Author: Rebecca

Mobile broadband numbers hit new record as 4G connections break 1 billion mark

| February 25, 2016

The developing world has been boosting its speeds and improving the experience for smartphone users.

According to the results of a recent study conducted by the GSMA, the number of global 4G mobile broadband connections has now reached the point that it has broken the 1 billion mark, for the first time.

In fact, the GSMA is now predicting that, by the year 2020, 4G will represent one in three mobile connections.

The results of the study were shared within this year’s global edition of the “Mobile Economy” report series from the GSMA. It suggested that there is currently a rapid change in technology as 3G mobile broadband shifts in favor of 4G networks. Moreover, it pointed out that this trend is occurring in both developed and developing economies. The outcome is that there is a greater drive in smartphone adoption, digital innovation, and in the growth of mobile data.

The report indicate that 2015 saw mobile broadband growth and acceleration that was unprecedented.

4G Mobile BroadbandData from the study suggested that the world economy saw a $3.1 trillion shot in the arm from the mobile industry. This indicates that the share of the global GDP representing that industry is a massive 4.2 percent.

By the close of last year, 4G was behind more than one billion of the total 7.3 billion mobile connections. In fact, that figure means that there was a doubling of the number of 4G connections that were made, last year, greatly because of the expansion of mobile networks at this level, within developing economies. By the time 2015 came to an end, there were 151 different countries with a total of 451 live LTE networks.

According to the GSMA director general, Mats Granryd, “Our new report reveals that mobile broadband is now a truly global phenomenon, extending high-speed connectivity and services to citizens in all corners of the world.” He went on to say that last year’s growth in mobile technology connections was greater than it had ever been, before and was a “testament to the billions of dollars that mobile operators have invested in next-generation networks, services and spectrum in recent years.”

USB battery pack and thumb drives, smartphones and adapters change backpack designs

| February 22, 2016

These dual-strap bags are vital for most students, but their designs are changing as their contents evolve.

The average student needs to carry a long list of different items, from a laptop to a smartphone and from a USB battery pack to a thumb drive and with these contents, which are far different from what they were five years ago, let alone a decade ago, backpack designs are needing to be re-thought.

Students are often required to carry their entire day’s worth of items on their backs, from tech to lunch.

Because students are now highly reliant on technology, more specifically, mobile technology, it means that their bags need to have places to contain all the accessories that go with them. At first, it was a matter of a laptop and its charger cable. However, as things have become more portable, this has also included additional items such as smartphone, possibly a tablet and a Bluetooth keyboard, a USB battery pack, thumb drives to backup work, headphones, and other gadgets. This, on top of the snack, lip balm, playing cards, and maybe even an actual print-copy of a book.

Some items, like the thumb drives and USB battery pack, have become as much a staple as the backpacks, themselves.

USB Battery Pack - Image of student with backpackAs courses increasingly move their content into digital formats, students are required to carry printed books at an ever-decreasing rate. In some schools, the students who have a preference for using printed books are at a minority. They are typically more expensive and far heavier and less convenient to carry, making them less appealing for many.

Because of this, backpacks and other school bags are now needing to be redesigned to be useful in carrying gadgets and accessories, as opposed to large and bulky books. This industry – worth an estimated $2.7 billion – is now scrambling to try to come up with the best possible design to carry everything from the devices, themselves, to the backup battery packs that are needed to keep those gadgets going through the day’s classes (not to mention the cords that link the two together).

The new designs are needing to include everything from comfort to organization and ease of accessibility. Some companies, such as VF Corporations (owner of JanSport), are using mountaineers as their examples to be able to best understand the way someone can easily reach the gear in their bags, whether it be a climbing tool while hanging from a rock face, or a USB battery pack, while walking down a crowded hall.