Is Cloud Computing Just A Dream?
The basic idea of cloud computing is an extension to the “dumb terminal” idea from the 1980′s, that is, there is one master server or place where all the data is kept and all the processing is done and give small dedicated “thin client” machines (basic PC systems with very streamlined features and specifications) a connection to this to perform their work.
Current examples of everyday web-based services that are now finding themselves in the envelope of the cloud computing description are services such as GMail.
Now with virtualisation overtaking the workplace, the hardware idea from the past becomes software, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) and platform-as-a-service (PaaS) seems like the logical next step: desktop machines, laptops, netbooks and other dedicated remote access clients such as smartphones provide access to the data externally, but everything else is in the server room and data center. Sounds like every network and system administrator’s maintenance dream right? But some are a little critical of the purported promised land of networked computing.
Richard Stallman, Founder of the Free Software Foundation, said recently likened cloud computing to a trap and that users are leaving their data and privacy in the hands of companies they do not control and they cannot be guaranteed data integrity or user privacy. “Do your own computing on your own computer with your copy of a freedom-respecting program. If you use a proprietary program or somebody else’s Web server, you’re defenseless. You’re putty in the hands of whoever developed that software,” he said.
Proponents of cloud computing, such as Google, say that cloud computing has many benefits. They believe that netbooks used for cloud computing are secure as third-party programs cannot be installed, which means viruses and spyware will have more difficulty in making life difficult for users.
However the path to future computing runs one thing is for sure, aspects of cloud computing today are here to stay.
Wireless advances could mean no more mobile towers
As mobile phones have spread, so have large mobile towers – those unsightly stalks of steel topped by transmitters and other electronics that sprouted across the country over the last decade.
Now the wireless industry is planning a future without them, or at least without many more of them. Instead, it’s looking at much smaller antennas, some tiny enough to hold in a hand. These could be placed on lampposts, utility poles and buildings – virtually anywhere with electrical and network connections.
If the technology overcomes some hurdles, it could upend the wireless industry and offer seamless service, with fewer dead spots and faster data speeds.
Some big names in the wireless world are set to demonstrate “small cell” technologies at the Mobile World Congress, the world’s largest cell phone trade show, which starts Monday in Barcelona, Spain.
“We see more and more towers that become bigger and bigger, with more and bigger antennas that come to obstruct our view and clutter our landscape and are simply ugly,” said Wim Sweldens, president of the wireless division of Alcatel-Lucent, the French-US. maker of telecommunications equipment.
“What we have realised is that we, as one of the major mobile equipment vendors, are partially if not mostly to blame for this.”
Alcatel-Lucent will be at the show to demonstrate its “lightRadio cube”, a cellular antenna about the size and shape of a Rubik’s cube, vastly smaller than the ironing-board-sized antennas that now decorate mobile towers. The cube was developed at the famous Bell Labs in New Jersey, birthplace of many other inventions when it was US telco AT&T’s research centre.
In Alcatel-Lucent’s vision, these little cubes could soon begin replacing conventional mobile towers. Single cubes or clusters of them could be placed indoors or out and be easily hidden from view. All they need is electrical power and an optical fibre connecting them to the phone company’s network.
The cube, Sweldens said, can make the notion of a conventional mobile tower “go away.” Alcatel-Lucent will start trials of the cube with carriers in September. The company hopes to make it commercially available next year.
For mobile phone companies, the benefits of dividing their networks into smaller “cells”, each one served by something like the cube antenna, go far beyond esthetics. Smaller cells mean vastly higher capacity for calls and data traffic.
Instead of having all phones within a kilometre or two connect to the same mobile tower, the traffic could be divided between several smaller cells, so there’s less competition for the mobile tower’s attention.
“If it is what they claim, lightRadio could be a highly disruptive force within the wireless industry,” said Dan Hays, who focuses on telecommunications at consulting firm PRTM.
Rasmus Hellberg, director of technical marketing at wireless technology developer Qualcomm, said smaller cells can boost a network’s capacity tenfold, far more than can be achieved by other upgrades to wireless technology that are also in the works.
That’s sure to draw the interest of phone companies. They’ve already been deploying older generations of small-cell technology in areas where a lot of people gather, like airports, train stations and sports stadiums, but these are expensive and complicated to install.
In New York City, AT&T has started creating a network of outdoor Wi-Fi hotspots, starting in Times Square and now spreading through the midtown tourist and shopping districts. Its network has been hammered by an onslaught of data-hungry iPhone users, and this is one way of moving that traffic off the mobile network.
Smaller cells could do the same job, but for all phones, not just Wi-Fi enabled ones like the iPhone. They could also carry calls as well as data.
San Diego-based Qualcomm will be at the Barcelona show with a live demonstration of how “heterogeneous networks” – ones that mix big and small cells, can work. A key issue is minimising radio interference between the two types of cells. Another hurdle is connecting the smaller cells to the bigger network through optical fibre or other high-capacity connections.
“That’s an impediment that we’re seeing many operators struggling with right now as data volumes have increased,” Hays said.
LM Ericsson AB, the Swedish company that’s the largest maker of wireless network equipment in the world, is also introducing a more compact antenna at the show, one it calls “the first stepping stone towards a heterogeneous network”.
Small cellular base stations have already penetrated hundreds of thousands of US homes. Phone companies like AT&T, Verizon Wireless and Sprint have for several years been selling “femtocells”, which are about the size of a Wi-Fi router and connect to the phone company’s network through a home broadband connection.
The cells project radio signals that cover a room or two, providing five bars of coverage where there might otherwise be none.
British femtocell maker Ubiquisys will be in Barcelona to demonstrate the smallest cell yet. It’s the size of a thumb and plugs into a computer’s USB drive. According to Ubiquisys, the idea is that overseas travellers will plug it into their internet-connected laptops to make calls as if they were on their home network, but there are potential problems with interference if used that way.
According to Rupert Baines, marketing head of Picochip, a more realistic application for a tiny plug-in cell is to make it work with cable boxes or internet routers, to convert them into femtocells.
A key part of the “small cell” idea is to take femtocells outside the home, into larger buildings and even outdoors.
Picochip, a British company that’s the dominant maker of chips for femtocells, will be in Barcelona to talk about its chips for “public-access” femtocells, designed to serve up to 64 phone calls at a time, with a range of more than a kilometre. They could be used not just to ease wireless congestion in urban areas, but to fill in dead spots on the map, Baines said.
For instance, a single femtocell could provide wireless service to a remote village, as long as there’s some way to connect it to the wider network, perhaps via satellite.
Analyst Francis Sideco of research firm iSuppli pointed out a surprising consumer benefit of smaller cells: better battery life in phones.
When a lot of phones talk to the same tower, they all have to “shout” to make themselves heard, using more energy. With a smaller cell, phones can lower their “voices”, much like group of people moving from a noisy ballroom to a smaller, quieter room.
“Ultimately, what you end up with is a cleaner signal, with less power,” Sideco said.
Preview: Nintendo 3DS
In the cutthroat hand-held console war, Nintendo and Sony’s ongoing battle is often the birthplace of true innovation and some awful decisions.
With Nintendo and Sony both trying to one-up each other on a regular basis, it becomes hard to know if the sensational advertising is really what you’re going to be buying.
So far this year, both Nintendo and Sony have promised a new generation of hand-held. Sony claimed “holiday” 2011 as its release date for the PSP2, while Nintendo will get in much earlier with the 3DS launching on March 31.
The main selling point of the 3DS is glasses-less 3D – the console boasts one larger 3D screen above a 2D one. The fact that those clunky 3D glasses are now history is a large step forward for wider public acceptance of 3D, which the consumer electronics industry endlessly tells us is the future.
I recently had a change to sit down with the 3DS and test out its features. Being slightly dubious of hand-held consoles in general (since the Gameboy anyway, which was perfection), I maintained I would keep an open mind.
At first glance the design, though smaller than its predecessor, the DSi, seems blockier but fits just as well in your hand. The outside of the device has two cameras for 3D photo-taking (but no video).
The layout is very similar to the regular DS; there are two screens, the familiar control layout and a new thumbstick to help navigate 3D games.
Though the most pressing question when you first pick up the device is, does the 3D work?
I can honestly say yes, as long as you face the screen straight on, the 3D is remarkable. I was genuinely surprised at the quality of such a nascent technology. The depth of the 3D can be adjusted using a slider next to the screen and you can choose to play the games in 2D (which conserves battery life).
While the 3D is impressive, there is a real concern associated with such a new technology. Nintendo has publicly stated that children under the age of 6 should not use the 3D screen.
According to the safety information on the console, developing eyes can be affected. The console comes with the option for a parental lock on the 3D, disabling it completely. While this absolves Nintendo of any legal problem, I can’t help but wonder how many parents will even realise this option exists.
There have also been reports of the screen causing migraines and eye-strain in people significantly older than 6. Extended play could cause a problem like this (and isn’t recommended by Nintendo) but I didn’t find it an issue during my play through.
The last drawback to the 3D screen is its insatiable appetite for battery power, meaning that games played in full 3D will drain your console before Mario even realises Peach is gone. The 3-5 hours you get is, frankly, not enough. The 5-8 hours it can manage playing standard DS games is slightly more respectable, but still short enough to be an annoyance. (Keep an eye out for improved battery life when the 3DSi2+ arrives)
The current line-up of fully 3D games is 22 titles strong. The selection will appeal to existing fans of Nintendo. Legend of Zelda, Street Fighter, The Sims, Resident Evil and Super Mario will all have 3D games at launch and already have strong fanbases.
The challenge for Nintendo is to keep the content fresh and original. The company does have a history of relying on safe franchise choices, especially when promoting a new device, and may need to think outside the box after the launch to give the 3DS more lasting appeal.
The console is backwards compatible with most DS titles, and an online store will be implemented before launch to supplement the titles on offer in bricks and mortar stores.
The majority of these games are simple to understand and intuitive. Nintendo are aiming at the younger market (no surprise there), which means most of the games will be pitched at kids. Though there will be a few for the older gamer.
The 3DS does feature another surprisingly exciting feature. Augmented reality games may not mean anything to you now, but they seem to be the way of the future.
Augmented reality involves taking the environment around you and laying the game over that. Having a game exist in the real world, albeit through the camera on the 3DS, is impressive enough to make it a large draw card for Nintendo.
While we’re a few years off holodecks, the shooting simulator I played created a well in the table, which I had to shoot down before a dragon came out and attacked my coffee.
The console will come packaged with six special cards which unlock different augmented reality games. The games are simple and short, but the technology behind it is surprisingly sophisticated.
The 3DS will be available on March 31 at $349.95.
Nintendo have made a smart move releasing the unit before Sony has even set a date for their new machine. But Nintendo is going to have to pick up its game and produce some quality original entertainment before the powerhouse PSP2 is released.
The 3DS doesn’t come cheap and the poor battery life may have an effect on how the console sells, but there is some surprisingly effective technology behind it. Even if the 3DS doesn’t sell well (which would be a surprise), this console marks a huge step forward for immersive entertainment.
Telstra super-fast 4G wireless sparks debate over NBN
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has rejected suggestions Telstra’s upcoming super-fast 4G mobile network would threaten the viability of the national broadband network (NBN), saying the mobile network would be “complementary” but was no match for fibre technologies.
Telstra will significantly upgrade its mobile network to take advantage of fast 4G technology that will allow users to obtain speeds similar to home ADSL broadband connections while on the go.
The move has sparked fresh debate over the viability of the NBN.
The telco will use new 4G technology to boost mobile internet speeds in capital cities and some regional areas by the end of the year.
Telstra chief executive David Thodey said the “leading-edge” technology would help the company meet growing demands for mobile data, “which is doubling every year as customers move to adopt data-hungry smartphones, mobile modems and tablets”.
The announcement comes on the back of a government-commissioned report warning uptake to its $36 billion network could be stifled by wireless technologies.
The federal government aims to connect 93 per cent of Australian households with high-speed optical fibres by 2020. The NBN Co, the company charged with building the network, has said it will eventually deliver speeds of 1 gigabit per second.
The federal opposition says wireless services make the project less viable.
“This [wireless technology] is going to be a real competitive force,” opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull told ABC Radio.
The NBN business case assumes the increase in demand for wireless broadband will not continue, he said.
“The problem, of course, is that wireless broadband is improving as well.”
In a statement released at about 2pm Tuesday, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said Telstra’s new offering was ‘‘far from being a threat’’ to the national broadband network.
‘‘Wireless is an important complementary technology to fibre,’’ he said.
He added that whilst mobile networks offered consumers ‘‘flexibility and mobility’’, only fibre could deliver ‘‘many of the new services that will increasingly be made available as the NBN rolls out, like in-home specialist healthcare and rehabilitation services’’.
He also made the point that a fibre connection delivered ‘‘the speed it says it does’’ as opposed to wireless or copper technology, which delivers a theoretical speed that varies on a number of factors, including distance from an exchange in the case of copper and distance from a tower in the case of wireless broadband, amongst other factors.
“There is no decline in speed or performance if more people are online, or if you are further away from an exchange,’’ Conroy said in relation to fibre technology.
In a statement, Telstra said its new technology was “not related to the NBN” and that it was “business as usual”.
“This announcement relates to the ongoing upgrade of Telstra’s flagship Next G wireless broadband network,” it said. “Wireless and fixed networks are complementary – our customers use both depending on need and circumstances and Telstra continues to invest in both.”
Telecommunications consultant Paul Budde did not think the growth of wireless services would affect the long-term viability of the NBN.
‘‘Yes, there will be an overlap … but there are applications that are impossible to run over a wireless network,’’ Mr Budde told ABC Radio.
Foad Fadaghi, telecommunications analyst at the Australian firm Telsyte, said that Telstra’s upgrade was more about “reliability or consistency of speeds” than than a speed boost.
“Today you might be tempted to watch a video clip online and it might work and it might have a bit of buffer … or it might drop out here or there or you can’t be sure that it’s going to be consistently of high quality and so forth,” he said.
“The LTE network should address that sort of challenge and make it easier for consumers to consume, particularly video content and streaming content, in a more reliable way than they may do today.”
Theoretical speeds on LTE networks were about 100 megabits per second and higher, Mr Fadaghi said. But typical speeds, or real-world speeds, would be in the range of 20 to 30 megabits per second.
“Now that puts it, strictly speaking, higher than most fixed-line networks – so [the same speeds as] ADSL connections you can get today.”
The speed of a connection would also depend on how far away you were from a tower and how many users were connected at the one time.
The cost of a plan on the 4G network would also likely be higher than current 3G plans, Mr Fadaghi said, and it would most likely be first aimed at business customers.
The first customers able to use the network would be those connecting with Telstra’s 4G mobile broadband dongle, which plugs into computers to allow them to connect to mobile towers.
“[But] it may take a little bit of time before we see it being used on handsets,” Mr Fadaghi said.
“That’s the big question,” he said when asked when Australia would see 4G handsets.
“There have been some announcements of certain 4G handset models in the US on the Verizon network, however, it’s still very early. We haven’t seen a lot of handsets come to the market currently [and there are] none in Australia as it stands.
“So that leaves a lot of iPhone users – or Apple users – that will not be able to use that service until [a 4G] handset is made available,” he said. “And that might take a little bit of timing; Apple might be focused on other things rather than supporting the LTE networks, whether that be applications or better design or something like that.”
A Telstra spokesman said the company was “currently in discussions” with handset makers to bring 4G smartphones to Australia.
Information Source smh.com.au
Telstra unveils 4G mobile plan
TELSTRA will launch its next-generation mobile phone network by the end of this year, the first Australian mobile carrier to announce when it will provide the so-called fourth generation of mobile technology.
Mobile networks in capital cities and some regional areas will be upgraded before 2012 and Telstra will start selling devices capable of crossing between the two networks.
“The technology can provide many Australians with faster data speeds, high-quality video conferencing and faster response times when using mobile applications or accessing the internet,” chief executive David Thodey said this morning in Barcelona at the Mobile World Congress.
“It can also help Telstra meet demand for mobile data, which is doubling every year as customers move to adopt data-hungry smartphones, mobile modems and tablets.”
The new network will be built from the existing capital expenditure budget.
Swedish network manager Ericsson has been chosen to build the network along with Qualcomm and Sierra Wireless, beating competitors Huawei and Nokia Siemens.
”We found the Ericsson proposal to be the most innovative and immediate, compatible with our network,” a Telstra spokesman said.
Telstra will use existing spectrum assets at the 1800MHz frequency for the new network and integrate it with its existing high-speed service on the 850MHz spectrum range.
More spectrum will become available for mobile broadband in coming years as television signals are moved to a more efficient digital format, which will free up spectrum at present allocated to analog television signals.
Known as long-term-evolution (LTE) technology, the next generation of mobile networks will carry more data faster than existing 3G technology.
LTE technology is more efficient, meaning more people can use the network at a greater speed, and will enable more video features on smart phones.
Information Source smh.com.au
