Showing posts with label mobile technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mobile technology. Show all posts

Friday, November 13, 2009

Mobile Devices - User Interface Issues

The mobile devices, as named are commonly used while the user is moving with the devices. As the size of the mobile device is small, it is improper to attach normal interfaces like keyboard, mouse etc. So special interfaces like touch pads, touch screens, pointing devices and navigation pads have been designed and widely used for mobile devices now a days. Though miniature keyboards are used for mobile devices, they are difficult to use with speed because of their size.

A major problem with user interfaces is while using the Internet on mobile devices. Many of the web pages are designed for viewing them on large screens that is on our PCs. Because of the limited display size of the mobile devices, if we want to go through a web page we have to struggle a little. When we consider mobile phones while accessing any application we need go through a series of menus to reach the desired application, this consumes lot of interaction and time.

The W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) is designing framework to design pages in such a way that, the web page will be opened in specific manner based on the capabilities of the device and also user preferences. If these two changes are bought into the usage of mobile devices, the user interfaces problem can be rectified to some extent.

Friday, November 6, 2009

What is a mobile application?

Mobile applications are add-on software for hand-held devices, such as smart phones and personal digital assistants (PDA). In the initial days when applications came into markets they were only for entertainment purpose like a game, an audio video player or something that turns the screen of our phone into (for example) a functioning piano keyboard.

Recently though, useful applications have become popular. These include programs for tracking expenses, foreign language phrase books, location detectors and currency converters. Other applications provide reviews of nearby restaurants, lists of local events, or audio walking tours of tourist sites, which require an Internet connection. The GPS application available in smart mobile phones helps us to reach our destinations in new places.

Music and video player related applications such as real player, smart movie player etc. can play all formats of audio and video data. One more interesting and thrilling entertainment application is games that made mobile devices more popular in smaller age groups.

In the month of July 2009, just one year from the time of their launch, 1.5 billion mobile applications were downloaded from the Apple Inc.'s website for iPhone or iPod Touch. This huge, unexpected growth has prompted more and more manufacturers to join the mobile application race.

Friday, October 30, 2009

History of Mobile Computing

Around 1890s Marconi invented the wireless telegraph by encoding the alphanumeric characters in analog signals. He sent the telegraphic signals across the Atlantic Ocean and was successful. After Marconi's great invention, many changes came in the field of technology opening doors for wireless mobile devices.

In 1960's military had started using different types of wireless communication devices for many years. Wireless communications created great advances not only in the communication systems, but also in the aviation and space programs as well. Initially the military developed wireless communication through line of sight (If there were no obstacles between point A and B, you could send and receive electromagnetic waves). Later on, new techniques came that allowed to encompass larger areas such as using atmosphere as the reflection medium.

Later in the 1970's satellite systems emerged and were commercialized. With the arrival of satellite communication systems, the quality of service and reliability increased enormously. However, the satellites are difficult to build and maintain and are very expensive. We had to search for other options for reliable wireless communications. In 1980s, the cellular telephony technologies were commercially viable and the 1990s witnessed the advances in cellular technologies. Later many technologies such as WI-FI, Bluetooth, 2G and 3G emerged in order to make the mobile computing devices more accessible and more reliable.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Limitations of Mobile Devices

The most advance mobile computing devices also have some limitations.

The major limitations are low bandwidth, loss of connectivity with the networks, lack of security, small display, low durable battery and less memory. In addition to all these, mobile devices do not have a standard keyboard that causes problem for the end user to enter information relative to a PC.

Lack of security, this is somewhat a serious issue to be considered with the mobile devices because on network any two unidentified people can contact each other. Moreover, providing security to information passed to wireless networks is also a difficult task. One should be very careful when their device is connected to a wireless network because unauthenticated information may cause damage to the system.

The display size of the mobile devices is very small which causes problems in loading the web pages and graphics. One has to struggle a little to grasp the information on the screen of the mobile device.

Another major problem that prevents us from using the mobile computing devices is its low durable battery. Many of the mobile devices can continuously run only from 4 to 5 hours, so if we are out of battery once, we have to replace the battery or else charge the battery.

Less memory is also one of the limitations, this problem occurs because of the portable size of the device. As the device is so small it cannot accommodate larger capacity hard drives.

Though there are limitations in mobile devices, people have accepted the technology with open arms.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Internet on Mobile

Now a days, numerous personal and business transaction is being done online. Internet has become our daily life activity. We may need to access information from anywhere, anytime and any place, and that information may be an e-mail message, news, and a phone number of a client or the sales figures at the end of the day.

The Internet on mobile facilitates not information access, but also we can use it for entertainment, business activities like performing on-line banking and also for our personal needs like paying bills, on-line shopping etc.

Though we have smart phones with Internet support, they do not completely satisfy all our needs and are not always economically feasible. Internet on mobile devices is great when you have to small petty tasks that are important. For example, you can’t write a detailed email but you can tweet from your mobile phone easily.

A major problem with Internet on mobile devices is, it is a bit slower side than wired networks that should be solved by the much-talked 3G wireless technology.

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Friday, October 2, 2009

Why Mobile Computing?

Mobile computing is all about portable and small computers, which includes PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) like mobile phones, palmtops, laptops etc. In this growing technological world, people are much bound to work on computers and Internet. People are attracted towards mobile devices because of their major features such as-
  • They are wireless devices.
  • Mobile devices are portable that enables easy to carry and work with while you are on the move.
  • Has attractive user interface.
  • Provide many features like wireless LAN to access Internet from any part of the world.
  • Enables voice and typical data transmission
  • Enables one to one contact to have conversations
  • Has audio and video players, games etc.
The latest mobile computing devices are with 3G network supported Internet facility that provides high bandwidth.

Though the mobile computing devices have drawbacks such as low bandwidth, lack of security, loss of connectivity and battery backup issue, people still prefer mobile computing devices to desktops.

The revolution of wireless communications is bringing many fundamental changes to how we compute and communicate.