Unit 5 Something from the History of Home Automation

Home automation has been a feature of science fiction writing for many years, but has only become practical since the early 20th century following the widespread introduction of electricity into the home, and the rapid advancement of information technology. Early remote control devices began to emerge in the late 1800s. For example, Nikola Tesla patented an idea for the remote control of vessels and vehicles in 1898.

The use of electrical home appliances began between 1915 and 1920; the decline in domestic servants meant that households needed cheap, mechanical replacements. Domestic electricity supply, however, was still in its beginning - meaning this luxury was afforded only the rich households.

Ideas similar to modern home automation systems originated during the World's Fairs of the 1930s. Fairs in Chicago in 1934, then in New-York in 1936 and 1964, depicted electrified and automated homes. In 1966 an engineer Jim Sutherland developed a home automation system. This was a private project and never commercialized. The first "wired homes" were built in America during the 1960s, but were limited by the technology of the times. The term "smart house" was first coined in 1984.

With the invention of the microcontroller, the cost of electronic control fell rapidly. Remote and intelligent control technologies were adopted by the building industry and manufacturers of domestic electric appliances worldwide. During the 90s home automation rose. By the end of the decade, domotics was commonly used to describe any system in which informatics and telematics were combined to support activities in the home. Despite interest in home automation there is not a widespread uptake in Ukraine. The lack of a single, simplified, protocol and high cost of entry has put off consumers.

Unit 6

Internet Addiction – a Growing Problem

The New York Times has reported on a problem that many of us have but are not aware of – Internet addiction. According to reporter Tara Parker-Pope, millions of us are addicted to being online. She says this is a growing problem that is making us more forgetful and impatient. Ms. Parker-Pope writes about various reports highlighting how technology is changing people. In one, she quotes cyber-psychologist Dr. Elias Ambert who says: “More and more, life is resembling the chat room.” He said we are living in “virtual lifestyles” which is negatively affecting our real-life relationships. Nicki Dowling, a clinical psychologist from Melbourne University in Australia, concluded in a recent study that ten per cent of young people had what she called “Internet dependence”.

Tara Parker-Pope quizzed experts in this field on what the signs are of being overly absorbed in technology. She came up with seven indicators of “tech overload”. The first is whether you check your e-mail before doing other things. Another telltale sign is if you always anticipate and look forward to your next online visit – a sure sign of dependence and addiction. The third point is if you say, "just a few more minutes" when someone wants you. Parker-Pope found your interaction with others also says a lot about how important the Internet is compared with family and friends; do you lie about how much time you spend online or choose to surf the Net instead of go out with others? Other giveaways include the “online lift” that stops you being unhappy, and when others complain about you always being online.