How Technology Advancements Has Its Impact on Us

The advancement of new technology has been taking place since the beginning of human history. From the invention of items like the spear and knives made out of rocks and sticks to aid in the capturing and killing of animals for food, to items like the first printing press and the computer. The question: are the impacts positive or negative?

Technology is a word used to collectively describe or portray the advancements, abilities,creations, undertakings, views, and knowledge of a singular group of persons: we as human-kind. The advancement in technology has been exceptionally fast in the 20th and 21st century. With electronic technology and machines being produced and improved all the time, it was very likely that along with the positive aspects of these new advancements, people would also consider the negative aspects and look to criticize new technology.

A Positive Side

As the old age states "NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION" i.e. necessities tend to spawn inventions and each invention is annexed with the need of betterment and transmogrification. Newer and newer advances are happening by the day. Technological change is in large part responsible for many of the secular trends in such basic parameters of the human condition as the size of the world population, life expectancy, education levels, material standards of living,and the nature of work, communication, health care, war, and the effects of human activities on the natural environment.

Other aspects of society and our individual lives are also influenced by technology in many direct and indirect ways, including governance,entertainment, human relationships, and our views on morality, mind, matter, and our own human nature. Needless to add that these advancements also invigorate economic development as the effective use of technology reduces the material production cost and the overhead charges which generate savings in the economy and thus lead to national development.

And the Negative Side

Problems and potentials often go hand in hand; Society has become more and more dependent on technology. So much so that we sometimes lack the willingness to think before we act. We become impatient if it takes more than a few seconds to download a copy of the morning news paper. We expect immediate responses to our email, and we expect someone to answer their cell phone whenever and wherever we call.

Technology is making us so bust that we can can't even find time to spend with our closed one's. it would be surprising to know that people are in contact through chat and online messaging though they are in same city because they think its more faster and effective but they are forgetting that meeting personally can never replace online chatting.

"technology in sum, is both friend and enemy"

Neil Postman, author of the book called Technopoly, writes that 'technology in sum, is both friend and enemy'. He can see the benefits and how technology can be seen as a friend to humanity that 'it makes life easier, cleaner and longer'. He can accept it does humanity good. It's almost a positive claim based on technology like medical advancements such as x-ray devices and medical drugs that help to lengthen life and help humanity. This is a very positive aspect of the advancement because we can improve health and lengthen our lives. But these medical advancements are mainly produced by companies, who then choose to monetize the advancement. Moral responsibility is weakened by this greed for money; they have lost the objective in saving lives or making people healthy again. They are only creating advancements in technology in order to make a lot of money.

Neil Postman also sees technology as undermining human processes as well. That technology creates 'a culture without moral foundation' and undermines social relations between humans. This can currently be seen with the argument over social networking sites on the internet. It was created for people to communicate and network, yet some people use it as their only form of communication with other people. This doesn't necessarily help their social skills in the real and outside world away from the internet. People can become addicted and reliant on this technology and use it as their main form for creating social relations. It makes things like understanding facial expressions and body language hard to grasp.

Conclusion

If technological advancements are put in the best uses, it further inspires the development in related and non-related areas but at the same time its negative use can create havoc in the humanity or the world. Technology has, and will, change the moral fabric of humanity; it is up to the present generation to heed this warning and not allow such societal travesties of immense proportions ever to occur again Technological Advancements will continue to advance rapidly as we move into the next millennium. What is important is to ensure that these advances benefit humanity as a whole...

Base Tendriling Travel Expenses

As business travel expenses nose upward, companies are realizing that better cost-management techniques can make a difference

US. corporate travel expenses rocketed to more than $143 billion in 1994, according to American Express' most recent survey on business travel management. Private-sector employers spend an estimated $2,484 per employee on travel and entertainment, a 17 percent increase over the past four years.

Corporate T&E costs, now the third-largest controllable expense behind sales and data-processing costs, are under new scrutiny. Corporations are realizing that even a savings of 1 percent or 2 percent can translate into millions of dollars added to their bottom line.

Savings of that order are sure to get management's attention, which is a requirement for this type of project. Involvement begins with understanding and evaluating the components of T&E management in order to control and monitor it more effectively.

Hands-on management includes assigning responsibility for travel management, implementing a quality-measurement system for travel services used, and writing and distributing a formal travel policy. Only 64 percent of U.S. corporations have travel policies.

Even with senior management's support, the road to savings is rocky-only one in three companies has successfully instituted an internal program that will help cut travel expenses, and the myriad aspects of travel are so overwhelming, most companies don't know where to start. "The industry of travel is based on information," says Steven R. Schoen, founder and CEO of The Global Group Inc. "Until such time as a passenger actually sets foot on the plane, they've [only] been purchasing information."

If that's the case, information technology seems a viable place to hammer out those elusive, but highly sought-after, savings. "Technological innovations in the business travel industry are allowing firms to realize the potential of automation to control and reduce indirect [travel] costs," says Roger H. Ballou, president of the Travel Services Group USA of American Express. "In addition, many companies are embarking on quality programs that include sophisticated process improvement and reengineering efforts designed to substantially improve T&E management processes and reduce indirect costs."

As companies look to technology to make potential savings a reality, they can get very creative about the methods they employ.

The Great Leveler

Centralized reservation systems were long the exclusive domain of travel agents and other industry professionals. But all that changed in November 1992 when a Department of Transportation ruling allowed the general public access to systems such as Apollo and SABRE. Travel-management software, such as TripPower and TravelNet, immediately sprang up, providing corporations insight into where their T&E dollars are being spent.

The software tracks spending trends by interfacing with the corporation's database and providing access to centralized reservation systems that provide immediate reservation information to airlines, hotels and car rental agencies. These programs also allow users to generate computerized travel reports on cost savings with details on where discounts were obtained, hotel and car usage and patterns of travel between cities. Actual data gives corporations added leverage when negotiating discounts with travel suppliers.

"When you own the information, you don't have to go back to square one every time you decide to change agencies," says Mary Savovie Stephens, travel manager for biotech giant Chiron Corp.

Sybase Inc., a client/server software leader with an annual T&E budget of more than $15 million, agrees. "Software gives us unprecedented visibility into how employees are spending their travel dollars and better leverage to negotiate with travel service suppliers," says Robert Lerner, director of credit and corporate travel services for Sybase Inc. "We have better access to data, faster, in a real-time environment, which is expected to bring us big savings in T&E. Now we have control over our travel information and no longer have to depend exclusively on the agencies and airlines."

The cost for this privilege depends on the volume of business. One-time purchases of travel-management software can run from under $100 to more than $125,000. Some software providers will accommodate smaller users by selling software piecemeal for $5 to $12 per booked trip, still a significant savings from the $50 industry norm per transaction.

No More Tickets

Paperless travel is catching on faster than the paperless office ever did as both service providers and consumers work together to reduce ticket prices for business travelers. Perhaps the most cutting-edge of the advances is "ticketless" travel, which almost all major airlines are testing.

In the meantime, travel providers and agencies are experimenting with new technologies to enable travelers to book travel services via the Internet, e-mail and unattended ticketing kiosks. Best Western International, Hyatt Hotels and several other major hotel chains market on the Internet. These services reduce the need for paper and offer better service and such peripheral benefits as increased efficiency, improved tracking of travel expenses and trends, and cost reduction.

Dennis Egolf, CFO of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Louisville, Ky., realized that the medical center's decentralized location, a quarter-mile from the hospital, made efficiency difficult. "We were losing production time and things got lost," he says. "Every memo had to be hand-carried for approval, and we required seven different copies of each travel order." As a result, Egolf tried an off-the-shelf, paper-reduction software package designed for the federal government.

The software allows the hospital to manage travel on-line, from tracking per-diem allowances and calculating expenses to generating cash advance forms and authorizing reimbursement vouchers. The software also lets the hospital keep a running account of its travel expenses and its remaining travel budget.

Airline Approved Pet Carriers Make Traveling a Breeze

Traveling is rarely a fun endeavor. There are so many small details to tend to and if you're taking the family pet along, it can become even more stressful. Many airlines have strict regulations in place when it comes to bringing a dog or cat on board and you want to be certain you are completely clear on those before you get to the airport. Nothing is quite as frustrating as being told the furry member of your family can't fly. To avoid this type of situation always ensure you are traveling with airline approved pet carriers.

There are two different ways to transport your animal on an airplane and it really is dependent on how big they are. For all large dogs you'll have to check the animal and they will be stored in the airplane. You'll need one of the oversized airline approved pet carriers for this. Before the animal will be accepted at check-in you'll be required to supply your name and address and final destination. This information will be attached to the container holding your pet in case something goes amiss and the animal is separated from your flights.

Many people choose to bring their pets on board as a piece of carry-on luggage. This is really only acceptable if you are using a small dog carrier or a small cat carrier. These must match the dimensions specified by the airline as being appropriate for a carry-on. You'll want to be able to store it under the seat in front of you as opposed to the overhead storage bins. This helps your four-legged friend feel more relaxed because they know you are close by.

A good rule of thumb to remember when you are looking for one of these handy pet must-haves is that your animal must fit comfortably in it. You can't try and fit a large dog into a small carrier. The animal has to be able to lie down and it must have enough room for your dog or cat to turn around. All airline approved pet carriers have to accommodate your pet in these ways. If they don't, you likely won't be able to bring the pet with you, which will mean a delay in your trip.

We all know how much more convenient it is to travel with luggage that allows for ease of movement. This means you'll really want to consider airline approved pet carriers that have wheels. This is true regardless if you are buying one for a small, lightweight animal or a very large dog. Your pet will be much more comfortable being pulled in a carrier that has wheels than they would be if you were carrying them. Just imagine how much smoother it will be for them.