Living in The Era of Technology - Pros and Cons

From the above news, impacts of technology in modern life, it is our responsibility to use technology to improve our lives but we also have to make sure that we preserve our society and environment, if we don’t control the usage of technology, we shall end up harming both the society and environment. The digital worlds that we live in today are the result of many innovations and technology advances.

All of these things contribute to the changing of the world from what it was before. It seems that ‘digital’ is used to explain so many things that the word is almost meaningless. How to define digital:

Digital represents a way of living and working where technology is used to enhance our goals, needs, objectives and desires. In practical terms it encompasses:

• The virtual world - the World Wide Web, the applications, the software, the content
• The devices we use - computer, laptop, tablet, and mobile, digital watch, TV, radio, etc.
• Our behaviour and needs - the reasons why we use these things and the opportunities it provides
• The connectivity that joins these things (and people) together - Network, Wi-Fi, broadband, 3G 

Advantages of Living in Digital Life

This new era of digital innovation that promises a better future sounds good to everyone. The benefits and results are seen everywhere around the world such as:

• Easy access to information - It has become very easy to get access to relevant information at any time anywhere. This has been possible because of modern technologies like broadband internet. Lots of data is being published and indexed online, sites like Wikipedia and YouTube have great original content which can be used in research or entertainment. Information is power, and those who find information and use it well always succeed. With smart gadgets like the iPad, iPhone, Galaxy tablet, users can easily have access to information through these smart gadgets because they use internet. So a user on a train can easily read breaking news while travelling, they can also buy and sell stocks while in the bedroom using the internet. These smart gadgets make it easy to access internet and this simplifies the way we get information.
• Encourages innovation and creativity – Since technology is challenging, it sparks the brain to work to its full potential.  In the past, it used to be very difficult to start a business, one had to have lots of capital and they even had limited access to business information. Today, it is very easy to start a business while at home. For example, creative developers post projects seeking for funding from the community, this helps them generate lots of cash for their good ideas which latter leads to creation of new Jobs.  The other creative works which have been facilitated by modern technology include Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon, etc.
• Improved communication - Communication is like water to life. We cannot develop without communication.  Modern technology has blessed us with advanced communication technology tools. These can include e-fax machines, electronic mail, mobile phones, videoconferencing, instant text messaging applications, social networking applications. All these modern communication technology tools have simplified the way humans and businesses communicate.  We can easily talk to our relative oversees using a mobile phone or video chatting services like Skype.
• Efficiency and productivity - Modern technology has helped businesses increase production. Humans are slow and sometimes they fail to deliver on time. So many businesses have integrated modern technology in their production line, most of the hard work has become so simple and the results are better than those of humans. Let’s look at a farmer who uses modern technology right from the day of preparing the farm land to the day of harvesting. They save a lot of time and money during this process

Disadvantages of Digital Life

It all sounds great, but there are still plenty of downsides. It seems like every other day the news is reporting cyber-crimes as criminals begin to take advantage of our technology dependence. People have their credit card numbers stolen and businesses have their information hacked or computer systems disabled.

• Increased loneliness – Social Isolation is on the increase, people are spending more time playing video games, learning how to use new modern technologies, using social networks and they neglect their real life. Technology has replaced our old way of interacting. If a user can easily interact with 100 friends online, they will feel no need to going out to make real friends which at a later stage leads to loneliness.
• Job loss - Modern technology has replaced many humans; robots are doing of the jobs which used to be done by humans. Many packing firms have employed robots on production lines to increase on production and efficiency, this is good news for businesses because it helps them make more money and serve customers in time, but it is bad news to employees because they get replaced by a robot.
• Competency - Increased dependency on modern tools like calculators has reduced on our creativity. You can find a student when they can solve a very simple mathematical equation without using a calculator. This affects the way this student uses their brains and reduces on the level of creativity.
• World destruction weapons - Modern technology has been the main aid in the increasing and endless wars. It aids the manufacturing of modern war weapons which will require testing. So when these weapons get into the hands of criminals, they will use them for their selfish reasons.

Conclusion

Now that we have seen some of the impacts of technology in modern life, it is our responsibility to use technology to improve our lives but we also have to make sure that we preserve our society and environment, if we don't control the usage of technology, we shall end up harming both the society and environment. Then for those seeking for jobs, I advise you to acquire different technological skills, make sure that you can create or invent something new using these new technological skills, being employed is just a step most of us have taken, but it does not guarantee financial security, you can use technology to create a small business. 

Source of:  Karehka Ramey; http://www.useoftechnology.com/modern-technology-advantages-disadvantages/

Cheaper Broadband

Charges for basic broadband packages for mobile and fixed services are expected to be reduced by between 10 and 57 per cent in the next two months. This is to make broadband more affordable as Malaysia moves ahead to become a digital nation.

PUTRAJAYA : Consumers will enjoy cheaper basic broadband packages for mobile and fixed services with a reduction of between 10 to 57 per cent in the next two months.

Communication and Multimedia Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek announced this yesterday, saying that mobile packages would be offered at RM25 for consumers who subscribed to a monthly data cap of 1GB and 3G-HSPAfor both prepaid and postpaid services.

For fixed services, Telekom Malaysia (TM) will be offering basic broadband at RM38 a month for 1Mbps of free data usage up to 1GB. This is 57 per cent lower than the current price of RM88. TIME dotCom Berhad (TIME) will be offering a similar RM38 package for fixed broadband. Discussions with telecommunications companies on the proposal for the reduction was held in February to make broadband access available to more people.

The new mobile basic broadband packages will be available in a month’s time while the fixed package by TM is expected to be available from mid-June, as it needs some adjustment period, “he said, adding that the relevant telecommunications companies would need time to upgrade their systems and software, and make changes to the billing process. Shabery said this effort was part of making broadband more affordable for both mobile and fixed users as Malaysia moved towards a digital nations. With the Goods and Services Tax (GST) being implemented on communications services, including prepaid reloads, the reductions will cushion the impact of the new tax policy.

However, in making broadband more affordable, the quality of service is critical. We can’t have cheaper services with low speed, so there should be consistent and sufficient investment, like having more towers and more fibre-optic installations,” He said infrastructure investment was needed to ensure the quality of services. “The global average for capital intensity is almost 16 per cent. Last year, the industry achieved just over 14 per cent of capital intensity, which is encouraging, and they have been very positive about investing more.”

TM Group chief executive officer Tan Sri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa said the new charges were in line with the group’s aspirations to deliver and integrated digital lifestyle with an enhanced seamless customer experience.

We already have the most comprehensive range of affordable packages to all customer segments nationwide and continue to look for on-going opportunities to offer more value-added offerings,” he said. Celcom Axiata CEO Datuk Seri Shazalli Ramly said the company heeded the call by the ministry to encourage greater Internet usage among the people. He said Celcom was committed to championing the needs of the people to gain access to the latest technology with affordable broadband. Present were representatives from TIME, U Mobile, DiGi and Maxis.

In an immediate reaction to the announcement, Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia chief activist Datuk Nadzim Johan lauded the plan, but added that it should have been done “a long time ago”. Nadzim said he agreed that the plan would encourage more Internet use among Malaysian.  

Publisher: New Straits Times, Prime News,Pg4                                                                     
Date : 16 April 2015, Thursday

Author: Fazleena Aziz, Fairuz Mohd Shahar, Farhana Syed Nokman and Tan Pooi Sze

Advantages of Broadband Network :

The speed of a broadband connection is the major highlight. The data transmission speed of the connection is more than 200 kbps while dial-up is 56 kbps. This is true in the major part of the country, as most connection speeds are "provisioned." (ISPs promise to make a best-efforts attempt to deliver the provisioned upload and download speeds.) 

1. Broadband Internet access allows the Internet to be connected while the phone line is in use. This is because both the voice line and the data line are separate in the broadband connection.

2. With broadband, the user need not worry about checking email. If the computer is on, the email application will automatically update from the server by checking for new emails.

3. Thanks to broadband, multiple users can work at the same time simultaneously. In contrast to this, if multiple computers are used on the same bandwidth in a dial-up connection, the speed will be very low.

4. Broadband connections have digital connections and are highly reliable. There are fewer breaks as the data transmission is fast. In dial-up modems, at times there is a data overload.

5. As the connection is fast, the download rate is also fast. Thus, downloading, music, files, emails, etc. is much faster in a broadband connection.

6. In a broadband Internet connection, there are no automatic cut-offs or time-outs of the connection.

7. The broadband connection is an “always on” connection. The broadband connection is always on 24/7 once the computer is started. This saves a lot of time as compared to dial-up where the user has to free a phone line, put in a password, connect, and then browse.

8. Broadband connections are billed according to the usage or plan and not as per how much time is spent. Thus, users do not have to keep a track of the time they spend on the Internet. 

9. Broadband Internet access is available for wireless devices as well. This connection is an advantage for those who own a laptop, palmtop, or cell phone.

Disadvantages of Broadband Network :

1. Speedier broadband connections cost almost twice as much as a dial-up connection. However, this can be reduced to an extent if you already have a separate phone line for the Internet that you can cancel.

2. Security concerns arise when the computer is on 24/7. Since the computer is on most of the time, there may be a possibility that someone might want to access the computer. Many security features are available in the market to overcome this issue.

3. The broadband connection increases the speed capability of the Internet, but does not guarantee the speed. The speed of the Internet is also very much dependent on the IPS's servers. If the servers are slow, outdated, or over-burdened, the speed of the Internet connection will suffer. 

 

Conclusion

Broadband Internet access comes with both advantages and disadvantages. However, despite the disadvantages it has become the most common way to connect to the Internet. Broadband is the future of telecommunications, and the broadband connection industry is growing just as customer demand is growing. Simultaneously, research is also ongoing to provide a better product. To conclude, it can be rightly said that the broadband Internet connection is a very important invention in the world of technology and one that is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future.

Source of :
Written by: J. Edward Casteele
Edited by: Lamar Stonecypher•updated: 1/15/2010

All Our Dreams Can Come True

Assalammualaikum wbt

Syukur Alhamdulillah. This is my 1^st blog and all the while I never thought in 1 day I will have my own blog.  This is an amazing journey learning MIS750. 

I would like to express my sincere thank you to my free and easy style lecture, DR Norzaidi for his contribution and valuable knowledge during MIS class. Thank you for all the support, concern and sharing your knowledge and experience with us. I do appreciate, truly happy and enjoy having a class with you. His advice is valuable and has given me a new perspective in technology especial in IT Security, what it e-commerce, cyber security and etc. 

Even though the purpose of this blog created as part of the requirement of this subject and compulsory assignment to EMBA MIS750 student but in the other hand, learning information technology  has changed my life in a positive way. And now. I am busy reading newspaper and collecting information about technology. So, I hope this information can be shared during my presentation about on Chapter 10 - Impact IT to Individual, Society and Organization on 10May2015. The assignments made me to understand, grasp and digest the principles.

Last but not least, I take this opportunity to express my thanks to one and only beloved husband, Zahari Mohd Ghazali for his coach and motivation. He is my motivator and inspires me to do the best of things in my life. Thank you so much for your time, patience, love, care and affection to me. Sharing life with someone like you so wonderful. He always remind me – the biggest failure you can have in life is making the mistake of never trying at all. Again, thank you so much for your love and being the most cherished people in my life!.