Cultural consequences of computing technology

Computing technology is clearly a technical revolution, but will most probably bring about a cultural revolution\ud as well. The effects of this technology on human culture will be dramatic and far-reaching. Yet, computers and\ud electronic networks are but the latest development in a long history of cognitive tools, such as writing and printing.\ud We will examine this history, which exhibits long-term trends toward an increasing democratization of culture,\ud before turning to today's technology. Within this framework, we will analyze the probable effects of computing on\ud culture: dynamical representations, generalized networking, constant modification and reproduction. To address the\ud problems posed by this new technical environment, we will suggest possible remedies. In particular, the role of\ud social institutions will be discussed, and we will outline the shape of new electronic institutions able to deal with the\ud information flow on the internet

Digital Divide in Estonia and How To Bridge It

Estonia is one of the most rapidly developing information societies in Central and Eastern Europe. Still, 61% of the Estonian adult population does not use the Internet. The analysis, carried out by the research company Emor and PRAXIS Center for Policy Studies, looked thoroughly at the reasons and motivation for not using the Internet of this particular population group. The research did not address the issue of the digital divide between countries. The research clearly shows that one third of the current non-users understand the opportunities offered by the Internet and want to take advantage of them, but are limited by a lack of skills and access. Two- thirds of the non-users (40% of the adult population) do not consciously think of the Internet as of an interesting and useful tool; more practical services and an awareness campaign are thus needed for them. The latter group depends on daily routine and already shaped-out habits – it is hard for them to accept the Internet as a new channel of information and management of public affairs. The research draws several interesting conclusions. Among them is that people believe that an Internet bank as a fully developed web-service is a trustworthy partner for managing one’s business independently. At the same time, regarding public sector e-services, people are certain that much depends on the discretion of the public servant and that therefore electronic services do not suffice. Hence, if the public sector were able to offer its services fully on the web like Internet banks, its reliability will increase and negative opinions decline. The fact that “light-users” of the Internet do not consider security on the net a problem is an acknowledgement of the successful efforts by service providers so far. Medical services were pointed out most often by the present non-users as having the potential to motivate them to start using the Internet. PRAXIS and Emor also compiled policy recommendations based on the research results, which are all listed in the final report. The research was carried out by Emor and PRAXIS Center for Policy Studies from January to July 2002. The research was commissioned and financed by the Open Estonia Foundation, the Look@World Foundation and the State Chancellery of the Republic of Estonia. It was co-financed by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the Open Society Institute in Budapest (OSI - Budapest).Internet, Information Technology, Digital Divide, Transition country, Rural development, Telecommunication, Estonia

A Web-Based Distributed Virtual Educational Laboratory

Evolution and cost of measurement equipment, continuous training, and distance learning make it difficult to provide a complete set of updated workbenches to every student. For a preliminary familiarization and experimentation with instrumentation and measurement procedures, the use of virtual equipment is often considered more than sufficient from the didactic point of view, while the hands-on approach with real instrumentation and measurement systems still remains necessary to complete and refine the student's practical expertise. Creation and distribution of workbenches in networked computer laboratories therefore becomes attractive and convenient. This paper describes specification and design of a geographically distributed system based on commercially standard components

TechNews digests: Jan - Nov 2006

TechNews is a technology, news and analysis service aimed at anyone in the education sector keen to stay informed about technology developments, trends and issues. TechNews focuses on emerging technologies and other technology news. TechNews service : digests september 2004 till May 2010 Analysis pieces and News combined publish every 2 to 3 month

Community Seismic Network

The article describes the design of the Community Seismic Network, which is a dense open seismic network based on low cost sensors. The inputs are from sensors hosted by volunteers from the community by direct connection to their personal computers, or through sensors built into mobile devices. The server is cloud-based for robustness and to dynamically handle the load of impulsive earthquake events. The main product of the network is a map of peak acceleration, delivered within seconds of the ground shaking. The lateral variations in the level of shaking will be valuable to first responders, and the waveform information from a dense network will allow detailed mapping of the rupture process. Sensors in buildings may be useful for monitoring the state-of-health of the structure after major shaking

Vertical Integration and Dis-integration of Computer Firms: A History Friendly Model of the Co-evolution of the Computer and Semiconductor Industries

In this paper we present a history-friendly model of the changing vertical scope of computer firms during the evolution of the computer and semiconductor industries. The model is "history friendly", in that it attempts at replicating some basic, stylized qualitative features of the evolution of vertical integration on the basis of the causal mechanisms and processes which we believe can explain the history. The specific question addressed in the model is set in the context of dynamic and uncertain technological and market environments, characterized by periods of technological revolutions punctuating periods of relative technological stability and smooth technical progress. The model illustrates how the patterns of vertical integration and specialization in the computer industry change as a function of the evolving levels and distribution of firms' capabilities over time and how they depend on the co-evolution of the upstream and downstream sectors. Specific conditions in each of these markets - the size of the external market, the magnitude of the technological discontinuities, the lock-in effects in demand - exert critical effects and feedbacks on market structure and on the vertical scope of firms as time goes by

Prepare for Citizen Science Challenges at CERN

Abstract: To inspire more people to contribute to science, and educate the public about science, two Citizen Science "challenges" were prepared during summer 2013: the CERN Summer Webfest 2013 and the Virtual LHC Challenge. The first part of this report summarizes how to organize a Webfest at CERN and the outcome of the CERN Summer Webfest 2013.The second part gives an introduction to the current state of the Virtual LHC Challenge: a development of the LHC@Home Test4Theory project planned to attract many unskilled volunteers. This work was supported by a grant from the EU Citizen Cyberlab project, with assistance from the Citizen Cyberscience Centre (CCC)

Investigating international new product diffusion speed: A semiparametric approach

Global marketing managers are interested in understanding the speed of the new product diffusion process and how the speed has changed in our ever more technologically advanced and global marketplace. Understanding the process allows firms to forecast the expected rate of return on their new products and develop effective marketing strategies. The most recent major study on this topic [Marketing Science 21 (2002) 97--114] investigated new product diffusions in the United States. We expand upon that study in three important ways. (1) Van den Bulte notes that a similar study is needed in the international context, especially in developing countries. Our study covers four new product diffusions across 31 developed and developing nations from 1980--2004. Our sample accounts for about 80% of the global economic output and 60% of the global population, allowing us to examine more general phenomena. (2) His model contains the implicit assumption that the diffusion speed parameter is constant throughout the diffusion life cycle of a product. Recognizing the likely effects on the speed parameter of recent changes in the marketplace, we model the parameter as a semiparametric function, allowing it the flexibility to change over time. (3) We perform a variable selection to determine that the number of internet users and the consumer price index are strongly associated with the speed of diffusion.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/11-AOAS519 the Annals of Applied Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aoas/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Analysis on the Possibility of RISC-V Adoption

As the interface between hardware and software, Instruction Set Architectures (ISAs) play a key role in the operation of computers. While both hardware and software have continued to evolve rapidly over time, ISAs have undergone minimal change. Since its release in 2010, RISC-V has begun to erode the industry aversion to ISA innovation. Established on the principals of the Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC), and as an open source ISA, RISC-V offers many benefits over popular ISAs like Intel’s x86 and Arm Holding’s Advanced RISC Machine (ARM). In this literature review I evaluate the literature discussing: What makes changing Instruction Set Architectures difficultWhy might the industry choose to implement RISC-V When researching this topic I visited the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), INSPEC (Engineering Village), and ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) Digital Library databases. I used the search terms, “RISC-V”, “Instruction Set Architecture”, “RISC-V” AND “x86”, and “RISC-V” AND “Instruction Set Architecture”. This literature review evaluates 10 papers on implementation of RISC-V. As this paper was intended to cover recent developments in the field, publication dates were limited to from 2015 to present