How technology affects us

Technology touches our lives from the moment we wake up in the morning, throughout our normal working day and even when we are asleep. How did you wake up this morning? If you were woken by an alarm clock, then you relied on a product of technology.

Technology refers to the ideas andtechnical means (mechanical or electronic), people use to improve or change their surroundings. Technology has had a great impact on our lives. Without technology, our lives would be very different.

Every society has needs and wants and they shape the way that technology develops. Technology is constantly changing to keep us with the demands of society. New products are designed, using new materials and new processes. In the 1950s, computers were so large that a single Univac computer would fill a whole room. Today, that same processing power will be in a small bag that you can carry around.

Nanotechnology.Manufacturers are spending billions of pounds on research that will alter and improve fibres at the molecular level. Nanotechnology allows nanoparticles (a nanometer is one billionth of a meter) to be permanently attached to a fibre in order to change the properties of the fibre. For example, by applying nanoparticles to synthetic fibres, manufacturers can solve the problems of static cling in the fabrics. Working at the molecular level may eliminate the need for traditional methods of spinning or blending fibres to create new fibres with enhanced properties.

Microencapsulation. Scented scratch and sniff inserts have been available in magazines for many years. These inserts are the products of microencapsulation, a process where tiny particles of gas, liquids or solids are packaged in a second material for the purpose of shielding them from the surrounding environment. When the microencapsulation has been around since the 1950s and has been used in diverse products including cake mix, soap powders and aspirin. Recent technological developments mean that smells can now be incorporated into fabrics. One high street retailer has already produced scented bedding that retains its smell for up to 20 washes.

Body scanners.When you buy a jacket from your favourite high street store, you will choose from one of the several standard sizes. In reality there is no such thing as a standard size because everyone’s body is different. Manufacturers produce their clothing with a best-fit policy, according to the national measurement information – some of which dates back to 1941.

As consumers have become more demanding, technology has changed to keep up. Buying a jacket in the future could mean a trip to a high-street booth to have your body scanned. The information will be saved and taken to your favourite store or sent to their website on the Internet. The store would then have enough information to produce a jacket shaped to your exact body measurements.

Body scanners can map your body shape in 10 seconds by projecting a series of white stripes onto the body and using a camera to record the distortions. A virtual tape measure is used to extract 130 key measurements. The software then produces a high-resolution image of your body, which can be mapped with virtual clothing, so you can check the fit.

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