How The Evolution of Sensors On Smartphones Makes Life Easier

Image courtesy of Ian Lamont at Flickr.com

Smartphones have truly evolved the way we interact with technological devices. To the point that we no longer have to press buttons, but instead they can interact by simply looking into the camera. At the same time, we sometimes touch the screen or parts of the device but technology has allowed this contact solely to identify users based on fingerprints. Sensors on phones has also promoted the use of cellphones in many everyday activities like doing exercise, traveling journals, or even to keep track of the temperature. All or at least some of these are common on most smartphones nowadays and the way they seamlessly make our lives a bit easier is amazing. Phones have come a long from advances in 4G networks, which you can read more about on the Don Burns Blogspot, to high camera definition. Sensors have evolved along with smartphones and that’s why today we can enjoy easy to use and practical tools for our everyday life. 

Today’s smartphones have a variety of sensors that expand the applications we give to smartphones themselves, ranging from the user interface to environmental ones. The user interface has the very recognized touchscreen and gesture recognition that allows us to zoom in and out. The display, with its sensors, can identify ambient light, proximity and RGB or color balance. In terms of health and fitness, smartphones now have sensors that can measure your heart rate and its variability. Motion tracking is a popular feature on smartphones allowing people to use services like GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer. The camera also has sensors allowing it to capture HD images, Laser auto focus and automatic RGB lighting adjustments. Cell phones can also measure the environment keeping track of humidity, air quality, and UV lighting. The newer models are almost all coming with integrated biometric features like fingerprint and a new one the iris scan. Many people are now carrying around only their cell phone instead of their wallet with different advances in payment methods with NFC and magnetic features. Finally, the audio also has special sensors that allow the active noise cancellation and the microphone, which of course we are all familiar with.

Display sensor’s evolution

Ambient light sensors (ALS) measures light to determine how the human eye reacts to the light that is visible in a 390-700 nm wavelength range. Since this piece of equipment is able to sense light similar to the way the human eye does, it is critical for the cell phone to have an accurate light measurement. So these are the sensors that are used to adjust the brightness of your screen, they determined power saving modes and improved the overall experience of the users. From here touchscreens brought new challenges that these sensors needed to help with. Since when a call is placed the screen has to be disabled, now it was necessary to include IR proximity features. This would be the most cost effective and reliable solution and the growth of the smartphones proved that these solutions truly optimized them in a big way. From here on, more needs emerged like the necessity of recognizing RGB lights and its different varieties to make for more realistic and vibrant images. The sensors that allow all of this have evolved from photodiodes and phototransistors all the way to future solutions like aperture reduction, biosensors and advanced color sensors. The evolution of the light sensors has truly brought to life the interaction of smartphones with any environmental lighting.

Biometrics made phones safer

Image courtesy of Vernon Chan at Flickr.com

The constant need for upping the security on our smartphones, which now carry more and more information about ourselves and our families, gave way to biometric tech and this integration seems to have been a match made in heaven. In its evolution, it has not been without inconveniences. It mainly faced two big obstacles: seeing biometrics as an isolated piece of technology and the habit of not recognizing identity and security as a vital part of the future in technology. The Internet of Things, IoT, is yet another application that could bring together all of our information and personal data. As integrations of biometrics become more common there will be a need to make security and identity a priority. This helps us move beyond the traditional password security measures and helps us turn our smartphones into a larger part of our lives, generating more confidence for financial transactions, promoting healthy lifestyles, and at the end of the day access to our data in an easy way.

What will the future bring?

The future will only continue to bring more integrations of sensors that will allow smartphones to offer more features that make their users become more dependent on them due to their ease and security. The expansion of ultra-wideband radio, WiFi and Bluetooth into a slow transition towards 3D radio imaging. This will easily allow people location, even inside a building, along with information like what’s actually going on inside around the person.

Beware the man in the middle attack

Image courtesy of Charis Tsevis at Flickr.com

MITMA is an attack where a user gets between the sender and receiver of information and sniffs any information being sent. In some cases, users may be sending unencrypted data, which means the man-in-the-middle (MITM) can obtain any unencrypted information. The attacker secretly intercepts and relays messages between two parties who believe they are communicating directly with each other. The attack is a type of eavesdropping in which the entire conversation is controlled by the attacker. Sometimes referred to as a session hijacking attack, MITM has a strong chance of success when the attacker can impersonate each party to the satisfaction of the other. Man-in-the-middle attack is also known as a bucket brigade attack, or sometimes Janus attack in cryptography. One way that an attacker can pull-off a MITM attack in a place where public Wi-Fi is available is to create a fake Wi-Fi hotspot, which uplinks to the public place´s Wi-Fi. Then, the attacker can use a tool to intercept SSL connections. To protect against a MITM attack, the client should check that the server's certificate. This can be done by way of certificate pinning.

MITM attack could involve distributing malware that provides the attacker with access to a user’s Web browser and the data it sends and receives during transactions and conversations. Once the attacker has control, he can redirect users to a fake site that looks like the site the user is expecting to reach. Online banking and e-commerce sites are frequently the target of MITM attacks so that the attacker can capture login credentials and other sensitive data.

Don Burns found this clear illustration of a MITM attack:

There are 3 characters in this story: Mike, Rob, and Alex. Mike wants to communicate with Rob. Meanwhile, Alex (attacker) inhibit the conversation to eavesdrop and carry on a false conversation with Rob, behalf on Mike. First, Mike asks Rob for his public key. If Rob provides his key to Mike, Alex intercepts, and this is how “man-in-the-middle attack” begins. Alex then sends a forged message to Mike that claims to be from Rob, but including Alex’s public key. Mike easily believes that the received key does belong to Rob, when actually that’s not true. Mike innocently encrypts his message with Alex’s key and sends the converted message back to Rob.

In another common MITM attack, the attacker uses a Wi-Fi router to intercept user’s communication. This technique can be work out by exploiting a router with some malicious programs to intercept user’s sessions on the router. Here, the attacker first configures his laptop as a Wi-Fi hotspot, choosing a name commonly used in a public area, such as an airport or coffee shop. Once user connects to that malicious router to reach websites such as online banking sites or commerce sites, attacker then logs user’s credentials for later use.

An attacker can also exploit vulnerabilities in a wireless router’s security configuration caused by weak or default passwords. For example, a malicious router, also called an evil twin, can be setup in a public place like a café or hotel to intercept information traveling through the router. Other ways that attackers often carry out man-in-the-middle attacks include Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) spoofing, domain name system (DNS) spoofing, Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) mangling, port stealing, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) spoofing, traffic tunneling and route mangling. When we need to pass information along to someone, different things help us verify with whom we’re speaking. To verify the identity, you can follow some of this precautions:

Image courtesy of Sarah at Flickr.com

SSL creates this virtual trust and establish a secure communication between devices. The idea behind SSL is to protect the communication between the sender and receiver in order to prevent eavesdropping. To achieve this, the parties must be able to validate that the remote party to which they are connected is the intended party. After this validation, the parties create a key that’s used to encrypt all data between them for the session.

Web and non-web applications use certificate validation to establish trust. Unfortunately, some applications skip validation and end up as easy targets for MITM attacks. The primary reason validation is skipped is that the host does not have a signed certificate from a trusted CA. These service credentials are typically used to authenticate the user but could also be used to validate the service. We can use the certificate to create a fingerprint and package this along with both a random and fixed magic number and then encrypt this package with the user’s password. The encrypted file is sent to the server, which can use the stored password to decrypt the file, validate the magic number and check the fingerprint against its certificate. If the fingerprint matches, the server increments the random number and sends that to the client along with the peer certificate’s fingerprint.

Find Out What Happens When the Telecommunications Industry Discovers 3D Printing

Image courtesy of  Malene Erkmann  at Flickr.com

3D printing, or additive manufacturing (AM), has gotten a lot more attention lately, but not from the consumer market. Manufacturing companies are starting to see what kind of applications this new material could have, and of course the low costs, easier manufacturing processes and time efficiency it could bring. A 3D printer can basically print anything that can be made as a 3D digital model, and is being seen like the successor of the production line assembly. Many industries are catching on fast and finding the benefits of using this tech, including the telecommunications industry.

What are 3D printers all about?

The origins of 3D printing can be traced back to the 1980s where many contributions were made including STereoLithography (STL), which is used mainly to create models, patterns, prototypes and productions parts by printing layer by layer using photopolymerization. This process links material with light causing chains of molecules to link together and form polymers. In this time, STL also became the widely recognized file format for 3D printing, which is native to CAD software. 3D printing basically requires three principles: modeling, printing and finishing, and uses a series of processes that give it different end results. In terms of the printers themselves, you’ll also find some variety from industry use printers to consumer ones, and large 3D printers to microscale and nanoscales ones. The applications that it has been used for is where it has grown the most in the last couple of years. This includes manufacturing applications with cloud-based AM, mass customization, rapid manufacturing, research, food and medical applications. In industrial applications you can find products like apparel, vehicles, construction, firearms, medical equipment, computers and robots and space. It has also been included in some sociocultural applications like art, communication, domestic uses, education and research, environmental use, specialty materials and cultural heritage restoration. The objects made from 3D printers are slowly changing the world in more ways than one.

How is 3D printing changing telecommunications?

Fiber Optics

Today’s world would be nothing without fiber optics. It allows us to have internet data, telephone communication and even UAV and military uses by bundling cables across the ocean floors. The role of fiber optics in our world is definitely a huge deal and while traditional fiber optics have been around for decades, there are new technologies that are leading the pack. Making fiber optics can prove to be very expensive to make due to its complexity, but now with 3D printing that might all change. Although 4G is gaining a lot of strength, fiber optics still continues to be the way we communicate from our homes and office. On the Don Burns Blogspot, you can take a look at the future of 4G networks, but for now this new technology of 3D printing is a look into the future. One of the types of new fiber optics that would allow 3D printers to improve on manufacturing times and costs is called Photonic bandgap fiber, which seems to have many benefits overs the traditional fiber. 3D printing will not only open the door to printing these new fiber cables, but also ones that were unimaginable before 3D printing tech came along.

Cell phones

Image courtesy of Creative Tools at Flickr.com

Besides the fiber optics cables, there are now ways to even print yourself a cell phone, the case as well as other accessories. For example, a German telecom agency has now launched a 3D printing website that allows their clients to print their own customized cell phone cases. Similarly, there are sites that allow users to create their own open source cell phone or smart watches. They are printed out layer by layer, with the exception of the circuit board, and can be personalized with its own shell and and skin. 

Other uses

In general, you can use 3D printing to supply materials, software, services and devices in the telecommunications industry in a way that more and more companies are looking to AM to manufacture new technology.

How easy is it to print in 3D?

Nowadays, it has gotten easier to print in 3D than it was before, especially with products like OLO, that even let you print from your phone. By using pre-designed files, or using software to design to your own 3D models, you can make your own products easily. You can also get your company an industrial printer which can get the job done when you need to print a lot of prototypes, products or parts for specific industries. Depending on the type of industrial printer you decide to get the prices can range from less than $49,999 to greater than $1,000,000. It is important to research extensively because today there are many options and it will depend on what you interested in printing. Most industries will find some use for 3D printing and telecommunications is not the exception. Now, it’s just a matter of time while more products start reaching consumers that are made with 3D printers, offering easily customizable products at cheaper prices.

Using Location-Based Services to Make Your Life Easier

Image courtesy of 2Tales at Flickr.com

Today’s apps are all about making our lives easier. You can find apps to do, find or make almost anything. But one of the most popular ones lately have been those that interact depending on your location. Location-based services have been around for a while now, since its origins in 1989 when the first research began that lead to the location-based services that we know today, it has been groundbreaking tech that has allowed people to know exactly where they are located at any given moment. There are many different types of location-based services that are used in the various apps depending on their uses. Although the most known one is GPS, there are other ones that also just as effective. Location-based services can vary from recommending events in a city or knowing what services are nearby to receiving advertisements based on your location. Many apps also use this system to send their customers alerts when they are nearby or if there is important news about surrounding events. The uses can vary greatly, and the reality is that companies are finding more and more ways of using this service to make apps, services and products that can use it to their advantage. We know the internet has changed the game in many aspects from how the Internet of Things has changed how cities work to location-based services, and many other technological advances, which you can always read about on the Don Burns Blogspot page.

First of all, let’s analyze how your phone knows where you are in the first place. The first and most known is GPS, or Global Positions System. This system has been around since the 1990s as an integrated part of cellphones and to this date it is still the best way to know your location when you are outdoors. Since GPS works with satellites, and only once it has connected to three or four will it give you an exact location. In many cases this may take too long, or may simply not happen due to the fact that you are indoors or in the middle of the city where buildings interrupt your satellite signals. In these cases, you could use Assisted GPS. This is basically just a series of tools that are set up to help you get a GPS signal. Although nowadays the same location data can be sent over cellular or Wi-Fi networks, so it becomes a lot faster for the GPS to start up. Assisted GPS still requires data network and time, while it transmits the information to the satellite. Another way is using Synthetic GPS, which uses computing power and forecasts where the satellites will be located days or even weeks in advance. By having this information at hand, a phone can identify its own location in a matter of seconds. All of the above mentioned need at least three satellites to give you your location. Another way of doing it without relying on GPS is to use Cell ID. A phone company can figure out the cell that someone is using and how far they are from other cells. Basically it can use nearby cell towers to pinpoint a person’s location, and is much more precise in urban areas than rural due to the amount of cell phone towers in the area. In the same way, Wi-Fi can also pinpoint a location without the need of GPS. With Wi-Fi you could either use RSSI (received signal strength indication), which is the most common, makes use of your signal strength and the information provided from the Wi-Fi networks’ database to determine your location. The other way to use Wi-Fi is wireless fingerprinting. It basically uses stored information that offers profiles on given locations. You can use this the best when you are located in places that you go to often. This way the fingerprint can be taken and your location can be found very easily. Even though there are more, these are the most popular ways to find your location from your phone.

Image courtesy of slgckgc at Flickr.com

Now, location-based services are used in tons of different types of products, services and apps. So let’s take a look at a few of the most popular ones. Of course, you’ll find social media at the top of the list with apps like Foursquare, GetGlue, Facebook Places and Instagram, just to mention a few. These basically let you share your location with others and let them know where you are and what you are up to. If you’re into shopping, then you’ll love apps like Groupon and Shopkick that will point you in the right direction to get the best offers depending on where you are. If you’d rather get instant information on restaurants or a good movie to watch you’ll really enjoy Open Table, Fandango and Yelp. By checking in at a location and sharing your thoughts on it, your helping other users make up their mind about what they want to do. Finally, location-based services also let you get fit, by including it in wearable tech it can keep track of the distances, speed and other metrics that can help you get into shape in no time.

What You Need To Know About Augmented Reality

Image courtesy of Wangxiang Tuxing at Flickr.com

Here in Don Burn’s Blogspot, we like to keep you up to date with the latest and greatest of upcoming and new telecommunication technologies, so you are always aware of what’s going on in this always changing fast-paced world of hi-tech developments. 

Augmented reality is a concept that we have been hearing a lot about lately. What is it? What does it mean for me? What aspects of our life is augmented reality able to influence and change?

According to Wikipedia, “Augmented reality (AR) is a live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented (or supplemented) by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data.” This means that technology in a way enhances our views, concepts and perceptions of reality, as opposed to Virtual Reality (VR), which completely replaces it with an entirely simulated world.

Augmented reality adds graphics, sounds, tactile interaction and smell to the natural world as it exists. This in itself, is enough to let the imagination of developers run wild with ideas on how the human experience can be enhanced in pretty much all aspects of how we interact with the world around us. People in all walks of life can be greatly benefited by AR, from soldiers in a battlefield to tourists visiting a new city or children learning in a classroom.

In Hollywood films we have seen approximations to augmented reality that today have become gadgets that we can get at any electronic store and that continue to transform into more amazing examples of what this technology can do it. The use of HUD (Heads-Up Display) is not something new anymore, but new advances to augmented reality are putting these types of display to good use in eyewear, windows, glass displays and can windshields to name a few. From education to manufacture and gaming, the world seems to be at a turning point for augmented reality assimilation.

A recent study predicted that by the end of 2016, revenue produced by the AR Industry would total more than $600 billion. This study also determined that in 2014, approximately 864 million mobile phones will be AR-ready, and in excess of 100 million vehicles will come equipped with AR tech. Knowing this makes it more than clear, that augmented reality will have a profound impact in our world over the next decade.

Augmented Reality in Medicine.

One of the most amazing implementations of AR in medicine comes probably from one of the most simple uses of the technology, remote viewing. Using Google Glass, doctors are able to perform surgery and stream to thousands of students throughout the world from a first-person perspective. 

This type of applications are highly advantageous considering the steep learning curves and the valuable insight that can be give to many learners at once considering there are 143 million simple operations need to be performed annually, and that requires need 2.2 million surgeons, aestheticians, and obstetricians.

Augmented Education.

The advantages are countless. AR allows for teachers to capture the undivided attention of students by implementing AR technologies in the classroom. Students can access in their own devices class materials, interactive prototypes, models, illustrations and supplementary learning tools that will make them appropriate lessons in a more effective manner. The fact that with a simple scan of their phone, students can access so much information linked to each other, ensures a higher retention level of the information presented in class and foster the intellectual curiosity of a generation that is more familiar everyday with this type of devices and initiatives.

Entertainment.

Image courtesy of Eduardo Woo at Flickr.com

Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the past few weeks, you must have heard of Pokémon Go, the amazing app developed by Niantic. The idea started as an April Fool’s Day joke that merged Google Maps with the popular game Pokémon by Nintendo.

Pokémon Go is a game that encourages you to get out in the real world and use your mobile phone to catch Pokémon using the implementation of augmented reality. (Pokémon, for those who don’t know it, are collectible creatures that players use to battle one another. They debuted in gaming consoles by Nintendo in 1996, and in the early 2000’s they also populated an animated cartoon and stacks of playing cards). Only two days after being released, Pokémon Go has been installed on 5.16% of Android phones in the United States. In less than a week it has become the most downloaded app in Apple’s App Store.

Until now, no other augmented reality app has gone mainstream, let alone in such massive way as Pokémon Go, which means that even if we don’t care about this little creatures at all, we must look forward with hopeful eyes to what developers are planning next knowing the amazing response from people towards this type of apps.

The importance of email and server encryption security

Clinton’s Email Controversy

Image courtesy of Mike Mozart at Flickr.com

Recently, former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed her use of a personal email address and private email server while in office. A Salt Lake City computer security firm, determined that access to the server she used, was not encrypted or authenticated with a digital certificate, and in this conditions, someone could easily intercept communications because they are not being encrypted. Even worst, long term is a possibility if hackers obtained Clinton’s compromised credentials and used them to continue accessing her email archive. During that three month window during which Clinton’s email server lacked encryption, she visited countries and places such as Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, China, Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Belgium, Switzerland, Turkey and Mexico. Some of this countries are known to operate and monitor network communications. “It’s highly unlikely that a person of that importance isn’t being targeted by people who want to gain access to the computational devices in her possession,” said John Kindervag, an analyst at Forrester Research. This is why it is important to have digital certificates in official communications. Clinton's use of a personal email account, tied to the private server at her family's New York home, has become one of the most potent scandals dogging her presidential campaign. It prompted questions about whether she was trying to skirt transparency laws, whether her actions had contributed to breaches of national security, and whether she and her aides understood the technical risks of the arrangement. The private server also allowed people to remotely access and configure it, a feature that poses a serious security threat if improperly configured.

The server that Hillary Clinton used to conduct official business as secretary of state lacked one of the most basic and important security features. The server setup, which consisted of two computers running antivirus programs, lacked a digital certificate to authenticate and encrypt its email communications. Website operators install digital certificates on their servers to authenticate their sites. The certificates pair with cryptographic keys and allow Web browsers to start secure browsing sessions, which scramble transmitted data in a way that makes it more difficult for third parties to intercept. Don Burns informs that you can recognize a website whose owner has installed a security certificate, by seeing a lock icon near your browser's address bar, and the Web address contains the "https" prefix. The Hillary Clinton email controversy has thrust email security into the spotlight. However, is protecting the servers enough, or is it necessary to start encrypting emails too?

Man in the Middle

Securing mail servers with Digital Certificates is important, because without one there is no way to identify that the mail server you are connecting to is actually the correct mail server and emails sent between your browser or email client and the server are not encrypted and could be intercepted. Without a certificate, you are open to a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack. But it is important to know that a server certificate will protect your emails in transit to and from your server, and nothing to protect your emails as they pass through other servers, or protect emails a rest in the email systems.

Email Encryption

Image courtesy of Intel Free Press at Flickr.com

Encryption can be difficult for users, which is why there are automatic processes for employees and executives by using encryption appliances and services, routing emails through a gateway appliance that has been configured to ensure compliance with regulatory and security policies.

Email encryption protects the content from being read by other entities than the intended recipients. Most emails are currently transmitted without being encrypted. There are some available tools, which allows persons other than the designated recipients, to read the email contents. This encryption can rely on public-key cryptography, in which users can each publish a public key that others can use to encrypt messages to them, while keeping secret a private key they can use to decrypt such messages or to digitally encrypt and sign messages they send.

Most full featured email clients (like Apple Mail, Microsoft Outlook and Mozilla Thunderbird) provide native support for S/MIME secure email (digital signing and message encryption using certificates). Other encryption options include PGP and GNU Privacy Guard.

In addition to encryption, you can add digital signatures to your emails, to ensure authentication and data integrity. This means not only can you protect your emails from falling into the wrong hands, prove that your email actually came from you. The digital signature is applied with your private key and verified with your public key, which are unique to you. In plain words, the purpose of email authentication is to validate the identities of the participants. The results of such validation can then be used in email filtering, and can clue recipients in about what kind of reaction or reply a message deserves.

How The Internet of Things Will Continue to Shape Smart Cities

Image courtesy of WeMake Milano at Flickr.com

Nowadays, technology is such a big part of who we are that everything is being affected, down to the simple things we do on a daily basis. Everything from how your home, companies and even cities. The Internet of Things (IoT) is how different devices, vehicles, homes and other technological objects interact with each other via internet, sensors and software in a way that allows users to exchange data between them. This new infrastructure is becoming a part of our world by including objects that can be controlled remotely via an already existing network infrastructure. This opens the door to a whole range of integrations that will not only bring on efficiency, but accuracy and economic benefit. All of this leads to smart grids, intelligent transportation, smart homes and of course smart cities. It continues to grow more and more as the years pass and these integrations are truly becoming part of our lives. Of course our present lives and for sure the future has been affected greatly by virtual reality and other technologies, but we cannot leave out one of the most influential and maybe even one of the biggest technological advances to be expected in the near and far future: IoT. Focusing on cities, making them “smarter” basically comes down to integrating places in the city and activities that we do on a daily basis, in an automated manner that interact with us via internet, sensors and other electronic devices to control and facilitate them. Here are a few examples, which you can explore in more detail in a future post on the Don Burns Blogspot site. 

First of all, let’s clarify what a smart city really is. This urban development will bring together a variety of technological elements that offer solutions so as to manage more effectively a city’s assets. This could include things like a school, library, law enforcement, waste management, power plants, among others. The main goal, as is true with the IoT, is to improve the quality of life of the people who live in these smart cities. This will basically happen once services are made as efficient as possible through the established networks.

Street lighting

By simply detecting a pedestrian and vehicles presence with a special device, this technology can adjust its outdoor lighting control system. This technology will allow the lights to adjust automatically based on the real need to make use of the light. This will not only save money, but create just the right environment depending on those present at the moment.

Parking

This one has had a few different advancements that will allow you easier access to parking be it indoors, on the street or automated valet parking. Smart parking allows cities to save space, be environmentally friendly, security and of course safety. The actual installation process can be quite easy as well. The way of using it is very easy as well, with a simple either key card or code you can get the system to retrieve your car making it time efficient. Not like today when some still have issues locating it in those huge parking lots.

Waste management

There are a few technological advances out there that allow cities to dispose of their waste in a lot faster and easier way. One example is Bigbelly, which is a smart waste and recycling system. It will program pickups based on data that is collected via a cloud-based system. This same system will be able to avoid overflows, and generate all kinds of notifications that can help prevent messes and become more efficient with pickups and disposals.

Structural health

Building will wear away with time, but right now knowing when to make modifications or changes is left to visits made by specialized companies. This can be very time consuming, not to mention imprecise. With smart technologies, vibrations, material conditions and any other important condition can be monitored in real time to avoid any catastrophes. By having this data, it can also allow companies to make remodeling plans a lot more efficient and exact.

Traffic and Smart roads

Image courtesy of jonbgem at Flickr.com

Vehicles are not the only ones getting integrated with tons of cool features from turning on the car with your cell phone to self parking vehicles. Roads and monitoring of road conditions is also on board with IoT. Smart roads will be able to offer warning messages, climate conditions, and detours when necessary. They can also adjust to offer more lighting when driving at night and send alerts when you are in need of assistance. 

There are actually more cities than you’d imagine taking the lead as the smart cities of the future today like Laguna Croatá, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Stockholm, among others. To stay up to date you can even visit events to find out more.

How The Internet of Things Will Continue to Shape Smart Cities

Image courtesy of WeMake Milano at Flickr.com

Nowadays, technology is such a big part of who we are that everything is being affected, down to the simple things we do on a daily basis. Everything from how your home, companies and even cities. The Internet of Things (IoT) is how different devices, vehicles, homes and other technological objects interact with each other via internet, sensors and software in a way that allows users to exchange data between them. This new infrastructure is becoming a part of our world by including objects that can be controlled remotely via an already existing network infrastructure. This opens the door to a whole range of integrations that will not only bring on efficiency, but accuracy and economic benefit. All of this leads to smart grids, intelligent transportation, smart homes and of course smart cities. It continues to grow more and more as the years pass and these integrations are truly becoming part of our lives. Of course our present lives and for sure the future has been affected greatly by virtual reality and other technologies, but we cannot leave out one of the most influential and maybe even one of the biggest technological advances to be expected in the near and far future: IoT. Focusing on cities, making them “smarter” basically comes down to integrating places in the city and activities that we do on a daily basis, in an automated manner that interact with us via internet, sensors and other electronic devices to control and facilitate them. Here are a few examples, which you can explore in more detail in a future post on the Don Burns Blogspot site. 

First of all, let’s clarify what a smart city really is. This urban development will bring together a variety of technological elements that offer solutions so as to manage more effectively a city’s assets. This could include things like a school, library, law enforcement, waste management, power plants, among others. The main goal, as is true with the IoT, is to improve the quality of life of the people who live in these smart cities. This will basically happen once services are made as efficient as possible through the established networks.

Street lighting

By simply detecting a pedestrian and vehicles presence with a special device, this technology can adjust its outdoor lighting control system. This technology will allow the lights to adjust automatically based on the real need to make use of the light. This will not only save money, but create just the right environment depending on those present at the moment.

Parking

This one has had a few different advancements that will allow you easier access to parking be it indoors, on the street or automated valet parking. Smart parking allows cities to save space, be environmentally friendly, security and of course safety. The actual installation process can be quite easy as well. The way of using it is very easy as well, with a simple either key card or code you can get the system to retrieve your car making it time efficient. Not like today when some still have issues locating it in those huge parking lots.

Waste management

There are a few technological advances out there that allow cities to dispose of their waste in a lot faster and easier way. One example is Bigbelly, which is a smart waste and recycling system. It will program pickups based on data that is collected via a cloud-based system. This same system will be able to avoid overflows, and generate all kinds of notifications that can help prevent messes and become more efficient with pickups and disposals.

Structural health

Building will wear away with time, but right now knowing when to make modifications or changes is left to visits made by specialized companies. This can be very time consuming, not to mention imprecise. With smart technologies, vibrations, material conditions and any other important condition can be monitored in real time to avoid any catastrophes. By having this data, it can also allow companies to make remodeling plans a lot more efficient and exact.

Traffic and Smart roads

Image courtesy of jonbgem at Flickr.com

Vehicles are not the only ones getting integrated with tons of cool features from turning on the car with your cell phone to self parking vehicles. Roads and monitoring of road conditions is also on board with IoT. Smart roads will be able to offer warning messages, climate conditions, and detours when necessary. They can also adjust to offer more lighting when driving at night and send alerts when you are in need of assistance. 

There are actually more cities than you’d imagine taking the lead as the smart cities of the future today like Laguna Croatá, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Stockholm, among others. To stay up to date you can even visit events to find out more.

How The Internet of Things Will Continue to Shape Smart Cities

Image courtesy of WeMake Milano at Flickr.com

Nowadays, technology is such a big part of who we are that everything is being affected, down to the simple things we do on a daily basis. Everything from how your home, companies and even cities. The Internet of Things (IoT) is how different devices, vehicles, homes and other technological objects interact with each other via internet, sensors and software in a way that allows users to exchange data between them. This new infrastructure is becoming a part of our world by including objects that can be controlled remotely via an already existing network infrastructure. This opens the door to a whole range of integrations that will not only bring on efficiency, but accuracy and economic benefit. All of this leads to smart grids, intelligent transportation, smart homes and of course smart cities. It continues to grow more and more as the years pass and these integrations are truly becoming part of our lives. Of course our present lives and for sure the future has been affected greatly by virtual reality and other technologies, but we cannot leave out one of the most influential and maybe even one of the biggest technological advances to be expected in the near and far future: IoT. Focusing on cities, making them “smarter” basically comes down to integrating places in the city and activities that we do on a daily basis, in an automated manner that interact with us via internet, sensors and other electronic devices to control and facilitate them. Here are a few examples, which you can explore in more detail in a future post on the Don Burns Blogspot site. 

First of all, let’s clarify what a smart city really is. This urban development will bring together a variety of technological elements that offer solutions so as to manage more effectively a city’s assets. This could include things like a school, library, law enforcement, waste management, power plants, among others. The main goal, as is true with the IoT, is to improve the quality of life of the people who live in these smart cities. This will basically happen once services are made as efficient as possible through the established networks.

Street lighting

By simply detecting a pedestrian and vehicles presence with a special device, this technology can adjust its outdoor lighting control system. This technology will allow the lights to adjust automatically based on the real need to make use of the light. This will not only save money, but create just the right environment depending on those present at the moment.

Parking

This one has had a few different advancements that will allow you easier access to parking be it indoors, on the street or automated valet parking. Smart parking allows cities to save space, be environmentally friendly, security and of course safety. The actual installation process can be quite easy as well. The way of using it is very easy as well, with a simple either key card or code you can get the system to retrieve your car making it time efficient. Not like today when some still have issues locating it in those huge parking lots.

Waste management

There are a few technological advances out there that allow cities to dispose of their waste in a lot faster and easier way. One example is Bigbelly, which is a smart waste and recycling system. It will program pickups based on data that is collected via a cloud-based system. This same system will be able to avoid overflows, and generate all kinds of notifications that can help prevent messes and become more efficient with pickups and disposals.

Structural health

Building will wear away with time, but right now knowing when to make modifications or changes is left to visits made by specialized companies. This can be very time consuming, not to mention imprecise. With smart technologies, vibrations, material conditions and any other important condition can be monitored in real time to avoid any catastrophes. By having this data, it can also allow companies to make remodeling plans a lot more efficient and exact.

Traffic and Smart roads

Image courtesy of jonbgem at Flickr.com

Vehicles are not the only ones getting integrated with tons of cool features from turning on the car with your cell phone to self parking vehicles. Roads and monitoring of road conditions is also on board with IoT. Smart roads will be able to offer warning messages, climate conditions, and detours when necessary. They can also adjust to offer more lighting when driving at night and send alerts when you are in need of assistance. 

There are actually more cities than you’d imagine taking the lead as the smart cities of the future today like Laguna Croatá, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Stockholm, among others. To stay up to date you can even visit events to find out more.

How The Internet of Things Will Continue to Shape Smart Cities

Image courtesy of WeMake Milano at Flickr.com

Nowadays, technology is such a big part of who we are that everything is being affected, down to the simple things we do on a daily basis. Everything from how your home, companies and even cities. The Internet of Things (IoT) is how different devices, vehicles, homes and other technological objects interact with each other via internet, sensors and software in a way that allows users to exchange data between them. This new infrastructure is becoming a part of our world by including objects that can be controlled remotely via an already existing network infrastructure. This opens the door to a whole range of integrations that will not only bring on efficiency, but accuracy and economic benefit. All of this leads to smart grids, intelligent transportation, smart homes and of course smart cities. It continues to grow more and more as the years pass and these integrations are truly becoming part of our lives. Of course our present lives and for sure the future has been affected greatly by virtual reality and other technologies, but we cannot leave out one of the most influential and maybe even one of the biggest technological advances to be expected in the near and far future: IoT. Focusing on cities, making them “smarter” basically comes down to integrating places in the city and activities that we do on a daily basis, in an automated manner that interact with us via internet, sensors and other electronic devices to control and facilitate them. Here are a few examples, which you can explore in more detail in a future post on the Don Burns Blogspot site. 

First of all, let’s clarify what a smart city really is. This urban development will bring together a variety of technological elements that offer solutions so as to manage more effectively a city’s assets. This could include things like a school, library, law enforcement, waste management, power plants, among others. The main goal, as is true with the IoT, is to improve the quality of life of the people who live in these smart cities. This will basically happen once services are made as efficient as possible through the established networks.

Street lighting

By simply detecting a pedestrian and vehicles presence with a special device, this technology can adjust its outdoor lighting control system. This technology will allow the lights to adjust automatically based on the real need to make use of the light. This will not only save money, but create just the right environment depending on those present at the moment.

Parking

This one has had a few different advancements that will allow you easier access to parking be it indoors, on the street or automated valet parking. Smart parking allows cities to save space, be environmentally friendly, security and of course safety. The actual installation process can be quite easy as well. The way of using it is very easy as well, with a simple either key card or code you can get the system to retrieve your car making it time efficient. Not like today when some still have issues locating it in those huge parking lots.

Waste management

There are a few technological advances out there that allow cities to dispose of their waste in a lot faster and easier way. One example is Bigbelly, which is a smart waste and recycling system. It will program pickups based on data that is collected via a cloud-based system. This same system will be able to avoid overflows, and generate all kinds of notifications that can help prevent messes and become more efficient with pickups and disposals.

Structural health

Building will wear away with time, but right now knowing when to make modifications or changes is left to visits made by specialized companies. This can be very time consuming, not to mention imprecise. With smart technologies, vibrations, material conditions and any other important condition can be monitored in real time to avoid any catastrophes. By having this data, it can also allow companies to make remodeling plans a lot more efficient and exact.

Traffic and Smart roads

Image courtesy of jonbgem at Flickr.com

Vehicles are not the only ones getting integrated with tons of cool features from turning on the car with your cell phone to self parking vehicles. Roads and monitoring of road conditions is also on board with IoT. Smart roads will be able to offer warning messages, climate conditions, and detours when necessary. They can also adjust to offer more lighting when driving at night and send alerts when you are in need of assistance. 

There are actually more cities than you’d imagine taking the lead as the smart cities of the future today like Laguna Croatá, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Stockholm, among others. To stay up to date you can even visit events to find out more.

The biggest pros and cons of 4G networks

Image courtesy of JCDecaux Creative Solutions at Flickr.com

Technology changes rapidly nowadays. And mobile technology changes even faster. Mobile networks have been a trend topic since they appeared on the market. Now they are working with 4G networks that bring a totally new game to the market. What are their pros? What are their cons? You are going to find out in this next text where we, alongside Don Burns, analyse the 4G networks and some of its advantages and disadvantages.

Let us first define what 4G networks are so we can then move on to analyse its pros and cons for the market. 4G networks is a collection of fourth generation cellular data technologies which succeed the 3G network and is also called "IMT-Advanced," or "International Mobile Telecommunications Advanced." The 4G network concept was first developed in 2005 in South Korea under the name of WiMAX. It was then spread to several European countries over the next few years. In the United States it appeared in 2009 when Sprint went out of the nutshell to offer a 4G cellular network.

Since 4G networks is a series of networks, as its name says it, all 4G standards must conform to a set of specifications created by the International Telecommunications Union. Download and speed may vary but in the end, 4G networks need to have certain unified terms and conditions in order for it to work around the world. For example, all 4G technologies are required to provide peak data transfer rates of at least 100 Mbps. Also, there is no single 4G standard. The way it works is that different cellular providers use different technologies that conform to the 4G requirements. For example, WiMAX is a popular 4G technology used in Asia and Eastern Europe, while LTE (Long Term Evolution) is more popular in Scandinavia and the United states.

Now that we understand this, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of 4G networks:

PROS:

One of the main advantage of 4G over 3G networks is it amazing speed. It has an increased bandwidth that leads to much faster data transfer speed. These networks allow users to have non-stop connectivity and very fast data transfer for videos, chats and conferences, stream music, videos and movies. Also, all this information is easier to share online with the 4G networks.

The coverage that 4G networks offers is similar to those offered by WIFI connections where there has to be hubs or spots where the signal is retransmitted and where the signal can be captured and used. Well, 4G networks work the same and offer 30 miles coverage and sometimes more.

Image courtesy of Michael Coghlan at Flickr.com

In this connected world, privacy and security are becoming more important as time passes. In WIFI networks the biggest problems are always related to privacy and security, especially in mobile devices. On the other hand, 4G networks offer complete privacy, security and safety. This is beneficial for people that are looking to keep some information private or for business and corporations that handle delicate information and want to retain corporate secrets.

It is an advantage, but honestly, the price is not a key factor in 4G networks. They are affordable, although more expensive than WIFI, but they offer more benefits for the money people pay.

The amounts of plans that can be created with this type of network are very large. Companies take advantage of this as they can offer customers several options on the network, devices and equipment. Many mobile companies offer special introductory offers for new customers that will make them come back to the company and thus to the network.

CONS:

One of the most visible disadvantages of 4G networks are their connectivity limitations as it depends on the region and specific carriers. A lot of big cities around the world have these networks, but it will take some time to get full coverage for the main cities and capitals in the world.

The devices for this technology are cheap and available in the market. This means that equipment needs to be installed and that companies have to include these expenses in their budgets. This is not a con, but only a small setback.

Battery issues are now a big problem in mobile devices. Since 4G mobile networks use multiple antennae and transmitters, the phones will need to use more battery capacity. This would mean larger mobile devices with more battery power so people can stay online for longer periods of time.

4G networks are the rule nowadays, and they are very useful. Some of their disadvantages are now being addressed and overcome. The biggest problem still remains when 4G users have to switch to 3G or WiFi in the areas that do not yet have 4G mobile network coverage. Anyway, 4G still is an amazing system of networks, although they have had minor setbacks since it went live.

Also take a look at this amazing article on Apps and communication advances

What Is The Present And Future Of Virtual Reality?

Image courtesy of pallina60 Loon at Flickr.com

Many experts project 2016 as the year for Virtual Reality. This technology is far from new, yet the most promising advances in the field of virtual reality have been reached and made public in the last few months.

What is Virtual Reality? According to Wikipedia, Virtual Reality is a computer technology that replicates an environment, real or imagined, and simulates a user's physical presence and environment to allow for user interaction. Virtual realities artificially create sensory experience, which can include sight, touch, hearing, and smell.

The way Virtual Reality will be used in the years to come is still a matter of speculation amongst most people. What is true is the fact that current technology has placed the tools necessary for anyone to implement their ideas using Virtual Reality; like in the case of Google’s Cardboard, a downloadable set of instructions to turn any smartphone into a VR headset.

When most people think of Virtual Reality, they think about games and entertainment. It is true that most applications that are known to the public have been made in this area, mostly because we are used to a very rudimentary form of Virtual Reality called 3D movies. 3D movies have been popular for decades due to the immersion they provide to the audience and the enhance experience they create to the senses. Oculus Cinema is an app that already goes a step beyond the magic of 3D allowing users to watch their content as if they were using a virtual screen in a simulated environment, or in some cases, as if they were inside the movie itself. Movie theatres are not the only simulated environments that Virtual Reality is seeking to emulate when it comes to entertainment; a company called LiveLike VR has built a Virtual Reality stadium where you can enjoy matches as if you were sitting on the stands next to your friends, everything from the comfort of your own couch. Concerts and performances are the next step in simulations that can have you watching your favorite bands in a virtually generated environment just by wearing a headset.

The healthcare industry is another area that can be greatly benefited by implementing Virtual Reality tools. These advances go way beyond surgical procedures performed at a distance by a doctor using a headset remotely connected to robotic instruments. Victims of stroke and brain injuries can also reap the benefits of virtual environments that have proven to help gain cognitive functions a lot faster than conventional therapies. Computer generated images can also give doctors an immersive look into the body of patients with the use of VR CAT scans and ultrasound. These imaging techniques can help doctors and surgeons make better decisions when contemplating surgeries and other complicated procedures on patients. Another interesting advancement in the area of healthcare is the use of virtually simulated environments to offer users an alternative for pain relief, stress management and resilience.

The manufacturing industry also sees great promise in the field of Virtual Reality. Virtual prototypes are not new to many industries that deal with engineering in many levels. The creation of VR prototypes can same resources and correct errors before actual products are physically created and assembled, giving manufacturers not only a great financial advantage, but also ensuring the safety of their products and processes.

Education is also being greatly affected in a positive way by the implementation of Virtual Reality solutions. Sites like Universim already offer a huge amount of Virtual Reality educational content available to users of Oculus and Samsung headsets in areas like anatomy, space exploration, history and even business. The immersive experiences provided by virtual-reality headsets can revolutionize education in all fields. Imagine field trips, lab sessions, history lessons, biology and even physical education being enhanced with the use of these amazing tools that are already easily available to everyone.

Image courtesy of Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas 

at Flickr.com

Shopping online is something that has become second nature to all of us. What once was a strange and foreign concept is today as common as going to the store in the traditional way, and even preferred by some. Virtual Reality can change the way customers interact with products and even with the retailers themselves. Instead of using catalogs and web pages, people can actually get a real-time shopping experience accompanied by their loved ones, with the convenience of staying right at home.

The inclusion of Virtual Reality into our daily lives in evident and is growing more and more each day. Places like courtrooms, hospitals and even the way news are delivered will shortly be enhanced by its many advantages, striving to bring us a better quality of life and a different perspective in the way we see and interact with the world around us and bringing us closer to our fellow human beings.

For more information about the way telecommunication technologies continue to change our world, visit Don Burns blog and check out our many articles on the subject.