10 Things Windows Phones Do Better Than Android Phones

Alright, alright, calm yourselves, keyboard warriors, we know this is something most of you would probably not agree with because let’s face it, with over 80 percent of smartphone market share in the world, the Android mobile operating system leads the rest of the competition by a mile.

Perhaps because it is the OS adopted by many leading brands of smartphones,fragmentation becomes an issue that plagues Android-powered phone.Here is a post by Azzief Khaliq that argues for and against the effects of Android OS fragmentation you should check out.

Here, the Windows Phone’s fast and user-friendly OS plus its integration with Microsoft-linked products has given many users, particularly who work a lot with Windows products, a reason to consider the integrated mobile platform. On the surface, it offers the same functionality (and perhaps a bit more) as do other platforms but these are 10 features that you may find better on a Windows Phone than on an Android.

1. Quality Build Phones With Exceptional Design For Everyone

The biggest ammo to join the arsenal of Windows phones has to be Nokia’s partnership. With phones ranging from $180 to $425, sporting screen sizes from 4″ to 6″, Nokia has plenty of choices not just for the budget-conscious but also those are looking for a powerful, sleek phone, for instance like Nokia Lumia 1020 with 41 megapixel camera sensor and Full HD video. You definitely can get good value for your money if you just keep your eyes open for a good alternative phone, rather than stop looking once it isn’t on a “popular” OS.

2. Gorgeous Apps

Although the Windows App Store lags behind the Play Store in terms of quantity, what counts with apps is the quality and so far Windows phoneshave the basic necessities covered. Windows Phone is not an open source platform and Microsoft has a stricter criteria set than Google about which apps and games can populate their respective marketplaces.

As a result, the app store responds with superior and better apps, and cleaner options, than what Android apps can offer. They are consistent, gorgeous, minimalistic and in many cases, look better than they do on Android. I’d suggest you take a look at 6tag (3rd party app for Instagram), Spotify, Skype, and Facebook.

3. Seamless Email And Social Media Integration

Windows Phone with its mission to build an end-to-end product experience for its customers, has a soild built-in social media integrated hub that they use; it’s very smooth and fluid. The People Hub gets updates from social networkslike Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Rather than opening individual apps one by one, all your friends’ status updates and notifications can be viewed within the People Hub.

Facebook integration on Windows Phone also makes it better than Android when it comes to tagging pictures. It also allows you to use your phone contacts as tags. You can switch between Facebook chat and normal text messaging with your contacts on Windows Phone.

4. Microsoft Integration and Support

Those who are used to Microsoft’s service and software would be glad to know Windows Phone works well with Microsoft products like Outlook.com. OneDrive Skype, Xbox, and OneNote. Unlike Android, Windows Phone comes with free Office in the OS itself. The mobile version is handy for on-the-go professionals. You can view and edit, Excel, PowerPoint and Word documents straight on your Windows Phone. It also integrates with OneDrive and users can save their compatible files on Microsoft’s cloud storage service.

5. Consistency Across All Devices

Android comes in so many shapes and sizes, so performance and quality are always a question. Windows Phone however works well on all levels of devices from the entry-level Lumia 520 to the high-end Lumia 1020 without any noticeable lag whatsoever. The minimalist design approach is applied at all Nokia’s Lumia range of devices and known for best build quality.

6. Customizations on Lockscreen

Windows Phone allows you to check out your notifications from your lockscreen. Not only you can change Background pictures in Lock screen settings, but Windows Phones also allow the integration of live apps on the lockscreen. Some of the better app integrations are Bing and Facebook. Bing displays the Bing Picture of the Day while Facebook displays photos from your albums.

You can also choose from photos of yourself or create a selection of photos to be shown on your lockscreen. Another cool thing that you could do is to configure the lock screen to display artist information when playing music.

7. Play your XBox games on Windows Phone

If you own an XBox, Windows Phone has the perfect XBox integration to help you get the most out of your games, even on low-RAM devices. Microsoft has worked hard to integrate Xbox functionality, meaning you can work with your console avatar to gain points, check your Gamerscore, message your friends and see your avatar.

Despite Android having more games, Windows Phones get Xbox games such as Asphalt 8: Airborne, Jetpack Joyride, Six Guns and FIFA 14 for free. All of the games run smoothly; even on the low end Nokia Lumia Phones, playing games is a breeze.

8. Versatility of Live Tiles

Windows Phones allow users to pin whatever they want and how they want. Instead of widgets, each app on your home screen acts as a Live Tile. They give you a quick glimpse of what’s going on in each individual app. We can see the time and weather via the weather tile and notifications from Twitter, WhatsApp, SMS and email all from the main screen.

Widgets on Android are their own separate entities and their customized looks as designed by their developers. These designs thus can hardly mesh together aesthetically, especially without any form of standardization. Tiles, on the other hand, blend in and complement the overall aesthetic perfectly and they also change dynamically.

9. Offline Maps Integration

Windows Phone have HERE Maps and HERE Drive integrated to its Lumia range, basically Nokia’s alternative to Android’s Google Maps. It comes with full offline capabilities. Some Android smartphones such as Galaxy S4 also has offline navigation in Google Maps, but while Google Maps only allows you to download small areas of offline maps, you can download maps of countries with the Nokia Lumia Phones and navigate across the country without a data connection while driving.

10. Ever Expandable Storage

Most Windows Phone, even the entry level ones have 8GB of internal storage and supports a microSD card of up to 64 GB. The free 7 GB cloud storage from Onedrive makes it even better. This reduces the need to fall back on third-party online storage solutions, which may come with compatibility issues. OneDrivelets you backup content to the cloud, Windows tablets, PCs, and of course the Windows Phone.

Conclusion

While Android offers greater app flexibility, Windows Phone offers great potential, better integration over more platforms and fluidity. With the changing smartphone market, the world needs a solid platform that has quality and the potential to develop into a full range solution, that spans across mobile, desktop and the cloud. The strategies are already in place, and if Nokia and Windows Phone can weather the storm, they may one day be able to unseat Android from its iron grip of the smartphone OS market.

#android-2, #comparision, #features, #window-phones

Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications Engineering

Telecommunications engineering lies at the heart of most information exchange, including telephone communications, broadcasting and the Internet. this program provides a blend of knowledge from electrical engineering and computer science, focusing on communications networks and systems.

Careers in Telecommunications Engineering

Telecommunications engineering is a dynamic and rapidly developing field as a result of today’s heavy reliance on the Internet, cellphones, broadband, wireless networks, broadcasting and satellite applications. Telecom engineers design, implement and manage systems for processing and transmitting information, finding career opportunities in such areas as:

• Computer communications and networking
• Mobile communications
• Voice and data networks
• TV and radio broadcasting
• Optical networking
• Remote sensing, measurement and control
• Next-generation networks

Telecommunications engineers also find employment in broader areas such as electronic engineering, instrumentation engineering, computer engineering, systems analysis and control engineering.

High School Preparation

 

Engineering education requires strong high school preparation. Pre-engineering students should have high school preparation of at least one semester of trigonometry and at least one year each in elementary algebra, intermediate and advanced algebra, plane geometry, chemistry, and physics, thus developing their competencies to the highest possible levels and preparing them to move immediately into demanding college courses in calculus, calculus-based physics, and chemistry for science majors. It’s also essential that pre-engineering students be able to read rapidly and write clearly.

Telecommunications Engineering at Universities

The telecom engineering program is based on a solid foundation of science and mathematics coursework. Students learn to extend their abilities to analyze and solve complex problems and to design new uses of technology to serve society. The program provides an integrated educational experience directed toward the development of the ability to apply pertinent knowledge to the identification and solution of practical problems in electrical and telecommunications engineering. The design experience, which includes both analytical and experimental studies, is integrated throughout the curriculum in a sequential development leading to advanced work.

 

#bachelor-of-science, #bachelor-of-science-in-telecommunications-engineering, #engineering, #science

Ways to track your lost Mobile Phone

Things go on ,Many of you must have lost your mobile phone.It happens with most of us . It may be due to a carelessness or someone may have stolen it and may be any reason . Well, lets not debate. For all those who have lost, here is a simple way of tracking your phone.After reading this you will be surely expressing gratitute to the admin , Mr.Rohan

The steps that you should follow if you have lost your phone:

1. Dial *#06# from your mobile.(Try out now)
Sometimes it may not be possible to find your IMEI number using this code, then you can try *#0000#.

2. Your mobile shows a unique 15 digit, this is known as IMEI number.

3. Note down this no anywhere but except your mobile as this is the no which will help trace your mobile in case of a theft.

4. Once stolen you just have to mail this 15 digit IMEI no. to cop@vsnl.net 

5. No need to go to police (as I have never seen someone getting his/her mobile back after approaching police).

6. Your Mobile will be traced within next 24 hrs via a complex system.

7. You will find where your mobile is being operated.

To summarize if your phone is lost send a mail to cop@vsnl.net with following details:

Your name:
Address:
Phone model:
Make:
Last Number used (with the name of the person on whom it is registered):
E-mail for communication:
Missed date:
IMEI Number:
Missing place (if you remember something)

Keep all these information stored for emergency use..

Although I don’t guarantee that you’ll get your phone, but it is very likely that you will. Get your fingers crossed and share it as much as you can.

Note : Please don’t send any spams, they can easily detect your position and you can be in a serious legal offence

You can post queries in the comment box

#mobile-phone, #ncell, #ntc, #trace-lost-number

NTC User Hand Guide And Tricks

GSM Mobile System Hacks GSM mobile unlock codes[Tips and Tricks]:
GSM-          –            -Global System for Mobile.
USSD-         –            -Unstructured Supplementary Service Data.
CRBT-         –            -Calling Ringback Tune.
SMS-          –            -Short Message Service.
VMS-          –            -Voice Mail Service.
MMS-          –            -Multimedia Message Service.
WAP-          –            -Wireless Application Protocal.
GPRS-         –            -General Packet Radio Service.
Change Security on your mobile phone:
Change PIN1 code:                                            **04*old PIN1*new PIN1*new PIN1#
Change PIN2 code:                                            **04*old PIN2*new PIN2*new PIN2#
Change PUK1 code:                                            **05*old PUK1*new PUK1*new PUK2#
Change PUK2 code:                                            **05*old PUK2*new PUK2*new PUK2#

View Information via USSD in your mobile:
Call divert all voice calls facility:                        *#21#[call]
Caller identity display to your phone:                       *#30#[call]
Your calling identity display to others phone:               *#31#[call]
Call barring facility:                                       *#33# / *#35#[call]
Call divert if out of reach facility:                        *#61#[call]
When you call to other phone display status:                 *#76#[call]works only in some networks
When you call other function display:                        *#77#[call]works only in some networks USSD Systems used in Nepal Telecom GSM mobile:
Display Balance and validety date:                           *400#[call]
Recharge balance on your phone:                              *411*13 digit Recharge Number#[call]
Your balance transfer to other phone:                        *422*Security Code*mobile number*Amount in Paisa#[call]

Free SMS Service for NTC users:
In your message box type: hp               Send to: 2122     Destination: Nawa Kantipur.
In your message box type: computerguru     Send to: 7700     Destination: Telemert Nepal.
In your message box type: computerguru     Send to: 8800     Destination: Telemert Nepal.

Free call Service for NTC users:
System Dial: 011616        To: NTC Voice Mail Box.
System Dial: 1414          To: NTC Query Service.
System Dial: 1498          To: NTC Help Line.
System Dial: 198           To: NTC landline fraud maintenance Service.
System Dial: 1650          To: NTC Prepaid Easy Calling Card Service.
System Dail:   To: NTC Toll-Free Query.
System Dial:   To: NTC Toll-Free Edit Admin’s Toll-Free Number.

Dial: 197                  To: Search NTC landline owner’s identity.
Dial: 100                  To: Police Help.
Dial: 101                  To: Fire Brigade.
Dial: 102                  To: Ambulence Service.
Dial: 1111                 To: Public Comments to Nepal Governments’ Ministries Board.
Dial: 1098                 To: Inquery Child Helpline.
Dial:          To: Toll-Free Annapurna Travals – Western Union Money Transfer.
Dial:          To: Toll-Free Avenues Television.
Dial:          To: Toll-Free Pc Premura Money Transfer.

#ncell, #ntc

What’s the best way to extend battery life on my Android phone?

• Turn off background notifications for most services.  Big culprits are Twitter, Facebook, etc.  Make sure you set the refresh interval to “Never” or “Manual”.  Just refresh them when you open the apps.
• Always return to the Home screen before suspending.  For example, if you’re in the Maps application and you’re going to suspend your phone (put it in your pocket).  Make sure to press Home first, and then suspend, because if you don’t it’ll stay in the Maps app using battery for network & GPS when that’s really unnecessary.  This is true for many apps.
• Don’t install all kinds of crazy stuff.  Stick with well-known apps. Poorly developed apps can create background services that use way too much power.
• Uninstall things you’re not using.  You might think they’re idle if you’re not using them, but they could still have running background services.  Uninstalling will take care of this.
• Turn off Bluetooth. (if you don’t regularly use it).  Android 2.x comes with a nice toggle widget, use it.
• Turn off WiFi (if you don’t regularly use it).  Or, use a WiFi toggle widget to only turn it on when you need it.
• Use Airplane mode when you’re in areas of poor reception.  If you’re travelling to an area where you know you won’t have service (say, a National Park) then put the phone in Airplane mode.  If you don’t, it’ll keep looking for a signal, and drain your battery very quickly.
• Reduce your screen brightness.  Keep it as low as you can tolerate.
• Check your Power Usage periodically. When you feel your phone has lost a lot of power quickly, check the power usage by going to Home->Menu->Settings->About Phone->Battery Use and see what the top items are.  Typically, this should be “Cell standby” “Phone Idle” and “Display” taking up >50% in total.
• Remove homescreen widgets you’re not using.
• Don’t use a “Live Wallpaper”
• Don’t sync too much.  Reduce the number of labels/folders and days of GMail and Calendar that you sync.  This can lead to a drastic increase for users with a large number of calendars & labels.

If you feel you have to use a “Task Killer” app, then you’re doing it wrong.  🙂

For Details

Rohan Suggests

The basics:

The screen:
This the most energy hungry aspect of a smartphone, Androids at least.
therefore I take special focus on screen luminosity.

Keep screen luminosity, either to a minimum (comfortable, of course) or, in an
automatic setting to let the phone adjust luminance automatically, according to environment light conditions.  I have my Android phone set to “Auto”.

Screen timeout. I have my phone set, to essentially one of two settings:
a) Shut down the screen (screen timeout) to 30 seconds, as most of the
time, all that I do is a continuous flow of taps on the screen with
lapses of no more than 30 seconds of “doing nothing” (i.e. interacting
with the phone). If I stop doing something, either I have finished (and
hence the screen can go to ‘sleep’) or I am reading or watching
something on the screen, in that b) case I just switch momentarily to a
longer timeout, such as 1 or 2 minutes.

Networks:
Whenever I am at home or office, where there is WiFi access, I turn on
and use WiFi,  when I go out on the street where there is no specific
WiFi and I have to rely on 3G, I turn OFF  WiFi, that way the phone is
not constantly looking for WiFi networks and hence wasting energy doing
that.

Bluetooth:
Most of the time its off. I very very seldom turn it on to transfer a file
between my phones. But it’s off all the time.

Music and Videos:
These are also hungry features. Either you wan’t a portable TV
or music player or a communications tool.  In my case it is the latter,
therefore I do not listen to music or watch videos on my phone. Yes, I
know you can,  but you will run out of battery very soon.  It is my
opinion that if you are looking for music and video player, then use a
device for that task specifically. That may be even another Android
phone… but used as a player, not as your comms tool.

Photos:
Pretty much the same situation as above. Remember screen activity is the most energy hungry part of your phone and taking pictures implies using the screen so… bear in mind that if you use you phone as a camera primarily, you will run out of gas (energy) fast.

Maps and navigation: On  the same logic as screen usage….

I do always have the USB charger and usb cable with me.  Also, I got a car charger/dock.    On my last phone (Nexus One) I had the car dock and the desktop dock, very very useful to be able to just rest the phone in the docks, not having to plug anything on the usb and let it charge.

Currrently I own a Galaxy Nexus and to be honest, I like the phone but I am really annoyed by the lack of seriousness of Samsung in regards to the desktop and car docks (with pogo pins -not requiring usb plug into the dock-) for this device.

Back to topic:  I have never had an additional battery as I do not like opening the back of my phone constantly. I rather just plug it into any wall with my charger, or in the car.

Sync:

Restrict the synchronization of mails,  music, docs, twitter, FB, etc to a minimum. Do you need to check if you have new _____ (fill in the blank) every 2 minutes? Or you can live OK by cheking for new stuff every hours (2 hours, 6 hours) ? This will help save some energy.  Bear in mind that some apps do have data traffic on the background, but that its not neccesarilly  a sync per se. So, check for the activity of apps that communicate to the network often.

Software to save or best manage your battery:

On my Nexus One, on the last moments I used it as my primary phone, I installed “Juice Defender” to save battery.  I can say it works “fine”, nevertheless a “lag” was introduced when turning on the radios (3G, WiFi), when awaking the phone since they are turned off (or semi turned off for some lapses) by “Juice Defender” itself when the phone goes into sleeping mode to save on energy.  I am not really sure yet if these energy saving apps or energy management apps are truly good or not. I’d dare to say there is a curve between having nothing and up to the point where these apps consume more energy than they really save AND cause a lot more annoyances…. But, trying one and see how your mileage goes won’t hurt, after all you can alwas uninstall it.

On the Galaxy Nexus I have not installed any software. I am currently trying to assess how much I can get for my normal daily use of the phone and currently the battery, from a 100% charge, it lasts between 13 and 15 hours.  Not bad.  If  I take lots of photos, use the GPS, etc. of course, I get less juice than that.

These are my pimary techniques on how to make the best use of my battery charge on a daily basis with my Android phone.  Hope this is useful to you.

Kind regards.

Rohan Chataut

#a, #android-2

Guide to Mobile Telephone Standards and Protocols

Fast Guide to Mobile Telephony

Fast Guide to Mobile Telephone Standards and Protocols

1G
Protocol	Essential concepts of the technology
FDMA	Frequency division multiple access is the division of the frequency band allocated for wireless cellular telephone communication into 30 channels, each of which can carry a voice conversation or, with digital service, carry digital data.FDMA is a basic technology in the analog advanced mobile phone service (AMPS), the most widely-installed cellular phone system installed in North America. With FDMA, each channel can be assigned to only one user at a time. Provider(s): Verizon, Alltel
Mobitex	Mobitex is a wireless network architecture that specifies a framework for the fixed equipment necessary to support all the wireless terminals in a packet-switched, radio-based communication system. Mobitex operates at 80, 400, or 900 MHz. Mobitex also may refer to Mobitex Technology AB, a provider of wireless communications spun off from Ericcson. Provider(s): Mobitex Technology AB
DataTAC	DataTac is an open standard for point to point wireless data communications, similar to Mobitex. The original BlackBerry devices used the DataTac network. DataTac is typically deployed in the 800 MHz band. Provider(s): Motient
NMT	Nordic mobile telephone is a standard based upon analog technology that operates within the 450 and 900 MHz bands. Provider(s): Nordic and European companies.
TACS	Total access communications system is similar to AMPS. TACS operates in the 900 MHz frequency range. Provider(s): Used in Japan and the UK.
AMPS	Advanced mobile phone service is a standard for analog signal cellular telephone service in the United States and is also used in other countries. It is based on the initial electromagnetic radiation spectrum allocation for cellular service by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1970. AMPSallocates frequency ranges within the 800 and 900 MHz spectrum to cellular telephone. D-AMPS is the 2G version of this technology. AMPS used cellular digital packet data (CDPD) to transfer data using unused bandwidth, at speeds up to 19.2 Kbps. Major carrier support for AMPS is likely to end in the US in 2008. Provider(s): Verizon, Alltel

2G
Protocol	Essential concepts of the technology
GSM	Global system for mobile is a digital mobile telephone system that is widely used in Europe and other parts of the world. GSM uses a variation of TDMAand is the most widely used of the three digital wireless telephone technologies ( TDMA, GSM, and CDMA). GSM digitizes and compresses data, then sends it down a channel with two other streams of user data, each in its own time slot. It operates at either the 900 MHz or 1800 MHz frequency band. Provider(s): T-Mobile, Cingular
PCS	Personal communications services refers to wireless phone networks that are similar to cellular telephone networks but emphasize personal service and extended mobility. Several technologies are used for PCS, includingTDMA, CDMA, and GSM. PCS operates in the1850 to 1990 MHz bands. Provider(s): Sprint
iDEN	Integrated digital enhanced network is a wireless technology from Motorola that combines the capabilities of a digital cellular telephone, two-way radio, alphanumeric pager, and a data/fax modem in a single network. iDEN operates in the 800 MHz, 900 MHz, and 1.5 GHz bands and is based onTDMA and GSM architecture. Provider(s): Southern Linc Wireless, Sprint, Nextel
TDMA	Time division multiple access is a technology used in digital cellular telephone communications and radio networks that divides each cellular channel into three time slots in order to increase the amount of data that can be carried. TDMA is used by D-AMPS, GSM, and PDC. The United States standard for TDMA for both the cellular (850 MHz) and PCS (1.9 GHz) spectrums. TDMA is also used for digital enhanced cordless telecommunications ( DECT). Provider(s): US Cellular, Cingular
CDMA	Code-division multiple access is a form of multiplexing, which allows numerous signals to occupy a single transmission channel, optimizing the use of available bandwidth. CDMA employs analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) in combination with spread spectrum technology. The technology is used in ultra-high-frequency (UHF) cellular telephone systems in the 800 MHz and 1.9 GHz bands. IS-95 uses CDMA. Provider(s): Verizon
CSD	Circuit switched data was the original form of data transmission developed for TDMA-based networks, typically at speeds up to 9.6 Kbps. Provider(s): Cingular
PHS	Personal handyphone system refers to the network developed by DoCoMothat provides devices that function both as a cordless phones in the home and as mobile phones elsewhere. PHS also handles voice, fax, and video signals at data rates up to 64 Kbps. Provider(s): DoCoMo, many other global carriers
PDC	Personal digital cellular is a Japanese standard that uses TDMA. The technology is used in the 800 MHz and 1.5 GHz bands. Provider(s): Various Japanese companies

2.5G
Protocol	Essential concepts of the technology
GPRS	General packet radio services is a packet-based wireless communication service based on GSM networks and complements existing services likecircuit-switched cellular phone connections and SMS. GPRS provides data rates from up to 114 Kbps. Provider(s): DoCoMo
HSCSD	The high-speed circuit-switched data protocol updates CSD, providing data rates up to 64 Kbps. Provider(s): T-Mobile, Cingular
EDGE	The enhanced data GSM environment is a faster version of GSM service. The EDGE standard is built on the existing GSM standard, using the same TDMAframe structure and existing cell arrangements. EDGE provides data at rates up to 384 Kbps. Provider(s): T-Mobile, Cingular
WiDEN	The wideband integrated dispatch enhanced network is an upgrade to iDEN, with increased data rates up to 100 Kbps. WiDEN uses four combined channels at the 25 MHz band. Provider(s): Nextel
CDMA2000	CDMA2000 is a CDMA version of the IMT-2000 standard developed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). CDMA2000 supports mobile data communications at speeds ranging from 144 Kbps to 2 Mbps. Provider(s): Verizon

3G
Protocol	Essential concepts of the technology
UMTS	Universal mobile telecommunications service describes broadband, packet-based transmission of multimedia content at data rates up to 2 Mbps to mobile device users globally. Based on the GSM standard, UMTS is endorsed by major standards bodies and manufacturers and is the planned standard for mobile users around the world. Provider(s): DoCoMo
WCDMA	Wideband code-division multiple access is an ITU standard derived fromCDMA, officially known as IMT-2000 direct spread. WCDMA supports mobile voice, images, data, and video communications at up to 2 Mbps (local area access) or 384 Kbps (wide area access). A 5 MHz wide carrier is used, compared with 200 kHz-wide carrier for narrowband CDMA. Provider(s): Cingular, Vodafone
TD-SCDMA	Time division synchronous code division multiple access is a mobile telephone standard that combines TDMA with an adaptive, synchronous-modeCDMA component. TD-SCDMA combines support for both circuit-switched data, such as speech or video, and also packet-switched data from the Internet, with data transmission at speeds up to 2 Mbps. Provider(s): The Chinese government
GaN	The generic access network, formerly known as unlicensed mobile access (UMA), is a mobile telephony system designed to allow seamless roaming and transfer between LANs and WANs using a dual-mode phone. The system is based upon use of unlicensed spectrum with technologies like Bluetooth,WiFi, GSM and GPRS. GAN enables carriers to deliver voice, data and SIPapplications to phones on multiple networks. Provider(s): UMA is being developed by various companies.
HSDPA	High-speed downlink packet access is the next phase of UMTS, with data transmission speeds up to 10 Mbps, based upon the WCDMA protocol. Provider(s): Cingular
EVDO	Evolution data maximized. (CMDA2000 1x EVDO) is based on CDMA2000. EVDO supports mobile data communications at speeds ranging from 400 Kbps to 2 Mbps. Provider(s): Verizon

THis is an extracted post 

#technology

Wireless technology

Wireless technology has transformed our lives in many ways. Until very recently, we needed a computer wired to a port, to get online. Even wired telephones are becoming a thing of past.  Nowadays, we use our mobile phones for banking, to check ticket availability at a Cinema Hall, and many more. Wireless communication is the transfer of information over a distance without the use of enhanced electrical conductors or “wires”. And, Wireless networking refers to any kind of networking that does not involve cables. It helps in saving the cost of cables for networking in addition to providing the mobility.

There are different types of wireless networks defined on the basis of their size, range and data transfer rate.

·         Wireless PAN – Personal area network Wireless Personal Area Networks

·         Wireless LAN – Local Area Network

·         Wireless MAN – Metropolitan Area Networks

·         Wireless WAN- Wide Area Networks

·         Mobile devices networks

 

Mobile networks have evolved tremendously in last 3 decades. Cellular concept was introduced with 1G (‘G’ stands for generation) networks. Today, 4G technology is getting ready to storm the markets. Not only that, research on 5G technology has already begun.

Evolution of Mobile Technologies

Zero Generation Technology (0G)

0G refers to pre-cell phone mobile telephony. Being the predecessors of the first generation of cellular telephones, these systems are called 0G (zero generation) systems. Usually vehicle mounted, they had the transceivers mounted in the vehicle trunk and dials & display mounted near the driver seat.

Technologies used in 0G systems included PTT (Push to Talk), MTS (Mobile Telephone System), IMTS (Improved Mobile Telephone Service), and AMTS (Advanced Mobile Telephone System).

First Generation Technology (1G)

1G refers to the first generation of wireless telecommunication technology, more popularly known as cell phones. In 1G, Narrow band analogue wireless network is used; with this we can have the voice calls. These services are provided with circuit switching. Through 1G, a voice call gets modulated to a higher frequency of about 150MHz and up as it is transmitted between radio towers using a technique called Frequency-Division Multiple Access (FDMA).

Different 1G standards prevalent were AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System) in the United States, TACS (Total Access Communications System) in the United Kingdom, NMT (Nordic Mobile Telephone), used in Nordic countries, Eastern Europe and Russia, etc.

Second Generation Technology

2G – 2G first appeared around late 1980’s; 2G system digitized the voice signal, as well as the control link. It provided the facility of short message service (SMS) unlike 1G that had its prime focus on verbal communication.  Depending on the type of multiplexing used 2G technologies can be divided into Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) based and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). 2G system offered better quality and much more capacity. 2G cellphone units were generally smaller than 1G units, since they emitted less radio power.

Based on TDMA, Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) is the first European standard & the first commercial network for use by the public for 2nd generation mobile (2G) telephony. A typical 2G G.S.M network service uses 800/900MHz or 1800/1900 frequency spectrum. Typical average data rate of GSM is 9.6 kbps. 2G CDMA (IS-95A) uses BPSK and offers data rate upto 14.4 kbps. The bandwidth of 2G is 30-200 KHz.

2.5G – GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) – 2.5G, which stands for “second and a half generation,” is a cellular wireless technology developed in between its predecessor, 2G, and its successor, 3G. The term “second and a half generation” is used to describe 2G-systems that have implemented a packet switched domain in addition to the circuit switched domain.

‘2.5G’ is an informal term, invented solely for marketing purposes, unlike “2G” or “3G” which are officially defined standards based on those defined by the International Telecommunication (ITU).

GPRS (CS1 to CS4) uses GMSK modulation with symbol rate (& modulation rate) of 270 ksym/s. Typical data rate of GPRS is ~115 kbps. It can be used for services such as Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) access, Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) and for accessing internet.

IS-95B or cdmaOne is the evolved version of IS-95A and is also designated as 2.5G with theoretical data rates of upto 115 kbps, with generally experienced rates of 64 kbps.

2.75 – EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) – EDGE (EGPRS) is an abbreviation for Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution, is a digital mobile phone technology, invented by AT&T. EDGE technology is an extended version of GSM & works in GSM networks. EDGE is add-on to GPRS and can function on any network with GPRS deployed on it, provided the carrier implements the necessary upgrades. It allows the clear and fast transmission of data. One need not install any additional hardware and software in order to make use of EDGE Technology. Also, there are no additional charges for utilizing this technology.

Uses 9 Modulation coding schemes (MCS1-9). MCS (1-4) uses GMSK, while MCS (5-9) uses 8PSK modulation. 8PSK Increases throughput by 3x (8-PSK – 3 bits/symbol vs GMSK 1 bit/symbol). Modulation bit rate is 810 kbps. It offers data rates of 384kbps, theoretically up to 473.6kbps.

What is 4G?

What is 4G? We guide you through the 4G minefield, explaining everything there is to know about the latest mobile broadband technology hitting the world.

4G is the short name for fourth-generation wireless, the stage of broadband mobile communications that will supercede the third generation

Another piece of jargon, which you will see tagged onto the end of 4G is ‘LTE’. This stands for Long Term Evolution and is a type of 4G technology. It’s arriving in the world for the first time at the end of October and will be available to around a third of the population by Christmas 2012.

4G LTE aims to offer users faster, more reliable mobile broadband internet for devices like smartphones, tablets and laptops.

Loosely speaking, 4G is around five times faster than existing 3G services. Theoretically it can provide download speeds of up to 100Mbps but you won’t achieve this in real-world use.

Unless you’ve just bought an iPhone 5, a Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE (not a regular S3) or one of the other brand new 4G-capable smartphones, your existing handset won’t work on a 4G network.

4G networks use different frequencies to transmit data than 3G so you need a handset which has a modem that supports these new frequencies.

Here, we’ll explain everything you need to know about 4G. We’ll be taking an in-depth look at how the technology works, where and when you can get it as well as telling you which devices support it.

We’ve been able to test out the first 4G network, run by EE, formally Everything Everywhere,  so we can also reveal how fast it is and how it will benefit you in practice.

Although 4G is new to the Feature and we tech kids like to think we have the latest technology, it has actually been around for many years. Two forms of 4G been developed and are in use: WiMAX and LTE.

In fact, you may recognise the first technology, as WiMAX was trialled in the UK in 2009, not sure about Nepal. However, the first WiMAX network was launched by South Korean firm KT in 2006.

The first LTE network was deployed in Scandinavia in 2009. However, it was debatable whether the speeds on offer back then were really 4G or not.

Across the Atlantic in the US, Sprint has been using WiMAX since 2008 and MetroPCS was the first operator to offer an LTE service in 2010. Verizon and AT&T also offer LTE 4G.

In the UK, 4G networks will use LTE technology, which is why devices such as smartphones are already popping up with LTE suffixes to their names to show they are 4G capable.

3G has, of course, been around for a lot longer than 4G. In the UK the first 3G network was launched by Hutchinson Telecommunications, branded as Three or ‘3’. Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) was the first technical standard used for 3G.

It’s now more commonly known as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). More modern forms of 3G are High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) and HSPA+. The latter allows for faster speeds up to 42Mbps, twice that of HSPA. Common spectrum used for 3G connective include: 850MHz, 900MHz, 1900MHz and 2100MHz.

4G’s headline download speed is 100Mbps and a blistering 50Mbps for upload. This makes 4G is more than twice as fast as the latest 3G technology and many more times faster than previous versions.

Of course, these speeds are theoretical, and such speeds won’t be reached in real-world use. However, that doesn’t mean 4G isn’t twice as quick. In our tests, which we’ll get to later, we saw speeds around three times faster on 4G compared to 3G, and an even larger improvement with uploads.

What does this mean in practice? The faster speeds mean websites load quicker, and that you’ll be able to stream videos and podcasts without first waiting for them to buffer.

Plus, you’ll be able to download large email attachments or other content from the web faster. Apps which need to download data, such as maps, will work more smoothly, especially when zooming in or out as this generally requires a lot of data. The speed differential should be akin to switching from 3G to Wi-Fi.

Taking a more demanding task like video streaming, the BBC recommends a connection speed of 3.5Mbps for HD content. Although 3G can offer speeds in excess of this, the average speed across all forms of 3G in the UK is around 3Mbps.

For video streaming and similar tasks, where you would typically require Wi-Fi for smooth performance, 4G should allow you to have a ‘home broadband’ experience on the move. EE expects the average speed to be between 8- and 12Mbps, potentially faster than the 5.9Mbps average for ADSL home broadband.

Faster upload speeds will also be a boon. If you hate waiting for pictures to be posted to Facebook or Twitter, for example, then this should be a much faster process over 4G.

What is 4G: technology

The main reason 4G is faster than 3G is because of Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM). It sounds complicated, but it’s the same technology used in Wi-Fi, ADSL broadband, digital TV and radio.

OFDM is a technique for squeezing more data onto the same amount of radio frequency. It also reduces latency and interference. Data is split up and sent via small chunks of frequency in parallel, therefore increasing the capacity of the network.

Multiple-input and multiple-output, or MIMO, is another reason 4G is able to provide faster speeds. It is simply the use of multiple antenna arrays at both the transmitter and receiver to improve communication performance.

This allows more data to be transferred without requiring additional bandwidth or drawing more power. The most common configuration currently is a 2×2 MIMO, found in many smartphones and some tablets. A 4×4 setup is also possible and promises even faster speeds but is still a little way off making its way onto devices. Since different setups are possible, one phone could provide faster 4G speeds than another.

With 3G handsets, most of us take roaming for granted. We take our phones travelling around the world, and expect to be able to pick up emails and browse websites as soon as we land. Things are different with 4G.

Although there are 4G networks in many countries around the world, your UK 4G smartphone won’t necessarily work wherever you go. The reason is that 4G doesn’t operated on the same frequencies in every country.

If your phone’s 4G modem doesn’t work on the same frequencies as those used in the country you’re visiting, then you’ll have to live with 3G instead. Even if the numbers do match, there needs to be a 4G roaming agreement between operators. Currently, there is no such agreement in place and even when there is, expect data prices to be high.

What is 4G: General frequency bands

Technology	Frequency spectrum (UK)
3G	850MHz	900MHz	1900MHz	2100MHz
4G	800MHz	1800MHz	2600MHz
Wi-Fi	2400MHz	5000MHz
Bluetooth	2400MHz

What is 4G: tariffs

There has been, and still is, a lot of bartering between the UK’s mobile operators and Ofcom about 4G. EE was the first to launch 4G to the public at the end of October. Until other networks are allowed to roll out their 4G networks EE will have a monopoly and therefore be the only choice.

The process of setting up a 4G network is complicated and involves plenty of red tape so it will be a while before there’s a choice of 4G operators.

Ofcom is auctioning off 800MHz and 2600MHz spectrums to be used for 4G: O2 and Vodafone will be the main bidders. Once this process is complete the networks are expected to be rolled out in spring 2013. Ofcom allowed EE to launch a 4G ahead of the rest because it already owned 1800MHz spectrum which it could use for 4G services and to simply get 4G launched in the UK and remaining part of words as soon as possible for people to benefit from the faster speeds.

Three has made an agreement with EE to use parts of the 1800MHz spectrum for 4G services but it won’t be able to do this until the latter part of next year when it gains approval.

Virgin Media is negotiating with EE to launch 4G tariffs by the end of this year. Since Virgin is a ‘virtual operator’ and already uses EE’s network for 3G, it hopes to simply piggyback on EE’s 4G network as well.

Orange and T-Mobile are owned by EE and won’t be going anywhere. All three operators will use the EE network and users will begin to see ‘EE’ displayed on their devices. However, this doesn’t mean you’re getting 4G.

Existing Orange and T-Mobile customers must switch to EE to gain 4G services – a process which EE said it will make easy and straightforward. It will be free to move, but users will need to sign an 18- or 24-month contract of the same or higher value than their current tariff. A 4G SIM card will be provided free of charge.

Currently, no prices have been announced for EE’s 4GEE tariff, and we haven’t been able to find out what data limits (if any) will be in place. We’ll update this article when that information is available.

Which phones support 4G?

So far only a handful of 4G-capable smartphones have been announced, and even fewer launched. We’re sure that plenty more will arrive next year, but for now here’s are the 4G handsets to choose between.

Don’t forget that you’ll need a 4G SIM card and you must be in a 4G area to see that all-important 4G symbol on your phone’s status bar. Not all postcodes will be enabled simultaneously on launch day so, again, check EE’s website to find out when 4G will be turned on at your postcode.

Handset	Availability
Apple iPhone 5	Out now
HTC One XL	Out now
Huawei Ascend P1 LTE	Out now
Nokia Lumia 820 LTE	Expected November
Nokia Lumia 920 LTE	Expected November
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE	Out now
Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE	Out now

It’s worth bearing in mind that you don’t need a 4G smartphone, so all is not lost if you’ve only just signed a contract on a non-4G Galaxy S3.

An alternative is to buy a 4G mobile hotspot such as the Huawei E589 Mobile Wi-Fi and Huawei E392 MBB Stick. You can connect these to existing devices like smartphones, tablet and laptops via USB or Wi-Fi. The drawback is that you’ll be paying for two contracts at once so it isn’t a sensible option for most people.

If you’re about to buy a new smartphone it’s critical to check which 4G networks it is compatible with. Some handsets might claim to be ‘4G ready’ but not work on the UK networks.

If you’re buying from an operator you can assume that the handset will work with its network although it’s not always that straightforward where 4G is concerned. For example, the iPhone 5 only supports certain 4G spectrums – 850MHz, 1800MHz and 2100MHz in UK. This means it will work on EE and Three’s 4G networks but not O2 and Vodafone’s since they are bidding for 800MHz and 2600MHz spectrums. You can buy an iPhone 5 from O2 and Vodafone, but it will be limited to 3G speeds.

It’s possible that other phones will be similarly limited, so check the supported frequencies before parting with any cash.

4G and tablets

Apple’s third-generation iPad is a 4G-capable tablet – at least the Wi-Fi + 4G models – and you’d be forgiven for thinking you can just pop in an EE SIM.

Unfortunately this isn’t the case. As we’ve said, EE uses the 1800MHz spectrum but the iPad doesn’t. Instead, it works on 700MHz and 2100MHz so isn’t compatible.

Barring any radical changes, it won’t work with any other 4G networks in the UK either. This is exactly why Apple was forced to remove the ‘4G’ element from the iPad’s branding. We’re sure manufactures will be rushing to be the first to release a 4G tablet which will work in the UK.

Testing

Theoretically, 4G can offer download speeds up to 100Mbps and upload speeds of 50Mbps, but how fast is it in reality? We were able to test EE’s 4G network in central London prior to its launch to get an idea of how it compares to 3G.

The fastest download we achieved, according to the Speed Test app running on an iPhone 5, was 41Mbps. The fastest upload speed was 14.3Mbps.

Both figures are seriously impressive, but we saw wildly different results as we repeated the test and used different phones.

We were able to run tests on a Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE, Huawei Ascend P1 LTE and HTC One XL. The average download speed was 26.4Mbps and our average upload speed was 14.2Mbps, across nearly 20 tests.

In our side-by-side test with 3G, the 4G network was more than three times faster for downloading and over 10 times faster in upload speeds.

It’s fair to say that our results were a best-case scenario, as only a handful of people were using the network.

Also, bear in mind that speeds will depend on many factors such as location and the amount of users fighting for bandwidth.

#4g, #android-2

How do I determine my computer’s IP address?

The easiest way to determine your computer’s IP address is to visit WhatIsMyIP.com. The site will display your IP address and other information about your system. If the page does not appear, you may not have a working Internet connection and should try one of the methods below.

1. Open a command prompt.
2. At the command prompt, enter:

     ipconfig

   The IPv4 address will be a series of numbers following the pattern xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx (e.g., 156.56.27.32).

Mac OS X

1. From the Apple menu, select System Preferences…. In System Preferences, from the View menu, selectNetwork.
2. In the Network preference window, click a network port (e.g., Ethernet, AirPort, Wi-Fi). If you are connected, you’ll see your IP address under “Status:”.

Unix-like OS

In many Unix-like operating systems (e.g., Ubuntu, RHEL, OS X, BSD), a shared system administration utility known as ifconfig is available to configure, control, and query TCP/IP network interface parameters from a command-line interface (CLI). Typically, ifconfig can only be used under a superuser account in your terminal.

To obtain your IP Address from ifconfig, enter the following command:

ifconfig

A list of all your network interfaces will appear. Following the heading of the interface whose IP address you’re searching for, you will see a “inet addr:” section containing your IP address.

You can usually obtain more information with the command:

man ifconfig

Google Fiber

Google Fiber is a new fiber-optic internet and television service from Google offered in select cities that provides up to 1Gbps internet speeds (both upload and download). According to Google, the Gigabit internet speeds are up to 100 times faster than the average broadband speeds in place today.

Google Fiber made its public debut in Kansas City in September 2012, and expansion plans are in place for Austin, Texas and Provo, Utah, as well as additional cities in the future. The Google Fiber service is available for $120 per month for the combined internet and television services, or $70 per month for just the internet service. A free Google Fiber internet service option is also available that offers speeds of up to 5Mbps for a one-time “construction fee” of $300.

Google Fiber subscribers are provided with a Network box with 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports, a DVR Storage box with 2TB of data storage that can record up to eight live television shows simultaneously, TV boxes for each TV or HDTV to be used with the service, and a Google Nexus 7 tablet device that can be used as both a viewing device and a remote control for Google Fiber. In addition to the included 2TB storage box, Google Fiber customers are also provided with 1TB of cloud storage via Google Drive.

#google-2, #internet