The Bigger Picture: Computer Use & Digital Inclusion

Computing Impact on the Environment

• Computing impacts the environment through manufacture, use, and disposal; however, computers can also combat destructive effects.

Negative impacts

• Manufacturing, using, and disposing of devices are all impactful
• Non-renewable resources are depleted
• E-waste piles are created
• Energy consumption increases
• Human health is put at risk

Raw Material Extraction

• Computer products use non-renewable resources like sand (for glass), oil (for plastics), and various metals (for wiring).
• Some metals, including silver, gold, copper, and palladium, are precious and scarce.
• Others, like arsenic, cadmium, and chromium, are hazardous.
• Radioactive metals like uranium and thorium can contaminate the environment and are toxic.
• Uncontrolled mining damages local environments and endangers miners, causing injuries and illnesses.

Production

• Manufacturing components and assembling products requires a lot of energy from non-renewable fossil fuels.
• Semiconductor manufacturing uses large amounts of water, leading to shortages and pollution in some areas, to produce 40,000 semiconductors a month can use 20 million liters of water a day
• A UN study estimates that manufacturing a 24 kg computer and monitor requires 240 kg of fossil fuels, 1500 liters of water and 24kg of chemicals.
• Exposure to hazardous materials from manufacturing can cause physical and neurological damage.
• Many countries have regulations such as the EU's Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive to limit the use of hazardous substances.
• China's RoHS2 (2019) introduces a voluntary certification system for hazardous substances.

Usage

• Energy consumption from devices seems small individually, but collectively, billions of devices consume significant energy.
• Energy efficiency depends on usage, with high-end applications using more power.
• Cloud computing and data centers are major energy users, surpassing the aviation industry in energy consumption.
• Smaller, inefficient data centers are the worst offenders.
• Energy efficiency and renewable energy use can reduce data centers carbon footprint.

Disposal

• Disposing unused tech poses environment threat as e-waste grows.
• E-waste is expected to exceed 52 million tons globally by 2021, with only 20% being recycled.
• Improper recycling overseas in developing countries leads to health and environmental issues due to dangerous materials leaching into the environment.
• Landfill mining near e-waste sites can be dangerous and requires special training and clothing.
• For every 1 million mobile phones, 24 kg of gold, 250 kg of silver and 9 tons of copper can be recovered from recycling which has led to dangerous landfill mining

Rules and Regulations

• Governments impose recycling targets to reuse materials.
• Public awareness drives manufacturers to improve conditions and requirements for suppliers.
• Green computing promotes efficient resource use.
• Using sleep mode can reduce consumption by over 50%.

Helping the environment via computers

• Computing can aid climate change, warn of disasters, protect species, and reduce energy use.
• NASA analyses satellite data and measures sea temperatures.
• Wireless sensor networks gather glacier data. Researchers at Oxford use home computer time to study global warming's role in flooding.
• Tsunami early warning systems use sensor networks and communication to evacuate coastal areas.
• Conservation efforts use GPS and satellite data of elephants. Miniature transponders on bees study disease/pesticide effects.
• Mobile phones listen for illegal logging.
• Energy-efficient buildings use sensors to monitor conditions and adjust electricity. Solar farms use sensors and computer-controlled motors to optimise electricity usage.

Privacy

• Privacy involves the right to be left alone and free from intrusion.
• Ethical decisions relate to what's morally right/wrong.
• Invasion of privacy occurs when your right to be alone is taken away without your permission.
• Computing technology can threaten individual privacy.

Personal Data

• Posting updates and signing up for online services adds to a store of personal data that is held
• Personal data includes location, appearance, friends, likes/dislikes, bank details and visited places.
• Collected by online services not owned by the person the information is about
• Organizations such as schools store attendance records, exam results, borrowed books, and activities undertaken.
• People have little control over data collection, raising concerns about who has access to this data, and how accurate and secure is it.
• Weak security can lead to identity theft and fraud.
• Inaccurate information, may have its affected be felt for a life time. Data protection legislation dictates that data must be processed fairly, used only for specific/lawful purposes, be adequate and relevant, accurate and up to date, kept no longer than needed, and kept secure.
• One reason for giving out our data is for personalization of online services.

Big Data

• Analysing vast amounts of personal data can benefit the society, such as providing insights on adverse side effects, optimize energy use in cities, and provide insights of spreading disease.
• Data collection can lead to the individual experiencing identity theft or an intruder illegally accessing personal information through social engineering.

Surveillance Technology

• Consists of CCTV, drones, number plate recognition, bugging and tracking devices that are used to monitor
• Whistle-blowers, bring awareness to issues with surveilence where people are acting illegally and unethically
• Concerns about what this data might be abused towards

Online data breaches

• Online data breaches can result the loss of personal and financial data.
• One example is ransomware, a type of malicious software that blocks systems which calls for a sum of money to be paid
• 'Biggest ransomware outbreak in history' was WannaCry, which took place in 2017 in over 150 countries

Location-Based Services:

• Location-based services allow the sharing real-time information online.
• The use of these services may share what you are doing to other people and can be dangerous and considered an invasion of privacy
• Privacy enhancing tools can give some effectiveness in giving protection against the invasion of privacy.

Digital Inclusion

• Digital inclusion ensures affordable access to technology and the skills to use it.
• Digital divide is the gap between technology- empowered and technology-excluded.

Reasons for why Technology Exclusion is not a good idea

• The internet is becoming a default for accessing information, public services and entertainment
• Having poor digital literacy makes it hard for opportunities for employment
• Internet is becoming is outlet for expression
• It allows businesses to be competitive Internet also enables access to ways of saving money
• Gives people the opportunity to keep in touch with friends and relatives

Digital Inclusion : Initiatives

• Subsidy programs for low-income programs
• Online gateways
• Rural intermet centers
• Technology can fill gaps even with non existent landline structures

Professionalism

• Should behave ethically and demonstrate professionalism
• Should always respect the wellbeing, privacy and security
• Computer scientist need to make sure what their work cannot put other peoples life at stake

Intellectual Property (IP)

• Unique creation of the human mind with commercial value. There are laws to protect Intellectual Properties

Copyright and Patents

• Copyright protects expression, source codes is protected
• Patent protect the idea or design with is what is distinct than anything

Licensing

• For every piece of software, even if the piece is free has a license
• Paid software will has a unique license key that certifies that the software cannot be legally copied

Open-Source vs Proprietary Software

• Open - source software is freely available on the Internet with permission to edit but never charge a fee
• Open-source software has one major draw as to be free to use and easy to demonstrate concepts
• Proprietary software is the opposite of open source and its code is always protected and users are not allowed to modify it

Computer Misuse Acts

• Makes it illegal for anyone to gain access to another computer system without permission.

Current and Emerging Trends in Computing Technology

• Computing technology constantly evolves to handle many more commands every second
• Computer components dramatically fell in cost as their capabilities improve

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• Digital computer or computers controlled system that performs tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings through adaptation to changing systems
• The ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings using intelligence system that helps the adapt to current situations
• AI will eventually help with knowledge, reasoning ,solving perception ability to manipulate and move and planning Machine Learning
• Ability for computers to learn without being explicitly programmed

Artificial intelligence in health

• Digtal Consultations Apps to make the doctor
• Analyzing Test Results, find scans quicker
• Health Montoring Wearabl Heath Trackers that monitor heart In day to day life we have the use of Amazon ,Virtual Assistance siri with cars to monitor your movement and banking to monitar you

DNA Computing

• Material that stores the genetic material of all organisms in their chromosomes
• Its has advantages to silicon based
• DNA biochips can be more cleanly
• A kilogram can have the capacity of all the built electrual computers

Nanotechnology

• Manipulation of matter
• Nanotechnology is making a key role in the tennis world.
• self-ean ing gas coating babrios that will have better protection and scratch resistant and coating

Quantum computing

• Computers do not create better than the original ones that created
• They are very different and base it on completely different reality superposition. The ability of a quantum system to be in multiple states at the same time
• The computer system is fragile that can create slightness and noises that can create a lot of errors in many calculations
• Quantum Can imagine solutions in traffic controlling by controlling traffic and driving cars along different routes stops consumption

Questions covering key concepts from 'The Bigger Picture' unit, including government regulation, digital inclusion, personalized services, and the digital divide. It focuses on responsible and equitable technology use.