Introduction to Mobile

Computing
 Introduction
• Mobile Computing is a technology that allows transmission of
data, voice and video via a computer or any other wireless
enabled device without having to be connected to a fixed
physical link.

• The main concept involves −

– Mobile communication
– Mobile hardware
– Mobile software
 Mobile communication
• The mobile communication in this case, refers to the
infrastructure put in place to ensure that seamless and reliable
communication goes on.

• These would include devices such as protocols, services,

bandwidth, and portals necessary to facilitate and support the
stated services.

• The data format is also defined at this stage. This ensures that
there is no collision with other existing systems which offer the
same service.
• Since the media is unguided/unbounded, the overlaying
infrastructure is basically radio wave-oriented.

• That is, the signals are carried over the air to intended devices
that are capable of receiving and sending similar kinds of
signals.
 Mobile Hardware
• Mobile hardware includes mobile devices or device components that
receive or access the service of mobility. They would range from
portable laptops, smartphones, tablet Pc's, Personal Digital Assistants.

• These devices will have a receptor medium that is capable of sensing

and receiving signals. These devices are configured to operate in full-
duplex, whereby they are capable of sending and receiving signals at
the same time.

• They don't have to wait until one device has finished communicating
for the other device to initiate communications.

• Above mentioned devices use an

existing and established network to
operate on. In most cases, it would be a wireless
network.
 Mobile software
• Mobile software is the actual program that runs on the mobile
hardware.

• It deals with the characteristics and requirements of mobile

applications.

• This is the engine of the mobile device. In other terms, it is the

operating system of the appliance. It's the essential component that
operates the mobile device.

• Since portability is the main factor, this type of computing ensures

that users are not tied or pinned to a single physical location, but are
able to operate from anywhere. It incorporates all aspects of wireless
communications.
 Mobile Computing
• In today's computing world, different technologies have
emerged. These have grown to support the existing computer
networks all over the world.

• With mobile computing, we find that the need to be confined

within one physical location has been eradicated.

• We hear of terms such as telecommuting, which is being able

to work from home or the field but at the same time accessing
resources as if one is in the office.
• The advent of portable computers and laptops, Personal Digital
Assistants (PDA), PC tablets and smartphones, has in turn made
mobile computing very convenient.

• The portability of these devices ensure and enable the users to

access all services as if they were in the internal network of
their company. For example, the use of Tablet PC and iPads.

• This new technology enables the users to update documents,

surf the internet, send and receive e-mail, stream live video
files, take photographs and also support video and voice
conferencing.

• The constant and ever increasing demand for superior and

robust smart devices has been a catalyst for market share. Each
manufacturer is trying to carve a niche for himself in the
market.
• These devices are invented and innovated to provide state-of-the-art
applications and services. For instance, different manufacturers of
cellular phones have come up with unique smartphones that are
capable of performing the same task as computers and at the same
processing speed.

• The market share for different competitors is constantly being fought

for. For example, the manufacturers of Apple's iPhone OS, Google's
Android' Microsoft Windows Mobile, Research In Motion's Blackberry
OS, are constantly competing to offer better products with each
release.

• The need for better, portable, affordable, and robust technology has
made these vendors to constantly be innovative
• Market figure and statistics show an ever growing need to purchase
and use such devices for either professional or personal use.

• It has also pushed other industry vendors to adopt services that will
provide better services. For example, cellular service providers are
forced to improve and be innovative to capture more subscribers.
This can be in terms of superior services such as high speed internet
and data access, voice and video service etc. Hence the adoption of
different generations of networks like of 2G, 2.5G, 3G, 4G network
services.
• Mobile computing is not only limited to mobile
phones, but there are various gadgets available in the
market that are built on a platform to support mobile
computing. They are usually classified in the following
categories

• Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)

• The main purpose of this device is to act as an
electronic organizer or day planner that is portable,
easy to use and capable of sharing information with
your computer systems.

• PDA is an extension of the PC, not a replacement.

These systems are capable of sharing information with
a computer system through a process or service known
as synchronization. Both devices will access each other
to check for changes or updates in the individual
devices. The use of infrared and Bluetooth connections
enables these devices to always be synchronized.
• With PDA devices, a user can browse the internet, listen to audio
clips, watch video clips, edit and modify office documents, and many
more services. The device has a stylus and a touch sensitive screen for
input and output purposes.
 Smartphones
• This kind of phone combines the features of a PDA with that of a mobile
phone or camera phone. It has a superior edge over other kinds of mobile
phones.

• Smartphones have the capability to run multiple programs concurrently.

These phones include high-resolution touch screens, web browsers that can
access and properly display standard web pages rather than just mobile-
optimized sites, and high-speed data access via Wi-Fi and high speed
cellular broadband.

• The most common mobile Operating Systems (OS) used by modern

smartphones include Google's Android, Apple's iOS, Nokia's Symbian, RIM's
BlackBerry OS, Samsung's Bada, Microsoft's Windows Phone, and embedded
Linux distributions such as Maemo and MeeGo. Such operating systems can
be installed on different phone models, and typically each device can receive
multiple OS software updates over its lifetime.
 Tablet PC and iPads
• This mobile device is larger than a mobile phone or a PDA and
integrates into a touch screen and is operated using touch sensitive
motions on the screen.

• They are often controlled by a pen or by the touch of a finger. They

are usually in slate form and are light in weight. Examples would
include ipads, Galaxy Tabs, Blackberry Playbooks etc.

• They offer the same functionality

as portable computers. They
support mobile computing in a far
superior way and have enormous
processing horsepower. They have
excellent screen resolution and
clarity.
 Advantages
• Mobile computing has changed the complete landscape of our day-to-day life.
Following are the major advantages of Mobile Computing −
• Location Flexibility
• This has enabled users to work from anywhere as long as there is a connection
established. A user can work without being in a fixed position. Their mobility
ensures that they are able to carry out numerous tasks at the same time and
perform their stated jobs.

• Saves Time
• The time consumed or wasted while travelling from different locations or to the
office and back, has been slashed. One can now access all the important
documents and files over a secure channel or portal and work as if they were on
their computer. It has enhanced telecommuting in many companies. It has also
reduced unnecessary incurred expenses.

• Enhanced Productivity
• Users can work efficiently and effectively from which
ever location they find comfortable. This in turn
enhances their productivity level.
• Ease of Research
• Research has been made easier, since users earlier were required to go to the
field and search for facts and feed them back into the system. It has also made it
easier for field officers and researchers to collect and feed data from wherever
they are without making unnecessary trips to and from the office to the field.

• Entertainment
• Video and audio recordings can now be streamed on-the-go using mobile
computing. It's easy to access a wide variety of movies, educational and
informative material. With the improvement and availability of high speed data
connections at considerable cost, one is able to get all the entertainment they
want as they browse the internet for streamed data. This was not possible before
mobile computing dawned on the computing world.

• Streamlining of Business Processes

• Business processes are now easily available through secured connections. Looking
into security issues, adequate measures have been put in place to ensure
authentication and authorization of the user accessing the services.
• Some business functions can be run over secure links and sharing of information
between business partners can also take place.
• Meetings, seminars and other informative services
can be conducted using video and voice conferencing
Travel time and expenditure is also considerably
reduced.
 Mobile Computing - Security Issues
• Mobile computing has its fair share of security concerns as any other
technology. Due to its nomadic nature, it's not easy to monitor the
proper usage.

• Users might have different intentions on how to utilize this privilege.

Improper and unethical practices such as hacking, industrial
espionage, pirating, online fraud and malicious destruction are some
but few of the problems experienced by mobile computing.
• Another big problem plaguing mobile computing is credential
verification. As other users share username and passwords, it poses
as a major threat to security. This being a very sensitive issue, most
companies are very reluctant to implement mobile computing to the
dangers of misrepresentation.

• The problem of identity theft is very difficult to contain or eradicate.

Issues with unauthorized access to data and information by hackers,
is also an enormous problem. Outsiders gain access to steal vital data
from companies, which is a major hindrance in rolling out mobile
computing services.

• No company wants to lay open their secrets to hackers and other

intruders, who will in turn sell the valuable information to their
competitors. It's also important to take the necessary precautions to
minimize these threats from taking place. Some of those measures
include −
– Hiring qualified personnel.
– Installing security hardware and software
– Educating the users on proper mobile computing ethics
– Auditing and developing sound, effective policies to govern mobile computing
– Enforcing proper access rights and permissions
• These are just but a few ways to help deter possible threats to any
company planning to offer mobile computing. Since information is vital,
all possible measures should be evaluated and implemented for
safeguard purposes.

• In the absence of such measures, it's possible for exploits and other
unknown threats to infiltrate and cause irrefutable harm. These may be
in terms of reputation or financial penalties. In such cases, it's very easy
to be misused in different unethical practices.

• If these factors aren’t properly worked on, it might be an avenue for

constant threat. Various threats still exist in implementing this kind of
technology.
 Mobile and Cell Phone Technologies

• First Generation
• Second Generation
• Third Generation
• Fourth Generation
 First Generation
• 1G cellular networks were invented in the 1980s.

• The key idea behind 1G was that the geographical area is divided into cells
(typically 10-25km), each served by a “base station.” Cells are small so that
frequency reuse can be exploited in nearby (but not adjacent) cells. This
allows many more users to be supported in a given area.

• All 1G systems were analog systems popularly known as early cellular phone
technology working in the frequency band of 150 MHz.

• The first commercially automated cellular network (the 1G generation) was

launched in Japan by NTT (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone) in 1979, initially
in the metropolitan area of Tokyo. Within five years, the NTT network had
been expanded to cover the whole population of Japan and became the first
nationwide 1G network.

• Technologies under 1G:

• Mobile Telephone Systems (MTS), Advance Mobile Telephone Systems
(AMTS), Push To Talk (PTT) and Improved Mobile Telephone Service (IMTS).
• Issues with 1G:
• Analog cellular phones are not very secure. Anyone with an all-
band radio receiver connected to a computer can record the
32-bit serial numbers and phone numbers of subscribers when
calling can listen in on any conversation.

• This loophole was exploited in many scandalous ways. There

were also reported thefts of airtime.

• Anyone could collect a large database by driving around and

go into business by reprogramming stolen phones and
reselling them.
 Second Generation
• 2G cellular telecom networks were commercially launched on the
GSM standard in Finland by Radiolinja in 1991.

• 2G used digital signals for voice transmission and had a speed up to

64 kbps. It also provided the facility of Short Message Service (From
now on, referenced as SMS) and used the bandwidth range of 30 -
200 KHz.

• Technologies under 2G:

• 2G comprised of the following Mobile technologies: General Packet
Radio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Global
System for Mobile Communication (GSM) and Enhanced Data Rates
for GSM Evolution (EDGE).
• Some key benefits of 2G Network over its predecessors was that,
Digital Encryption was supported by 2G systems which had higher
penetration efficiency thereby being more efficient on network
spectrum.

• Moreover, 2G introduced several data services for mobile, the most

prominent one being the famous SMS text messages.

• After 2G was launched, the previous mobile telephone systems were

coined as 1G Systems. Although it has been eons since its inception,
2G networks are still used in many parts of the world.

• Issues with 2G:

• In less populated areas, the weaker digital signal deployed on higher
frequencies may not be sufficient to reach a cell tower. Analog
Signals have a smooth decay curve while digital has a steppy one.
This was seen as both an advantage as well as a disadvantage. Under
good conditions, digital sounded better.

• Under slightly bad conditions, analog experienced static, while digital

has occasional dropouts. As conditions worsened, digital signals
started to completely fail.
 Third Generation
• International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-- 2000),
better known as 3G or 3rd Generation, is a generation of
standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunications
services fulfilling the International Telecommunication Union.

• It uses Wide Brand Wireless Network with which clarity is

increased. The data are sent through the technology called
Packet Switching.

• Voice calls are interpreted through Circuit Switching. Along

with verbal communication it includes data services, access to
television/video, new services like Global Roaming. It operates
at a range of 2100MHz and has a bandwidth of 15-20MHz
used for High-speed internet service, video chatting.
• Technologies under 3G:
• 2G comprised of the following Mobile technologies: 3G Technology
comprises of Wideband CDMA, WLAN, Bluetooth, Universal Mobile
telecommunication Systems (UMTS), High Speed Downlink Packet
Access (HSDPA). Data are sent through packet switching. Voice calls
are interpreted using circuit switching. It also provides facilities such
as Global Roaming Clarity in voice calls, Fast Communication,
Internet, Mobile T.V, Video Conferencing, Video Calls, Multi Media
Messaging Service (MMS), 3D gaming and Multiplayer-Gaming.

• Issues with 3G:

• Although the usage price of 3G technology has greatly reduced since
its inception due to wider adoption, it still is very costly as compared
to 2G technologies. Due to high bandwidth transmission of 3G
technologies, power consumption greatly increases which results in
reduced device battery life. The data consumption of 3G at times
becomes so heavy due to the high transmission rates that it puts a
big load on the network; to alleviate which, many cellular operators
implemented data usage caps which were disadvantageous to
customers.
 Fourth Generation
• In March 2008, the International Telecommunications Union-Radio
communications sector (ITU-R) specified a set of requirements for 4G
standards, named the International Mobile Telecommunications
Advanced (IMT-Advanced) specification, setting peak speed
requirements for 4G service at 100 megabits per second (Mbit/s) for
high mobility communication (such as from trains and cars) and 1
gigabit per second (Gbit/s) for low mobility communication (such as
pedestrians and stationary users).

• A 4G system not only provides voice and other 3G services but also
provides ultra-broadband network access to mobile devices.

• Applications vary from IP telephony, HD Mobile Television, video

conferencing to gaming services and cloud computing. One of the
initial devices to access 4G network was USB wireless modem which
was later followed by cellular phones with WiMax (wireless
interoperability microwave access) and LTE (Long Term Evolution)
technology.
• Issues with 4G:
• 3G and 4G components made for one continent is not always
compatible with another continent sue to carrying frequency bands.
Another prominent issue in 4G systems is to make higher bit rates
available in larger portion of the cell, especially to users in an
exposed position in between several base stations.

• In current research, this issue is addressed by macro-diversity

techniques, also known as group cooperative relay, and also by
Beam-Division Multiple Access (BDMA)