The University of Massachusetts Amherst
Categories
Software

5G – Can it change the world?

The world has seen several generations of wireless technologies, and now comes the fifth generation of wireless technology – 5G. With each generation being better and improved, 5G is one of the fastest and most powerful wireless technology the world has seen.

 

Most phones of today likely support 4G and so the high speeds you enjoy are powered by 4G network on your smartphones. 5G will provide an even greater speed boost. Statistically, the average 4G speed is about 16.9 megabits per second (Mbps), according to Open Signal. 5G promises to deliver Gigabit speeds (>1Gbps). This incremental innovation will likely allow its users to stream not only HD but 4K HDR and much more with ease, all thanks to its speed.

Even though speed is a great part of 5G, 5G is not all about speed. This new technology also induces a change in the number of cell sites that are required for coverage and the number of devices that can connect to a single cell sight. With technological advances, the number of devices owned by a person also increases. Furthermore, with radical technological changes in cars (like self-driven cars), they too need connectivity to the network. Due to this fact, more devices need connectivity in smaller regions. 5G cell sites will be able to cover the connectivity of more devices to the network in a small area. However, to provide high speed to several devices, there needs to be more number of 5G cell sites.

A current issue with today’s network is latency. Latency is defined as “the delay before a transfer of data begins following an instruction for its transfer”. One of the goals of 5G is to reduce the latency. Reduced latency can provide an improved experience for gamers and in virtual reality. Furthermore, latency becomes a very important factor in the automotive industry. In the future, it is possible the cars communicate with each other based on 5G network and these conversations can prevent crashes when such technologies are incorporated in the crash-avoidance systems. The reduced latency and be very effective in preventing accidents in car crashes especially with the upcoming technology of self-driven cars.

Categories
Hardware iOS Mac OSX

What’s New With AirPods 2?

Apple’s AirPods have quickly become the best selling wireless headphones and are now the second-best selling Apple product. The small white buds have quickly become ubiquitous across the U.S. and are many people’s go-to wireless earbud option. This week, Apple has refreshed the AirPods with a newer model, giving them additional features. These new second generation AirPods look identical to the first generation on the outside, but on the inside much has changed. Utilizing Apple’s new H1 Chip (as opposed to the W1 chip inside the first generation), the new AirPods are able to pair to your iPhone more quickly than ever, and are now able to switch between devices in a much shorter time-frame (a common complaint with the first generation AirPods). Additionally, the new AirPods offer lower latency, which means audio will be more in sync with videos and games. Battery life as also seen an improvement, with talk time now up to 3 hours on a single charge.

Perhaps the biggest feature of these new AirPods does not have anything to do with the earbuds themselves. The case that the new AirPods ship with is now wireless-charging enabled. This means that AirPods can now be charged wirelessly using any Qi-enabled wireless charging pad. Additionally, the new AirPods with Wireless Charging Case will be compatible with Apple’s upcoming AirPower Mat, which will charge an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods, all wirelessly. For those of you with first generation AirPods, don’t fret! Apple is looking to share the wireless charging features with all AirPods owners. The Wireless Charging Case is cross-compatible with both generations of AirPods, and is available for separate purchase for a reduced price. This means that if you already own a pair of AirPods, you are able to purchase the new Wireless Charging Case individually and use it with your first generation AirPods.

With the continued success of AirPods and the continued removal of analog headphone ports from mobile devices, the wireless headphone market will be one that will continue to evolve rapidly for the foreseeable feature. Seeing what features Apple will add to future AirPods to entice customers to continue purchasing them will be interesting, as will seeing how their competitors in the space will improve their products to compete.

Categories
Hardware Software Web

Cryptocurrency – Why decentralization is a big deal.

TheMerkle Bitcoin Ethereum

Cryptocurrencies have taken a seemingly permanent foothold in the world of technology and banking; more and more people are reaching out and investing or making transactions with Bitcoin and similar online coins. The potential impact that these decentralized coins have on our society is enormous for laypeople and tech enthusiasts alike.

Why is decentralization a big deal?

Throughout all of history, from the great Roman Empire to modern-day United States, money has been backed, affiliated, printed, and controlled by a governing body of the state. Artificial inflation rates, adjustable interest rates, and rapid economic collapses and growth are all side-effects of a governing body with an agenda controlling the money and its supply.

Bitcoin, for example, is one of many online cryptocurrencies, and has no official governing entity. This is completely uncharted territory, as not only is it not being manipulated artificially, but it is not associated with any governing body or any regulations and laws that may come with it. The price is determined solely on the open market – supply and demand.

No other currency has ever been free of a governing body and state like cryptocurrencies are today. The major effect of this is what it will do to the banking industry. Banks rely on governments to control interest rates, and they rely on there being a demand for money, specifically a demand for money to be spent and saved. Banks are intertwined with our identity, it is assumed everyone has a checking account and is a member of a large bank, and thus the forfeiting of all of our privacy and personal information that goes along with creating a bank account and identity. The opportunity to choose whether or not to be part of a bank, and further to be your own bank and hold your own cryptocurrencies in your own locked vault, is a privilege none of our ancestors were ever granted.

The implications of a mass of people determining to be their own bank is catastrophic for banking entities. Purchasing and transacting things will become more secure, and more private. People will not be able to be tracked by where they swiped their credit card, as Bitcoin by it’s very nature is anonymous and leaves no trail. The demand for banks will go down and change the entire workings of the very foundation of our government – if enough people choose to take this route.

What’s the catch?

A heated discussion is currently present on the usability of cryptocurrency in today’s world, this is a topic that is under heavy scrutiny as ultimately it will determine how successful it is for cryptocurrencies to be the major player in today’s economy.

The con’s of cryptocurrency currently lie in the usability for small and/or quick transactions in today’s society. In order for Bitcoin to be able to be used, it most be supported by both a buyer and a seller. That means that business owners must have a certain threshold of “tech saviness” to be able to even entertain the thought of accepting bitcoin as a payment.

Bitcoin transaction visualization

In conjunction with needing to be supported on both ends, the fees for transacting are determined by how quickly the transaction needs to “go through” the network – see this article on how bitcoin transactions work on the tech side – and how big the transaction is monetarily. For example, a $100 transaction to another person that needs to get to that person in 20 minutes will likely be significantly more expensive than a $100 transaction that needs to get to that person in a 24 hour period. This spells trouble for small transactions, like your local coffee shop. If a coffee shop wants to accept bitcoin, they have two options. They can either take the gamble and allow a longer period of time for transactions to process – running the risk of someone not actually sending a transaction and skimming a free service from them – or require a quick 20 minute transaction but have higher fees for the buyer, and in turn a possible drop in sales via bitcoin.

The last point is crucial to understanding and predicting the future of cryptocurrencies in our world. If the fees and time for transactions to complete are lowered and made more efficient, Bitcoin will almost inevitably take a permanent resting place in our society as a whole, and perhaps be the most used currency, changing the game and freeing money up from regulation, agendas, and politics.

Categories
Operating System

My Phone’s Battery Drains Too Fast! Let’s Fix That.

It seems to me that my phone’s battery drains way too fast sometimes. I use it semi regularly throughout the day but still in the evening I’m at 15% when I think there’s no good reason for me to be. Fortunately, there’s an explainable reason this happens. Let’s first take a look at why the phone needs power:

smartphone-1641909_960_720

Everything your phone does requires what’s called a process. A process is all the calculations and tasks the phone has to do in the background so that you can enjoy it the way it was meant to be used. Processes can build up quickly, especially if you’re like me, and you have a lot of apps on your phone that you switch between.

For instance, your phone is making sure you can receive calls; there’s a process for that. It is checking that the screen is at the correct brightness; there’s a process for that. It is looking out for new text messages or SnapChats or Facebook notifications or Instagram updates. They all require processes and they’re all running even when you lock the screen.

I have some tips that will allow your battery to remain as charged as possible:

1.Disable the fancy settings.

This is one of the easiest ways to increase battery life. Your phone came to you with all sorts of features that, on the surface, are fun to use and make your experience better. However, they all require processes that will eat away at your battery life. Fancy settings include but are not limited to:  Bluetooth, location services, auto-rotate, auto-brightness, NFC, Hey Siri/Ok Google, Gestures.

2. Lower the brightness.

I know, I know, you want to be able to see your screen in its most amazing clarity. But that requires power, unfortunately. Setting the screen to a low brightness when it’s dark in your surroundings will help you conserve power. The screen is the one of the most power-draining parts of the phone because of the energy required to light it up. If you can handle a dimly lit display, you’ll really reduce battery consumption.

3. Close apps not in use.

The apps you open throughout the day have an impact on battery life after you’re done using them. Try to remember to close all the apps frequently.

4. Uninstall apps you don’t use.

Some apps have 24/7 processes to check for notifications. SnapChat and Facebook are examples of these. If you have other apps like them that you simply don’t use anymore, uninstall them to make sure they aren’t draining power unnecessarily.

5. Keep a battery bank with you.

If all else fails, having a battery bank with you will allow you to charge your device on the go.