Cover Story
Explosive Evolution of Cell Phones
LTE Leading to Variety of Evolutionary Paths
Most people's concept of cellphones includes the following: (a) small enough to fit inside the palm of your hand and comes with LCDs and numeric keys, (b) basically functions to provide voice communication, (c) developed according to the policies of cellphone service providers, and (d) too slow for data communication. This demonstrates that the various restrictions placed on cellphones have limited them to only a few functions.
The 3.9G mobile communication mode, represented by LTE (long-term evolution), is meant to free cellphones from these restrictions and vastly increase the number of possible functions. The shift to 3.9G, which will enable inexpensive and fast data communication, combined with changes in the cellphone business model, will blow away the fixed notions about cellphones held by users and device manufacturers. The potential exists for previously unimagined devices to emerge. A new cellphone that exists completely outside the box of "mobile telephone" will be born.
LTE to Bring About Great Evolution of Cellphones
Part 1: Evolutionary Scenario
Fast, Inexpensive, and Common throughout the Entire World; Transformation of the Cellphone Concept
LTE is considered the most promising among the next-generation mobile broadband technologies.By 2012, mobile communication that is fast, inexpensive, and fully satisfies user needs will become a reality. The impact of LTE, however, will not be limited to these improvements. With all communication service providers throughout the entire world using the same mode, LTE designed cellphones may be commercialized in an instant. LTE will appear not only in cellphones but also in personal computers and a wide variety of home appliances.How to capitalize on this new development will be the key issue for all device manufacturers.
Part 2: Service Trends
Japan and the U.S. to Become LTE Bases; India and Africa to Use WiMAX
High-speed services that utilize mobile broadband technologies will be introduced globally within the next several years. Of course, the actual technical method that will be adopted in each region will differ substantially, depending on the historical background of that region and the trends of local cellphone service providers.Therefore, it will be important to keep an eye on what is happening in advanced nations and regions, such as Japan, the U.S. and Europe, as well as in developing regions, which have vast market potential.
Part 3: Performance Improvement Scenario
Aiming for Stealth Upgrade to 4G and Speed Exceeding 1 Gbps
By proactively addressing the various issues that may be encountered when actual services are provided, such as speed scalability, short delay, and the easing of requirements on power amplifiers, LTE won broad-based support. The introduction phase is merely a beginning: LTE will keep evolving. Future enhancements, such as the use of broader bandwidths and combination with femtocells and cutting-edge MIMO technologies, are currently in the works. With its continued focus on evolving, LTE could even morph from 3.9G into 4G, in a moment.
Special Feature
Pitfall for Wall-mount TVs: Poor Sound p.81Pitfall for Wall-mount TVs: Poor Sound
LCD TVs and PDP TVs are becoming thinner. As the frame thickness goes from 30+ mm to 20+ or even 10+ mm, developing viable audio systems adaptable to these thin frames is rapidly becoming difficult. Audio system development may become the bottleneck in the process of creating ultra-thin, wall-mountable TVs. The time has come to completely change the way audio systems are developed.
Web Gadgets Developed by Venture-funded Companies Blooming in Silicon Valley
Web gadgets are unique electronic devices that can be linked to Web services.Why is it that the venture-funded companies created in California are often able to develop devices that are far superior to those developed by major companies?
Guest Paper
Driving Speakers with Digital Signals: Synthesizing Sounds in the Air
Trigence Semiconductor has developed a speaker that can reproduce fully digital audio. Digital audio signals are directly input into the speaker and then synthesized in the air and converted to air vibrations.The new speaker is compact and consumes less power than conventional models, while at the same time achieving high sound quality.We asked the company to explain the development background and give technical details.
Documentary
New Challenge: Participating in the Dye-sensitive Solar Cell Race
Sunny and Hot on the First and Second Days, Rained on the Third, and then ...
NE Tutorial
Designing Proper Electromagnetic Compatibility on Printed Circuit Boards—PartIof II
Noise Prevention Design as Proactive Preventive Measure; Evaluation at the Layout-planning Stage Essential
Since the speed of circuitry has increased in many electronic devices, achieving electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is becoming more difficult. If one waits until the middle of the design and development phase, it is difficult to achieve an EMC measure both technically and cost-wise. This along with the next session will explain how to design printed circuit boards, which are crucial in EMC design.
Key Points of A-D Conversion Everyone Should Know: Session 2
When to Use the ΔΣ Type or the Serial Comparison Type (Part I of II)
Focus on Response, Number of Filters, and Resolution
When using a low/medium-speed A-D converter, many engineers have difficulty deciding whether to use the ΔΣ type or the serial comparison type.This series systematically discusses how A-D converters work, and this article describes the key comparison points by focusing on response performance, the number of filter stages, and resolution as the parameters to be used for selecting one of the two types.
Academy
Session 6: How Data-storing Memory Works
Keyword
FED Panel
Key Person
Maxim Japan Senior Field Application Manager, Kazuhiko Kudo: Making up for Edison's Disappointment─Introducing DC Power Distribution No
NE Interview
Keihanna New Industry Creation and Interactive Community Center President, Yoshitomi Nagaoka: Developing a Miracle Cancer-curing Device and Creating a 20 Trillion Yen Market
World Seport
From Vietnam: Not Simply a Manufacturing Base: Young Generations Keyed into Internet and Cell Phones
News
- Sony Unveils the World Thinnest 9.9mm LCD TV
- Intel Presents USB 3.0 Transfer at Its Developer Conference
- Google Unveils Android SDK
- Move to Legalize Software Reverse Engineering
- Why Did the iPod nano Battery Burn Out?
