Wireless Communication and Mobile
Computing
CHAPTER TWO
MOBILE COMPUTING
•Mobile Computing
•Mobile Communication
•Mobile Hardware
•Mobile Software
•Advantages of Mobile Computing
•Mobile Computing Future Trends
Mobile Computing
Mobile Computing is a technology that allows
transmission of data, voice and video via a
computer or any other wireless enabled device
without having to be connected to a fixed
physical link.
•It can be defined as a computing environment of
physical mobility.
•A mobile computing system allows a user to
perform a task from anywhere while on move.
Mobile Computing
•Mobile computing is the ability to connect
portable devices to wireless-enabled networks to
access data and services while on the move. It is
a convenient technique to transmit and receive
voice, text, audio, and video with no temporal or
special constraints..
The main concept involves in mobile
computing:
Mobile communication
Mobile hardware
Mobile software
MOBILE COMMUNICATION
Mobile Communication
•This only describes the way of accessing a network or other
communication partners, i.e., without a wire. The wire is replaced
by the transmission of electromagnetic waves through ‘the air’.
•These would include devices such as Protocols, Services,
Bandwidth, and Portals necessary to facilitate and support of the
stated services.
•Since the media is unguided/unbounded, the overlaying
infrastructure is more of radio wave oriented. That is, the signals
are carried over the air to intended devices that are capable of
receiving and sending similar kinds of signals.
A communication device can thus exhibit one of the following
characteristics:
• Fixed and wired: This configuration describes the typical
desktop computer in an office.
• Mobile and wired: Many of today’s laptops fall into this
category; users carry the laptop from one hotel to the next,
reconnecting to the company’s network via the telephone
network and a modem.
• Fixed and wireless: This mode is used for installing
networks, e.g., in historical buildings to avoid damage by
installing wires, or at trade shows to ensure fast network setup.
• Mobile and wireless: This is the most interesting case. No
cable restricts the user, who can roam between different
wireless networks. Today’s most successful example for this
category is GSM with more than 800 million users.
MOBILE COMMUNICATION
Fixed and Wired: For Example, Desktop Computer.
Fixed and Wireless: For Example, Communication Towers, WiFi router
Mobile and Wired: For Example, Laptops.
Mobile and Wireless: For Example, WiFi Dongle.
Mobile Hardware MOBILE COMMUNICATION
•Mobile hardware includes mobile devices or device components
that receive or access the service of mobility. They would range
from Portable laptops, Smartphones, Tablet Pc's, Personal
Digital Assistants(PDAs).
History and Evolution of Mobile Computing
MOBILE COMMUNICATION
1. Portable Computers
•A portable computer is a computer that is designed in a way that you can
move it from one place to another.
•It includes a display and a keyboard. Generally, portable computers are
microcomputers.
•Compaq Portable and Contemporary portable computer with 3 LCD
screens were the early examples of portable computers. Now, portable
computers are discontinued.
History and Evolution of Mobile Computing
MOBILE COMMUNICATION
2. Personal Digital Assistant/Enterprise Digital Assistant (PDA or EDA)
•A Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) is also known as a palmtop
computer. Sometimes, it is also called Enterprise Digital Assistant (EDA).
•A personal Digital Assistant (PDA) is a mobile device used to function
as a personal information manager or a personal data assistant.
•Apple Newton and UPOP PDA were the early examples of Personal
Digital Assistant. Now, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDAs) are also
discontinued.
History andMOBILE
EvolutionCOMMUNICATION
of Mobile Computing
3. Ultra-Mobile PC
•An ultra-mobile PC was a small form factor version of a pen computer. It
was a class of laptops whose specifications were launched by Microsoft
and Intel in 2006.
•Samsung q1 ultra-premium was the early example of an ultra-mobile PC.
Now, ultra-mobile PCs are also discontinued.
History andMOBILE
EvolutionCOMMUNICATION
of Mobile Computing
4. Laptop
•A laptop is a small, portable personal computer (PC) built in a foldable
device.
•The folding structure of a laptop is called a clamshell form factor.
•The flip or clamshell is a form factor of a mobile phone or other devices
that include two or more folded sections via a hinge.
History and Evolution of Mobile Computing
MOBILE COMMUNICATION
5. Smartphone
•A smartphone is a mobile device that combines cellular and mobile
computing functions into one unit.
•The smartphones are invented to provide more advanced computing
capability and connectivity than basic feature phones.
•IBM Simon Personal Communicator thought to be the first smartphone
in the world. Below is the image of IBM Simon Personal Communicator.
MOBILE COMMUNICATION
History and Evolution of Mobile Computing
6. Tablet Computers
A tablet computer is generally known as a tablet. It is a mobile computer
with a mobile operating system and a touch-screen display processing
circuit, and a rechargeable battery in a single, thin and flat unit.
History and Evolution of Mobile Computing
MOBILE COMMUNICATION
7. Wearable computers
•Wearable computers are a type of computer that can be worn by the
bearer under, with or on top of clothing.
•They are also known as body-borne computers or wearables, which are
small electronic devices.
•Some examples of wearable computers are smartwatches, digital fitness
bands etc.
MOBILE COMMUNICATION
History and Evolution of Mobile Computing
8. E-reader
•An e-reader is also called an e-book reader or e-book device. It is a
mobile electronic device that is mainly designed to read digital e-books.
•The best example of an E-reader is a Kindle.
These devices will have receptor medium that are capable of
sensing and receiving signals.
These devices are configured to operate in full- duplex,
whereby they are capable of sending and receiving signals at
the same time. They don't have to wait until one device has
finished communicating for the other device to initiate
communications.
Above mentioned devices use an existing and established
network to operate on. In most cases, it would be a wireless
network.
Mobile Software
•Mobile software is the actual program that run on the mobile
hardware.
•It deals with the characteristics and requirements of mobile
applications.
•This is the engine of that mobile device. In other terms, it is the
operating system of that appliance. It's the essential component that
makes the mobile device operate.
Since portability is the main factor, this type of computing
ensures that users are not tied or pinned to a single physical
location, but are able to operate from anywhere.
It will incorporate all aspects of wireless communications.
In today's computing world, different technologies have come
up.
These have grown to support existing computer networks all
over the world. With mobile computing, we find that the need to
be confined within one physical location has been eradicated.
We hear of terms such as telecommuting.
This is being able to work from home or the field but at the
same time accessing resources as if one is in the office.
• The emergence of portable computers and laptops, personal
digital Assistants (PDA), PC Tablets and Smartphones, has in
turn made mobile computing very convenient.
• The portability of the devices ensures and enables user to access
all services as if they were in the internal network of their
company.
• For example, the use of Tablet Pc and IPads. This new
technology enables users to update documents, surf the internet,
send and receive e-mail, stream live video files, take photographs
and also support video and voice conferencing.
• The constant and ever increasing demand for superior and robust
smart devices has been as a catalyst for market share.
• Each manufacturer is trying to curve a niche of themselves in the
market.
• These devices are invented and innovated to provide top of the
class applications and services.
• With cellular phones, different manufacturers have come up with
unique Smartphones that are capable of performing the same
tasks as computers and at the same processing speed.
• The market share for different competitors is constantly being
fought for. For example the manufacturers of Apple's Iphone OS,
Google's Android' Microsoft Windows Mobile, Research In
Motion's Blackberry OS, are constantly competing to offer better
products with each release.
The need for better, portable, affordable, and robust has also
made these vendors to constantly be innovative.
Market figure and statistics show an ever rapidly growing need
to purchase and use such devices for either professional or home
use.
This has also pushed other industry vendors to adopt services
that will provide better service delivery. For example, cellular
service providers are forced to improve and be innovative to
capture more subscribers.
This can be in terms of superior services such as high speed
internet and data access, voice and video service etc. hence the
adoption of different generations of networks like of 2G, 2.5G,
3G, 4G networks services.
• Mobile computing is not limited to Mobile Phones only, but also
there are various gadgets available in the market helping mobile
computing. They are usually classified in the following
categories:
Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)
• The main purpose of this device was to act as an electronic
organizer or day planner that is portable, easy to use and capable
of sharing information with computer systems.
• PDA was an extension of the PC, not a replacement. These
systems were capable of sharing information with a computer
system through a process or service known as synchronization.
Where both devices will access each other to check for changes
or updates in the individual devices. The use of infrared and
Bluetooth connections enabled these devices to always be
synchronized.
• With PDA devices, a user could; browsers the internet, listen to
audio clips, watch video clips, edit and modify office documents,
and many more services. They had a stylus and a touch sensitive
screen for input and output purposes.
Smartphones
• This kind of phone combines the features of a PDA with that of a
mobile phone or camera phone. It has a superior edge over other
kinds of mobile phones.
• Smartphone have the capability to run multiple programs
concurrently.
• These phones include high-resolution touch enabled screens, web
browsers that can access and properly display standard web
pages rather than just mobile-optimized sites, and high-speed
data access via Wi-Fi and high speed cellular broadband.
• The most common mobile operating systems (OS) used by
modern Smartphones include Google's Android, Apple's iOS,
Nokia's Symbian, RIM's BlackBerry OS, Samsung's Bada,
Microsoft's Windows Phone, and embedded Linux distributions
such as Maemo and MeeGo.
• Such operating systems can be installed on many different phone
models, and typically each device can receive multiple OS
software updates over its lifetime.
Tablet PC and I-Pads
•This mobile device is larger than a mobile phone or a personal
Digital Assistant(PDA) and integrates into a touch screen and
operated using touch sensitive motions on the screen. They are often
controlled by a pen or touch of a finger. They are usually in slate
form and are light in weight. Examples would include; IPads,
Galaxy Tabs, Blackberry Playbooks etc.
•They offer the same functionality as portable computers. They
support mobile computing to a far superior way and have enormous
processing power. User can edit and modify document files, access
high speed internet, stream video and audio data, receive and send
e-mails, perform lectures and presentations among very many other
functions. They have excellent screen resolution and clarity.
Advantages of Mobile Computing
• Mobile computing has changed the complete landscape of
human being life. Following are the clear advantages of Mobile
Computing:
• Location Flexibility
• This has enabled user to work from anywhere as long as there is
a connection established. A user can work without being in a
fixed position. Their mobility ensures that they are able to carry
out numerous tasks at the same time perform their stated jobs.
• Saves Time
• The time consumed or wasted by travelling from different
locations or to the office and back, have been slashed. One can
now access all the important documents and files over a secure
channel and work as if they were on their computer. It has
enhanced telecommuting in many companies. This also reduces
unnecessary expenses that might be incurred.
Enhanced Productivity
Productive nature has been boosted by the fact that a worker can
simply work efficiently and effectively from which ever location
they see comfortable and suitable. Users are able to work with
comfortable environments.
Entertainment
With the improvement and availability of high speed data
connections at considerable costs, one is able to get entertainment
they want as they browser the internet for streamed data.
Video and audio recordings can now be streamed on the go
using mobile computing.
Easy to access a wide variety of movies, educational and
informative material.
Watch news, movies, and documentaries among other
entertainment offers over the internet.
Ease of research
• Field officer and researchers collect and feed data to the
system.
• Streamlining of Business Processes
• Sharing of information between business partners.
• Reduced lengthy travelling, since there is the use of voice
and
• video conferencing, E-Commerce.
• Meetings, seminars and other informative services can be
conducted using the video and voice conferencing.
• This cuts down on travel time and expenditure.
Disadvantage of Mobile Computing :
• Battery consumption hindrance
• Interference is persisted in shielding.
• Inefficient bandwidth in transmission.
• Connection losses over entire network.
• Network stability.
• Interoperability problem.
• Protection constraints.
• Potential health hazards
There are some wireless/mobile computing technologies
given below:
Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)
Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA)
Wireless in Local Loop (WLL)
General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
Short Message Service (SMS)
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MOBILE COMPUTING ISSUES AND
CHALLENGES
Mobile computing presents the following challenges.
Power
Mobile platforms spend much of their time attached to AC
power.
Multiple Network Connections
A mobile platform, when docked, may have a wired LAN
connection. It may also have a wireless LAN connection.
Security in a Wireless Environment
Wireless traffic requires additional protection beyond that
used on a standard wired LAN.
Mobility
Wireless Medium
Portability
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Wireless medium:
The transmission medium in mobile computing is wireless,
therefore the following points are considered:
Various interferences occurs in the mobile computing by the
different elements in the environment.
Accuracy and quantity of bandwidth should be sufficient.
Network cost is feasible.
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Portability:
This means that the communication device moves, for eg.
mobile phones. The following mobile constraints are to be
considered as the devices are also mobile:
Minimum number of resources are used.
Security is very less, as security risks include the processing
of fake transactions, unauthorized access of data and
program files, and the physical theft or damage of the
device.
Restrictions of the battery.
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ISSUES OCCURRED IN MOBILE COMPUTING
here is a lot of advantage of using Mobile computing
technology. But, along with these advantages, you can face
following is a list of issues.
Costly due to Wireless Medium
Issue due to Device Mobility
Security Issues in Mobile Computing
Physical Security or Data Security
System Security or Network Security
These issues can be resolved by using some common tactics. These
issues are:
Using VPN technology
Using Cryptography & Network Security in your project
Use of Firewall technology in the project
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Mobile Computing Future Trends
3G,4G,5G
3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation
of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication
services
Application services include wide-area wireless voice telephone,
mobile Internet access, video calls and mobile TV, all in a mobile
environment.
GPS (Global Positioning System)
GPS is a space-based satellite navigation system that provides
location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near
the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or
more GPS satellites.
The GPS program provides critical capabilities to military, civil
and commercial users around the world
• 4G or Long Term Evolution (LTE)
• LTE is a standard for wireless communication of high-speed data for
mobile phones and data terminals. It is based on the GSM/EDGE and
UMTS/HSPA(High Speed Packet Data Access) network
technologies, increasing the capacity and speed using new modulation
techniques. Its related with the implementation of forth Generation
(4G) technology.
• WiMax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) WiMAX
is a wireless communications standard designed to provide 30 to 40
MBPS data rates, with the latest update providing up to 1 GBits/s for
fixed stations. WiMAX offers a metropolitan area network with a
signal radius of about 50 km. More data rates than DSL(Digital
Subscriber Line), but Bandwidth must be shared among multiple
users and thus yields lower speeds in practice.
• Near Field Communication (NFC)
• NFC is a set of standards for Smartphones and similar devices to
establish radio communication with each other by touching them
together or bringing them into close proximity, usually no more
than a few centimeters.
• Present and anticipated applications include contactless
transactions, data exchange, and simplified setup of more
complex communications such as Wi-Fi. Communication is also
possible between an NFC device and an unpowered NFC chip,
called a "tag".
5G
5G is the 5th generation of mobile technology.
The move to 5G is to give consumers and businesses a
faster, more responsive and overall more powerful
experience.
What does that mean in real terms? To start, superior speeds
when downloading movies or shows, less lag while video
chatting, better performance with multiple devices
connected and a more seamless experience when gaming.
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