The Digital Divide

The Digital Divide

How the ICT industry affects society.

I will start this document by discussing the positive effects that the ICT industry has on society.

There are many reasons why the ICT industry has a positive impact in modern society and local communities, first being the ability to communicate together much faster and easier than ever. ICT offers a broad range of communication channels via an internet connection like e-mail, social networking sites (such as facebook, twitter & youtube) and more commonly the ability to use text messaging on our mobile phones. Communication is probably the most important thing we do as humans, due to the fact the world is just so massive, and the ICT industry allows us to do that in seconds.

Another positive effect that the ICT industry has on society is in your local community, all about safety. For example, many streets in the UK now have CCTV cameras fitted on each corner to protect the people on a specific community. CCTV can also be used in the retail sector, as they are commonly fitted in stores around city centres. CCTV cameras work by capturing moments on video and being sent to the authorities for review or evidence.

Technologies used from the ICT industry have grown massively in the last 20 years or so, nowadays we have the technology in the health sector to save more lives than ever before. Not only is this positive for the patients who need the help, but this is also great the business or organisations – such as the NHS – as they can assist more patients faster and get through more patients every single day. ICT has become vital for sectors of society like our health sector and the positives hear far out-weigh the negatives.

Next, I will discuss the negative impacts that the ICT industry has on society and our communities.

I will start with energy consumption that ICT requires and the negative impacts it has on our environment. Computer systems and anything ICT-related is something likely electrical, and electricity needs energy. Our consumption of energy has a negative impact on our environments – and that effects society, specifically people who might live in those areas, or environmental or animal preservation groups.

But what about the negative effects on an individual? Of course ICT provides everyone who uses it many useful features that we use in our daily lives, but too much of that could possibly be health damaging on the user. If someone never leaves the house because of ICT then they won’t get the exercise they need – and that can lead to many different problems and negative effects on the user.

Another important negative effect that ICT can have on an individual is a popular one these days, loss of personal data. Every user accessing the inter for whatever reason is at risk of losing sensitive data to scammers and thieves, data such as debit card or bank details, or passwaords and e-mail addresses. No matter what it is, it is still personal and if someone was to get hold of you information it could lead to many different negative outcomes.

2013 Formula 1 Car Specifications

The 2013 Formula 1 car specifications and regulation changes:

In this post I will be reviewing the new technical regulation changes for the 2013 season from the 2012 season and how the new cars are pushing these regulations right to the limit. I will also be giving information on the new cars developed by the eleven teams on the grid this year.

Aerodynamic Changes:

By far the biggest regulation change for the 2013 season is at the front of the car, with the teams now allowed to develop a 'vanity' panel to cover the aesthetically controversial stepped noses of 2012. This means that the teams will have new opportunity's to find grip and hopefully allow the back markers to close the gap to the midfield.

So far from pre-season testing, we've seen all the teams adopting different aerodynamic approaches with the vanity panel proving popular.





In terms of aerodynamics, the overall base of the regulations has stayed pretty static over the winter, meaning that most cars this year will be evolution's of last years machinery, Most notably current world champions Infiniti-RedBull Racing having an almost identical car to last years RB8.

2013 Tyres 

Pirelli are once again the official suppliers of Formula 1 for 2013 after two very successful seasons in the sport, the 2013 tyre compound looks like it is once again going to be an unpredictable tyre to use. At this moment it is difficult to say exactly how the tyre is going to perform from only four pre-season tests but I'm sure the teams will be investing the majority of there time trying to understand how the compound works in relation to the car they have built, especially the mess that was the first half of the 2012 season.

Although the 2013 compound looks relatively similar to 2012, Pirelli have purposely made this years tyres less consistent to make the teams use more pit stops during the race, this means that race strategy will be vital this year just as last year.

Drag reduction system (DRS) regulations

When the drag reduction system was introduced to formula 1 in 2011 it was an instant success, F1 races saw multiple more overtakes during each Grand Prix thanks to this artificial straight-line speed assistance device. DRS works by opening a small strip of the rear wing on the straights to reduce the drag the rear wing is causing and therefore increasing the overall top speed for a moment. 

This extra boost of speed can be used by the drivers to overtake the car ahead, if the driver is 1 second or less behind the leading car, then he can open the DRS in the allocated 'DRS zone' but the car ahead will not have DRS available if there isn't a car ahead of him within 1 second and so on...

For the 2013 season, DRS will see little changes in terms of size or shape regulations from 2012, in fact the only change involving DRS is when the drivers are allowed to use it. Last year, the drivers could activate DRS at any point on the circuit during the pre-race sessions. This year, the drivers are only ever allowed to activate the DRS within the DRS zones during the pre-race sessions.


2013 Engine regulations and KERS

2013 will be the last season we see the 2.4 litre V8 engine in Formula 1, as the FIA have decided that a new, turbo-charged V6 engine should replace the current naturally aspirated generation which has lasted since 2006.

-This is an image of a turbo charged V6 engine made by Mercedes for 2014



The 2013 engine's must have eight cylinders in a 90-degree formation, with two inlet and two exhaust valves per cylinder. They must be normally aspirated (no turbo charger) weigh at least 95 kilograms and be rev-limited to 18,000rpm. This means that like most of the technical regulation changes for the 2013 season, the engine regulations stay static until the massive changes that are planned for the 2014 season.

The teams are once again allowed to use KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) systems in there engines for the 4th time since it's introduction in 2009, although the technology has been much more refined since then and the systems are much more reliable. The power delivery for KERS this year is once again an extra 80hp boost from a single lap harvest to the engine.

KERS works by storing the energy produced under braking and turning it into an electrical boost in witch the driver can activate at any point during a session. Although KERS systems have had allot of faults in the past, the regulations still allow them to be used and it is engine suppliers who make them, and it is up to them whether to invest time into producing KERS systems that work well. Mercedes are well known for producing the best KERS systems in there engines.

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2013 Car specifications and details:

In this section of the post I will give details of the 2013 cars by what engines they use, what approaches to aerodynamics the teams have made and the overall design of the car - whether it will be competitive or not.

Lets start with the current world champions...

INFINITI-RedBul Racing 
Car name: RB9
Engine: Renault V8
Chassis: Carbon fibre
Tyres: Pirelli P-Zero
Team principle: Christian Horner
Drivers: Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber
KERS power: Renault
Vanity panel: No
Information:




The RB9 is an evolution of the RB8, which is an evolution of the RB7... Which is an evolution of the RB6, Which is an evolution of... Have a guess. As is the way with RedBull,  They have decided that there 2013 car should stick with the concept of its predecessors; ultimate down force. RedBull's lead designer on the RB9, and long-time formula 1 design legend Adrian Newey has once again brought RedBull's famous grip package into the RB9, meaning that once again it is likely to be the car with the most grip. The only problem is, going for more downforce means more drag, which means less top-speed.

It's likely that the RB9 will succeed at the circuits the RB8 - RB5 did, and falter at the hgh-speed tracks like Monza and Spa. From pre-season testing, the RB9 looks quick - as usual. It's stable and is by far the most reliable car of the front-runners. Although the overall package isn't quite as refined as main rivals McLaren this year.

Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes
Car name: MP4-28
Engine: Mercedes
Chassis: Carbon fibre
Tyres: Pirelli P-Zero
Team principal: Martin Whitmarsh
Drivers: Jenson Button, Sergio Perez
KERS power: Mercedes
Vanity panel: Yes
Information:



The 2013 McLaren MP4-28 worryingly hit problems as soon as it entered the track for the first time at the first pre-season test in Jerez, after just three installation laps the car broke down and driver Jenson Button was forced to sit out the rest of the session. This could be an indication that the MP4-28 will be a carbon-copy of last years car; fast but unreliable. Although, as the tests went on the car suffered no more reliability set-backs, which has allowed McLaren to focus on car development.

The one thing that is certain about the the MP4-28 is that she is quick; during the first 3 pre-season sessions the MP4-28 displayed immense speed and consistency, topping one of the time sheets by 0.8 of second. As of this moment it is difficult to know what fuel loads McLaren were running during the test, but the overall package looks pretty solid and it is definitely the fastest car right now.

Scuderia Ferrari
Car name: F138
Engine: Ferrari
Chassis: Carbon fibre
Tyres: Pirelli P-Zero
Team principal: Stefano Domenicali
Drivers: Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa
KERS power: Ferrari
Vanity panel: Yes
Information:




Ferrari have had a mixture of positives and negatives during the first pre-season test at Jerez with the new F138, the name being a tribute to the last formula 1 season with V8 engines. The car seems pretty good, it's stable, good on the tyres and the reliability isn't that bad considering the engine blow-out they suffered. In comparison to Ferrari's woeful 2012 campaign, 2013 looks much for positive for the Italian team having topped the time sheets on the final day of pre-season testing at Jerez.

The new F138 looks like it could be a real challenger for the title this year, it hasn't quite got the speed of the McLaren or RedBull, but it has potential to be a mach. Other than that, Ferrari have been quietly pacing through so far in 2013 and we will have to wait until the first race in Australia to see if it's any good or not. Ferrari's lead driver, two times world champion Fernando Alonso will be looking forward to some extended practice in the F138 when testing hits Barcelona as he missed the pre-season tests in Jerez.

Lotus F1 Team
Car name: E21
Engine: Renault
Chassis: Carbon fibre
Tyres: Pirelli P-Zero
Team principal: Eric Boullier 
Drivers: Kimi Raikkonen, Romain Grosjean
KERS power: Renault
Vanity panel: No
Information:



By far the biggest surprise of 2013 so far, it seems that Lotus F1 Team have finally completed there initiation into the top teams of formula 1. It's looking like Lotus will enjoy there most successful season in formula 1 in 2013, with the E21 looking quick. Scary quick. Lotus were the dark horse of the top teams in 2012, stealing success at the top when possible, but this year the car looks like a match for the top teams.

The E21 is largely an evolution of the E20, so it's going to be well balanced and perform like a rocket under hot temperatures, the E20 has so far displayed these characteristics in pre-season testing and has proven it's integral speed by topping the time sheets. Lotus lead driver, Kimi Raikkonen will be looking to win his second F1 world championship with this car, alongside Romain Grosjean who is on top form this year.

Mercedes AMG Petronas
Car name: WO4
Engine: Mercedes
Chassis: Carbon fibre
Tyres: Pirelli P-Zero
Team principal: Ross Brawn
Drivers: Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg
KERS power: Mercedes
Vanity panel: Yes
Information:




Mercedes have been developing the WO4 since the start of 2012, taking on former world champion Lewis Hamilton and developing some new ideas to try and thrust Mercedes to the front of the pack. From pre-season testing, the WO4 doesn't look too bad, the overall package is okay but it isn't quite as good as the top teams yet. Mercedes will be looking to develop the WO4 to give it more speed over the course of the 2013 season. For the first half, it is looking like Mercedes will be playing catch-up.

Lewis Hamilton said that he reckons if Mercedes are going to win in 2013, then it wont happen until the latter part of the season. Mercedes are mainly looking towards the 2014 changes to get ahead of the pack.

Sauber-Ferrari
Car name: C32
Engine: Ferrari
Chassis: Carbon fibre
Tyres: Pirelli P-Zero
Team principal: Monisha Kaltenborn
Drivers: Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Guitierrez 
KERS power: Ferrari 
Vanity panel: no
Information:



The C32 is looking like it could head the midfield this year, maybe even get into the top three on some occasions just like it's predecessor, the C31.  Sauber have been rather quiet so far in pre-season testing, getting the race-pace laps in and completing all the aerodynamic work and updates. The car seems well balanced, it's very good on the tyres just like last years car but the overall package isn't quite as good as the top of the grid.

Sahara Force India 
Car name: VJM06
Engine: Mercedes
Chassis: Carbon fibre
Tyres: Pirelli P-Zero
Team principal: Vijay Mallya
Drivers: Paul Di Resta, --
KERS power: Mercedes
Vanity panel: Yes
Information:



Force India have been rummaging around the midfield ever since there debut into Formula 1 in 2008, on occasions they have broken into the top five and have even started on pole position back in 2009. This year looks very much the same for the British team, as usual there main rivals will likely be Sauber and Williams again. They are still yet to choose a second driver to partner Paul Di Resta at the team.

Williams F1
Car name: FW35
Engine: Renault
Chassis: Carbon fibre
Tyres: Pirelli P-Zero
Team principal: Frank Williams
Drivers: Valterri Bottas, Pastor Maldonado
KERS power: Renault
Vanity panel: Yes
Information:



The once great Williams F1 Team had a positive 2012 season after many seasons in the midfield, although we are still awaiting Williams to reveal the 2013 car, we can be sure they will enjoy the same success in 2013. As a temporary car to test the 2013 tyres, Williams has chosen to use the 2012 car to use in pre-season testing, but this car have the 2013 nose witch features the new vanity panel.

Scuderia Torro Rosso
Car name: STR-08
Engine: Ferrari
Chassis: Carbon fibre
Tyres: Pirelli P-Zero
Team principal: Franz Tost
Drivers: Daniel Ricciardo, Jean-Eric Verne
KERS power: Ferrari
Vanity panel: Yes
Information:



RedBull's experimental sister team, Torro Rosso are a team so stuck at the back of the midfield it's difficult to imagine they even exist. With a relatively large financial backing and Ferrari power the team still struggle to match the likes of Force India and Williams. This years car looks very similar to there 2012 challenger, so occasional points are likely throughout the season as they seek to find much needed performance.

Team Caterham
Car name: CT03
Engine: Renault
Chassis: Carbon fibre
Tyres: Pirelli P-Zero
Team principal: Tony Fernandez
Drivers: Charles Pic, Giedo Van Der Garde
KERS power: Renault
Vanity panel: No
Information:



Caterham are a relatively new team to Formula 1 so it would be unfair to say they haven't tried hard enough since there debut in 2010. They have stuck to a relatively similar design concept over the years and only recently have incorporated KERS power into there cars, and this years car looks like there best attempt yet - they will be hoping to get there first ever points in Formula 1 this year.

Marussia F1
Car name: MR03
Engine: Cosworth
Chassis: Carbon fibre
Tyres: Pirelli P-Zero
Team principal: John Booth
Drivers: Luiz Razia, Max Chilton
KERS power: Cosworth
Vanity panel: Yes
Information:



Marussia are Caterham's main rivals and have been since they arrived into Formula 1 in 2010. They have had many different drivers and mixed results, the MR03 is now powered by KERS and the Marussia development team have invested more into the design of the car than ever before, so for the first time we could see Marussia beat Caterham and even score there first points in Formula 1.

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These are the 2013 cars and specifications that will be racing in Formula 1 this year, so far from pre-season testing it has looked extremely close, especially in the midfield. I honestly think McLaren can take the title away from the current world champions this year if the car can prove reliable enough.

JP Simpson