06.06.08
Posted in The Hardware Way at 12:28 am by admin
Using mobile computers when in transit implies mobile computing. This is effectuated by using wireless technologies such as LAN, WAN, Wi-Fi, GPRS, etc.
LAN refers to Local Area Networking. This is not a very mobile technology, as it restricts the area of its reach. LAN refers to the connectivity of two or more fixed or mobile computing devices within a particular area. This connection can be done physically by cables (in which case it would not be an example of mobile computing) or other connections such as infrared rays and wireless connections. LAN enables computers within its reach to share and compute data. It is primarily an intranet network.
WAN is Wide Area Networking. It is wider in its outreach. WAN refers to the connection of two locations. These locations may be connected internally through LAN networks. WAN essentially uses wireless connections between its locations.
MAN is another kind of network used in mobile computing. It stands for Metropolitan Area Networking and it connects mobile computing devices within a particular city or metropolitan area. Devices such as mobile phones and car computers can be hooked up onto MAN to keep them interconnected. MAN provides speeds of 128 kbps or 256 kbps. Cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Minnesota, Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas and about 15 major airports in America are currently connected by MAN.
Cell phones are currently the most commonly used mobile computing devices on the planet. They use wireless technologies such as GSM, CDMA, WLL, GPRS, EDGE, 3G etc. for their connectivity. Currently, GPRS or General Packet Radio Service is considered a fast-growing technology. GPRS networks coupled with EDGE or Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution provide fast Internet connection on cell phones. They can provide data transfer speeds of about 384 kbps, which are much higher than GSM and CDMA technologies.
Besides these popular services, there are also some lesser-known networks that have been introduced lately. One such network, the Metricom, was available in 12 cities and 15 airports. However, it is no longer available due to the company’s financial constraints. ArrayComm and SWIFTComm are relatively new networks that promise speeds of up to 1 Mbps to the mobile computer user.
Mobile Computing provides detailed information on Mobile Computing, Mobile Computing Networks, Mobile Computing Solutions, Mobile Computing Devices and more. Mobile Computing is affiliated with Womens Laptop Cases.
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04.24.08
Posted in The Hardware Way at 12:14 pm by admin
More technically speaking the Nokia 6125 is a Series 40 3rd Edition phone. So it is not a smartphone, but it smart mid-range phone! The biggest difference between a Series 40 phone and a S60 phone (a smartphone) is that you can install applications to a smartphone.
Nokia 6125 Camera
The 1.3 megapixel camera has a better resolution than the one year old Nokia 6630 smartphone. The resolution for the Nokia 6125 is 1280 x 1024 pixels and this is very good for a mid-range phone.
The Screen
The 6125 main display is ok - it is an active TFT display that supports up to 260 000 colours. The phone has 2 displays and the external screen is a CSTN display that supports up to 65 000 colours.
The display has the Active Standby feature prevuously available on smartphones only. Active Stanby allows access to favorite applications or calendar entries directly from the idle screen.
More 6125 Features
Messaging cababilities include MMS, IM (instant messaging), push to talk, Nokia Xpress audio messaging and e-mail. A new interesting feature is the support for Flash and the Macromedia Flash Player.
Is This a Music Phone?
The phone has a MP3 player that plays popular music formats (MP3, MP4, eAAC+ and WMA). Music files can be stored on a hotswappable microSD memory card.
The 6125 has Bluetooth and you can use wireless stereo headsets on the phone
We Say
The 6125 may not have the latest look like the Razr, but offers many advanced features for a mid-range Nokia. The flight mode issomething most mid-range phones are missing, but this is available on the 6125.
Pictures: Nokia 6125 photos
Nicolas writes weekly about Nokia phones and applications on his Nokia Blog. He is also a active member of the Nokiainfo Nokia online-community.
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03.30.08
Posted in The Hardware Way at 9:23 pm by admin
Build quality:
Some head units are flimsy and weak. Some are built to last. Usually the best way to determine this is by the weight of the unit. Also, check to see if anything doesn’t “fit”, or if there are parts that are cheap or flimsy. The truth is this: The bigger name units tend to be better. Also, the more expensive units tend to be better. This isn’t always a big deal for everyone, but I believe that build quality is very important.
Basic Head Unit Features:
Power output:
Most head units have built-in amplifiers. These drive the speakers. Some head units do not have internal amps, and therefore, require the use of an external amp. Head units without amps are usually high-end models. Anyway, power is measured in WATTS. We’ll talk more about watts later, but for now, just see more watts as more volume. Most head units (unfortunately) are deceptive about the power output. Usually, the power output spec on a unit will say “50Wx4 MAX output”. This means that when the laws of physics are on your side, it’s a clear day everywhere in the world, the planets are aligned, the bass hits really really low and hard, and for about a tenth of a second, yeah, your head unit will put out 50Wx4. However, most of the time, your head unit is probably putting out a quarter of that. It’s not that the head unit manufacturer is lying, it’s just that they are exaggerating the truth, AND MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW BETTER. So, anyway, many people put a lot of importance on a head unit’s power output. I don’t because head unit amps suck, and no serious car audio person uses the head unit’s amp anyway. Most head unit brands have about the same power output anyway. 9 times out of 10, an aftermarket head unit will put out more power than your factory head unit, and as such, will sound better.
RCA Preouts:
These are used to connect external amps to your head unit. These are the same red and white cables that you use for your home system. Basic head units usually have one set of preouts (front left, front right). Some head units have two sets (front left, front right, rear left, rear right), but most decent head units have 3 sets (front left, front right, rear left, rear right, subwoofer left, subwoofer right). One quick note about subwoofer outputs: Sometimes they’re called “non-fading” outputs because they are not effected by the head unit’s fade control (front to back balance). If you’re not planning on adding an external amp, you don’t need to worry about RCA pre-outs. If you want to add an external amp (or amps), I would always recommend getting a unit with three pre-outs.
RCA Pre-out voltage:
Usually this spec is next to pre-out spec. It is measured in VOLTS (which we’ll go over later). Basically, the higher the voltage, the LOUDER the music will be at your amp. Don’t look at this as “free power” because it is not. In addition, the higher the voltage, the less noise that will be introduced to your system. Again, this spec doesn’t matter if you don’t plan on using an external amp. If you do plan on using an external amp, try to find the HIGHEST voltage you can. 2 volts is basic, 4 is standard for a good unit, sometimes you’ll see units with 5 volts. I know Eclipse units have 8V(!) pre-outs. In short, more voltage=less noise and cleaner sound.
Digital time correction:
This is used to simulate a perfect stereo environment. If you’re at home listening to music, you want to situate yourself in the middle of the two speakers to get the best sound. The same is true in the car, EXCEPT that it’s a hell of a lot more difficult. Usually, the passenger side speaker will be farther from your ear than the driver side. Since sound travels fairly slow (comparfed to light), you’ll have one ear receiving a portion of sound before the other ear. The digital time correction delays the music slightly so your ears will be perceiving the same music at the same time. This is a very important feature if you are planning an SQ system.
Crossover:
This feature is incorporated into many components in a car audio system. If your head unit doesn’t have it, don’t worry. Just be sure your amps have it. Basically, this makes sure the right speakers are playing the right sounds. I will go into more detail about crossovers later.
Equalizer aka EQ:
This feature allows you to tweak the sound. The most basic EQ is a two-band, and controls BASS and TREBLE. Some head units have 3-bands, BASS, MIDS, TREBLE. More advanced head units have 5-band EQs. If you are serious about tweaking your sound to perfection, you won’t use your head unit’s EQ; You will get an external unit, and some of these units have 30 bands! I will go into much more detail about EQs later.
Theft Deterents/Security Features:
There are a few options when it comes to head unit security:
Detachable Faceplate:
The most common method is a detachable faceplate. Basically, you remove the faceplate of the unit (where the screen and controls are), and the unit won’t function. This will deter thieves, but please don’t leave the faceplate in your car. Thieves know most people do this, and will still break into your car, find the faceplate and steal your head unit.
Password:
Some other units have a password function. When the unit is disconnected from power, then reconnected, the unit will require some sort of password. The unit will not function until the password is provided.
Key CD:
A few units use a key CD. Basically, the first time the unit is used, the unit will ask for a key CD. You insert any CD, and the unit will now designate that CD as the key CD. If the power is disconnected, the unit will ask for the key CD before it will function again.
Black out face:
When the unit is off, the head unit has a completely black face with no visible buttons or controls. Come on. Criminals aren’t so stupid that they can’t see that the head unit still has its face attached.
Hidden faceplate:
This is common for DVD players with screens, and one unit that I used to own, the Alpine CDA-7998. Basically, the face folds into the head unit, and looks exactly like a unit with the faceplate removed. Neat, but the unit is still vulnerable.
In short, all of these tactics are imperfect. Pick the one that makes the most sense to you, however most units only have a detachable faceplate feature.
CD Changer controls/Optional equipment interface:
This is a feature that allows you to connect other peripherals to your head unit. These peripherals are often CD changers, digital music players, satellite radio units, and video equipment. With this feature on your head unit, you’ll be able to add additional capabilities to your stereo system in a convenient way. However, most of these interfaces are only compatible with the same brand. In other words, you’ll need an Alpine head unit with the Ai-net interface connected to an Alpine CD changer with the Ai-net interface.
Remote Controls:
Some head units have remote control capability. This is a handy feature because you can control the headunit without taking your eyes off of the road.
OK, so these are some of the features of head units. Now, let’s look at the specs of specific types of head units.
Tuner Features:
Most head units have AM/FM capability built in. Check out this information on getting the best AM/FM performance possible.
Presets: This feature allows you to save your favorite radio stations, and instantly recall them at the push of a button.
HD Radio: A new radio format that is close in sound quality to CDs. Basically, a radio station broadcasts their usual programming, but with an additional signal that can be received by units with “HD radio” capability. The availability of units with this feature is still small, and most radio stations haven’t yet embraced the technology. I do expect this technology to take off, however because the sound quality is better, and not everyone wants to pay for satellite radio.
RDS: AKA “Radio Data System”. A new feature for FM radios. This technology makes it possible for radio stations to transmit text to your receiver. This text can be used to show the station title or the artist name, and other information.
FM Sensitivity: The ability of your unit to tune into a weak signal
FM Selectivity: The ability of your unit to reject interference from other stations.
FM Stereo Seperation: The ability of a tuner to recreate the proper left/right channel sepearation.
CD Players:
CD-R/CD-RW Playback: This feature guarantees that your unit will play a CD-R or CD-RW that was made with a CD recording device.
CD-Text: This feature displays CD text information that is encoded on some CDs. This information includes artist names, song titles and album titles.
MP3/WMA/iTunes Playback: This spec assures you that certain digital file formats can be played back on certain units.
ID3 Tag Display: Displays text (such as song title and album name) encoded into MP3 files.
DAC: Digital to Analog converter. This device takes the digital signal from your CD, and turns it into an analog signal for your amp. The better your DAC, the more “real” your sound will be.
CD Frequency Response: The range of frequencies that the CD player can reproduce. It should at least cover the 20hz-20,000hz range.
Electronic Shock Protection: This feature prevents your CDs from skipping. If your head unit doesn’t offer this, don’t buy it. However, most players have it, and technology has gotten pretty good lately, so it’s unlikely that you’ll have any problems with skipping.
Signal to noise ratio (s/n): A measure of how well a CD player silences noise. The higher the rating, the less noise.
Zero Bit Detect mute: When the CD player detects a series of 0’s on the CD (such as between songs), it will automatically mute the output. This feature isn’t really important, but is often advertised.
Oversampling: The CD Audio format has a resolution of 16 bits, with a sampling rate of 44.1khz. What the hell does that mean? I really don’t know, but think of a digital picture. Zoom in really close to this picture, and you see pixels. Think of each pixel as a sample. When you increase the pixels, you increase the sharpness and quality of the picture. When a CD player has oversampling, it takes the 44.1khz, and turns it into a bigger number. More samples=More realistic sound. Confused? I know. I am too, but a unit with oversampling will sound better than one without. Of course, the good news is that pretty much every unit these days has this feature.
Tape decks:
Auto Reverse: A feature that will automatically play the reverse side of a tape at the end of a side.
Dolby noise reduction: There are many Dolby technologies incorporated into tape decks. Most of these features exist to lower tape hiss, and raise the signal to noise ratio.
Frequency response: Again, the frequencies the tape deck respond to. Normal human hearning is from 20 to 20,000 hz.
Wow and flutter: This spec tells you how stable the tape deck playback speed is.
Now that you know some of the features of head units, you are ready to buy the right unit for YOU.
Alan Bayer is an entrepreneur and Car Audio enthusiast. He currently resides in some lame suburb in northern California.
He owns an eBay business http://stores.ebay.com/honest-aebs-autosound/, and the website http://www.honestaebs-caraudio.com/.
I also have a newsletter at my website. Check it out!
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03.23.08
Posted in The Hardware Way at 9:09 pm by admin
As the name suggests, touch screens are touch sensitive units that are controlled by touching the screen. That means you can manipulate the display with a finger or with a stylus. Touch screen is basically a method of inputting and displaying data from a computer on the same screen.
Touch screen has gained acceptance as the popular choice for enterprises ranging from restaurants to medical centers. The highlights of touch screen technology include outstanding clarity coupled with high durability.
The four common touch screen technologies include the resistive, capacitive, infrared and acoustic wave. Resistive touch screen is the most versatile of these technologies, and it finds wide applications in communication devices, food services and industrial process control and instrumentation, to name a few. For the Capacitive touch screen, the salient feature is its resistance to scratching. Capacitive touch screens are extremely durable and contaminant resistant. They are a popular choice for industrial applications, such as ATM, industrial equipment and gaming machines. You can operate them with a finger or a stylus and they are ideal for outdoor locations because they are impervious to moisture, dirt and grease. Acoustic Wave technology finds high acceptability in medical applications because of its high optical clarity and accuracy.
Before deciding which technology meets your requirements, do a thorough analysis of your business application needs. You’ll need the help of professionals who can guide you about the advantages and disadvantages of each technology.
One thing to consider before your purchase is the possibility of contamination since the finger usually operates the monitors. For this reason, manufacturers also provide a stylus along with the monitors. You may prefer to operate the monitors using gloves or a stylus.
Industrial Monitors provides detailed information about industrial monitors, flat panel industrial monitors, industrial LCD monitors, industrial monitor manufacturers and more. Industrial Monitors is the sister site of Cheap LCD TVs.
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03.18.08
Posted in The Hardware Way at 11:23 am by admin
Computers often break down at the worst of all times. These problems can be averted, or at least minimized with preventive maintenance. Several methods of keeping computer hardware in good working order deal with the external components of the computer, such as the keyboard and monitor. For example, it is important to keep the processor away from excess heat and moisture. There are also computer hardware preventive maintenance software programs that can help with the upkeep of other internal aspects of a computer.
While it is rare to find a CMMS that works on all of a computer’s hardware, many different programs can be utilized simultaneously. Some computers have periodic automatic updates available that can be downloaded and used to improve the computer’s performance. Other software programs, known as disk defragmenters, manage hard drive space so that software programs take less time to access. Programs known as hardware diagnostic utilities can check the computer’s hardware components and alert the user about any potential failures. Since some new hardware will not always work on all computers and could cause existing hardware to malfunction, it is important to have a CMMS program to ensure that the new hardware is compatible with existing hardware.
Antivirus programs are another important component of computer hardware preventive maintenance software. Computer viruses have become increasingly common in recent years and can render a good computer useless. While computer viruses mainly attack software programs, they can ruin hardware as well. Several manufacturers make reliable antivirus software. A couple of well-known companies are Norton and McAfee. As with much preventive maintenance software, these programs are usually available for a free trial period before the user must pay a subscription fee.
Computer hardware preventive maintenance software is necessary to keep computers in good working order. This software manages aspects of computer hardware that would be difficult and time-consuming for even the most computer savvy users.
Preventive Maintenance Software Info features detailed information on preventive maintenance software for health care and correctional institutions, computer hardware, and personal assets, as well as reviews of preventive maintenance software companies. Preventive Maintenance Software Info is the sister site of Fleet Maintenance Software Web.
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03.17.08
Posted in The Hardware Way at 11:38 pm by admin
You would think with all the zest humans have for the next great thing, that once it comes along, we might appreciate it more. But the only thing that comes faster then new technology, is how soon people move on to the next thing. The phone was one of the greatest inventions ever. You would think that when it came along, that people fell in love with it. Imagine, being able to talk to people that you normally couldn’t speak to, unless they came for a visit. Being able to keep in touch with family and friends that lived far away. How could people ever tire of answering their phones? Well, they did grow tired of answering the phones, and apparently in a big way.
For every problem, we would like to have a solution, and the solution for that ringing phone that you can’t, or don’t want to pick up, is the answering machine. The phone was invented in 1876. In 1898, a Danish inventor named Valdemar Poulsen, was given a patent for a machine he called a telegraphone. This was widely considered the first piece of equipment that could magnetically record sound and reproduce it. Valdemar later designed a model that could answer the phone and record a message, automatically. And thus, the telephone answering machine had arrived.
In the 1920s, the telephone service providers in Europe and the U.S. had different ways of looking at the use of answering machines. In Europe, the market was wide open and many inventors were trying to take part in this new field. But the U.S. market appeared closed. AT&T had a monopoly and actually banned the use of early versions of answering machines on the public network. They only allowed them to be used on private or independent systems.
AT&T kept fighting to protect its monopoly, but the end of World War II brought change. The FCC was under pressure from inventors, so in 1949, they ruled that automatic answering machines could be used on AT&T lines, but there were restrictions on which machines could be used and who controlled their use. Realizing their fate, AT&T began offering answering machines to their customers by 1951. Even though Europe took a liking to the answering machine, before the U.S., by the 1960s the U.S. market for answering machines was probably larger then Europe.
The 1970s saw the answering machine become cheaper and cheaper because of the use of microelectronics. The 1980s saw answering machines flood into the market; most were made by Asian firms, or made by them and sold under U.S. trade names. Since the 1980s, the number of U.S. homes with answering machines have leveled off.
Nowadays, the answering machine is used less to record calls and used more to screen calls. Telemarketers have gotten out of hand. They call people every hour of the day, even on weekends and you throw in the internet, where apparently private information is there for public viewing, no one knows who’s calling. The answering machine is being used more as a utility for safety, then it is for its original intended purpose; which I think was to record calls from people we actually wanted to speak to.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Answering Machines
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