Chapter 2

Mobile Computing

Compiled by:
Lencho J.
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 What is computing?

The activity of performing computations.

OR
Computing can also be defined as the activity of
using computer hardware and software for
some purpose .

2
 Computing Trend
Size

Number One Computer for One

Person
One Computer for Many Many Computer for One
People (PC Computing) Person
(Mainframe Computing) (Pervasive Computing)

1960’s 1980’s 2000’s

 Existing computing paradigms
Personal
Parallel
Computing
Computing

u te d
i st r ib u per ng
D u ting S pu ti
o m p Com
C

Mobile Cloud
Computing Computing

m ic
Perv n o g
a to n
Com sive Au puti
puti m
ng Co
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 Computing Paradigms…
Personal computing system
• refers to the use of personal computers
for Computation.
Characterized by
• Local software installation, maintenance
• Local system maintenance
• Customizable to user needs
• Very low utilization

5
 Computing Paradigms…
Distributed computing :
• refers to the use of distributed systems to solve computational
problems.
Distributed system
• consists of multiple autonomous computers that communicate
through a computer network.
• it appears to its users as a single coherent system.

Distributed computing example: surfing the web from different

terminals on university . Each web page consists of hypertext,
pictures, movies and elements anywhere on the internet.
Eg. GOOGLE , bank data base each keeping local copy
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Distributed computing…

7
 Distributed computing…

Distributed systems are characterized by:

• remote information access (Message passing )

• High availability (replication , mirrored execution, ..)
• fault tolerance (atomic transactions, consistency …)
• Security

8
 Computing Paradigms…
Parallel Computing
• Calculations of large problems are divided into
smaller parts and carried out simultaneously
/concurrently on different processors.
Characterized by
• Shared memory (to exchange information
between processors)

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 What is Ubiquitous Computing (ubicomp)?

 Ubicomp is a post-desktop model of human

computer interaction in which information
processing has been thoroughly integrated into
everyday objects and activities.
 Integrate computers seamlessly into the world
– invisible, everywhere computing.
– Often called pervasive/invisible
computing.
 Ubicomp is about making computers invisible. 10
 Ubiquitous Computing...
g Small, mobile, inexpensive
computers…..everywhere!
g Fade into the background of everyday life
g Computers everywhere provides potential for data
collection….sensors!
i Temperature
i Light
i Sound
i Motion
i Pressure
i Many others!!! 11
 Ubiquitous Computing: What is it
about
Ubiquitous
Ubiquitous computing
computing is
is about
about thethe
invisible
invisible and
and everywhere
everywhere (every
(every time)
time)
computing
computing

Invisible:
Invisible: tiny,
tiny, embedded,
embedded, attachable…
attachable…

Everywhere:
Everywhere: wireless,
wireless, dynamically
dynamically
configurable,
configurable, remote
remote access,
access, adapting,
adapting, …
…

ItIt is
is about
about making
making computers
computers so so
embedded,
embedded, soso fitting,
fitting, so
so natural
natural that
that we
we
use
use them
them even
even without
without noticing
noticing their
their
presence
presence and
and without
without thinking
thinking about
about
them.
them.
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 Ubiquitous Computing: Why now?

 Computing
Computing devices
devices areare becoming
becoming very
very tiny,
tiny,
sometimes
sometimes invisible,
invisible, either
either mobile
mobile or
or embedded
embedded
and
and exist
exist in in almost
almost anyany type
type of of object
object
imaginable.
imaginable.

Enhanced
Enhanced by
by aa convergence
convergence of:
of:

Advanced
Advanced electronics
electronics (Moor’s
(Moor’s low),
low),

Wireless
Wireless technologies,
technologies,

 Mobile
Mobile computing,
computing,
And
And the
the Internet.
Internet.

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 Ubiquitous Computing...
g Future State of Computing Technology?
i Mobile, many computers
i Small Processors
i Low Power Consumption
i Relatively Low Cost

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 Ubiquitous Computing: Environment ...

Hospital Driving Office

Meeting Teaching

Devices ………… Services

Smart Phone, Car Phone Call, Email,
kits, Wearable, Message,
PDAs, … News alert, …
 The
The most
most precious
precious resource
resource inin aa computer
computer system
system isis no
no longer
longer its
its
processor,
processor,memory,
memory,disk,
disk,or
ornetwork,
network,butbutwhat?
what?
 But
But rather
rather human
human attention.
attention. The
The aim
aim inin Ubiquitous
Ubiquitous computing
computing is,is,
therefore:
therefore:
 minimizing
minimizingdistractions
distractionsononusers’
users’attention,
attention, and
and
 creating 15
creatingenvironment
environmentthat
thatadapts
adaptsto tothe
theuser’s
user’scontext
contextand
andneeds.
needs.
 Mobile Computing vs. Ubiquitous Computing
● Mobile computing:
– Abe owns Mobile phone with web access, voice and
short messaging.
- Remains connected while he drives from Piasa to
Bole.

● Ubiquitous computing:
– Abe is leaving home to go and meet his friends.
- While passing the fridge, the fridge sends a
message to his shoe that milk is almost finished.

– When Abe is passing grocery store, shoe sends

message to glasses which displays BUY milk
message.

– Abe buys milk, goes home.

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 Ubiquitous Computing
 Characterized
Characterized by:
by:

Context
Context Awareness
Awareness

Invisibility
Invisibility

Ad-hoc
Ad-hoc Networks
Networks

Smart
Smart Spaces
Spaces and
and Devices
Devices (sensor
(sensor
networks)
networks)

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 Ubiquitous Computing: Three main
aspects
good context
sensors

Context awareness
Smart devises

Ad- hoc networking

Particularly
from mobility:
Location
information
Temporary
network 18
 Ubiquitous Computing …
Context
Context Awareness
Awareness
 Context-aware
Context-aware computing
computing is
is an
an environment
environment in
in
which
which applications
applications can
can discover
discover and
and take
take
advantage
advantage of
of users’
users’ contextual
contextual information.
information.

 Users’
Users’ context
context consisting
consisting of
of attributes:
attributes:
 such
such as
as physical
physical location
location (such
(such as
as GPS,GIS)
GPS,GIS)
 physiological
physiological state
state (such
(such as
as body
body temperature
temperature and
and
heart
heart rate),
rate),
 emotional
emotional state
state (such
(such as
as angry,
angry, distressed,
distressed, or
or calm),
calm),
personal
personal history,
history, daily
daily behavioral
behavioral patterns,
patterns, and
and so
so
 Aims to achieve a distraction-free ubiquitous
on.
on.to achieve a distraction-free ubiquitous
Aims
computing
computing environment.
environment. 19
 Computing Paradigms…
What is Mobile Computing?
 A simple answer =>
• Performing computation in mobile units (i.e., mobile games)
• Supporting computation to mobile users (i.e., browsing)
 Mobile
• Able to move freely.
• Wireless.
 Computing
 The activity of performing computations.
=> Mobile Computing = Mobile + (Communications) + Computation

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 Mobile Computing
 Three basic components
 Networks: communication (mobile/wireless
networks + wired networks (how to maintain the
network quality and guaranteed services, …)
 Devices and computing units :mobile(normally
limited resources, i.e., processing power, memory,
energy, devices)
 Applications : Computation(distributed applications
with mobile users and mobile data, …)

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 Mobile Computing Issues:

 Mobile device issues

 Short battery lifetime
 Limited hardware (display, memory, disk space, etc).
 Prone to theft and destruction
 Unavailable (frequently powered-off)
 Few standards (hardware, architecture, etc)
 Networking issues
 Mobile connectivity is highly variable in performance and
reliability.(unpredictable variation in network quality)
 Routing data and messages(variable location)

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 Mobile computing application…
• Business
– M-Commerce: mobile E-commerce /shopping …
– M-Banking: offer mobile access to financial and account
information.
– Advertising: using SMS is becoming very popular in our
country.
– Traveling salesperson
• Entertainment, education
– outdoor Internet access
– multi user games
– M-learning : E-learning
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 Mobile computing application…
• Location aware
– find services in the local environment, e.g. printer
– nearest cash ATM/ shop / restaurant
• Web access & Communication
– outdoor Internet access
– Electronic Mail
– Paging
– Chatting
• Application Services in general
– push: e.g., breaking news info
– pull: e.g., nearest cash ATM

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 Mobile devices
• A mobile device (a.k.a. handheld device,
handheld computer) is a pocket-sized
computing device, typically having a display
screen with touch input or a miniature
keyboard.

• Due to the rapid advancement of the

technology its hard to make a specific
classifications of mobile devices.
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 Mobile devices…
• Laptop in general
is a small personal computer designed for
portability.
Usually all of the interface hardware(ports, graphics
card, sound channel, etc.,) are built in to a single
unit.
Contain batteries that can power the device for
some periods of time.
upgrade is usually difficult/impossible. ( Keyboard /
display)
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 mobile devices…
Mobile phone/cellphone
• Provides
– voice communications,
– Short Message Service (SMS),
– Multimedia Message Service (MMS),
• newer phones may also provide
– Internet services
• Web browsing, instant messaging capabilities &
• e-mail.
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 Mobile devices…
Smart phone
• cellular phone
– combines standard phone features,
such as making and receiving phone calls,
with computer functionality.
• Incorporates
– Wi-Fi access, email, calendars and
– GPS
• let you store information & install programs
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 Mobile devices…

Tablet PC
– portable personal computer equipped with a touch
screen as a primary input device and designed to be
operated and owned by an individual.
– use virtual keyboards and handwriting recognition for text
input through the touchscreen.
– Tablet PCs also can be connected to a full-size keyboard
and monitor
• two main types of tablet PCs:
• Convertible -look a lot like normal laptops except the
screen can be rotated all the way around and laid down
flat across the Keyboard.
• Slate- looks like a flat screen without a keyboard.

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 Mobile devices…
• E-book reader
– portable electronic device that
is designed primarily for the purpose
of reading digital books and publication.
Support
- Text to Speech
- Internet Capabilities( Wi-Fi ,3G)

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 Mobile OS
• Is the operating system that controls a mobile
device similar in principle to an operating
system such as :
– Windows,

– Mac OS, or

– Linux that controls a desktop

computer or laptop.
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 Android OS (Open source)

• Android OS (Open source)

• Android Operating System is one of the popular
software developed by Android Inc Company. It’s an
excellent rise because it was created just in 2008.
• If you've got the Android-based phone you'll realize
Google Play, the Android market, where you'll find
tons of applications for this OS. It’s about 700 000
apps there. 32
 Apple iOS
• Apple iOS (Closed Source)
• Every smartphone from Apple uses such sort of
software. It’s the second top-selling OS for smartphones
within the world.
• The key difference between these android and apple ios
is that the iOS is made to run only on Apple’s
smartphone line.
• The interface of this OS was unchanged since the
primary iPhone was developed in 2007.
• The apps for this OS are often purchased within the
official Apple app store, which has about
700 000 apps and games.
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 Mobile OS

• BlackBerry RIM OS
License : Proprietary
Company: Research in motion (RIM).
Programmed in: Java
Application store: Blackberry App World(30000+)

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 Mobile OS
• Windows Mobile
License : Proprietary
Company: Microsoft.
Programmed in: C++
Application store: Windows Marketplace for
Mobile

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