Internet and Technology

If you have not already been introduced to it, WiMax is the latest development in wireless telecommunications technology that are opening doors to high-speed Internet for users all over the country.  The term is short for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access and refers to the system responsible for bringing fully mobile Internet access to people who are constantly on the go, as well as long-range high-speed broadband coverage to people who do not have wired connections like DSL and cable at their disposal.

To a certain degree, WiMax is sort of like Wi-Fi, in that it projects Internet signals directly to computers in a network without relying on wires, cables, or phone lines.  However, a single WiMax system can reach many more people than a Wi-Fi network.  This is because it uses a tower, which operates somewhat in the same way as a cell phone tower, to deliver coverage to large areas spanning as many as 3,000 square miles.  People can use their cell phone, or laptop or desktop computer, to get online from anywhere within this entire area.

This is fantastic news for people with long commutes to work, who want to be able to check emails and access other websites on the go, as well as for people who just want to take advantage of this technology for entertainment purposes (streaming audio and video, for example).  And it can be completely life-changing for people living in rural or remote locations who up until now have likely had to suffer the painfully sow connection speeds that come with dial-up service.

So how does it work?  There are two parts to a WiMax sytem.  It all starts with the aforementioned tower, which itself can connect to the Internet using a wired connection, or through a line-of-sight microwave link with a tower which has a wired connection.  This second way is what accounts for such widespread and accessible service, as a chain of wireless towers can be created to extend coverage to areas where wired connections are hard or impossible to come by.

In addition to the tower, there is also something called a receiver.  This is what users need in order to be able receive the signal transmitted by the tower.  There are a few different types of receivers available.  They can come as external boxes and antennas that you connect to your computer, or they can be built-in devices that you don’t even see.

Regardless of the type, there are two ways for a user’s receiver to tap into signals: line-of-sight service and non-line-of-sight service.  As the name implies, line-of-sight requires that the receiver be able to “see” the tower, meaning there must be nothing in between the two.  To get this type of service, a user will need to mount a fixed dish antenna on their roof.  Likewise, for non-line-of sight service, the receiver is attached to the computer itself and can pick up the signal from pretty much anywhere.  This type of service, though less strong, is what makes WiMax mobility possible.

Wireless home alarm systems are some of the more advanced ways to protect your home and safeguard your family. Wireless home alarm systems have many features and are easy to install, operate, and maintain. They are a great way to secure your home and do not require drilling, wiring, or changes to your home’s structure. The major feature of a wireless home alarm system is the fact that you do not need cables or wires to connect all the sensors, connectors, alarms, and the control panel. This gives you freedom to set up the alarm components anywhere in your home, without having to worry about running wires and drilling holes. This makes it especially easy to place motion activated sensors without having to worry about running cables first. It will also allow you to discretely place sensors where they cannot be seen or place them in areas that are more obvious without having to see unsightly wires. Your options for sensor and component placement are unlimited with a wireless home alarm system and not confined to the corner of the ceiling and other areas easily accessible by wires.Many newer alarm systems include video and audio monitoring capabilities. A wireless home alarm system gives you endless possibilities as to where you can place audio and video recording components. You can place them outside, inside, or both. You are not restricted to locations with wires, and you can monitor your entire house and property with the least amount of sensors. Another great feature of a wireless home alarm system is that you can set up your alarm components in areas where they can’t be seen. This greatly reduces the chances that an intruder will tamper with your equipment and gives your alarm system the best chance to function properly. There are also no wires for an experienced intruder to cut with a wireless system, ensuring that your wireless home alarm system will function properly if there is an intruder in your home. Wireless home alarm systems can emit an audible alarm when sensors are triggered as well as be monitored by local police and fire authorities just like a conventional alarm system. A wireless home alarm system is a great choice for home defense. It is easy for homeowners to install a wireless home alarm system; you just plug the control panel into the phone jack and place your alarm components around your home. It is also easy to take your security system with you if you move; you just take down all the components and re-install them in your new home. Most wireless home alarm systems work on batteries so you do not have to worry about hard wiring them to your electrical system and will have peace of mind even in a power outage. A wireless home alarm system is a great choice to protect your home, family, and possessions. There are many great features that make it the ideal choice for home protection.

Why use wireless home security systems when you can opt for the contemporary ones? This particular query might just be the question other would-be owners have in mind. While you still keep on looking for the reasons why, here’s a few good grounds coupled with everything you need to know about wireless home security systems. 1.    Wireless systems are way economical. Where else can you find a security system that will only cost you a hundred bucks or less these days? The wireless system does it! You might not know it, but there are great numbers of security systems online offering at a price you wouldn’t imagine possible. If you want a remote control wireless camera, you can have it for as low as $45. Still aiming for a lesser value? How about a wireless mini pinhole camera for $ 44 dollars? This can go on and on, but the gist here is, you need not shed more cash just to get your home fully protected. 2.    Wireless home security systems are simple. The installation for this type of security system only requires nominal technical skills. Anyone can mount it without the need for complex wiring and electronic installations. Therefore, you save time from digging holes on your wall, energy for doing so, and money that could be spent on other important necessities. The wireless system’s simplicity of installation and use makes up a more preferred security system. 3.    Wireless systems offer large coverage. Since this type of security system is operated through frequency waves, it magnifies and amplifies the scope doubly thereby creating a highly efficient security for a system. There are security cameras that have limited range of operation. Given this, the ability to see through possible traces of burglars are limited. But with wireless security systems, the benefit of monitoring larger scales and reach knock together its major advantage. 4.    Wireless systems act as silent scouts. If you’re not only after for your own home’s security against burglars and housebreakers, the wireless security camera also works to your advantage in terms of watching over your children under the care of a babysitter, the possibility of a cheating partner caught in the act and a lot of other personals that you would want to monitor especially when you’re not around. These wireless systems are regarded as discreet watchers minus the hassles of wirings and obvious visibility. You can choose from varieties of spy wireless cameras such as a wall clock hidden camera, spy finder, wireless smoke detector camera, wireless hidden camera inside clock radio, picture frame wireless camera and a lot more.5.    Wireless systems are battery operated. This will serve as both an advantage and a disadvantage. Picture this: Intruders have a way of sneaking their presence into the house specifically if the electricity is cut. This serves as their go-signal towards forcing the lock and breaking down the door. But, if you have a wireless security system with you, even in the absence of electricity, your security camera will still work to your advantage. Just don’t forget to check, charge and replace your batteries – this is a sure disadvantage, and most probably, the doom of your security.So, are you still wondering why wireless home security systems? The abovementioned grounds should’ve rested your case by now.

Law enforcement recently has been following the general tide of government and public service groundswell by seeking computing solutions in the Linux direction. Particularly in law enforcement, their needs match well with open source software. They have to work lean on a taxpayer’s budget, and open source is free or low cost. They need top security, and Linux is still the highest-scoring operating software in official government assessments. They need mission-critical reliability, and Linux is so stable, it doesn’t just outrank the competition in stability – it makes the competition disappear!
Some recent examples of law enforcement agencies finding a solution in open source:
* Kent Police have lowered the cost of running their major criminal investigations system by a factor of 90% using Novell Linux Open Enterprise Server. The migration to Novell enabled Kent to scale up their Holmes II investigation system to work on larger projects with a broader scope – something they’d never been able to do before. They were also able to run it on their cheapest hardware they could find, thanks to Linux’s light requirements. A new policing operating system, named Genesis, is now being tested for scalability on Linux servers.
* Delivery of the first Linux systems to the West Yorkshire police force could see police forces throughout England and Wales unanimously switching to Linux desktops in a new pilot scheme. The deployment is taking place under a contract awarded by the UK Police IT Organization. If successful, it will lead to over 60,000 desktops deployed. In West Yorkshire alone, the installed base is around 3,500, and a spokesman reckoned that the savings from this would be around one million pounds per year!
* The New South Wales Police department is currently undertaking a major upgrade to its information infrastructure, made necessary due to the increasing volume of data handled by the force, and they’re switching to Linux systems to handle the load. Because the Linux systems are proving so reliable, they are looking forward to the higher capacity network more efficiently archiving and transmitting data stored as evidence, such as surveillance videos and audio material.
* Scottish police forces have also developed a Linux-based system for ensuring that they comply with the Freedom of Information Act legislation, an act which is intended to facilitate ‘open government’ by allowing the public to request access to government data. Since open source and open information go hand in hand, the system has scaled easily and saved tons of labor. The force doesn’t have to worry about proprietary media formats interfering with the public’s ability to access the data, and the efficiency of the Linux system allows a lot of manual tasks to be automated where they couldn’t before. The system is literally returning officers to the streets because it has saved everyone so much work.
* Police in the city of Munich have switched 14,000 of their department computers from Microsoft’s Windows operating system to Linux. The motivation for the decision was to make the government less dependent on one information technology supplier, and to save money while increasing capabilities. One technology analyst even compared the break-through migration to the fall of the Berlin wall, referring to the oppressive requirements of dealing with a proprietary software company’s agenda.
That government feels friendly with open source should come as no surprise. Traditionally, the Internet has been 80% Linux and Unix-based systems since its creation. The first Internet services were started and maintained by government providers, who used Unix system’s built-in multitasking features and excellent speed to create a fast, reliable network. Linux, a modern version of that Unix ideal, has already established itself as the leading system for server-room deployment, but now the effects are beginning to trickle down to the desktop user level and workstation deployments, where they are discovering that Linux systems have workspace-ready features built in which other commercial operating systems are just now beginning to discover and implement.
Furthermore, Linux systems come with the guarantee that because they are open source, no commercial company can restrict their usage in the future. A platform ported to Linux can stay on Linux, without support dying out and constant upgrades creating problems down the road.
Finally, the inherent security of the Unix computing model guarantees the effectiveness of Linux without the worries over security problems. Because there are in effect no viruses which can infect a Linux system known, and no critical security exploits found in the systems even by government security standards, departments are also considering Linux as a measure to protect our national data under concerns over national security and the terrorist threat in our modern times.