Archive for May, 2010

The IPhone Touch Concept: Taking Mobile Technology to the Next Level

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010



Apple created quite a sort of history when it launched its next generation iPhone. Once again it demonstrated its insatiable quest for innovation and creativity. This smart phone has transformed the fundamentals of mobile technology. It is not only a talking device but a pocket computing device and a game console. No wonder, it took the mobile technology to the next level.

This wonderful device comes with many out-of-the-box applications such as web searching, e-mails, web messaging, multimedia games, health care devices and much more offering something for everyone. Different people use them in different ways. For businessmen, it has become a companion enabling them to keep in touch with colleagues and clients virtually from anywhere. With this phone in your pocket, conducting business will never be the same again. Some others use its web technology to download music, chat with friends, browse the web, and much more. With Internet technology available on your phone, the activities you can do are many. However, the best iPhone application design is its touch concept. Though smart phones existed before Apple launched them, the touch screen is what makes the iPhone really a smart phone. The creative browser along with the touch concept makes the iPhone a seductive piece of art.

The GPS feature is also a very useful application. It enables you to keep track while driving in an unfamiliar area. It can also be used to track shipments. The instant recording feature can also assist you in many ways. It projects many areas of business usage in media and sales. Some of the best looking application designs are available on Apple Store. You can look out on this store for a range of innovative iPhone applications from different categories including business, fun and recreation, health care etc. One of the best designed iPhone apps on App Store is iBowl, which available for free download. This application enhances the bowling experience with the use of accelerometer technology.

Cisco Hardware to power 4G WiMax Networks

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010



The terms ’4G’ and ‘WiMax’ have been thrown around quite a lot over the past several years. 4th Generation broadband access has been often seen as the futuristic offspring of the current 3G network technology.  The outlook for 4G was optimistic- upload and download speeds nearly identical to anchored cable connections but effortlessly available on-the-move across the country. Disappointingly, a number of legal, economic, and political hurdles have slowed a nation-wide release of WiMax. Currently it has only been deployed in Baltimore and Portland, with limited access.

It’s a relief that Clearwire, the primary mover of 4G WiMax technology, has announced a partnership with Cisco Systems.  Cisco has been known to be a company that puts it’s money where it’s mouth is and delivers products in a timely and efficient manner.  The addition of Cisco as a partner to create WiMax equipment should speed up the initiative as a whole.   Cisco will be charged with building new mobile WiMax devices for CLEAR 4G consumers, small offices as well as the small and medium-sized business arenas.

From Cisco’s Newsroom:

“By teaming with Cisco, one of the world’s most forward-looking IP network infrastructure providers, we’re building a robust and cost-efficient next-generation network that’s designed specifically for delivering rich broadband services,” said Scott Richardson, Chief Strategy Officer of Clearwire. “In addition, Cisco plans to develop WiMAX technology for end-user devices, which will give consumers and businesses more compelling ways to stay connected through our CLEAR 4G service.”

Just to recap for those who have been missing for the past two years:  3G is the network technology that is touted every five minutes on a cell phone commercial for Sprint, Verizon, AT&T,  and every other carrier with the capital for a 30 second spot.  The big carriers try to one up each other with claims of the most far reaching network or the largest capacity for data transfer.  In reality, 3G networks still have quite a few holes in their nationwide plans and the data transfer almost never actually reaches the touted 1-2 mbps downstream speeds.

3G networks have never truly been an end-goal, but rather an in-between state between anchored broadband and next generation technologies like WiMax.  Sure – you can check your email, get directions and even watch a video or two on your iPhone or via your cellular broadband card.   Utilizing the 3G networks has always been a compromise though, it’s never quite as fast or reliable as a land connection.  There is always the sigh of relief when you connect to your home or office’s wireless network.

We’ve been in  limbo; to be fully productive citizens of the Internet, we need our 4G technologies.   Nationwide WiMax will open up the doors to overdue features like full-fledged cell phone video conferencing capabilities.  Cisco is the perfect partner to manufacture the networking hardware necessary for this next leap in human connectivity.  They already have the record of success for developing the routers and switches for our prior generation of networking needs.  Used Cisco hardware has proliferated the market for a reason- it is well built and made to work efficiently.

“Around the globe, mobile WiMAX providers continue to make great strides bringing 4G mobile Internet services to market, and we are pleased that Clearwire has selected Cisco to help un-tether its Internet customers across the United States while delivering high performance,” said Brett Galloway, senior vice president, wireless and security technology group of Cisco.

Extending The Range Of Wireless Networks

Monday, May 24th, 2010



Although a wireless transmitter is limited in its range, wireless extension points can be installed to boost its signal and make the range of the network much larger. These wireless extension points are commonly known as repeaters.

Several companies have started to manufacture wireless repeaters, despite the fact that these devices are not part of the wireless standard. Wireless repeaters are designed to resolve certain problems with wireless coverage. The further away you are from where the wireless signal originates, the weaker the signal becomes. Eventually, you can’t receive the signal at all, regardless of what equipment you have. The problem is sometimes addressed by running wires out as far as the network coverage is desired, and then have it ‘break out’ into wireless every now and then using a wireless access point. This is generally more trouble than it is worth, since the idea behind a wireless network is to avoid installing wires! Wireless repeaters resolve the problem in a much better way.

Wireless repeaters work as a relay, taking existing wireless signals and making them stronger. This makes the range of a signal bigger each time. If the repeaters are placed correctly, you can move computers a considerable distance from the wired portion of the network, the router or access point, for example, without failure. The single requirement of this arrangement is that the extension points must overlap; a repeater can’t repeat signals that it doesn’t receive. Since wireless networking signals are essentially radio signals, repeaters take all the radio signals they receive on a specific frequency and use their power to amplify the signals and rebroadcast them. The signal is not degraded in this process, so it can be repeated as many time as required.

Theoretically, wireless repeaters could be placed in a line for several miles, extending the network out that far, and because these extension points don’t need complicated computer technology to operate, they are much cheaper than routers or access points. Some companies combine repeaters and direction antennas to link to LANs that are several miles apart. This is a cheaper method than worrying about connecting over the Internet or installing their own underground lines. In the future, repeater technology could create wireless networks that cover entire cities.

As a consumer, you are currently limited to getting your repeater from large manufacturing firms such as Linksys and D-Link. These companies call their repeaters by different names, including Linksys’ Range Expander and D-Link’s Range Extender. There are several issues to consider when buying a wireless extension point. The most important is to make sure that it is compatible with the equipment you have. Because there is no standard for wireless extension points, you’re better off staying with the same company that makes the rest of your equipment or at least investigate whether any new equipment will work with your system. You should also find out whether an extension point has any Ethernet ports. While it isn’t necessary that this is included, it is useful if you want to connect the extension to a wired network. This issue arises basically if you want to connect two LANs in a wireless manner.