San Antonio College Library

The 1980s is a decade defined by America's obsession with technology. Yuppies, hackers, and valley girls created a new language in fashion as well as the consumer culture that naturally followed. At their core, the products that fueled this consumerism all had one thing in common - the microchip. Take a closer look at this period in time that began with Pac Man and ended with the personal computer.

From its simple origins to its emergence as a global nervous system, the Internet has changed the way the world works. In this fascinating overview, ARPANET pioneers and Usenet trailblazers describe how the Internet and e-mail came to be. Next, law enforcement officers and hackers from the L0pht address censorship, worms and viruses, and the challenge of Internet security. And finally, Web experts discuss the use of hyperlinks, graphical interfaces,...

Computers: everyone uses them, but how do they actually work? This video goes beyond the desktop and program software to grapple with the system hardware itself. After a quick history of the computer, Inside a Computer takes a close look at the motherboard, with its central processing unit, RAM, and system clock; input devices such as the keyboard, mouse, and joystick; output devices like the monitor and printer; and storage devices, including internal...

This technical program provides a step-by-step explanation of the infrastructure of computers and how they actually work. An overview of the processor includes discussions about how its interconnections make memory possible. Other topics include the bus and binary works and memory storage locations. Using excellent computer graphics, we see how the arithmetic and logic unit (ALU) adds two binary numbers, and how the information is stored. A discussion...

The high-tech revolution is led by children, many of whom possess skills that baffle their parents. From chat rooms to Web pages to kid-created Internet companies, this video explores computer-assisted learning and the value of the "virtual classroom.

Imagine driving in complete darkness without worry-thanks to a virtual picture of the road projected on the windshield. It's an existing technology, not science fiction! With unprecedented access to top-flight engineering projects that are integral to the design of Jaguar cars, this program shows how electronics are taking the art and science of driving into the future. Viewers learn how digital control systems, CAD, and CAM, are used throughout a...

As technology progresses, printed circuit boards or PCBs are becoming ever more central to daily life. As such, an understanding of basic circuitry and how to apply it to PCB assembly is vital to almost any engineer or technical designer. This program highlights the importance of PCBs and follows their industrial manufacture from design brief to completion. It illustrates the benefits of new technologies such as prism component placing machines, minute...

Nothing can replace the skills of good doctors and nurses, but without digital technology and advanced electronic systems, the field of medicine would soon collapse. X-Rays, ultrasounds, CT scans, and MRI and PET imaging all use electronics to map different aspects of the human body and convert the information into a visual format. This program visits one of the world's leading research centers in medical imaging and explores the ins and outs of electronic...

From the minutia of warehouse inventories to the training programs of the aeronautics industry, this program focuses on commercial applications for high-tech electronic systems. Two in-depth case studies are used. The first showcases a HUD or "head-up" display developed by British Aerospace Engineering, used in state-of-the-art flight instruction of civilian aircraft pilots. The second case study examines a stock control system that is revolutionizing...