The purpose of technology

The purpose of technology is to produce applications which improve our material environment. The people who design, test, and make these applications are called

• technicians,
• technologists
• and engineers.

They work in areas such as civil, mechanical, electrical, electronic, and marine engineering, and in newer fields such as information technology (lT). They use scientific knowiedge and technological experience in their work. They often adapt older existing technology (e.g.radio waves) to create new applications ( e.g. mobile phones).

Technology is all around us and affects every aspect of our lives. Here are some examples:

transport - road, sea, and air travel; space exploration

telecommunications - moblle phones, fibre-optics, internet, satellites

trade - credit and debit cards, bank ATM machines,Business-to-busines (B2B) internet trade

work efficiency - washing machines, microwave ovens, computer software

power - heating, lighting, air conditioning

personal entertainment - DVDs, iPods, digital TVs,

digital cameras

health - lasers in eye surgery, medicines

safety and security - ABS brakes, air bags, sensors,

smoke detectors

food - food processing, agriculture

information management - computer databases,

search engines,b usinesss oftware

infrastructure - roads, buildings, sewerage, waste

dÍsposal, water supply

manufacturing - robotics in mass production

(manufacturing an item in very large numbers)