E-waste is electronic waste, which includes discarded cell-phones, tablets, notebooks and laptops. Electronic waste or e-waste is dangerous because, according to Christina Bonnington (2014), e-waste contain toxic materials such as “mercury, cadmium, lead, phosphors, arsenic, and beryllium” (para. 7). When e-waste is buried in a landfill then these harmful chemicals “seep into the ground” and contaminate the underground “water supply” (Bonnington , 2014, para. 7). Recycling was thought to be the answer to deal with the issue; however, it is becoming increasingly difficult to recycle e-waste. This is because recyclers are having a difficult time taking a part “[s]maller, lighter products” and “yield a lower volume of raw materials” (Bonnington, 2014, para. 7). Glues and adhesives also make the job of recycling even more problematic, especially when removing such adhesives from batteries (Bonnington, 2014).
Network effect is defined as the “effect that a single person using a good or service has on a perceived value of that product or service for others” (“What are network effects” 2014, para. 1). According to Katz and Shapiro (1994) explain further that the “value of membership to one user is positively affected when another user joins and enlarges the network” (p. 94). Katz and Shapiro (1994) admit that these markets demonstrate “‘network effects’” or “‘externalities’” (p. 94). One of the technology products that I use is a laptop. This technology product exchanges the use of the Windows Vista OS software for my purchase of the product. The value of using a laptop with the Windows Vista OS software is increased when several other persons use electronic products that use this operating system. A similar thing happens when I use the Facebook social media site when I exchange my use of that site for social connections, communication, and media. The value of this social media site increases when more people join and use this site.
The article, “Our E-Waste Problem is Ridiculous, and Gadget Makers Aren’t Helping,” not only describes the problem of e-waste, but it also offers a solution to the problem. The url of the article is the following: < http://www.wired.com/2014/12/product-design-and-recycling/> . The article, as mentioned previously, discusses the many hazardous chemicals that are found in electronic devices that end up in landfills. Bonnington (2014) in this article explains the challenges that recyclers face when recycling e-waste. These recyclers not only have to contend with adhesive and recycling batteries without causing a “fiery explosion,” but it also the large number “non-standard screws” and the use of “large amounts of glass, and plastics” (Bonnington, 2014, paras. 15, 17). In addition, “[w]ater and tightly sealed products” can also prove to be problematic as well (Bonnington, 2014, paras. 17). The writer suggests that computer manufacturers design recyclable electronic products to cope with the problem that these recyclers have. Bonnington (2014) explains how Dell has taken steps to use almost “8 million pounds of recycled plastic in its desktop and display production” (para. 22). Furthermore, Dell has won award for making its “Latitude 10 and XPS 10 tablets and Latitude E7240 notebook” (Bonnington, 2014, para. 22). Designing recyclable products is a viable solution because this would help to minimize the difficulties the recyclers have recycling their products.
A transaction processing system (TPS) facilitates online processing and batch processing within an organization. The positive impacts of the use of TPS on an organization include the following: rapid response, reliability, and controlled processing (Katovcic, 200). The negative impacts include the following: inflexibility, atomicity, and concurrency. These impacts ensure that data is not manipulated by others when engaging in the transaction of sensitive data.
The contingency plans during the event of power outages include the use of a back-up electrical supply and the use of cloud computing services provided by an outside supplier. This would ensure that electricity and data will be easily accessed in case of any eventualities.
References
Bonnington, C. (2014, December 8). Our E-Waste Problem Is Ridiculous, and Gadget Makers Aren't Helping | WIRED. Retrieved April 26, 2015, from http://www.wired.com/2014/12/product- design-and-recycling/
Katovcic, A. (2001). Transaction Processing Systems. Retrieved April 26, 2015, from http://intranet.cbhslewisham.nsw.edu.au:82/computing/supdocs/[4] - HSC - Option 1 - Transaction Processing Systems.PDF
Katz, M., & Shapiro, C. (1994). Systems Competition and Network Effects. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 8(2), 93-114.
