Technology – Computer Technology
Digital computing has become an important aspect of everyday life since its beginning in 1940. Innovations led to mobile computing such as laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and mobile telephones.
The term “information age” has been coined to describe modern times, due to the central role of computers. Research and development goals are aimed at more compact, versatile, and universal computers, as well as improving processing speeds and reliability.
Physics and Technology – Technology – The Ubiquitous Computer
In 1977, Ken Olson, president of the Digital Equipment Corporation, is reported to have said: “There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home.” Time has proved him wrong.
In 1941, German engineer Konrad Zuse built the first working programmable computer: the Z3. Weighing over one ton, the Z3 was used for calculations in aircraft design and used relays as switches.
Two years later, the United States started building the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) from which the term computer remains in use. The ENIAC, built for the military to compute projectile flight paths, used electron tubes as switches, making it the first electronically programmable computer.
Computer technology is used in almost every aspect of daily life. Today, it has become integral to everyday objects, from mundane kitchen appliances to life- saving pacemakers. The many and varied applications it is utilized for may be observed in cars, cell phones, watches and clocks, home entertainment, security systems, and hospitals.
Into the future
The computer industry plays a dynamic and important role in the world’s economy. New technologies are constantly being developed, including supercomputers, microchips with extremely high computational power, and highly miniaturized computers.
The use of decentralized computational power is on the rise. For example, NASA is taking advantage of grid computing by distributing data packets to private users whose unused computer processing power is then utilized to perform NASA’s extensive calculations.
A problem that would normally take one computer a significant amount of time to solve can be broken into smaller parts and distributed to thousands of computers for computation, before being returned and assembled again to reveal the answer.
MINIATURIZED MOBILE COMPUTERS
Laptop computers must be as small and as light as possible. To increase the efficiency of the battery, laptops are equipped with special mobile processors designed to perform at mini- mal power consumption.
Expansion slots and ports allow easy attachment of external devices.