Media and Technology - Categorizing Technology

Media and Technology SOCI 1306 Categorizing Technology Technology cannot be categorised in a single way. In the past, discoveries like machine- or drug-based therapies, or the like, may have been easily categorised. However, due to the interconnectivity of technological growth, advancements in one field may be duplicated in several others. To keep things simple, we will examine the patent handling procedures used by the U.S. Patent Office, which reviews applications for almost all significant inventions made globally. Three different innovations will be patentable by this regulatory agency. First, there are utility patents. These are awarded for the creation of any novel and practical machine, procedure, or product as well as for the major advancement of already-existing technology. A design patent is the second category of patents. This title, which is frequently awarded in the fields of industrial and architectural design, denotes the creation of a novel and unique design for a manufactured good. The last category, plant patents, acknowledge the finding of novel asexually reproducing plant species. In this area, genetically modified food is the most talked about topic, but farmers have long been developing novel hybrids and patenting them. The food giant Monsanto, which patents maize with an integrated insecticide, is a more contemporary example (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office 2011). An evolutionary model of technological change is proposed by Anderson and Tushman (1990), according to which a breakthrough in one technology leads to other modifications. After those are evaluated, a prototype is created, followed by a phase of minor technological modifications that are broken up by breakthroughs. For instance, the first widely used portable data storage device was a floppy disc, a square, plastic item bigger than a playing card that could hold 1.4 gigabytes of data in its final version—that is, less than one high-resolution photo. These were popular formats up until the early 2000s, when professionals and students would frequently carry multiple of them. Improved and enhanced floppy discs gave way to bigger capacity Zip and Jaz discs, which in turn were supplanted by flash drives. This is basically a generational model of technology classification, wherein relatively simple first-generation technology serves as a springboard for more advanced second-generation technology, and so on. Disruptive technology, also known as disruptive innovation, is a sort of evolution when a product, service, or method has a significant impact on the way an industry operates as a whole and/or has the potential to establish new markets or sectors. The introduction of cloud-based storage services like Google Drive and iCloud, which have drastically decreased the need for actual portable storage, might be considered a disruptive technology in the scenario above. Entire industries can be created or destroyed by disruptive technologies, often quickly rather than gradually. In one of the most well-known instances, the introduction of digital photography swiftly made film-based cameras obsolete, leaving many businesses unable to adapt. Similar to this, ride-sharing firms have significantly changed the limo and taxi sectors. New technologies with comparable effects include blockchain, augmented reality, and additive manufacturing (3D printing). The transportation sector as a whole may be impacted, for instance, if businesses determine that it is more cost-effective to 3D print numerous goods or components near to their final locations rather than transporting them from far-off production facilities and warehouses. Disruptive technologies can have an abrupt societal impact. For example, the sudden demise of corporations like Kodak, which had been huge employers and pillars of the American economy, was caused by digital photography. Cities such as Rochester, New York, were ravaged by layoffs. Thousands of record stores, both independent shops and major chains like Tower Records, have closed as a result of the rise of online music sales and subscription services. Beyond their financial significance, these shops frequently became a vital part of local communities by serving as hubs for music enthusiasts to congregate, discover, and exchange. Automation has also had a significant impact on mining and manufacturing, leading to the loss of many jobs and dramatic changes in areas like the Great Lakes, where many communities that were once in the Manufacturing Belt are now in the Rust Belt.