Reading Notes

24/7/06

INDEX Awards

Designs to Improve Life

- What improves life? Varies according to geographical, cultural and economic background. INDEX seeks to encourage global debate on what improves life.
- Many improvements can often have drawbacks, others may be beneficial in one part of the world and negative in others.
- Solutions to improve life created by designers in collaboration with economists, private companies and other professionals. Eg new kinds of housing, new workplaces, means of transport, better communications.
- HOJE TORV – 3000m2 public plaza to be built on the roof of a department store – example of how major cities can provide public recreational spaces in disused spaces.
- HIPPO ROLLER – designed for developing countries where women have to walk long distances to fetch household water. Up to 90L water can effortlessly be transported over large distances. Social changes to the villages, fetching water become more appealing to younger men.
- PARASITE: temporary shelter for the homeless in the form of an inflatable plastic igloo that utilize surplus heat from the city to inflate the shelter and keep it warm.
- A-POC – fabric made by a computerised knitting and weaving machine – reduces wastage, allows consumers to become part of the design process.
- FORD GLO CAR – reacting with simulated signs of emotion to dangers in the traffic.

OLPC – One Laptop Per Child
- aims at designing a $100 laptop that can ultimately change the way the world’s children are educated.

Thinkcycle – Open Collaborative Design
- Design Projects are listed as open source for people to make contributions

TIER
- Wireless Project (WILD) – aims to bring long distance wireless connections to rural regions
- MILLEE – mobile and immersive learning for literacy in emerging economies. Aims to address illiteracy among underserved communities in developing regions.
SPEECH
- low-cost low power speech recognition software for user interface purposes.

GRAMEENPHONE



25/7/06

SHORT-RANGE WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES WITH MOBILE PAYMENT SYSTEMS
- Blue-tooth enabled devices will provide a platform and opportunity to implement mobile payment systems and penetrate the commercial markets.
- In the near future, the mobile phone is likely to become a “PERSONAL TRUST DEVICE” and a powerful electronic wallet
- Wireless data transfer is highly preferred for personal and business purposes, offering users flexibility and convenience.
BLUETOOTH
- Bluetooth operates at the 2.4 GHz industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) frequency band, which is unlicensed and available worldwide.
- Provides opportunity for ad hoc connections between a wide range of personal electronic devices such as mobile phones, laptops and so on. Also implemented in home automation systems.
- Advantage- low power consumption which is a key benefit to mobile devices.
- Advantage – used the Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) method to avoid interference – helps payment systems to provide a reliable service.
- 2001 – Ericsson and Eurocard AB in Sweden tested Blue-tooth payment system. Security is a huge concern for wireless applications and is relatively difficult to configure.
INFRARED
- IrDA is one of the most mature and established players for cable replacements applications. It is a point to point method of communication between devices.
- Advantages – low power consumption, well known in the industry.
- Relatively easy to use and configure.
- South Korea – Harex InfoTech – mobile payments system called “ZOOP” – combines mobile devices and wireless IrDA to create a mobile wallet.
- Limitations – cannot penetrate objects such as walls, have to operate in the line of sight and at short range to set up the communications channel. Limits performance of applications.
RFID
- uses electromagnetic fields coupled with radio frequency. Three components: antenna, transceiver and an RF.
- Works at different frequency ranges. Also can read ranges from a few cm to 5 m, depending on the frequency of the devices.
- NOKIA and MASTERCARD have tested new retail payments.
- Advantages – requires no contact and no line-of-sight conditions, is automated and easy to use. Systems are simple, operated by consumers. Popularity is growing.
- ISSUES: PRIVACY, cost for Chips
NEAR FIELD COMMUNCATIONS (NFC)
- open global infrastructure for easy access to wireless services and data anywhere. Offers a convenient connection for all types of electronic devices. BUILT IN SECURITY MECHANISM
- Works in 13.56MHz Frequency band and working range of 3 to 30cm, compatible with RFID technology. Offers a less costly sultion for the implementation of wireless products and supports file and data transfer.
- Low power consumption, inbuilt security mechanism, easy to use and establish connection. Rapid and easy communications.
- Philips and VISA in 2004 – mobile payment system – transfer payment details to the terminal and authentification service based on standard 3D secure.
- Limitations – only works at very short distances.