Technology and a Retired Guy!

When you think of technology, what comes to mind — your laptop, desktop computer, cell phone, or maybe Bluetooth?

I retired as Secretary and CEO of The Society of Notaries Public in 2017 and in 2019 I was CEO of the BC Notary Association for 10 months, then retired again.

When I was working, I used various technologies all the time and, because I was busy, I simply took them for granted. Since my last retirement, however, with more time on my hands I sometimes reflect on the technology we used to create new initiatives for BC Notaries.

The one that stands out is the technology used to provide legal education to prospective Notaries in the Province of BC. Because we are a large province—and it was our desire as the Notary Society to provide Notarial services in as many BC communities as possible, our challenge was to provide the necessary education in rural and urban communities outside the Lower Mainland.

Thus we partnered with Simon Fraser University; they put together a program delivered in part using technologies over the Internet.

Students in places like Kamloops, Cranbrook, Prince George, and Fort St. John could take part in the studies without having to live in Vancouver or Burnaby where the specific campus is located.

The technology for the Master of Arts in Applied Legal Studies Program (MA ALS) was one of the first of its kind in Canada for a Master’s degree—and received a very prestigious award for academic initiative.

its various compartments with your cell phone? Many have the ability to connect to our Wi-Fi so you can see and speak with your neighbour, your sister or brother, or a cooking friend as you prepare dinner.

What are semiconductors anyway?

They are material products usually comprised of silicon that conducts electricity better than an insulator such as glass, but less than a pure conductor such as copper or aluminum. Their conductivity and other properties can be altered with the introduction of impurities, called doping, to meet the specific needs of the electronic component in which it resides.

Also known as semis or chips, semiconductors can be found in thousands of products such as computers, smartphones, appliances, gaming hardware, and medical equipment.

Uses of Semiconductors

Today as a retired guy, I marvel at the technologies around me. We recently purchased new appliances for our kitchen. The dishwasher uses “chips” or semiconductors to do its thing! The options for a new refrigerator were limited only by the number of things you might want a frig to do—want a built-in radio or the ability to control your frig and

Broadly speaking, semiconductors fall into 3 or 4 main product categories.

Memory

Memory chips serve as temporary storehouses of data and pass information to and from computer devices’ brains. The consolidation of the memory market continues, driving memory prices so low that only a few giants like Toshiba,

Samsung, and NEC can afford to stay in the game.

Microprocessors

They are central processing units that contain the basic logic to perform tasks. Intel’s domination of the microprocessor segment has forced nearly every other competitor, with the exception of Advanced Micro Devices, out of the mainstream market and into smaller niches or different segments altogether.

Commodity Integrated Circuit

Sometimes called “standard chips,” they are produced in huge batches for routine processing purposes. Dominated by very large Asian chip manufacturers, this segment offers razor-thin profit margins in which only the biggest semiconductor companies can compete.

As a result, there is constant pressure on chipmakers to come up with something better and even cheaper than what was defined as state-of-the-art only a few months earlier.

A new car for example can have more than 3,000 chips or semiconductors on board, needed to operate most components of the vehicle. (Please refer to my friend Akash Sablok’s Technology reviews in The Scrivener.)

It is interesting to note that the first documented discovery of a semiconductor was by British physicist Michael Faraday in 1833. Over the years, many scientists developed and improved semiconductor’s transistors to be used in various ways and products.

I am certain Silicon Valley is a term we have all heard during the development of many computer products. The United States of America became the leading developer and manufacturer of “chips.” At one time, the US produced over 80 per cent of the chips used in the world. That percentage has slipped to about 17 per cent in 2023. It is interesting to note that President Biden in his February 2023 address to Congress stated the US was going to take back the leadership role of manufacturing-and-furtherdeveloping microchips in the world!

Certainly, we recognize the very important role technology plays in our economy and indeed in our day-to-day lives.

After you read this, I hope your mind will consider your retirement (whenever that may be). I suggest you sit back and contemplate all that goes on around us and let the chips fall where they may! ▲

Wayne Braid is the former CEO/ Secretary of The Society of Notaries Public.