Computer bytes Quick Maths Menu About Did you know? The basic unit used in computer data storage is called a bit (binary digit).
Starters
Main course
Can you...
Which broadband package?
Use a comparison website to choose the right mobile/landline/digital TV ‘bundle’ for you?
Provider
Price
Speed
Usage
Check your mobile phone usage via your online account to make sure you do not go over your text or talk time limit?
AIL
£2.99
24Mbps
20GB
BB DIRECT
£3.24
20Mbps
10GB
Calculate your average monthly internet use and downloads so that you can choose the cheapest broadband package for your needs?
ET
£5.00
20Mbps
Unlimited
CO2
£5.20
8Mbps
10GB
Check your phone and ‘bundle’ bills so you know that you are being billed correctly?
Green
£5.00
24Mbps
40GB
The two most important things that you need to consider when choosing your broadband package is speed – how quickly you can download data; and usage – how much data (films, music, etc) that you are allowed to download.
Computers use these little bits, which are composed of ones and zeros, to do things and talk to other computers. This two-number system is called a “binary number system” since it has only two numbers in it. The decimal number system in contrast has ten unique digits, 0 to 9. The byte is a unit used in computing and telecommunications that consists of eight bits.
If you would like to improve your ‘digital maths’ skills, or maths skills in general, contact your union learning representative for more information.
Maths Takeaway Template - Computer bytes.indd 1-3
Usage is measured in GB, or gigabytes. Use the download calculator at: www.comparebroadbandpackages.co.uk to see which of these packages would be best for you.
The capacity of a human brain is estimated at 2.5 petabytes, or a million billion bytes of information. The brain’s capacity is sufficient to hold three million hours of television on a digital video recorder. This would take you more than 300 years to watch!
Speed is measured in Mbps, or megabits per second.
Answers – Set menu: 1: 2,500; 2: 1,000; 3: No, you are within your limit (1,000MB + 5,000MB + 1,400MB + 1,250MB = 8650MB = 8.65GB)
24/04/2013 12:46
Specials
Set Menu
Monthly options for your Megaphone S5 Essential Internet 500 £20 a month with £39 upfront cost
Digital news An average YouTube video contains around 10MB of data.
250MB internet use
The size of a typical mp3 song is 4MB.
500 minutes talk time
To download a DVD film uses around 5GB.
5,000 texts 24 months contract
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To watch TV or video using something like iPlayer uses about 500MB per hour. 1 gigabytes (GB) = 1,000 megabytes (MB)
The One Plan £29 a month with £29 upfront cost All-you-can-eat data
1. How many mp3 songs can you download without exceeding your limit?
2,000 minutes talk time
2. How many YouTube videos can you watch?
5,000 ET-to-ET minutes 1,000 texts 12 months contract
Your mobile smartphone comes with a monthly internet usage limit of 10GBw.
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3. In one month, you download 250 mp3 songs, watch one DVD and 140 YouTube items and five half-hour TV programmes. Will you get charged extra for exceeding your limit?
Extras Grin or groan?
“To err is human – and to blame it on a computer is even more so.” “Some things Man was never meant to know. For everything else, there’s Google.” AnalogX Netstat Live is one example of a free programme which you can download to monitor your internet usage. Find this and lots more information to help you with your digital know-how at sites like www.simplehelp.net.
If you would like to improve your maths skills for data usage, or maths skills in general, contact your union learning representative for more information.
You want to get a new Megaphone S5 on a monthly contract, and have found the two options on the phone company ET’s website. Which option would you go for, and why?
Maths Takeaway Template - Computer bytes.indd 4-6
24/04/2013 12:46