The iPhone 4S Includes Wireless AirPrint

The iPhone 4S includes wireless AirPrint printing capabilities which allow you to print directly form your handset from a compatible printer. Previously only third party apps had offered the ability to link to printers, however the manufacturer has stepped in to produce a built-in app of its own which allows you to print seamlessly from the device.

With the tap of an onscreen button you can now print emails, documents, photos and web pages from the handset without the need for downloading a third party application form the App Store, adding any printer drivers or using cables such as USB to the docking connector. From within applications such as Mail or the Safari web browser you can now choose the option to print, and as with your computer view a list of printers available, select your options and hit the print tab. The printing is done completely wirelessly through WiFi with compatible wireless printers being seamlessly found by the device and then used as a printer. This provides a long range and extreme ease, with any new or recently new printers on the market with the capability respectively, being able to be used by AirPrint.

One of the best things about this functionality is that it is built in to the iPhone 4S out of the box along with its other preinstalled applications, and offers immediate printing opportunities form apps such as Mail, iWork, Photos or PDF documents onscreen. Whatever you view onscreen, and indeed can view on the large Retina display, you are likely to be able to print. Better still, the app will automatically adjust what you are printing to suit the printer, so it will print a document from Pages (word processor) to A4 paper or photos form a photo loading tray if its found to be present on the printer you use. The feature works with all other built-in applications, as well as being supported by many third party apps as well. AirPrint enabled printers are also available and offer instant support for the feature, printers form well-known brands including HP, Epson and Canon are among those with support and overall allowing you to make life easier and faster.

AirPrint is among one of many new features and hundreds of functions that the iPhone 4S has introduced and is able to meet in an effort to be a truly mazing handset. Along with its other hardware and the new iOS 5 operating system and all other preloaded apps, this feature is yet another invaluable resource on a great device.

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Learning About Wireless Base Stations For Your Home

Wireless or cordless telephones have been around for many years now. Although a bit more expensive than the regular corded home phone, many people have invested in wireless phones due to the ease that they offer. No matter where you are in your house you can carry your phone with you and answer it immediately when it rings as opposed to running towards the phone when it rings and missing the call as you answer it. Many of these phones now have a very strong signal even outside of the house. Depending on the wireless base station you can even take your home phone to the local shops with you and it will still continue to work and allow you to answer calls.

Wireless base stations come in all shapes and sizes and each brand has its own standards and features. Common wireless base station brands include Sony, Panasonic and Toshiba. Each brand will have their own set of wireless phones and depending on the one you go for you will get a number of default features such as multiple ring tones to choose from just like a normal cell phone. Some will also give you the option to accept voice messages, which can record on the wireless base station. But as mentioned before one of the best features is the ability to take the phone with you even up to the local shops. Generally, the higher the price is for the base station the further you can travel and still have access to using the phone. As a general rule of thumb the more expensive the phone system is the more of a wireless reach it will have.

Choosing the right wireless phone system for your home can often seem complicated with all the features involved and so many brands and models trying to get you to buy their product. One of the best ways to decide on the right phone for you is to list a number of features you would like in your wireless phone. You can also ask your friends about the phones they have at home or look at all the features the different phones on the market offer and list them by preference. Once you have this list it's just a matter of going out there and choosing the one that meets all of these specifications. An easy way to do this is to search for a phone comparison site and enter all of your specs, which will allow the site to show you only the phones that are compatible with your specifications. Then it's just a matter of price, look and feel.

Globecomm is a telecommunications company specializing in wireless base stations, media, government, and maritime communications worldwide. Contact Globecomm for all of your consulting, system design and wireless communication systems needs.

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New Wireless Breakthrough Allows Simultaneous Two Way Communication

Stanford researchers have developed new technology that allows wireless signals to be sent and received simultaneously on a single channel. The breakthrough could lead to faster and more efficient wireless networks.

Until recently radio traffic was only able to travel in one direction at a time on any given frequency. You will probably remember using the infamous 'over" and "over and out" when using a walkie talkie as a kid?

Being able to communicate in both directions at the same time, not surprisingly, makes it twice as fast as current technology.

"Textbooks say you can't do it," said Philip Levis, assistant professor of computer science and of electrical engineering. "The new system completely reworks our assumptions about how wireless networks can be designed," he said.

Mobile phones currently allow two way communication using a complicated work around that is expensive and needs careful planning, making it unfeasible for wireless networks like Wi-Fi.

A small group of Standford graduates began working on the project after coming up with what seemed like a fairly simple concept "What if radios could do the same thing our brains do when we listen and talk simultaneously: screen out the sound of our own voice"?

In most wireless networks, each device has to take turns speaking or listening. "It's like two people shouting messages to each other at the same time," said Levis. "If both people are shouting at the same time, neither of them will hear the other."

Over a period of several months, and with the help of professor Levis the group figured out how to build the new radio device.

The most difficult obstacle to overcome was that incoming signals tend to be overpowered by outgoing signals, preventing the device form 'listening' while 'talking.

The group hypothesized that if the receiver could filter out the signal from its own transmitter then incoming signals should be easier to pick up. This works because a radio 'knows" what it is transmitting and consequently what should be filtered out. The principle is the same as used in noise cancelling headphones.

The breakthrough is making 'big noise' and has already won the researchers an international award. Prior to the demonstration no-one in the field believed that it was possible. One researcher even told the trio that it wouldn't work "something so simple could not work, if it was that obvious, someone must have tried it already".

The implications for future networks is phenomenal, the most obvious benefit is that being able to send and receive at the same time doubles the amount of information transferred over an given time period. This would lead to faster and less congested networks in both the office and at home.

The group has a provisional patent on the technology and is working to commercialize it. They are currently trying to increase both the strength of the transmissions and the distances over which they work. These improvements are necessary before the technology is practical for use in Wi-Fi networks.

Brendan Wilde writes about a range of technology and computer issues with a specific focus on managed wireless networks and local loop unbundling.

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Breakthrough could double wireless capacity with no new towers

ScienceDaily (Sep. 7, 2011) — The days of waiting for smartphones to upload video may be numbered. Rice University engineering researchers have made a breakthrough that could allow wireless phone companies to double throughput on their networks without adding a single cell tower.

Rice's new "full-duplex" technology allows wireless devices like cell phones and electronic tablets to both "talk" and "listen" to wireless cell towers on the same frequency -- something that requires two frequencies today.

"Our solution requires minimal new hardware, both for mobile devices and for networks, which is why we've attracted the attention of just about every wireless company in the world," said Ashutosh Sabharwal, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rice. "The bigger change will be developing new wireless standards for full-duplex. I expect people may start seeing this when carriers upgrade to 4.5G or 5G networks in just a few years."

In 2010, Sabharwal and Rice colleagues Melissa Duarte and Chris Dick published the first paper showing that full-duplex was possible. That set off a worldwide race to demonstrate that the technology could actually be used in a real network. This summer, Sabharwal and Rice's Achaleshwar Sahai and Gaurav Patel set new performance records with a real-time demo of the technology that produced signal quality at least 10 times better than any previously published result.

"We showed that our approach could support higher throughput and better link reliability than anything else that's been demonstrated, which is a plus for wireless carriers," Sabharwal said. "On the device side, we've shown that we can add full duplex as an additional mode on existing hardware. Device makers love this because real estate inside mobile devices is at a premium, and it means they don't have to add new hardware that only supports full duplex."

To explain why full-duplex wireless was long thought impossible for wireless networks, Sabharwal uses the analogy of two people standing far apart inside an otherwise empty arena. If each shouts to the other at the same time, neither can hear what the other is saying. The easy solution is to have only one person speak at a time, and that's what happens on two-way radios where only one person may speak at a given time. Cell phones achieve two-way communications by using two different frequencies to send and listen.

Rice's team overcame the full-duplex hurdle by employing an extra antenna and some computing tricks. In the shouting analogy, the result is that the shouter cannot hear himself, and therefore hears the only other sound in the arena -- the person shouting from far away.

"We send two signals such that they cancel each other at the receiving antenna -- the device ears," Sabharwal said. "The canceling effect is purely local, so the other node can still hear what we're sending."

He said the cancellation idea is relatively simple in theory and had been proposed some time ago. But no one had figured a way to implement the idea at low cost and without requiring complex new radio hardware.

"We repurposed antenna technology called MIMO, which are common in today's devices," Sabharwal said. "MIMO stands for 'multiple-input multiple-output' and it uses several antennas to improve overall performance. We took advantage of the multiple antennas for our full-duplex scheme, which is the main reason why all wireless carriers are very comfortable with our technology."

Sabharwal said Rice is planning to roll its full-duplex innovations into its "wireless open-access research platform," or WARP. WARP is a collection of programmable processors, transmitters and other gadgets that make it possible for wireless researchers to test new ideas without building new hardware for each test. Sabharwal said adding full-duplex to WARP will allow other researchers to start innovating on top of Rice's breakthrough.

"There are groups that are already using WARP and our open-source software to compete with us," he said. "This is great because our vision for the WARP project is to enable never-before-possible research and to allow anyone to innovate freely with minimal startup effort."

Sabharwal's team has gone one step further and achieved asynchronous full-duplex too -- that is one wireless node can start receiving a signal while it's in the midst of transmitting. Asynchronous transmission is import for carriers wishing to maximize traffic on their networks, and Rice's team is the first to demonstrate the technology.

"We've also developed a preliminary theory that explains why our system is working the way that it is," Sabharwal said. "That's also important for carriers and device makers, because engineers aren't likely to implement something like this without a clear understanding of fundamental tradeoffs."

Rice's research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Roberto Rocca Education Program and Xilinx Incorporated.

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The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Rice University.

Journal Reference:

Achaleshwar Sahai, Gaurav Patel, Ashutosh Sabharwal. Pushing the limits of Full-duplex: Design and Real-time Implementation. arXiv, 4 Jul 2011 [link]

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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Wireless Definition

Definition:

The term "wireless" refers, in the most basic and obvious sense, to communications sent without wires or cables. It is a broad term that encompasses all sorts of wireless technologies and devices, including cellular communications, networking between computers with wireless adapters, and wireless computer accessories. Wireless communications travel over the air via electromagnetic waves (radio frequencies, infrared, satellite, etc).

"Wireless" on its own is typically used to refer to products and services from the cellular telecommunications industry; CTIA, "the Wireless Association", for example, is composed of wireless carriers, cell phone manufacturers, and others in the mobile phone market. Different cellular protocols and standards include CDMA, GSM, EV-DO, 3G, and 4G. The term "wireless Internet" will most often be referring to cellular data, though the phrase can also refer to data access via satellite.

Networking technologies that connect multiple computers and devices together without wires -- i.e., in a wireless local area network or WLAN -- also fall under the wireless umbrella. Often, instead of referring to just "wireless" for these technologies, the term "wi-fi" or "wifi" will be used. Wi-fi covers technologies that incorporate 802.11 standards, such as 802.11g network cards and wireless routers.

More: Find out more about the differences between cellular wireless data and using wi-fi for Internet-on-the-go

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Wireless Internet Comparison

There are several options today for going online with your laptop or cell phone while on the go. These mobile Internet access options range from using free wi-fi at a hotspot to having a mobile broadband (e.g., 3G) network device on your laptop or a mobile hotspot device for "anywhere, anytime" Internet access over a cellular network.

Although wi-fi and 3G can be considered complementary technologies, sometimes you have to choose one over the other for either budget reasons (mobile Internet data plans, especially for multiple devices, can be costly) or technological limitations (when the Apple iPad first came out, for example, users had to choose between getting a wi-fi-only model or wait for the version that offered 3G as well as wi-fi).

Here's a look at the pros and cons of different ways to stay connected while traveling or just on the run. (They're ordered below by least to most expensive options, but each has benefits and disadvantages.)

These are public locations (airports, hotels, coffeeshops) where you can connect your smartphone or laptop wirelessly to the establishment's Internet service. Pros: many hotspots are free, you can find them fairly easily in urban and suburban areas, and food and drinks are often available for purchaseCons: Can be costly even if it's free (you should buy the establishment's coffee/food/etc. That's rule #3 in The Starbuckian Handbook). Wi-Fi hotspots are also usually unsecured (no WPA encryption), and to use the hotspot you have to locate it first, then physically be within range of the hotspot's access point.Best for: using as an occasional virtual office or while traveling

More: What is a Wi-Fi Hotspot? | Directory of Free Wi-Fi Hotspots

Internet cafes rent out computer workstations and sometimes also provide wi-fi Internet access.

Pros: You don't need to tote a laptop with you, the cafe may have printers/scanners available, and you can often also buy food or drinksCons: Fewer locations than wi-fi hotspots, can get expensive if you need to work on them for long periods of time, may be prone to viruses/other security issuesBest for: travelers (especially international travel), quick/emergency Internet needs

More: What is an Internet Cafe? | Internet Cafe Directories

On some cellular networks you can use your cell phone as a modem for your laptop to go online.

Pros: Go online anywhere you have a cellular signal, more secure web surfing than sending data over a public open wireless hotspot, depending on your cell phone provider you may not have to pay any extra fees (besides the cell phone's data plan)Cons: Reception can be spotty in some areas or conditions, slowest speed of these options, not allowed by some carriers and/or you may be charged extra for tetheringBest for: Internet access when there's no wi-fi available

More: What Is Tethering? | How to Tether | Bluetooth Tethering

Using a built-in mobile broadband card or a USB modem on your laptop or portable mobile hotspot device, you can get high speed wireless Internet on your laptop wherever you go.

Pros: Go online anywhere you have a cellular signal, speeds comparable to residential DSLCons: Reception can be spotty in some areas or conditions, usually metered or capped at 5GB per month of dataBest for: Occasional to regular Internet use in locations when there's no wi-fi available

More: What is Mobile Broadband? | Mobile Broadband Plans and Services | How To Get 4G or 3G on Your Laptop

Must be at the hotspot or cybercafe. Around 300,000 wi-fi hotspots around the worldOnly ~5,000 Internet cafes listed in cybercafe directoriesVirtually Everywhere: Connect wherever you can get a cellular signal. 3G/4G speeds not available in all marketsGenerally DSL or cable speeds from 768 kbps to 50 mbps. Wi-fi also is limited to the location's wi-fi protocol speed: 11 mbps to 54 mbpsNot as fast as wi-fi; <1 mbps (tethering) to over 10 mbps (for 4G). Tethering is slowest3G ranges from 1 to 1.5 mbps4G promises 10X the speed of 3GFree to ~$10/per hour Many hotspots are free. Frequent travelers may want a dedicated wi-fi Internet service plan for connecting to hotspots across the US and internationally with one account.Cybercafe rates typically reflect the country's cost of living. Many US cybercafes charge $10/hour, while cybercafes in Ecuador are about $1/hour.Mobile broadband is usually $60/month. Tethering usually costs the same but is in addition to the cell phone data plan.

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Wireless Q & A

Wireless technologies and mobile work tend to go hand in hand. Here's a quick overview of what you need to know about wireless protocols, security, and network connections for remote work.

What is 802.11? Should I invest in 802.11n (Wireless-N) devices? You'll often see wireless networks or network devices labeled as 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, or 802.11n. These are wireless technology standards that differ in terms of device compatibility, how fast information can be sent and received over the network, and how far devices can reliably be from the wireless signal source. If you're deciding on whether to buy the newest 802.11n (or Wireless-N) network device versus the more common 802.11g (Wireless-G) hardware, consider your specific usage circumstances: can you upgrade all wireless devices connecting over the network to the same protocol? Will you be connecting to wireless hotspots that only support 802.11g? Which protocols are supported by your company office? In general, 802.11g offers the greatest compatibility, but the future is in 802.11n.

What is WEP/WPA? Which is best? WEP and WPA are encryption protocols for wireless networks, designed to protect information that travels over the network. To connect to a WEP- or WPA-secured wireless network, you'll need to input the security key or passphrase for the network. WPA2 is the most recent--and strongest--encryption protocol for wireless networks today (WEP, by contrast, is not very secure).

What is a hotspot? In a nutshell, a hotspot is a public place where you can connect to a wireless network for Internet access. As long as you have a wireless-enabled device and have paid any required usage/subscription fees (if applicable), you can connect to a hotspot's wireless network and go online using their Internet service.

Where can I find free hotspots? Many retailers and dining places, such as Panera Bread and Barnes & Noble, offer free wireless Web access; some others, such as Starbucks, are free for subscribers of certain cellular providers. You may also find free wi-fi at airports, libraries, and other places where lots of people gather.

How do I connect to a hotspot/wireless access point? The process of connecting to a wireless access point (AP) or router at a hotspot is essentially the same as connecting to any other wireless AP (at home, for example, or at the office). Your wireless adapter software or your operating system will most likely let you know when you are in range of a wireless network, and then you can choose to join the wireless network (entering in the security key if necessary) after accepting the hotspot's terms and conditions.

View the original article here

Wireless Definition

Definition:

The term "wireless" refers, in the most basic and obvious sense, to communications sent without wires or cables. It is a broad term that encompasses all sorts of wireless technologies and devices, including cellular communications, networking between computers with wireless adapters, and wireless computer accessories. Wireless communications travel over the air via electromagnetic waves (radio frequencies, infrared, satellite, etc).

"Wireless" on its own is typically used to refer to products and services from the cellular telecommunications industry; CTIA, "the Wireless Association", for example, is composed of wireless carriers, cell phone manufacturers, and others in the mobile phone market. Different cellular protocols and standards include CDMA, GSM, EV-DO, 3G, and 4G. The term "wireless Internet" will most often be referring to cellular data, though the phrase can also refer to data access via satellite.

Networking technologies that connect multiple computers and devices together without wires -- i.e., in a wireless local area network or WLAN -- also fall under the wireless umbrella. Often, instead of referring to just "wireless" for these technologies, the term "wi-fi" or "wifi" will be used. Wi-fi covers technologies that incorporate 802.11 standards, such as 802.11g network cards and wireless routers.

More: Find out more about the differences between cellular wireless data and using wi-fi for Internet-on-the-go

source from about.com

Wireless Network Upgrade

If you have really fast home Internet speeds but a slower or outdated wireless router, you might not be taking full advantage of that high-speed connection. Upgrading your wireless router and wireless adapters to newer wireless-n can increase your network's speed, range, and security and also minimize dropped connections. Here's what you need to know about upgrading to wireless-n.

Wireless-n (a.k.a. 802.11n) is the latest (as of December 2010) wireless networking specification that wi-fi devices use to communicate with each other. Compared to older wireless-g (802.11g) and wireless-b (802.11b) specs, wireless-n has several advantages:

Almost 6 times the rated speed -- 300 Mbps versus 54 Mbps for wireless-g or a measly 11 Mbps for wireless-b. Even accounting for slower real world speeds that are about half the rated speed, wireless-n is still several times faster.Greater range -- wireless-n devices can connect with each other as far as 250 feet away -- a 67% increase over the older wi-fi.Better reliability -- wireless-n uses MIMO technology that optimizes the data connection for fewer dropped connections.

Newer wireless-n devices also support the latest wireless security standards (WPA2 versus weaker WEP), so upgrading to wireless-n can also strengthen your home network's security.

If your Internet service speed is over 20 Mbps or you transfer a lot of large files between computers or devices on your home network, you'll probably find it much worth the minimal time and expense to upgrade. Faster Internet and quicker transfer speeds mean you'll be able to do more in less time and also access bandwidth-heavy videos and other media.

Other reasons to upgrade include if you want to connect a laptop or computer that's a great distance away from the router, the router you have now only allows unsecure WEP encryption, or you want to improve your network's reliability.

The steps for upgrading to a newer and faster wireless network are the same for general wireless network setup. You connect the router to your cable/DSL modem and access the router's administration webpage from your laptop wired to the router. You'll also connect wireless devices to your new network the same way you set up a wi-fi connection.

The main difference for a wireless-n network is that each device or computer on the network should have wireless-n adapters, in order to take advantage of the greater performance (although wireless-n is backwards compatible, the network can be slowed down by older network cards). If you have a lot of devices to upgrade or some can't be upgraded to wireless-n, you can get a dual-band wireless-n router which will set up one network for the older devices and the faster data connection for wireless-n devices. (For help choosing a router, About's Guide to Wireless/Networking has a nice selection of 802.11n wireless routers.)

More: How to Set up a Wireless Network | How to Connect to a Wireless Network

source from about.com

Set Up a Wireless Network

Setting up a wireless network entails only a few simple steps. Follow the instructions below to set up the router, configure it for strong wireless security, and connect your computers and portable devices to the network for wire-free browsing.

Note: if your wireless router and other devices are capable of Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), you can connect and configure them with the push of a button, but beware that there are potential issues. See the Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) overview for more details.

source from about.com