What is 5G?

Just five years after the first 4G smartphone hit the market, the wireless industry is already preparing for 5G

   The major network equipment companies are working on developing 5G network technology for their customers.  As consumers use up rapidly growing amounts of 4G bandwidth watching streaming videos on their phones, 5G will soon become a necessity. As telecom engineers work furiously to develop 5G technology, we're getting a clearer picture of the who, what, where, when and why of 5G. 

                 What is 5G?

The "G" in 3G, 4G and 5G stands for "generation." So 5G will be the fifth generation of wireless network technology.The standards for 5G have not yet been set. According to Bill Smith, president of AT&T's (T, Tech30)network operations, 5G will likely be defined in 2018, and the standards for 5G will codified sometime in 2019 by the standards-setting International Telecommunication Union, a branch of the United Nations. The standards will determine which wireless technologies can be called "5G," as well as what its characteristics must include, such as how fast it will be. 5G will be faster, smarter and less power-hungry than 4G, enabling a slew of new wireless gadgets. 5G will let us have faster smartphones, more smart-home devices .

            How fast will 5G be?

Another characteristic of 5G is that it will have ultra-low latency, meaning that it could drastically reduce the amount of time it takes for the network to respond to your commands. That could give the appearance of much faster loading websites, apps, videos and messages.

           How will it work?

A lot of the wireless companies' 5G experimentation is taking place in super-high frequencies -- as high as 73,000 MHz. Today's cell phone networks broadcast signal in a range of 700 MHz to 3,500 MHz.

The advantage of high-frequency signals is that they're capable of providing significantly faster data speeds. The disadvantage is that they travel much shorter distances and they can't easily penetrate walls. That means thousands -- perhaps even millions -- of mini cell towers, or "small cells" would need to be placed on top of every lamp post, every building, inside every home and potentially every room. In buildings and in crowded areas, 5G might provide a speed boost. But when you're driving down the highway, 4G could be your only option -- at least for a while.

           When is 5G coming?

None of these questions are going to be answered any time soon. The industry's consensus is that it will run 5G experiments in South Korea during the 2018 Winter Olympics, with mass deployments beginning sometime in 2020.

Yet Verizon (VZ, Tech30) has said that it is working on 5G technology with the aim of bringing it to market much sooner -- as early as 2017.

Make your Wi-Fi super fast by using this simple tips

If you want super-fast Wi-Fi in your home, you may want to turn off your Christmas lights.

                           Britain's communications regulator Ofcom has published a report showing that about 20% of poor Wi-Fi performance is caused by electronic gadgets and lights in the home.While problems with network congestion and infrastructure carry most of the blame for slow broadband, devices such as baby monitors and home phones can interfere with your Wi-Fi because they compete for frequencies, an Ofcom spokesperson said.

                                     

                                    Here are some tips from the regulator to maximize your Wi-Fi speed:

1. Restart your router: It can do a world of good to restart your router when you're having connectivity troubles. This allows it to search for a new channel that isn't being used by other devices.

2. Move your router away from electronic devices: "Halogen lamps, electrical dimmer switches, stereo or computer speakers [and Christmas] lights ... have all been known to cause interference to broadband routers. Keep your router as far away as possible from other electrical devices as well as those which emit wireless signals such as baby monitors."

3. Move your router to a central part of your home: Walls and furniture can act as obstacles to your Wi-Fi signal. Power cables running through the walls and floor can also create interference. Your best bet is to put your router on a table in the center of your home, and keep it away from other devices.

A belt that can charge your mobile phone

Technology has become so advanced today that the things you were not even imagining yesterday are already in the market today for sell. Technology has made life so easy that you don’t have to worry about simple things.  
                          Smartphones were introduced and made life so much easy and luxurious. But it can’t solve the problem of battery life. Then power banks were introduced which ended your worry of searching electricity to charge your phone. But still, as the power banks being bulky and heavy to handle, batteries have now started to come in human wearables.
                          Nifty, a UK-based company has introduced a belt which can charge your phone. Yes, a belt that charges a phone. Actually not an only smartphone, but every phone that can be charged through USB. The company named the belt as ‘Xoo Belt’ and the design is done by collaborating with a fashion company Casley Hayford.
                                The belt is a solution for everyday problem of people – the battery of mobile phone. It is designed in such a way that it doesn’t look like a battery hanging around your waist. Rather it looks stylish and comfortable to wear, same as a normal belt and also easy to charge phones. There are two types of battery attached to the belt, one is a simple battery fitted inside the 3D-printed buckle and another one is inside the strap. The battery inside the strap is a new breed of Lithium Ceramic Polymer battery and is so flexible that it can easily be bent in any direction as the leather of the strap. Another specialty of this battery is that it can be cut in any length and still works, which is a good news for skinny people. Being water-resistant and ultra-safe to use, this belt is expected to hit the world market. The total capacity of battery is 2100mAh, which is enough to full charge a smartphone.
                         The charging method is so cool that you can charge the belt in the same manner you charge your phone every day – just plug the USB into your computer or any phone charger and that’s it. The full charge can be done in just 3 hours. Charging your phone from it is even cooler. It comes with a USB cable inside it attached along with the belt with a magnet, your work is just to pull down the cable whenever you need and connect your phone and your phone starts to charge. Move the cable around your waist as your comfort and put the phone inside the pocket. Put the cable back to its position after you finish charging. In a nutshell, this belt has made our life so easy that you don’t have to worry about remembering any additional chargers, the only thing you need to remember is to charge the belt after it discharges and yes, don’t forget to wear it as you leave your home.


               
     You will get a little worry when it comes to the price. It comes with different color and design where price ranges from $149 to $199.

                               

Google launches it's first wi-fi network

Google has launched its first wi-fi network in Uganda's capital Kampala, as part of a project to broaden access to affordable high-speed internet.

The company is making the broadband wireless network available to local internet providers, who will then charge customers for access.

The web giant says the network is now live in 120 key locations in Kampala.

Official statistics show Uganda has about 8.5 million internet users, making up 23% of the population.

Google hopes that by improving internet capacity in the city, local telecom companies will then be able to offer faster, cheaper broadband access to their customers.Critics say it would have been better to focus on Uganda's rural areas, where high-speed internet access is very limited.There are now plans to expand the project to the Ghanaian cities of Accra, Tema and Kumasi.

In October, Facebook announced its own initiative to increase access to the internet in Africa by using satellites.

Apple wins appeal over phone patent with samsung

Samsung has agreed to pay Apple $548m (£362m) as part of a deal to settle a long-running patent dispute.

The arrangement was revealed in papers filed to a California court by both companies on Thursday.

The dispute began in 2011 when Apple said Samsung was using some of its patented technologies without permission.

The payment does not mean the end of the row as, next year, a US court will decide if Apple deserves more damages.

Patent exam

A joint case management statement filed to the California court revealed that Samsung had agreed to pay Apple within 10 days of receiving an invoice.

The payment is part of a bigger $1bn damages award that Apple was granted in 2012 by a jury that considered the case. That total was reduced on appeal to $930m. Further legal action split this total into two parts - a $548m chunk for technology patents and a $382m chunk for allegations that Samsung copied Apple's packaging materials.

A jury is due to decide on the second damages award in 2016.

Despite agreeing to pay the first part of the settlement, Samsung said it reserved the right to get its money back if there were further developments in the case. The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is currently reviewing some of the patents Apple used in the court case.

Apple has disputed Samsung's right to a refund if the patents are ruled invalid.

One of the patents in the case, covering ways to add the "pinch to zoom" feature to smartphones, has already been ruled invalid by the USPTO. Apple is appealing against this decision.

Soon after the USPTO made the decision to invalidate the pinch patent, Samsung lodged a call to review the entire case with the US appeals court. This call was rejected.

"After years of not getting a cent, more than half a billion dollars is significant," wrote patent expert Florian Mueller in a blogpost.

However, he added, the continuing uncertainty about the validity of some Apple patents and Samsung's plans to file fresh appeals meant the case was a long way from reaching resolution.