Hello,
Here's something interesting,
I think anyone might also interesting in this topic!
It's about data acquisition!
Data Acquisition (DAQ) technology provides the link between data-generating sensors and data-storing recording devices. DAQ can also provide the means for driving external actuators from a computer, via the generation of external signaling. And, now DAQ includes hardware and software two domain.
Through modern microprocessor technology, low-cost personal computers are now the most important (and most common) carrier for data acquisition cards.
High clock speeds of modern central processing units (CPUs), such as Pentium and PowerPC, allow higher sampling rates.
This, along with high-performance bus architectures such as PCI, inexpensive RAM, and fast high-capacity hard disks make long-term continuous measurements possible.
Another important development is portable data acquisition, based on laptop computers with PCMCIA cards.
This configuration allows more convenient in-the-field measurements that used to be cumbersome for practicing engineers.
Newer broadband Internet and broadband=medium cellular phones outperform traditional modem=medium hookups using RS-232 or RS-485 serial communication ports.
These emerging communication technologies will allow faster, better and cheaper remote monitoring=medium and access measurements.
In summary, today's level of data acquisition technology, although still not perfect, is far more effective and efficient than a decade=medium ago.
Sources & See more detail :
http://www.data-acquisition.us/forum/about4.html
If you like it and want to do DAQ with a smarter device, you can visit this site 
There are a free webinar talking about this DAQ topic
It's worth to watch!!!
