Technology is everywhere in our lives today. We spend more time than ever watching a screen. It may be TV’s, computers or phones. This can make us much more inactive leaving us less fit and prone to the problems that come with being unfit. However, the world of fitness and how you approach it is now being opened up to whole new levels through the use of technology.

Sure we’ve had fitness DVDs and websites directing us in fitness but this can only go so far. How about a device being aware of your current weight, height and age and directing you personally on achieving your fitness goals? How about a device that can motivate you and keep you going? Now it’s possible. Products are popping up everywhere that can do these things. These include fitness tracking watches, sophisticated heart rate monitors, computer console games and even apps for your smart phone.

The first of these we want to look at is the range of watches produced by Garmin. These watches are designed specifically for running but can be easily adapted to cycling and other physically activities. The watches produced by Garmin track your time, distance, pace and calories burned giving you an accurate record of how well you performed. The top end of Garmin’s range feature GPS which can map your location and map your run. To top it all off you can download your data onto your computer or the Garmin connect website where you can share data with other users. This adds a social networking element which we all love to do these days.

Following from this is the Adidas Micoach. Again you can set up the device to your body weight, height and age enabling it to give much more accurate data in your reports. The good thing about Mi coach is that it provides an assessment workout. This is perfect for the beginner who doesn’t know how to start. The voice feature alerts you of vital stats and information during your run. As with the Garmin you can upload your data to a computer and Mi coach page.

The next big thing to hit the market is the Nintendo Wii with Wii fit and the Wii sports package. This technology revolutionised the games industry and has started taking a piece of the fitness industry. This console uses unique technology to track your movements with motion and touch sensitive equipment. Wii fit will is a good starting point for beginners to fitness. The package allows the user to focus on muscle condition, balance, flexibility and aerobic capacity. It may not provide the most accurate data but we support anything that gets you up and moving and being at least a little more active in your day to day life.

The question is can any of these products make you more fit. The answer is of course. Using these products and responding to data intelligently can mean you get more fit week in week out. You still need to put in the hard work but technology should be embraced.

The development of Wireless technology owes it all to Michael Faraday – for discovering the principle of electromagnetic induction, to James Maxwell – for the Maxwell’s equations and to Guglielmo Marconi – for transmitting a wireless signal over one and a half miles. The sole purpose of Wi-Fi technology is wireless communication, through which information can be transferred between two or more points that are not connected by electrical conductors.

Wireless technologies were in use since the advent of radios, which use electromagnetic transmissions. Eventually, consumer electronics manufacturers started thinking about the possibilities of automating domestic microcontroller based devices. Timely and reliable relay of sensor data and controller commands were soon achieved, which led to the discovery of Wireless communications that we see everywhere now.

History

With the radios being used for wireless communications in the World war era, scientists and inventors started focusing on means to developing wireless phones. The radio soon became available for consumers and by mid 1980s, wireless phones or mobile phones started to appear. In the late 1990s, mobile phones gained huge prominence with over 50 million users worldwide. Then the concept of wireless internet and its possibilities were taken into account. Eventually, the wireless internet technology came into existence. This gave a boost to the growth of wireless technology, which comes in many forms at present.

Applications of Wireless Technology

The rapid progress of wireless technology led to the invention of mobile phones which uses radio waves to enable communication from different locations around the world. The application of wireless tech now ranges from wireless data communications in various fields including medicine, military etc to wireless energy transfers and wireless interface of computer peripherals. Point to point, point to multipoint, broadcasting etc are all possible and easy now with the use of wireless.

The most widely used Wi-Fi tech is the Bluetooth, which uses short wavelength radio transmissions to connect and communicate with other compatible electronic devices. This technology has grown to a phase where wireless keyboards, mouse and other peripherals can be connected to a computer. Wireless technologies are used:

· While traveling

· In Hotels

· In Business

· In Mobile and voice communication

· In Home networking

· In Navigation systems

· In Video game consoles

· In quality control systems

The greatest benefit of Wireless like Wi-Fi is the portability. For distances between devices where cabling isn’t an option, technologies like Wi-Fi can be used. Wi-fi communications can also provide as a backup communications link in case of network failures. One can even use wireless technologies to use data services even if he’s stuck in the middle of the ocean. However, Wireless still have slower response times compared to wired communications and interfaces. But this gap is getting narrower with each passing year.

Progress of Wireless technology

Wireless data communications now come in technologies namely Wi-Fi (a wireless local area network), cellular data services such as GPRS, EDGE and 3G, and mobile satellite communications. Point-to-point communication was a big deal decades ago. But now, point-to-multipoint and wireless data streaming to multiple wirelessly connected devices are possible. Personal network of computers can now be created using Wi-Fi, which also allows data services to be shared by multiple systems connected to the network.

Wireless technologies with faster speeds at 5 ghz and transmission capabilities were quite expensive when they were invented. But now, almost all mobile handsets and mini computers come with technologies like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, although with variable data transfer speeds. Wireless have grown to such a level, where even mobile handsets can act as Wi-Fi hotspots, enabling other handsets or computers connected to a particular Wi-Fi hotspot enabled handset, can share cellular data services and other information. Streaming audio and video data wirelessly from the cell phone to a TV or computer is a walk in the park now.

Wireless Technology today, are robust, easy to use, and are portable as there are no cables involved. Apart from local area networks, even Metropolitan Area networks have started using Wi-fi tech (WMAN) and Customer Premises Equipment ( CPE ). Aviation, Transportation and the Military use wireless technologies in the form of Satellite communications. Without using interconnecting wires, wireless technologies are also used in transferring energy from a power source to a load, given that the load doesn’t have a built-in power source.

However, the fact that ‘nothing comes without a drawback’ or ‘nothing is perfect’ also applies to Wi-fi technology. Wireless technologies still have limitations, but scientists are currently working on it to remove the drawbacks and add to the benefits. The main limitation is that Wireless technologies such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi can only be used in a limited area. The wireless signals can be broadcasted only to a particular distance. Devices outside of this range won’t be able to use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. But the distance limitation is becoming reduced every year. There are also a few security limitations which hackers can exploit to cause harm in a wireless network. But Wireless technologies with better security features have started to come out. So this is not going to be a problem for long.

Speaking of progress, Wi-Fi technology is not limited to powerful computers and mobile handsets. The technology has progressed enough that Wi-Fi enabled TVs and microwaves have started appearing in the markets. The latest and the most talked-about wireless technology is the NFC or Near Field Communication, which lets users exchange data by tapping their devices together. Using wireless technologies are not as expensive as it used to be in the last decade. With each passing year, newer and better wireless technologies arrive with greater benefits.