Understanding Computers: Today and Tomorrow, Comprehensive 15th Edition

Book Preface

In today’s technology-oriented society, computers and technology impact virtually everyone’s life. Understandin gC om pu ters:   Today  and Tomorrow, 15th Edition is designed to ensure that students are current and informed in order to thrivein our technology-oriented, global society. With this new edition, students not only learn about relevant cutting-edge technologytrends, but they also gain a better understanding of technology in general and the important issues surrounding technologytoday. This information gives students the knowledge they need to succeed in today’s world.This nontechnical, introductory text explains in straightforward terms the importance of learning about computersand other computing de vices, the various types of devices and their components, the principles by which computerswork, the practical applications of computers and related technologies, the ways in which the world is being changedby these technologies, and the associated risks and other potential implications of computers and related technologies. The goal of this text is to provide readers with a solid knowledge of computing fundamentals, an understanding of theimpact of our technology-oriented society, and a framework for using this knowledge effectively in their lives.

KEY FEATURES
Just like its previous editions, Understanding C omputers: Today and Tomorrow, 15th Edi  ti onprovides current and comprehensive coverage of important topics. Flexible organizationand an engaging presentation, combined with a variety of learning tools associated witheach chapter, help students master the important computing concepts they will encounter inschool, on the job, and in their personal lives.

Currency and Accuracy
The state-of-the-art content of this book reflects the latest  technologies, trends, and cl as    sroomneeds. To reflect the importance of mobile computing today, the entire text has an increasedemphasis on smartphones, media tablets, mobile apps, and the issues that surround them, suchas mobile security. All topics and figures have been updated for currency and, to ensure thecontent is as accurate and up to date as possible, numerous Industry Expert Reviewers providedfeedback and suggestions for improvements to the content in their areas of expertise.Throughout the writing and production stages, enhancements were continually made to ensurethat the final product is as current and accurate as possible.

Comprehensiveness and DepthAccommodating a w ide range of teaching styles,  Understan di ng  Computers: Today andTomorrow, 15th Edition provides comprehensive  coverage of tr aditional topics while alsocovering relevant, up-to-the-minute new technologies and important societal issues. Thisedition has an increased emphasis on mobile computing, cloud applications, and socialmedia and includes the following new topics:

➤ New hardware developments, including smartphones, media tablets, smart  watc he s, Google Glass, hybrid notebook-tablet computers, tiny PCs like the Raspberry Piand Chromecast, GPUs, immersion cooling systems, tablet and smartphone docks, personal 3D printers, projector phones, self-driving cars, self-healing devices,perceptual computing, gesture input, touch mice, eye tracking tablets, tablet storagedevices, DNA storage, 4K (Ultra HD) Blu-ray Discs, and digital ecosystems.➤ New software developments and issues, including Windows 8, iOS 7 and other newmobile operating systems, Office 2013/365, digital badges, the Google Play store,sending documents to the cloud, and the impact of big data and cloud computing.➤ New mobile applications, including Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), mobile ticketing,mobile data caps, group messaging, geofencing, NFC and other device baseddigital wallets, mobile payment processing, Google Now, and mobile ergonomics.

➤ New networking technologies, including new and emerging Wi-Fi standards, the Int ernet of Things (IoT), Bluetooth Smart, software defined networking (SDN), andnew Wi-Fi-enabled products such as smart thermostats, scales, and Wi-Fi locks.

➤ New security risks, including BYOD s ecurity issues, social media hacks, andscar ew are, ransomware, and chargeware.➤ New security precautions, including digital tattoos and other emerging biometricsystems, soft and hard tokens for OTPs/two-factor authentication, 3D Secure onlinepurchase verification, wireless tethers for mobile devices, and proximity devices andapps to automatically lock and unlock a computer.

➤ New Web applications, such as cloud printing, Internet monitors, v irtual currency, miltary virtual worlds, social commerce, social media integration, and cloud-based digital wallets.

➤ New software and Web development tools, such as HTML5, push  content  andxRTML, Web ana lytics, social media analytics, user interface (UI) builders, wireframes,integrated development environments (IDEs), Dart, IFTTT Web services,and the Android SDK and Eclipse IDE for creating Android apps.