Special Function Keys
[Video description begins] Topic title: Special Function Keys. The presenter is Aaron Sampson. [Video description ends]

In this presentation, we'll take a look at the laptop special function keys. But before we do, let's just back up a little bit to before laptops were particularly common. The function keys are the ones labeled F1, F2, F3, and so on across the top of the keyboard. And they have been around on just about every keyboard since long before laptops came around. And in most cases they had fairly consistent designated functions. Now, this would depend on your operating system. But for example on most Windows computers, F1 was almost universally to access help in whichever application you happen to be working in. F5 was to refresh the screen. F3 was to search. So again, they had specific functions.

And in some cases, they worked even before the operating system loaded. F8, for example, could be used to access the startup menu if you were having problems booting. So before the system even booted you could press F8 to go into safe mode. So again, they simply had these designated functions for the system. And usually you would just press the function key to access whatever that function was. But laptops, while they still have them, have a lot of functionality built right into the system that really is not there on a desktop. For example, a desktop computer has a separate monitor usually. So you could do things like adjust the brightness of the screen on the monitor itself.

But in a laptop, the display's built in. So they have certain function keys that they've effectively borrowed, for lack of a better word, in terms of performing different functions. So F1, F2, F3, and F4 and so on usually, up to F12, are all still there. But they've assigned other functions to them as well. So now they've become, if you will, two function keys. Each one will still perform the function of whatever its original assignment was. But then you'll almost always find something else that it can do. And in fact, it's gotten so common on laptops that we have all of these other built-in features that the default now has to become whatever the function is that is specific to the laptop.

So for example, you can with a laptop often hook up a secondary display, so dual displays. There's typically a function key that will send the signal to the other display, or perhaps a projector. Wireless, of course, is built into laptops, but that can be turned on and off if you're trying to save battery power. The same can go for cellular, if it can accept cellular signals. It has built in sound, so you can adjust your volume settings. Again, the display is also built in. So you can adjust the screen brightness, and possibly even the keyboard has backlighting as well. Other options include Bluetooth. You can toggle this on and off. You can maybe turn the touch pad on or off. You can adjust the screen orientation, from landscape to portrait. If you're watching media, you can use fast forward and rewind buttons.

And possibly even enable and/or disable airplane mode when traveling. So again, a lot of different functions depending on the make and model of the laptop, of course. But as mentioned, in most cases now, those extra functions have become the default. So in terms of accessing the original operation of the function key, you normally have to press the function key. Which is the Fn key down toward the bottom of the keyboard. Just a few keys next to the space bar in most cases. But this also depends on the make and model.

The function keys themselves may still be the default, I would say, maybe on older laptops. And then you would have to press maybe Alt+Function, Alt is alternative, to get to the operations specific for the laptop. So the Bluetooth and the airplane mode and the wireless, things like that. So there will be a little bit of variance, again, with respect to which functions are the default. And then how you access the original function keys. But usually it is just a matter of pressing the function key, then the desired function. Or simply pressing F1, F2, F3, F4 to access the feature that you want.

Docking Stations
[Video description begins] Topic title: Docking Stations. The presenter is Aaron Sampson. [Video description ends]

In this presentation, we'll take a look at using a docking station along with a laptop. And of course, laptops are great in terms of portability. They're small, and light, and easy to carry around. So particularly for people who work in an office environment. And then, want to take the laptop with them, they can just pack up the laptop and go. But while they are in the office, there may be a lot of other peripheral devices that they want to connect to. And it's rather time-consuming to manually connect each one and/or disconnect each one every single time you come and go. So the docking station allows you to connect all of those peripheral items to the docking station. And then, they can stay there, and stay connected. And then, you simply connect the laptop to the docking station.

And then, everything is fully connected. So some examples might include a regular sized keyboard. Maybe you find the laptop keyboard a little uncomfortable. You can attach a full keyboard, maybe an extra mouse. An external monitor, of course, a printer. Or any other USB device, including drives, maybe speakers, microphones, scanners. I mean, really, anything that might attach to that system. So again, the docking station allows those connections to stay there permanently. And you just take the laptop with you. So this provides a number of benefits. All of those devices, again, can simply remain connected all the time. You don't generally take the laptop and the printer when you go.

The printer stays put. So rather than having to reconnect it each time, it just stays connected to the docking station. It may also give you access to new devices, because typically, the docking station will have additional ports. Or maybe even functionalities not normally provided by a standard laptop. In fact, a lot of newer laptops these days may not even include an Ethernet interface. In fact, my personal laptop that I'm using right now does not have an Ethernet port. So I need either wireless or a docking station or similar to provide me with my network connection.

So if I'm in a place where there is only a wired connection, I have to get a USB adapter. Or you know again, something else that can handle the connection. But the docking station can have the network connection plugged in all the time. And as soon as you connect to the docking station, you are connected to the network. And of course, this just gives you that portability to easily transition from home to work. When you want to go home, you just take the laptop and everything else stays put. You know you don't need the printer at home. You don't need the wired network at home. So all of that stays behind.

[Video description begins] Docking - Cold, Warm, and Hot [Video description ends]

Now, there are three modes when it comes to connecting to the docking station. Cold docking means that the laptop must be powered off. In other words, if the laptop was powered on, and you connected to the docking station, it may not recognize the devices. Warm docking means the laptop has to be put in and out of suspended mode. Something like sleep, for example. And finally, hot docking means that it can recognize the changes while running normal operations. So you really don't have to do anything.

The system can be on, and you can connect and disconnect at any time. Now, again, this will depend on the make and model of both the laptop and the docking station. And possibly even the operating system and the version of the operating system that you are using with respect to what level it will support when docking.

Port Replicators
[Video description begins] Topic title: Port Replicators. The presenter is Aaron Sampson. [Video description ends]

Now, in this presentation, we'll take a look at using a port replicator along with a laptop. And this is certainly very similar to a docking station. But one main difference does come down to the size and the portability. A docking station tends to be a little bit larger and really remains stationary in most cases. Whereas a port replicator is usually smaller, lighter, and much more portable. In many cases to the point where it would be very easy to take it with you when you take the laptop. But both of them provide extra ports. So they can eliminate the need to have to connect and disconnect all of your peripheral devices each time you come and go with the laptop. So again similar in functionality.

But you'll typically find a port replicator when the laptop that you have simply doesn't have the type of port that you need. It might also be the case where you simply don't have enough. A lot of laptops these days are focusing on being very small and light. As such, you might only get, let's say, two USB connections. Well if you were to hook up an external mouse and maybe an external hard drive, there's both of your USB ports gone. So if you needed anything else you need some kind of a hub. Well, the port replicator can simply connect to one of the USB ports and it can give you any number of extra USB ports. So again maybe it's a matter of you just don't have the correct port for an extra keyboard, an extra mouse.

Maybe it's an old PS/2 keyboard and mouse. Or maybe it's a DVI interface for an external monitor. If the laptop just does not have those, the port replicator usually can provide them. Again, depending on which type of interfaces you're looking for. Now, the port replicator itself can be connected via parallel, serial, USB, and SCSI. But I would say, of those, USB would be overwhelmingly the most common. Parallel and serial would be the old printer types of connections. Or a serial really would be for something like an old PDA, or possibly even an external mouse that was quite old.

So they would be almost entirely out of date by now. SCSI you might still find, but I really think that USB would be overwhelmingly the most common. So again, you just connect the port replicator to a single USB port. Then whichever other ports the replicator has are immediately available to your system. And they can also perform conversions in some cases, depending again on what it is that you need. But if for example you had a Micro-DVI on the laptop that needed to be converted to regular DVI. Or again an external video display. Then perhaps the port replicator could do that as well.

So it can take one type of input but produce a different type of output. So before you get one, you would obviously need to be sure of what it is that you need. Or perhaps more to the point, what it is that you don't have. And then ensure that the port replicator has that capability. But again, they're usually smaller, lighter, easier to carry around. And can provide a number of extra connections that might not be present on the laptop.

Physical Laptop Security
[Video description begins] Topic title: Physical Laptop Security. The presenter is Aaron Sampson. [Video description ends]

In this presentation, we'll talk about implementing physical laptop security. And this is something that is due to what is perhaps the greatest feature of laptops, their portability. But sadly, that also makes them the target of being stolen. So in terms of physical security, we really aren't referring to anything in terms of software configuration. But rather physically protecting it from being stolen or removed from any type of public area.

[Video description begins] Laptop Cable Locks [Video description ends]

Now, this involves a cable that is usually made out of carbon steel. And a lock which can be accessed using a key or possibly a combination. There are several types of both, but this allows you to physically secure the laptop. And a lot of users might not realize that it is even an option because it's just a really small hole, usually in the side, or on the edge of the laptop itself. So essentially, you can attach the lock to that little section.

[Video description begins] Lock Port [Video description ends]

And there's usually extra metal framing there to make it stronger.

[Video description begins] The metal framed location in the laptop where one end of the cable can be secured. [Video description ends]

And then of course the cable can be wrapped around something that is fairly permanent such as a wall or a desk. Something that would at least make it very difficult to walk away with. You know it's obviously very easy to walk away with a laptop, not so easy to walk away with the laptop and the desk it's attached to. So again it's usually up by the hinge of the display of the lid. And it really is just a small rectangular hole. But the lock fits into that and then usually turns so that it cannot be taken out. And again there's usually some extra metal framing there to help strengthen it. And then the cable just wraps around whatever you can get it around. So if you are in a situation where you feel like the laptop is a little vulnerable to being stolen, then you certainly should invest in a good quality lock.

Removable Screens
[Video description begins] Topic title: Removable Screens. The presenter is Aaron Sampson. [Video description ends]

Okay, in this presentation we'll take a look at 2-in-1 devices. And these are effectively a combo unit, if you will, where it can be used as both a laptop and a tablet. Now there are two basic types a one piece, and a detachable, and we'll take a look at the differences in a moment. But the 2-in-1 devices are equipped with both a removable touch screen and a physical keyboard. So again, this is why you can use it as either a laptop or a tablet. Now if it's detachable, then effectively this is entirely convertible.

[Video description begins] Certain laptops have a detachable screen and can be converted into a tablet. [Video description ends]

You can quite literally detach the screen. And then just use the screen portion as a tablet. So it essentially becomes a tablet that is equipped with a physical keyboard. But you quite literally just remove the keyboard aspect when you only want to use the tablet. So in terms of benefits these are very lightweight. Most are under two pounds total with both the screen and the keyboard. And of course this gives you greater flexibility. You can detach the keyboard in seconds. And in some cases the keyboard docks may actually contain additional battery cells to of course extend the overall battery life of the unit.

Now, the convertible ones essentially don't detach. But they do have variable positions whereby you can configure it a little bit differently. So the screen for starters can rotate, usually 360 degrees. Now, that's not meaning that it opens and folds around on itself to 360 degrees in this case. Although we will see that in a moment. But it means the screen itself can pivot. So if I'm typing away and working on the system. But then I want to show something that is on the screen to someone else who is maybe on the opposite side. I can turn the screen all the way around. So that can be ideal for meetings and presentations.

You literally just pivot the screen. And, again, this is an ideal choice if the user intends to use the physical keyboard quite often. And it always guarantees that you have the physical keyboard. So whereby, of course, the detachable means that you can take the keyboard entirely off. There might be scenarios where you just forgot it in your office, or something like that, and you only have the tablet. This way they are still connected, but of course it is going to be a little bit heavier in that case. Now, the other thing that the convertible can do is open entirely, and this is what I was referring to a moment ago.

[Video description begins] These systems are based on the design of the hinge and could be used in a variety of modes. [Video description ends]

So you can use it as a standard laptop. But then the screen can fold all the way around so it's essentially back to back with the keyboard portion. But it doesn't have to go all the way around. You can set it up in a tent, or an A-frame mode so that it can stand. And again this is useful for displays. Or you could open it all the way so that they are back to back. And then the keyboard portion is face down on the desk if you want to just lay it down. If everybody's standing up, for example, you could just lay it on the table. And it would pretty much work as a tablet in that case. But, again, in either way, the convertible means that the keyboard is still attached. It just has a variety of positions and a number of ways that you can set it up to meet whatever needs you have at that moment.

Tablets
[Video description begins] Topic title: Tablets. The presenter is Aaron Sampson. [Video description ends]

Now, in this presentation, we'll take a look at the tablet, which of course has become very prevalent over the past few years. But really, it's just another mobile device that contains a mobile version of an operating system. And at the time of this recording, the most prevalent include Apple's iOS, Windows 10, and Android. And they all have LCD touchscreens, and of course rechargeable batteries. But size-wise, they are a bit of a happy medium. They're smaller than a notebook, but larger than a smartphone. So a little easier to work on than just your phone.

[Video description begins] Internet Connectivity [Video description ends]

They almost all have Wi-Fi capabilities. Some of the earlier models actually could be purchased without that. But I would say that would be quite rare these days. But this of course makes it ideal for use at home, work, restaurants, really any kind of public Wi-Fi area. And some of them can even connect to the Internet via cellular carriers, similar to your smartphone. Now of course, you need a plan with a carrier. But if so, then you do have that option as well for when there's no Wi-Fi. And, in terms of benefits, of course, they are very portable.

And with respect to cost, there's going to be some variance here depending on the make and model. But again, they usually fall somewhere in between a full laptop and a smartphone. They all have Internet capability. And in terms of apps, there really are thousands of different apps, including many for just personal entertainment and fun. But there are many line of business applications for productivity as well. And most of them support Bluetooth for synchronizing to other devices. But there are some limitations. Tablets do not include the same hardware components as laptops.

For example, there is usually no kind of DVD drive or any kind of external drive that can be connected. There's usually no physical keyboard or mouse, although some of them do support getting a proprietary keyboard or even a mouse. But most of them do not have USB ports. So again, there's really no way to expand its capabilities. And the majority of tablets cannot receive hardware upgrades, at least in terms of memory or storage. You might be able to replace a few components, such as the screen or maybe some kind of connector or switch, or something like that. But in terms of the memory and storage, they are pretty much set. And if you were looking to upgrade that, really your only choice is to purchase a new unit. So if you feel like you can operate within those limitations, they certainly are a great choice for people who are on the go frequently.

Smartphones
[Video description begins] Topic title: Smartphones. The presenter is Aaron Sampson. [Video description ends]

Now, of course, the most mobile of all mobile devices is the smartphone. And this is still a multi-purpose mobile computing device. So in terms of features, you tend to still see the same mobile operating system as you would on perhaps its tablet counterpart. Now, they don't all have that. But again, at the time of this recording, the most prevalent operating systems include Apple's iOS, Windows 10, and Android. So any phone running those operating systems would effectively be the same as what you would find on the tablet. But again, there are others when it comes to the phones.

They all support a variety of applications, Internet capabilities, and multimedia functionality, including music, video and of course a camera. And in terms of hardware, most smartphones will have these common components including a processor, memory, and storage. And that varies of course with the make and model. A display, which is usually LCD or LED. Sound, a battery, and typically some means of communication, including WiFi, Bluetooth and even a modem. Standard text messages that don't come in through a specific application using WiFi still typically use a modem. And the camera, of course. Most smartphones these days are equipped with both a front and rear shooting camera. So that you can take a picture from either direction. And the main components of the camera include a sensor which detects the light level.

And again, depending on the make and model, you may be able to adjust how much light is being let in. Of course, the lens, and the light comes through there. And then obviously an image processor to produce the image itself. So then, in terms of daily use, it is, at the end of the day, still a phone. So of course, you can use it to make and receive phone calls and text messages. It can provide you with access to the Internet and email accounts. Again, run any kind of application that is available for that operating system. You can usually download music and movies. And you can capture and edit your photographs. And this is still dependent, again, on the features of the device and which apps are available to do that kind of editing. But again, almost all of the devices these days provide you with those consistent capabilities. So even though a particular application might differ from one device to another, the functionality is usually comparable.

Wearable Technology
[Video description begins] Topic title: Wearable Technology. The presenter is Aaron Sampson. [Video description ends]

Now, certainly the most recent devices in the world of mobile computing are the wearable devices. So in this presentation, we'll take a look at several examples, beginning with the smartwatch. Which is quite literally a wearable computer in the form of a wristwatch. Now, of course, it's a very limited screen size. But they do still provide many of the same capabilities as the smartphone. They have their own mobile apps, their own mobile operating system, and they can still communicate via WiFi or Bluetooth. And in many cases, what they do is they connect to your phone. So they can show you perhaps the text of a message that just came in, or an email. They can inform you when an alarm goes off.

Or they can maybe just give you the weather, or something like that. But essentially they synchronize with the smartphone, so that they can display the same information. Fitness monitors, of course, can help track your overall fitness, your diet, your sleep. Really, a number of different aspects of health tracking, again, depending on the make and model. But they also include a touch screen, which is usually an OLED display. And they also offer wireless synching, usually to a smartphone, or maybe just a laptop. But some other application that has more detailed information about what it is you are tracking. And several of them allow you to compete. So you can perhaps sign in to an application where you can see your friends, or just other people that you want to compete with.

And if it's just a matter of personal goals, you can, in some cases, gain rewards such as badges once you hit any given milestone. Virtual reality, or what is most commonly referred to as simply VR, is also compatible with most newer smartphones. But most require screens measuring 4.5 to 6 inches. But this allows you to experience a very immersive 360 degree content. They also usually have a Bluetooth controller so that you can access applications that are maybe running on a computer. But again, depending on the make and model, there are various applications that you can use. And of course this is very popular with the gamers. So in that case, it really wouldn't be running off a smartphone, but rather a full blown computer. But it still allows you to connect to it through Bluetooth or other types of wireless communication.

And a GPS smart bracelet does exactly that. It runs global positioning system. Now typically, again, it's just connecting to your mobile device. So most smartphones, of course, have GPS. So this just connects to that, and can, of course, show you the display or give you the directions. You can get any kind of notifications as to how close you are to your destination, for example. You can read messages that pop up if there is maybe a traffic jam or some construction to be avoided. And in many cases they can also take calls. So if a call comes in, you can access the call through the smart bracelet. And again, you can also check fitness levels with many of them because you might be using the GPS to track how long your run is. Or how long your walk, or your cycle, or anything like that is. And there's even smart jewelry.

Now, these really perform the same function as the other devices. So bracelets might perform GPS functionality or fitness tracking, or of course a watch. But they really just are a little more fashionable than the dedicated device might be. So again, depending on what it is, you may still be able to receive emails, calls, or text messages. And again, they come in a variety of types, necklaces, bracelets, purses even, rings. So these of course would be entirely dependent on the make and model and what it is that you are wanting to do. But there are various forms of smart jewelry available as well. And again, perhaps more commonly what they would do would be to interface with your phone. So that you could just access some of those features through the device.

E-Readers
[Video description begins] Topic title: E-Readers. The presenter is Aaron Sampson. [Video description ends]

In this presentation, we'll take a look at the eReader, which is certainly similar to a tablet. But they're usually a little smaller, a little lighter. And if you were to think of it as a tablet, it really would only have about one app. For all intents and purposes, it is used for just reading. Now, that can be just about anything. It could be books, magazines, newspapers or documents. But really that's all it's for, so it's a specialized tablet, if you will. Now, the content is downloaded from online stores via any kind of Internet connection. So typically you set up a subscription with some kind of provider and you simply choose whichever content you want. And in some cases, again, depending on make and model, it can be downloaded using a computer, then transferred to the eReader via a USB cable. So this is where you might just transfer your own documents onto the device to read them.

But they do have several benefits, including the fact that they can store thousands of books. You know there's still a reasonable amount of memory in them, so really just a tremendous number of books can be stored. And they typically have very glare free screens, so they're easy on the eyes. They have built in lights for night reading. You can usually customize the font and adjust the overall size of the text. They would all support Internet connections, which again are typically Wi-Fi. But could be over 3G for certain models, so when you don't have access to Wi-Fi. And they have a page turning function, where usually, it's just a matter of swiping the screen to turn to the next page. Now, in terms of the books, you can generally categorize them. But that, of course, is up to you, but certainly is a benefit if you do have a lot of books on there.

And another nice feature is that they don't really heat up like laptops do. There's not much processing going on, you know. Just reading text does not take a lot of processing power, so they usually stay nice and cool. You can generally make notes with them as well. So you can highlight text and maybe put in a comment if you wanted to. Some of them have a built-in keyboard. Now, that's usually on the screen, so you can just access an on-screen keyboard if you do want to make notes. And most of them would have a touch screen, although I have seen some older models that actually don't.

And you have to press a button on the device itself to turn the page. But most newer ones would have a touch screen. And most of them also have an automatic bookmark feature. So that if you just power down or maybe just put the unit down and kind of forget about it. And it goes into sleep mode, it would automatically remember where you left off for next time. So if you do a lot of reading, and you want all of that reading to be as portable as possible, the eReader certainly provides a tremendous number of benefits in that regard.

GPS
[Video description begins] Topic title: GPS. The presenter is Aaron Sampson. [Video description ends]

In this presentation, we'll take a look at the Global Positioning System or GPS. Which of course is a global navigation satellite-based system that uses multiple satellites, a receiver. And various algorithms to provide you with location information, velocity, and even time synchronization for just about any kind of travel. Whether it's in the air, on sea, or on land. But of course its key uses include just your location and determining your current position. But then, in many cases, also wanting to navigate to where you want to be. And of course, you can also use it for tracking. You can monitor an object such as a vehicle in a fleet. But you can also just track your own personal movement as well. Whether it's in your car, or whether you're walking, or cycling, or really anything. And that can be used to create maps. So whatever path you took, that can be recorded. So that you could trace it back if you wanted to, or just see where you've been.

And it can also use it for timing because it knows when you started, and it knows when you arrived. So therefore you can find out what the timing was. Now, in terms of some other applications, emergency response teams often use GPS for mapping the best route. Predicting weather in some cases, and monitoring safety as well. So that you could maybe avoid accidents or things like that. But they can also track their own emergency personnel to find out where they are. And make sure that they take the best route to wherever the emergency is. Some other applications include health and fitness. And there are a number of wearable technology devices that can be used to track your time, the path that you took, of course.

And even the elevation changes, in some cases. So you can just track your overall fitness, whether that's running, or walking, or cycling, or really just about anything. It can be used in construction to track assets, so you know where your equipment is. And that can help you to improve asset allocation. So if something needs to be moved from one place to another, you can ensure that you send the closest one. And in terms of transportation, a number of logistics can be ascertained by using GPS, so fleet tracking for example. Telematics systems involve not only telling you where your vehicles are but also some diagnostic information. And again, maybe the best route to get to somewhere else. In terms of accuracy, they have been improving ever since it really has come out. And they are getting very accurate these days, but this does depend on a number of different variables. Primarily the number of satellites to which you can connect.

Now, only three are needed to accurately determine your location. But a fourth is preferred to verify or validate that location. But the more you can connect to, the better. There could be disturbances in the ionosphere. This is the uppermost layer of the atmosphere, and it's the most prone to solar radiation. So during solar flares for example, there can be a lot of disturbance in the ionosphere. This can cause problems. And even the urban environment, a lot of tall buildings can block signals and cause miscalculations. And especially if you have to travel through tunnels, you can lose signal entirely. But overall, GPS has certainly improved significantly since its advent. And even with the problems mentioned here, most of them are currently being investigated and tested, to try to overcome those problems as well. So really, it should only continue to improve.

Exercise: Work with Mobile Devices
[Video description begins] Topic title: Exercise: Work with Mobile Devices. The presenter is Aaron Sampson. [Video description ends]

All right, for our exercise this time, we'll ask you to describe when to use special function keys. Then to list the benefits of using a docking station. Then to describe when to use a port replicator. Then to describe some of the features of a smartphone. And finally, to list some of the capabilities of a GPS device. Now again, what we'd like you to do is to pause the recording, take a few minutes on your own, and try to answer these questions. Then we'll come back to review and we'll see how you made out. So we'll see you shortly.

[Video description begins] Laptop Special Function Keys. Solution. [Video description ends]

All right, our first question was to list some of the special function keys, and/or when you need to use them. And in terms of most laptop devices, they allow you to access some of the built-in features of the laptop itself. Including configuring a dual display, turning your wireless on or off, turning cellular or Wi-Fi or Bluetooth on or off. Controlling the volume settings, controlling the screen brightness or possibly even keyboard backlight. This, of course, is entirely dependent on what features your particular make and model has. But generally the default feature of the special function key is now to perform that specific function for the laptop. Whereas, back in the earlier days of computing, they typically had preconfigured functions that related to the operating system. Or the applications that you were using.

For example, F1 was almost always help for the application you were using. Now those are still available. But you typically have to press and hold the Function key, the Fn key, down toward the bottom of the keyboard. Then press the desired F key to get that function. Again, just pressing the key by itself, in most cases, gives you that specific functionality for the laptop. Then we asked when to use a docking station. And for the most part, this is when you have a lot of additional peripheral items, maybe in your office. That you of course what want to leave there, but you want to be able to take the laptop home with you. So rather than packing up everything in the office. Or simply just disconnecting everything and then reconnecting it every time. You connect all of that to the docking station.

Then you simply dock the laptop in the docking station when you're at work, and all those devices become available. Then when you want to take just the laptop home, you undock it and you take just the laptop. So whether it's a regular size keyboard, an external mouse, an external monitor, a printer, additional USB drives, or speakers. They can all be connected to the docking station. So again, you just don't have to disconnect and reconnect every single time. Then we asked about using a port replicator. And these are similar to docking stations in that you could just connect your peripheral devices to the port replicator. And then just connect the port replicator itself to your laptop, using usually a USB cable.

But they're a little more portable, they're a little smaller, a little lighter. They're designed to be maybe carried with you. And more so to just extend the capabilities of the laptop. A lot of newer laptops, for example, might only have two USB ports. The port replicator could give you five or six. If you are missing a particular type of connection, such as an old PS/2 keyboard or mouse, or maybe a DVI. Then again, you can use the port replicator. So it extends the functionality of the laptop when you are missing ports. But again, fairly similar overall to a docking station. But a little smaller, a little lighter, a little more portable. Then we asked to list the capabilities of a smartphone. And of course, these are just your multi-purpose mobile computing devices these days. That include the mobile operating system, any number of applications, Internet capabilities. And multimedia functionality, including music, videos, and cameras. So of course, these have become nearly ubiquitous.

Almost everyone these days has a smartphone. And finally, we asked about some of the key uses for GPS. And this includes determining your position, so your overall location. And of course, navigating to where you want to go. Tracking, you can monitor an object such as a vehicle in your fleet, or just your own personal movement. Particularly if you are wanting to trace a route that you have just taken. And mapping allows you to create maps from those routes that you have taken, or you can plan out a route that you want to take. And you can also get timing, because again they know when you started any given route. And they know when you finished it as well, so you can find out the time. So hopefully, you made out all right with those questions, and if so, we'll move on to our next course.