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Friday, December 12, 2008
Finally A Fresh New Approach to CRM
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Telemática dentro de las "cajitas"
 Gadgets |
| Dec 4th 2008. Thinking inside the box. From The Economist print edition. There is more to portable electronic gadgets than just fancy hardware |
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| Illustration by Claudio Muñoz |
ELECTRONIC gadgets have changed a great deal in the past few years. Most obviously, they have become smaller, sleeker, smarter and more versatile. Billions of people now carry around tiny devices that are more powerful than the desktop computers of a few years ago. But these gadgets have also changed in a less obvious way. Once they were lumps of hardware, brought to life by a layer of software; today, they might be more accurately described as services in a box. It was ever thus with mobile phones, of course: the handset is useless without a network operator, and mobile phones are, in effect, the containers in which operators sell their services. But the handset and the network service have hitherto come from different companies. Operators do not manufacture their own phones, and handset-makers are not operators. But now device-makers are increasingly providing the services that power their devices—or, to look at things the other way around, building devices that encapsulate services they wish to offer. One of the first to do so was Research in Motion (RIM), the maker of the BlackBerry e-mail device. As well as making BlackBerrys, RIM also handles the delivery, using its own behind-the-scenes infrastructure, of e-mails to millions of its devices around the world. Similarly, Apple's iPod started off as a piece of hardware in 2001, but it really took off in 2003 when Apple launched the iTunes Music Store, a service that makes it easy for iPod owners to download music, video and games to their devices, and which is now the leading online music retailer. Makers of satellite-navigation devices such as TomTom and Garmin are also moving from a focus solely on hardware to a greater emphasis on supplementary services—real-time traffic updates, information about the positions of speed cameras, revised versions of maps and so on. Now the biggest gadget-maker of all, in volume terms at least, is extending its push into services, and is trying to do all these things at once. Nokia, the world's biggest handset-maker, sells nearly half a billion mobile phones a year, roughly two in every five. This week it added revamped mobile e-mail and navigation services to the music downloads it already offers on some of its handsets (see article). So convinced is Nokia of the importance of services that it reorganised itself last year into two divisions: one to build handsets, and the other to provide its growing suite of services, called Ovi. At your service There are several motivations for the gadget-makers' shift into services. First, margins on hardware are generally lower than margins on services. Second, saturated markets in many parts of the world mean that hardware sales are slowing in some categories. Soon, everyone in western Europe who wants a satnav will have bought one; what will the manufacturers do then? Make money from subscriptions and updates, of course. At least, that's the plan. Finally, services provide a way to hold on to customers. If you have signed up for a service tied to a particular gadget-maker, the thinking goes, you are less likely to switch to a different manufacturer's device in future. The world's most successful gadget-makers are those that have been quickest to recognise the importance of offering accompanying services. Makers of stand-alone music-players, such as Rio, have been unable to compete with Apple; and Motorola, once the top dog in mobile phones, let RIM, once an obscure Canadian start-up, grab the mobile e-mail market. With elaborate branding and advertising campaigns, gadget-makers have long promoted the idea that they were selling something more than just a bundle of electronics in a snazzy case. Now, funnily enough, some of them really are. |
Open article at "The Economist" Web Site |
 Copyright © The Economist Newspaper Limited 2007. All rights reserved. |
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Teléfonos inteligentes; alternativas inteligentes.
 Technology. |
| Smart Phones, Smart Choices By ROY FURCHGOTT Published: December 1, 2008 |
 The BlackBerry Storm has traded a full keyboard for a detailed larger screen and a touch-pad keyboard. |
| IF you are confident that a phone is the right gift for a friend or loved one, the smart choice this year is a smart phone. The demand for mobile Web access is increasing, and the ability of phones to deliver it is improving. That said, how to match the smart phone to the recipient? Some generalities provide a road map. FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T READ INSTRUCTIONS The choice here is simple. The easiest-to-use phone, right out of the box, is the iPhone. It's that ease that has propelled it to the No. 1 selling position, surpassing the Motorola Razr. The iPhone's touch screen is intuitive and easy to operate. It's also easy to customize. The phone can run applications that can help you lose weight, identify a song on the radio, find a restaurant and do many other things. Apple has nicely corralled more than 5,000 of these, including games and productivity software, in its App Store. On the technical side, it's a GSM/EDGE phone, which means it can be used overseas, and it can work on a Wi-Fi wireless connection, which gives you access to a faster network for Internet browsing. It also has a 2-megapixel camera, and the music player has the familiar iPod menus and up to 16 gigabytes of memory. There are a few quibbles: It doesn't have true GPS, although its locator does pretty well. The Bluetooth wireless link is monaural, so you can't get the full effect of your music on a stereo Bluetooth headset. And there are those who hate the virtual keyboard that makes you type using, essentially, a picture of a keyboard on the touch screen. On the other hand, an application that makes the keyboard bigger, like EasyWriter, makes a nice stocking stuffer. |
 The T-Mobile G1 offers a Google Chrome browser and synchronizes easily with programs like Gmail and Google Maps. Because it features few restrictions on application designs, it shows great potential. More Photos > |
FOR THE FUTURIST The T-Mobile G1 gained attention as the first phone offering a Google Chrome browser, which means that you are getting the real Web on your phone, not a version dumbed down for a slow processor and small screen. It also has the Android operating system, which will allow any developer to build applications for it, virtually without restrictions. The phone has a nice hefty case that contains a triple-threat of Web navigation. For one, there's an actual Qwerty backlit keyboard, not a virtual one. But there's also a touch screen and a built-in track ball, very handy for navigating Web pages shrunk to fit the three-and-a-quarter-inch screen. As a Google product should, the G1 easily synchronizes with applications like Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Talk and, of course, Google Maps. Because it is backed up on the Web, if you lose your phone all of your contacts and data will be restored automatically when you get a new one. The phone has a 3.2-megapixel camera and a slot for a microSD card that lets you expand the memory up to 16 gigabytes, the current card limit. It has a music player and links to Amazon. As a GSM phone, it can also be used overseas. But it's the phone's potential that qualifies it for the futurist. The first applications are interesting, but they don't always work smoothly. The system should improve as it goes, and it holds great promise. By putting few restrictions on the design of applications for the phone, the G1 could be the first to incorporate some of the coolest software. |
 Mark Blinch/Reuters The iPhone's simplicity and ease of use have propelled it to No. 1. |
| FOR THE ROAD WARRIOR The new BlackBerry Storm is something like the electronic equivalent of a mullet — all business up front, party in the back. It still incorporates the serious mail and organizational features that have endeared these phones to businesspeople. One of the attractions on past models was the full keyboard, but the Storm has traded that for a larger screen and a touch-pad keyboard. For some it's a reasonable trade-off. The 3.25-inch screen is bright and detailed. It's a decent size for watching videos while flying. With a 16-gigabyte microSD card, you could store hours of MPEG4 video, and the advertised five hours of battery life means you could watch them. The camera is 3.2 megapixels, and it shoots video as well as still photos. It does have stereo Bluetooth, but no connection to a music store — you'll have to load music by SD card or by connecting to your desktop computer. How much BlackBerry devotees will like this phone depends on how they feel about the SureType keyboard. It is displayed on the touch screen, but to activate a key you have to put a finger on it and depress the screen, which is a giant click button. It can take some getting used to. As always, the BlackBerry has international connectivity. |
 The Jitterbug is for those who don't like the complexity of added features. |
| FOR THE LUDDITE For those who are terrorized by buttons and features, there is the Samsung Jitterbug Dial. Yes, the commercials are cheesy and the phones aren't cheap, but they have just a few large buttons, and they make calls. That's it, just phone calls. That makes it even easier to use than an iPhone. |
| Related |
Sunday, November 30, 2008
La batalla por el alma de los celulares inteligentes. (Smartphones).
| Mobile phones. |
| Nov 20th 2008. The battle for the smart-phone's soul From Economist print edition. Competition heats up to provide the software that powers mobile phones |
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| From handsets to services in billions of Sterling Pounds. |
BRACE yourself for disappointment: there may not be a flashy new mobile phone waiting for you under the Christmas tree. On November 14th Nokia, the world's largest maker of such devices, announced that it expects the industry to sell no more than 330m of them in the fourth quarter—about 6m fewer than in the same period last year and 20m fewer than it predicted just a few months ago. Worse, Nokia expects sales in 2009 to drop below this year's level. This would make it only the second year ever in which the global handset market has contracted. Yet not all is doom and gloom in the mobile-phone industry. On the contrary, it is going through two important shifts that promise to generate much growth and profit in the years to come. First, even though overall sales may fall in 2009, sales of "smart" phones—those that allow you to surf the internet, download music and use other data services, as well as make calls and send text messages—are booming. According to Informa, a market-research firm, the market for smart-phones will grow from $39 billion in 2007 to $95 billion in 2013, by which time they will make up nearly half of the handset market by value (though only 34% by volume). Second, and more important, as handsets get smarter the nature of the industry will change. It will be less about hardware and more about software, services and content. In fact, for the first time, more will be spent this year on such intangibles than on the handsets themselves (see chart). And this is why, also for the first time, a fierce battle between operating systems for handsets has broken out. Mobile phones had operating systems before, of course. Just like personal computers (PCs), they always needed such software to enable the hardware to function and to allow add-on programs to run. But most mobile operating-systems were proprietary, meaning that handset-makers had developed them specifically for their own devices. Only at the top of the handset market was there any rivalry between operating systems, with a struggle mainly between Research in Motion (RIM) with its BlackBerry; Symbian, controlled by Nokia; and Windows Mobile, a cut-down version of Microsoft's operating system for PCs. This set-up was fine as long as mobile phones were relatively dumb, wireless-data connections were slow and users were happy just to make calls and send text messages. But in recent years it became the main impediment to the take-off of the mobile internet. On their own, handset-makers did not all have the necessary resources, expertise and culture to develop top-notch operating systems with intuitive user interfaces. Add-ons such as games had to be laboriously tweaked to run on multiple platforms, which often existed in multiple versions. All this amounted to a tax on mobile phones: on average, 20% of the cost of a handset goes on software. It did not help that mobile operators, keen to keep control of their customers, decided which applications would run on a handset and which services it could access. They also confused customers with complicated pricing schemes for wireless data. It has taken two outsiders to shake things up. One is Apple, with its iPhone. As well as being a paragon of hardware and user-interface design, it comes with a flat-rate "all you can eat" data plan. Apple also provided powerful tools to develop software for the iPhone, and a novel way to distribute them: the App Store. As with a PC, users are free to download applications and install them on their iPhones. Launched in July, the App Store has taken off even more quickly than iTunes, Apple's industry-leading online-music store. In the first two months, iPhone users downloaded more than 100m programs. The other disrupter is Google, with its Android platform. It also lets users download applications from an online store, called Android Market. But it differs from the iPhone in that Android is just software, which Google makes available to handset-makers and operators. The first operator to adopt it was T-Mobile, for its G1 phone, launched in September. What is more, Android is "open source", meaning that its underlying recipe is freely available and can be easily changed and understood. This, Google hopes, will speed up adoption and allow more innovation than the iPhone platform, which Apple controls tightly. The appearance of these two newcomers has led the industry's incumbents to redouble their own platform efforts. One scheme, called LiMo, is run by an eponymous foundation with a membership comprising more than 50 handset-makers, mobile operators and other industry bodies, all of which share intellectual property. Just like Android, the software is based on Linux, an open-source operating system ("LiMo" stands for Linux Mobile). But in contrast to Google, the LiMo foundation intends to offer only the basic elements of a platform, leaving its members room to differentiate themselves, for instance by developing their own user interfaces. And then there is Symbian, which has been around for a decade. In June Nokia announced a deal which seems counterintuitive, to say the least. It paid €264m ($411m) to buy out the other shareholders in Symbian and transfer its software to a non-profit foundation that will continue to develop and distribute it, on an open-source basis. But by doing so Nokia kills two birds with one stone. The acquisition means it no longer has to pay licence fees to use Symbian, and open-sourcing it makes the platform more attractive to programmers and other handset-makers. Let battle commence How will this conflict play out? There are actually several front-lines. One is between the open-source platforms and their proprietary rivals, in particular the iPhone and BlackBerry platforms. Although the majority of smart-phones will ultimately be powered by open-source software, the proprietary platforms are here to stay, predicts Geoff Blaber of CCS Insight, a market-research firm. Many users, he says, value their tight integration of hardware and software, which makes for a more seamless package. Only Microsoft has a real problem: it does not make handsets itself, so it cannot exploit such integration, and handset-makers that do not wish to develop their own software now have a choice of free alternatives to Windows Mobile. Then there is the fight between the three open-source platforms. All have their strengths and weaknesses. Symbian is proven technology that powers some 159 phone models, but has limited momentum among independent software firms. With Android, it is the other way around: the software powers only one handset model so far, but its online marketplace already boasts a few hundred programs. LiMo is behind in both, but has the merit of not being controlled by one big firm. In 2009 each platform will be trying to win the hearts and minds of software developers, says Roberta Cozza of Gartner, another market-research firm. But even if one comes out ahead, it is unlikely that the market will consolidate soon. Strong economic interests are keeping each platform alive. Google wants to get its services and advertising on mobile phones. Nokia is also betting on services as a source of growth. And handset-makers and operators will probably continue to support LiMo, if only because they do not want to depend on Google or Nokia. The best outcome, indeed, is a continuing battle. If the market for mobile-phone platforms were to consolidate quickly or go down the same route as PC operating systems, which wound up being dominated by Microsoft Windows, the result would probably be less innovation. And it is by innovating rapidly that the mobile-phone industry, and any other for that matter, has the best chance of weathering the oncoming recession. |
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| Blackberry Bold. |
Open article at "The Economist" Web Site |
Copyright © The Economist Newspaper Limited 2007. All rights reserved. |
Monday, November 17, 2008
"Espacio Blanco" ; Wi-Fi con esteroides.
| Technology view. |
| November 7th 2008 Wireless at WARP speed From Economist.com White space promises to put WiFi on steroids. |
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| 3WRAP = 27 times the speed of light. |
HOW much would you pay for unlimited access to WiFi hotspots that stretched for miles instead of a few hundred feet, provided unbroken connections even deep inside buildings, and offered broadband speeds ten times faster than today's wimpy connections found in coffee shops, hotel lobbies, airport lounges and homes? How about nothing, or next to nothing? That could be on the cards within a couple of years, thanks to a decision taken this past week by America's Federal Communications Commission (FCC). After four years of deliberations— and staunch opposition from television broadcasters, makers and users of wireless microphones, and mobile-phone companies—the federal regulators voted unanimously on November 4th to allow a new generation of wireless gizmos to access the internet using the empty airwaves ("white spaces") between television's channels 2 to 51. The FCC could have auctioned off those frequencies—it raised $19.6 billion in March 2008 by auctioning blocks of frequencies above 700 megahertz that will be vacated when television switches from analog to digital broadcasting—but to its credit it opted to make them freely available. The decision is a huge win for public-interest groups and tech firms like Google, Microsoft and Intel, who believe the white-space transmission could bring broadband to poorly served parts of the country. They see it as America's last chance to build a "third pipe" capable of providing much-needed competition to today's broadband duopoly controlled by the phone and cable companies. As a bonus, white space could also provide improved communications for fire-fighters, police forces, ambulance crews and other emergency responders. Competition and community services aside, the FCC has other reasons for making the white-space frequencies free for public use. It hopes to replicate the wave of innovation that swept the wireless world a decade ago with the introduction of unlicensed WiFi devices using frequencies in the public 2.4-gigahertz band. Before WiFi came on the scene, the 2.4-gigahertz band was considered good for little more than cordless phones, microwave ovens and garage openers. In 2008 almost 300m WiFi-enabled devices will be sold; that number is expected to rise to a billion by 2012. Over the past decade, the industry servicing the sector has grown from nothing to become a $30-billion-a-year business. White space could be even bigger. The frequencies involved were chosen for television back in the 1950s for good reason: they travel long distances, are hardly affected by the weather, carry lots of data, and penetrate deep into the nooks and crannies of buildings. No surprise proponents have dubbed them "WiFi on steroids". Once the changeover from analog to digital broadcasting is complete, the television networks will no longer need the white spaces between analog channels to prevent interference from noise and other transmissions. Apart from digital broadcasts being far less vulnerable to interference, there's now plenty of frequency-hopping technology around for detecting digital broadcasts and avoiding them. That hasn't stopped television broadcasters from claiming interference will remain a problem if unlicensed devices are allowed to operate in the same part of the spectrum. They point to trials carried out by the FCC in the summer of 2007 with a pair of preliminary devices designed to operate in the television band's white spaces. The results were spotty, with one of the devices unable to detect the presence of digital television signals reliably. But the broadcasters are being less than sincere. For instance, in busy television markets like Los Angeles, the vacant slices of white-space spectrum account for a third of the airwaves used by broadcasters; in rural areas, they occupy anything up to three-quarters of the spectrum allocated to television. Broadcasters had hoped to annex this valuable resource abutting their channels and use it to sell additional information services. They are well aware, too, that the trials they say proved white-space devices impaired their broadcasts were flawed, and were subsequently repeated successfully. Microsoft (a member of the White Spaces Coalition along with Google, Dell, HP, Intel, Philips, Samsung and Earthlink) demonstrated the scanner in the device that caused the problem was damaged. In follow-up trials, a backup prototype worked perfectly, detecting even the faintest of digital transmissions with 100% reliability. The FCC later concluded that the prototypes proved interference could be eliminated by using spectrum-sensing and geolocation to detect any television transmissions in their vicinity. Whenever a television signal was detected, the white-space device would automatically switch off until out of range. As far as the FCC was concerned, there was therefore no valid reason why broadcasters should be allowed to keep their unused, but extremely valuable, white space. To put television viewers at ease, the FCC has made it clear that white-space devices—whether mobile phones, laptops, game consoles, music players or other appliances with internet connections—will be required to operate on no more than four watts of broadcasting power. They will also be restricted to channels 21 to 51, where there are fewer television stations. For good measure, the geolocation circuitry built into a white-space device will determine precisely where it is, and then interrogate a database containing the locations of all the television transmitters in the area. The device will be prevented from transmitting until given an "all clear" by the database. Google has proposed that white-space devices be blocked from broadcasting in channels 36 to 38 to protect both wireless microphones operating in that frequency, as well as channel 37, which is used for telemetry in medicine and radio astronomy. Apart from consumers, the biggest beneficiary from the FCC's decision to open the white-space spectrum for unlicensed use has to be Google. Recall it was Google that started the bidding in March for the highly prized block of 700-megahertz frequencies occupied by analog television's channels 52 to 69. In the process, Google persuaded the FCC to attach "open-access" conditions to the block. Whoever finally won the auction would then have to allow phones supplied by others to work unhindered on its network. In other words, users would no longer be restricted to the carrier's proprietary services, but would be free to roam the internet—and, naturally enough, use Google's search engines, maps and other advertising-supported services. Having achieved its objective, Google then backed out of the bidding, leaving it to Verizon to cough up $9.4 billion and AT&T $6.6 billion for various 700-megahertz licenses (see article). Now Google gets arguably an even more valuable bit of spectrum real estate effectively for nothing. Building a network of white-space transmitters would then be a small price for Google to pay for gaining much the same kind of market dominance in mobile search and services as it has long established on the desktop. |
Open article at "The Economist" Web Site |
Copyright © The Economist Newspaper Limited 2007. All rights reserved. |
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Softphone para smartphones.
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| November 15, 2008. How to Make VoIP Calls on a Pocket PC Using Express Talk.  From WikiHow. The do it yourself manual. Want to utilize the cheap rates of VoIP (Voice Over IP) from your mobile device ?. If you have a Pocket PC or a device that uses Windows Mobile with an Internet/Network connection you can now make calls via VoIP with Express Talk's "Pocket Talk" application. Steps
Tips
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Warnings
Things You'll Need
Related wiki HowsHow to Setup Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) in Your Home | |
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Express Talk VoIP Softphone. Arrived: Apr 24, 2007 Made by: NCH | |
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Express Talk VoIP Softphone for Windows Mobile Pocket PC. Summary: The Express Talk softphone works like a telephone to let you make calls through your computer. You can call anyone on the internet who has installed it (or any other SIP softphone). Calls computer to computer are always free. You can also call ordinary 'real' telephone numbers anywhere in the world. Requirements:
Description The Express Talk softphone works like a telephone to let you make calls through your computer. You can call anyone on the internet who has installed it (or any other SIP softphone). Calls computer to computer are always free. You can also call ordinary 'real' telephone numbers anywhere in the world if you sign with a VoIP gateway service company. See here for some recommended telephone gateway companies. Features
Business Edition softphone.
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 © NCH Swift Sound | |
| COPYRIGHT © 2008 DePapaya.com All rights reserved. |
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
USB modem Huawei E220
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| November 12, 2008. E220 HSDPA USB Modem Be mini. Be Speedy  With tiny design and high speed, Huawei E220 USB Modem redefines mini fashion for the elite. The irresistible creation features the eye-catching sleek design and a great speed up to 3.6Mbps. Its USB cable can be used by both laptops and desktop computers. Put the chic near your hand and enjoy the charm of mini fashion. The stylish Huawei E220 USB modem is the ideal solution for users who require high speed data on the move. The E220 provides a straight forward plug and play USB modem solution matched with unrivalled stylish design. The Huawei E220 is top of its class in terms of chic micro design being just 8.9 cm in length and is extremely slim. While being functional the E220 ticks all of the boxes for the fashion conscious amongst us. If you've ever owned an ultra mobile laptop that does not have a slot for a data card you would have been stuck for high speed data access outside of a WiFi network. This little USB modem solves the problem. If your SIM gives you access to a 3G (HSDPA) network the Huawei E220 is capable of delivering data at up to 3.6Mbps. Installation is straight forward plug and play not requiring any additional hardware installation steps. Simply place you data enabled SIM into the Huawei E220 modem and plug the USB cable into the USB slot on your laptop or ultra mobile PC. The Huawei E220 supports the main data standards which includes GPRS, GSM, HSDPA, UMTS and EDGE. The E220 is compatible with Windows XP and Windows 2000. 1. Main Features
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 Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. 1998-2008. All rights reserved. Abrir Sitio Web de DePapaya en el Browser.  All rights reserved. |
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Inalambricamente, la seguridad casera se convierte en algo de "hágalo usted mismo".
Web2.0, IP Basics. |
| Wirelessly, Home Security Becomes a Do.It.Yourself (DIY) Project By JOHN BIGGS Published: October 29, 2008 |
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| WHEN Ken Jongsma built his new house, he found that the builders had already installed a basic security system — sometimes called a prewire. A tinkerer and engineer, Mr. Jongsma, 50, decided to upgrade and monitor the system on his own. "What most people do not understand is that a residential alarm prewire is a come-on by alarm companies to get you to sign up for their — usually expensive — monitoring," he said. Until recently, Mr. Jongsma's attempt to install and maintain his own security system would have been impossible. Now, however, with a little knowledge, even nonengineers can add a security system to their homes for less than a standard prewired installation by a professional. Most security systems consist of two parts: the hardware and the monitoring service. For decades, the hardware (window and door sensors and motion detectors, for example) was often installed by professionals, as it required some wiring and cabling. And while those sensors may have been connected to a siren or flashing lights, the real benefit to having an alarm has always been that someone will call the police when it goes off. For many years, that was also something the alarm companies were happy to provide — witness the countless television ads that have featured thoughtful and hyper-competent people staffing an alarm company's command HQ, ready to call the police and offer reassurance to the homeowner. As King Gillette discovered with razors and cellphone providers have popularized with monthly fees, the real money to be made in alarms is not in the hardware — it's in the monitoring. The hardware can be subsidized by the security company almost to the point where it is free, but paying an alarm service about $30 a month for years and years to watch over your system more than makes those companies whole. Newer systems, however, can reduce the total cost of alarm ownership. Instead of relying on installers to rewire the house, new "security systems in a box" use a combination of battery, wireless and cellular technology to make installation simple and quick for most homeowners. Some systems can even bypass monitoring firms directly and contact the owner instead of a third party when the alarm is set off. One such system is sold by InGrid Home Security. The basic package, available for $199 at ingridhome.com, includes an alarm console, a phone that doubles as an alarm control and three window or door sensors. The entire kit fits in a box about as big as a shoebox. The sensors stick to doors and windows with sticky tape and are completely wireless. They are powered by tiny watch batteries and connect automatically with a few taps on the cordless handset. You can monitor the system online, even taking video and images using an optional video camera. The system took about an hour to install in a two-story home. No tools were necessary but there were a few snags while activating sensors and base stations. The monitoring service costs $20 a month and discounts are available with a yearly contract. A video camera costs $130 and temperature and water sensors — for basements or unattended summer homes — cost $60 each. The service offers 24-hour monitoring as well as access to video feeds over the Internet. Smoke and siren detectors cost $100 and $50 respectively. LaserShield, another company offering a monitoring and hardware package, focuses more on motion detectors in the home. The starter kit, which costs $200 and is available at lasershield.net, includes a motion sensor and keychain remote. It requires a standard telephone connection for monitoring and for sending alerts; monitoring costs an additional $20 a month. You can control the system through a Web site. Within a few weeks , the company will release the LaserShield Pro, a professional grade security system that is designed for easy do-it-yourself installation. For under $300, the new pro kit includes a motion detector, control panel, and two door or window sensors. For an extra charge, LaserShield will also offer a flood detector, a glass-break detector and a wireless siren. The starter kit is fairly easy to install. You simply place the motion sensor in one room and the base in another, near the Internet or telephone lines. The alarm announces when it has been tripped and begins by calling your own phone number and then notifying the police if there is no reply. It took about 10 minutes to set up the hardware and activate the system. For an additional $230 you can buy Laser Shield's Cyclone, a stand-alone cellular transmitter that provides a connection to the company's monitoring station even if phone lines are cut. Adding the Cyclone increases the monthly monitoring fee to $30. Those without landline telephones or VoIP services like Vonage will have to purchase Laser Shield's Sparrow for an additional $130 (plus an extra $10 a month), which allows the alarm system to work over the Internet. |
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| Even big telecommunications companies are getting into the D.I.Y. security game. Steve Loop, director for business development at AT&T, says that home security has benefited from wireless connections. That is what prompted AT&T Wireless to offer AT&T Remote Monitoring. Originally aimed at small-business owners, the AT&T products do not contact the police in an emergency but instead send cellular text and e-mail messages to the homeowner when something is amiss. The basic kit starts at $299 and $25 a month. It includes one door sensor, a system controller and a remote camera. It also includes a system for transmitting video over home power lines. The kit also supports add-ons like temperature, motion and water sensors. Mr. Loop said he would not call AT&T remote monitoring a fully fledged security system. The system is truly D.I.Y. because the owner has to follow through when the alarm is set off. "The system lets you keep in touch with locations that matter to you when you're not there," he said. Mr. Loop said that some AT&T employees used the system to keep track of dogs and cats and even keep an eye on a babysitter while at work. The additional sensors act as triggers, allowing homeowners to keep track of sump pumps, heaters or air conditioners remotely. The installation and activation took about 30 minutes. Not everyone, however, wants to go the D.I.Y. route. Dave Simon, spokesman for Brink's Home Security, pointed out that many installations benefited from having a local expert installer. Experts can help decide which windows and doors to arm and which add-ons to include. Mr. Simon estimates that a full-service installation would cost about $200 for a basic system and a few hundred more for a more complex system. Brink's also offers a monitoring service for $30 a month. "Brink's installs the systems and monitors as well. Not every company does that," he said. Most companies, he said, hire outside contractors to plan and install security systems using their products. |
Monday, October 20, 2008
WiFi connectivity with HP ProCurve.
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| October 20, 2008 Video: Wireless Solutions with ProCurve Networking Unified connectivity! HP Procurve.com | |
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| COPYRIGHT © 2008 DePapaya.com All rights reserved. |
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Routers wifi duales
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| 14 de octubre de 2008 Routers wifi duales Por ANTONIO DELGADO Estos dispositivos permiten que los usuarios puedan crear una red local inalámbrica que trabaje con dos frecuencias al mismo tiempo El ordenador principal ya no es el único dispositivo que tiene acceso permanente a la Red en los hogares, pues consolas, móviles, cámaras de fotos o impresoras pueden estar configurados para acceder a ella. En estos casos, la opción más usual es contar con un router inalámbrico que permita la creación de una red wifi. Así, todos los dispositivos podrán acceder a una red local y a Internet. Ahora bien, se puede dar el caso de que el ancho de banda habitual de este tipo de redes se colapse cuando se usa de forma ininterrumpida. La solución se encuentra en la tecnología Dual N, que asigna una frecuencia al acceso a Internet y otra a la red local.
En el mercado hay routers que permiten crear una red local para el acceso de los diferentes tipos de dispositivos a Internet y, al mismo tiempo, ser más eficientes en la transmisión de contenido multimedia dentro de dicha red. Para ello se utilizan dos bandas de frecuencia: la banda de 2,4 gigaherzios se usa sobre todo para las conexiones wifi convencionales dentro del estándar de la industria 802.11b/g, mientras que la frecuencia de cinco gigaherzios, que usa el estándar 802.11a, es recomendable para la transmisión de vídeo y audio bajo demanda o Voz IP. Son diferentes alternativas que se pueden encontrar para la conexión a redes y la gestión del tráfico entre dispositivos. Normalmente, todos estos routers pueden funcionar en la banda de 2,4 gigaherzios y conmutar la banda de cinco gigaherzios. El problema es que algunos dispositivos no son capaces de trabajar en los cinco gigaherzios y se conectan sólo por la banda de 2,4 gigaherzios, lo que puede suponer un inconveniente para optimizar y administrar el tráfico de la red local. Evitar las interferencias En España, el rango de frecuencia utilizado en las bandas de 2,4 gigaherzios y cinco gigaherzios es de uso libre. La banda de 2,4 gigaherzios dispone de un espectro muy concurrido, por lo que son frecuentes las interferencias generadas por multitud de dispositivos emitiendo en ella. Mientras, la banda de los cinco gigaherzios empieza a generalizarse, ya que no suele ser utilizada por otras tecnologías y se encuentra libre de interferencias. Además, es capaz de multiplicar por siete la cantidad de canales inalámbricos no superpuestos. Sin embargo, al trabajar a una mayor frecuencia, su alcance es menor. Por eso, este tipo de señales están recomendadas para su uso en entornos domésticos y empresariales donde sea necesaria una alta transmisión de datos de forma constante. Principales modelos Para mejorar las prestaciones, en los últimos meses se han lanzado al mercado dispositivos que trabajan al mismo tiempo en ambas bandas. Este tipo de routers operan en una doble banda que, conocida como Dual N. Cisco, ha lanzado al mercado el WRT610N, uno de los primeros routers inalámbricos que es capaz de emitir una señal en dos bandas de frecuencia diferentes. | |
 Imagen: Linksys WRT610N | |
Con el fin de ayudar a configurar una red de estas características, el router de Linksys dispone de una tecnología denominada "Media Optimized Networking" para la coordinación de dispositivos y frecuencias de forma automática, dependiendo del tipo de contenido que se vaya a transmitir. Los usuarios más avanzados pueden configurar manualmente la red para, entre otros usos, determinar qué banda debe usar por defecto cada dispositivo conectado a Internet. Este router es compatible con los diferentes sistemas operativos y dispone para los usuarios de Windows y Mac de una guía de instalación en flash que muestra una representación gráfica de la red local con los dispositivos que están conectados a ella. Así, cuando se añade un nuevo dispositivo a la red, la aplicación lo agrega de forma automática al mapa de acceso. En cuanto a seguridad, el router dispone de soporte para "Wi-Fi Protected Setup", una aplicación de certificación de la "Wi-Fi Alliance" creada para simplificar la configuración de dispositivos en una red local al mismo tiempo que los dota de una mayor seguridad. El precio recomendado de venta al público es de 199 euros (impuestos incluidos). | |
 Imagen: Buffalo-technology Nfiniti Dual-Band modelo WZR-AG300NH. | |
Por su parte, el fabricante Buffalo dispone de un modelo Dual-N denominado Nfiniti Dual-Band modelo WZR-AG300NH. Este router está configurado por defecto para emitir de forma automática en la banda de los cinco gigaherzios contenidos en alta definición. Al igual que el router de Linksys, también dispone de un entorno gráfico vía web para la configuración y gestión del tráfico que soporta cada uno de los dispositivos conectados a la red local. | |
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Programas para gestionar redes wifi
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| 7 de octubre de 2008 Programas para gestionar redes wifi Autor: Por BENYI ARREGOCÉS CARRERE Este tipo de aplicaciones permiten una mejor configuración de las conexiones inalámbricas públicas o privadas. | ||
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Las redes wifi se expanden con rapidez, tanto en las casas como en las oficinas y espacios públicos. Diversos programas permiten gestionar mejor estas conexiones inalámbricas en ordenadores, teléfonos móviles y en los routers que actúan como punto de acceso o antena. Microsoft incorpora un gestor de redes wifi dentro de su sistema operativo Vista. Sin embargo, resulta bastante básico. De hecho, en este programa, a grandes rasgos, sólo se pueden ver las redes disponibles, hacerse una idea de lo bien o mal que llega la señal al ordenador y almacenar los datos necesarios, como la contraseña o el nombre de la red. Sin embargo, cada red wifi proporciona otros datos interesantes. Por ejemplo, el canal por donde se produce la transmisión. El espectro radioeléctrico del wifi se divide en 11 canales distintos. Así, si una red inalámbrica casera emite en el mismo canal que otra cercana, se pueden producir interferencias y caídas en la conexión, por lo que convendría cambiar en el router el canal por el que se transmite. Lo mismo sucede con datos relativos a la potencia de la señal, que se ofrecen con mayor precisión en el software más especializado que en el incluido en Windows Vista, lo que ayuda a elegir la red disponible que emita con mayor potencia, para asegurar de este modo una sesión más estable y sin cortes. Programas para ordenador Así, instalar un programa de este tipo es una buena solución para quienes habitualmente se enganchan a redes wifi en espacios públicos, donde puede haber varias disponibles. Las tarjetas inalámbricas suelen venderse junto a un programa que permite gestionarlas.
Para los equipos en que esta tecnología ya esté integrada, como sucede con todos los ordenadores portátiles actuales, se encuentran programas como Xirrus Wi-Fi Monitor, una aplicación que se utiliza como un "widget", una pequeña ventana que se sobreimpresiona en el escritorio. Xirrus ofrece un radar que permite comprobar de un vistazo dónde se sitúan las mejores redes en función de la potencia de señal con la que se capten, y además ofrece otros datos como el número de canal, el nombre y la dirección MAC de la red y hasta la marca del router. Existen versiones para Windows Vista y GNU/Linux y, a través de Yahoo! Widgets, para Windows XP y Mac Os X. En Mac Os X se pueden encontrar programas como iStumbler, una aplicación gratuita que además optimiza las conexiones realizadas por Bluetooth; o WiFind, similar pero de pago (8 dólares, 5,60 euros). Para GNU/Linux también se han diseñado programas de este tipo, por ejemplo, KWiFiManager. Manejar wifi en dispositivos portátiles Además de en los ordenadores portátiles, resulta interesante gestionar las conexiones wifi en aparatos más pequeños, como teléfonos móviles, consolas de videojuegos o PDA, a los que se extiende este tipo de tecnología. Así, CoovaSX maneja conexiones de los proveedores que exigen nombre de usuario y contraseña como identificación, como Fon y otros similares. Utiliza Java y admite el protocolo WISPr, que facilita el roaming entre diferentes redes wifi. HandyWi es una buena opción para los modelos dotados del sistema operativo Symbian S60, como los Nokia, y funciona de manera similar.Modificar el router
Por otro lado, se puede configurar la red wifi también desde el emisor, papel que en el entorno doméstico recae en el router. Una posibilidad consiste en instalar otro firmware del router, es decir, el software que hace funcionar este dispositivo; siempre bajo la responsabilidad del usuario, que ha de saber que si el router se estropea no se lo repararán. Dd-wrt se basa en GNU/Linux y dota a modelos no punteros con nuevas posibilidades: modificar parámetros como la potencia con la que emiten las antenas, dar prioridad en el acceso a determinados programas (por ejemplo, para proporcionar un ancho de banda para la voz sobre IP si los programas P2P lo ocupan entero); conceder preferencia a determinados ordenadores de la casa; o una manera muy sencilla de asignar direcciones IP estáticas automáticamente según la dirección MAC de cada ordenador, sin necesidad de configurar ningún aspecto dentro del sistema operativo. Esta última característica se muestra muy útil en aquellas casas dónde hay más de un ordenador y se necesita configurar el cortafuegos del router para que funcionen correctamente programas que se basen en P2P. Este firmware sólo es compatible con determinados modelos de router (Linksys, Asus, D-Link y Motorola, entre otros). | ||
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| A pesar de que proporcionan manuales para instalar este programa, el grado de dificultad del proceso es bastante más alto que el de un programa convencional de ordenador. OpenWRT, el firmware que originó Dd-wrt y en el que se basa el de la "Fonera" de Fon, es otra de las alternativas disponibles para brindar más posibilidades a los routers en los que se puede instalar. Red interna wifi a partir de un móvil Si se tiene una tarifa plana de conexión a Internet con uno de los operadores de telefonía móvil, o un terminal que acceda a redes wifi, resulta interesante el programa WMWiFiRouter. Este software captura el tráfico de datos y convierte el móvil en una especie de router que emite una señal wifi.
De esta forma, se comparte la conexión a Internet del móvil con todos los ordenadores que haya en la casa. El programa cuesta 23,19 euros e incluye un periodo de prueba gratuito. El único requisito consiste en que el sistema operativo del teléfono sea Windows Mobile, habitual en PDA y en ciertos terminales. Por otro lado, Joikuspot es un software similar para el sistema operativo Symbian S60, característico de los modelos de Nokia, que cuenta con una versión gratuita, Joikuspot Light, que está limitada en sus características respecto a la de pago. El iPhone también dispone de un programa que realiza esta función, de nombre NetShare, que se puede descargar desde su tienda de aplicaciones, por 9,99 dólares, unos 7 euros. | ||
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Sunday, October 12, 2008
Fw: [N. Tecnologías] Vídeos para aprender en Internet, gestionar redes wifi, lifestreaming
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From: CONSUMER EROSKI
Sent: Tuesday, October 07, 2008 7:29 PM
Subject: [N. Tecnologías] Vídeos para aprender en Internet, gestionar redes wifi, lifestreaming
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