True 4G & HSPA+ Phones

 

You see that H+ on your new blackberries and ‘4G‘ on your iPhone 4S after iOS 5.1 update?

They’re both the same. They’re both HSPA+, that is. They are not LTE or WiMAX, the ones that were initially declared as 4G.

 

 

Is HSPA+  a 4G? (are Iphone 4s 4G? Are my new blackberries 4G?)

• Yes according to telco providers like AT & T, and fact is:
• No! - sorry to say, according to the newly (2012) approved official specification for IMT-Advanced (Next Generation, 4G).

 Maybe AT & T and others (feel free to name them providers in the comments and I’ll add them in) will call it 5G since they fudged a 3.5/3.9G HSPA+ as 4G.

Let’s use another name for 4G, its requirements/specification name - IMT-Advanced – Now approved by the ITU. It’s official.

 

 

Quote from a very good article http://www.readwriteweb.com/mobile/2012/01/meet-the-real-4g.php :

To understand IMT-Advanced, you need to know how we got to this point. If IMT-Advanced is truly the fourth generation of wireless technology, there obviously are three generations that preceded it. Let’s take a quick look at the history.

 

1G (Pre-1990): Analog Mobile Phone System and Frequency Division Multiple Access (AMPS & FDMA). The forefather of all cellular technology. Think of satellite or car phones or those really big things that used to require a brief case to lug around. I am always reminded of Martin Cooper and the original one-pound cellphone and how people used to gawk at him while he walked down the street in New York City chatting away.

 

 

2G (1991-2000): Time Division Multiple Access and Code Division Multiple Access (TDMA & CDMA). This is where the great rift between AT&T and Verizon originated. Ma Bell used the TDMA standard while Big Red has been built off of CDMA and its evolutions. This is the era when cellphone became more commonplace but by no means ubiquitous. Cellular adoption ramped up through the 1990s as phones evolved, going from the relative blocks of Kyocera and Nokia to the concept of flip phones that would dominate well into the first half of the 2000s.

2.5G (2000-Present): General Packet Radio System (GRPS) and CDMA 1x. The rise of the data packet, BlackBerry and the first versions of the mobile Web through Wireless Access Protocol (WAP). Speeds at 2.5G were about 156 kilobits down per second.

2.75G (2003-Present): Enhanced Data Rates For Global Evolution (EDGE). The iPhone was originally an EDGE phone. This is a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standard employed by AT&T and T-Mobile.

 

 

3G (2000-Present): Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and CDMA 2000. This is where we really started getting speeds that could handle full Internet data packets, up to 8 megabits per second down. This is also where the precursor to what the ITU calls “4G.” Before announcing the standards for IMT-Advanced, the last standards that the ITU approved were for IMT-2000, what is generally considered to be 3G. GSM and CDMA continue to be separate and incompatible. This is also the beginning of the rise of in your face marketing from the carriers in the United States all claiming to have the fastest 3G networks.

3.5G (2006-Present): High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) and Evolution-Data Optimized Revolution (EV-DO). The approved 3G standard starts to evolve and speeds get faster and data is carried over cellular connections more reliably. This is the foundation that the current app economy is based on.

3.9G (2008-Present): Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access
(WiMax), Long Term Evolution (LTE) and HSPA+. When the carriers shout, “my 4G is blazing fast!” this is what they are talking about. Though this is not technically 4G, the ITU begin allowing carriers to market these technologies as 4G in December 2010 stating that any technology is that a significant advancement to the 3G standard can be called 4G. Speeds here have the potential to be up to 45 to 80 megabits per second down under ideal circumstances, which basically never exist. Currently, the best these standards can operate under real world conditions is about 14.4 megabits per second down. Sometimes higher, mostly lower.

 

Based on the last pink (purple? Fuchsia?) sentence it seems that ITU ‘allowed’ carriers to call them 4G, but just so you know… It really isn’t the next Gen after the official IMT-Advanced.

 

 

ICT, Media, News

4G, AT & T, cellular network, HSPA+, IMT-Advanced, iPhone 4S, ITU, phone

March 9, 2012

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Twitter Phishing

Dear readers,

I apologize for the lack of quality and formatting done in this post. I am writing this from my iPhone on the go and I realised I cannot delay telling you all any further.

Seems like a number of people had fallen for this phishing method (including my friends sadly! Don’t let your friends get phished or hacked too! Spread the word!)

The phishing URL is different from usual / the common older style ones as it uses a shortened link, with a name very similar to tinyurl.com (tsk!) the original shortened link is: tnijurl.com/dc0393f329cd/

Here’s the example message to trick you, it reads: “Someone said this real bad thing about you in a blog…”

As you can see, there’s no way to tell what that URL actually is at one glance. It will redirect you to:
“http://berichtenversturen.com/twitter-login/” with the following page:

Although the page might look exactly like a twitter login page, it’s not. Look at the URL. Don’t get fooled. Do NOT log in! Do NOT!

Careful when clicking shortened links that requires you to log in anywhere. Always check the URL on your browser when you are logging in somewhere! Your credentials might be compromised! If you were phished/fooled and had logged in, I recommend changing your password immediately.

Also useful: http://www.justprofessionals.net/2011/07/new-twitter-phishing-scam-preys-on-curiosity-about-criticism/

ICT

ICT, Phishing, scam, spread the word, Twitter

July 24, 2011

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Why do you take pictures?

Because I am hungry and alone, with no food at sight, I started to ponder on a lot of things I do.

Photography – one of my major non-sport hobby that I update more than all other hobbies. Why?

Have you seen a photo studio tagline? Most of them talk about ‘capturing moments’ which is why we take pictures, really. I have a birthday, papa comes and takes lots and lots of picture to remember, so that we could look back and go ‘Ah! Look how happy she looks! Look how pretty she was!’

I am unable to do that. Let me emphasise that. I am UNABLE to CAPTURE MOMENTS. I am serious. It might be because I lack skills, my dad is the one that is really good in capturing moments!

But, I like telling stories. I like sharing and listening to stories. Yours, mine, hers, his, whatever. I love listening to past experiences and current happenings. It is interesting to understand what others are feeling. I want people to understand me too. And that’s why I’m taking pictures. It’s less of a ‘I am happy so let me show you a flower’ but more of a ‘I get <this feeling> when I took this picture and when I came here. This picture will tell you that, because I’m lazy to write an essay on <this feeling> and picture tells a thousand words,’

That’s it. I want people to see what I see, to understand what I understand, to feel what I feel. I don’t know when was the time I started to have this kind of habit, but it’s been stickin’. I don’t know why too. I wonder who I got this trait from?

Life, Reflection

September 28, 2010

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That Category.

I was checking and looking around facebook (as usual) when I found my friend’s blog screenshot in my news feed. She was wondering what category her blog should fall in; in the end, she decided it will be ‘Lifestyle & Fashion’ as that is what most of her posts are about (shopping, food, what she bought, etc.).

That made me think a little; what about my blog? I don’t think there’s a formal category for ‘random ramblings’. Also, I didn’t know how my random ramblings are categorised. I’m bad at these stuff. After all, I started writing not long ago, and I am still pretty gweeeen. That was, until I google-d “Filamern” and saw a reply from this blog I visited not so long ago – Myindo.com .

A little bit about myindo.com. I loved it. Sure, maybe the design wasn’t the best you can have in the intrawebs, and maybe there are ads. But the articles, the way she wrote it had less hate, more opinions, written in such a way that no offences were intended! I liked it. It was simple and easy to digest as well!

I signed the guestbook, and the owner replied! (Yay <3) This is what she commented:

FAIRY Hi FILAMERN , thanks for dropping by. You’ve got a pretty good social commentary blog as well. Keep on writing!2-Sep-2010, 01:05 MYT

That was how I know what my ramblings were; (maybe) social commentaries. Because English is like my, 3rd or 4th language, I had to look “Social Commentaries” up and get its proper definition. Did it match what I was doing? Pretty much.

Thanks FAIRY for telling me

Blog Related, Reflection

September 28, 2010

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Ali Yakubov – The Koran/Qur’an skin mystery.

Have you guys read about this?

Ali Yakubov - from russiatoday.com

I am baffled. I read this in news.com.au, but we don’t know the ‘truth’ behind this yet. People are wondering whether its the work of their parents, or it was really verses from the Qur’an/Koran appearing on Ali Yakubov’s skin without any manipulation from parents or some sort.

I will quote a few sentences from certain sources (I read up quite a bit from various sites), here’s the one from dailymail/UK.

Miracle or hoax? Russians puzzled as phrases

from the Koran start appearing ‘spontaneously’

on baby’s skin

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1221481/Russians-left-puzzled-Koran-phrases-start-appearing-spontaneously-babys-skin.html

That article together with thesun article (the one that has been quoted for Alfie Patten) as well, were probably the two most quoted article.

The parents of nine-month-old Ali Yakubov were stunned when the word Allah appeared on his chin soon after his birth.

Since then scores of writings in Arabic script have emerged on his back, arms, legs and stomach.

Amazingly his family claim the old markings vanish before the new words arrive — twice a week.

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2689523/Koran-boys-skin-mystery.html

Personally, the article that I really love, would be from russiatoday[dot]com. It may seem a bit biased (but God, which Media AREN’T?!), but I liked it because it is the only one so far (that I have found) to state these information (which I couldn’t really find in a lot of news media) :

Meanwhile, doctors think otherwise. They are almost sure the signs have been written by Ali’s parents.

Lyudmila Luss from Russia’s institute of immunology says the writings have been most likely made physically or chemically.

“Substances like pepper or salt can produce such a reaction on the skin,” she says. It can also be a result of urticarious dermographism, she added, which is a skin disorder seen in 4–5% of the population. The skin then becomes raised and inflamed when stroked or rubbed with a dull object.

So far, Ali’s family has refused to make any meticulous dermatologic examination. In the meantime, Russian media report that Ali was initially diagnosed with coronary heart disease and cerebral spastic infantile paralysis, but when his abnormalities began he miraculously recovered.

Read more from Russiatoday : http://www.russiatoday.com/Top_News/2009-10-19/signs-allah-infant-skin.html

and more : http://www.jihadwatch.org/2009/10/koran-verses-appear-on-babys-skin-ali-always-feels-bad-when-it-is-happening-he-cries-and-his-tempera.html

on an unrelated note: The baby is so cute!

ali - http://www.russiatoday.com

So, is it true? We don’t know yet – there aren’t any proof at the moment, but only speculations so far. People over the internets have been saying that it might be the work of their parents, but some also claim that it IS a sign from Allah. What do you think?

Personally, for me, this is really awesome. My friends were freaked out, but, I don’t know. It is probably till now I am still a freethinker (with my dad), and we do question world’s biggest questions often. Religion, how it started, lineage, history, mysterious events, other realms, ghosts, devils, demons, etc.

So, If there really IS a sign (which is proven true that those signs on Ali appeared without any manipulation from the parents), I would be amazed, and would probably jump into reading researches that people will make regarding Ali.

If it’s false, or a hoax, or even, by Ali’s parents, shame on you parents, (for getting my hopes up) and for doing that to your beautiful baby’s skin.

I guess we have to wait for more information from Russia to tell us what’s really happening. And whether they have seen it happen (I guess they will wait on Thursday – Friday night for the real sighting of it appearing, man, I think someone would actually videotape it and upload on youtube). Poor baby, getting all the media attention in such a young age.

Honestly, I hope this is not a hoax, and verses are indeed appearing. Would be another extra piece of information for freethinkers like me to consider.

UPDATE : http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33425758/ns/world_news-europe/

Pinkish in color and several centimeters high, the Koranic verse “Be thankful or grateful to Allah” was printed on the infant’s right leg in clearly legible Arabic script this week, religious leaders said. Visiting foreign journalists later saw a single letter after the rest had vanished.

Media, News

ali yakubov, arabic, hoax, infant, koran, Media, medical, muslim, mystery, News, qur'an, russia, skin

October 21, 2009

21 Comments

“Minta Tolong” – show

To you people out there who might not be familiar with Indonesian TV shows, there’s this particular show called “minta tolong” – it literally mean “to ask for help”.

Basically in this entire show, they assign this young kid (I’m still wondering why it’s always a female young girl)  (there used to be more female adults and old women, more kids nowadays, and it’s still always women) around the age of 11 or 12 to try and raise money by selling things (ranging from random things such as files to worms).

The young girl would then walk around the town/city to find people that are willing to help her by (usually) buying her stuff. Today, she was selling worms. Most people were grossed out… but but! The girl today was pretty cute, she kinda joked a lot throughout the show. I saw lots of happy and laughing faces when she cracked a joke. I can sort of feel the others kinda liked her too. She had this charm and humor that made even grumpy people laugh.

Overall, the show is based on a “help people with a sincere heart” and you’ll get rewarded sort of concept. Anyone that helps the kid in whatever she needs (she sells stuff 200% more expensive!) would be repay’d by a certain huge amount of rupiahs (1 million rupiahs, I think. It’s quite a big amount in Indonesia).

Well, my problem with the show (other than exploitation of children to make them act and everything while they are pretty poor, and make viewer sympathize more because of their age) is the fact that it’s made in Indonesia. Well, thing is. I had enough of 8 year old conning me back in Bali. We were too soft. A bunch of kids approached my family and asked for money, they were saying it’s for school and books. (a bunch of them, around 5 to 7 of them). So, looking at they are kids and everything, we did give them around five thousand rupiahs. I know that ain’t much in most developed countries, but trust me, it is quite a lot in Indonesia.

…we gave 5k to each of the kids, and they came telling us it’s not enough and wanted twenty thousand rupiahs. I rolled my eyes, so did my mum. I told them I’ll buy the books for them instead, and they just shook their head and asked for money. Obvious conning is obvious. I walked another 5 meters, a bunch of kids tried pushing postcards to me. I seriously hate it when they use kids to do all these stuff to gain sympathy. They even have agencies that specializes in these. ARGH.

There were also incidents where they used kids that were crying for help saying they got lost and separated from their parents, and when you help that kid, you… actually get trapped and cornered by robbers.

With all those incidents happening in Indonesia, how many people would actually help? They would probably think whether the kid is really asking for help, or, they would be thinking whether the kid would actually drag them to hell/robber pits.

It’s a good concept show, but I doubt it’s suited for Indonesia if the mission of the show is to see how nice/evil Indonesians are towards not so lucky citizens. Some Indonesians abused sympathy to much, it is now very hard to discern between whether they really need help, or they have an ulterior motives that might cost you your life or health.

But, if the show is aiming for viewership and that alone, I couldn’t care less (but I still hate the fact it made some people look as if they are bad, when they are just wondering whether the girl was a liar – this can be seen by them asking whether the girl’s really buying books with the money).

Life, Media, Slice of Event

commercialized shows, Indonesia, Indonesian Kids, kids, Media, Minta Tolong, misuse of sympathy, rcti, sympathy, TV Shows

October 20, 2009

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October 19, 2009

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