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Homework – Information Literacy

Write an answer to the following question. Your answer must be typed and at least 300-words (1 page, double-spaced, 1” margins, 12 pt. font). This assignment is worth 10 points.

Opinion Paper

Select a topic you would like to learn more about from the attached “Topics in IT” list. Write an essay that describes your current understanding and opinion of the selected topic.

Grading Rubric:

| |Points |

|Length of essay | |

|2 – Exceeds minimum requirement | |

|1 – Meets minimum requirement | |

|0 – Below minimum requirement | |

|Format of document | |

|2 – Document formatting is adequate (cover pg, heading, essay construction, page setup) | |

|1 – Document formatting is fair | |

|0 – Document formatting is not adequate | |

|Opinion assessment | |

|6 – Opinion clearly stated | |

|4 – Opinion could be more clearly stated | |

|0 – No answer | |

|Final Homework grade | |

Topics in IT:

1. Automated digital homes - You already know that you can connect your computers, TVs, and gaming systems together, making you the envy of your friends. You can take it one step further, however, and automate your digital home. Did you know that you can connect your appliances, home entertainment systems, and other electronic devices to your home network so that you can control them from another room or even when you are away from home? Sounds too good to be true, right? It is happening right now! Find more information about automated digital homes.

Give a scenario of your dream home and how this automated home would work. Describe at least five different hardware devices in your scenario. How would this home be of benefit?

2. Cell phone history - Obviously, cell phones have come a long way since their invention some 30 years ago. Today, cell phones can fit in your pocket and are capable of offering services other than just phone communication. If this much has changed in 30 years, what changes do you think might occur within the next 30? Research the history and future of the cell phone. Summarize how we arrived at the cell phone of today and describe what cell phones might be capable of in the future.

3. Online protection for children - Unfortunately, in this day and age children are not safe online. Most of us have seen the television news series "To Catch a Predator” on NBC’s news program Dateline. It is sickening to see grown men using the Internet to lure young children into harm’s way. Research online predators. What exactly is an online predator? What is the profile of an online predator? What are some of the dangers children face from the Internet? What can we do to keep children safe online?

4. Cybersquatting - A domain name is simply a name that takes the place of an IP address, making it easier to remember. For example, is the domain name, yet the IP address is 72.14.207.99. If you want to go to Google’s Web site, you simply type in , not 72.14.207.99. If you want to create a Web site for yourself or a company, you get to choose your domain name. Simple enough? No. Finding a name that you like and that is available may prove to be difficult. In fact, people register for domain names hoping to sell or license them to people or businesses that wish to use them. This is known as “cybersquatting“. Research two cases in which an entity has fought to have the rights of a domain name that was purposely taken by another person or group. What happened? Did the cases go to court? Who now has the domain names?

5. Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags - Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags were originally used to keep track of cattle, but now they have moved into the retail sector to assist with inventory management. When you purchase products from the store, many of your items—even clothes—have these tags, possibly without your knowing. Is this something of concern? You decide! Research exactly how an RFID tag works. Describe the early uses of RFIDs and how they are used today. What do they look like, and how do they work? What are the most common concerns regarding these tags? What are the benefits of the tags? What is the future of RFID tags?

6. The Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) - The earliest conception of a computer was the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC). This computer was completed in 1945 and was massive in size. It used nearly 18,000 vacuum tubes as switches, which filled approximately 1,800 square feet of floor space.

Use the Internet to research the history of the first computer. Write a brief paper that includes the answers to the following questions:

• Who created the ENIAC?

• Where was the ENIAC created?

• What was the purpose of the ENIAC?

• How long did it take to create the ENIAC?

• What were the main parts of this computer?

• What were the capabilities of the ENIAC?

• We know it was massive in size, but describe the monstrosity of the machine in more detail.

• When was the machine “shut down”?

7. Supercomputers - “Faster than a speeding bullet! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!” Well, perhaps supercomputers can’t compete with Superman’s abilities, but can Superman process 280 trillion operations per second? The equivalent of 280.6 teraflops—that’s the speed of the world’s fastest supercomputers. What can supercomputers possibly do that requires that much speed?

Research to explore three of the world’s fastest supercomputers. Write a brief paper that includes the specifications (i.e., number of processors, amount of memory, and so on) of each supercomputer. Where are each of these computers located? What are they being used for? What do you think of the projects—are they essential or important enough to justify all that power?

8. Web-based OS - Broadband Internet access is becoming commonplace. With a faster and easily accessible Internet, the concept of a universal operating system, called a Web-based OS, is being discussed, and some prototype sites are in their infancy. Have you ever heard of such a thing? Your job in this project is to research and become more knowledgeable about Web-based operating systems. Find out exactly what a Web-based OS is. What is the purpose of this type of operating system? Why would you want to use an operating system over the Web? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Who are the major contenders? Write a brief paper summarizing your findings.

9. Biomedical implant chips - What role does biomedical implant chips play in the lives of individuals, and businesses? Examine both the positive and negative ramifications. Explore the history of this technology. How are the chips currently being used in individuals and animals? How might identification chips help increase our nation’s security?

10. Nanotechnology - Nanotechnology research is being conducted in a variety of diverse areas, including outer space, medicine and manufacturing. What is the impact of nanotechnology on the environment, personal lives, and business? What are some of the ethical and/or religious concerns about the use of nanotechnology? How is nanotechnology affecting medicine and sports?

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