Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 1-10.
Rocco Augusto's portfolio in JSON format from nerdofsteel.com
The Mobile Web, Yesterday and Today
Many of us first started using the Internet in the late 1990s or, if you weren't alive in the
late 1990s, perhaps you've used it your whole life! While we might be very familiar with
the Internet on our desktop, getting it onto a small screen that can fit in our pocket might
seem a bit strange, especially with different jargon and marketing-speak that is often
heard when it comes to the Web. We'll start by discussing how fast the data arrives on
your phone and then what sorts of data can be sent.
Knowing the Speeds (Or “What is 3G anyway?”)
Often in commercials for the latest smartphone, you'll hear a number such as “4G” or
“faster than 3G”. The "G" stands for the generation of the technology. You rarely hear
about 2G, second generation, and there is a good reason for it. The onslaught of data
onto a smartphone coincided with the emergence of the third generation of cellular
network data standards. However, 1G and 2G did exist and, if you owned the first
