TRENDS IN ICT
1. Convergence - refers to the merging or integration of different technologies, services, or platforms into a unified system or solution. This convergence often leads to greater efficiency, convenience, and new possibilities for users.
2. Social Media - refers to digital platforms and technologies that enable users to create, share, and interact with content and connect with others online. These platforms often facilitate the exchange of information, ideas, and media in real-time, allowing individuals and organizations to engage with a global audience.
•Six types of Social Media:
a) Social Networks - These are sites that allows you to connect with other people with the same interests or background. Once the user creates his/her account, he/she can set up a profile, add people, share content, etc.
Ex. Facebook and Google
b) Bookmarking Sites - Sites that allow you to store and manage links to various website and resources. Most of the sites allow you to create a tag to others.
Ex. Stumble Upon, Pinterest
c) Social News – Sites that allow users to post their own news items or links to other news sources. The users can also comment on the post and comments may also be rank.
Ex. Reddit and Digg
d) Media Sharing – sites that allow you to upload and share media content like images, music and video.
Ex. Flickr, YouTube and Instagram
e) Microblogging - focus on short updates from the user. Those that subscribed to the user will be able to receive these updates.
Ex. Twitter and Plurk
f) Blogs and Forums - allow user to post their content. Other users are able to comment on the said topic.
Ex. Blogger, WordPress and Tumblr
3. Mobile Technologies - The popularity of smartphones and tablets has taken a major rise over the years. This is largely because of the devices capability to do the tasks that were originally found in PCs. Several of these devices are capable of using a high-speed internet. Today the latest model devices use 4G Networking (LTE), which is currently the fastest.
MOBILE OS
• iOS - use in apple devices such as iPhone and iPad
• Android - an open source OS developed by Google. Being open source means mobile phone companies use this OS for free.
• Blackberry OS - use in blackberry devices
• Windows phone OS - A closed source and proprietary operating system developed by Microsoft.
• Symbian - the original smartphone OS. Used by Nokia devices
• Web OS- originally used in smartphone; now in smart TVs.
• Windows Mobile - developed by Microsoft for smartphones and pocket PCs
4. Assistive Media - is a non- profit service designed to help people who have visual and reading impairments. A database of audio recordings is used to read to the user.
5. Cloud computing- distributed computing on internet or delivery of computing service over the internet. e.g. Yahoo!, Gmail, Hotmail
-Instead of running an e-mail program on your computer, you log in to a Web e-mail account remotely. The software and storage for your account doesn’t exist on your computer – it’s on the service’s computer cloud.
It has three components
1. Client computers – clients are the device that the end user interact with cloud.
2. Distributed Servers – Often servers are in geographically different places, but server acts as if they are working next to each other.
3. Datacenters – It is collection of servers where application is placed and is accessed via Internet.
TYPES OF CLOUDS
• Public cloud - allows systems and services to be easily accessible to the general public. Public cloud may be less secured because of its openness, e.g. e-mail
• Private cloud - allows systems and services to be accessible within an organization. It offers increased security because of its private nature.
• Community cloud - allows systems and services to be accessible by group of organizations.
• Hybrid cloud - is a mixture of public and private cloud. However, the critical activities are performed using private cloud while the non-critical activities are performed using public cloud.
