Accessories and Mobile Device Synchronization
This is a guide on accessories and mobile device synchronization.
Wired Connections
In this presentation, we'll take a look at various wired connections that are commonly used with laptops, beginning with USB. Now, actually what they don't have pictured here is the original USB
[Video description begins] USB Connections [Video description ends]
which is still very, very common. And the physical connector itself has not changed since USB came out. It's about a centimeter across. It's very thin and entirely rectangular. But there are different variations of USB generally for smaller devices. So I'll start in the middle. Mini-USB is about half the size. Maybe even a little better, and of course, was common for smaller devices. Now, perhaps one of the most common examples was digital cameras. When you wanted to download the pictures from the camera to the laptop or any other computer, it was probably a Mini-USB and this simply saves space. So the camera itself does not need a full sized USB connector.
But even smaller still is the micro-USB. And there's no real standard as to which device would have micro versus mini. It's really up to the manufacturer but maybe a good example would be an MP3 player which, of course, might be very small. So, in either case, there's two different ends in A and B, and this just indicates which end goes where and they are different so you can't get it wrong. And finally, USB-C is the newest option. And this is certainly vying to replace original USB. It carries the fastest protocol, USB 3.1, which is currently the fastest. And the other nice characteristic about USB-C is that the physical connector itself has no orientation. I'm sure you have more than once struggled with trying to connect the USB device when you can't really see the connector.
And you almost always get it in or, at least, try to get it in upside down, which, of course, doesn't work. USB-C has no upside down. It can go either way which is very nice. Now, the lightning cable is proprietary to Apple. It's an 8 pin connector that offers higher power output than its original. And I'm sure if you do have an iPhone and you've charged it with a lightning cable, it charges significantly faster. Now, I should also mention it's not just the cable, the plug, the unit that plugs into the wall has to be a lightning unit as well. But significantly faster charging with a lightning cable hence its name. And this also can be inserted in both orientations. So, there is no up or down which is nice. So it's a very simple design.
And one other quick note about the lightning cable. If you have seen a type of connection on the side of the laptop maybe, that looks fairly small and even maybe even similar to this, you might have noticed that there is a little lightning bolt drawn next to it. That's actually not to be confused with a lightning cable. That's actually a thunderbolt connection, despite the name. And that's a USB specification. And again, Lightning is a proprietary name for Apple. That little lightning bolt on the laptop or any other device is indicating thunderbolt for USB. Now, tethering is a method for sharing Internet connections from one device to another. And this can actually be done over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or a cable.
But the basic premise here is that you might be in a scenario where you do not have Internet access from your laptop. Sometimes, you might be in an isolated environment such as a lab or a classroom and they have literally cut you off from the Internet. But our smartphones can all get on the Internet using standard cellular service, so 3G or 4G or LTE. So tethering is simply sharing that connection from the phone to the laptop. It's probably most commonly done with the USB cable but you could again do it over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. But if there's Wi-Fi, then you probably have Internet anyway. But again, you might in a lab or a classroom where there is a Wi-Fi network but that network itself is disconnected from the Internet.
So a fairly specific circumstance but still plausible. But one way or another, you simply share the Internet connection of the phone. It effectively acts as a modem. So this is ideal when there are no alternative Internet connections. Now, there are some considerations. The speed is likely going to be slower, particularly if you're using 3G on the smartphone. 4G and LTE certainly are faster, but if it's 3G, it will be slower. The battery life certainly will not last as long. So the smartphone itself will have its battery drained more rapidly. But bear in mind, if you are using a physical USB connection, then that is charging the phone. So unless your laptop itself is running on battery, then really, this isn't an issue.
If the laptop is running on battery, then yes, now you're draining your laptop battery to charge the smartphone. So one way or another, one of the batteries will not last as long. Data costs, you may incur fees if you go over your data plan, for example. And in some cases, phone calls may not be possible while you are tethering. And finally, some proprietary ports, just about any kind of vendor can decide to make any kind of physical connection that is unique to their device. Now, one common example is in Apple products for the charger. The MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro have a unique charging interface known as MagSafe. And again, this is for charging the MacBooks.
But the nice feature about them and the reason why it's called MagSafe is it's magnetic. So you don't really have to exert any force to insert it. You kind of just have to put it close and the magnet will attach automatically. But since there's almost no friction there, if you trip over the cable, it will just come off. It won't pull the device off of the desk or the table. So that's why they call it MagSafe. It comes off very easily and dramatically lessens the chance that it will break the device itself again if you trip over it. So again, there are several different types of physical connectors that you will likely encounter depending on the device that you have. But when you buy the device, in many cases, it will come with the appropriate cable to connect to your laptop.
Wireless Connections
Now, in this presentation, we'll take a look at some wireless forms of communication between devices beginning with Near-Field Communication or NFC. And this is a form of contact list communication that is commonly used between devices such as smartphones and tablets. So particularly when you are looking to transfer videos or contact information, or photos from one device to another, this is a good option. Now it can also be used to process payments. Now this does depend on the make and model of the device, but if the device has an NFC chip and some kind of wallet-based application, then it can store your payment card information within the wallet. Then, instead of, let's say, tapping your card to pay, you can just hold your phone next to it and pay that way.
Now, NFC is being implemented as, at least, a successor to RFID, which is Radio Frequency Identification. And one of the problems with RFID was very similar in its implementation but the signal strength was actually too strong. In other words, other people could pick up on the signal if they were listening. So a fair amount of credit card fraud has actually been committed by having RFID scanners, devices that are listening to the signals that are being transmitted. So NFC addresses this by making the range very short. It is literally a matter of inches, I think four inches maximum. So the two devices quite literally need to be almost on top of each other in order for NFC to work, so that makes it more secure.
Now Bluetooth has been around for a long time. It is just a short-range wireless communication technology, again, between devices. But with respect to something like a laptop, it's usually an external device wanting to connect to the laptop using Bluetooth, so we can avoid all of the wires. So something as simple as an external mouse, for example, might use Bluetooth to connect to the laptop. So you just have a Bluetooth receiver inserted into the laptop, then a mouse and maybe an external keyboard can both be used. But it's still just a short-range transmission technology, but it can carry data or voice over short distances.
[Video description begins] The Bluetooth transmits data and voice wirelessly. [Video description ends]
So mobile phones might sync to your laptop using Bluetooth. Really anything else on the computer that you want to synchronize or any type of peripheral that you want to connect might be able to do so using Bluetooth. Again, it's very common and really just a matter of ensuring that you pair the two devices. That is something that has to be done with Bluetooth. You basically have to say that this device will be recognized by this other device. And finally, Infrared, this is common in remote controls
[Video description begins] Infrared (IR) [Video description ends]
and uses an invisible portion of the light spectrum for signaling and communication. Infrared actually is just heat, but it's very small amounts, but it's not visible to us. So devices can communicate at a distance of about three to four feet using Infrared. But one of the things that you typically need to have is direct line of sight. In other words, if there's something even a little bit in the way, chances are you will not get a clear signal. I don't think you'll see Infrared in too many newer devices but older laptops used to come with an Infrared port, usually maybe on the front or the side.
And could be used to directly transfer data from one laptop to another if you just basically pointed them at each other. Then you certainly could get a connection and just transfer files or really anything back and forth between those two systems. But there aren't that many devices in terms of peripherals that would use Infrared these days.
Hotspot Connections
In this presentation we'll talk about the hotspot, which is essentially just another wireless access point. And, ultimately, it's not that much different than just connecting to, let's say, your own Wi-Fi at home. It still just gives you access to the Internet over Wi-Fi, but you typically find hotspots in public locations. So airports, coffee shops, libraries, hotels, bookstores, restaurants, really anywhere that wants to offer their own customers access to the Internet. And, of course, it's typically used by mobile devices including laptops and smartphones.
But basically any kind of device that can connect to Wi-Fi can connect to a hotspot, it's the same type of signal. Now, the general difference is that while you would just maybe go home and connect to your own Wi-Fi and then immediately be able to access the Internet. With the hotspot, you typically see the network and you can connect to it just like any other Wi-Fi. But then you generally have to open up a browser, at which point you'll be redirected to some kind of a homepage for whoever is providing the hotspot. So there might be, of course, just a company logo or some advertisements, but you generally have to, at least, agree to the terms of usage. You may have to provide an email address to be able to log in.
But typically you don't go straight to the Internet after connecting to a hotspot. You have to go through that process before you can get on. And really, at that point, it's up to the provider with respect to any kind of restrictions that they might want to place on the connection. For example, you might be limited to just half an hour or maybe an hour. And they can charge if they want to, it's up to them, but most places tend to be free. But, again, that's just the primary difference between connecting to a hotspot versus connecting to your own Wi-Fi at home. There's that additional step, and then there may be restrictions placed there by the provider. Now, you can actually create your own hotspot using cellular signals on a mobile device. Now, ultimately, this is actually just a new term for tethering, which we just talked about in the previous presentation.
So, in fact, if you have an iPhone, it used to be called tethering but now it's called personal hotspot. So as long as you have access to the Internet on your smartphone using standard cellular signals, then you can share that with your mobile device. And that can be done either through a Bluetooth connection. Or if it was a wired connection, that's probably USB. But one way or another, you just connect the smartphone to the laptop and then you can access the Internet effectively through the smartphone. Now, again, be mindful that this may incur additional data charges because you're literally using your phone's plan. It is likely going to be slower if it’s 3G.
And it may also drain the battery of the smartphone more rapidly if you are not using a USB connection. Because again, if it is connected via USB, then that in and of itself charges the phone. But, again, if it's a laptop, that power is coming from the battery of the laptop unless, of course, it's plugged in. So one way or another, you could end up losing power a little more rapidly. But it does still get you access to the Internet when there really is no other means.
Accessories
And, typically, these will connect using standard audio connectors, what we typically refer to as the eighth-inch jack. Basically, it looks the same as any headphone connector. But there could be two of them for some sets, one for the microphone and one for the headphones. But you might also find USB and Bluetooth connectors. But in terms of the benefits, these typically are much more comfortable than using, let's say, speakers and a microphone because you can move around and it goes with you. This can help to increase the productivity. And they generally tend to have much better sound quality than separate microphones and speakers. Speaking of speakers, these, of course, can be used to enhance the audio.
[Video description begins] The connection methods of speakers are audio connector, USB, and bluetooth. [Video description ends]
And again, they can use standard audio connectors, USB, or Bluetooth. And certainly, similar to headsets, they produce sound but maybe with a better overall quality. Now I say maybe here because a good set of headphones will produce better sound than a bad set of speakers. But if you have good quality audio speakers with perhaps a subwoofer, then you can achieve real theater type sound in those cases, which headphones really just can't produce. But like anything, it depends on the quality of the unit itself. And gaming pads, similar to other game controllers, of course.
But they typically pair up to your computer using a Bluetooth connection. And they tend to offer more input options compared to other game controllers that might be built in to the system itself such as just using keys on the keyboard. And they can be very small in size so they can be taken with you when you're travelling very easily. And, of course, they could be used for a multitude of different games. And battery packs, these can be particularly useful when you use your device a lot and you simply end up draining the battery before the end of the day. The battery, of course, is everything in terms of a mobile device. So extra battery packs can be used to provide that extended battery life.
So as soon as one dies, like on a laptop, for example, you could just replace it. Or if it's not a replaceable battery, such as on a smartphone or a tablet, it just provides you the ability to charge the unit from this battery pack. So ideal when no power outlet is available. And finally, waterproofing, this is just any kind of protective cover for the device that makes it more sturdy and more durable. But certain protective covers can also provide waterproofing. Now you would want to be sure that you are getting a model that specifically states waterproof before you test it out, for lack of a better word.
And basically make sure that it's not leaking and that nothing is getting in through the seams. Because if it does, clearly, you could damage your device in that case. So just be a little extra cautious when purchasing a waterproof case. But if you do find one, then typically this will allow you to take it on vacation and take underwater pictures and things along those lines using your smartphone.
Cards and Readers
In this presentation, we'll take a look at some of the cards and readers that are commonly used with mobile devices, beginning with credit card readers. Mobile devices can use these external credit card readers to, of course, process payments. The connection methods include physically attaching it to a smartphone using Bluetooth. Or you can possibly use the jack that is actually used for headphones for some of the devices.
But there typically needs to be a software component as well. You know, you're processing payments, which is not normally done through the standard apps of a smartphone or even a laptop. So typically you need to install the point-of-sale software or just anything that can process the payment correctly. But it does allow you to accept payments using standard mobile devices. SD card readers are an easy way to work with various types of memory cards. Now, many laptops may come with card readers built in. If they don't, then you can generally just buy the reader separate and it usually accepts multiple different sizes in terms of the cards. And it just connects to the device using a USB connection.
And the computer generally does not require any additional drivers. It's basically just reading a drive in very much the same way it reads from your hard drive. So the drivers, for all intents and purposes, are built-in, so you don't need anything else for most card readers. You can just plug them in and they get picked up and configured automatically. Now, the types of SD cards do vary. The standard SD card or full size is 32mm x 24mm, so that's not very large. It's really not much bigger than, let's say, a small postage stamp. And the mini SD card still exists.
Note that it does say now defunct, but that doesn't mean you won't encounter any. Older devices may very well still have mini SD cards, but it just means newer devices probably would not come with a mini SD card. But the size was 21.5mm x 20mm. And then finally Micro-SD, which is the smallest of the three. It's 15mm x 11mm, and this is very common in mobile devices because it is so small. Now, in terms of the capacity, that will certainly vary. You really just need to make sure that you are buying whichever capacity you feel will meet your needs. All of them have quite a range, so just double-check to make sure you are getting the correct size in terms of the capacity as well as its physical configuration.
Synchronization Methods
In this presentation we'll take a look at various forms of synchronization that can be implemented, beginning with Mobile Cloud Synchronization. This allows you to synchronize data that you have on your own mobile device to a server that is based somewhere in the cloud. And many cloud providers do offer a subscription for free, and that will give you a certain amount of storage. Now, it's common to pay extra for additional storage, but you do get that basic amount for free. Some of the more common providers include Microsoft's OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Cloud, and Apple's iCloud.
They all offer a certain amount for free, and then anything beyond that you pay for on a monthly basis. As for benefits of cloud storage, very high usability. Certain applications allow files to be dragged and dropped between your local storage and cloud storage, so it's very easy to transfer them from point A to point B. It's really no different than just copying them from one folder to another on your own system, very high accessibility. As long as you have Internet access, you have access to that data, and this lends itself to disaster recovery very well.
If you have very important data that you want to ensure that you just never lose, then place them up in the cloud. You can recover those files in the event that you damage or lose the device. And cost savings compared to physical storage options. In particular, if you're talking about backups, you can certainly buy something like an external hard drive to make a backup copy of your data, but you're paying for that. So by just using this free cloud service, you get your backups for free. Now this can also be done with desktop. You can have a mobile device that is synchronizing to your own desktop system.
[Video description begins] Desktop Synchronization [Video description ends]
It's basically the same premise as the cloud, but, of course, the system to which you are synchronizing is your own system. This still allows you to have the same data on both devices. And there are numerous synchronization software programs available. It really depends on the application, but, ultimately, they all allow you to ensure that you have consistent data across both or all of your devices depending on how many you have. And they're usually selective as well. You can specify if you want to sync all user data or you can just say only synchronize pictures.
[Video description begins] To sync all user data and selected data, connect the device to the computer. [Video description ends]
That, of course, is up to you. You just specify which data you want on all of those devices, and it will handle the synchronization.
[Video description begins] Automobile Synchronization [Video description ends]
Now you can also do this with your vehicle. You can synchronize your mobile device with any kind of vehicle entertainment system that supports it. This is more commonly referred to as pairing because it typically allows you to do this over Bluetooth. But either way, once the two are connected, this enables you to talk on your phone while driving hands free. And you could, of course, access features on the phone, through the vehicle. Sometimes it allows you to access the contacts or maybe even, of course, the music or really anything else that is supported by the application. And of course, the features of the device and the car.
Synchronizing Data
And they include, certainly, contacts, names, mailing addresses, email addresses, and of course, even phone numbers can certainly be synchronized between applications on both devices. So if, for example, you have an e-mail application on your desktop system or your laptop, and you want all of the same contacts to be on, let's say, your smartphone. You can simply enable the synchronization, and they will be transferred over. And you will have the exact same contacts in both. And that really goes for any kind of application. Now, you don't really synchronize the application itself. You would just make sure that the application is installed on each device. But then any data that goes along with that application,
[Video description begins] Applications can be apps and their corresponding data. [Video description ends]
regardless of what it is, can be synchronized between the two. E-mail is very common to synchronize, you might have one device with you, but another one maybe is at home and is turned off. So you've received several e-mail, you've sent several e-mail from, let's say, your smartphone. Then when you get home, you want to ensure that your laptop reflects all of those same changes. So you synchronize the e-mail, and again, both of them are now consistent.
Pictures are very common, any type of picture that you would take, let’s say, with your smartphone, maybe you want a copy of that on your laptop, so you can synchronize those. Or maybe you want to ensure that all of your mobile devices, your smartphone and your tablet, have the same pictures on them, so they can be synchronized. And the same goes for music and videos. So really, it's up to you, but many of those data types can be synchronized across your devices. You can also synchronize calendar information, appointments, dates, locations, really, anything that has to do with a calendar.
Your Internet browser bookmarks or favorites can also be synchronized, so that when you open a browser on any device, you have all of the same bookmarks. And even documents, PDF, which is the Adobe Portable Document Format, or plain text files, can also be synced, that's just plain old data. And you can also synchronize location data for GPSs, including the location history as to where you have been. So if you use GPS on one device, but then you don't have that same device a few days from now, but you have a different one, you can make sure that the history is the same on both of them. Social media data can be synchronized, e-books, passwords.
Really, just about anything that can be accessed from one device can usually be synchronized to another device, as long as they have the same applications. And of course, the same compatibility features with respect to the applications. In other words, not every application will sync with any other application, but most of them are fairly compatible. One quick example, you might have an e-mail application on your desktop computer that just isn't compatible with the e-mail application on your phone, okay. So it's possible that certain applications and the associated data may not synchronize. But these days, most of them are aware of each other, and they typically will synchronize as long as they use the same basic type of information and data.
Mutual Authentication
For starters, mutual authentication. This means that both parties have to be satisfied that the other party is who they claim to be. So if you think about signing in to some kind of service, in many cases you might supply a username and a password. So there is a server on the other side that will look up those credentials and validate them. So, as long as you supply the correct username and the correct password, that server on the other side will say yes, that's correct. You may now access whichever service I provide. But that would just be a single authentication. Mutual authentication essentially means that the client also expects something back from the server, so that it proves its identity.
And perhaps the most common example of this is when you do online banking. As soon as you go to sign in to your online bank site, a certificate from the server is downloaded to your computer, which authenticates the identity of the server on the other side. So that you know you aren't dealing with a rogue version of that server. The certificate authenticates yes, this is the correct server at the correct address. So now you as a client have some assurance as well. Both of you authenticate to the other, okay. So that's the mutual authentication aspect. Now accessing multiple services is the Single Sign-On component. And this access control method simply allows users to sign on once, but then to be able to access multiple services from different servers using that same sign-on.
So that you don't have to create a whole bunch of different user accounts for every service that you want to access. Now this is very common in network environments, enterprise workplace-type of environments, such as a Windows network environment that's using Active Directory. You sign on to just your computer using your Active Directory user account. That single identity then gives you access to your e-mail, to the corporate database, to perhaps the SharePoint site where document management applications are being run. But all of them will accept your identity having already signed on to the Active Directory. So you don't need a different set of credentials for each service. And this is fairly common in the online world as well. Perhaps you have gone to any kind of website to read an article, maybe a blog site and then you want to leave a comment.
Well, many of them will prompt you to create an account to log in before you can leave a comment. But if you don't want to create another account, in many cases you can use an existing account, such as Facebook or Twitter or Instagram. Essentially, this service will accept the fact that you have already been authenticated by one of those online services. So it doesn't really bother authenticating you. Now it depends on the provider as to which other provider's authentications they will accept. But many services will accept those because they're so well known.
Almost all of us these days have at least one kind of online account that is acceptable by other providers. So again, you can access a separate service using the authentication that has already occurred with some other service. So another example of using and accessing multiple services with a Single Sign-On would be signing into a Microsoft account, either Outlook.com or Hotmail. And as soon as you do, this, of course, does give you access to your mail at Outlook.com or Hotmail. But it also gives you access to OneDrive for cloud storage, various account management tasks, Skype for Business, or even the Windows Store.
So again, all of those are different services provided by different servers. Yet the identity that you provide for that single, original service gives you access to all of them. And this greatly reduces the number of identities that you need to track, and that really is a significant issue these days. People have all kinds of identities, dozens upon dozens of them for different services. So the fewer you can have, then, obviously, the easier it is to manage those accounts and just keep everything as simple as possible.
Software Requirements
Now in this presentation, we'll take a look at some software installation requirements when you need to synchronize a mobile device to your laptop or your desktop. Basically, there needs to be some kind of software present on the computer that informs it how to communicate with the mobile device and how to organize all the resources and to configure what you want to synchronize. For example, maybe you want to synchronize your email but not your pictures or your music, but not your email. So something to get into an interface to setup all the properties of synchronization. So it's software like any other application. So the considerations are generally the hardware, the disk-space available, and then whether or not you want to synchronize over Wi-Fi or a wired connection such as USB. Now, we'll take a look at just one example, Apple's iTunes,
[Video description begins] iTunes - Hardware Requirements [Video description ends]
which, of course, is very common but all of the other platforms would have something similar, okay. You just basically have to ensure that your system meets the minimum hardware requirements. So for iTunes, it's not particularly high. The software itself is not all that demanding. It's really when the synchronization starts to happen that it draws a few more of the resources from the system. But to just install it, it only needs a 1GHz Intel or AMD processor, 512 megs of RAM, a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 or greater, 16-bit sound card and speakers or, of course, headphones would be fine. And certainly, an Internet connection to be able to access Apple Music, the iTunes Stores and iTunes Extras. And simply to download updates in most cases, because you can keep the application current, as well as the mobile device itself. And in terms of software requirements for iTunes, if it's a Windows system, it needs only Windows 7 or later.
[Video description begins] iTunes - Software Requirements [Video description ends]
But do take note that 64-bit editions of Windows require the iTunes 64-bit installer. And if you are running a Mac, then OS X 10.6 or later, that's also known as Snow Leopard, and about 400 megs of available disk space to install the software. Now, again once you start using it and synchronizing it, it will draw a few more resources, but not really all that much. But as long as you have those minimum requirements to install the application, you absolutely can begin using and synchronizing your device.
Connection Types for Synchronization
In this presentation, we'll take a look at some of the connection types that are available when you need to synchronize the mobile device with your desktop or your laptop. And really, the main consideration is that the connection type
[Video description begins] Synchronization - Connection Types [Video description ends]
should be high speed and reliable. And in that regard, really a USB connection would be your best bet. So you just connect the mobile device to the laptop, in most cases, using the charging cable that came with the device. That might not always be the case, but that's certainly very common. And this provides you with two-way transmission of data that is using a secure connection. Now, of course, there may be situations where you just don't have a physical cable, so you can connect wirelessly, in most cases, to synchronize.
And that usually can be done over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Now, if it's Bluetooth, you just establish a direct connection between the mobile device and the laptop or desktop, as long as they both support Bluetooth. In terms of Wi-Fi, you would just make sure that each device is connected to the same Wi-Fi network, in which case, they should still be able to see each other. But when it comes to the wireless connections, you do want to consider security and reliability. A direct cable connection really is much more secure and less likely to cause synchronization failures compared to the wireless.
When you are synchronizing wirelessly, it's very possible for someone else to pick up on those signals, especially if it's just Bluetooth in a public area. Bluetooth is not particularly secure, and the same really does go for Wi-Fi, if, again, you have connected to a public Wi-Fi. Then someone else could quite easily capture that information, whereas if it's a wired connection, nothing is being transmitted wirelessly. So it's much more secure, and it's much more stable, because if there's any kind of interference with the wireless connection, of course, this can cause a synchronization failure. And then something goes missing, or you just have to go through the whole process again, anyway. So ultimately, if you can use the USB wired connection when synchronizing, that would be your best option. But again, when you don't have that cable, you certainly do have other options.