139 research outputs found
The role of semiconductor inputs in IT hardware price decline: computers vs. communications
No full textSharp declines in semiconductor prices are largely responsible for observed declines in computer prices. Although communications equipment also has a large semiconductor content, communications equipment prices do not fall nearly as fast as computer prices. This paper partly resolves the puzzle-first noted by Flamm(1989)-by demonstrating that prices for chips used in communications equipment do not fall nearly as fast as prices for those chips used in computers, and those differences are large enough to potentially explain all of the output price differences.Semiconductor industry ; Prices ; Computers
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"The have-less" : Austin public computing centers after the BTOP
No full texttextIn 2009, the U.S. government launched the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) as part of a larger effort to jumpstart the economy following the 2008 financial crash. Part of the program's substantial budget was invested in public computing centers (PCCs) in an effort to expand broadband access and provide computer training, particularly to underserved communities. Like many other PCCs, Austin Free-Net, a nonprofit committed to fighting the digital divide and one of the BTOP recipients, used the funds towards substantial expansion of its services by establishing new labs, adding computers to existing ones, and providing a host of training classes. In 2013, the BTOP funding ended, raising the question of the sustainability of the expansion it fostered. This study examines a subset of Austin-based PCCs, established or operated by Austin Free-Net, following the BTOP, in order to contribute to a broader understanding of policy opportunities and limitations towards PCCs in addressing the digital divide. Its approach is two-fold. First, it attempts to shed light on the PCCs’ role in this effort, by examining how the services they offer promote digital inclusion and what challenges the staff face in carrying out this mission. Second, it examines the impact of the end of BTOP funding on the sample PCCs, particularly on organizational components crucial to their ability to continue to provide their services. This analysis addresses challenges related to both the BTOP's end as well as internal operations. The findings reveal that PCCs are fundamentally limited in what they can achieve to bridge the digital divide, although this does not negate the important, and often necessary role they play, particularly for underserved communities. Moreover, while the substantial BTOP funding fostered expansion of access and training, its end posed significant sustainability problems for the PCCs. The presence of certain environmental factors, including financial support from and goal alignment with the City of Austin and other funding entities, buffered Austin Free-Net against some of this impact, raising the question of the fate of PCCs without such support. The analysis culminates in a discussion of the findings and their broader policy implications.Radio-Television-Fil
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Preventive oral health in underserved populations: an economic analysis
No full texttextOur study adds to the understanding of dental caries prevention in underserved populations. Dental caries is the most common disease of childhood but can be easily prevented. It is therefore essential that policy makers use evidence to promote policies that will help reduce the burden of caries in high-risk children. We collected socioeconomic and demographic data through written surveys from parents of children at the Lyford Consolidated Independent School District in Willacy County. We got a 60% response to our survey. The survey data was matched with dental examination data from a teledentistry project. Only 19% of children in our matched sample had any sealant but 43% had at least one dental caries. Of those without sealants, almost half (49%) had caries while of those with sealants only 19% had any caries. We also found that while half (48%) of those from low-income households (ie, annual income <$25,000) had caries, only a third (34%) of those in high-income households had any caries. Our data analysis involved econometric modeling to study the impact of various factors including dental sealants on the occurrence of dental caries. We assumed dental sealant application to be a proxy for past preventive dental care. We used multivariate probit regression to test for endogeneity in our model. The estimation results from univariate probit models showed a strong and robust preventive effect of dental sealants on dental caries. We used Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), logit, probit, and logistic regressions to confirm the results and obtained similar findings. We used our fitted model to simulate the effect of providing sealants to all children in our sample and found that there will be a 52% - 68% decrease in the mean predicted probability of caries in different scenarios. Finally, we used cost estimates from published studies and the annual survey of dental fee by the American Dental Association to calculate cost-benefit of providing sealants through school-based programs. We found school-based sealant programs to be cost-beneficial. Our analysis leads to a recommendation to promote school-based sealant programs in underserved populations.LBJ School of Public Affair
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Internet access in the US
No full texttextThe swift adoption of the Internet by Americans in a little over a decade
has few parallels in the world of technology. Access to the Web is now taken so
much for granted that not having access is assumed to be a form of economic and
social handicap. The debate on bringing Internet service provision under the
umbrella of the Universal Service mechanism to bridge the “Digital Divide” has
attained maturity, but not resolution. The apparent reluctance of American
households to transition to broadband – relative to comparable economies – is a
growing cause for concern among policy makers and members of the business
community.
However, research into the determinants of Internet demand, and factors
which inhibit or promote its supply and subsequent use, has been unsystematic
and unstructured. No distinction is usually made between those who access the
Net from home for a fee, and those who access it from outside of home for free.
This dissertation contributes to existing knowledge by (i) analyzing the decision
to obtain basic Internet subscription at home in a strictly rational choice
framework, with cost as a primary determinant, (ii) extending and modifying the
analytical structure in order to study broadband demand, and (iii) squarely
addressing the frequently overlooked topic of public access. It uses hitherto
unexploited data from multiple sources, including the Current Population Survey
(CPS), the Pew Internet and American Life Project (PIALP), the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC), and the National Center for Education
Statistics (NCES). The insights gleaned from the exercise should be of value to
the scholar, the regulator and the industry insider trying to gauge the public’s taste
for new technologies.LBJ School of Public Affair
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The fog of war : predicting the incidence of global conflict
No full textMachine learning has revolutionized approaches to predicting the outcomes of various phenomena. The following examines the applicability of several machine learning techniques for forecasting conflict around the globe. The models are assessed against multiple specifications of variables, in their ability to predict specific forms of conflict, and their performance over a span of ten years. In the end, some of the produced models achieve relatively high levels of accuracy and recall, though none appear particularly useful for decision-makers as they seek to effectively and efficiently allocate scarce conflict prevention and mitigation resources.Public Affair
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The shifting role of the state in South Korea’s industrial and technological development : a review of the semiconductor industry
No full texttextDue to a weak industrial base coupled with devastation from the Korean War, South Korea was a latecomer in industrialization, and formal economic development began during the 1960s under heavy state intervention. Within this broader context of industrial development, this research examines the role of state in the development of South Korea’s semiconductor industry. The results show that government support for semiconductors has gradually shifted from full-fledged intervention through both initial technology procurement and commercialization during the 1960s, to a minimal role of developing human capital and promoting private sector investment in R&D at present. But despite the importance of adhering to principles of free trade, the Hynix crisis of 2003 and the recent economic crisis of 2008 demonstrate the continued importance of the government’s role in protecting and promoting strategic industries such as semiconductors.Public Affair
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Is my smart home a private home? : improving the user experience of consent and privacy awareness of internet-connected home devices
No full textThe Internet of Things has hit consumer’s homes by way of products promising more efficiency and ease of use. These products connect with one another and can make a home a “smart home,” with data collection as an underlying component to this intelligence. Consequently, it is important for consumers to understand the privacy and data collection practices of their Internet-connected home devices. The current paradigm of data collection and how Internet-connected services acquire consent has been questioned for its efficacy in the wider world of web applications, prompting consumer concern and news media to point out digital privacy flubs. Such attention can either erode consumer trust or bring about change to increase adoption of smart home technology. Advocates of consumer protection and digital privacy, as well as governmental agencies, have set forth suggestions to address consent and keep users aware of important practices in an increasingly connected world to increase adoption. With more focus on the consumer, the IoT and smart home can become an opportunity for improved user experiences to inform and gain consent of privacy and data collection practices. This report examines the conversations of data privacy in the IoT as they relate to the smart home, how popular providers of smart home technology inform users of privacy practices, and what can be done to improve the user experience of consent and awareness. Ultimately, design teams helping build Internet-connected home devices have the power to affect change by helping the user understand privacy and data collection practices.AdvertisingPublic Affair
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