business bytes magazine
DESCRIPTION
CIT 200 Class FALL 2012 Alverno CollegeTRANSCRIPT
BUSINESS BYTES
CLOUD COMPUTING WHAT IS IT EXACTLY?
HOW IT WORKS
Also Inside:
Computer
Ethical Issues
Corner
Clicks To Boost
Business at Wheaton
Franciscan
Healthcare
User-Friendly Apps
That Promote a
Healthy & Active
Lifestyle!
$2.99US $3.99CAN
BUSINESS BYTES
CLOUD COMPUTING
WHAT IS IT EXACTLY?
HOW IT WORKS
Clicks To Boost
Business at Wheaton
Franciscan
Healthcare
User-Friendly Apps
That Promote a
Healthy & Active
Lifestyle!
BUYING A
COMPUTER?
What to look for ...
$2.99US $3.99CAN
Also Inside:
Computer
Ethical Issues
CONTENTS: Career Column:
Clicks Boost Business at Wheaton Franciscan……………….……….0
Vana’s Career Ar cle Title Here……………….….….0
Applications Software:
Health by the Bit………………………………………....….. 0
Vana’s So ware Ar cle Title Here…………………….0
Feature Articles:
Computer vs. Computer…….…………………………….0
‐What type best suites you?
Memory vs. Storage……………………………..……….. 0
Ethical Issue Corner:…………………………..……….…..0
Research Project Technology Ar cle…………………………………………………..0
Tip and Tricks with So ware………………………………………………………..…….0
Technology Cartoons………………………………………………………………………….0
By Shaiya Morris
W ho would have thought that a healthy lifestyle
can start with only a tap of
your finger on your
smartphone? With today’s advanced
technology and more people seeking to
lead healthier lifestyles, smartphone ap‐
plica ons have combined health and
wellness with technology to this increas‐
ing market of consumers. The exper se,
convenience, and user‐friendliness of the
applica ons are undeniable. One popu‐
lar smartphone applica on that has over
1 million consumers ea ng healthier is
Fooducate.
What is it?
If you have ever needed assistance mak‐
ing healthier food choices while grocery
shopping, then look no further, the
Fooducate smartphone app is here! This
app provides an instant nutri on grade for a single food
item simply by scanning the product’s UPC (Universal
Product Code) or barcode with a smartphone.
How it works
Anyone with a smartphone, which is a mobile phone with
an Android or iPhone opera ng system, can download the
FREE app from the Fooducate website. Once the app is
downloaded then the scanning and grading of food prod‐
ucts can begin. The actual scanning of the food items UPC
is captured through the smartphone’s camera device, then
the informa on from the UPC reveals a nutri on grade
and nutri on facts about the product. Although not all
food items will have grades and nutri on facts available,
the consumer then s ll has the op on of manually enter‐
ing the products informa on from the nutri on label, in‐
cluding the ingredients, to get a food grade.
Food Grading
Fooducate grades food products on a
scale of A through D, with A being the
best grade and D being the worst grade.
Foods are rated through a special algo‐
rithm which Fooducate has established,
where the most natural and nutrient
dense foods get the best grades and pro‐
cessed and for fied foods get the worst
grades. The following 5 elements contrib‐
ute to a product’s passing or failing in the
grading system:
Nutrients‐calcium, fiber, and iron can
add points to a grade. Saturated fat, sodi‐
um, and sugar will decrease points.
Ingredients‐controversial ar ficial
sweeteners and colors will decrease a
products score.
Product category– for each food category such as
breakfast cereals or yogurt, relevant nutrients and
ingredients to the category are needed to increase
a products score.
Processing‐less food processing will receive higher
scores than high processed foods.
For fica on‐products with for fied (lab‐made) nu‐
trients will receive lower scores than foods with
natural nutrients.
It is very important to note that Fooducate is NOT influ‐
enced or funded by food manufacturers, supplement
companies, diets, etc. The company is strictly dedicat‐
ed to helping families make healthier food choices
when faced with so many food products at grocery
stores.
Clicks Expected to Drive Sales at
Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare
By Shaiya Morris
In the Healthcare industry, having the best and
most advanced technology available can not only
provide the best possible pa ent care, but can
also posi vely impact the revenue cycle of the
healthcare provider. Wheaton Franciscan
Healthcare is now using a simpler form of tech‐
nology that is expected to bring in more business,
with just the simple click of a mouse. Wheaton
Franciscan is set to launch its new Pay Per Click
(PPC) campaigns and Search Engine Op miza on
(SEO) ini a ves to improve business throughout
its network of healthcare facili es in Wisconsin,
Illinois, and Iowa.
Pay Per Click Ads
PPC ads are paid ads
that appear in search
results to help drive
visitors to websites.
Wheaton is charged a fee each me one of the
ads is clicked on. When one of Wheaton’s ads
is clicked on, the visitor is taken to a specific
page on the mywheaton.org website for more
informa on on their search. Although compe ‐
tors in the healthcare field would be tempted
to click on Wheaton’s PPC ads, criminal charges
can be brought to any party believed to have
made inten onal clicks simply to spend down
their compe tor’s budget.
Search Engine Optimization
SEO involves op mizing both the content and
technical components of the pages on
mywheaton.org in order to help move Wheaton
as high up as possible in organic (non‐paid)
search results for specific keywords. Studies
show that 83% of people do not click past the
first page, or top 10 search results on any
search site (Google, Bing, Yahoo. etc.) So being
among the top 10 for specific keywords is cri ‐
cal to drive new business.
Since more and more pa ents are computer
savvy, one simple click can make a significant
difference not only for the healthcare provider,
but also on the pa ent care experience.
By Shaiya Morris
I n the market for a new computer and having a hard time deciding between a desktop, laptop, or tablet PC? As all computers (no matter what type) offer great benefits, it is important to con-
sider what you are looking for in a computer and how you will use it. It is easy to get lost in all of the tech-nical jargon involved in researching what type of com-puter to choose. This article is intended to help ease the often times confusing and frustrating process of deciding what type of computer to buy.
Is a desktop computer right for you?
This stationary model of a computer has been around since personal computers were invented. For this type of computer you will need to dedicate a space, which is usually atop a desk hence the name desktop, to store the Central Processing Unit (CPU) or Tower (the largest and heaviest part of the computer), mon-itor, keyboard, any other peripheral devices (i.e. speakers, printer). This type of computer is most useful for a person who does not need to travel often, likes to have all their personal files stored on their own computer’s hard drive, and/or will be using many different software applications the computer. The cost of desktop computers can be found starting at $400 and up depending on variables like: the operat-ing system (Windows, MAC), the brand of the comput-er (HP, Dell, Asus,etc.), the manufacturer of the com-puter’s processor (Intel, AMD), the amount of storage
for data, whether or not certain software are pre-loaded on the com-puter’s hard drive, etc.
Maybe a laptop is right for you?
Do you travel often and need to get lots of work done on-the-go? If so, then a laptop computer may be what you need. Laptop computers can provide many of the same features as a desktop computer, but on a smaller, lighter scale and in a mobile form. The amount of storage offered on laptops is smaller than that of a desktop com-puter, but can still perform almost all functions of a desktop computer as long as its battery is charged. Laptops are compact, thin, and folda-ble for easy on-the-go use. It’s like having a portable office at hand, without the peripheral devices of course. Many word processing and other work applications, such as Microsoft Office Suite applications, are just as easy to use on a laptop as on a desktop computer. For Internet connection, you can decide to either pay for the service or your computer can use wireless Inter-net connections where available. Many facili-ties, including restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, etc., offer Wi-Fi or wireless Internet connections for those with laptops and other wireless devic-es. The cost of laptop computers start around $600 and up depending on many of the same variables for desktop computers: the operating system, brand, screen size, storage capacity, computer processor manufacturer, pre-loaded software, weight, battery life, etc.
A tablet could be for you
Tablets are the latest craze in the computer realm due to its ultra-sleek and portable size. Its size comes with fewer fea-tures offered compared to desktop and laptop computers. Tab-lets are best used for more play than work. This device comes with limited storage capacity and mostly relies on computer applications with cloud storage, meaning that data will not have to be saved on the device’s hard drive. Tablets are most useful for emailing, surfing the Web, watching movies, playing games, and some work can be accomplished also through soft-ware applications. Before buying this device, keep in mind that no physical keyboard is available and typing will have to be done using the touchscreen keyboard. Some tablets come with the option to buy a special keyboard made for tablets, and some tablets have a special slide-out keyboard attached—but most do not. Navigating through websites that use flash player (a media/graphics player) will not be possible with a tablet. The battery life of a tablet is fairly strong and can last roughly 8 hours or more, like many cell phones. Currently Apple’s iPad is the leader in the tablet category, much cheaper tablets are available depending on what features you want on your device. Tablet’s starting prices are around $200 and up, depending on many of the same var-iables as desktops and laptops: brand, screen size, operating system, resolution, software applications, etc.
Final thought
I personally would choose a laptop computer as my pri-mary computer, simply because it offers most of the capabilities of a desktop computer with the mobility of a tablet. Purchasing a computer is a big decision and a big investment, so it’s important to know what kind of technology is available and how/if that technology will meet your needs. There are many styles, shapes, colors, brands and features to choose from when choosing ei-ther a laptop, desktop, or tablet. Ultimately, knowing exactly what you will be using your new computer for will greatly decrease your chances of paying for added features you do not need and/or will not use. Other questions that you might ask before purchasing a com-puter: What is my budget? Is the brand of the computer important to me? Does the latest technology interest me? Am I getting the most for my money buy purchasing this computer? Any current sales promotions? Good luck!
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