Archive for the ‘smartphone applications’ Category

Competing in Telecommunications Market with Network Quality Sunday, December 19th, 2010

Few things have caught the fancy of the general public as cell phones have. The ability to communicate on the go, and be available for communication wherever you are, has indeed affected a lot of things. It has improved the ability to earn income and people’s lifestyles.

The popularity has naturally attracted sellers of everything connected with cell phones, including technology developers. As competition increases, sellers try to differentiate themselves through improved quality of their networks. Advancing technology raises user’s expectations and these expectations are often not met.

Terms like 2G and 3G can be seen as referring to network technologies that attempt to meet user expectations increasingly better. GSM is considered a 2G technology, GPRS a 2.5G one, and 3G uses Broadband Wireless network technologies. Each technology improved the speed of data download, i.e. you could get more things to your mobile device within acceptable times.

Phones were devices that enabled you to talk with someone who is beyond a few minutes of walking distance. Now they are devices that enable you to browse the Internet and download music files without having to wait for ever.

Advancing technologies also improved the range of communications. Telephones can now reach even the remotest corners at acceptable costs.

We are presently in the 3G era which has speeds of up to 2 megabytes per second (2Mbps). 4G is visualized as technologies that can reach 100 Mbps.

And 5G is expected to lead to a truly wireless world, connecting the whole world into a borderless community. Using the potentials of nanotechnolgy, cloud computing and network protocols, a new Next Generation Network promises great things.

The 5G NanoCore is a technology and market report that delves into 5G technology of telecommunications.

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Posted in broadband network, cloud computing, information technology, mobile web, smartphone applications, wireless communication | No Comments »

Adapting to Student Lifestyles Tuesday, October 19th, 2010

Universities and colleges are adapting to the current lifestyles of students. For example, students are increasingly using smartphones that enable them to access email, organizer and the Web through the phones. Staff and students can tap the potential of this new device to exchange information and stay connected.

The Pierce College, for example, has developed a number of mobile applications and given them free to its students and others. With these, students can access:

  • Course lists, past, present and future
  • Faculty and staff directories, with contact numbers and details
  • Campus data, including campus overview and directions to the college
  • Pierce college blog

Students can quickly see:

  • Who their faculty members, advisors and financial aid specialists are
  • Their classes and schedules

The college found that students are increasingly using their smartphones to access the college website and portal. As such use becomes commonplace, it becomes possible to get many things done more easily and effectively. Conducting research, updating records and collaborating with peers all become easier. More work can be done when you can do things from where you are.

Colleges and universities that choose to deliver information and do other things with these modern devices tend to project an image of leadership and tend to attract better students.

Read about the Pierce College initiative at the Kansascity.com website.

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Posted in education delivery, information delivery, information technology, mobile web, smartphone applications | No Comments »

Information Technology Skills in Demand: The Trend Tuesday, October 12th, 2010

What IT skills will be most in demand in tomorrow’s world?

Universities are exploring the possibility of using the new generation’s fascination with smartphones to advantage. One university is handing out iPads to freshers to research whether and how these can be used for better education delivery. Another university is thinking of co-opting students to develop mobile applications for education.

In Estonia, citizens will be voting through their smartphones.

And of course, much of the Web surfing and e-mail has moved to smartphones.

One can hence conclude that a major skill in demand will be the skill to develop applications for mobile devices and deliver information through them. According to 2010 IBM Tech Trends survey, software professionals expect that application development for mobile devices will surpass all other platforms by 2015.

Another trend noticed by the IBM survey is that cloud computing will overtake traditional on-premise computing. This means a requirement for cloud computing specialists.

Another in-demand skill will be the ability to use social media effectively. Social media like Facebook and Twitter reach a vast audience and businesses will naturally be interested in using this reach to market their products and services effectively.

Business analytics skill to identify what is going on is another critical skill that will be in demand. Much more information is now available through media such as the Web and persons skilled in working with the new analytic tools will find themselves in high demand.

Read about the survey findings at PR Newswire.

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Posted in cloud computing, education delivery, information delivery, information technology, mobile web, smartphone applications, trends | No Comments »

iPhone Application Illustrates Customer Focus Saturday, June 26th, 2010

World Champion pole dancer Felix Cane has launched a pole dancing application for the iPhone. It is reportedly the most comprehensive and advanced pole dancing application for iPhone, with a video catalogue of pole dancing moves and an official terminology released by the Pole Fitness Association. Both pole dancing and iPhone appeals mainly to young people and the targeting is great.

Pole dancing is excellent as a fitness exercise and it is also getting increasing recognition as a mainstream sport, with the news being that it might be included as an official item in Olympic sports. The celebrated release of the application will help more people to get to know this sport that requires strength and skill to master.

The new application was built by Pocket Pole Studio (UK), Pole Fitness Association (Salt Lake City, Utah), Felix Cane Inc. (Orange County, CA) and others. It is designed as a complete reference guide for the sport. It shows movements for the beginner, intermediate and advanced practitioners, rather than scandalous ones. There are also video and picture galleries. It is a professional application and the developers advise that the movements be attempted only under the guidance of a certified trainer.

Read the news release at PRWeb.

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Posted in business, information technology, skills training, smartphone applications | No Comments »

Cell Phones of Tomorrow Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

Miniature laser projectors have become possible with nanotechnology developments. These can lead to phones with mini projectors to project the phone screen on a wall. LG’s Expo projector is an example of a mini projector attached to a phone. Probably, you can load a selected presentation from your corporate intranet and present it to your prospects with nothing more than a phone.

Charging a phone is a hassle especially if you travel internationally with differing standards for electrical plugs. A phone that can be charged with sunlight, using solar panels on the phone, will be a boon (provided you don’t travel to one of the poles during their long nights).

Watch phones are not the normal cell phones with a watch on the screen, but normal-looking watches that are also phones. Some of them even have GPS guiding you to your destination.

And a voice-to-text phone can save you typing your SMSes using the tiny keypads of phones. Instead, just speak your message to the phone and send the SMS. Your speech would have been converted into text which the SMS then sends.

Read about these and other phones at SiliconValleyNano.com.

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Posted in emerging technologies, information technology, smartphone applications, wireless communication | No Comments »

The Missouri University Computer Science Department Meets “Customer” Needs Sunday, March 14th, 2010

Successful businesses are distinguished by their customer orientation. They deliver products with just the right features, features demanded by users. The smartphone application development by the computer science department of Missouri University is a great illustration of how this can be done.

The customers in this case are members of Missouri Students Association. The association places a request for a smartphone application suite with certain specific functionalities, including communications services, dining services, a campus map and campus tour applications. Though a sports application was also requested, the university is not developing it as the sports department prefers to use its outlets to deliver news.

Groups of students at the computer science department are developing the different applications, which will then be consolidated. Again, customer orientation is evident as students are being provided development experience in a real-life environment.

The applications will include specific features that provide real value to students, such as menus, nutrition information and food ingredients at different dining halls in the dining services application. Though starting with iPhone, the applications will be developed to work across as many devices as possible, such as Blackberry, Windows smart phone and the iPad.

Data for the applications is being assembled from concerned sources, such as Dining Services and MU News Bureau.

Altogether, a great example of how to go about product development. See more details at the maneater

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Posted in business, education delivery, information technology, smartphone applications, technology commercialization, training | No Comments »