4G : The New Beginning of High Technology

The approaching 4G (fourth generation) mobile communication systems are projected to solve still-remaining problems of 3G (third generation) systems and to provide a wide variety of new services, from high-quality voice to high-definition video to high-data-rate wireless channels. The term 4G is used broadly to include several types of broadband wireless access communication systems, not only cellular telephone systems. One of the terms used to describe 4G is MAGIC—Mobile multimedia, Anytime anywhere, Global mobility support, Integrated wireless solution, and Customized personal service. As a promise for the future, 4G systems, that is, cellular broadband wireless access systems, have been attracting much interest in the mobile communication arena. The 4G systems not only will support the next generation of mobile service, but also will support the fixed wireless networks.

This paper presents an overall vision of the 4G features, framework, and integration of mobile communication. The features of 4G systems might be summarized with one word—integration. The 4G systems are about seamlessly integrating terminals, networks, and applications to satisfy increasing user demands. The continuous expansion of mobile communication and wireless networks shows evidence of exceptional growth in the areas of mobile subscriber, wireless network access, mobile services, and applications. An estimate of 1 billion users by the end of 2003 justifies the study and research for 4G systems.

HISTORY
The history and evolution of mobile service from the 1G (first generation) to fourth generation are discussed in this section. Table 1 presents a short history of mobile telephone technologies.

This process began with the designs in the 1970s that have become known as 1G. The earliest systems were implemented based on analog technology and the basic cellular structure of mobile communication. Many fundamental problems were solved by these early systems. Numerous incompatible analog systems were placed in service around the world during the 1980s.

The 2G (second generation) systems designed in the 1980s were still used mainly for voice applications but were based on digital technology, including digital signal processing techniques. These 2G systems provided circuit-switched data communication services at a low speed. The competitive rush to design and implement digital systems led again to a variety of different and incompatible standards such as GSM (global system mobile), mainly in Europe; TDMA (time division multiple access) (IS-54/IS-136) in the U.S.; PDC (personal digital cellular) in Japan; and CDMA (code division multiple access) (IS-95), another U.S. system. These systems operate nationwide or internationally and are today's mainstream systems, although the data rate for users in
these system is very limited.

During the 1990s, two organizations worked to define the next, or 3G, mobile system, which would eliminate previous incompatibilities and become a truly global system. The 3G system would have higher quality voice channels, as well as broadband data capabilities, up to 2 Mbps. Unfortunately, the two groups could not reconcile their differences, and this decade will see the introduction of two mobile standards for 3G. In addition, China is on the verge of implementing a third 3G system.

An interim step is being taken between 2G and 3G, the 2.5G. It is basically an enhancement of the two major 2G technologies to provide increased capacity on the 2G RF (radio frequency) channels and to introduce higher throughput for data service, up to 384 kbps. A very important aspect of 2.5G is that the data channels are optimized for packet data, which introduces access to the Internet from mobile devices, whether telephone, PDA (personal digital assistant), or laptop.

However, the demand for higher access speed multimedia communication in today's society, which greatly depends on computer communication in digital format, seems unlimited. According to the historical indication of a generation revolution occurring once a decade, the present appears to be the right time to begin the research on a 4G mobile communication system.

4G
This new generation of wireless is intended to complement and replace the 3G systems, perhaps in 5 to 10 years. Accessing information anywhere, anytime, with a seamless connection to a wide range of information and services, and receiving a large volume of information, data, pictures, video, and so on, are the keys of the 4G infrastructures. The future 4G infrastructures will consist of a set of various networks using IP (Internet protocol) as a
common protocol so that users are in control because they will be able to choose every application and environment.

Based on the developing trends of mobile communication, 4G will have broader bandwidth, higher data rate, and smoother and quicker handoff and will focus on ensuring seamless service across a multitude of wireless systems and networks. The key concept is integrating the 4G capabilities with all of the existing mobile technologies through advanced technologies.

Application adaptability and being highly dynamic are the main features of 4G services of interest to users.

These features mean services can be delivered and be available to the personal preference of different users and support the users' traffic, air interfaces, radio environment, and quality of service. Connection with the network applications can be transferred into various forms and levels correctly and efficiently. The dominant methods of access to this pool of information will be the mobile telephone, PDA, and laptop to seamlessly access the voice communication, high-speed information services, and entertainment broadcast services. Figure 1 illustrates elements and techniques to support the adaptability of the 4G domain.

The fourth generation will encompass all systems from various networks, public to private; operator-driven broadband networks to personal areas; and ad hoc networks. The 4G systems will interoperate with 2G and 3G systems, as well as with digital (broadband) broadcasting systems. In addition, 4G systems will be fully IP-based wireless Internet.

This all-encompassing integrated perspective shows the broad range of systems that the fourth generation intends to integrate, from satellite broadband to high altitude platform to cellular 3G and 3G systems to WLL (wireless local loop) and FWA (fixed wireless access) to WLAN (wireless local area network) and PAN (personal area network), all with IP as the integrating mechanism.

With 4G, a range of new services and models will be available. These services and models need to be further examined for their interface with the design of 4G systems. Figures 2 and 3 demonstrate the key elements and the seamless connectivity of the networks.
















CONCLUSION
As the history of mobile communications shows, attempts have been made to reduce a number of technologies to a single global standard. Projected 4G
systems offer this promise of a standard that can be embraced worldwide through its key concept of integration.

AlienWare : New Generation of Gaming

"Computer maker Alienware has vaulted into another financial galaxy far, far away.

The Miami-based tech manufacturer started in 1996 with $10,000 in borrowed capital and a dream that someday it could reach the amazing goal of selling 100 computers a month.

That goal was met and surpassed.

This year, the firm is set to complete more than $200 million in sales by selling 6,000 computers a month.

Alienware, which has satellite facilities in Ireland and Costa Rica, is in a meteoric rise to become a public company within the next 24 months, according to its founders.

'We were profitable from the third year,' Alienware CEO and co-founder Nelson Gonzalez said. He was the go-to geek of his video game group who could always modify the game hardware for more speed and power.

'Their growth has been phenomenal,' said Holly Wiedman, executive VP for economic development of the Beacon Council.

The Beacon Council started working with Alienware about six years ago, she said, adding that the company 'has grown much faster and larger than any of us thought it could just five years ago.

' When Alienware was founded and named, the Air Force's Area 51 was in the counter-culture news and tales of aliens at Roswell were being retold.

The firm's name still evokes that era and matches its computer's space creature-like looks.

The look and name were meant to appeal to computer game players, but the novelty and humor resonated as well with a wide range of computer buyers in a generally humorless industry.

Alienware has survived and thrived in the face of cheap Asian imports, clones and knock-offs of knock-offs. The success wasn't due to cheaper prices, but rather selecting a high-performance niche and never looking back. It was all based on something its founders had a passion for: computer games.

Co-founder, President and COO Alex Aguila is fond of telling the story that his mother told him he'd never amount to anything if he kept playing video games.

But mother doesn't always know best. Aguila and Gonzalez turned their addictive hobby into a robust business that has also expanded to other high-performance users.

It has now become a maker of choice for high-performance desktop, notebook, media center, server and professional systems. And it's still a top choice for gamers.

'We tapped into the video editing market in the second year and the high-performance design graphics field in the third year, as our reputation spread from the gamers,' Gonzalez said.

And Alienware's popularity kept growing.

'The editor of PC Gamer Magazine loved the machine so much after testing it that he didn't want to give it back,' Gonzalez and Aguila laughed in unison.

The computers quickly won rave reviews, plus numerous industry awards for performance, speed and reliability.

Coming soon is the Alienware home, an interactive entertainment, control and computer system targeted for home use and marketed through custom installers.

'Alienware has been very successful selling exclusively over the phone and over the Internet,' said Mark Vena, newly appointed VP of marketing. 'The average computer user is probably on his sixth or seventh computer, and has become very sophisticated in both his requirements and in ordering.'

About 80 percent of the orders are via the Internet, with the balance by phone.

Alienware is also experimenting with other forms of marketing. It has opened its first retail kiosk at the Dadeland Mall, which has 22 million shoppers annually. A decision will be made shortly on whether to roll out a regional or national kiosk program, the company said.

More employees, now totaling about 700 worldwide, have accompanied Alienware's rapid growth.

It has 375 staff in its Miami facility handling the supply chain, manufacturing, accounting and marketing; 275 in Costa Rica handling billing and finance; and 75 in Athlone, Ireland, a mini version of the Miami facility that sells to western Europe.

There is also a joint-venture selling in Australia/New Zealand that started last May and is already selling more than 400 computers a month.

Alienware fit in with the Beacon Council's "One Community, One Goal" plan to make Miami a leader in information technology and a cornerstone of the Internet Coast.

'There are about a dozen international companies that are synonymous with Miami,' Wiedman said. 'They are the ones that have global recognition like Ryder, Burger King and Carnival Cruise Lines - and Alienware has joined that elite group.'

But it is the company's newest goal of $1 billion in annual sales that has made even Aguila's mother a true believer.


"

Alienware Area-51 Gaming PC System Specifications

Core i7-980 X 6-Core Processor - 3.33GHz Alienware High-Performance Liquid Cooling - Self Contained 3.8GHz and 4GHz Factory Overclocks Alienware Approved Intel X58 ATX Motherboard 6GB DDR3-1333 System Memory 2 x Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 - 1TB Hard Drives RAID 0

Dual 2GB GDDR5 ATI Radeon HD 5970 - ATI CrossFireX & DirectX 11 Enabled 6X Dual Layer Blu-ray Disc Burner (BD-RE, DVD±RW, CD-RW) Alienware approved 1100 Watt, multi-GPU Power Supply Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Base Price $1999; $4569 - as tested with keyboard and mouse