M1 L1: Current State of ICT Technologies

• ICT = Information Communication Technology
• Information – facts provided or learned about something or someone

  Communication – imparting or exchanging of information or news

  Technology – machinery and equipment developed from the application

  of scientific knowledge
• If we combine these three definitions, we can arrive at a comprehensive definition of ICT. ICT deals with the use of different communication technologies such as mobile phones, telephone, Internet, etc. to locate, save, send, and edit information.

  ICT is everywhere around us. When we attend online classes, we rely on the

  Internet. When we send text messages to our loved ones, we utilize cellular networks. When we need to make landline calls, we depend on telephone networks. The products of ICT surround us.
• In terms of ICT in the Philippines, we are keeping pace with other countries. In fact, numerous international companies recognize our country as the "ICT Hub of Asia". It is no secret that there is a significant growth in ICT-related job opportunities across the nation, including call centers and BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) centers.
• Facts about ICT in the Philippines

  In January 2023, with a population of 116.5 million people, 168.3 million use cellular mobile connections, 85.16 million are internet users, and 84.45 million are active social media users.

  99.1% of Filipinos aged 16 to 64 owns a smartphone, 11.5% owns a feature phone, 61.4% owns a laptop or desktop computer, 32% owns a tablet device, 13.2% owns a game console, 18% owns a smart watch/wristband, 11.5% owns a tv streaming device, 8.3% owns a smart home device, and 4.5% owns a virtual reality device.
• The main reasons for using the internet are to find information, stay in touch with friends and family, research how to do things, find new ideas or inspiration, watch videos, TV shows, or movies, keep up-to-date with news and events, education and study-related purposes, research products and brands, access and listen to music, research health issues and healthcare products, fill up spare time, and general browsing.
• Facts about ICT

  The median download speed of cellular mobile internet connections is 24.04 Mbps and the median download speed of fixed internet connections is 81.42 mbps with a 28.7% and 75.3% year-on-year change respectively.
• The World Wide Web (WWW) is the combination of all resources and users on the Internet that are using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). It was invented by Tim-Berners Lee. There are three evolutions of the World Wide Web namely Web 1.0, Web 2.0, and Web 3.0.

  When WWW was invented, most web pages were static. Static (also known as flat page or stationary page) means that the page is “as is” and cannot be manipulated by the user. This referred to as Web 1.0. Some examples of Web 1.0 are wiki pages, and personal webpages.
• Web 2.0 allows users to interact with dynamic web pages. Instead of simply reading a page, users can comment or create user accounts. Dynamic pages are those that are influenced by user input or preferences. Nowadays, most websites are products of Web 2.0. These websites can be modified by users even if they are not the original creators. Examples of Web 2.0 include social media sites like Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and blogs, as well as web-based games, among others.
• The key features of Web 2.0 include: folksonomy, rich user experience, user participation, long tail, software as a service, mass participation
• Folksonomy allows users to categorize information using keywords. Popular social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter (X), and Instagram use tags that start with the pound sign (#), also known as hashtags. Blog sites and other websites also utilize tags. For instance, on the website Wattpad, tags are used to categorize story genres, writer names, publication dates, and more.
• Rich User Experience – The content is dynamic and responsive to the user's input. Examples of this include web-based games like Farmville, websites with a navigation pane that takes the user to different pages when they click a link, and more.
• User Participation – The website owner is not the only one who can contribute content. Users can also generate their own posts, comments, reviews, and more. Social media sites are examples of platforms where users can freely post content, even if they are not the creators of the website. This feature can also be seen in e-commerce websites where users can review products and leave comments about the service.
• Long Tail – Services are offered on-demand rather than through one-time purchases. This is similar to subscribing to a data plan that charges users based on the amount of time they spend on the internet or the amount of bandwidth they use. Netflix and Spotify are examples of platforms that charge a fixed price on a monthly or yearly basis, regardless of the frequency of usage.
• Software as a Service – Users subscribe to software only when needed instead of purchasing it. In this feature of Web 2.0, users can "rent" software, which is a more cost-effective option if the software is not needed regularly. Netflix and Spotify can be used as examples again. Users can cancel their subscription at any time as they don't actually "own" those platforms; they are simply granted access to them.
• Mass Participation – Diverse information sharing through universal web access. Since most users have internet access, Web 2.0 content is based on contributions from people of various cultures. Users can interact with individuals from around the world, such as participating in an online concert livestream with people from different backgrounds.
• Web 3.0 is a movement led by the World Wide Web Consortium. The semantic web provides a framework that allows data to be shared and reused to deliver web content specifically targeting the user. Web 3.0 takes personalization to the next level, tailoring content specifically to each user. This interaction between shows the essence of Web 3.0. Web 3.0 promises a future where our digital devices, like your smartphones, become intelligent companions, anticipating our needs, and seamlessly integrating with our real-world encounters.
• Trends in ICT: Convergence, Social Media, Assistive Media, Movile Technologies
• Convergence – the synergy of technological advancements working towards a common goal or task. For example, someone can use their laptop to create a Word document and then edit the same document using their smartphone. All they need to do is synchronize or "sync" their devices. Another example is Google Docs, where users can create a document on a computer and continue working on it later using another device.
• Social Media – a website, application, or online channel that enables web users to create, co-create, discuss, modify, and exchange user-generated content.
• 6 types of social media: social networks, microblogging, blogs and forums, media sharing, social news, bookmarking sites
• Social Networks – platforms that allow users to connect with others who share similar interests (Facebook, Linkedin).

  Microblogging – focuses on short updates from the user (Twitter or X).

  Blogs and Forums – platforms that allow users to post their content (Reddit, Quora, Tumblr).

  Media Sharing – platforms that allow users to upload and share media

  (Instagram, YouTube, Tiktok).

  Social News – platforms that allow users to post their items to other news

  sources (Google News).

  Bookmarking Sites – platforms that allow users to store and manage links to various websites (Pinterest, Digg).
• Assistive Media – a nonprofit service designed to help people with visual and reading impairments. It is like a big library of audio books and other reading materials. It helps people who may find it hard to read printed words. You can listen to your textbooks, stories, and lots of other things. It makes learning and enjoying reading much easier for everyone, no matter what challenges they face.
• Mobile Technologies – The popularity of smartphones and tablets has significantly increased over the years due to their ability to perform tasks originally found on computers.
• Operating systems: IOS, Android IOS, Blackberry OS, Windows Phone OS, Symbian, Web OS
• iOS – a mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its

  hardware. It powers many of the company's mobile devices.

  Android OS – a mobile operating system developed by Google primarily for touchscreen mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.

  Blackberry OS – a proprietary mobile operating system developed by

  Blackberry Limited for its Blackberry line of smartphones.
• Windows Phone OS – a family of mobile operating systems developed by

  Microsoft as the successor to Windows Mobile and Zune for smartphones.

  Symbian – a mobile operating system and computing platform originally

  developed as a closed-source OS for PDAs in 1998 by Symbian Ltd.

  WebOS – also known as Open WebOS or LG WebOS, is a multitasking

  operating system used in smart devices like Smart TVs and has been utilized as a mobile operating system.
• Digital divide describes the gap between demographics and areas with widespread access to modern ICT and those lacking such access or facing limitations. This technology includes telephones, televisions, personal computers, and internet connection.
• Leads to disparities in Internet access: availability, affordability, quality of service, relevance, additional divides
• Availability: Is there available access to the Internet in your area? Is there a nearby point of connection to the Internet? If yes, this is just the first step to having Internet access.
• Affordability: Is that access affordable? How does the cost compare to other essential goods? What percentage of your income do you need to pay for access?
• Quality of Service: Are the upload and download speeds sufficient for the local needs of Internet users?
• Relevance: Does the connected community have the necessary skills and

  technologies? Is there local interest and understanding of the relevance of Internet access? Are there locally available mobile apps? Is there content in the local language and relevant to the people in the community?
• Additional divides: Other areas that can create digital inequality include security, interconnectivity, digital literacy, and access to equipment.
• The divide is not a single divide or clear cut, but no matter how you cut it, digital exclusion has many adverse impacts. Here are a few: access to healthcare and its outcomes, economic opportunities, educational opportunities
• Access to healthcare and its outcomes: Internet access is an important public health issue. Lack of access means exclusion from vital health information and resources. Health experts now insist that broadband Internet access must be recognized as a social determinant of health.
• Economic opportunities: For both workers and business owners, lack of quality broadband means decreased economic opportunities and competitiveness in the digital economy.
• Educational opportunities: Lack of Internet access for school-aged children means that they are denied the educational benefits of the Internet. This gap perpetuates unequal learning outcomes and has been particularly difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic.