Mobile Application Development

Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1. Introduction to Mobile Computing

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 Outline
Trends in Computing Technology
Motivations, concepts, and challenges of mobile
computing
Overview of Ubiquitous / pervasive computing

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 The trends in Computing Technology
 Mainframe computing (60’s-70’s)
 massive computers to execute big
data processing applications
 very few computers in the world
 Desktop computing (80’s-90’s)
 one computer at every desk to help in
business related activities
 computers connected in intranets to a
massive global network (internet), all
wired
 Ubiquitous computing (00’s?)
 tens/hundreds of computing devices in
every room/person,
 becoming “invisible” and part of the
environment
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 Computing: Trend
Size

Number
One Computer for Many One Computer for Many Computers for
People One Person One Person
(Mainframe Computing) (PC Computing) (Ubiquitous/Pervasive
Computing)

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 Computing: Evolution


Mobile

Centralized Ubiquitious
Computing
Distributed
Computing
 Computing Computing

Remote Communication Mobile Networks Context Awareness

Fault Tolerance & availability Mobile Information Access Ad-hoc Networks
Remote Information Access Adaptive Applications Smart Sensors & Devices

Research Problems   

There are different flavors of Computing

Evolution depending on who is looking at it and
the viewing angle.

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Motivations, Concepts, and Challenges
of Mobile Computing

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 Motivations
 Mobility was the requirement of the 90’s, first in communications
and then in computing.
rapidly growing demand by users
many interested players:
equipment manufacturers, infrastructure and service providers
 Enabling Technologies
 Development and deployment of wireless/mobile technology and
infrastructure
 in-room, in-building, on-campus, in-the-field, MAN, WAN
 Miniaturization of computing machinery
 . . . -> PCs -> laptop -> PDAs/smart phones ->embedded
computers/sensors
 Improving device capabilities/software development environments,
e.g.,
 andriod: http://code.google.com/android/
 iphone: http://developer.apple.com/iphone/
 windows mobile 7
 What is Mobile Computing?
A simple definition could be:
 Mobile Computing is using a computer (of one kind or another)
while on the move.

Using small size portable computers, hand-helds, and

other small wearable devices, to access remote
applications via wireless networks (BlueTooth, W-
LANs, Cellular, SAT. etc.) by mobile users (animals,
trains, cars, cell phones, ….)
Mobile computing is to describe technologies that
 enable people to access network services anytime, and
anywhere,
 with portable and wireless computing and communication
devices.

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 Why Mobile Computing?
People are mobile

Devices are mobile

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 Aspects of mobility
User mobility: a user who has access to the same or
similar services at different places.
 Between different geographical locations
 Between different networks
 Between different communication devices
 Between different applications

Device portability
 Between different geographical locations
 Between different networks

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 What Mobile users want?
Seamless mobility
“connect” from any location, at any time
convenience of use (no extra setup, “plug and play”)
same computing environment, same services,
consistent interfaces, regardless of location

Mobile users may be willing to sacrifice some

performance for mobility, but only some.

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 Mobile Computing Functions
We can define a computing environment as mobile if it
supports one or more of the following characteristics:
User Mobility:
 User should be able to move from one physical location to another
location and use the same service.
 The service could be in the home network or a remote network.
 Example could be a user moves from London to Paris and uses
Internet to access the corporate application the same way the user
uses in the home office.
Network Mobility:
 User should be able to move from one network to another network and
use the same service.
 Example could be a user moves from Hong Kong to New Delhi and
uses the same GSM phone to access the corporate application. In
home network he uses this service over GPRS (General Packet Radio
Service) whereas in Delhi he accesses it over the GSM network.
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 Mobile Computing Functions (cont’d)
Device Mobility:
 User should be able to move from one device to another and
use the same service.
 Example could be sales representatives using their desktop
computer in home office. During the day while they are on the
street they would like to use their Palmtop to access the
application.

Session Mobility:
 A user session should be able to move from one user-agent
environment to another.
 Example could be a user was using his service through a
CDMA. The user entered into the basement to park the car
and got disconnected from his CDMA network. User goes to
home office and starts using the desktop. The unfinished
session in the CDMA device moves from the mobile device to
the desktop computer. 13
 Mobile Computing Functions (cont’d)

Host Mobility:
 The user device can be either a client or server.
 When it is a server or host, some of the complexities change.
 In case of host mobility the mobility of IP needs to be taken
care of.

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 Applications
Vehicles
 transmission of news, road condition, weather, etc
 position via GPS
 local ad-hoc network with vehicles close-by to prevent accidents
and to exchange some useful information.
 vehicle data (e.g., from busses, high-speed trains) can be
transmitted in advance for maintenance.
Medical
 Nurses/Doctors in Medical offices are now using Wireless Tablet
PCs/WLAN to collect and share patient information.
Sales
 Sales representatives are using Tablet PCs with Smart phones
for presentation, transmitting/access information among office,
hotel, and customer location.

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 Applications(cont’d)
Emergencies
 Early transmission of patient data to the hospital, current
status, first diagnosis
 Provide mobile infrastructure in dealing with Natural Disaster
(earthquake, hurricane, fire), war, ...
Replacement of fixed networks
 remote sensors, e.g., weather, earth activities
 LANs in historic buildings
Entertainment, education, ...
 outdoor Internet access
 intelligent travel guide, location dependent info
 ad-hoc networks for multi user games

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Application: on the road

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Application: on the move

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Application: at home

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 Application: disaster recovery
 9/11, Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina,
South Asian earthquake …
 Wireless communication and
mobile computing capability can
make a difference between life
and death !
 rapid deployment
 efficient resource and energy
usage
 resilient: survive in unfavorable
and untrusted environments

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The future: wearable computers

http://www.media.mit.edu/wearables/


A whole new


meaning to the term

“smarty pants”

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 Wireless Vs. Mobile
Mobile devices and wireless networks are not always
same

Mobile Wireless Sample Applications

Devices Networks
No No Stationary workstations in office
No Yes Wireless LANs to connect office workers in an unwired building
Yes No Using a portable computer in a hotel or conference room
Yes Yes Cellular phones, Palm Pilots, portable offices,

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Mobile and Wireless Devices

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 Challenges in mobile computing
Mobility of devices
Hardware
 Lighter, smaller, energy management, user interface
Low bandwidth, high bandwidth variability
 Kbit/s to Mbit/s, bandwidth fluctuation
Security risk
 Devices more vulnerable, endpoint authentication harder
Heterogeneous network
 Different devices, interfaces and protocols
Higher loss-rates, higher delays, more jitter
 Connection setup time, hand-off
Restrictive regulations of frequencies
 Frequencies have to be coordinated

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Overview of Ubiquitous/pervasive
Computing

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 Ubiquitous computing = mobile computing + intelligent environment.

From technology point of view

 Computers everywhere – embedded into fridges, washing
machines, door locks, cars, furniture.
 Intelligent environment.
 Mobile portable computing devices

 Wireless communication – seamless mobile/fixed.

From users point of view

 Invisible – implicit interaction with your environment.
 Enhancing human abilities in context of tasks
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Ubiquitous Computing: Alternative
Names
Alternative names:
• Pervasive Computing
• Ambient Computing
• Intelligent Computing
• Invisible Computing
• Proactive computing
• Autonomic computing
• Sentient computing

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Ubiquitous Computing: What is it about
According to Mark Weiser
 Ubiquitous computing is about the invisible
and everywhere (every time) computing
 Invisible: tiny, embedded, attachable…
 Everywhere: wireless, dynamically configurable,
remote access, adapting, …

 It is about making computers so embedded, so

fitting, so natural that we use them even
without noticing their presence and without
thinking about them.
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Ubiquitous Computing: Why now?

 Computing devices are becoming very tiny, sometimes

invisible, either mobile or embedded and exist in
almost any type of object imaginable.

 Computing environment is becoming full of the

increasingly ubiquitous and interconnected computing
devices

 Enhanced by a convergence of:

 Advanced electronics (Moor’s low),
 Wireless technologies,
 And the Internet.
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Ubiquitous Computing: Environment

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Ubiquitous Computing: Environment ...
Hospital Driving Office

Meeting Teaching

Devices ….. Services

Smart Phone, Car kits, Phone Call, Email, Message,
Wearable, PDAs, … News alert, …
 The most precious resource in a computer system is no longer its processor,
memory, disk, or network, but what?
 But rather human attention. The aim in Ubiquitous computing is, therefore:
 minimizing distractions on users’ attention, and
 creating environment that adapts to the user’s context and needs.

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Ubiquitous Computing: the future-Internet of
things
 Internet (past) when a
user was allowed only to
use content
 Internet (present) a user
is allowed to also create
content (e.g. facebook,
twitter, …)
 Internet (future) ?

 IP for “Everything” with IPv6? “Things” will be allowed to create

and use content
 Ability of any social network-able objects to deliver information or
accept input ==>the phenomenon of “Internet of things”
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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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 Assigment
Ubiquitous Computing vs Internet of Things (IoT)

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