Module 8 Study Questions
Technology in Action (6th Ed.)
Pages 364 to 409

  1. Be able to define the following key terms:
    1. Backup
    2. Benchmarking
    3. Cell phone drop out
    4. Convergence
    5. Global Positioning System (GPS)
    6. Memory effect
    7. Peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing
    8. ROM (read only memory)
    9. Sampling rate
    10. Stylus
    11. Synchronizing
    12. Text messaging
    13. Web-enabled

  2. Identify four environmental factors that can damage your computer.

  3. Explain the difference between a surge protector, whole-house surge protector and an uninterruptible power supply.

  4. Identify the eight guidelines for creating a secure password provided by the authors.

  5. What type of computer files do you need to backup?

NOTE: While backup software is useful because it ensures important files are periodically duplicated, it does leave the user vulnerable to lose day-to-day changes. The safest backup procedure you can employ is to "backup as you go." This means you make a backup copy of all-important files immediately after you finish working on them for the day. For example, when you are done word processing the answers to this study guide you should save a copy on your hard drive and then save it again (using the Save As option) on your USB drive.
  1. What are two downsides to mobile computing and three limitations to mobile devices?

  2. Describe the basic operation of the following mobile computing devices:
    1. Cellular phone
    2. Portable media player
    3. Smartphone
    4. Table PC
    5. Notebook computer

NOTE: Small, inexpensive (<$350) computers that have full size keyboards and are designed to connect to the Internet are referred to as subnotebook computers in our textbook. I have found that a more popular name for these computers is netbooks.
  1. How is ROM used by cell phones?

  2. Identify four input and two output devices used by cell phones.

  3. How can you prevent cell phone viruses?

  4. What are two ways portable media players (also called MP3 players) internally store music and videos?

NOTE: For good sound quality you should use sampling rates above 180Kbps.
  1. What can a cell phone with a GPS chip do for you?

  2. There are several interesting ethical issues that come with cell phones with GPS chips. Under what circumstances, if any, do you think the following should be allowed to happen? More thought than yes or no is required for full credit.
    1. The government monitoring your movements.
    2. Parents monitoring their children’s movements.
    3. One spouse monitoring the other’s movements.
    4. Your boss monitoring your movements at work using a cell phone provided by the company.

  3. Identify the data entry technology associated with tablet PCs.

  4. What can you do to extend the battery life of your laptop computer?

  5. What did you find interesting in this week’s reading that was not part of a study guide question?

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