Topic 1: Personal digital devices

Topic 1: Personal digital devices

1. Mobile phones

   • Smartphones
     • Provide significantly greater functionality than basic phones and can be used for activities such as e-mail, social networking, surfing the web and running mobile applications.
   • Specialist phones
     • Designed for a very specific target market, e.g. elderly people, those who are partially sighted and those operating in challenging environments.
   • Peripherals
     • Headsets (hands free)
       • Usually use bluetooth for wireless conection. They still need a phone or another device to make calls.
     • Removable storage
       • Memory cards such as CompactFlash card, Secure Digital card or Memory Stick. They are more portable than other devices.

2. Cameras and camcorders

   • Digital (stills) camera
     • Produces digital images that can be stored on a computer and displayed on a screen.
   • Digital camcorders
     • High definition (HD) and standard definition (SD).
   • Peripherals
     • Removable storage
       • Memory cards such as CompactFlash card, Secure Digital card or Memory Stick. They are more portable than other devices.

3. Personal computers

   • Desktops
     • Suitable for use at an ordinary desk.
   • Laptops
     • Portable and suitable for usage while travelling.
   • Tablets
     • As it develops with smartphones.
   • Single-board computers
     • Also known as SBCs. Are affordable, complete computers made for education and development e.g. Rasberyy Pi.
   • Wearable computers
     • E.g. Smartglasses such as Google Glass, Smartwatches.
   • Peripherals
     • Screens
       • An area of an electronic device (e.g. television, computer, smartphone) on which images and data can be displayed on.
     • Keyboards
       • This is a panel of keys and signs used for making words (punctuation and grammar) and also operate a computer laptop or other devices with digital keyboards.
     • Pointing devices,
       • E.g. mouse, stylus, touchpad, nipple.
     • Microphones/ speakers/ headsets.
       • Input audio into computers/ analogue audio signals into equivalent air vibrations to make audible sound/ use Bluetooth for wireless connection.
     • Printers
       • A machine that copies text or pictures. Uses wireless connection to laptops and some computers.
     • Scanners
       • Examines documents and then converts them into digital data.
     • Graphic tablets
       • Enables a use to hand-draw images, animations and graphics in the same way that one wold draw them with a pencil and paper.
     • Webcams
       • This is a video camera connected to a computer which enables internet users to see the images on their computer screen.
     • Removable storage
       • Memory cards such as CompactFlash card, Secure Digital card or Memory Stick. They are more portable than other devices.
     • Electronic whiteboards
       • Similar to whiteboards found in schools. It transmits any type of information that is written on one or multiple computers and allow live interaction with the objects that are displayed on the screen with the projector.

4. Games consoles

   • Hand-held consoles
     • A lightweight and portable game console with a built-in speaker, screen and game controls.
   • Consoles
     • Specialized desktops computers that are used to play video games. The most popular consoles are Sony's PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox.
   • Peripherals
     • Game controllers
       • Used with games or entertainment systems to provide input to a video game, typically to control an object or character in the game.
     • Removable storage
       • Memory cards such as CompactFlash card, Secure Digital card or Memory Stick. They are more portable than other devices.
     • 3D using glasses/parallax
       • Parallax 3D is a barrier placed in front of an image to give a sense of depth. 3D is also used in TV.

5. Home entertainment systems

   • Television (including 3D TV)
     • Converts visual images with sound into electrical signals and displaying them electronically on a screen.
   • Projectors
     • Casts rays of light, especially an apparatus with a system of lenses for projecting slides of film onto a screen.
   • DVD players/ recorders
     • Offer superior resolution and features like Smart TV access, portability and more.
   • Blu-ray players
     • For high-definition (HD) optical discs. Blu-ray: a format of DVD designed for the storage of high-definition video and data.
   • Personal video recorders (PVR)
     • Sky+ boxes are both a PVR and a STB
   • Set-top boxes (STB)
     • A (box-shaped) device that converts a digital television signal to analogue for viewing a conventional set, or enables cable or satellite television to be used.
   • Media stations
     • They provide video/audio to a TV, e.g. Apple TV by streaming from a remote source or from local storage.
   • Sound systems (HiFi)
     • This is a set of equipment that is used for the reproduction and amplification of sound. This will make it possible for you to hear the sound at a much higher volume.

6. Personal media Players

   • Personal audio players
     • A personal and interactive TV recording device with the capability to record and play audio files.
   • Personal video players
     • A personal and interactive TV recording device with recording capability.
   • E-book readers
     • A mobile electronic device that is designed specifically for the use of reading digital books.
   • Peripherals
     • Speakers/ headsets
       • Analogue audio signals into equivalent air vibrations to make audible sound/ use Bluetooth for wireless connection.

7. Navigation aids

   • In-car sat navs
     • A separate unit or integrated into the dash.
   • Specialist sat navs
     • E.g. for walkers and cyclists.

8. Features of digital devices

   • Methods of charging (wireless/ USB etc)
     • Allows short-distance wireless energy transfer between two devices.
   • Sensors
     • E.g. accelermometers. Often found in personal digital devices. Data from them is used by the device's software to enhance the user experience.
   • NFC (Near Field Communication)
     • E.g. contactless payment debit cards and smartphone NFC chips.