A field guide to office technology

With more than 160 entries detailing everything from the junk buried in desk drawers to that mysterious box blinking away in the coat closet, this practical guide navigates through modern office technology. Each entry includes a functional description of a device (what it is and how it works) as well as particulars on who invented it and how its design has evolved over the years. Devices are grouped according to their habitats, in the conference room, hanging from the ceiling, or connected to a computer, to assist in quick and easy identification. Solving office mysteries, such as why telephone keypads have their ones in the upper left corner while calculator keypads place the ones in the lower left corner, this fascinating resource decodes the often confusing technological landscapes of everyday offices.;Front Cover; Copyright; Dedication; Table of Contents; Acknowledgments; Introduction; 1 ENTERING THE OFFICE; Garage Door Opener Touch Pad ; Parking Lot Sensor; Security System Keypad; Front Door Lock; Key; Magnetic Card Reader; Door Alarm; Security Panel or Alarm Control Box; Entry Alert Device; Emergency Enunciator; Door Closer; Electromagnetic Door Release; Escalator; Elevator; Time Clock; 2 ON THE OFFICE FLOOR; Copier; Paper Shredder; Adjustable Chair; Water Cooler; Air Filter or Purifier; 3 ON THE WALLS; Clock; Electric Outlet; Telephone Jack (RJ-11 Connector); Power Supply; Switch. Front Cover Copyright Dedication Table of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction 1 ENTERING THE OFFICE Garage Door Opener Touch Pad Parking Lot Sensor Security System Keypad Front Door Lock Key Magnetic Card Reader Door Alarm Security Panel or Alarm Control Box Entry Alert Device Emergency Enunciator Door Closer Electromagnetic Door Release Escalator Elevator Time Clock 2 ON THE OFFICE FLOOR Copier Paper Shredder Adjustable Chair Water Cooler Air Filter or Purifier 3 ON THE WALLS Clock Electric Outlet Telephone Jack (RJ-11 Connector) Power Supply Switch. Two-Way SwitchCircuit Panel Circuit Breaker Thermostat Electric Baseboard Heater Radiator Pneumatic Tube/Vacuum Tube Whiteboard Motion Detector Security Camera Emergency Lighting Lighted Exit Sign Fire Alarm Pull Station Fire Alarm Notification Appliance Fire Extinguisher Defibrillator 4 ON THE CEILING Incandescent Lightbulb Fluorescent Lightbulb Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb Heating Duct Security Camera Smoke Detector Fire Sprinkler 5 IN AND ON DESKS AND TABLES Pencil Eraser Pencil Sharpener Pen Marker Rubber Band Paper Clip Stapler Staple Puller Scissors. Three-Hole PunchAdhesive Tape Post-it Note Rolodex Calculator Electronic Dictionary/Translator Compact Disk, Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM) Typewriter Wite-Out or Liquid Paper Microfiche Reader Binding Machine Laminator Label Maker Postal Meter Postal Scale Fax Telephone Answering Machine Cordless Phone Cell Phone Charger Walkie-Talkie Docking Station Battery Charger 6 IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM Interactive Whiteboard Overhead Projector Computer Projector Laser Pointer Video Phone Digital Recorder Speakers Laptop Cooler Dimmer Switch 7 CONNECTED TO A COMPUTER Computer. MonitorKeyboard Mouse and Wireless Mouse Surge Protector Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Inkjet Printer Laser Printer Photo Printer Modem Router Hub or Ethernet Hub Wireless Access Point (WAP) Router Peripheral Switch or Server Scanner Business Card Scanner VOIP Headset Headphones Webcam USB Light Digital Pen 8 CABLES AND WIRES Electric Cable Monitor Cable Keyboard Cable Serial Cable Parallel Cable USB Cable Coaxial Cable FireWire RJ-45 Cable Connector 9 ON WINDOWS One-Way Glass Smart Window Smart Window Blind Perimeter Entry Detector or Burglar Alarm. Global Positioning System (GPS) Receiver10 IN THE KITCHEN AND BATHROOMS Coffeemaker Microwave Oven Automatic Light Switch Toilet Flushless Urinal Automatic Flush Toilet and Urinal Ground Fault Interrupt (GFI) Switch P-Trap Hand Dryer 11 BEHIND THE SCENES Registered Jack, Style 21X (RJ-21X) Patch Panel Split 50 or Rolm Block PBX Cable Amplifier and Splitter Network Server Global Positioning System (GPS) Clock Transmitter Pneumatic Controls for HVAC 12 ON THE MOVE Cell Phone Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) Global Positioning System (GPS) Power Adapter Laptop.

with More Than 160 Entries Detailing Everything From The Junk Buried In Desk Drawers To That Mysterious Box Blinking Away In The Coat Closet, This Practical Guide Navigates Through Modern Office Technology. Each Entry Includes A Functional Description Of A Device (what It Is And How It Works) As Well As Particulars On Who Invented It And How Its Design Has Evolved Over The Years. Devices Are Grouped According To Their Habitats—in The Conference Room, Hanging From The Ceiling, Or Connected To A Computer—to Assist In Quick And Easy Identification. Solving Office Mysteries, Such As Why Telephone Keypads Have Their Ones In The Upper Left Corner While Calculator Keypads Place The Ones In The Lower Left Corner, This Fascinating Resource Decodes The Often Confusing Technological Landscapes Of Everyday Offices.

school Library Journal

adult/high School In The Same Breezy, Nontechnical Language As His Books On Household Technology And Roadside Technology, Sobey Examines Some 160 Items In And Around The Average Desk Environment. Arranged By Habitat (on The Floor, On The Walls, Connected To A Computer, Behind-the-scenes), The Entries Explain The Item's Behavior, Its Location, And How It Works. For Many Of The Devices, He Adds Unique Characteristics And/or Interesting Facts. The Author Moves Effortlessly And Unapologetically From The Simple To The Complex And Back Again. The Paper Clip, Pen, And Pencil Receive As Much Attention As The Network Server, Gps, And Split 50. Some Items Seem Odd Choices For Inclusion. While Readers Might Expect To Find The Proverbial Watercooler, The Flushless Urinal Is Not Always Thought Of As Office Technology. Teens Will Appreciate Sobey's Sense Of Humor: In Addition To Binding Papers And Other Materials Together, Another Purpose Of A Rubber Band Is To Fly Across The Office From The Fingertip Of A Bored Employee. Each Entry Has A Small But Serviceable Black-and-white Photo. A Fun, Informative Survey.-robert Saunderson, Berkeley Public Library, Ca