Instructor: In this lesson,
we are going to cover mobile device accessories.
These are all the different things you can use either in,
on, or with your mobile devices
to be able to do additional things.
This includes devices like track pads, drawing pads,
touch pens, microphones, speakers,
headsets, cameras, and webcams.
The first one we have is known as a track pad.
Now, a track pad is a device that can be used
to manipulate the cursor on the screen
just like your mouse would.
The difference is
instead of moving the mouse across the desk,
you're moving your fingers across a flat pad.
And this pad is known as the track pad.
There are two different varieties of these,
including ones that are embedded into your laptop
and ones that are used as an external component
that's connected to the device
using a USB or Bluetooth connection.
When you have one embedded into your laptop,
these track pads are often called touch pads.
And normally, these take the form
of a two to three-inch rectangle
located just below the space bar on your keyboard.
Now, in addition to these built-in track pads or touch pads,
you can also have a track pad as an external device.
For example, on my computer,
I have an external Bluetooth track pad
that I use with my Mac system.
This is actually a much larger version
of that interior touch pad on a laptop,
and I can use it with my desktop, laptop,
or mobile devices over Bluetooth.
The next accessory we need to talk about is a drawing pad.
Now a drawing pad refers to a large format touch device
that's attached as a peripheral to your laptop,
smartphone, or tablet.
These are often called graphics tablets
because they're most often used by digital artists
when working on a computer system.
Now, when you're using a drawing pad,
these usually come in two basic forms.
One looks like a large track pad,
and you'll be drawing on it.
And you won't be able to see what you're drawing
unless you look at the display on the monitor.
This is the most basic version of a drawing pad.
Now, in addition to these,
there are some more expensive
and more elaborate drawing pads
that actually work as a secondary monitor.
These will actually have a display
of what you're working on,
and you can see exactly what you're doing
as you're writing or drawing on that drawing pad
cause it instantly is being displayed there
underneath the drawing pad's display.
Now you may be wondering what's the difference
between these types of drawing pads
and something like a touchscreen display.
Well, the big difference is drawing pads
have to use a different accessory known as a touch pad
when you're using them.
Instead of being able to touch it with your fingers,
these drawing pads will operate
with these touch pens or styluses,
and that way, you can have finer
and more precise control of what you're doing
when you're writing or drawing something
using a drawing pad.
The most basic version of one of these drawing pads
is actually a credit card terminal.
The next time you go to the store
and you use your credit card,
and you sign your name on that pad;
that is using a stylus and a drawing pad
to capture a digital version of your signature
and send it back to the computer.
And this is a basic drawing pad at work.
Now touch pens don't have to just be used
with drawing pads, though.
If you have a tablet,
a lot of these will either come with a stylus
or allow you to buy an additional device
that acts as a stylus or touch pen.
For example, if you have one of the iPad series of tablets,
they make something known as the Apple Pencil.
This pencil is actually a really advanced stylus,
and it does more than just provide a touch input,
but it can also capture the pressure
with which you're drawing or writing things on that iPad
using that Apple Pencil.
This allows you to get extremely precise
and find great control
and is really popular with digital artists these days.
The next accessory we have is a microphone.
Now a microphone is any device that's used to record audio
or capture your voice when you're making a phone call.
If you have a smartphone, there is a microphone built-in
to be able to capture your voice,
and you can use that to make phone calls to your friends
or to record a voice memo for yourself to take notes
when you're out and about.
In addition to a microphone,
we also have speakers embedded into our mobile devices.
This allows us to hear things
that are coming out of our devices,
such as music, video, or even other callers,
when we're using it as a phone.
Now there are some devices known as headsets
that combine both the microphone and speaker
into one device.
When you're using a headset,
this is going to consist of two small speakers
that are going to be placed over your ears,
generally known as headphones.
And then we have a microphone attached to that as well
that can then record our voice.
In addition to this, you might be using portable headsets
such as earbuds or AirPods
that have both the speaker capability
and the microphone capability built into them.
The next accessory we have is a digital camera.
And a digital camera can be embedded into your smart device,
smartphone, or tablet and give you the ability
to capture a live image in a still format.
In addition to this, most devices now have changed
from having a regular camera into having a video camera.
And we can use these as a form of webcam or video camera
as we're recording things and working on our devices.
For example, on my iPhone,
I have two cameras embedded into it.
I have a forward-facing camera and a rear-facing camera.
And both of these are capable
of taking still images as a camera
or being able to record videos as a video camera,
being used with streaming software,
and being able to be used as a web camera.
So when you're talking about these devices, remember,
sometimes one single piece of technology
will have multiple functions,
and come test day if they ask you about a certain feature,
you need to make sure you select the right one
based on the feature they're asking about.
If I asked you which of these devices
would be used to take a still picture,
the answer would be a digital camera, not a webcam.
Now, can a webcam take a still picture?
Yes, but it's not its primary function.
That is the primary function of a digital camera.
And so when you think about your phone or your tablet,
remember, those cameras you have can serve as a camera,
a video recorder, or a webcam.