Role of ICT in Health sector

Role of ICT in Health sector

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scanner
MRI is a way of getting pictures of various parts of your body without the use of x-rays, unlike regular x-rays pictures and CAT scans. A MRI scanner consists of a large and very strong magnet in which the patient lies. A radio wave antenna is used to send signals* to the body and then receive signals back. These returning signals are converted into pictures by a computer attached to the scanner. Pictures of almost any part of your body can be obtained at almost any particular angle. These "radio wave signals" are actually a varying or changing magnetic field that is much weaker than the steady, strong magnetic field of the main magnet.
Computer Axial Tomography (CAT) Scan
CAT scan is a method of combining images from multiple x-rays under the control of a computer to produce cross-sectional or three-dimensional pictures of the internal organs which can be used to identify abnormalities; the CAT scan can identify prostate enlargement but is not always effective for assessing the stage of prostate cancer; for evaluating metastases of the lymph nodes or more distant soft tissue sites, the CAT scan is significantly more accurate
A type of x-ray that can be used to diagnose the presence of the tumor
CT imaging is particularly useful because it can show several types of tissue - lung, bone, soft tissue, and blood vessels - with great clarity. Using specialized equipment and expertise to create and interpret CT scans of the body; radiologists can more easily diagnose problems such as cancers, cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, trauma, and musculoskeletal disorders. This is a patient-friendly exam that involves little radiation exposure.
What is EEG?
The EEG, or electroencephalograph, deserves mention as one of the first -- and still very useful -- ways of non-invasively observing human brain activity. An EEG is a recording of electrical signals from the brain made by hooking up electrodes to the subject's scalp. These electrodes pick up electric signals naturally produced by the brain and send them to galvanometers (instruments that detect and measure small electric currents) that are in turn hooked up to pens, under which graph paper moves continuously. The pens trace the signals onto the graph paper.

EEGs allow researchers to follow electrical impulses across the surface of the brain and observe changes over split seconds of time. An EEG can show what state a person is in -- asleep, awake, anaesthetized -- because the characteristic patterns of current differ for each of these states. One important use of EEGs has been to show how long it takes the brain to process various stimuli. A major drawback of EEGs, however, is that they cannot show us the structures.

Telemedicine

Telemedicine can be defined as the investigation, monitoring and management of patients, using systems, which allow ready access to expert advice and to patient information, no matter where the patient or relevant information is located. This involves the transfer of medical information from one location to another. Increasingly, computer technology will allow much of the work currently being carried out in hospital, to be carried out in people's homes, in an effort not only to improve the efficiency and standards of patient care, but to reduce its cost drastically.


Applications of Telemedicine

The primary applications of telemedicine are clinical, educational, administrative, and research.
Clinical applications include initial patient evaluations, diagnosis (telediagnosis), and
Consultation (teleconsultation). Physician supervision of non- physicians and monitoring of patient status are possible. Continuing education for professionals is available, as is patient and community education (tele-education). Administrative uses, such as conferences, scheduling, and utilization and quality review may be provided. Research is enhanced by aggregation of data from multiple sources and coordination.
Telemedicine allows access to the wealth of information available on the Internet. This allows information to be at the touch of a finger. The availability of e-mail allows an efficient mechanism of communication between consulting and primary physicians. Communication between facilities is enhanced.


Transmission and Equipment:
Text, images, and sound are transmitted. Text includes EKG results (heart tracings), lab results and patient records. Images range from still photographs to full motion imagery. Radiological images, slides and graphics may be transmitted, as well as voice and chest sounds.
The Benefits and challenges of Telemedicine:
Benefits
Telemedicine improves the mobility of patient care, and assists access to all kinds of medical information. The patient gets improved treatment, and scarce resources are used more efficiently, securing the reputation of Healthcare Telemedicine as the future of medicine. However, there are telemedicine networks where the excess capacity of rural facilities can be tapped into to benefit urban patients. It is possible that during peak times rural physicians may be accessed via telemedicine to provide more timely care to patients waiting in congested urban emergency rooms.
Challenges

Several obstacles remain with regard to the effectiveness of telemedicine.
• Legal issues regarding physician licensing, liability, and patient confidentiality exist. As physicians are licensed by states or countries, this presents a legal problem when physician consults cross state or country.
• Liability is an obstacle in providing telemedicine. There is debate related to which physician would be liable for a poor patient outcome, the primary care or the consulting physician. In the case of a poor outcome, it is not clear if the patient should file suit in the residing country or in the country the practitioner is located.
• Cost is a significant barrier to access. It has been estimated that the startup cost for a rural facility can be very high. In addition to start up costs, consideration must be given to the charge by the consultation team.
• Transmission charges to access resources can be costly.
• Reimbursement has been another obstacle in providing telemedicine services.

What is e-Learning?

What is e-Learning?
e-Learning is a catch-all term that covers a wide range of instructional material that can be delivered on a CD-ROM or DVD, over a local area network (LAN), or on the Internet. It includes Computer-Based Training (CBT), Web-Based Training (WBT), Electronic Performance Support Systems (EPSS), distance or online learning and online tutorials. The major advantage to students is its easy to access. There are some typical elements and a standard approach to developing or authoring e-Learning material.

e-Learning provides easy access
e-Learning provides the student or learner with information that can be accessed in a setting free of time and place constraints. The student can go through the lessons at his or her own pace.

In many cases--especially in a CBT delivered on a CD-ROM--the material is media-rich information, including such multimedia forms as audio and video.
The progress and achievement of the student can be assessed in e-Learning, with custom feedback and evaluation available in an interactive environment.
Learning Management Systems
Learning Management Systems enable an organization to effectively train a large group of individuals - enterprise wide. With a Learning Management System, or LMS, training and e-learning are managed by the LMS software allowing users and administrators alike to easily access courses and reports.

Using a LMS, users can log on and easily access the training courses. As the student completes the course, scores are tabulated and reports generated. Likewise, managers and administrators can access reports on the LMS and track the students’ progress.

Pre-Assessments – If a student already has the expertise in a particular subject, the assessments show that and the course is adjusted to reflect that. This reduces the amount of training time while maintaining the high quality of instruction.
Real Time Progress Tracking – Learners and managers alike can view feedback in real time. This immediate feedback keeps users focused and reduces learner abandonment rates.
Customizable group reports – In depth, customizable and relevant reports allow for measurement and tracking of usage, knowledge transfer, completion and progress.
Simple Global Deployment –LMS can be deployed in a fraction of the time as other learning management systems. This reduces costs and frees up your IT staff for other projects.
Secure and Reliable – With our Learning Management System, users access the courses in a secure environment. Administrators can monitor the progress of all users.
Robust Management – With our LMS, you can organize and manage individuals and groups providing a fantastic return on investment across business units or at the individual learner level.
School Information Management System
Management characterizes the process of leading and directing all or part of an organization through the deployment and manipulation of resources (human, financial, material, intellectual or intangible). There are five management functions: Planning, Organizing, Leading, Coordinating and Controlling.

In School Information Management System the software used for the automation of the school administrative activities, is especially to handle the Information needed by the administration of the school. This software provides interfaces to the database data entry, extracting information and printing etc. Using such a system helps handling the following:
• Student registration
• Allocation of class and teacher timetable
• Staff information (leave, salary etc)
• Inventory control
• Students’ attendance reports
• Issuing of character certificate
• Facility fees / quality input cash book etc.

Regularly needed Information by the school administration can be obtained through clear reports generated by the software. This improves the efficiency and productivity of the school management.

ICT In Agriculture

ICT In Agriculture



ICT in the agriculture sector facilitates knowledge sharing within and among a variety of agriculture networks including researchers, importers/exporters, extension services, and farmers. ICT enables vital information flows by linking rural agricultural communities to the Internet, both in terms of accessing information and providing local content.


ICT activities in agriculture :
 Use of Internet and e-mail for extension purposes
 Communicating agro-meteorological information
 Communicating market price information
 Facilitating networks of agriculture researchers
 Developing land registries
In addition to Internet as the backbone, the province run television station, call center, telephone, mobile phone, and village-run broadcast will be used to meet farmers' needs using so-called "all-round ICT service". It will be a participatory approach to the development strategy of information service. All stakeholders should be mobilized to contribute their money, labor, or knowledge including government agencies, private sectors, companies, farmers, marketers, technicians and professionals with agricultural information and knowledge.

Computer controlled agricultural equipment
Computerized Concentrate Feeders for Dairy Cows
Dairy cows have traditionally been fed concentrates as they are milked to supplement nutritional requirements not supplied by the forages. In smaller-sized herds, feeding concentrates usually requires a considerable amount of labour. Automatic concentrate-dispensing equipment is available for use in stanchion or comfort-stall barns, but few producers have installed such equipment. On farms where concentrates are fed in milking parlors, the opportunity for individual feeding varies considerably, depending on type of equipment and milking management practices.

In some installations, the amount of concentrate each cow receives at each milking varies according to her needs, while in other setups; all cows have free-choice access to the concentrate while in the parlor. Dairy farmers have used various approaches to remove or reduce the feeding of concentrates in the parlor while trying to attain better control of feeding cows as individuals and still handle them as a group, especially in herds ranging in size from 50 to 150 cows.
With computer-controlled concentrate feeders, each cow wears a device around her neck that identifies her. As she enters the feeder head box, her specific number is read electronically and the amount of concentrate programmed in the computer's memory for her to receive is delivered at a rate she can consume before leaving the head box -- usually about one-half pound per minute. The total concentrate allotment is not available upon one entry to the head box but will be divided usually into four or more intervals for the 24-hour period.
Depending on the brand and model, multiple feed-dispensing units capable of delivering from two to four different feeds to each head box are available. Some systems include a cow calendar program that will generate reports listing days in milk, cows to dry off, cows to breed, etc., that can be used in managing the herd. Certain systems also include another program that will automatically adjust the daily amount of concentrate each cow is allowed to receive. Adjustments are based upon days since calving, projected lactation curves, or programmed equations. Some units either are or can be connected to a computer to allow other record-keeping functions to be performed.



Each cow with access to a computer-controlled concentrate feeder wears a device that identifies her when she enters the feeder head box.
Advantages
Computerized concentrate feeder systems overcome the feeding management problems of regulating the total amount of concentrate consumed in a day by regulating how much concentrate can be consumed at each meal, knowing how much concentrate each cow eats daily, and feeding varying amounts of different concentrate ingredients to each cow according to her individual requirements. Computerized feeders can also eliminate the need for feed in the milking parlor, thereby increasing efficiency and potentially increasing profits.

By having better control of the concentrate feeding program, dairy farmers responding to surveys conducted in 1982 and 1983 indicated an average increase in daily production per cow of more than 7%, an increase in milk fat of 0.1percentage unit and a 10% reduction in total amount of concentrate fed to the herd after computer-controlled feeders were installed. These results will vary with several factors, including the type, quality, and quantity of forage fed, the production level of the cows, the method used currently to feed concentrates, and the amount of concentrates fed. Results will also be greatly dependent on the level of management practiced in the herd - better results will accrue to those who spend more time managing the system.
Forage mixer units and grinders that have weighing devices on them are very worthwhile.

Computer-controlled feeder head-box units should be well-protected and located in an area with good ventilation and lighting.
Summary
Because feed costs constitute 50 to 60% of the total cost of milk production, regulating feed costs and/or improving feed utilization becomes the largest single area where profits can be increased. Due in part to high labor costs and attempts to reduce drudgery, feeding systems have become increasingly mechanized, automated, and computerized. Individual cow concentrate-feeding systems are rapidly gaining acceptance by dairy farmers across the United States. Capabilities of these systems grow as the feeding function becomes integrated with other herd management applications by interfacing the feeding system with more powerful computers. Most of the systems incorporate "management action reporting" into the feeder system directly. Ration formulation and feed distribution should be analyzed carefully so animal productivity, health, and profitability are maximized.

Milk cows farm project and milk processing technology.




Milk-cow farm:


The milk-cow farm technology consists of the following components:
o A detailed design and engineering of the farm and all its components, including
the infrastructure and utilities.
o Research of the available Feed in order to secure the needed optimal nutrition for
the live-stock.
o Support in the selection of the live-stock and breeding.
o Supply of the milking center and milk cooling and storage systems.
o Supply of the most modern tracking, data collection and management
computerized system, based on individual electronic tags and data readers and
the comprehensive farm management software.
o Erection of a feed center based on optimization of the feed formulation based on
the most cost-effective selection of local available feed/nutrition sources and
materials, and the use of the computerized "self" mixing and distribution wagon.
o In farm quality control laboratory to ensure the quality of the milk.
o A veterinary support to tackle any veterinarian problem in its initial phase and use
of artificial insemination for herd expansion.
o An advanced, computerized daily management of the farm.
o The above described technology is widely practiced and has been proven to yield
the highest milk records per cow in the world.

Milk processing factory:
It is believed that an integrated project which will use its own milk for milk products processing will pay much higher return to the farm owners.

An advanced milk processing technology for a medium size milk processing plant is available in huge milk factories by processing quality and high market value milk products, by entering with relatively low cost investment into special market segments like: "milk delicious", different types of cheese, and flavored milk drinks and ice-cream.



ICT applications
Drying with desiccants for food processing operations; optimal sizes and/or environments for grain bins or other commodity storage facilities;

Greenhouse irrigation systems; nutrient management in greenhouses; greenhouse wetland systems; greenhouse heating; animal housing systems; behavior, safety and comfort of animals and workers; heat stress relief for animals; air quality/animal performance interactions; air quality/human respiratory responses; modeling air quality in buildings; environmental control for plant systems; mushroom production systems; and use of enthalpy wheels in ventilation systems.

Mechanical and Structural Systems (MSS) research includes:
Pesticide application systems (variable rate, draft control, air-blast); design of agricultural machinery systems; evaluation and improvement of animal feeding systems; forage harvesting and storage; feeding systems to optimize animal performance; optimizing the use of forages and other ruminant feed resources; automation in existing food processing plants; computer vision systems for non-destructive evaluation of food products; robotics applications in fruit and vegetable mechanization; radiotelemetry for predicting damage during mechanical handling; vehicle tracking systems; sensor development for precision agriculture; remote sensing for crop assessment; GPS and GIS development and applications in agriculture; fuel cells and microturbines for on-site electricity generation; wood engineering; analysis/design of post frame structures; hardwood glue-laminated design; wood bridge design; bulk solids storage dynamic loads; load deformation behavior of feeds, grains, fertilizers, and pesticides; finite element and boundary element modeling of structural systems; interactions between structural materials and granular media; and alternative structural systems for housing.

Natural Resources Conservation and Management(NRCM) projects include:
Agricultural mapping systems; sedimentation basin design; tillage system effects on runoff, erosion, and pollutant transport; erosion processes; hydrology of quality turfgrass areas; drinking water quality and treatment for domestic and livestock use; numerical modeling of water and pollutant transport processes; methods for identifying critical nutrient contributing areas in watersheds; GIS-based evaluation of non-point pollution from agricultural lands; modeling the physical and economic aspects of conservation and nutrient management practices; water quality under greenhouse systems; utilization of sludge on forest and non-agricultural land; utilization of recyclable materials in agricultural systems; decontamination of polluted soils; transformation, uptake, and movement of wastes and chemicals applied to soils; on-site wastewater treatment and management; milking center wastewater disposal systems; composting and refeeding residues from agricultural production, food processing, and dining facilities; biogas production from animal manures and other biological materials; biogas utilization for generation and vehicle power; and odor control for mushroom and animal production facilities.

Processing for Adding Value to Biological Materials (PAV)
Flow behavior of powder and granular food products; aseptic processing of food products; food biosensors; on-line computer control of food processing operations; modeling heat transfer mechanisms during thermal processing of foods; food automation and control; smart food systems; storage reaction kinetics of biotechnology-derived products; mechanical properties of food and other biological materials; dielectric properties of food and other biological materials; new technologies in food processing; constitutive models for bulk foods; microscopic approach for load response of granular materials; thermophysical properties of freezing and frozen foods; failure mechanisms of food and other biological materials; computer models of food products during microwave heating; numerical modeling of food processing operations; microwave processing of foods; food safety during minimal and added-value processing; industrial microbiology/fermentation.

ICT is an essential tool in the industrial sector

(ICT) is an essential tool in the industrial sector



Information and communication technology (ICT) is an essential tool in the industrial sector for different tasks. The following explains the usage of ICT in industry.

o Computer Assisted Design and Manufacture (CAD) and (CAM)
o Computerized services and production
o Robots

Computer-aided design (CAD)

CAD software is used to design the structure of vehicles, machinery, aircrafts, mother board of PCs etc. CAD software can also be used for writing the program used in ICs. It is written in programme-editing software before being downloaded onto the chip.

These designs and manufacture can be more accurate than hand-drawn designs and reduces human error. You can save and edit ideas, which make it easier and cheaper to modify your design as you go along; you can modify existing ideas, which saves time

Computer-aided manufacture (CAM)

The above designs can be produced or manufactured using CAM. Good for batch or mass production and they are of two types:
2D CAM machines

Plotter/cutters can be used either for cutting of card and vinyl, to produce drawings and lettering prior to cutting. Cutter/printers are more complex CAM machines which allow full-colour printing before cutting is done.
3D CAM machines

Mmainly used for cutting plastics, hard wax, soft metals and wood-based materials such as MDF. Some of these machines can have a scanner head fitted in place of the cutting tool, allowing 3D scanning to be done.
Robots

What is a Robot?

A robot is a construction of mechanical, electrical, and electronic components, which is capable of autonomous or semi-autonomous operation towards a function or goal specified by the builder or programmer.
Human intervened machines with no internal programming or algorithms do not qualify as robots. Most true robots have sensors that allow them to detect details of their environment, and change their behavior accordingly, but do so with essentially no intelligence,

Today robots are mainly used in industrial manufacturing systems for welding, assembling etc. The users are big manufacturers with high volumes and high competence Pic. Robot for welding
A robot the size of a person can easily carry a load over one hundred pounds and move it very quickly with a repeatability of +/-0.006 inches. Furthermore these robots can do that 24 hours a day for years on end with no failures whatsoever.

Computerized Machineries in Industry

In the process of manufacturing, packaging and supplying computerized machineries play a vital role. These machineries are controlled or operated by human intervention through software.

1. Fully automatic computerized dry and wet-mixed concrete batching plants spread over 7 strategic locations
2. A fleet of 260 concrete mixer trucks equipped with GPS tracking system
3. Centralized Call Center for order taking and delivery schedule
4. A qualified in-house approved
Some of the most common activities in banking
industry are
• Cash transaction
• Statements of accounts
• Calculation of interest
• Automated Teller Machine service
carried out using ICT.


The printing industry nowadays cannot survive if ICT is not used.
• Graphic – designing, Scanning and modifying
• Text – leaflets, newspapers, magazines
• Printers – high-quality printers, plotters
• 2D and 3D CAM machines (explained in CAD/CAM)

Online Shopping

Online Shopping



Shopping on the Internet can be economical and convenient. Shopping on the Internet is no less safe than shopping in a store or by mail. To help ensure that your online shopping experience is a safe one:
• Know who you’re dealing with. Confirm the online seller’s physical address and phone number in case you have questions or problems.
• Know exactly what you’re buying. Read the seller’s description of the product closely, especially the fine print.
• Know what it will cost. Factor shipping and handling — along with your needs and budget — into the total cost of the order.
• Pay by credit or charge card, for maximum consumer protections.
• Check out the terms of the deal, like refund policies and delivery dates.
• Print and save records of your online transactions.
Shopping online offers lots of benefits that you won’t find shopping in a store or by mail. The Internet is always open — seven days a week, 24 hours a day — and bargains can be numerous online. With a click of a mouse, you can buy an airline ticket, book a hotel, send flowers to a friend, or purchase your favorite fashions. But sizing up your finds on the Internet is a little different from checking out items at the mall.
If you’re buying items from an online retailer or auction website, OnGuard Online offers this advice to help you make the most of your shopping experience:
• Know who you’re dealing with. Anyone can set up shop online under almost any name. Confirm the online seller’s physical address and phone number in case you have questions or problems. If you get an email or pop-up message while you’re browsing that asks for financial information, don’t reply or click on the link in the message. Legitimate companies don’t ask for this information via email.
• Know exactly what you’re buying. Read the seller’s description of the product closely, especially the fine print. Words like “refurbished,” “vintage,” or “close-out” may indicate that the product is in less-than-mint condition, while name-brand items with “too good to be true” prices could be counterfeits.
• Know what it will cost. Check out websites that offer price comparisons and then, compare “apples to apples.” Factor shipping and handling — along with your needs and budget — into the total cost of the order. Do not send cash under any circumstances.
• Pay by credit or charge card. If you pay by credit or charge card online, your transaction will be protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act. Under this law, you have the right to dispute charges under certain circumstances and temporarily withhold payment while the creditor is investigating them. In the event of unauthorized use of your credit or charge card, you generally would be held liable only for the first $50 in charges. Some companies offer an online shopping guarantee that ensures you will not be held responsible for any unauthorized charges made online, and some cards may provide additional warranty, return, and/or purchase protection benefits.
• Check out the terms of the deal, like refund policies and delivery dates. Can you return the item for a full refund if you’re not satisfied? If you return it, find out who pays the shipping costs or restocking fees, and when you will receive your order. A Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rule requires sellers to ship items as promised or within 30 days after the order date if no specific date is promised.
• Keep a paper trail. Print and save records of your online transactions, including the product description and price, the online receipt, and copies of every email you send or receive from the seller. Read your credit card statements as you receive them and be on the lookout for unauthorized charges.
• Don’t email your financial information. Email is not a secure method of transmitting financial information like your credit card, checking account, or Social Security number. If you initiate a transaction and want to provide your financial information through an organization’s website, look for indicators that the site is secure, like a lock icon on the browser’s status bar or a URL for a website that begins “https:” (the “s” stands for “secure”). Unfortunately, no indicator is foolproof; some fraudulent sites have forged security icons.
Stock Exchange

Stock Market

You are reading about the Sri Lanka Stock Market

Colombo Stock Exchange
The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) is the only Stock Exchange in Sri Lanka. There are 243 companies listed on the Exchange. Quotations have been granted to 247 equities and 36 Debt Securities as at 30th June2002. Companies can seek a listing either on the Main Board or the Second Board of the Exchange to list debt or equity. The Listing Rules have been structured to offer maximum flexibility to companies to raise debt and equity. Listed companies are subject to a set of continuing listing requirements, which have been designed to secure the confidence of investors by ensuring that companies will provide sufficient information to enable investors to form a reliable basis for making informed investment decisions. Companies that do not adhere to continuing listings requirements are transferred to the Default Board.
The CSE is a member of the WFE (International Federation of Exchanges). The market capitalisation of the CSE as at 30th June 2002 was Rs.144 Billion (US $ 1.4 Billion). This amounts to 10.2% GDP. Listed companies are classified into 20 sectors.
The CSE is characterized as one of a mutual exchange which operated on a not for profit basis. The CSE is licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC). Presently, it has 15 institutional members, all of whom are licensed by the SEC to act as stockbrokers.


The Exchange operates an order driven market using an automated screen based trading system and an automated post trade clearing and settlement system. It has a Central Depository and trading is script less. The Central Depository System (CDS) provides facilities for the clearing and settlement of securities. The CDS is a fully owned subsidiary of the CSE. Trading takes place on all week-days (Monday to Friday) between 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.

The Colombo Stock Exchange is structured as a Self Regulatory Organisation (SRO). It is responsible for regulating Member Firms (stockbrokers) and Listed Companies. As a modern exchange, The CSE now offers state-of-the-art technological infrastructure to facilitate an "order driven trading platform" for securities trading, for shares and corporate debt securities.

Foreign investment in the stock market is freely permitted except in the case of a few companies where there are certain restrictions imposed.

There are no taxes imposed on share transactions except for a 10% withholding tax on dividends.

On-line and historical market information is available internationally and locally through data vendors and the exchange.

Member firms publish regular research reports and the CSE publishes market information on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis.

Use the Following Websites to understand how advertisements are helpful in electronic business
• www.sltnet.lk
• www.cse.lk
• http://www.ashaphillip.net/home.htm
http://www.slt.lk

Interactive entertainment and gaming

Interactive entertainment and gaming



Interactive entertainment and games are often seen as synonymous, but in reality include rather different sets of activities, interactive television and gaming.
Interactive TV is often described as "lean back" interaction, as users are typically relaxing in the living room environment with a remote control in one hand. This is in contrast to the personal computer -oriented "lean forward" experience where a keyboard, a mouse and a monitor is used. Thus ‘gaming’ in this sense is technically, a computer game composed of a PC or video game console (a computer specially made for game play) – a controlled virtual universe that players may interact with in order to achieve a goal.
Internet games require a connection to the Internet. Internet gaming was originally an offshoot from personal computer games, but may be considered a platform in itself due to its growing scope and the inclusion of Internet capabilities in modern consoles, such as the PlayStation 2, the Gamecube, and the Xbox. Internet gaming in the form of multiplayer online games currently has a massive presence and includes a number of genres such as: Action, Board (involving play on a virtual game board), Cards, Classics, Flight Sim, MUD (Multi User Dimension / Multi User Dungeon), RPG (Role playing games), Sports, strategy, Trivia/ Puzzle.
How to play VCDs using Media Player
These guides describe how to watch and play VCD, SVCD or DVD on your computer or TV.

How to play VCD, MPEG1 In Windows
You can play VCDs with Windows Media Player, insert the VCD in your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM and browse to the MPEGAV folder and double click on the .dat file and associate it with Media Player and open them with that.

To play a VCD with menus and still pictures use WinDVD or PowerDVD, insert the VCD and just hit Play.

Use a low resolution, like 640x480, on the monitor when watching a VCD to get best quality.

How to play DVD, MPEG2 In Windows
To play a DVD you need a software DVD Player, then it is just to insert the DVD in your DVD-ROM and hit Play using any player like PowerDVD or WinDVD.
To play MPEG2 with Windows Media Player you need a software DVD Player installed or a MPEG2 Codec.

To play a copied/ripped DVD from your HD you can use WinDVD, just right click on the play window and choose Source->DVD from folder and choose the VIDEO_TS folder.
To play a copied/ripped DVD from the HD with PowerDVD just click on the open button and choose Open DVD File from the Hard Disk Drive and open the video_ts.ifo in the VIDEO_TS folder.

Audio - Listening
If you would like to listen to MP3 files on your computer, then you need:
• A computer
• A sound card and speakers for the computer (If your computer has speakers, it has a sound card.)
• An MP3 player (a software application you can download from the Web in 10 minutes) Media player, CD/DVD ROM
MP3 files - Audio
You can go to one of the sites, find a song and download it to your hard disk (most MP3 sites let you either listen to the song as a streaming file or download it -- you want to download). Most songs range between 2 and 4 MB, so it will take 10 to 15 minutes unless you have a high-speed Internet connection. Once the song has finished downloading, try to double-click on the file and see what happens. If your computer plays it, then you are set.

Ethical, Legal and social issues

Ethical, Legal and social issues

Concept of Ethics

Some definitions of ethics.

• A philosophy that considers what is right and what is wrong.
• Codes of morals of a particular profession.
• The standards of conduct of a given profession.
• Agreement among people to do the right and to avoid wrong.
• The discipline dealing with what is good and what is bad and with moral duty and obligation.
• It is the study of what is right to do in a given situation, and what we ought to do.

Some questions that are needed to be considered regarding issues.

• What information about an individual can be revealed to others?
• What information about individuals that should be kept in databases, and how secure is the information in the computer systems?
• How should one handle data piracy on computer networks.
• Who is allowed to access data and information?
• How can safeguards be introduced to ensure that the information can be accessed only by the right person or organizations?

Computers involve a special technology and they raise some special ethical issues. Computer ethics is the analysis of the nature and social impact of computer technology and the corresponding formulation and justification of policies for the ethical use of such technology. It concerns software as well as hardware and concerns networks connecting computers as well as computers themselves.

The Internet provides access to a variety of information on every topic and this information comes from many different countries throughout the world. One problem with the Internet is that all the information is freely available once a user is connected. There are areas of the Internet, which contain large amounts of illegal material. Material that is illegal in some countries may be perfectly legal in others.

Governments have the problem of finding a way of allowing users to gain access to the Internet but not to any illegal areas. If access to such material is restricted on one part of the Internet a user can simply move to another area to find a way to access the material.

There is a problem in restricting access. The Internet is a global system and it is difficult for single countries to make laws to control it. Another problem with restriction is that it could lead governments to begin attempts to censor, legislate and regulate the Internet for political, cultural and religious reasons. Civil liberty groups are naturally concerned about this aspect of control.


IT enables data exchange of information on a large scale from anybody, on any locations or part of the world, at any time. In this situation, there is increased potential for disclosing information and violating the privacy of any individuals and groups of people due to its widespread dissemination worldwide.
It is a challenge and our responsibility to maintain the privacy and integrity of data regarding individuals. This also includes taking precautions to ensure the accuracy of data, as well as protecting it from unauthorized access or accidental disclosure to inappropriate individuals.

Information Technology has problematic implications and some negative impacts on our society. It poses and creates some problems related to ethics, and contains in general three main types of ethical issues:
• Personal privacy
• Access right
• Harmful actions.

Let us look more closely at these issues, exploring in each case the ways in which they affect public reactions to this technological change.

Personal Privacy
Access right

Due to the current popularity of international commerce on the Internet, the topic of computer security and access right has moved quickly from being a low priority for corporations and government agencies to a high priority. Many attempts of such illegal access by computer hackers have been widely reported. Without implementation of proper computer security policies and strategies, network connections on the Internet can’t be made secure from illegal accesses.

Harmful action

In computer ethics, harmful action means injury or negative consequences, such as undesirable loss of information

The rapid explosion in the use of computers in the last 15 years has benefited us in many ways. Many things that we now take for granted, such as the use of credit cards and cash dispensers would have been impossible without them. However, there are problems. As more computers are used, more and more information about each of us is stored on computers. By linking the information gained from several computers together it is possible to build up a complete picture of a person's life.

Software theft

As more and more information is held there is the chance of some of it being incorrect. Your private life is becoming less and less private.

It could be said that the use of personal computers has turned many users into thieves. How many people could honestly say that all the software on their hard disks has been purchased by them? As you can see from the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1989, it is a criminal offence to copy or steal software.





Hacking

Hacking means gaining illegal access to someone else’s computer system. Many people see this type of thing as a challenge and not as an illegal activity.
• Loss of property
• Property damage
• Unwanted environmental impacts

This principle prohibits use of computing technology in ways that result in harm to any of users, the general public, employees and employers. Harmful actions include intentional destruction or modification of files and programs leading to serious loss of resources or unnecessary expenditure of human resources such as the time and effort required to purge systems from “Computer Viruses”.

So far there has been relatively little investigation into the privacy and security issues relevant to these ethical problems in IT and Cyberspace. Beside the false contents of information on Internet, many people try to access information that they don’t have rights to. For this reason, computer developers have proposed and used intrusion-detection systems as the basis of security systems designed to protect privacy. Typically, the intrusion detection systems determine if a user is an intruder or a legitimate user, generally by way of various internal system profiles.


Encryption technology to minimize harmful actions on internet

On the Internet, scrambled messages are quite popular as we protect our credit card numbers and private information from enemy hackers. A mathematical technique, called encryption, is used to scramble/encode a message into an unreadable format. The message’s recipient decrypts, or decodes, the data using a key that converts it back into a readable form.

The data can be encrypted in a number of forms: web information transmissions, e-mail, files, transactions, etc.

Such encryption is widely used in
• Online banking transactions
• Internet shopping
• In point-of-sale machines
• Stock trading
• In ATMs
• In electronic business to business transactions

Digital ID

Another form of data protection that is specific for e-mail messages is called “Digital ID”. As more people send confidential information by e-mail, it is increasingly important to be sure that documents sent on e-mail are not forged, and to be certain that messages sent cannot be intercepted and read by anyone other that the intended recipient.



Firewalls

Another protection method against computer crimes is called Firewalls. Internet firewall is essentially one or more systems that control access between computer networks. The firewall serves two basic purposes:
• It controls access to the network from outside users
• It also controls the transfer of information from the inside network to the outside world (Internet).

The most important thing to remember about firewall is that it creates an access control policy for the organization.

In this regard, ethical problems are very important to be understood, realized, and solved legally or technically, not only in one or two countries, but also worldwide.