2814
Computers The Most Helpful Tool Of Technology
The computer was not originally invented for the things we use it for today but out of the need to solve a number-crunching crisis. By 1880 the
U.S population had grown so large that it took over seven years to tabulate the U.S census results. In a search for a faster way to get the job done, a punch card system was developed by Herman Hollerith which calculated the
U.S census in three years. Earlier computers were not compatible for the many functions they are performing today. Over the years there have been many improvements in the functions of computers thus making it the most helpful tool of technology.
In the workplace computers are used for communication. Prior to computers, workplaces had multiple receptionists answering the phones and redirecting calls. With new technology, computerized phone systems answer phone calls and direct callers to the exact extension they want with the push of a few buttons. Email is another form of communication that workplaces use it is the preferred method of communication for some workplaces because it is immediate, it’s not as disruptive as phone, calls and the recipient can finish their task at hand before by sending an email. Instead of having towering filing cabinets, computers are able to store data therefore utilizing less office space. Many companies keep their client records in databases for quick retrieval and review.
Many criminal investigation units utilize computers in their process to investigate crime. Investigators integrate the fields of computer science and law to investigate and solve crime. Computer forensics has been indispensable in the conviction of well-known criminals such as terrorists, sexual predators, and murderers. Investigators use computers to recover evidence from GPS to track the whereabouts of suspects, an example of this is when the U.S forces found the Pakistani compound where Osama Bin Laden was killed by
Kidane Cunningham
Page 2 of 3
tracking satellite phone calls made by his bodyguard back in 2011.
Investigators check suspects computer for more evidence. Files are not deleted permanently from the hard drive of the computer so the investigators are able to find the files. Criminals use encryption software to encrypt their files to make it harder for the investigators to find them but the criminals often times encrypt a ton of their files making it possible for investigators to find the evidence.
Another area where computers are useful is in animation. An animator's job is to bring a static image or object to life by giving it movement and personality. This job is not possible without the two basic kinds of animation, computer-assisted and computer-generated.
Computer-assisted animation is two-dimensional like cartoons. The animator draws objects and characters either by hand or with a computer. He then positions his creations in key frames, which form an outline of the most important movements. Next, the computer uses mathematical algorithms to fill in the frames. This can be done by hand, but are accomplished much faster with a computer. Computer-generated animation is three-dimensional meaning that objects and characters are modeled on a plane with an X, Y and Z axis. This can't be done with pencil and paper. Computers are used to make these characters break physical laws like gravity, mass and force.
The learning environment has been changed by computers a lot since the past.
Internet access allows students to conduct comprehensive research and communicate