GITEX - UAVs & Drones

This week is GITEX Technology Week , a time where thousands of developers come together to display the latest and greatest in Technological innovation. In this post I will specifically talk about Unmanned Arial Vehicles and their uses in the global society , I will also be going through the social and ethical issues which may arise from the use of drones and their over all advantages and disadvantages .

Drones are can be flown in different locations and can be piloted from great distances . These capabilities are very useful in situations where the examination of an area where humans cant get to , for example to inspect remote parts of an oil rig, or in search and rescue scenarios. a drone is capable of speeding up search and rescue which can potentially be life saving . Drones now have more payload capacity than ever before , so they can support the weight of a human and the increased thrust can even lift humans off the ground and take them to safety . Drones have evolved from  being only able to carry small action camera to being able to carry military hardware over great distances. Missions can be completely controlled remotely from the ground in a safe location out of the danger . the birds-eye view gives researchers and rescue teams a better vantage point over any location . Many accessories can be attached to these incredible devices such as scientific measuring apparatus which can measure anything from any location on earth.

Some examples of this type of drone usage we saw at GITEX was in the government section where they were used by the Dubai Electricity & Water Authority for the inspection of inaccessible areas in their electricity generating plants and in their water treatment plants , this has been a great help to them as stated by DEWA Managing Director Saeed Mohammed Ahmed Al Tayer "These small flying tools have marked a breakthrough in our workflow and has revolutionized the way we work and have given us a deeper look into our own field". Dubai Police also showcased their use of the drone in locating criminals and in intense chases , the drone can track the position of the suspect and it can even follow the suspect , this puts the police out of harms way and also keeps the streets free of high-speed car chases and things of that nature.Both Dubai Police and DEWA used the DJI Inspire 1  which is a pro consumer drone which anyone with the money can buy , it is sold for a relatively cheap price considering the technology being offered, the DJI Inspire 1 uses lightbridge 2.0 which is DJIs own high definition video feed, these HD transmitters have the ability to stream full high definition real time footage straight to your mobile device (1080p @ 30fps , 720p @ 59fps) this is an amazing step up from previous drones which transmit 480p or lower at very low frame rates. not only does it provide a live video feed , but it can also track things like speed ,altitude, temperature,GPS  and much much more.

The camera on these new drones are gyroscopic ally stabilized in 3 axis which allows for smooth footage even in the worst of wind conditions , this helps the police to get smooth footage so when they play it back for evidence the footage is usable and not shaky or blurry, DEWA can benefit from this too because the smooth video can allow them to look at the details and the smaller components of their power-plants without distortion of the footage .

Overall, GITEX  really showcased how drones have rapidly influenced our world and made what was once not possible now possible , not only to the serious government consumer , but also the recreational users and filmmakers . Having this point of view opens up many new opportunities for innovation and research , however these amazing devices may not be permitted in some places in the world and i personally feel that these communities will definitely benefit greatly from UAVs  and improve their society in a modern and effective way.

Who are Digital Citizens?

A digital citizen everyone who has implemented ICT into their everyday lives , using it to communicate ,socialize and work . Nowadays almost everyone is fortunate enough to become a digital citizen , by owning a smartphone or any similar telecommunications device , also entertainment devices such as televisions and computers make a person into a digital citizen because it is entering the person into the global society which share similar opinions , so we are all subconsciously Digital Citizens .

What is cybermobbing?

Cybermobbing is an example of cyber bullying , which is the act of harassing and humiliating someone electronically , however in cybermobbing it is a group of people who share this malicious mindset with a goal to harm people emotionally using electronic messaging and other types of electronic communication.

When we talk about IT automation of a manual process, then does it gives rise to unemployment?

IT automation has been a large factor in increasing unemployment rates in the 21st century , but this doesn't necessarily mean that IT automation is a negative part of our society, like everything else in this worlds it has its pros and cons and from what has been observed so far the pros outweigh the cons by a large amount , some of these pros are that automation in the industry can increase efficiency , output and lower the production costs , however these automated machines are a replacement to human workers who work to support their families , this example is more beneficial to the company than to the worker, however there are different ways in which automation has affected our everyday lives, one major aspect is autonomous cars , which require almost no driver input for the car to take you from point A to point B , obviously this is very beneficial to the users safety and comfort as the aspect of human error has been taken out , Overall , i think IT automation is a turn for the better and will help our world thrive and develop at a great pace.

ICT gave rise to extreme views. Some community stresses that ICT is bringing the world together in a common platform. Others say that ICT is making life isolated. Where do you want to place your views?

In my personal opinion , ICT has had an extremely positive impact on our world making people connect with their relatives and find new friends, work tasks have become more simplified with the introduction of software such as Microsoft Office and a range of Adobe software , also technology such as video calls have brought separated families closer together and has lowered costs for businesses around the world , so in this sense ICT does indeed help bring the world closer together and create a more active and cooperative society. On the other hand these forms of communications have no physical human contact and allow people to " hide behind their screens" and avoid confrontation and this is where isolation becomes an issue , taking away from our social skills which have been gained by physical face to face confrontation .

What is global society?

A global society is a modern society built around technology and telecommunication , due to this increase in the use of social media people have grown to have similar interests , for example many people from many different countries can watch an American TV show which can be broadcasted around the world , this is a global society. This spreads far further than TV shows and media , it also affects peoples culture and tradition and makes the entire world an audience to its own act,

What is the difference between ITGS and IT?

Before getting into the detailed differences ,lets see what they stand for. IT stands for simply "Information Technology" and ITGS stands for "Information Technology in a Global Society". In ITGS we study about how technology can be used to help us complete everyday tasks easily and more efficiently , in IT you would study the functions of the technology and how it works, however in ITGS we go a step further and see how these new technologies can be implemented into our lives and having a positive effect on the stakeholders using it , ITGS also helps us visualize technology in a more realistic scenario and see technology in its true light allowing us to clearly point out its weaknesses and strengths .

Who am I and my previous experiences with technology

Hello, my name is Abdulla Bin Ghaleb and I am an ITGS student at Deira international school, I am from the United Arab Emirates, specifically from the emirate of Dubai. Being in Dubai I have witnessed a small city transform into one of the world’s leading cities in terms of finance and tourism, this has been possible by the discovery of many oil wells around the area making it very oil rich and technologically advanced, being amidst this fast technological growth has allowed me to experience technology and use it in my everyday life, without it our world stops, innovation and progress comes to a halt. This is the reason I appreciate technology and not take it for granted .The reason I chose ITGS for IB is because I want to implement my ICT skills into real life situations and learn how to make use of them using the available software .