• Around The HomeToggle Menu

    • Entertainment
    • Productivity
    • Smart Home
  • FamilyToggle Menu

    • Parenting
    • Toys
    • Pets
    • Travel
  • ReviewsToggle Menu

    • Phones
    • Tablets
    • Laptops
    • Desktops
    • Wearables
    • Audio
    • Cameras
    • Headphones
    • Printers
    • Smart Home
    • TVs
    • Gaming and Video
  • One Cool ThingToggle Menu

    • Frugal Tech
    • Kickstarters
    • Videos
  1. Home
  2. Around The Home
  3. Productivity
  4. What Is Digital Technology?

What Is Digital Technology?

By: David Dunning
  • Share
  • Share on Facebook

Unlike analog voltage or current signals, digital signals do not vary smoothly and continuously, but rather in steps or increments. Digital technology generates, stores and processes data as a string of binary digits, or "bits"--ones and zeroes--and its role in society since the early 1990s has been compared to that of the railroad during the Industrial Revolution.

Modern lifestyle background
A tablet and smartphone on an outdoor table.
credit: AlexBrylov/iStock/Getty Images

History

The history of modern digital technology can be traced back to the work on semiconductors--the materials of choice for computer chips--by Michael Faraday in the late nineteenth century. It was not until 1971, however, that IBM sowed the seeds for a revolution in personal computing with its PC 5150 business computer. By 2000, the semiconductor industry worldwide was worth $200 billion.

Video of the Day

Digital Devices

There has been something of a "digital revolution" since the late twentieth century. Nowadays, digital technology can be found not only in computers, but in a wide range of consumer electronic devices, including cell phones, digital cameras and camcorders and MP3 players.

Digital Data Sources

Digital technology also allows books and manuscripts to be scanned or transcribed into digital form and accessed and searched online or via an electronic device.

Show Comments

Related Articles

How to Open a Terminal Session in Windows 7

How to Open a Terminal Session in Windows 7

Around The Home
Productivity
By: Alexander Poirier
The Difference Between Information & Communication Technology

The Difference Between Information & Communication Technology

Around The Home
Productivity
By: Alex Kocic
Types of Digital Computers

Types of Digital Computers

Around The Home
Productivity
By: Dillard Stone
How to Program Digital Channels on an Emerson TV

How to Program Digital Channels on an Emerson TV

Around The Home
Entertainment
By: Greyson Ferguson
How to Reset the Epson Stylus C88?

How to Reset the Epson Stylus C88?

Around The Home
Productivity
By: Ray Padgett
How to Turn Off Hibernation on a Dell Laptop

How to Turn Off Hibernation on a Dell Laptop

Around The Home
Productivity
By: Bailey Granger
  • HOW WE SCORE
  • ABOUT US
  • CONTACT US
  • TERMS
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • COPYRIGHT POLICY
  • Advertise

An error occurred. Try again later.

Thanks for signing up!
© 2019 Leaf Group Ltd. Leaf Group Media

Get great tech advice delivered to your inbox.

Keep your family productive, connected, entertained, and safe.

Please enter a valid email.