4G Technology

4G networking is a growing phenomenon across the globe, although it is taking longer to get off the ground in some places than in others. It is the evolution in mobile data access that drastically improves download and upload speeds when compared with last generation 3G networks while also enhancing audio quality for those making voice calls.

At the moment there is not a huge mainstream demand for 4G because it can be a relatively confusing area of mobile technology to discuss in any detail. It is not a single, unified platform but rather a collection of occasionally different networking systems which require a decent grasp of the basics to appreciate.

There are a number of networking technologies which fall under the wide umbrella of 4G, including LTE (Long Term Evolution) and Wi-MAX. Data download speeds can range from between 10Mbps to more than 100Mbps and there are tests and trials which will eventually see 1Gbps achievable, at least in theory. In practice the real world circumstances which have an impact upon network performance and reception in the world of mobile phones will still affect 4G and although speeds will be much faster, achieving the theoretical maximum speed of a network will be as problematic as it is today with 3G.

There are a number of 4G-ready handsets available in the US and Europe, with countries where 4G coverage is still limited receiving modified versions of these devices in which certain components have been removed.

The HTC Evo 4G was one of the first handset to run on a 4G network when it launched in America back in mid-2010. Using Wi-MAX networks available in certain cities it was capable of hitting download speeds of 10Mbps and 1Mbps for uploads. HTC has since released a number of other 4G smartphones including the Thunderbolt 4G and the Radar 4G, the latter of which was one of the first Windows Phone 7 devices to offer faster connectivity using this type of technology. Rivals including Samsung and Motorola have also joined the market with their own 4G handsets.

4G is not exclusively limited to smartphones and in fact might be better understood in the context of tablet computers, since these are the devices which have the larger screens and higher power outputs which are capable of making the most out of 4G networks. A few tablet devices have launched with LTE antennas onboard but in the future with the increased emphasis on cloud computing solutions enacted by companies like Apple and Amazon it is likely that 4G will play a more prominent role. It will eventually become possible to smoothly stream high definition videos and even enjoy cloud-based software which lets you play games, edit clips and do much more on your tablet by harnessing 4G networks in a way that is not possible with older 3G.

While smartphones like the BlackBerry Bold get by on 3G networks because email and simple web browsing does not require a particularly nippy connection, the next generation of smartphones will need 4G in order to flourish.

Touchscreen Technologies

You might think that touchscreen technology has only really come into being ever since the release of the Tom Cruise thriller Minority Report back in 2002, but the ideas and the hardware which brings tactile interaction into being are much older. There is no doubt that touchscreen devices have become commonplace in the modern market thanks to the popularity of smartphones and now tablets and there are some exciting developments being forged by various companies.

Flexible touchscreens are the big news at the moment, with both Nokia and Samsung attempting to be the first to get them into consumer devices. At the Nokia World 2011 event the Finnish manufacturer showcased a working example of a smartphone with a flexible chassis and display. The fact that the screen can be bent and twisted is not just sensible to improve durability; it is an integral part of the way in which users will be able to interact with menus, apps and services. The phone can detect when it is bent and twisted, allowing users to skip through tracks when listening to music, exit apps or manipulate menus screens. Of course with touch sensitivity and an OLED screen the phone will be user-friendly in any case.

Samsung`s flexible touch screen displays go to an even greater extreme of malleability than those found on Nokia`s prototypes. While still using OLED technology, these screens are so thin and resilient that they can be rolled and folded hundreds of thousands of times in a row without having any impact on the quality of the image that is displayed.

While flexible touch screen displays are still some way from being available on a large number of devices, the next boundary for smartphones and tablets to cross comes in the form of resolution. At the moment even the high end handsets have resolutions of 800x480 or, in the case of the iPhone 4S, 960x640. However, the next generation of smartphones with higher resolutions and pixel densities on their touch screen displays is on the way.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus will be one of the first smartphones to arrive with a touchscreen that features a native resolution of 1280x720, giving it the ability to show true 720p high definition content without compressing it. In addition BlackBerry manufacturer Research in Motion has recently announced that its upcoming overhaul of its smartphone range will endow its portable handsets with display resolutions of 1024x600, enabling a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9. This shows that smartphones are beginning to stack up next to tablets when it comes to the quality of the touchscreens which they are given.

Of course the tablet market is not likely to stagnate from a display perspective, what with rumours suggesting that the Apple iPad 3 will be the first of its kind to get a Retina Display, providing similar boosts to the resolution and pixel density as were seen on the iPhone 4 back in 2010. It is speculated that this might exceed 2048x1536 pixels, which would definitely put it at the top of the touchscreen league tables.

Latest computer hardware

Desktop computers still remain one of the most upgraded and modified pieces of home computers because of the ease of access and availability of components and hardware at relatively cheap prices. The demand for high quality components to modify personal computers has always been very high and the availability of such components is increasing as more consumers are willing to open up their cases and add extras. The main demands are extra internal storage and additional memory, faster processors and graphics cards and upgrades of motherboards and cooling systems.

There are some new components which are making good reviews and this article will look at just some of the new devices that are ready and waiting to be upgraded and inserted in to an old personal computer. Most users will want to upgrade a motherboard at some time while they are replacing or upgrading a processor and Gigabyte motherboards have impressed users with their quality of components and the ability to be quickly inserted and matched up to current hardware with ease. The Innovision Inno3D GeForce GTX 580 1536MB GDDR5 Dual DVI HDMI Out PCI-E Graphics Card is also a new addition and the performance of this graphic card is able to cope with any high end gaming or processing that can possible be given (that is there is no frame rate distortion even with HD screens with up to 89FPS and it copes with some games that go up to 120 FPS).
The graphics card is probably one of the most energy consuming components in a personal computer and the noise of the fans to keep the card cool can be a distraction and developers have tried hard to quieten the fans operation and the current Inno3D is incredibly quiet and runs at a cool 34° Centigrade.

Running a high speed processor will require good cooling management and a good heat sink with deliver good performance. There is still some debate over using water coolers to cool the processor or air fans and there is a market trend towards air cooled fans still. The demand for higher performing desktop computers is ever present and the use of high specification hardware will constantly drive consumers to update and upgrade their existing models and the development of hardware meets the demands. Gaming will always provide the impetus for better hardware as users require better gaming environmental and now expect a multi-sensory gaming environment (in 3D).