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18
May

OnePlus still does first-party cases better than anyone else


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OnePlus has hit the perfect blend of quality and affordability with its first-party cases.

So you’re getting a fancy new OnePlus 6. I can’t say I’m not jealous — congratulations! There’s just one problem: with the shiny (or matte, if you’re opting for Midnight Black) new glass backing, the OnePlus 6 will likely be much more fragile than previous OnePlus devices like the aluminum-forged 5T. It’s also going to be a fingerprint magnet no matter which finish you opt for, and nothing ruins the sleek aesthetic of a new phone like a coating of finger oils and smudges.

Luckily, there’s a pretty simple solution to this problem: just slap a case on your phone! The OnePlus 6 is still so new that there aren’t many third-party cases to choose from just yet (at least not from major brands like Spigen or Incipio), but the good news is that with each new phone OnePlus announces, it also reveals a wide range of first-party cases made available directly from its own site.

OnePlus’s cases this year are better than ever.

That’s true this year more than ever; there’s already a variety of great-looking new options including bumpers, silicone cases, wood-stylized cases, flip covers, and “karbon” cases. On top of that, there are other handy accessories for the OnePlus 6 like a tempered glass screen protector and the new Bullets Wireless headphones. Suffice to say, OnePlus is making sure that you can get everything you’ll need for your phone straight from the source, and that’s a really good thing.

This isn’t to say that no other manufacturer offers its own line of cases, though. Samsung has some fantastic options available for its flagships — I’ve been using the Alcantara case on my Galaxy S9 for months, and Daniel adores the Hyperknit case. But as so many commenters are quick to point out, those cases aren’t exactly cheap for how little protection they actually offer; they’re more about fit and form than function.

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The big differentiator with OnePlus is that its cases are not only protective and attractive, but they’re also cheap. I paid about $50 for my Alcantara case, which is more than most people are willing to spend on a shell that doesn’t even protect the bottom of the phone. For less money with OnePlus, I could get a fantastic bundle with case (karbon or sandstone) and a tempered glass screen protector. If I’m only after one or the other, each will only run me about $20. These aren’t flimsy cases, either; a number of OnePlus’s cases are made by Evutec, which has been making high-quality cases for years.

I love that the OnePlus mantra of offering more for less money isn’t limited to just its phones. Every year that I’ve tested a OnePlus device, I’ve used one of the official cases (I tend to prefer the sandstone ones), and despite clumsy hands and the occasional drop to concrete or asphalt, my phones still look brand new because of them.

Have you used any OnePlus cases in the past? Will you be ordering one with your OnePlus 6? Let us know in the comments below!

See at OnePlus

18
May

Lead your kingdom’s armies to victory in Iron Throne! [Game of the Week]


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Update May 18, 2018: This week, check out Iron Throne — a brand new real-time strategy MMO fantasy game that’s vast, robust, and gorgeous to look at!

Iron Throne

The latest release from Netmarble is Iron Throne, an epic new fantasy game that combines real-time strategy elements with a sprawling MMORPG overworld and just a ton of stuff for you to do. It also looks downright amazing on a flagship device with good specs, so if you’ve bought a new phone and are looking for a game with sharp graphics to show it off — this is the one.

The game has you play as an omnipotent Lord of a sprawling kingdom, which is where you’ll be spending a good chunk of time spawning troops for battles, upgrading different structures around your kingdom, and stockpiling resources. As you level up and progress, you unlock new ways to play that are designed to ease you into the full experience which will have you joining an alliance and waging war.

If you’re a fan of fantasy games in the style of Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings, you should absolutely check out Iron Throne!

There are four main gameplay elements at work here: kingdom building, real-time strategy battles, monster hunting, and a more traditional RPG experience called Town Mode that has you wandering your township solving problems for your citizens. Kingdom building is the same sort of city building gameplay you’ve seen before, where you’re upgrading structures one at a time, often with a timer slowing things down unless you choose to spend gold or power-ups to speed up construction time.

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But the real meat of this game is the real-time strategy battles, which have you choose a hero to lead your army, organize your troops to best challenge your opponent’s army, and then watch the battle unfold with the option to swing things in your favor by launching meteors or dropping a massive ogre onto the battlefield.

Initially, you unlock Dimensional Battle which is essentially the single-player campaign that teaches you strategy and gameplay tips, but by the time you level up to the point where you unlock PvP battles, you should be a seasoned military general.

This game is so large in scope first few hours of the game essentially act as your tutorial, as the game gets you accustomed to everything. But if you’re a fan of fantasy games in the style of Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings, you should absolutely check out Iron Throne!

Download: Iron Throne (Free w/IAPs)

Android Gaming

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18
May

The Google Store is now accepting gift returns


All returns are paid in store credit.

Receiving gifts from loved ones is great, but getting an item you’re not particularly interested in is less than ideal. Thankfully, if someone buys you a gadget or accessory from the Google Store, you can now return it in exchange for credit towards a future purchase.

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The Google Store has a new gift returns page, and after logging in with your Google account, you’ll need to enter the order ID number and shipping zip code. You could be faced with a potentially awkward conversation asking the person who got you the gift for the order ID, but I’ll let you figure out how to go about that.

Additionally, the product(s) in question must have been marked as a gift during the time of purchase. If not, this process won’t work.

Once this information is entered and the order has been located, select the items you’d like to return and Google will send you a pre-paid shipping label to ship the item(s) back. After they’re received, you’ll get a Google Store credit on your account that can be used towards a future purchase. This credit can’t be transferred for cash or to your bank account, but Google says that it won’t ever expire.

Gift returns are currently live in the United States and it’s unclear if/when Google will roll this out to more countries.

Best Android Phones in 2018

18
May

Fortnite for Android: Everything You Need To Know!


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The hottest game of 2018 will be coming to Android in the coming months.

Fortnite has been blowing up lately. Millions of people have become obsessed with the game, both as players and just watching popular Twitch streamers play the game.

Interested to learn more about what the heck Fortnite is all about? Just keep reading.

What’s new with Fortnite?

May 18, 2018 — The Android version will be here “this summer.”

Fortnite’s iOS version has been out for a hot minute now, and to ensure the experience is as good as can be, Epic outlined a heap of improvements coming to the game — including a customizable HUD, voice chat, improved controls, and more.

You can read through all the changes here, but the most exciting news has to do with Fortnite’s Android release. Epic notes that the game will be here “this summer”, and while that’s not as specific as we’d like, it’s still a step in the right direction.

May 4, 2018 — Season 4 has begun, but still no word on Android app release date.

While we patiently wait for Epic Games to finish the Android version of the game, the game itself continues to evolve with the start of Season 4.

The latest update for the game started out with a bang, with a meteorite crashing into the Dusty Depot on the map and introducing a new upgrade called Hop Rocks that, when consumed, let you jump and float in the air, defying gravity. Other changes have come to the map and you can learn all about it from our friends from iMore.

Meanwhile, still no word on a firm release date for Android. We’re sure Epic Games is eager to get Android users in on the fun, but until then you can sign up for your Epic Games account and let them know which phone you’re planning to play on.

Sign up for Fortnite Mobile

What is Fortnite?

Fortnite is what would happen if you combined two of the most addictive games out there — Minecraft and PUBG.

Fortnite offers a free 100-player Player Vs Player (PvP) Battle Royale game mode. Just like PUBG, you’re dropped onto the large island map and must arm yourself and outlive your competition. But in Fortnite, you always start out armed with a pickaxe which can be used as a melee weapon or for harvest raw supplies for building walls, ramps, and shelters.

It certainly adds extra layers of strategy to the format, creating essentially a perfect storm of addictive gaming action that’s as fun to watch as it is to play. Oh, speaking of storms all the action takes place in the eye of a deadly electrical storm meaning you can’t just hunker down and hide out the whole game. You got to keep moving.

How do you play the game?

Just like PUBG, your goal is to be the last man standing — with up to 100 players involved in each match, that’s no small task.

Each game starts with the players jumping out of the flying “Battle Bus” and parachuting down onto a giant island. Once landed, you must loot nearby buildings for items, guns, and ammo to defend yourself and attack other players.

You also need to keep an eye on the map, as every few minutes the storm closes in on the play area. If you’re caught in the storm, you slowly die so you do not want to forget to regularly check where you are on the map. Eventually, the play constricts to a tiny area for the final showdown between the remaining players — there can only be one winner!

Unlike PUBG, you’re able to carry more than two guns. Instead, you’re limited to the number of weapons and items you can carry at one time. Also, guns are color coded to denote their rarity — from grey (common) to orange (legendary) — and the rarer the gun, the deadlier it is.

Then there’s the crafting element. Every player starts out with a pickaxe which can be used as a melee weapon or used to break down trees and buildings to harvest the raw resources. You can then use these raw resources to build your own structures, whether it be a defensive wall to provide cover from an advancing enemy, a set of stairs to reach the second floor of a building or your own watchtower to snipe players from across the map. The resources you mine will determine the strength. Steel is stronger than brick, which is stronger than wood.

When will it be available for Android?

Fortnite has been available for PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 for a few months now, and is now widely available on iOS devices after a brief invite-only beta.

There have been no firm dates set for an Android release by Fortnite’s developer, Epic Games, but they have said to expect support for Android to come in the next few months. For now, Android users can head on over to Epic Games, log in or create your Fortnite Account, and then let the developers know which device you plan to play on which will also add you to the mailing list to be informed when the game eventually drops.

Until then, at least we’ve got PUBG to tide us over.

Will it be free to play?

Epic Games has so far released the PvP Battle Royale game for free across all platforms including the mobile version for iOS. The console version also has a paid game mode called Save The World that’s Player vs Environment (PvE). Save The World plays more like Minecraft, where you’re harvesting more resources and stocking up on loot to survive waves of AI enemies in a sort of tower defense-style of gameplay.

The PvE mode will not be available in Fortnite Mobile for iOS and, frankly, it’s the PvP mode that everyone is crazy for so that’s quite alright with us.

However, the iOS version offers in-app purchases for cosmetic items to customize your player and people sure have been buying stuff. According to this report from Sensor Tower analtyics, Fortnite Mobile players spent more than $1 million during the first 72 hours of its release on iOS. Wow.

So, to answer the question, you have the option to spend money on Fortnite if you want a cool looking character, but the game is free to play and you won’t need to pay to win.

Will there be support for Bluetooth controls?

Epic Games has indicated that Bluetooth controller support will be coming later, but as of right now only touchscreen controls are available.

Is it cross-platform?

Epic Games have indicated that you will be able to play Fortnite across all platforms. Your Fortnite profile can be connected to all the platforms you play on so you can add to your stats however you connect to the game.

Don’t be worried about getting mismatched as the one mobile player in a server of PC and console players. If you’re playing solo on mobile, you will only be matched up against other mobile players. If you join a squad with friends playing on another platform, then that squad will be matched against a multi-platform population, essentially making cross-platform play opt-in.

  • Learn more about Fortnite Mobile

Are you hyped for Fortnite?

We’ll be sure to let you know when the game launches for Android. Until then, you can create your Epic Games account and start playing on one of the other platforms to start getting a handle on the game

Android Gaming

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  • Best Android games
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  • Best action games for Android
  • Best RPGs for Android
  • All the Android gaming news!

18
May

Tidal Investigating ‘Potential Data Breach’ After Reports of Late Royalty Payments and Inflated Streams


A few days after Norwegian news site Dagens Næringsliv accused subscription music service Tidal of being months behind on royalty payments, as well as falsifying and inflating streaming numbers, Music Business Worldwide now reports that Tidal has learned of a “potential data breach” on its platform.

Tidal CEO Richard Sanders said in a statement that when the company learned of the potential data breach it “immediately” began trying to uncover the source, while also reporting it to authorities and taking “proactive” steps to strengthen the service’s security. Tidal’s measures in the wake of the discovery also include hiring an “independent, third party cyber-security firm” to find out what happened.

“Additionally, we have engaged an independent, third party cyber-security firm to conduct a review of what happened and help us further protect the security and integrity of our data. We are proud of the hard work, devotion to our artist driven mission, and tremendous accomplishments of our over one hundred employees in Norway and fifty more in the United States.

Since so little is known about the potential data breach, it’s unclear how widespread it might have been and what aspects of Tidal users’ data could have been compromised. Sanders mentioned that the company looks forward to sharing the results of the security firm’s discoveries with its employees and partners “once completed.”

Dagens Næringsliv’s report earlier this week called out Tidal for being months behind on its royalty payments to record labels, after it previously said in December that the streaming company was facing money problems and would run out of working capital within six months. Additionally, the site investigated Tidal and claimed the company has been inflating streaming numbers, particularly those related to Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo album and Beyonce’s Lemonade album.

Sanders commented on those claims today, leading into the company’s potential data breach discovery:

“We reject and deny the claims that have been made by Dagens Næringsliv. Although we do not typically comment on stories we believe to be false, we feel it is important to make sure that our artists, employees, and subscribers know that we are not taking the security and integrity of our data lightly, and we will not back down from our commitment to them.”

Tidal is one of the streaming music rivals to Apple Music, offering both a $9.99/month standard sound quality tier and a $19.99/month High Fidelity tier. At one point rumors swirled around Apple’s potential acquisition of Tidal, but the Cupertino company eventually ended those rumors and in early 2017 Sprint bought a 33 percent stake in Jay Z’s streaming music service.

Tag: Tidal
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18
May

PayPal Acquiring iZettle to Compete With Square for In-Store Payments Processing


PayPal this week announced plans to acquire the Swedish-based payments hardware company iZettle for $2.2 billion, with a plan to expand its presence in brick and mortar stores thanks to iZettle’s technology. The acquisition will also help PayPal bolster its business across iZettle’s main markets of Europe and Latin America (via Bloomberg).

Notably, the purchasing deal marks PayPal’s biggest acquisition ever and will put it in the hardware market as a direct competitor to small business-focused company Square. Both Square and iZettle sell payments processing hardware devices that help small businesses conduct both traditional credit card transactions and NFC payments from mobile wallets like Apple Pay.

The deal is now expected to close in the third quarter of 2018, while PayPal says it hopes to “reap the advantages of the merger almost immediately in certain areas.”

“Small businesses increasingly want a full suite of capabilities across channels, a one-stop stop,” Dan Schulman, chief executive officer of PayPal, said in an interview. “IZettle was the perfect fit in many ways.”

“When we think about the combinations and capabilities of PayPal and iZettle,” Schulman added, they “set us apart from anyone else.”

When it does close, PayPal will gain in-store capabilities in 11 total markets that iZettle currently resides in: Brazil, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden. In the announcement, PayPal also mentioned that the acquisition allows for in-store expansion opportunities in other existing PayPal markets where iZettle isn’t yet established, including the United States.

In addition to basic payments processing, Square and iZettle give businesses access to other features like invoicing software and in-stock/out-of-stock analytics. Square launched in the United Kingdom in 2017, and in the United States Square has been a partner with Apple over the past few years, launching its original NFC reader that introduced Apple Pay to small businesses back in 2015.

For PayPal, the payments company is planning its push into offline processing as it faces increased competition online. In February, eBay revealed its plan to phase out its 15-year partnership with PayPal and eventually favor payments competitor Adyen on the eBay marketplace. Then in April, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express announced an initiative that will combine their online payment options into “a single button,” directly competing with PayPal for online shoppers’ attention.

Tags: Square, PayPal
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18
May

Apple Watch Bands in Spring Collection Begin to Dwindle in Availability


If you want an Apple Watch band in Lemonade, Denim Blue, or Red Raspberry, you may want to place your order sooner rather than later.

A handful of Apple Watch bands in the limited time Spring Collection are beginning to face limited to no availability through Apple’s online store in select countries, nearly two months after they were first released. At least some of the bands remain available at select Apple retail stores for walk-in purchases.

Bands listed as “currently unavailable” via Apple’s online store in United States:

  • 38mm Classic Buckle in Electric Blue
  • 38mm Classic Buckle in Soft Pink
  • 42mm Classic Buckle in Soft Pink
  • 38mm Sport Band in Lemonade
  • 42mm Sport Band in Lemonade
  • 38mm Sport Band in Denim Blue
  • 42mm Sport Band in Denim Blue
  • 42mm Sport Loop in Marine Green
  • 42mm Nike Sport Loop in Pearl Pink
  • 38mm Nike Sport Band in Barely Rose/Pearl Pink
  • 42mm Nike Sport Band in Barely Rose/Pearl Pink

Apple also appears to have notified some of its authorized resellers that these and many other Apple Watch bands, plus its discontinued AirPort router lineup, are “no longer available to order” and “will be removed” from their stores shortly, according to an unverified tip received by MacRumors today.

Apple indicated that each of these bands would only be available for a limited time, and it’s common for inventory of Apple Watch bands to fluctuate. It’s unclear if availability will be replenished at some point.

The shortage of Spring Collection bands could foreshadow Apple’s plans to unveil a new Summer Collection of bands, perhaps at WWDC in June, as it did last year with Sport Bands in Mist Blue, Pollen, and Flamingo, and a Pride Edition of the Woven Nylon band. Apple often refreshes its bands each season.

Looking ahead, former KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the fourth-generation Apple Watch will feature a new design with a 15 percent larger display. It’s unclear if the physical size of the Apple Watch will change, and if that will have any effect on compatibility with existing bands.

(Thanks, Glenn!)

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 4Tag: Apple Watch bandsBuyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
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18
May

Here’s what we want from MacOS in 2018


We’re anticipating the release of MacOS 10.14 later this year (Apple likes to release them in the early fall), with a big announcement this summer at WWDC. And while iOS and MacOS aren’t merging any time soon, there are still bound to be some significant changes to Apple’s desktop operating system.

What can Mac fans and developers expect from the latest MacOS changes? What would be the best possible scenario? Here’s what we think.

An updated, accessible Dock

The Dock has lost some of its usability over the past few years, especially on larger iMac screen where it grows tiring to find and scroll over to the app you need and select it. The differences between open and closed apps on the Dock could also be more notable than a tiny dot.

Fortunately, some improvements in this direction are likely! There are already rumors that Apple is planning on creating a control panel, reminiscent of the control panel on iOS or the Windows 10 Start menu. It’ll combine the Dock, the notification bar, and Launchpad — three features that overlap but don’t mesh well on the current MacOS. This new feature would make it easier to control and open commonly used apps and documents, and we’re hopeful it will exist in some fashion.

Significant Siri upgrades

What does Siri do on MacOS? The voice assistant can search for things and answer basic questions, but there’s not a lot of full integration into data management or scheduling. Compared to a voice assistants like Cortana, Siri still falls very short of what modern assistants need to accomplish. When was the last time you ever heard someone using Siri on a Mac?

Apple has a lot of incentive to boost Siri’s capabilities in the next big MacOS update. Remember, Siri is already a big feature on the new HomePod, where she’s in direct competition with Amazon’s Alexa. All these voice comparisons have got to be weighing Apple down. We expect some sizable Siri changes, starting with a full integration with Spotlight (replacing Spotlight completely with a smarter Siri would be great). More app and email management would also be welcome, and we’ve got to believe Apple is working on these features.

New universal apps

The biggest rumor about the MacOS update is the advent of “universal apps.” These are apps that work equally well on iOS and MacOS, and can sync up more or less effortlessly. That means you could start work or communication on your iPad/iPhone, and then move onto your Mac and resume with the same project, at the same place, without missing a beat.

The apps would scale automatically between devices so you wouldn’t need to spend any time making annoying changes. They could even provide offer opportunities to control how data is stored across all your devices from one location. Universal apps also offer a lot of advantages to developers who want to create software with broad applications throughout the Apple ecosystem.

Make no mistake, universal apps are coming in some form. There are likely two different versions to look forward to: Updated iOS apps that will receive full functionality on MacOS and brand new apps (possibly enabled through new developer tools) that work with everything right out the gate. Either way, we’re excited.

Additional iOS compatibility

MacOS and iOS are two very different products for Apple right now, despite the fact that Apple fans would probably like to use them in tandem. Universal apps (mentioned above) are a big step, but there are all sorts of little things Apple could do to make MacBooks and iPhones get a long better. iMessage, FaceTime, and Handoff are great, but we want more.

There are also signs that Apple wants to move all apps over to 64-bit APIs for both iOS and MacOS — if not by this year, then in the near future. This will help considerably with compatibility while enforcing a cross-platform mindset where the differences between iOS and MacOS tasks fade away.

More professional-grade security options

We’d really like to see MacOS step up to the plate, acknowledge today’s data security issues, and offer a new suite of security tools that we can use on a professional level to protect data and create access controls more fluidly. Make it especially attractive to IT administrators, and this could do a lot to encourage more Mac use in the office and classroom.

It would also be nice if security patches rolled out in a more organic manner. Apple is rumored to have its eye on a security shift this year, so let’s see if this dream comes true.

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18
May

How to export a GIF from a Motion Photo in Google Photos


Google Photos has a built-in GIF maker. Here’s how to use it!

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GIFs — with a hard “G”, don’t fight me on this — are a great way to show a short animation, either to embarrass your coworkers or to display things that a static image wouldn’t do justice. One feature Google introduced with the Pixel 2 line was Motion Photos: one or two second videos, straight from your phone’s camera.

But playing back a Motion Photo is another story. You could play them back within Google Photos, but sharing them to Imgur or Twitter isn’t supported. Now there’s a much better way to share your Motion Photos — export them as a GIF!

Here’s how to export your Motion Photos as GIFs!

Open Google Photos on your phone.
Open the Motion Photo you’d like to export.
Tap the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner.

Tap Export.

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Select GIF. You can export the same photo to a video or still photo if you’d prefer.
Tap Export.
You will see a message that says the GIF has been exported. You can tap VIEW to view the GIF, or you can look at it later in your Google Photos library.

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From your library, you can download or share the image to wherever you want.

Do you take a lot of Motion Photos? Let us know down below!

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

  • Pixel 2 FAQ: Everything you need to know!
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  • Google Pixel 2 specs
  • Google Pixel 2 vs. Pixel 2 XL: What’s the difference?
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18
May

Which Transmission Media Helps You Enjoy Fastest Internet


In the modern times, most of the daily basis tasks leverage technology for communication purposes. It is also very common for users to experience interruption and blockades while communicating through technological means. Individuals who lack the basic knowledge about the components of telecommunication channel and their characteristics have to look for professional help to do their tasks in a smooth manner.

Generally, an ordinary user must know about the things like best transmission media, ideal internet speed and capacity of the communication devices to receive and process data.

Here is a guide for the IT users on a different type of transmission media, their examples and impact. The knowledge will help users to know which transmission medium transmits data the fastest.

Types of Transmission Media

These are the two broad categories of media used for transmitting data

  1. Unbounded or Unguided Transmission Media
  2. Bounded or Guided Transmission Media

Unbounded or Wired Transmission Media

Unbounded and unguided media send data without the use of a physical conductor. In this type, electromagnetic waves that include infrared waves, radio waves and microwaves are used for data transmission through air. The receiver devices receive the signals broadcasted through the free space. Wi-Fi internet or wireless internet connection are typical examples that utilize unbounded or unguided transmission media.

Bounded or Wired Transmission Media

As the name indicates, bounded or wired transmission media include tangible cables that transmit data. Typical examples of wired transmission media are fiber optics, coaxial cables, and twisted cables. These media are used in telephone lines and internet connections for data transmission.

A standard internet user who requires a speedy connection for a smooth online experience must know the characteristics like the amount of data a particular medium can transmit in a timespan.

Let’s have a look at the capacity of different media to transmit data.

Wireless Transmission Media

Wireless media transmit data through following three propagation mechanisms.

  1. 1. Ground Wave Propagation (GW) – In this mechanism, electromagnetic waves propagate with the frequency band of up to 2 GHz. One example of ground wave propagation is AM radio.
  2. 2. SkyWave Propagation (SW) – In this type electromagnetic waves are propagated through the upper layer of the atmosphere. This kind of wireless medium can propagate up to 30 GHz of frequency waves.
  3. 3. The line of Sight Propagation (LOS) – This type characterizes an antenna to antenna transmission of signals through waves. LOS can propagate waves of more than 30 GHz frequency.

In the wireless mode of transmission, signals are spread in free space. Hence, there are a lot of chances for data delay due to refraction, attenuation, radiation and other such characteristics.

Characteristics of Wired or Bounded Transmission Media

Wired media for transmission has following three types.

  1. Coaxial cable– Coaxial cable consists of two parallel conductors- one outer and other inner. White plastic coating separates these conductors. The arrangement helps to prevent the Electromagnetic interference (EMI).
  2. Twisted Pair Cable– It features the solid pair of copper wires twisted with each other. No. of twists in each cable determine its categories from category 1 to category 5. Twisted pair cables are less costly and easy to install. They have a data transmission speed of 100mps.
  3. Fiber Optics Cable– Fiber optics cable is commonly used for Ethernet internet connections. It utilizes light for transmission of electrical signals. A fiber optic cable comprises two strands that are responsible for their side of communication. The central core of a fiber optics cable has glass through which light signals propagate for transmission of data. Cladding process is used to coat the fiber optics cable with a reflective material so that no light escapes through the glass.

Which is the Fastest Transmission Media

Now a day’s wireless transmission media are popular among end consumers. And, it is a common perception that an unguided and unbounded medium for the transmission of data proves to be the fastest. In reality, this is the fiber optics cable which shows to be the best way of transmitting information and hence it must be a priority for the users who want to have a seamless experience on the internet.

The best thing about a fiber optics cable is that data doesn’t get lost through refraction due to several obstacles that it may face in an unbounded and unguided media. But, apart from choosing the right transmission medium, a user must pay attention to other parameters like bandwidth and capacity, etc.