OSI Reference Model
OSI is the Open System Interconnection reference model for communications. The OSI model is mainly used as a point of reference for discussing other protocol specifications such as TCP/IP and Net Ware.
The OSI reference model consists of seven layers that each defines a set of typical networking functions. The upper layers (application, presentation, and session; or Layers 7, 6, and 5) define functions focused on the application. The lower four layers (transport, network, data link, and physical; or Layers 4, 3, 2, and 1) define functions focused on end-to-end delivery of the data. Layer 2 is where switching is based, while Layer 3 is where routing is based.
Here are example protocols for each layer:
- (7) Application – Telnet, HTTP, FTP, WWW browsers, NFS, SMTP gateways (Eudora, CC:mail, SNMP
- (6) Presentation – JPEG, ASCII, EBCDIC, TIFF, GIF, PICT, encryption, MPEG, MIDI
- (5) Session – RPC, SQL, NFS, NetBIOS names, AppleTalk ASP, DECnet SCP
- (4) Transport – TCP, UDP, SPX
- (3) Network – IP, IPX, AppleTalk DDP
- (2) Data Link – IEEE 802.3/802.2, HDLC, Frame Relay, PPP, FDDI, ATM, IEEE 802.5/802.2
- (1) Physical – EIA/TIA-232, V.35, EIA/TIA-449, RJ-45, Ethernet, 802.3, 802.5, B8ZS
Bluetooth 3.0 via WiFi
Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) will officially announce Bluetooth 3.0 on April 21st. This is the new Bluetooth that will allow high-speed data transfers through the use of WiFi.
According to Michael Foley, director of the Bluetooth SIG, devices will “use the regular low-power Bluetooth radios to recognize each other and establish connections, and if they need to transfer a large file, they will be able to turn on their WiFi radios, then turn them off to save power after finishing the transfer.”
Users will hardly notice the switch of Bluetooth to WiFi, except for the sudden increase in data transfer speeds. No actual wireless network will be necessary for this. There will also be a new feature called Enhanced Power Control which will reduce the incidence of disconnects caused by movement such as placing a phone in a pocket or purse. This will be a plus for the headset and handset people.
On the technical side, according to Engadget, it is a Generic Alternate MAC/PHY (AMP) that will enable Bluetooth profiles to take advantage of 802.11 speeds. The 802.11 Protocol Adaption Layer (PAL) will enable the Generic AMP feature to be used with an 802.11 radio.
Photo Credit: Engadget
Unusual Pink Telephones
I found these four pink landline phones which to some may think it’s cool, while to others it would just be plain weird and crazy to have. Engadget mentioned two of these in their site.
First is the pink fur and rhinestone phone. Engadget didn’t have any details about it so I had to do a search for it. I found that it costs $39.99 at Distinctivetelephones.com. It looks kind of like something from Monsters inc. but still it is kind of cute in a princessy girly sort of way.
I found another pink furry phone from Cutie Pie Stuff. Aside from the base, the handset has fur on it also so I think using this would be a bit ticklish. This one is more expensive than the other one at a price of $65.00. Golly gosh.
Another phone linked in Engadget is the High Heels Phone costing $22.00 at gadget4all.com. It looks kind of cool for a decor at home, but using it would be kind of weird. Imagine putting a shoe in your ear and talking on it. Weird, eh?
Finally, here’s one that I actually do like and might even consider buying one myself. (Do I seem crazy? Oh well.) This one is a Pink Lips Phone also from gadget4all.com. It only costs $19.00. It also looks nice as a home decor if you’re the girly/fashionista type.
I love that these are all pink, but not all of them are that appealing to have. Yup, interesting though.
Update 08/18/2014: Links to merchants above may no longer exist. However, if you want to purchase any of the above phones, a quick Google search may help you.
Two-wheeler P.U.M.A. Project by GM and Segway
Would you look at that? A self-balancing two-wheeled vehicle capable of reaching speeds of 35 mph, something faster than Segway’s personal transporters which have a 12 mph maximum (you know, like the one used in the movie Paul Blart: Mall Cop). This is from the Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility Project (P.U.M.A.) by the General Motors/Segway tie-up.
This vehicle will have advanced sensing and intuitive user interfaces. It will be able to communicate with vehicles around it, that is, vehicle to vehicle (V2V) communication, reducing the risk of accidents and regulating the flow of traffic.
No price has been released yet for this vehicle, but it’s said to cost 25% of a traditional automobile. Official launch will be at the New York Auto Show this week.
Kind of funny-looking but still awesome. What will they think of next?
Online Shopping
(This post is a modified version of a Multiply blog post I wrote on February 11th, 2008.)
One of my favourite hobbies is online shopping. When I was in the Philippines, it never really was a common thing for people to do there. It was kind of a rare as well to find shops where you could buy from online, or maybe I just wasn’t aware of which Filipino websites I could visit to buy stuff. [Update: I’ve found that there has been an increase of online sellers in the Philippines, some of which can be found selling items at Multiply.]
Anyway, even when I was still there, I actually used to visit eBay to find things/gadgets that I would like to buy. Unfortunately, I didn’t have that much money to buy the stuff I wanted, and I suppose it was much cheaper to buy them from the physical stores in the city where I lived than to buy all the way from the US or Canada. But still, I liked keeping track on eBay those items which I liked.
Cellphones were one of the things I usually kept track in my eBay list. I would compare the prices of the items on the site to what was sold in cellphone shops in my city, and sometimes I found that it actually was cheaper to buy from the site if you get to win the bidding right away at that low price.
Hmm, now I recall that I actually did try to bid on some items, but of course there would always be someone who would bid higher than me. Once other people would start bidding against me, then that was the time I would realize the items were now much more too expensive to buy.
Well now that I’m living in Canada, I’ve been so addicted to buying stuff from eBay. Contrary to what I used to think about stuff being sold on eBay, it’s not all “used” and “old” stuff that are up for auctions. There are actually a lot of NEW items being sold there at great deals!
The price for good quality stuff one could buy from this site is what has got me addicted to logging in to this site over and over again. I’ve bought so many things already from there, including my lovely satin pink Motorola V3 Razr phone, which I bought for only US$70!! Great deal, eh?
Aside from eBay, other sites I buy items from are Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle Outfitters, Suzy Shier, Aldo, Amazon, and Chapters. I believe there are other sites aside from these but I can’t quite recall them at the moment. [Update: Since quite a few months ago, I no longer shop at A&F and AE due to my change in preferences. I’m no longer a college kid after all.]
For those sites that sell clothes and shoes, I always go to their Clearance section because that is where I can buy a lot of nice items at a lesser price. For the sites that sell books, there’s always a section where you could choose if you want to buy a good used book at a much cheaper price.
Shopping online has its advantages as well as its disadvantages. One advantage is that you won’t tire yourself in going in and out of countless stores to find a nice top that you’re itching to buy. Instead of running around to each shop, online shopping allows you to just type in a search bar and then click and click until you find the top, skirt, jeans, pants, shoes, or whatever else you need (or want).
Another advantage is that you will have the ability to compare prices of certain similar items easily from different online stores, allowing you to decide more efficiently which item is the best one to buy at the best price.
On the other hand, one disadvantage of online shopping is not being able to try on the clothes or shoes if they fit perfectly. Well usually, if you know what your size is, the fit will most probably be all right, but unfortunately, there are those times that you just never know! If this is the case, better check with the seller first about returns and exchanges.
Another disadvantage is that once you buy an item online, you won’t have the satisfaction of getting it in your hands right away. You will have to wait a day or two, a week or two weeks, or even a month at times until the item you purchased gets delivered to you. If you cannot wait that long, always check with the seller when the estimated time of delivery of the product will be before making the purchase. So if you really really want the item in a rush, you can usually pay additional charges for faster shipping.
All in all, shopping online is a wonderful experience for me. If you do online shopping, too, just ensure that the site is a trusted merchant and be careful of how you make payment transactions (suggestion: use PayPal if possible).
Photo Credits: mangpages, Kimberley.♥, D Sharon Pruitt
Tech-Life in Pink 