Digital Technology and Media Devices
* Lesson 1 - THE DIGITAL EXPERIENCE 1.2 - DIGITAL
TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA DEVICES [1] Digital Technology and
Media Devices
Today, the functions of telephones, cameras, video recorders, media
players, and Internet devices are being merged into a single portable
device. The table below describes how merging technologies affect some
commonly used digital devices and their features. Scroll down to read each
description.
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Audio and Video Players
MPEG Audio Layer 3 (MP3) players_, CD players, and DVD players are
examples of audio and video players. You can use MP3 players to play audio
whereas you can use CD players and DVD players to play audio or video. If
you have multipurpose CD players or DVD players, you can use them to play
audio, video, and MP3 files. _MP3_ is a format that helps reduce the size
of the files dramatically while having a small impact on quality. You can
transfer MP3 files from a computer to an MP3 player.
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Mobile Phones
A mobile phone_ is a wireless device that provides the capabilities of a
traditional wired phone and allows you to make a call from almost any
location. You can use a Web-enabled mobile phone to connect to the
Internet, check your e-mail messages, or download songs and games from the
Internet. If you have a mobile phone that has camera and multimedia
features, you can take pictures, record short video clips, and play music
and games. You can transmit pictures and videos from one mobile phone to
another or to another person by using e-mail.
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Video Game Systems
Microsoft Xbox_ is an example of a video game system that is similar to
a personal computer. An Xbox has a motherboard and a hard disk and supports
online gaming. You play games on an Xbox by using an Xbox game disk. You
can also transfer audio files from audio CDs to the hard drive of an Xbox.
Therefore, you can use an Xbox as an audio player. You can also play movie
DVDs by using the latest Xbox system.
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Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)
A PDA_ is a handheld computer that is used as a personal organizer. A
traditional PDA includes features, such as an address book, task list, and
a calculator. You can connect a PDA to a computer to transfer information.
If you have a Web-enabled PDA, you can connect it to the Internet, send and
receive e-mail messages, and play multimedia files over the Internet. Some
PDAs also contain a built-in digital camera. A smart phone is a mobile
phone that provides the functions of a PDA in a phone. You can use a smart
phone to access the Internet, play games, take pictures, and listen to
songs.
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Digital Cameras
A digital camera_ stores images digitally on a memory device, such as a
flash memory card or a mini hard disk, whereas a traditional camera stores
images on film. Some digital cameras allow you to print images by
connecting your digital camera directly to a digital printer.
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Digital Video Cameras
You can use a digital video camera_ to record video and store it in a
digital format. Digital camcorders and webcams are examples of digital
video cameras. You can use a digital camcorder to record both video and
audio and store it in a digital format on a storage device, such as a
recordable CD or DVD.A _webcam_ is also a digital video camera that
captures images and transmits the images across the Internet. The images
are transferred either continuously or at regular intervals of time.
Webcams can be connected to a computer, or they can be wireless.
