The nth Wave of Technology

2011-04-21T17:37:00.001-07:00

Amazon Server Troubles Take Down Reddit, Foursquare and HootSuite
http://ping.fm/uSjlo

2011-01-21T16:12:00.001-08:00

You Don’t Need Anyone's Permission To Be
Successful

2011-01-21T11:07:00.001-08:00

Make sure you maximize the grip strength of your Facebook page by taking full advantage of the often-overlooked profile pic.

2011-01-20T18:20:00.001-08:00

Leadership is the most crucial choice one can make - it is the decision to step out of darkness into the light, and to innovate.

2011-01-20T17:43:00.001-08:00

Today remember that discernment is a gift you give yourself.

2011-01-18T08:42:00.001-08:00

Are you passionate about Social Media Marketing ? Passion does make the difference !

2011-01-15T14:16:00.001-08:00

Leadership is defined by results, not by attributes - Peter Drucker

2011-01-10T09:39:00.001-08:00

Tell us a little about yourself. Not what your brand makes, but what you care about and how they affects what you make. People buy the ‘Why’ before the ‘What.’

2011-01-09T07:50:00.001-08:00

Participation is not engagement. Social media is not about the exploitation of technology but service to community.

12 Definitive Tips to Viralize your Content

2010-10-10T17:43:00.000-07:00

Now that we have the content, that is good and well created, the next question is how do we get to the masses or our target audience. So here is something that will help us to keep in mind while creating the content, not after. Trust me, it is a long shot to make it viral after the content is created.

The best part of the entire process of making the content viral, is quite easy, lot of fun and can be very entertaining, informative and create an explosive growth.

1. Make the Product easily Shareable : To make your content viral, you have to make the product, easily reproduce-able, or shareable, If each user that accesses can also customize and share it with their network, you have a very good chance of capitalizing on the Social Media.

2. Capitalize on the big news at the time : Timing as they say plays a big role in a lot of Campaigns, Be aware of what is going in the world or around you and capitalize using the same theme, or story or even the punch line.

3. Provide great Value , FREE is good : Everyone is looking a great deal or great Value, the search definitely is amplified on the web, and even more on the Social Networks. To make your content viral, make sure you are providing them things for Free !!, If that is not an option, make sure your offer is compelling and show them what they are getting.

4. Teach them something new (that is hard to get) : Capitalize on the hottest trend, or hottest skill or even a hottest product and find a way that you can provide it at low cost, or your audience get their hands on.

5. Get an Endorsement from an Expert or Authority : Well, you maybe thinking it is not that simple, but it is not that difficult either, just approach well know people in your field of expertise and have them review and I can assure there will be more than a handful of people, that will support you and give their feedback, and take their opinion and use it in your favor.

6. Be Patient and look at the big picture : Social Media like most marketing campaigns are not meant to produce fruits over night, although, there are plenty of success stories, it is likely that the build-up and viral nature will take its course and snow-ball at the right pace. Also, don't try to push or oversell yourself or any of your product directly.

7. Tell a great Story : I love great stories, all good speakers, spiritual leaders are great story tellers, parables, have a way of connecting people from one state of consciousness to another, with minimal effort. To tell a great story, you need to embody the content and you either need to come up with a good story on the fly or accumulate enough under your belt to dispose whenever you deem it is most appropriate.

8. Make Sharing rewarding : One of the things I have noticed on lot of social sites, be it book marking or location based services, people enjoy it more when there is a reward, it could be as simple as points or crowning as the "Mayor" or "Duke".

9. Make people part of sharing : If you can make people as part of the whole sharing experience, your content is bound to get viral, people like putting themeselves in the situation and see the results and share them.

10. Compelling graphics always help : This needs no further explanation, the age old saying, "A picture says a thousand words" still holds validity in the Social Media Age.

11. A Collection over the years of facts, pictures, etc : History is always fascinating to mankind, if you can share that, with appropriate definitions and easy to explain terms and good time line and well documented facts, it adds another dimension of depth.

12. Add Humor...Make it Light : If you are having during the entire process it is going to show up in your content.

Please feel free to comment and offer your suggestions, If you need any help coming up with ideas, strategies feel free to contact us.

Prakash Gupta begin_of_the_skype_highlightingend_of_the_skype_highlighting
Social Media Strategist
E Planet Systems, Inc.
http://www.eplanetsystems.com

2010-07-08T09:28:00.001-07:00

There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart, pursue those: Michael Nolan

2010-07-08T09:27:00.001-07:00

No matter how you start, where you are, FINISH STRONG http://ping.fm/6WD3p

2010-06-23T08:21:00.001-07:00

If I would've asked people what they wanted, they would've said 'faster horses'. ~Henry Ford

2010-06-17T17:47:00.001-07:00

HumanÂ beingsÂ mustÂ beÂ knownÂ toÂ beÂ loved;Â butÂ DivineÂ beingsÂ mustÂ beÂ lovedÂ toÂ beÂ known.

2010-06-17T17:34:00.001-07:00

ThereÂ isÂ nothingÂ impossibleÂ toÂ him(her) whoÂ willÂ try. ~Â AlexanderÂ theÂ Great

12 Simple tips for Creating Compelling Content

2010-06-10T18:39:00.000-07:00

"The only thing that remains constant is Change"

The world of web, the way we communicate, the frequency is constantly changing, albeit one thing that is consistent, the quality content still rules. I know we hear about content all the time, and how important it is, I have listed a few tips to create compelling content, please comment on them and let me know your thoughts.

1. Be Passionate about what you are creating : When you are passionate about what you are doing, it will show in the content you are creating, be it expressed as in writing or as speech or as a video blog.

2. Connect with your audience : We know very clearly with the advent of Social Media, communication is a two-way street. Target your audience and create content towards them.

3. Be Authentic : It is such a rudimentary fact, but very important, people viz., your customers, your peers, your staff can see through the content, if it is not coming from an Authentic source.

4. Keep it Simple : This tip goes along with the fact, connect with your audience and make sure you are resonating with them, make it simple enough use examples, stories or analogies and keep them short.

5. Become a Consumer first : I personally feel we need to experience before we can write/talk about anything. If you are reviewing about a product or service become a consumer, and use it from a consumer perspective and then share your ideas to marketplace how it can help them.

6. Be Knowledgeable : This can be built upon from the last few points, when you start using the product, and are passionate about it and making a sincere effort to learn, understand how a certain thing works, you will automatically gain knowledge that you can easily share.

7. Talk to Experts and Quote them : This particular tip serves in more than one ways, you are bring an expert opinion to share about a topic that people are interested, and you are letting your community know that you are also interested in learning and willing to share it. Make sure, you give credit to people where it is appropriate and quote sources where it is necessary.

8. Give options and invite them to Engage : Invite people to share their thoughts, ideas, or participate, give the an option to take action. Be it calling you, signing up or subscribing for your service. People like to know their opinions are valued and would like to engage.

9. Show them Value : Don't tell people what they can do or why it is useful, Show them how it can help them and make their life better by using your product or service. Give them good visuals, graphs, pictures and videos whenever possible.

10. Embrace Criticism : When you do your best, and your are still learning; there is a possibility you cannot please everyone, accept criticism constructively, some people are not skilled enough to give you criticism constructively, in those cases look through that and see how and what could have possible served them. Also, keep in mind, you cannot try to please everyone.

11. Be Vulnerable : Seems simple enough but one of the hardest things to do both in personal and business lives. Being open, authentic makes you vulnerable, but also opens up a wide open field for you to explore uncharted territories and a whole new of thinking.

12. Have Fun ....

We are here to help you develop strategies and implement them for your business, be it a Small business to medium sized business, or a large enterprise.

Prakash Gupta
Social Media Strategist
E Planet Systems, Inc.
http://www.eplanetsystems.com

2010-06-10T11:07:00.001-07:00

Don`t be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams.

Social Media is the new Web

2010-06-10T09:42:00.000-07:00

I remember 10 years ago, there was a big "gold rush" for having a website. Everyone wanted to make money on the internet! Clients approached us, and they told me, "I want a website and I want to make money on the website".

Naturally, our question was, what do you want in your website.... the most common answer was.. "I don't know".

There is an exact trend today with so many people rushing into Social Media. Everyone in business is jumping and wanting to catch the hype and hoping to make a quick million.

I can understand the reason for the rush, Facebook is the #1 referrer and has replaced Google. Social Media is the fastest growing trend in modern world.

Back in 2000, "Content was the King ", now in 2010, "Content is still the King". Additionally you have a huge benefit, engaging the prospects and your customers has really become quite simple.

There are many tools, but they are still tools, you need to find out what works best for your business model. Then decide what works best for your customers, come up with a solid marketing plan, social media plan, and engagement plan.

A well designed strategy can benefit your business and/organization to achieve your goals.

Your Goals can be
1. Promoting your products or Service
2. Providing Customer Service
3. Listening to Customers and Engaging them
4. Fund-raising
5. Awareness or Education
6. Political Campaigns

And many others...

You can have one specific goal or combination of more than one goal.

My Final Word, Make sure your social media strategy is adaptable and can factor in changes that are happening almost daily in this environment.

If you need help coming up with ideas and strategies, feel free to write me or if you want to add anything or comment on this article, I really appreciate it.

Prakash Gupta
Social Media Enthusiast
E Planet Systems, Inc.
http://www.eplanetsystems.com

2010-05-29T01:52:00.001-07:00

Optimism is essential to achievement and it is also the foundation of courage and true progress.

2010-05-29T01:44:00.001-07:00

A Dream is a compelling vision you see in your heart that is too big to accomplish without the help of others.

2010-05-29T00:37:00.001-07:00

Policies are many, Principles are few, Policies will change, Principles never do. John Maxwell

2010-05-28T09:18:00.001-07:00

Focus on the one thing you want so desperately that you will move Heaven and Earth to get it.

2010-05-27T05:20:00.001-07:00

I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and found that life was service. I acted, and behold, service was joy.~ Tagore

2010-05-24T21:17:00.001-07:00

Rapportive.com - A new social-plugin for Gmail users that replaces the ads on the right of your emails with the social profiles. http://rapportive.com/

2010-05-23T09:17:00.001-07:00

Courage is Something you can never Loose, Because Courage is something you can always Choose !

2010-05-20T18:12:00.001-07:00

Android Froyo Is a Slap in Apple’s Face

http://ping.fm/z1oag

2010-05-20T17:37:00.001-07:00

Gink: The Next Great Social Network? http://ping.fm/yzL3M

2010-05-20T17:29:00.001-07:00

The seat of knowledge is in the head,
the seat of wisdom is in the heart,
the seat of consciousness is in everything.

2010-05-20T15:07:00.001-07:00

Moving on doesn't mean its the end, it may also mean the best beginning.

2010-05-20T12:04:00.001-07:00

In Social Media, Consumers offer rewards to deserving Brands.

2010-05-20T11:40:00.001-07:00

Is it not possible that all your problems have been solved, but you have removed yourself from the solution?

What is in the mix of Web 2.0 ?

2008-02-17T08:01:00.000-08:00

"the philosophy of mutually maximizing collective intelligence and added value for each participant by formalized and dynamic information sharing and creation."

Before dissecting What is in Web 2.0, let us understand what exactly is Web 2.0 ?

From the software perspective, It simply mean next version or next generation of Web, that includes advances over its previous generation.

As we all know, web is constantly evolving; web is a shortened version for World Wide Web or WWW; that is served using files and contains hypertext. The world's first web server and browser was developed in the late 80s, ran on NextCube, followed by Mosaic.

CERN was instrumental in developing the browser/Web concept and released the sources to the public domain. Some of the versions are still available at http://www.evolt.org.

In 1994 http://www.w3c.org was formed at MIT in collaboration with CERN.

Major W3C Achievements

October 1996
First W3C Recommendation published is Portable Network Graphics (PNG) 1.0. In the mid-'90s, more industrial and academic users were discovering the Web and its graphics capabilities. W3C developed Portable Network Graphics (PNG) to provide a cross-platform alternative to the graphics formats most prevalent at that time, some of which had raised some patent licensing concerns.

December 1996
Separating content from structure, CSS Level 1 is published. Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a simple mechanism for adding style (e.g. fonts, colors, spacing) to Web documents. CSS Level 2 (1998) included further and more sophisticated features.

February 1997
Web Accessibility Initiative launched. W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) guidelines for Web content, user agents, and authoring tools would become very popular among the Web community. WAI, in coordination with organizations around the world, pursues accessibility of the Web through four primary areas of work: technology, tools, education and outreach, and research and development.

December 1997
HTML 4.0 adds tables, scripting, style sheets, internationalization, and accessibility features to Web publishing. Whereas HTML 3.2 had been published to capture the then current state of support for HTML on the Web, HTML 4.0 added new features to enable authors to create significantly richer Web content. These features included the ability to specify style sheets, create tables, and make pages more dynamic through scripting (see also W3C's work on the Document Object Model, or DOM). HTML 4.0 also included important features to promote more internationalized content and content more accessible to some users with disabilities.

February 1998
XML 1.0 promotes interoperability and domain-specific markup. Soon to become the lingua franca of the Web, XML would serve as the basis for dozens of standards ranging from digital signatures (XML-Sig) and Web forms (XForms), to privacy technologies (P3P).

August 2000
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) 1.0 enriches Web graphics. A language to describe two-dimensional graphics and graphical applications in XML, SVG will serve as the foundation for new-generation mobile applications (SVG Mobile Profiles).

May 2001
XML Schema provides an essential piece for XML to reach its full potential. This important specification delivers on the true promise of XML by providing a standard way to create XML vocabularies that permit mixing and a way to build more versatile and powerful commercial applications.

January 2002W3C launches Web Services Activity. Subsuming the XML Protocol Activity and extending its scope, Web services provide a standard means of interoperating between different software applications, running on a variety of platforms and/or frameworks.

May 2003
W3C adopts royalty-free Patent Policy. The W3C Patent Policy governs the handling of patents in the process of producing Web standards, and explicitly encourages the development of open standards.

February 2004RDF and OWL make a strong foundation for Semantic Web applications. RDF and OWL are Semantic Web standards that provide a framework for asset management, enterprise integration and the sharing and reuse of data on the Web. Respectively, they deliver structured descriptions and Web-based ontologies.

March 2004W3C gives voice to the Web with VoiceXML 2.0. Voice interaction can escape the physical limitations of keypads and displays as mobile devices become even smaller. The goal of VoiceXML 2.0 is to bring the advantages of Web-based development and content delivery to interactive voice response applications.

December 2004
W3C describes principles of Web architecture. W3C's Technical Architecture Group (TAG) publishes "Architecture of the World Wide Web," a description of the principles that make the Web we know work, and work well. This condensed assessment of fifteen years of observations about the Web authored by many of those who designed the core Web standards is a valuable foundation on which to design future Web standards.

February 2005
Character Model brings unified approach to using characters on the Web. W3C's Internationalization Core Working Group publishes "Character Model for the World Wide Web 1.0: Fundamentals" with a goal of making it easier for all people to use the World Wide Web, regardless of their language, script, writing system, and cultural conventions, in accordance with the W3C mission of universal access. Building on the Universal Character Set (defined jointly by the Unicode Standard and ISO/IEC 10646), the Character Model provides authors of specifications, software developers, and content developers with a common reference for interoperable text manipulation on the World Wide Web.

May 2005
Mobile Web Initiative launched to facilitate mobile Web access. W3C launched the Mobile Web Initiative (MWI) with the mission of making Web access from a mobile device as simple as Web access from a desktop device. MWI sponsors and participants develop authoring guidelines, checklists and best practices, as well as a database of descriptions that can be used by content authors to adapt their content to the strengths and capabilities of a particular device.

November 2005
W3C Launches Group Linking Medical Industry with Semantic Web. W3C launched an Interest Group to connect medical industry verticals with Semantic Web experts in an effort to improve collaboration, research and development, and innovation adoption in the health care and life science industries. The first of its kind for W3C, the Semantic Web for Health Care and Life Sciences Interest Group (HCLSIG) deploys standardized Semantic Web specifications into specific services defined by a user community.

There were several other big waves, some of them as I recall are MathML, SGML, all derivatives of XML.

Please see the time line in the image

Future of Web

W3C continues to expand the reach of the Web to:

Everyone (regardless of culture, abilities, etc.),
Everything (applications and data stores, and on devices ranging from power computers with high-definition displays to mobile devices to appliances),
Everywhere (from high to low bandwidth environments),
Diverse mode of interaction (touch, pen, mouse, voice, assisting technologies, computer to computer),
Enable computers to do more useful work (through advanced data searching and sharing).

Which defines what Web 2.0 is going to be, more user friendly, more collaborative, approaching close to two decades since the first ever web server/web browser and web content was written.

Web 2.0 is a trend in World Wide Web technology, and web design, a next generation of web-based communities and hosted services such as social-networking sites, wikis, blogs, podcasts, social bookmarking sites and folksonomies, which aim to facilitate creativity, collaboration, and sharing among users. Even companies are creating their new corporate identity including logos to be Web 2.0 friendly.

Web 2.0 Designs are usually attention grabbing, easy to read, bright colors. I found a good look with the collection of some good Web 2.o logos.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stabilo-boss/sets/72057594060779001/

If you are even more interested in learning about how to do the logos, here is another link; http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/revealing-methods-of-drawing-web-20-logos/

Web 2.0 unlike a traditional upgrade in the software, is more in the content, and creation of the content than the actual application or browsers.

Web 2.0 sites are not just an online business card or e-Brochure, it helps in doing business, connecting and communicating with your customers, vendors, employees in a very collaborative way. The information flows both ways, to and from the web server. Buzz words viz., Flex, AJAX, and most recently Silver Light provide a very rich, enhanced and smooth user experience.

So what exactly is social networking; check this video out and it explains very well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a_KF7TYKVc

Here is a great video about blog

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN2I1pWXjXI&NR=1

Another video about social bookmarking site

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x66lV7GOcNU

Here is a video that explains what online photo sharing can do.

Here is another great video about Wikis

I would sign off by saying Web 2.o is a paradigm shift in how we are utilizing the web now in more ways than ever before, applying our social skills to web and way we search, meet, and connect .

Customized website for every location

2008-02-09T06:53:00.000-08:00

Yes,

This sounds like a great effort, But it is not. It is just a few simple modifications to your website that can generate lot more revenue, interest or whatever else the purpose of your website is.

The thought occured to me several years ago, and we have implemented this concept on several websites at various levels.

The buzz word now for this concept is GEO-Targeting, essentially means Geographical targeting.

Let's take an example so I can explain it better

http://www.iphoneware.com is a globally positioned website that sells products and accessories for ipod and iPhone worldwide. We wanted to minimize the shipping costs and promote products from suppliers in Europe to European customers, and American products to US customers. Also, we wanted to show some products that are more popular product for that region for visitors from that area. From my experience American customers have a disposal mentality they buy a case and buy it every three months. European customers buy an expensive case and want it and hope it will last for years. Please note, this is not in way to discriminate against americans or europeans, but just an observation and classification to provide the customers what they are asking for with minimal searching.

Another good example for geotargetting is languages, We can automatically show French, Spanish, German, Japanese or English based on what region they accessing the website from.

It is also very useful for advertising and marketing purposes. web sites can target content, advertising, news, news tickers or customized RSS Feeds or network traffic depending upon the actual physical locations of the web site visitors.

I also found out first hand how Financial Institutions, ISPs, HSPs are utilizing geo targeting as a fraud prevention tool. When I went to visit my family in India few years ago, I swiped my credit card first time it worked. Second time, It didn't because they blocked since it was coming from India, I had to call and go through all the security verification to remove the block on the card. So Next time before you leave the country call your Bank and Credit cards to avoid the problem.

Same concept of geo targeting is used very effectively in Pay per click ads, and the merchant can target their customers to a city and sometimes to a specific part of the city as well.

I have tried to maintain this article very consumer friendly, if you are interested in more technical details or how this concept can help your business, please contact me and I will be happy to help you further.

To Summarize the benefits of geo targeting

1. Browse a local version of Yahoo, Google, MSN when you are travelling including weather, latest news, and other entertainment information
2. Enables website owners to serve localized content with global reach
3. Advertizers and marketers are able to focus specifically to the geography they plan to increasing their efficiency and saving marketing dollars
4. Fraud Prevention & detection for Financial Institutions.

I do not want to list cons and encourage people looking to exploit and give them more tools.

Please comment your thoughts and feedback on this article.

Prakash Gupta
President & CEO
E Planet Systems Inc,
http://www.eplanetsystems.com

2007-11-21T07:18:00.000-08:00

Whats's next with Bluetooth ?

Wibree is a new interoperable radio technology for small devices. It can be built into products such as watches, wireless keyboards, gaming and sports sensors, which can then connect to host devices such as mobile phones and personal computers. It is essential the missing link between small devices and mobile devices/personal computers.
Wibree is the first open technology offering connectivity between mobile devices or personal computers, and small, button cell battery power devices. By extending the role mobile devices can play in consumers' lives, this technology increases the
growth potential in these market segments.
Wibree fullfills the need for a radio technology that:

* Allows communication between small button-cell battery devices and Bluetooth devices
* Forms a minimal cost and size addition to Bluetooth devices such as mobile phones and PCs
* Creates smaller and lower cost options for small button-cell battery devices

Wibree’s development started at the Nokia Research Center in 2001. Wibree was announced to a broader audience in October of 2006 and Nokia stated its intention to incorporate the technology and its current forum into an open, preferably existing industry forum to ensure Wibree’s wide adoption.

From the start, Wibree was designed to work with two implementation options – as an easily implemented extension to a classic Bluetooth radio, and as a stand-alone implementation.

While there are many potential applications for Wibree technology, there are a few specific use cases which are believed to drive its adoption. Below is a list of these cases.

Sports and Wellness

One segment that will surely benefit from Wibree technology is sports and wellness. Sports watches that connect to sensors located on the body, shoes and other fitness gear can gather data on heart rate, distance, speed, acceleration and send the information to a mobile phone and/or PC for storage and further processing.

Healthcare

Healthcare monitoring equipment and sensors in the form of Wibree stand-alone devices can send vital health-related information (blood pressure, glucose level) to Bluetooth-Wibree dual-mode devices (such as mobile phones and/or personal computers) which can store and/or process this information and send alerts to the mobile phones of patients and caretakers.

Office & Mobile Accessories

Office and mobile accessories will benefit from Wibree's small size and ability to extend battery life. They can also use Wibree to avoid dongles for connectivity; which add an extra component and raise the overall cost.

Entertainment

Entertainment devices (such as the remote controls and gaming accessories with sensor technology) can use Wibree to interact with one another, enhance their capabilities and create a more interactive experience.

Watch

Wibree allows watches and wrist-top devices to work in entirely new ways through connecting them to mobile phones and accessories.

Wibree was designed with two equally important implementation alternatives in mind: stand-alone implementation and dual-mode implementation.

Wibree stand-alone implementation

is designed for use with applications which require extremely low power consumption, small size and low cost. Examples of devices that would benefit from the Wibree stand-alone implementation are: watches, sports and wellness devices and human interface devices (HID) such as wireless keyboards.

Bluetooth-Wibree dual-mode implementation

is designed for use in Bluetooth devices. In this type of implementation, Wibree functionality is integrated with Bluetooth for a minor incremental cost by utilizing key Bluetooth components and the existing Bluetooth RF. Examples of devices that would benefit from the Bluetooth-Wibree dual-mode implementation are mobile phones and personal computers.

Wibree radio specification

The Wibree radio specification allows Bluetooth-Wibree dual-mode implementation to utilize the existing Bluetooth RF and also enables ultra-low power consumption in stand-alone implementations.
Wibree link layer specification

Wibree link layer provides ultra low power idle mode operation, simple device discovery and reliable point-to-multipoint data transfer with advanced power-save and encryption functionalities. The link layer provides means to schedule Wibree traffic in between Bluetooth transmissions.

Wibree Profiles

The first interoperability specification of Wibree will include three profiles to optimize its functionality for a specific group of products:

* Watch profile
* Human Interface Device (HID) profile
* Sensor profile

When will it be out ?

The ultra low power Bluetooth specification will be licensed without cost on the same terms as existing Bluetooth specifications. According to the current estimate the first commercial version of the specification will be available during the first half of 2008.

Why Wibree?

Wibree and Bluetooth technology are complementary technologies. Bluetooth technology is well-suited for streaming and data-intensive applications such as file transfer and Wibree (ultra low power Bluetooth technology) is designed for applications where ultra low power consumption, small size and low cost are the critical requirements.

How is it Implemented

Wibree has two important implementation alternatives: 1) stand-alone, which uses only Wibree technology and 2) dual-mode which uses a combination of Bluetooth technology and Wibree technology.

Small devices like watches and sports sensors will be based on a stand-alone implementation whereas traditional Bluetooth enabled devices (such as mobile phones and PCs) will benefit from a dual-mode implementation that will extend Bluetooth connectivity to a new range of smaller devices.

A device's power consumption in dual-mode is ultimately dependent upon the implementation and usage of Bluetooth technology. Dual-mode implementation is achieved by sharing one physical radio and antenna. Therefore, when a dual-mode device connects to a stand-alone device (without utilization of classic Bluetooth technology) the dual-mode device will enjoy the low-power consumption

Conclusion

Wibree will become part of the Bluetooth wireless specification and will be known as ultra low power Bluetooth technology.

Terminology Defined

2007-11-11T22:05:00.000-08:00

Bluetooth

What is Bluetooth wireless technology?

Bluetooth technology is how mobile phones, computers, and personal digital assistants (PDAs), not to mention a broad selection of other devices, can be easily interconnected using a short-range wireless connection. Using this technology, users can have all mobile and fixed computer devices be totally coordinated. Bluetooth Basics Bluetooth wireless technology is a short-range communications technology intended to replace the cables connecting portable and/or fixed devices while maintaining high levels of security. The key features of Bluetooth technology are robustness, low power, and low cost. The Bluetooth specification defines a uniform structure for a wide range of devices to connect and communicate with each other.

Bluetooth technology has achieved global acceptance such that any Bluetooth enabled device, almost everywhere in the world, can connect to other Bluetooth enabled devices in proximity. Bluetooth enabled electronic devices connect and communicate wirelessly through short-range, ad hoc networks known as piconets. Each device can simultaneously communicate with up to seven other devices within a single piconet. Each device can also belong to several piconets simultaneously. Piconets are established dynamically and automatically as Bluetooth enabled devices enter and leave radio proximity.

A fundamental Bluetooth wireless technology strength is the ability to simultaneously handle both data and voice transmissions. This enables users to enjoy variety of innovative solutions such as a hands-free headset for voice calls, printing and fax capabilities, and synchronizing PDA, laptop, and mobile phone applications to name a few.

Core Specification Versions

Version 2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate (EDR), adopted November, 2004
Version 1.2, adopted November, 2003

Specification Make-Up
Unlike many other wireless standards, the Bluetooth wireless specification gives product developers both link layer and application layer definitions, which supports data and voice applications.

Spectrum
Bluetooth technology operates in the unlicensed industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band at 2.4 to 2.485 GHz, using a spread spectrum, frequency hopping, full-duplex signal at a nominal rate of 1600 hops/sec. The 2.4 GHz ISM band is available and unlicensed in most countries.

Interference
Bluetooth technology’s adaptive frequency hopping (AFH) capability was designed to reduce interference between wireless technologies sharing the 2.4 GHz spectrum. AFH works within the spectrum to take advantage of the available frequency. This is done by detecting other devices in the spectrum and avoiding the frequencies they are using. This adaptive hopping allows for more efficient transmission within the spectrum, providing users with greater performance even if using other technologies along with Bluetooth technology. The signal hops among 79 frequencies at 1 MHz intervals to give a high degree of interference immunity.

Range
The operating range depends on the device class:

Class 3 radios – have a range of up to 1 meter or 3 feet
Class 2 radios – most commonly found in mobile devices – have a range of 10 meters or 30 feet
Class 1 radios – used primarily in industrial use cases – have a range of 100 meters or 300 feet

Power
The most commonly used radio is Class 2 and uses 2.5 mW of power. Bluetooth technology is designed to have very low power consumption. This is reinforced in the specification by allowing radios to be powered down when inactive.

Data Rate
1 Mbps for Version 1.2; Up to 3 Mbps supported for Version 2.0 + EDR Troubleshooting The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is a trade association and as such, we do not make, manufacture, or sell products. Our member companies build Bluetooth wireless technology into products using a specification, or technology map, which helps us ensure their products provide specific Bluetooth applications to the end user. Because we, the Bluetooth SIG, have over 4000 member companies - all of which are implementing the technology in products varying from USB adapters to cars to medical devices - it is virtually impossible for us to give technical support. The following is a general troubleshooting guide that should help you to identify what problems you are experiencing. For product specific assistance, you will need to contact the manufacturer of your product(s) directly.

Troubleshooting Guide
It is important to start by noting that Bluetooth wireless technology is a wireless standard and specification that product manufacturers build into their products. The manufacturer who produces the Bluetooth enabled product does so in compliance with an industry standard but integrates the technology into its product in its unique way. Therefore, for technical support for Bluetooth enabled products, consumers should ultimately rely on the product manufacturer.

There are a few things you need to think about to get Bluetooth devices to work together. The most obvious being, of course, that you will need Bluetooth wireless functionality in all devices you want to connect. If you are not sure whether your devices contain Bluetooth technology, you will need to contact the manufacturers of the devices or check the products’ technical specifications.

Make sure that the corresponding Bluetooth profile exists in both devices.1
Make sure the devices have Bluetooth functionality switched on.2
Make sure that the devices you want to communicate with are paired with each other (exceptions exist, for example, when transmitting business cards).3
Initiate a communication session.4

Have you done everything right and it still doesn't work? Below you will find some general tips of how to deal with potential problems in regard to Bluetooth connectivity and how to easily establish Bluetooth connections.

Making sure profiles match
For devices to work together it is important that each device that communicates share the same profile. Some examples:

If you want to connect a headset to a mobile phone you will need the Hands-Free Profile (HFP) in both devices.
If you want to establish a dial-up session to reach the Internet from a PDA connected to a mobile phone, you would need the Dial-Up Networking (DUN) Profile in both devices.
If you want to print from a mobile phone to a printer, both devices typically will need the Basic Printing Profile (BPP).

These are just some examples, but when purchasing devices you need to keep this concept in mind to make sure that they will work together as expected. Usually you will find information about what profiles are supported in the user manual.
An example that is not likely to work together:

A mouse, which typically supports the Human Interface Device (HID) Profile, and a camera are unlikely to work together since presently no cameras support the HID profile.

Bluetooth functionality must be switched on
For devices to communicate using Bluetooth wireless technology you will need to make sure that both devices have the Bluetooth functionality turned on. Even though the basic design of Bluetooth provides for extremely low power consumption, the functionality can be switched off to save even more power, or to disable radio functionality in special situations such as during airplane take off. In most devices the Bluetooth functionality (radio) is switched on by software. This is typically done from a menu choice, "Turn Bluetooth radio on."

Pairing
Normally, for security reasons, two Bluetooth devices always need to be initially paired before they can exchange data. The term, pairing (or bonding as it is sometimes referred to), normally means that two devices are exchanging protected passkeys. Once paired, all information sent over the Bluetooth link is encrypted and will only be able to reach devices that are authorized to do so by the pairing process. In certain instances it may not be necessary to conduct the pairing procedure. For example, when exchanging business cards between two mobile phones it may be too cumbersome to pair with a password. Usually there is a setting in the device, for such cases, in which you can set a lower level of security.

Pairing procedure
Typically a pairing is done in two ways, depending on the type of devices. For example, pairing a headset and a mobile phone necessitates setting one of the devices into pairing mode and activating the pairing from the other device.
Headset is set into pairing mode, typically by specific sequence of button pushing.
In the mobile phone, the pairing is initiated by activating this function from the appropriate menu.

Establish connection
With many devices, especially those that have built-in Bluetooth functionality, there is no need to perform additional operations to establish a connection once paired. Typically, a mobile phone will automatically connect to the headset when a call is initiated. If at any time a pairing or connection between two devices needs to be re-established, the pairing should be conducted in a private, secure location.

Host/guest and multipoint
For each small personal network (piconet) of between two and seven devices, one device always acts as host and the other units are guests. All devices, independent of capability, can take both host and guest roles. If you have many devices connected in a personal network (more than one guest to a host) it is called multipoint. A computer, for example, could simultaneously connect and transmit data to a PDA, a camera, and a mobile phone at the same time. However, some devices, like wireless headsets, cannot maintain more than one simultaneous connection.

Cannot pair devices
In general, pairing between devices is not a problem; however, you will need to know how to initiate and facilitate the initial pairing, which is described briefly above and for greater detail see Connecting Devices.
Most common problems are:

Devices cannot be found
Bluetooth is off or the other device is not in "discoverable mode". Make the unit you are trying to find and pair with visible/discoverable by either turning this on from the appropriate menu or by a sequence of keystrokes usually on devices with limited user interface. When you are done pairing, you can turn the device back to non-discoverable if you have security concerns.

"Pairing unsuccessful" message appears
The pair attempt between two devices failed. Usually this is the case when a wrong pass code or PIN is entered when trying to pair. If you are certain the pass code is correct, try powering down and then powering up both devices.

Pairing succeeded and it still does not work
One of the most common causes for devices not to work together is the fact that two devices do not support the same profile. Unfortunately, support in both ends is a requirement. Usually the answer to this question is to look in the manual where information about profile support can be found. In many devices, like PCs etc., it is also possible to look in the Bluetooth application to find out what profiles (or services) are supported.
Another common cause is, of course, that it is difficult to find the right commands or menus for making connections. This is more difficult to answer since it depends very much on the manufacturer implementation and the user interface of the device. The only recommendation we can provide is to look in the user documentation and/or to contact the device manufacturer's support department. Bluetooth Wireless Technology Profiles In order to use Bluetooth wireless technology, a device must be able to interpret certain Bluetooth profiles. The profiles define the possible applications. Bluetooth profiles are general behaviors through which Bluetooth enabled devices communicate with other devices. Bluetooth technology defines a wide range of profiles that describe many different types of use cases. By following a guidance provided in Bluetooth specifications, developers can create applications to work with other devices also conforming to the Bluetooth specification.

Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP)
A2DP describes how stereo quality audio can be streamed from a media source to a sink. The profile defines two roles of an audio source and sink. A typical usage scenario can be considered as the “walkman” class of media player. The audio source would be the music player and the audio sink is the wireless headset. A2DP defines the protocols and procedures that realize distribution of audio content of high-quality in mono or stereo on ACL channels. The term “advanced audio”, therefore, should be distinguished from “Bluetooth audio”, which indicates distribution of narrow band voice on SCO channels as defined in the base band specification.
This profile relies on GAVDP. It includes mandatory support for low complexity sub band codec (SBC) and supports optionally MPEG-1,2 Audio, MPEG-2,4 AAC and ATRAC.
The audio data is compressed in a proper format for efficient use of the limited bandwidth. Surround sound distribution is not included in the scope of this profile.

Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP)
AVRCP is designed to provide a standard interface to control TVs, hi-fi equipment, or other to allow a single remote control (or other device) to control all the A/V equipment that a user has access to. It may be used in concert with A2DP or VDP.
AVRCP defines how to control characteristics of streaming media. This includes pausing, stopping and starting playback and volume control as well as other types of remote control operations. The AVRCP defines two roles, that of a controller and target device. The controller is typically considered the remote control device while the target device is the one whose characteristics are being altered. In a “walkman” type media player scenario, the control device may be a headset that allows tracks to be skipped and the target device would be the actual medial player.
This protocol specifies the scope of the AV/C Digital Interface Command Set (AV/C command set, defined by the 1394 trade association) to be applied, realizing simple implementation and easy operability. This protocol adopts the AV/C device model and command format for control messages and those messages are transported by the Audio/Video Control Transport Protocol (AVCTP).
In AVRCP, the controller translates the detected user action to the A/V control signal, and then transmits it to a remote Bluetooth enabled device. The functions available for a conventional infrared remote controller can be realized in this protocol. The remote control described in this protocol is designed specifically for A/V control only.

Hands-Free Profile (HFP)
HFP describes how a gateway device can be used to place and receive calls for a hand-free device. A typical configuration is an automobile using a mobile phone for a gateway device. In the car, the stereo is used for the phone audio and a microphone is installed in the car for sending outgoing audio. HFP is also used for a personal computer to act as a speaker phone for a mobile phone in a home or office environment. HFP uses SCO to carry a mono, PCM audio channel.

Headset Profile (HSP)
The HSP describes how a Bluetooth enabled headset should communicate with a computer or other Bluetooth enabled device such as a mobile phone. When connected and configured, the headset can act as the remote device’s audio input and output interface. The HSP relies on SCO for audio and a subset of AT commands from GSM 07.07 for minimal controls including the ability to ring, answer a call, hang up and adjust the volume.

Object Exchange (OBEX)
OBEX is a transfer protocol that defines data objects and a communication protocol two devices can use to exchange those objects. OBEX is designed to enable devices supporting infrared communication to exchange a wide variety of data and commands in a resource-sensitive standardized fashion. OBEX uses a client-server model and is independent of the transport mechanism and transport API. A Bluetooth enabled device wanting to set up an OBEX communication session with another device is considered to be the client device. The OBEX protocol also defines a folder-listing object, which is used to browse the contents of folders on remote device. RFCOMM is used as the main transport layer for OBEX.
OBEX enables applications to work over the Bluetooth technology protocol stack as well as the IrDA stack. For Bluetooth enabled devices, only connection-oriented OBEX is supported. Three application profiles have been developed using OBEX which include SYNC, FTP and OPP.

Object Push Profile (OPP)
OPP defines the roles of push server and push client. These roles are analogous to and must interoperate with the server and client device roles that GOEP defines. It is called push because the transfers are always instigated by the sender (client), not the receiver (server). OPP focuses on a narrow range of object formats to maximize interoperability. The most common acceptable format is the vCard. OPP may also be used for sending objects such as pictures or appointment details.

Synchronization Profile (SYNC)
The SYNC profile is used in conjunction with GOEP to enable synchronization of calendar and address information (personal information manager (PIM) items) between Bluetooth enabled devices. The profile also describes how an application can support automated synchronization. A common application of this profile is the exchange of data between a PDA and computer. SYNC defines client and server device roles. The profile is also commonly referred to as IrMC synchronization.

Seems like it should be mth Wave of Technology

2007-11-10T06:22:00.000-08:00

I remember back in 2000, when I was an e-Developer we were providing m-Solutions for clients all over S.E.A (South Eastern Asian Countries), then there was a bubble burst.

As We all notice and observer the technology and ancillary industries that are supported by or support technology is gaining momentum at an incredible pace, there seems to be a new life being pumped into mobile solutions or mobile computing.

With Asia and Europe clearly leading the 3G technology US is far behind playing catch up with wireless innovations.

I believe mobile computing was not much of a success for several reasons in the early 2000s
1. WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) was very limited
2. Screen Resolution ( There was not too many rich colorful screens available in phones)
3. Screen Size ( I myself was priding myself in owning Motorola V62, the tiniest phone)
4. Technology and Browsers ( For the longest time Wireless browsers did not have the capability of SSL enabled pages, which killed the buzz word m-Commerce)

I am sure there are plenty more reasons we can come up with and I do welcome all your comments and suggestions, feedback on what has changed in the last decade in mobile computing arena.

Should we call this M 2.0 for the next wave of mobile revolution.

I will write more in part 2 of this series what are the latest trends tools and technologies that are available. You can reach me at prakash@iPhoneWare.com

Prakash Gupta
Technical Consultant
www.iPhoneWare.com

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