract from Apple Daily 1.8.2011)

Reference Room – News Clippings 4.18

 Computer Awareness Programme (Module 1) － Joy to the Computer World

News section Think about it Reference Room

Digital TV services provided on a broadband network  Do you know In the past, we connected to the Internet
what a through a 56Kbps* modem network, so in
Digital TV can be transmitted through different channels, including broadband theory, we could send about 3000 Chinese
terrestrial radio waves, satellites, cable and broadband networks. network is? characters per second at the fastest. The
Currently, PCCW Media Limited provides digital TV services through  Do you know broadband network we have now is a
what other network capable of sending even more
the asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) broadband network of
purposes a information per second; for instance, the 30
PCCW-HKT Telephone. TVB Pay Vision Limited (formerly Galaxy
broadband Mbps broadband network has a transmission
Satellite Broadcasting Limited) also provides a pay-TV service network has? speed of more than 500 times faster than a
through the broadband network of Hutchinson Global 56K connection!
Communications Limited.
Broadband networks allow faster data
(Source: Commerce and Economic Development Bureau extracted transmission, so people can use the
on 12.12.2013) “information highway” [ 資 訊 高 速 公 路
transliterate] created by the network to
exchange knowledge and enjoy the various
services provided on the network, such as
distance learning and shopping.
(*Teachers can explain to students that using
a telephone line or a 56Kbps modem to
connect to the Internet is no longer common,
but that these were advanced technology in
the 1990s before the Internet became so
popular)

Reference Room – News Clippings 4.19

 Computer Awareness Programme (Module 1) － Joy to the Computer World

News section Think about it Reference Room

Barcode technology  Other than in In addition to being used in supermarkets,
supermarkets, barcode technology is also used on
Have you noticed that the packaging of goods is usually printed with where else have envelopes to identify postal districts;
a group of thick and thin, differently-spaced black lines? This is a you seen moreover, warehouses, blood banks,
barcode – a set of unique numbers used to identify different goods. barcode libraries, plan tickets, game tickets, and even
General barcodes have a dozen or more numbers to represent the technology be our HKSAR passports use barcodes.
manufacturer of the good and the product code, etc. used? As barcode technology is more extensively
Because of barcode technology, cash register operations and goods used, people will design more types of
management have become faster and more accurate. Once you barcodes that can store even more
take a good to the cash register, the cashier will use an infrared information.
scanner to read the information on the barcode and send the
information to the cash register and the store’s computer. On one
hand the flow of goods is monitored, while on the other, a detailed
receipt is printed for the customer.

(Source: GS1 extracted on 12.12.2013)

3D simulated fitting More desirable online purchase  Do you know For more information: please refer to “A
of clothing what other World with Computers – “What is 3D
purposes a Modelling Assisted Design ?
computer
Selling clothes online has become a new social trend. Once
simulation
combined with new technology, there are expectations that the
system has?
public will soon be able to enter their personal body data to try
clothes online, which will help people avoid buying clothes which
they find to not fit after they receive them. The University of Science
and Technology has successfully developed a “3D Garment Design
System” which first scans body data and uses computer programs to
make precise adjustments for the more than 1000 parameters of the
human body and then allows a preview of the simulated fitting to
truly achieve a “tailor-made” effect.

(Source: extract from Wen Wei Po 27.5.2013)

Reference Room – News Clippings 4.20

 Computer Awareness Programme (Module 1) － Joy to the Computer World

News section Think about it Reference Room

20 necessities Internet tops the list  Do you know The Internet connects computers from
what the Internet around the world to allow different computer
An organization carried out a study in the UK, surveying about 2000 is? users to share information quickly.
citizens to find out what they can’t do without in modern lifestyle. Out  What impact Nowadays, a lot of people use the Internet to
of the 20 necessities mentioned, the Internet was at the top of the does the Internet communicate, do business and play games,
list. have on our etc., and even connect daily appliances to
lives? the Internet to realize newer functions: you
(Source: extract from Oriental Daily News 14.6.2013) can receive driving guidance while in a
vehicle, microwaves can download recipes
from the Internet and automatically cook
food, and doctors can control robots remotely
to carry out surgery on patients from afar.

Reference Room – News Clippings 4.21

 Computer Awareness Programme (Module 1) － Joy to the Computer World

News section Think about it Reference Room

New App sends location every 15 minutes Saviour to  Do you know The Global Positioning System is composed
lost hikers what GPS is? of 24 satellites so that at any time, at least
 Have you noticed four satellites will be functioning at a
any practical horizontal line at any corner of the earth. If
The world’s first mobile phone app designed for hikers, “GPS Hiker
applications of you have a GPS receiver, then you can
Tracking Service”, has been officially launched, It covers the IT? receive radio waves constantly emitted by
countryside of Hong Kong, and once users activate the free app, the the satellites. Moreover, the receiver only
system will record the hiker’s location every 15 minutes and send it needs to receive signals from at least four of
to a data centre. Once a hiker is lost, the Police or Fire Service the satellites to calculate the position and
Department can find the whereabouts of the hiker through the altitude of the received on the earth based on
system. The app was developed by the Communications the time required for the radio wave to be
Association of Hong Kong and is part of the Agriculture, Fisheries sent from the satellites to the receiver.
and Conservation Department’s Enjoy Hiking app. Users will only Satellite The receiver can also save maps to make it
need to activate the “Hiker Tracking Service” function and turn this more convenient for users to use this as a
function “On” when they start hiking to enable the app to navigator.
automatically record the position every 15 minutes through GPS,
and to send this information to the service centre through a mobile
network. This process requires no human intervention, and if no
rescue requests are received from the Police or the Fire Service
Department, then this encrypted data will be deleted.

(Source: extract from Apple Daily 9.10.2012)

Reference Room – News Clippings 4.22

 Computer Awareness Programme (Module 1) － Joy to the Computer World

News section Think about it Reference Room

Using mobile phones to remotely control and view  What Although scientific and technological
your home convenience inventions are just tools, they can often affect
does IT bring us? our lives. We should not turn a blind eye, nor
You will be able to use your mobile phone to remotely monitor  Does IT also blindly pursue technological development;
events taking place at home or company. The Mobile Video bring us any we should cultivate the ability to analyze and
Surveillance System developed by a certain university is the first to inconvenience? make judgments to take full advantage of the
be able to be connected to the 3G, WiFi and Internet networks, etc., convenience brought to us by IT.
of the world, and can even be used together with other electrical
appliances that can be connected to the Internet to create a remote
monitoring network, hold meetings, view multimedia and achieve
other functions.

(Source: extract from Wen Wei Po 14.4.2009)

Hong Kong Public Libraries Multimedia Information  How will you use Other than connecting computer users from
System this digital around the world, the Internet is also a huge
library? database. We can reach a large amount of
 Do you think it is information without leaving home, so it is
The Multimedia Information System also provides a digital library a good thing that extremely convenient. However, there is so
service and its compilation of data includes old photos, old maps, we can access much information online and it is so diverse,
old Hong Kong newspapers, artist clips and manuscripts, etc. Once such a large so how should we process this data to turn it
the copyright is obtained, the above data will be converted into a amount of into useful knowledge?
digital format and stored in the multimedia database for readers to information on The Internet has sped up the exchange of
use on the Internet or in public libraries. Website: the Internet? information and we are now in an
https://mmis.hkpl.gov.hk/home。 “information explosion” era. Will we be at a
loss because there is too much information?
(Source: Hong Kong Public Libraries extracted on 12.12.2013) Apart from knowing how to use computers,
we also need to learn languages and
cultivate our analysis, judgment and thinking
skills to be ready to face the challenges
posed by this IT era.

Reference Room – News Clippings 4.23

 Computer Awareness Programme (Module 1) － Joy to the Computer World

Computer Family [電腦家族 transliterate]

News section Think about it Reference Room
Using notebooks with touch screens  Do you think that Typical monitors are an output device used to
a touch screen display the current operations processed by
A certain company announced a thin notebook computer model with monitor is a the computer. Compared to conventional
a touch screen to target the high-end PC market. The company said computer’s input monitors, a touch screen monitor has an
that the new design of the touch screen notebook is a hybrid of or output device? additional transparent panel to receive
tablet and notebook technology, and that its selling points are its commands inputted by touch, so it is both an
high-performance processor chip and monitor which was designed output device and an input device.
specifically for detailed images.
Computer parts change daily. What would
(Source: extract from Headline Daily 22.2.2013) input and output devices be like in the
future?

Reference Room – News Clippings 4.24

 Computer Awareness Programme (Module 1) － Joy to the Computer World

News section Think about it Reference Room

Accurate sensors Touch screen lights up upon touch  Do you think this Other than some information kiosks and
type of monitor PDAs which use the screen as an input
Touch screen devices have become increasingly popular. Just by will be popular? device, we use most types of monitors as
gently touching a smart phone, tablet PC, or ATM, etc., commands  Can you design output devices to display the work being
can be given to the electronic device via a pressure sensor inside a better and processed by the computer.
the electronic device. A university in the USA has allowed the more convenient
pressure sensor to flourish. When a finger is pressed gently on the monitor than
touch device, the pressure sensor lights up the relevant position and this?
further increases the clarity of the touch screen display. Researchers
say that this pressure sensor helps to improve the clarity of the
display of the touch screen, allowing it to capture finer touch actions.
The use of this relevant technology is not limited to computers and
can even be used for devices that simulate the touch of skin.

Palm computer (PDA) Bank account query – customers can touch the screen to
check the account balance.

(Source: extract from The Sun 17.11.2013)

Reference Room – News Clippings 4.25

 Computer Awareness Programme (Module 1) － Joy to the Computer World

News section Think about it Reference Room

Home network  What is a server? There are different types of servers. A
 Do you think that server’s main task is to manage network
Nowadays, many families will choose to set up a Network Attached a home network resources and allow network users to access
can improve information from the server through different
Storage (NAS) to save files safely. The main reason NAS is popular
people’s lives? computers.
with families is because it consumes less power than a desktop
Why do you think
computer and can be used for file sharing, as a media playback
so?
centre and to download files, as well as for making backups of files.
This makes it easy to use as a home server and convenient to set
up a home network with.

(Source: extract from Wen Wei Po 2.12.2013)

4th generation mobile phones  Will future The mobile telecommunications technology
computers simply of wireless broadband Internet has allowed
Hong Kong is already using the fourth-generation of mobile network be a multi- people to connect to the Internet anytime,
services (4G). 4G refers to the technical specification for the fourth- functional mobile anywhere, which has made the exchange of
generation mobile communication technology. Its service will be phone? What information faster and more convenient.
even stronger than 3G. It also allows a download transmission impact will this
speed of up to 100 Mbps even when users are on the move. With have on our
4G and 3G, we can be freed from time and place restrictions and lives?
use our mobile phones or mobile devices to connect to the Internet,
use different services or browse information.
Finding your way in the wilderness
Seeking help in an emergency

(Source: Communications Authority extracted on 12.12.2013)

Reference Room – News Clippings 4.26

 Computer Awareness Programme (Module 1) － Joy to the Computer World

News section Think about it Reference Room

E-book readers  Do you think e- As computers gained more and more
book readers will functions, manufacturers developed a variety
E-book readers look like an ordinary book, and come in different be popular? of portable computer products, e.g.:
sizes, weighing from one hundred grams to several hundred grams.  Other than e- PDA/palm computers, pocket computers,
Some are equipped with the WiFi wireless Internet function and can book readers, GPS devices, multi-functional mobile phones.
download and save e-books, magazines, newspapers, etc., making what other
them really convenient. portable
computer
products are
there?

Plastic chips  Do you know General computer chips are called

what computer “microchips” and are made of silicon (a
Researchers from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory of the United chips are? substance that can be found in ordinary
States Department of Energy recently announced that they have  If computer parts beach sand). While one chip is smaller than
successfully generated epitaxy on polymers, implying that in the get cheaper and a dime, it can contain millions of transistors
future, it might be possible to realize a manufacturing process for cheaper, what that can control current switch and can
plastic chips that have a speed comparable to silicon chips, but at impact will this operate several million times per second.
the low cost of plastic products. have on our The Central Processing Unit of computers is
lives? made of such chips.
(Source: extract from Electronic Engineering Times 22.7.2010) Scientists are currently studying whether
chips made of other materials will enable
computers to become even smaller and
faster.

Reference Room – News Clippings 4.27

 Computer Awareness Programme (Module 1) － Joy to the Computer World

Rhapsody for the Future

News section Think about it Reference Room
Intelligent clothes  Do you think IT Due to the extensive application of
has brought you computers, scientists have invented portable
Intelligent underwear developed by a certain company can detect convenience or computers such as mobile phones, PDAs
pressure and prevent stress-induced overeating. The prototype of trouble? Why is and intelligent watches. However, these
the said underwear comes with a detachable sensor which can that? computers must still be controlled by us to
detect heart rate and skin temperature to determine the user’s mood  Why do scientists function, so they don’t seem convenient
changes. The user’s mood data will be sent to an app on the user’s wish to use enough.
smart phone, which can help the user understand when they might computers that
engage in “emotional overeating”. they can “wear”? In order to make computers serve us more
proactively, scientists wish to develop a
(Source: translated from BBC 3.12.2013) computer with “feelings” so that it would work
automatically according to the owner’s
current environment and situation and to
bring people more convenience.
Sending data through the human body  Why did Because sharing information is beneficial to
scientists think of many people, scientists often want to find
A certain computer company is currently studying the use of a transmitting data more effective ways to transmit data. Current
human body’s natural conductivity to transmit data – just by through the methods of data transmission include
equipping a poker-sized transmitter and receiver which have built-in human body? connections, infrared (such as TV remote
computer chips, two people can transmit and receive digital  Can you think of controllers) and microwave transmissions. A
messages through simple physical contact such as holding hands. any uses of this connection is more expensive and more
Users can also directly send the received information through technology? laborious; using infrared requires the receiver
contact to a computer or mobile phone for storage.  What ways are to be aligned; microwave transmissions are
there to sometimes interfered, so none of these fully
(Source: IBM Research extracted and translated on 12.12.2013) effectively meet the needs of everyday life.
transmit data?
Can you think of a better way to transmit
data?

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 Computer Awareness Programme (Module 1) － Joy to the Computer World

News section Think about it Reference Room

Housework Robot  Do you know In order to have robots work in place of
how a robot is humans, the robots must be able to move
Jointly with researchers from a number of top universities, a robot made? and think like humans. So when scientists
centre in South Korea launched the third-generation of intelligent  Can you design design robots, they have to consider physical
robotic helpers at an international robot exhibition. This new a truly useful devices which allow the robot to work, walk,
generation of housework robot has a head which is equipped with a robot? “look” and “feel”, as well as write a computer
stereometric camera and three dimensional infrared sensors. This program to simulate human intelligence to
sensor can be used to identify the various appliances in the kitchen, give it the ability to “think” and thus allow the
including the microwave, vegetable washing grooves, fridge and robot to automatically determine what should
dishwasher, etc. The robot is also equipped with a microphone and be done in different situations.
a voice recognition function.

(Source: extract from Oriental Daily News 2.1.2013)

Operation of future prosthetics controlled by brain  What problems Computers are just tools so they can solve
waves do you want problems for us if we use them properly; if
computers to they are used inappropriately, then they will
solve for us? bring us trouble. People should often think
Researchers from a Japanese university recently published an
 Do you know and consider the consequences of their
article on the online version of a magazine, claiming that they have
what problems actions to make good use of computers. You
used electrodes mounted on the brain surface of patients with motor
computers will can pay attention to current events and see if
paralysis to successfully guess their intentions and thus move the
bring us? people make good use of computers.
prosthetic robot. To those who are half paralyzed, a computer can
interpret the patient’s brain waves in a highly efficient manner to
accurately infer the actions the patient wants to take, and then send
the analyzed results to the prosthetic robot. The robot can then
immediately carry out the motion to bend elbows or grab things.

(Source: extract from Metro 9.12.2013)

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News section Think about it Reference Room

Knowledge without boundaries  Do you know The Internet is an electronic communications
what the Internet network which connected millions of
is? computers from around the world. With the
An online education platform composed of 28 universities will jointly
 How can we use Internet, people can rapidly transfer and
operate the website mooc.org with a search engine company to the Internet to share information. Anyone can put any
promote “Massive Open Online Courses” (MOOCs). The website learn? information onto the Internet; everything that
 Will the Internet is online can be viewed by anybody, so there
will provide the platform to businesses, individuals and universities
become the is a large variety of information on the
so they can upload high-quality online courses, so as to allow school of the Internet.
humans from around the world to learn on the Internet. future?
In order to use the information on the Internet
(Source: edX extracted and translated on 12.12.2013) for learning, we must learn languages,
master information processing skills, cultivate
our thinking and judgment and know how to
learn actively. Think about it: all sorts of
bizarre things are there for you to browse
freely on the Internet. If you are addicted to
harmful information and lack self-discipline,
then how will you benefit from it?

Reference Room – News Clippings 4.30