James Cellphone

Computers are a part of today’s bustling world and play a role in everybody’s life, young or old, whether they like it or not. A version of a computer, whether it be highly technologically advanced or not can be found in household appliances such as refrigerators, ovens, toasters and microwave ovens. Cars have their own unique kind of computers, as do televisions, DVD players and so much more. But when we think computer what comes to mind first is generally what is known as a PC (or personal computer). Almost every household has at least one and most companies could not be without one today. So much is done on the computer and over the computer.

A personal computer can mean so many things to so many people and it has a variety of functions. For students it’s great for doing research using the Internet as well as typing up essays and papers for school. The Internet is a tremendous resource for anyone wanting to learn about practically any subject from animals to authors and everything in between. And what of e-mail? Twenty, thirty years ago no one could have conceived of the idea that a person could sit down in front of a computer screen and type a message to someone who is close or far away and then send it to them and have it received almost instantly! It’s quite an amazing development for our world. And for those who enjoy solitary recreational pursuits, there are a variety of games that can be played on computers. One can also watch movies and listen to music via the use of a computer.

A computer is often thought of as a machine that processes information in a timely manner and is very general-purpose in its application. An individual types information into the computer through the use of the keyboard as well as the mouse and watches what he/she is typing materialize on the computer screen. The computer then begins the process of sorting through the data it is receiving and processing it as is necessary. The computer user can then save what he sees in front of him on the hard drive of the computer or onto a floppy disk or CD. If saved to the hard drive then the information cannot be used on any other computer but if saved on a disk that information has now become portable and can be used on other computers and not just that one in particular.

Every computer contains certain elements which in brief include the CPU or central processing unit or the brain of the desktop computer, the memory where information is stored, the motherboard or main circuit board, the power supply which regulates electricity going through the computer, the hard drive, or permanent storage, the operating system, or basic software, the integrated drive electronics controller or IDE, the peripheral component interconnect bus or PCI which allows other items to plug into it, the small computer system or SCSI which allows devices such as scanners to be plugged into it, the accelerated graphics port or AGP which is used by the graphics card which in turn translates visual information from the computer into a format it can read. And last but certainly not least is the sound card, which allows the computer to record as well as play anything with an audio element to it such as a CD that is accompanied by music.

As a kid growing up, I was fascinated with science fiction, especially those movies and TV shows that dealt with the future and portrayed how life on earth would probably be several decades down the road. I liked the idea of robot-servants who talked and followed our orders and of aerial vehicles that were the main means of transportation and that sent us speeding through the sky on our way to work. I was always fascinated with talking computers as well.

Now, over three decades have passed since I was a kid in front of the TV set and, boy, did those science fiction movies get it all wrong. There are no robots in every household nor are there cars that fly through the sky. At least they got it right in one regard – talking computers. These days, talking desktop computers are so commonplace that they hardly elicit any reaction at all from jaded consumers.

These days, it’s not even that difficult to understand how a computer talks.

They talk simply because they have a software that converts text into speech that is communicated through speakers or a headset. The technical term for this type of software is speech recognition capability.

And if you want to get really technical about it, here’s more. Speech synthesis is the process that artificially produces speech in computers. The software system is called TTS or “text to speech.” The system has a front end and a back end. The front end is where the software received the input in the form of text and converts it into linguistic symbols. The back end takes these linguistic symbols and converts them into speech waveform that is heard through the computer’s headset or speakers.

The software’s front end performs two basic functions. The first function is the identification of numbers and abbreviations in the raw text which it then spells out and assigns word equivalents. Second, it assigns sound (known as phonetic descriptions) to the different words of the text, including pauses and intonations, and then divides the text into phrases and sentences.

The back end, which is also known as the synthesizer, takes these phonetic transcriptions and converts them into actual sound output.

Computers and technology have long played a role in the medical system. In more recent years, however, computers have started to become an increasingly relied upon method for helping to keep patient records straight and for keeping people healthy. In fact, the use of computer sciences combined with the information sciences in the medical field has become so prevalent that a term has been developed to describe this merging of fields: health informatics.

Health informatics, also referred to as medical informatics, focuses primarily on the use of computers and information science to help acquire, store, and retrieve information in both biomedicine and health in general. This may involve communication amongst and between medical facilities and professionals, retrieving current information regarding treatment methods for certain disorders, and even helping medical professionals diagnose a disease. It may also involve the sharing of patient information amongst specialists in order to give the patient the best treatment possible.

With the use of computers in the medical system becoming increasingly common, the United States congress passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPAA) in 1006. This act set forth certain regulations and guidelines regarding keeping track of medical records with specialized software. The primary goal of the act was to maintain patient privacy while still allowing medical professionals to take advantage of the conveniences technology provides.

Since then, the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) was formed through the United States Department of Health and Human Services. This non-profit organization has developed a set of standards regarding electronic health records and the networks that support them. Those vendors that meet these standards receive certification through the organization. In 2006, the organization certified 22 electronic health record products that have been approved for use.

Computers are playing an increasingly important role within the medical field. With their help, medical professionals are capable of providing more effective and efficient care to their patients. With the many standards, guidelines, and regulations set forth through government bodies and organizations, the practice is likely to become even more widespread while simultaneously protecting the rights of patients.