Working of iPod Touch

How the iPod Touch Works

When Apple released the iPod video in 2005, people started wondering what the next version of the iPod would look like. It seemed obvious that the media player needed a bigger screen. While a 2.5-inch LCD was fine for browsing through lists of artists and songs, it was far too small for watching videos, especially in a widescreen format.

The iPod touch.

The basic iPod design is pretty sleek, and making it bigger to accommodate a larger screen would take away a lot of its charm. So many Apple aficionados speculated that the next iPod would be all screen. It would have a virtual Click Wheel, and it would play widescreen videos on a horizontal display.

The theorists got it partly right. The newest iPod design is the iPod touch. A display screen covers most of the front surface of the iPod touch, making it resemble an iPhone. But the iPod touch doesn't have a virtual Click Wheel that appears on the screen. Instead, it uses the same multi-touch interface that the iPhone uses. You navigate through music, videos and other files using your fingers and the touch-sensitive screen.

The iPod touch also has a few other features that iPod enthusiasts had hoped to see on standard iPod models. Some users hoped for a wirelessly enabled iPod so they could synch their music or share files with friends over a Bluetooth or WiFi connection. The iPod touch is the first iPod to have wireless capability, although it doesn't use it to synch with a computer or friends' iPods. Instead, you can use it to browse the Web, watch YouTube videos or download music from a WiFi-specific iTunes Music Store.

With its widescreen display and WiFi capability, the iPod touch might sound like a big step up from older iPod models. But the iPod touch isn't for everyone. In this article, we'll look at how the iPod touch measures up to the iPod classic and other versions of the iPod. We'll also examine the technology behind the multi-touch interface and the media player's technical specifications.

iPod Touch Features

It's easy to think of the iPod touch as a stripped-down version of the iPhone instead of a souped-up iPod. The iPod touch is a little smaller and weighs a little less than the iPhone. But the iPod touch has a battery that lasts a little longer than the one on the iPhone. The iPhone has about 24 hours of audio or seven hours of video playback time, and the iPod touch can play 36 hours of audio or six hours of video on a full charge.

The iPod touch and the iPhone

Working of Nike iPod

How the Nike + iPod Works

The Nike + iPod Sport Kit Sensor and Receiver.

Over the last few years, warnings about the health risks associated with obesity have become increasingly dire. At the same time, computers, game consoles and other electronic devices have become increasingly present in people's homes. So it's not surprising that many new gadgets, from the Nintendo Wii to the ExerStation console controller, combine technology with fitness.

The Nike + iPod Sport Kit is similar. Essentially, it combines a portable music player with a pedometer -- two devices that runners have used for years. But the Sport Kit is considerably more advanced than an ordinary pedometer. It uses circuitry, radio waves and software to track and report on a person's workout.

The Kit has two components -- a sensor and a receiver, both of which are about an inch (2.5 centimeters) long. The sensor fits into a small space under the insole of a Nike+ shoe. The receiver plugs into an iPod Nano.

The Nano is not included, but it is required for the system to work. It provides battery power for the receiver and a user interface for the workout software. Runners use their Nano's click wheel to control the software, which is accessible through the "Nike+ iPod" menu. The workout software lets people:

• Create workout playlists
• See how far and how fast they've run as well as how many calories they've burned
• View statistics about past workouts
• Set workout goals

­ All iPod Nanos shipped after July 13, 2006 come with the workout software already installed. Older Nanos can automatically download the software using the iPod Update feature in iTunes.

In addition to providing power and a user interface, the Nano tells runners how the workout is progressing. A computerized voice describes how far they've run, how quickly and how far away the destination is.

The Nano's flash drive also provides storage space for workout data. When synched, the Nano transfers that data to a PC or Mac. The computer's iTunes software can automatically upload the data to a Nike+ account. At the Nike+ Website, runners can view workout statistics and send challenges to other runners. People can also use the site's MapIt feature to map and share their routes.

This user-submitted route

All of this data comes from the interaction between two devices -- the Nike + iPod sensor and receiver. We'll look at them in more detail next.

Working of Bluetooth Car Stereos

How Bluetooth Car Stereos Work

If you hear the name Bluetooth, the first images that come to mind could be of half-concealed headsets. But a growing number of people imagine a whole lot more, including car stereos.

Bluetooth is a growing technological trend that many people use to varying extents. Some simply clip a headset on their ear to talk on a cell phone without the need to hold the actual phone. Others maximize Bluetooth's capabilities and have fully synchronized networks in their homes, offices and vehicles. And still some don't know much about Bluetooth at all. Here are the basics.

Bluetooth devices communicate wirelessly with each other through short-range radio waves that have a maximum reach of about 10 meters generally, or 30 feet, although some more high-powered devices have longer ranges. Unlike devices that require a direct line of sight like remote controls, Bluetooth-enabled products just need to be in the same area in order to communicate with each other.

The interactions between devices form a small network, commonly called a piconet or a personal area network (PAN). These mini-networks, typically comprising no more than eight electronic gadgets, communicate in interesting ways -- all the while guided by the Bluetooth connection protocols and standards that unify the exchanges.

The machines, controlled by one master device, detect each others' presence and pass around pertinent data to coordinate and facilitate their activities at the same time they're continually jumping between radio frequencies along a certain band. With this constant hopping and the use of low power signals, Bluetooth gadgets not only cut down on interference from other devices sharing the frequency band, they also help ensure any brief crossovers won't be an issue.

A variety of electronics can be part of a Bluetooth piconet, from cell phones to personal computers and printers to cameras. The growing list also includes home phones, headsets, entertainment systems, GPS navigators, MP3 players and more. Bluetooth technology is touted as being an inexpensive automated system that brings convenience, flexibility and efficiency to electronic network communication -- and the daily lives of its users.

For more detailed information on how Bluetooth technology operates, read the article How Bluetooth Works. On the next page, however, we'll be reading about all the different ways a Bluetooth car stereo can enhance your driving experience.

Capabilities of a Bluetooth Car Stereo System

Photo Courtesy JVC
Bluetooth car stereos have lots of features, from hands-free calling to video displays.

Now that we've got a handle on Bluetooth 101, let's see what it can do in a stereo. Bluetooth car stereos are commonly integrated with Bluetooth-enabled cell phones, and when the two devices are within range of each other, they can communicate in a number of interesting ways. Depending on the particular models in use, it may be possible to make and receive calls without even pulling out your phone or pushing a single button. You can even hear the calls through the vehicle's speakers. Other models may require a few button-pushes, but usually with more ease than plodding through cell phone menus. You may also be able to view other information such as the phonebook, incoming calls and call status on the stereo panel. When the phone rings, the speakers will automatically turn down the volume on any music or movies that are playing while you chat on the phone and resume when the call is over.

Working of Security Cameras

How Security Cameras Work

Security cameras can give anxious homeowners some more peace of mind once they've left their homes.

Do you ever feel a slight pang of anxiety when you leave your house? After locking the door, do you walk away backwards, unwilling to tear your protective gaze away? Instead of reluctantly easing into your car, do you eventually give up, running back to your house to stand guard over your property?

Unfortunately, for those worried about security, it's impossible to be in two places at once. We can't make a trip to the grocery store and expect to know exactly what's going on in every nook and cranny of our homes. We can install locks and alarm systems (which, incidentally, have driven down the number of burglaries over the years), but nothing is failsafe.

If you want to be able to actually see what happens while you're away, security cameras may calm your nerves. Video surveillance allows you to monitor or record activity in and around an area for many different reasons. For example, parents might want to watch over a sleeping child and lessen the risk of a dangerous fall from the crib. But a security camera system around the house can see people who approach the front door and maybe even catch a criminal in the act of breaking in.

­There's a wide variety of security cameras available. Some are large and out in the open, and might serve simply to deter criminals from even approaching a home, while others are tiny and meant to stay hidden from view. If you're considering setting up some type of video surveillance system in or around your home, there are a lot of questions to ask yourself before getting started.

Types of Security Cameras

The type of security camera system a person installs depends on the kind of activity under surveillance.

­Before you actually invest in a security camera system, you need to think about what you'll be watching and what you need in order to watch it. The number of cameras you want is probably the first question that should come to mind. Are you focusing on one room in the house, or do you need to keep an eye on several different parts of the house? Will you need to monitor outdoor activity as well as indoor? If you're simply watching over one room, you'll probably need just one camera, but including more areas requires a bigger camera system.

Security cameras are either wired or wireless, and which setup you'll need depends on where you'll want to put the cameras and how visible you want them to be. Wired cameras might be trickier to install, and stray wires can hamper your attempts to be discreet. They do, however, have a typically higher-quality picture than wireless cameras, since their signals aren't travelling through the air.

Working of Smartphones

How Smartphones Work

Smartphones blur the line between cell phones and PDAs.

Think of a daily task, any daily task, and it's likely there's a specialized, pocket-sized device designed to help you accomplish it. You can get a separate, tiny and powerful machine to make phone calls, keep your calendar and address book, entertain you, play your music, give directions, take pictures, check your e-mail, and do countless other things. But how many pockets do you have? Handheld devices become as clunky as a room-sized supercomputer when you have to carry four of them around with you every day.

A smartphone is one device that can take care of all of your handheld computing and communication needs in a single, small package. It's not so much a distinct class of products as it is a different set of standards for cell phones to live up to. This article explores what makes a cell phone a smartphone, how the idea came about and what you can do with it.

­ Unlike many traditional cell phones, smartphones allow individual users to install, configure and run applications of their choosing. A smartphone offers the ability to conform the device to your particular way of doing things. Most standard cell-phone software offers only limited choices for re-configuration, forcing you to adapt to the way it's set up. On a standard phone, whether or not you like the built-in calendar application, you are stuck with it except for a few minor tweaks. If that phone were a smartphone, you could install any compatible calendar application you like.

Since cell phones and PDAs are the most common handheld devices today, a smartphone is usually either a phone with added PDA capabilities or a PDA with added phone capabilities. Here's a list of some of the things smartphones can do:

• Send and receive mobile phone calls – some smartphones are also WiFi capable
• Personal Information Management (PIM) including notes, calendar and to-do list
• Communication with laptop or desktop computers
• Data synchronization with applications like Microsoft Outlook and Apple's iCal calendar programs
• E-mail
• Instant messaging
  
• Applications such as word processing programs or video games
• Play audio and video files in some standard formats

­ Future applications promise to be even more impressive. For example, the Nokia 6131 is a phone utilizing near field communication (NFC) to allow the phone to act as a wireless credit card. The phone uses a two-way communication system to transfer payment information to pads at certain retail stores. Currently, it’s still in the trial phase of development.

The Layers of a Smartphone

The Hardware
Today's smartphones run on processors with clock speeds ranging from 100 – 624 MHz (with a 1 GHz processor looming on the horizon), which would be mind-numbingly slow if they were used to run today's desktop computers. Many smartphones use power-efficient ARM processors, which are also found in routers, printers, and other embedded devices like Smart Watches and MP3 players. They have a certain amount of on-board memory in the tens of megabytes, and many have slots for removable memory formats like SD and MMC cards as well.

Chips used in smartphones

Working of Spy Gear

How Spy Gear Works

Once thought to be fantasy items only seen on the big screen, spy gadgets are becoming popular for home use.

Ever since the paranoid, secrecy-obsessed years of the Cold War between the United States and the former Soviet Union, the public's fascination with the shadowy, dangerous lives of spies has remained strong, even though that era technically ended in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Ian Fleming published his famous James Bond novels in the middle of the 20th century, and Sean Connery first starred as 007 in 1962 in "Dr. No," officially sparking the spy craze. But moviegoers continue to flock to Bond films well into the 21st century, and other espionage-related films, including the Jason Bourne series, perform well at the box office.

Of course, there's a lot to appeal to movie audiences -- the international intrigue, the suspense, the action. But one of the main draws to these films, especially the Bond flicks, is the assortment of high-tech spy equipment the main character uses to thwart his enemies. Whether simple and realistic or ridiculous and over the top, these gadgets excite audiences and create desire for many to own the same gear for themselves. Spy gadgets seem to feed into our desire to know what's going on behind the scenes, and for many years they weren't much more than props in the movies.

­Now, however, as technology improves and the curiosity for these gadgets continues to grow, spy gear meant for home security and surveillance has become a reality. Some companies are taking spy gear once associated with top secret government projects and law enforcement and adapting it for the public. People concerned about break-ins, suspicious activities or other citizens spying on them can search online for any number of security cameras, listening devices, tracking devices and countersurveillance equipment.

Working of iPhone

How the iPhone Works

The Apple iPhone.

In January 2007, Steve Jobs introduced the Apple iPhone during his keynote address at the Macworld Conference and Expo. In its first appearance onscreen and in Jobs's hand, the phone looked like a sleek but inanimate black rectangle.

Then, Jobs touched the screen. Suddenly, the featureless rectangle became an interactive surface. Jobs placed a fingertip on an on-screen arrow and slid it from left to right. When his finger moved, the arrow moved with it, unlocking the phone. To some people, this interaction between a human finger and an on-screen image -- and its effect on the iPhone's behavior -- was more amazing than all of its other features combined.

And those features are plentiful. In some ways, the iPhone is more like a palmtop computer than a cellular phone. As with many smartphones, you can use it to make and receive calls, watch movies, listen to mu­sic, browse the Web, and send and receive e-mail and text messages. You can also take pictures and video (using an iPhone 3GS) with a built-in camera, import photos from your computer and organize them all using the iPhone's software.

­In 2008, Apple introduced the second generation iPhone. This iPhone can operate on third-generation (3G) cellular networks and has a GPS receiver. The iPhone also lets you view map and satellite data from Google Maps, including overlays of nearby businesses. Owners of the original iPhone got the opportunity to upgrade the software on their phones. The 2.0 software gives the old phones new functions, but without the GPS receiver or 3G network capability.

In 2009, Apple launched the iPhone 3GS. The newest iPhone models have more storage capacity than earlier iPhones. They also have a better camera that's capable of taking still shots and video at 30 frames per second. Another new feature is a compass, which comes in handy when you need to find your way through unfamiliar territory. Also in 2009 came iPhone OS 3.0, which offered many improvements, such as the ability to cut and paste.

­A modifie­d version of the Macintosh OS X operating system used on Apple desktop and laptop computers lets you interact with all of these applications. It displays icons for each application on the iPhone's screen. It also manages battery power and system security. The operating system synchs the phone with your computer, a process that requires a dock much like the one used to synch an iPod. It also lets you multitask and move through multiple open applications, just like you can on a laptop or desktop computer.­

But instead of using a mouse or a physical keyboard, the iPhone uses virtual buttons and controls that appear on its screen. This isn't really a new phenomenon -- touch-screens have been part of everything from self-checkout kiosks to smartphones for years. But the iPhone's touch-screen is a little different from many of the others currently on the market. When you touch the screen on a PDA or a Nintendo DS, you typically use a slender, pointed stylus. The iPhone, on the other hand, requires you to use your fingers. It can also detect multiple touch points simultaneously, which many existing touch-screens cannot do.

­This article will explore exactly how the iPhone's touch-screen carries instructions from your fingertips to the phone's internal circuitry. We'll also look at the iPhone's features, its hardware and how it compares to smartphones and other electronic devices.

­

Working of Cell phone Viruses

How Cell-phone Viruses Work

Future cell-phone viruses may be as debilitating as computer viruses.

The first known cell-phone virus appeared in 2004 and didn't get very far. Cabir.A infected only a small number of Bluetooth-enabled phones and carried out no malicious action -- a group of malware developers created Cabir to prove it could be done. Their next step was to send it to anti-virus researchers, who began the process of developing a solution to a problem that promises to get a lot worse.

­ Cell-phone viruses are at the threshold of their effectiveness. At present, they can't spread very far and they don't do much damage, but the future might see cell-phone bugs that are as debilitating as computer viruses. In this article, we'll talk about how cell-phone viruses spread, what they can do and how you can protect your phone from current and future threats.

Cell-phone Virus Basics

That Thing with Paris Hilton's Phone Remember when someone got his hands on Paris Hilton's star-studded contact list? It was not the result of a virus, and nobody hacked into Hilton's phone. Mobile phone servers hold on to certain types of information, such as contact lists (in case the user's phone locks up) and recent calls (for billing purposes). The enterprising hacker got into T-mobile's servers and stole the information from there.

A cell-phone virus is basically the same thing as a computer virus -- an unwanted executable file that "infects" a device and then copies itself to other devices. But whereas a computer virus or worm spreads through e-mail attachments and Internet downloads, a cell-phone virus or worm spreads via Internet downloads, MMS (multimedia messaging service) attachments and Bluetooth transfers. The most common type of cell-phone infection right now occurs when a cell phone downloads an infected file from a PC or the Internet, but phone-to-phone viruses are on the rise.

Working of Cell Phones

How Cell Phones Work

The internal display of the Nokia 6555 has more colors than you can actually see at once.

Millions of people in the United States and around the world use cellular phones. They are such great gadgets -- with a cell phone, you can talk to anyone on the planet from just about anywhere!

These days, cell phones provide an incredible array of functions, and new ones are being added at a breakneck pace. Depending on the cell-phone model, you can:

• Store contact information
• Make task or to-do lists
• Keep track of appointments and set reminders
• Use the built-in calculator for simple math
• Send or receive e-mail
• Get information (news, entertainment, stock quotes) from the Internet
• Play games
• Watch Tv
• Send text messages
• Integrate other devices such as PDAs, MP3 players and GPS receivers

­

But have you ever wondered how a cell phone works? What makes it different from a regular phone? What do all those terms like PCS, GSM, CDMA and TDMA mean? In this article, we will discuss the technology behind cell phones so that you can see how amazing they really are. If you are thinking about buying a cell phone, be sure to check out How Buying a Cell Phone Works to learn what you should know before making a purchase.

To start with, one of the most interesting things about a cell phone is that it is actually a radio -- an extremely sophisticated radio, but a radio nonetheless. The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876, and wireless communication can trace its roots to the invention of the radio by Nikolai Tesla in the 1880s (formally presented in 1894 by a young Italian named Guglielmo Marconi). It was only natural that these two great technologies would eventually be combined.

Cell-phone Frequencies

In the dark ages before cell phones, people who really needed mobile-communications ability installed radio telephones in their cars. In the radio-telephone system, there was one central antenna tower per city, and perhaps 25 channels available on that tower. This central antenna meant that the phone in your car needed a powerful transmitter -- big enough to transmit 40 or 50 miles (about 70 km). It also meant that not many people could use radio telephones -- there just were not enough channels.

The genius of the cellular system is the division of a city into small cells. This allows extensive frequency reuse across a city, so that millions of people can use cell phones simultaneously.

A good way to understand the sophistication of a cell phone is to compare it to a CB radio or a walkie-talkie.

• Full-duplex vs. half-duplex - Both walkie-talkies and CB radios are half-duplex devices. That is, two people communicating on a CB radio use the same frequency, so only one person can talk at a time. A cell phone is a full-duplex device. That means that you use one frequency for talking and a second, separate frequency for listening. Both people on the call can talk at once.

• Channels - A walkie-talkie typically has one channel, and a CB radio has 40 channels. A typical cell phone can communicate on 1,664 channels or more!

• Range - A walkie-talkie can transmit about 1 mile (1.6 km) using a 0.25-watt transmitter. A CB radio, because it has much higher power, can transmit about 5 miles (8 km) using a 5-watt transmitter. Cell phones operate within cells, and they can switch cells as they move around. Cells give cell phones incredible range. Someone using a cell phone can drive hundreds of miles and maintain a conversation the entire time because of the cellular approach.

In half-duplex radio, both transmitters use the same frequency. Only one party can talk at a time.

In full-duplex radio, the two transmitters use different frequencies, so both parties can talk at the same time. Cell phones are full-duplex.

Working of iCache

How the iCache Works

Just think -- all these cards could be consolidated onto the iCache device.

The average person carries nine credit, debit and store loyalty cards [CNN Money]. That's a lot of bulk to carry around in your wallet. What if you could replace that wallet full of plastic with a single slim device that would function just like each of your cards?

That's exactly what the makers of iCache have in mind. Realizing that the technology behind the credit or debit card hasn't changed much in the last 40 years, the creators of iCache decided to update the way we conduct our everyday business transactions [CNN Money]. The iCache gadget is as thin as a Razr cell phone, and its sleek style resembles an iPod. Basically, the iCache harbors data from every credit, debit, loyalty (for example, your supermarket discount card) or gift card that you own. The gadget's design is meant to appeal to young and technologically savvy consumers as well as those seeking a safe and secure way to carry out transactions. It's the first gadget of its kind -- a digital wallet secured by the owner's fingerprint.

The iCache could not only alter day-to-day shopping, it could also change the way people travel. Instead of carrying a wallet full of credit and debit cards while you travel domestically or internationally, with the iCache travel gadget, you could streamline all your cards into one device.

­So far, the device has only been distributed by banks and other financial institutions to a select few customers. But it's a good glimpse at the potential future of making transactions. In fact, Jonathan Ramaci, CEO of the Cambridge, Mass.-based iCache, anticipates that 7 million units will be sold by the end of 2009 [CNN Money].

But how exactly can one device replace all of your credit cards? Read on to learn about the mechanics of the iCache and how to use this unique travel gadget.

Mechanics of the iCache

­The iCache's name is no accident. According to the makers, the 'i' denotes the personalization of the product -- only one unique person can use the device. The "cache" part of the title is a pun on both "cash" -- a unit of money -- and "cache" -- a collection of data stored elsewhere. But what exactly are the mechanics of the iCache? Let's take a look at how this gadget works.

Once you've got your iCache, you plug it into your computer using a USB cable. You enter your card numbers and expiration dates, which are then loaded directly onto the iCache gadget. You can enter information for almost any type of card -- gift cards, gas cards, loyalty cards for stores like supermarkets -- onto your iCache. You activate the card by placing your fingerprint on its biometric strip. You then dial through a list of cards on the LCD screen and choose the card you want to use.