Mobile computing

The Galaxy Nexus, capable of web browsing, e-mail access, video playback, document editing, image editing, among many other tasks common on smartphones. A smartphone is a tool of mobile computing.
Telxon PTC-710 is a 16-bit mobile computer PTC-710 with MP 830-42 microprinter 42-column version.

Mobile computing is human–computer interaction by which a computer is expected to be transported during normal usage, which allows for transmission of data, voice and video. Mobile computing involves mobile communication, mobile hardware, and mobile software. Communication issues include ad hoc networks and infrastructure networks as well as communication properties, protocols, data formats and concrete technologies. Hardware includes mobile devices or device components. Mobile software deals with the characteristics and requirements of mobile applications.

Devices

Some of the most common forms of mobile computing devices are as follows.

The existence of these classes is expected to be long lasting, and complementary in personal usage, none replacing one the other in all features of convenience.

Other types of mobile computers have been introduced since the 1990s including the:

Limitations

In-vehicle computing and fleet computing

Many commercial and government field forces deploy a rugged portable computer with their fleet of vehicles. This requires the units to be anchored to the vehicle for driver safety, device security, and ergonomics. Rugged computers are rated for severe vibration associated with large service vehicles and off-road driving and the harsh environmental conditions of constant professional use such as in emergency medical services, fire, and public safety.

The Compaq Portable - Circa 1982 pre-laptop

Other elements affecting function in vehicle:

Security issues involved in mobile

Mobile security or mobile phone security has become increasingly important in mobile computing. It is of particular concern as it relates to the security of personal information now stored on the smartphone.

More and more users and businesses use smartphones as communication tools but also as a means of planning and organizing their work and private life. Within companies, these technologies are causing profound changes in the organization of information systems and therefore they have become the source of new risks. Indeed, smartphones collect and compile an increasing amount of sensitive information to which access must be controlled to protect the privacy of the user and the intellectual property of the company.

All smartphones, as computers, are preferred targets of attacks. These attacks exploit weaknesses related to smartphones that can come from means of communication like SMS, MMS, wifi networks, and GSM. There are also attacks that exploit software vulnerabilities from both the web browser and operating system. Finally, there are forms of malicious software that rely on the weak knowledge of average users.

Different security counter-measures are being developed and applied to smartphones, from security in different layers of software to the dissemination of information to end users. There are good practices to be observed at all levels, from design to use, through the development of operating systems, software layers, and downloadable apps.

Portable computing devices

Main articles: Mobile device and Portable computer

Several categories of portable computing devices can run on batteries but are not usually classified as laptops: portable computers, PDAs, ultra mobile PCs (UMPCs), tablets and smartphones.

Boundaries that separate these categories are blurry at times. For example, the OQO UMPC is also a PDA-sized tablet PC; the Apple eMate had the clamshell form factor of a laptop, but ran PDA software. The HP Omnibook line of laptops included some devices small more enough to be called ultra mobile PCs. The hardware of the Nokia 770 internet tablet is essentially the same as that of a PDA such as the Zaurus 6000; the only reason it's not called a PDA is that it does not have PIM software. On the other hand, both the 770 and the Zaurus can run some desktop Linux software, usually with modifications.

Mobile data communication

Wireless data connections used in mobile computing take three general forms so.[7] Cellular data service uses technologies such as GSM, CDMA or GPRS, 3G networks such as W-CDMA, EDGE or CDMA2000.[8][9] and more recently 4G networks such as LTE, LTE-Advanced.[10] These networks are usually available within range of commercial cell towers. Wi-Fi connections offer higher performance,[11] may be either on a private business network or accessed through public hotspots, and have a typical range of 100 feet indoors and up to 1000 feet outdoors.[12] Satellite Internet access covers areas where cellular and Wi-Fi are not available[13] and may be set up anywhere the user has a line of sight to the satellite's location,[14] which for satellites in geostationary orbit means having an unobstructed view of the southern sky.[7] Some enterprise deployments combine networks from multiple cellular networks or use a mix of cellular, Wi-Fi and satellite.[15] When using a mix of networks, a mobile virtual private network (mobile VPN) not only handles the security concerns, but also performs the multiple network logins automatically and keeps the application connections alive to prevent crashes or data loss during network transitions or coverage loss.[16][17]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mobile computers.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.distraction.gov/stats-and-facts/
  2. ↑ "Hands Free Cell Phones No Safer, Insurance Study Claims". Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  3. ↑ "Study: Distractions, not phones, cause car crashes". CNET. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  4. ↑ "Carputer Articles on Engadget". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  5. ↑ "Gear Diary » The FLY Fusion Pentop Computer Review". 7 October 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  6. ↑ G Rowley, K Barker and V Callaghan “The Questronic Project and the Ferranti MRT 100 A Boon For Survey Research”, The Professional Geographer, Volume 37, Issue 4, pages 459–463, November 1985
  7. 1 2 "Wireless Data Communications for Beginners", Ositech
  8. ↑ Lachu Aravamudhan, Stefano Faccin, Risto Mononen, Basavaraj Patil, Yousuf Saifullah, Sarvesh Sharma, Srinivas Sreemanthula. "Getting to Know Wireless Networks and Technology", InformIT
  9. ↑ "What really is a Third Generation (3G) Mobile Technology", ITU
  10. ↑ LTE Advanced
  11. ↑ Gier, Jim. "Wireless Network Industry Report", Wireless Nets, Ltd.
  12. ↑ "Wi-Fi"
  13. ↑ Mitchell, Bradley. "Satellite Internet"
  14. ↑ "Introduction to Global Satellite Systems", CompassRose International Publications
  15. ↑ Case studies, netmotionwireless.com
  16. ↑ Phifer, Lisa. "Mobile VPN: Closing the Gap", SearchMobileComputing.com, July 16, 2006.
  17. ↑ Cheng, Roger. "Lost Connections", The Wall Street Journal, December 11, 2007.

Bibliography

Further reading

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, April 18, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.