Wireless Technology News

Issues Plague Air-Traffic Computers

nowhere0225 — Wed, 12 May 2010 08:03:13 +0000

The troubled computer system, called En Route Automation Modernization, has misidentified aircraft and had trouble processing radar information. If the problems continue they could delay the FAA’s NextGen program to replace the current air traffic control system, based on radar technology, with a new system based on GPS technology.

New computers crucial to modernizing the U.S. air traffic control system have run into serious problems and may not be fully operational by the end of this year when the current system is supposed to be replaced, a government watchdog said Wednesday.

The $2.1 billion computer system has misidentified aircraft and had trouble processing radar information , Calvin Scovel, the Transportation Department’s inspector general, told a House panel. Air traffic controllers at a Federal Aviation Administration radar center in Salt Lake City, where the new computers are being tested, also have had difficulty transferring responsibility for planes to other controllers, he said.

Scovel warned that if the problems continue they could delay the FAA’s NextGen program to replace the current air traffic control system, which is based on World War II-era radar technology, with a new system that’s based on GPS technology.

The troubled computer system, called En Route Automation Modernization, is designed to handle aircraft flying at higher altitudes between airports, rather than planes taking off or landing. While not specifically part of the NextGen program, it is a critical underpinning.

The FAA had planned to have ERAM operational in Salt Lake City by December 2009 and at the agency’s 20 other radar centers that handle en route traffic by the end of this year. That’s when the FAA’s contract with IBM to maintain the present computer system expires. The present system relies on a unique computer language called Jovial that is understood by a dwindling number of technicians.

There’s No Hiding Your WLAN from Google

nowhere0225 — Wed, 12 May 2010 08:01:26 +0000

Google claims that its search for WLAN networks has nothing to do with breaking into networks. It is instead intended as a way of establishing local maps of WLAN locations. But Google’s efforts have drawn criticism from consumer advocates, who stress that WLAN operators should always keep their networks encrypted using the WPA2 standard.

Concern is rising about the amount of information that Google and other organizations are collecting about wireless local area networks (WLAN). The latest news from experts brings little comfort: it’s impossible to make your own wireless network completely invisible to others.

All network-ready devices possess a unique identifier. “That’s the MAC address. And the WLAN router transmits it constantly,” explains Juergen Kuri from German computer magazine c’t. The MAC address is necessary for network-capable devices to be able to communicate with each other at all.

Google claims that its search for WLAN networks has nothing to do with breaking into networks, Kuri says. It is instead intended as a way of establishing local maps of WLAN locations. A map of that kind could, for example, allow smartphone users to determine their location independently of GPS, and then use location-specific services. “The WLAN doesn’t provide any location data of its own at all,” Kuri says. It is instead added by the organization searching for WLAN.

The efforts have nevertheless drawn criticism from consumer advocates. Whether this cartography is harmless or not, WLAN operators should always keep their networks encrypted, Kuri emphasizes, “preferably using the WPA2 standard.”

WLAN networks can also be made invisible to some extent. One easy way to discourage amateur hackers from trying to gain access is to prevent them from knowing the network is there at all.

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Wireless Product Equipment – Network Routers, Access Points, Adapters and More

nowhere0225 — Sun, 09 May 2010 10:15:21 +0000

The centerpiece product of many home computer networks is a wireless router. These routers support all home computers configured with wireless network adapters (see below). They also contain a network switch to allow some computers to be connected with Ethernet cables.

Wireless routers allow cable modem and DSL Internet connections to be shared. Additionally, many wireless router products include a built-in firewall that protects the home network from intruders.

Illustrated above is the Linksys WRT54G (compare prices). This is a popular wireless router product based on the 802.11g Wi-Fi network standard. Wireless routers are small box-like devices generally less than 12 inches (0.3 m) in length, with LED lights on the front and with connection ports on the sides or back. Some wireless routers like the WRT54G feature external antennas that protrude from the top of the device; others contain built-in antennas.

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CTL 2go Convertible Classmate PC NL2

nowhere0225 — Sun, 09 May 2010 10:12:47 +0000

Though the focus remains on durability instead of style, the newest generation of Intel’s Classmate line–the 2go Convertible Classmate PC NL2–looks more like a netbook and less like a toy than previous models. And that’s a good thing, since even kids want to look more grown up. Aimed at the education market, this tablet combines great software with a sturdy build and ease of use, all the elements you need for a kidtastic netbook. However, the NL2′s short battery life and hefty $599 price tag will give some parents pause, as should its occasionally unresponsive touchscreen. So is this netvertible worth the investment?

Design

Like previous Classmate PCs, this netbook’s kid-friendly elements take precedence over aesthetics. However, gone is the leathery, Velcro-attached cover. Instead, the gray, rubberized layer encases the whole 10.5 x 7.6 x 1.2-inch system, giving the Classmate a classier air. The rounded corners and tapered edges keep the netbook looking sleek even though it’s bulkier than regular netbooks and only slightly smaller than Dell’s brick of a student netbook, the Latitude 2100. The Classmate NL2 isn’t exactly fashion-forward, but it’s an improvement.

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How multitasking works on a phone

nowhere0225 — Thu, 06 May 2010 08:47:45 +0000

Multitasking! On phones! Everybody does it now. But each smartphone platform does it differently. Here are the various tricky ways that the major platforms try to juggle multiple apps.

The constraints
A smartphone is a computer that fits in your pocket, but it has some constraints that a desktop doesn’t, which make multitasking far trickier (hence the reason we’re even explaining it). Namely, these four resources are constricted, and they’re what mostly shape the way multitasking works on phones:

• Screen real-estate: There’s only so much you can do with a 3-to-4 inch screen at one time
• Battery life: You want your phone to actually last all day, or come close to it, right?
• CPU: It’s slower than anything in a laptop, because of size and battery life
• Memory: There’s not that much of it, also partly because of battery life

This fourth item, a lack of memory, means you can do far fewer things at once; there’s also no disk swap in any of the major OSes, so you can’t use the phone’s actual storage as virtual memory, either. Lack of plentiful RAM is perhaps the most pernicious constraint after battery life, actually.

From a user perspective, multitasking doesn’t work so differently if you move from Windows to Linux to Mac on a desktop. But on a phone, everybody has their own ideas about how to make it work, ranging from leaving things nearly wide open for third-party apps to run willy-nilly (old-school Windows Mobile and BlackBerry) to making things pretty restrictive (iPhone pre-4.0 and Windows Phone 7). Even the common smartphone elements — notifications and fast app switching — can differ wildly from platform to platform. So here’s the gist of how multitasking works on each major smartphone.

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Microsoft Kin One: Fun software, clunky design

nowhere0225 — Thu, 06 May 2010 06:46:21 +0000

The smaller of Microsoft’s new social networking phones (the bigger and stronger model is the Kin Two), the Kin One has a slick and intuitive user interface, but the hardware is middle-of-the-road and the phone can sometimes be sluggish. Additionally, advanced users might be disappointed with some limitations within the operating system. (Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal.)

Decent but unattractive hardware
Priced at $50 with a two-year contract from Verizon, including a mandatory $30 per month data plan (price as of May 4), the Kin One isn’t the most stylish mobile device you’ll ever see: Short and squat, it looks a bit dated.

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The Laybag Leipzig – A cool cushion for your phone

nowhere0225 — Tue, 04 May 2010 06:27:24 +0000

The Laybag Leipzig is a different kind of phone holder. It’s a machine washable bean-bag with small plastic pellets inside. Pop your phone (or portable media player, PSP or whatever) onto the bag and a small lip at the bottom of the bag holds it in place nicely. This is ideal for popping in your car, coat, handbag or pocket and also acts as a stress-reliever if you want

It’s great for watching YouTube videos, catching up with TV shows or watching movies. You can prop the phone up at the right angle and the bag will sit quite happily on any surface – be it your leg, your car seat, your dashboard or your laptop bag on the train home. There’s a range of colours, patterns and types. Here in the UK you can get them from mytrendyphone.com or you can check their site for other countries and retailers…Read Full Story

Windows Mobile to Android. The start of things to come?

nowhere0225 — Tue, 04 May 2010 06:22:18 +0000

Fellow Mobian Matt Miller has written a great article about something that’s unfortunately happening more and more. He’s ditching Windows Mobile. As a long-time user it’s surprisingly the rather fantastic HD2 that’s made him turn. It seems that the fragmented media player experience, the presence of quickly-resized WinMo 6 fields and lack of developer support was just too much.

His preferred device now ? Matt now recommends the Android-powered Nexus One (or heck, why not have the Desire) over the HD2 and has recently had the HTC Incredible too.

As for me ? I’m a Windows Mobile MVP but my primary device now is the Android-powered HTC Hero. Matt, like me, is waiting to see what Windows Phone 7 brings when it appears later in the year… but.. is it already too late? We’ve covered this before, but we’d love to know your thoughts on this. When long-time Windows Mobile fans begin to switch, when HTC are…Read Full Story

Nokia X2

nowhere0225 — Mon, 03 May 2010 17:14:34 +0000

The Nokia X2 is a low cost music phone, priced to sell at just €85 before taxes and subsidy. Despite the low price tag, the X2 comes with a 5 megapixel camera with a flash, a 2.2″ QVGA display, microSD expandable memory, Bluetooth and an FM radio. The X2 has a 3.5mm audio socket, and the camera flash can also be used as a torch.. which is a useful feature.

Nokia’s X-series range is beginning to fill out a little bit now, and you can see common design themes between this phone and the X5 and X3 phones in particular, which show that Nokia is trying very hard to introduce a similar look to this range of handsets.

This is a GSM-only device running the Series 40 operating system, so it’s not as fast or expandable as it looks. However, the X2 does come with the Opera Mini browser, an email client, it can talk to Facebook and it supports EDGE data which is quite a bit faster than plain old GPRS (if your carrier supports it)…Read Full Story

HP to buy Palm for $1.2 billion

nowhere0225 — Mon, 03 May 2010 17:11:01 +0000

We said at the start of the year that Palm’s future was doubtful due to poor sales, and that we couldn’t think of a rival manufacturer who would have space for Palm’s product portfolio in their range. However, we wanted to be proven wrong and this HP-Palm tie-up shows that there is real interest in this company.

HP is hardly an obvious choice as a buyer, although HP are a mobile phone manufacturer with a range of very competent Windows Mobile based iPAQ handsets.. but unfortunately it is a range that has made little market impact, based on a platform that has been in steady decline lately.

The real prize with Palm is not the Pre or Pixi phones, but the WebOS operating system that Palm painstakingly developed over the past few years. WebOS is an excellent platform when it comes to usability, but it lacks applications and Palm’s own devices lack consumer appeal against iPhone class competition.

With proper funding for development, HP and Palm could extend the WebOS platform to a wide range of handhelds,…Read Full Story