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Archive for the 'Communications' Category
Microsoft has unveiled its new smartphone, Kin.
Google has announced the release of it’s own mobile phone, the Nexus One. Built by HTC (a Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer), the phone will run on Google’s own Android software. Dubbed as a “superphone”, a notable technical specification is the 1 GHz (gigahertz) processor, faster than other competing smartphones (the iPhone runs on 600 megahertz, the Blackberry Bold runs on 800 megahertz). Purchase the Nexus One here.
The ng Connect Program, founded by Alcatel-Lucent, is a digital eco-system that aims to increase connectivity between service providers, enterprises and consumers. It’s most recent example is the LTE Connected Car, a vehicle connected to the network using long term evolution (the next generation in high speed internet), offering a wide variety of services and applications to both the driver and passenger.
Cisco’s new Application eXtension Platform (AXP) allows software developers to create applications which run within the routers, allowing them to be used more efficiently and in return act like servers. Below (courtesy of the NY Times) is a list of the finalists for a competition they held for who could build the best apps:
The third-place contestant, Bernard Beckmann of Germany, who won $20,000, found a way to turn VoIP phones connected to Cisco’s networking gear into office surveillance systems. The speakers on the phones were essentially made to act like microphones that would try to sense unusual noises during off-peak office hours. If the phone picked up on something strange, it would send an alert to security personnel.
The second-place contestant, Rajesh Kotagiri of India, won $30,000 for devising a system for sending ads to electronic displays in stores. The idea there is that a store already has networking equipment to support things like computers, cash registers and phones. So, why not turn one of the routers into an ad-serving dynamo that can retrieve information from advertisers, handle some limited billing operations and send the ads out to displays on a rotating basis?
The first-place winner, David Perez of Spain, picked up $50,000 for his efforts. He concocted a way to pull data from a building’s plumbing, air-conditioning and lighting systems and funnel all of it through a router. Basically, this would let maintenance people locate problems in a building and also provide a way to do things like lowering shades automatically during certain parts of the day or turning off signs to save energy.
