Overview of Mobile Devices: Phones, PCs, and Operating Systems | Essays (university) Mobile Computing

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Mobile Devices and Systems

Mobile phones

Mobile phones communicate with other phones using a cellular service-provider network they are

packed with smart functions and are available in smaller sizes. Applications of mobile phones are no

longer confined to telephonic communication. The devices can synchronize and upload and

download data to and from PCs.

Mobile phones provides e-mail and Internet connectivity, you can even click pictures and prepare

albums. Many phones include a personal information manager (PIM), a handheld computer, and an

entertainment device.

New generation mobile phones pack in everything from a computer to an FM radio and from video

recording to TV viewing.

Smart Phones Characteristics

1. A GSM, CDMA, or tri-band wireless radio interface to a cellular network provided by a mobile

service provider

2. Small area LCD display

3. A smart T9 keypad─ (A smart keypad is one that remembers previously keyed entries. T9 stands

for ‘text on 9 keys’. It is a text input system that offers an alternative to multi-tapping for entering

textual characters on a numeric keypad. Smart T9 keypads are useful for creating SMS messages and

entering contact information.

4. A Smart Phone functions as a phone as well as a PIM─ phone diary, address book, task-list,

calculator, alarm, and calendar. It has the ability to send and receive SMS messages of up to 160

characters, as well as ability to send and receive MMS (multimedia messaging service) messages for

transmission of digital images, video clips, and animations

5. Smart Phones have provisions for games, e-commerce, and e-ticketing, Bluetooth communication

with PCs and neighbouring devices and Integration of location information, GPS and maps

6. Smart Phones are WAP enabled for Web page access, download, and other Web-based

applications through a WAP gateway or proxy

Multimedia Phones Characteristics

1. Offers multimedia functionalities

2. Functions of a smart phone, a MultiPhone can also play MP3 format audio and MP4 format video

files

3. Some phones may also support other formats such as WMA, AAC, etc.

4. Nokia N91 belongs to this series and focuses on music and media playing

5. Possible to watch TV on a mobile phone using EDGE/EGPRS (3G) connectivity

6. Many mobile service providers link up with various TV channels

7. Enable users to enjoy mobile TV on the LCD screens of their cell phones

8. Mobile phone gaming

9. Enables users to play networked multiplayer games

10. Include cameras for still pictures and video recording. Some phones also offer picture-editing

software which enables the user to edit, crop, and refine pictures on their cell phone handsets

Handheld Pocket Computers and Mobile System Operating Systems

Handheld Pocket Computers come in many manifestations. Pocket-sized PCs differ from smart

phones and multimedia phones in that that they can be programmed for customized applications.

They offer a variety of application and programming tools not included in new generation mobile

phones. Unlike smart phones, which usually use the text-on-nine-keys format, handheld computers

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Mobile Devices and Systems

Mobile phones Mobile phones communicate with other phones using a cellular service-provider network they are packed with smart functions and are available in smaller sizes. Applications of mobile phones are no longer confined to telephonic communication. The devices can synchronize and upload and download data to and from PCs. Mobile phones provides e-mail and Internet connectivity, you can even click pictures and prepare albums. Many phones include a personal information manager (PIM), a handheld computer, and an entertainment device. New generation mobile phones pack in everything from a computer to an FM radio and from video recording to TV viewing. Smart Phones Characteristics

A GSM, CDMA, or tri-band wireless radio interface to a cellular network provided by a mobile service provider
Small area LCD display
A smart T9 keypad─ (A smart keypad is one that remembers previously keyed entries. T9 stands for ‘text on 9 keys’. It is a text input system that offers an alternative to multi-tapping for entering textual characters on a numeric keypad. Smart T9 keypads are useful for creating SMS messages and entering contact information.
A Smart Phone functions as a phone as well as a PIM─ phone diary, address book, task-list, calculator, alarm, and calendar. It has the ability to send and receive SMS messages of up to 160 characters, as well as ability to send and receive MMS (multimedia messaging service) messages for transmission of digital images, video clips, and animations
Smart Phones have provisions for games, e-commerce, and e-ticketing, Bluetooth communication with PCs and neighbouring devices and Integration of location information, GPS and maps
Smart Phones are WAP enabled for Web page access, download, and other Web-based applications through a WAP gateway or proxy Multimedia Phones Characteristics
Offers multimedia functionalities
Functions of a smart phone, a MultiPhone can also play MP3 format audio and MP4 format video files
Some phones may also support other formats such as WMA, AAC, etc.
Nokia N91 belongs to this series and focuses on music and media playing
Possible to watch TV on a mobile phone using EDGE/EGPRS (3G) connectivity
Many mobile service providers link up with various TV channels
Enable users to enjoy mobile TV on the LCD screens of their cell phones
Mobile phone gaming
Enables users to play networked multiplayer games
Include cameras for still pictures and video recording. Some phones also offer picture-editing software which enables the user to edit, crop, and refine pictures on their cell phone handsets Handheld Pocket Computers and Mobile System Operating Systems Handheld Pocket Computers come in many manifestations. Pocket-sized PCs differ from smart phones and multimedia phones in that that they can be programmed for customized applications. They offer a variety of application and programming tools not included in new generation mobile phones. Unlike smart phones, which usually use the text-on-nine-keys format, handheld computers

have full text keypad or a touch screen keypad. Most also contain a Stylus which is generally used to enter data into handheld devices such as PDAs and palmtops. Some allow the user to write on the screen using the stylus and incorporate special software for handwriting recognition. Palm Tops These are Programmable pocket computers that include word processors and spread sheet software as well as PIM software. They also have QWERTY keyboards or touch screens with stylus for data inputs. Differences With Laptops Handheld Pocket Computers differences with Laptop in many ways such as Pocket PCs have no CD drives and hard disks. Pocket PCS use flash memory while laptops allow the insertion of a memory stick (A memory stick is a removable flash memory card.) Clock speeds of pocket computer processors are limited up to 200 MHz due to considerations about battery life. Unlike laptops and notebooks, which use regular microcomputer operating systems, pocket computers have specially designed operating systems. The Operating Systems are scaled to the requirements of the software, hardware, and peripherals used in handheld computers. Some of the OS are: Windows CE ( Compact Edition) An operating system from Microsoft that supports multitasking on handheld devices •Real-time operating system meant for handheld computers and embedded systems. The Windows CE Kernel is different from the kernel of the desktop versions of Windows and is specially create for computing devices with low storage and can be run in about 1 MB of memory. But the Windows CE OS memory needs are larger as compared to Palm OS since it supports a wider range of hardware than Palm OS. Windows CE supports different CPUs such as NEC MIPS, Intel StrongARM, AMD X86, etc. Features in Windows CE devices •High resolution colour/ display, touch screen and stylus keypad •Complex APIs that gives the user a PC like feel and Windows like GUIs •PIM, MS Office, Internet Explorer features on handheld mobile system •The CompactFlash card slots to extend memory and extension card slots. The OS memory requirement is large but scales to the requirement of the device peripherals •Digital camera card, games, Microsoft Windows Media player and other media players Active Sync Feature in Windows CE devices •Synchronizing mobile data with PC using a USB, serial port, PC infrared port, or Ethernet LAN for interfacing. Windows Mobile (formerly known as PocketPC) presents a suite of basic applications for handheld devices along with a compact operating system. It is based on the Windows CE platform and offers an Application software suite that includes the pocket (small screen display) versions of Excel, MSWord, PIM, Internet Explorer, and Outlook. It also supports JavaScript and ActiveX programs and includes the Windows Media Player for playing files of various audio and video formats as well as Bluetooth communication with PCs and neighbouring devices.

Linux for Mobile Devices Linux can be modified easily to suit different sorts of hardware and software applications. Being an open source OS, it enables the user to customize their device to suit their specific needs. It is considered to be more secure than most other operating systems. Linux support is easily available from the many forums and associations that promote this OS. Many international mobile phone manufacturers are turning to Linux for their OS requirement. Android Android was founded by Android Inc. in October, 2003 and later purchased by Google Inc. in August,

Below is the basic architecture of Android: Invalid source specified.

Linux Kernel: The Linux Kernel handles core system services and acts as a hardware abstraction layer (HAL) between the physical hardware of the device and the Android SDK. Some of the major functionalities include low level memory management, process management, networking and other OS related services. Native Libraries : The Android native libraries are all shared libraries written in C or C++, compiled for the particular hardware architecture used by the phone. Some of the important libraries include OpenGL for 2D and 3D graphics, SQLite database and the WebKit library for browsing HTML content. Android Runtime: This includes the Dalvik Virtual Machine (DVM) and the core java libraries. Based on java VM, the Dalvik design has been optimized for the low memory requirements of mobile devices. It allows multiple VMs to run concurrently. Application Framework: This layer provides the high-level building blocks with which applications are created. The important classes are Activity manager that controls the life cycle of the applications, Location manager that provide location sensing options and Resource manager. Applications: The highest layer in the Android architecture is the applications themselves. This consists of applications and widgets. Widgets are gadgets that operate only on a small area of the Home screen. Unique features of Android:

Open: The Android platform is provided through open source licensing. Developers have unprecedented access to the handset features when developing applications.

Free: Android applications are free to develop. It uses familiar and inexpensive development tools and the software development kit (SDK) is also freely available for download. It requires only a registration charge for publishing your applications for the first time. Consequent updates to the application are free of charge. iOS IOS (formerly known as iPhone OS) was released on June, 2007 by Apple Inc. Below is the basic architecture of iOS:

The kernel in iOS is based on the same variant of the Mach kernel in Mac OS X. On top of this kernel are layers of services that are used to implement applications on the platform. These layers include the Core OS, Core Services, Media services, and the Cocoa Touch layer. Layering as such gives application developers different degrees of control. The intention is for developers to use the higher-level frameworks for general development, as they free developers of the burden of implementing standard system behaviours. Where this is insufficient, the lower-level frameworks give developers more control. Core OS and Core Services: These provide fundamental low-level services like file I/O and network sockets. Media: This layer provides services used to support 2D and 3D drawing, as well as audio and video. Cocoa Touch: This layer provides the fundamental infrastructure used by applications. Besides providing object-oriented programming support for collections, file management and network operations, this layer also provides access to the device user’s profile information, accelerometer, and other hardware features.

Sensors, Actuators, Robots, Smart Appliances and Set-top box Sensors These are Electronic devices that sense the physical environment. For example, sensors for temperature, pressure, light, metal, smoke, and proximity to an object. Sensor sends the signals to a computer or controller and facilitates interaction of the mobile device with the surroundings. Examples of sensors are: •A CCD (charge-coupled device) camera to identify various objects or a microphone to recognize voices •Sensor for background noise to control voice amplification during a call. •Sensor for surrounding light used to control the brightness of the LCD screen. Working Example

•At the mouth, there can be speaker to let a robot issue commands to other robots or relay sensed information via spoken messages •At each moving joint—feet, knee, waist, neck, shoulder, hand, and gripper palm, there are actuators and motors

Smart Appliances It is now possible to control home appliances and security systems using a cell phone or computer. Home appliances are networked using power lines. Signals of frequencies up to 525 kHz can be induced in such lines and communicate from one appliance to another, thus forming a network. The devices also communicate through a central server. Home appliances can also be networked using very short-range wireless protocols, such as Bluetooth or ZigBee.

Set-top Box A sophisticated computer-based device that has data, media, and network processing capabilities and interconnects the home TV and the broadcasting service network Programming language in a setup box

Java most commonly used. Set top boxes run deciphering and encrypting software. A Software component, called a device agent, administers the device on behalf of the service provider. Software component in a setup box Mechanism of operation is similar to that of a mobile phone device, where the server of mobile service provider manages and administers the operation of the device.

Overview of Mobile Devices: Phones, PCs, and Operating Systems, Essays (university) of Mobile Computing

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Mobile Devices and Systems