Tech Chapter 7 Assignment

Technology has definitely come along way.  Assistive devices have been created for PCs to help individuals with visual impairment. Apps have even been created to help visually-impaired individuals use smartphones. According to an article I read on Mashable, Roger Wilson-Hinds, director and co-founder of Screereader, a software application that attempt to identify and interpret what is being displayed on the screen, also built an app called Georgie. Georgie is specifically to help blind users navigate day-to-day obstacles like catching a bus, reading printed text, and knowing exactly where they are at all times through their smartphone. Georgie uses fingers and gestures to let users navigate the software. With Georgie, you hold your finger down, wait for a beep and hear the function you're touching read out loud, whether it's to make a call, send a text, or determine your location. (Andrea Smith. July 2012. "Android App Makes Smartphones Accessible for the Blind.)


We are a world that is moving technology forward every second. With the creation of laptops to tablets, to now 2-in-1's, technology is always moving forward. Though we are a world that is always moving forward, we still have a digital divide. Digital divide is used to describe the disparity in access to technology between the rich and the poor. The digital divide has become a metaphor to describe the perceived disadvantage of those who either are unable to or do not choose to make use of technology in their daily life. According to an article by Danica Radovanovic, technology experts and activists have for years attempted to bridge the gap between those with access to technology and those without.(Danica Radovanovic. January 2014. "Bridging the Digital Divide: Mobile and Social Media.) They have been trying to bridge this gap by using innovative products and initiatives, like the $100 laptop developed by the organization One Laptop per Child (OLPC). There have been other organizations such as Close the Gap. Close the Gap is an international non-profit organization that aims to bridge the digital divide by offering high-quality, pre-owned computers donated by large and medium-sized corporations or public organizations to educational, medical, entrepreneurial and social projects in developing and emerging countires.


E-waste is the term used to describe old, end-of-life or discarded appliances using electricity. It includes computers, consumer electronics, fridges etc which have been disposed of by their original users. According to an article I read posted by Ayesha Anam Siddiqui, new "green" and innovative ways are being created to reduce the amount of e-waste. (Ayesha Anam Siddiqui. May 2013, "Green Computing: E-waste Management through Recycling.") Green computing is the study and practice of using computing resources efficiently and eco-friendly. Green computing is also known as green information technology, Green IT. There are four approaches used to promote green computing, Green use: minimizing the electricity consumption of computers and their peripheral devices and using them in an eco-friendly manner. Green disposal: re-making an existing computer or appropriately disposing of, or recycling, unwanted electronic equipment. Green design: designing energy-efficient computers, servers, printers, projectors and other digital devices. Green manufacturing: minimizing waste during the manufacturing of computers and other subsystems to reduce the environmental impact of these activities.