Field Servicing and Upgrading

Ever since the dawn of the portable computer, manufacturers and service providers have based a percentage of their success on warranties and “house calls” to repair devices on the fritz. It’s a fact that quasi-permanent components, such as displays and motherboards, are widely considered replaceable only with identical components in laptops and similar devices. However, technically minded users could take it upon themselves to expand the capabilities of their own system by, for instance, upgrading the hard drive, increasing RAM, using expansion cards and flash devices, attaching wired peripherals, and inserting discs.

Although the ability to repair and expand the functionality of portable devices in the field has become all but obviated, it has been shown with current and past generations of mobile devices that users are not averse to giving up expandability and replaceable parts as long as functionality and convenience outshine the loss.

Although many Android and other non-Apple devices allow the replacement of batteries and the use of removable memory cards as primary storage, even this basic level of access is removed in Apple’s mobile devices, including its iPad line of tablet computers. In an effort to produce a sleeker mobile phone, even Android devices have been developed without user access to the battery. For Apple, however, in addition to producing a nice compact package, it is all part of keeping the technology as closed to adulteration as possible. Supporters of this practice recognize the resulting long-term quality. Detractors lament the lack of options.

To service closed mobile devices of any size, it may be necessary to seek out an authorized repair facility and take or send your device to them for service. Attempting your own repairs can void any remaining warranty, and it can possibly render the device unusable. For example, a special tool is required to open Apple’s devices. You cannot simply dig between the seams of the case to pop the device open. Even if you get such a device to open, there is no standard consumer pipeline for parts, whether for repair or upgrading. If you want to try the repair yourself, you could be on your own. You may be able to find helpful videos on YouTube or www.ifixit.com to provide some guidance, though.

Anyone who has been around the business for more than just a few years has likely seen their fair share of components and systems with no user-serviceable parts. For these situations, an authorized technician can be dispatched to your location, home or work, with the appropriate tools, parts, and skills to field-service the system for you. On a slightly different, perhaps more subtle, note the bottom line here is that many of today’s mobile devices, including some of the larger tablet-style devices, have no field-serviceable parts inside, let alone user-serviceable parts. In some extremes, special work environments similar to the original clean manufacturing environment have to be established for servicing.

Input Methods

With decreased size comes increased interaction difficulties. Human interfaces can become only so small without the use of projection or virtualization. In other words, a computer the size of a postage stamp is fine as long as it can project a full-sized keyboard and a 60″ display, for example. Using microscopic real interfaces would not sell much product. Thus, the conundrum is that users want smaller devices, but they do not want to have to wear a jeweler’s loupe or big-screen virtualization glasses to interact with their petite devices.

As long as the size of the devices remains within the realm of human visibility and interaction, modern technology allows for some pretty convenient methods of user input. Nearly all devices, from tablet size down, are equipped with touchscreens, supplying onscreen keyboards and other virtual input interfaces. On top of that, more and more of the screens are developing the ability to detect more than one contact point.

Generically, this technology is referred to in the industry as multi-touch, and it is available on all Apple devices with touch input, including the touch pads of the Apple laptops. Apple, through its acquisition of a company called Fingerworks, holds patents for the capacitive multi-touch technology featured on its products. Today, multi-touch is more about functionality than novelty. Nevertheless, the markets for both business and pleasure exist for multi-touch.

Certainly, touchscreens with the ability to sense hundreds of separate points of contact can allow large-scale collaboration or fun at parties. Imagine a coffee table that can allow you to pull out a jigsaw puzzle with the touch of an icon, remembering where you and three friends left off. Imagine all of you being able to manipulate pieces independently and simultaneously and being able to send the puzzle away again as quickly as you brought it out, so that you can watch the game on the same surface. This technology exists, and it is for sale today. Early examples were built on Microsoft’s PixelSense technology, including the Samsung SUR40. Companies like Ideum build multi-touch platform tables, including a monster 84” ultra-high definition 4K display with 100 touch points.

On a smaller scale, our mobile devices allow us to pinch and stretch images on the screen by placing multiple fingers on that screen at the same time. Even touch pads on laptops can be made to differentiate any number of fingers being used at the same time, each producing a different result, including pointing and clicking, scrolling and right-clicking, and dragging—all one-handed with no need to press a key or mouse button while gesturing.

HTC created an early touchscreen software interface called TouchFLO that has matured into HTC Sense, and it is still in use today on its Android and Windows line of mobile devices. TouchFLO is not multi-touch capable, nor does it specify the physical technology behind the touchscreen, only the software application for it. Theoretically then, TouchFLO and multi-touch could be combined.

The primary contribution of TouchFLO was the introduction of an interface that the user perceives as multiple screens, each of which is accessible by an intuitive finger gesture on the screen to spin around to a subsequent page. On various devices using this concept, neighboring pages have been constructed side by side or above and below one another. Apple’s mobile devices employ gestures owing to the contributions of TouchFLO, bringing the potential of combining TouchFLO-like technology and multi-touch to bear.

Users of early HTC devices with resistive touchscreen technology met with difficulty and discord when flowing to another screen. The matte texture of the early resistive screens was not conducive to smooth gesturing. Capacitive touchscreen technology is a welcome addition to such a user interface, making gestures smooth and even more intuitive than ever.

Secondary Storage

Computers of all sizes and capabilities use similar forms of RAM for primary storage—the storage location for currently running instructions and data. Secondary storage—the usually nonvolatile location where these instructions and data are stored on a more permanent basis—is another story. Larger systems still favor conventional hard disk drives—with magnetic spinning disks, larger overall capacity, and less cost per byte—over the newer solid-state drives, although SSDs are quickly gaining in popularity. This discussion was presented first in Chapter 2, “Storage Devices and Power Supplies.”

The primary concern with smaller devices is the shock they tend to take as the user makes their way through a typical day. Simply strapping a phone to your hip and taking the metro to work presents a multitude of opportunities for a spinning disk to meet with catastrophe. The result would be the frequent loss of user information from a device counted on more and more as technology advances.

Just as many telephony subscribers have migrated from a home landline that stays put to a mobile phone that follows them everywhere, many casual consumers are content to use their mobile device as their primary or only computing system, taking it wherever they go. As a result, the data must survive conditions more brutal than most laptops because laptops are most often shut down before being transported.

The most popular solution is to equip mobile devices with solid-state drives (SSDs) in place of traditional magnetic disk drives. There are no moving parts, the drive stays cooler and resists higher temperature extremes, and SSDs require less power to run than their conventional counterparts.

GPS Satellites

The United States Department of Defense (DOD) developed GPS starting in the early 1970s with the goal of creating the best navigation system possible. The first GPS satellite launched in 1978, and now the United States government manages 32 total GPS satellites covering the globe. Twenty-four are active satellites for the service and the rest are backups. Satellites are launched into an orbit of about 12,550 miles above the earth, and old satellites are replaced with new ones when an old one reaches its life expectancy or fails. GPS is free to use for commercial purposes.

There are additional global satellite-based navigation systems managed by other government entities. Collectively, they are called Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSSs). All of the systems are outlined in Table 10.6; as you might expect, no two systems are compatible with each other.

At first glance, it might seem like there are an excessive number of satellites required to run a navigation service. GPS systems were designed to require multiple satellites. Receivers use a process called triangulation, which they use to calculate the distance between themselves and the satellites (based on the time it takes to receive a signal) to determine their location. They require input from four satellites to provide location and elevation or three to provide location. Most GNSSs provide two levels of service, one more precise than the other. For example, GPS provides two levels:

• Standard Positioning Service (SPS) for civil use, accurate to within 100m horizontally and 156m vertically. Uses Coarse Acquisition (C/A) code.
• Precise Positioning Service (PPS) for Department of Defense and ally use, accurate to within 22m horizontally and 27.7m vertically. Uses Precise (P) code.

The two service levels are separated by transmitting on different frequencies, named L1 and L2. L1 transmits at 1575.42MHz, and it contains unencrypted civilian C/A code as well as military Precise (P) code. L2 (1227.60MHz) only transmits encrypted P code, referred to as Y code. In the United States, SPS is free to use; the receiver just needs to manage C/A code. PPS requires special permission from the United States DoD as well as special equipment that can receive P and Y code and decrypt Y code. Galileo, in the European Union, provides free open (standard) service, but charges users a fee for the high data throughput commercial (premium) service. Both offer encrypted signals with controlled access for government use.

GPS Receivers

GPS receivers come in all shapes and sizes. Common forms are wearable watches and wristbands, stand-alone GPS devices (like the Garmin device shown in Figure 10.8), and ones built into automobiles. Most smartphones, phablets, and tablets support GPS as well (sometimes under the name Location Services), and more and more laptops are coming with built-in GPS capabilities. You can also find GPS devices that come on a collar for pets. Most stand-alone GPS devices feature capacitive touchscreens. The Garmin device shown in Figure 10.8 has a 4.5″ touchscreen; 5″ devices are common as of the time of this writing. It also contains an SD memory card slot for expansion. Popular brands of automobile GPS devices are Garmin, TomTom, and Magellan.

Smart Watches

A classic American newspaper comic strip named Dick Tracy, created by Chester Gould, made its debut in 1931. It featured a hard-nosed detective named Dick Tracy, who by 1946 had the coolest technologically advanced gadget: a smart watch. It wasn’t called a smart watch in the comic strip, but a two-way wrist radio based on a walkie-talkie. If you search for “Dick Tracy and his watch,” you’ll probably recognize the device instantly. It’s clearly the inspiration for the smart watches of today. In fact, in 2015 Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Tracy’s watch was the impetus to make the Apple Watch.

Throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s, many devices came on the market claiming to be smart watches. They were basically computerized wristwatches that offered some functionality, such as a calculator, but had no connection to cellular phones. By 2009, smart watches had the ability to connect to cell phones and a few models had built-in cellular capabilities themselves. Most of these early prototypes ran some version of Linux, although Microsoft dabbled in the area as did Palm, Inc., which was famous for the Palm Pilot PDA and made the Palm OS.

Modern smart watches run their own OS, often are able to make and receive cellular calls, provide touchscreen capability, function as media players, have a camera, run apps, and include many of the same sensors as those found in a smartphone. In many respects, several smart watches are basically low-powered smartphones but strapped to the user’s wrist; others are designed to be an extension of a user’s phone. They are generally charged via a micro USB connection. Some of the more popular brands of smart watches and their features are listed in Table 10.7. The Samsung Gear series is one of the longest running smart watches, and it is one of the more popular Android-based options. In April 2015, the Apple Watch was launched to much fanfare because that’s what usually happens when Apple releases new toys. Pebble watches are lower-priced entries, but they have the advantage of being able to sync with both Android-based smartphones and iPhones.

The Apple Watch is interesting to explore a bit more because of the different available features. Apple is always very interested in getting the user experience just right. Over the last decade or so, whether or not its technology was as good as its competitors, Apple has always tried to “out cool” people. The Apple Watch is no different. Here are some interesting features of the Apple Watch:

• Apple made sure to focus on style. There are two sizes of Apple Watch available, a 42mm version and a 38mm version, each with its own set of styled bands. Basic styles are Sport, Milanese Loop, Classic Buckle, Leather Loops, Modern Buckle, and Link Bracelet. Some special edition bands with 18-karat cases cost as much as $17,000. This is the primary physical element that users can customize. Some of the choices and different watch faces (which are customizable too) are shown in Figure 10.10.
• Apple developed a new OS for the Watch, called WatchOS. It’s more or less on par with iOS 8, but of course it includes features more tailored to the smaller device. WatchOS 2 is expected to be released at the same time as iOS 9.
• Apple made sure to market a device that has plenty of storage, with 8GB. Interestingly, Apple made limitations to how much memory can be used for different features. For example, music is limited to 2GB, which will allow users to store approximately 200 songs. Users can only store 75MB of photos, and the rest of the memory is reserved for the OS.
• GPS is not built in, but it will use the GPS in the paired phone if it’s nearby.
• NFC is built in, so the user can use the Apple Pay feature.
• Watches get a lot of their functionality from a paired iPhone. For example, Apple Watches can run apps, but the apps are stored on the paired iPhone and only transmitted to the watch when the app is used. In addition, the Apple Watch itself is not able to take calls directly, but when paired with a user’s iPhone, the user can take the calls via the Apple Watch. Notifications are pushed to the Apple Watch, so the user can simply look at their wrist as opposed to searching for their phone.

Long story short, the Apple Watch is really an extension of the iPhone, located conveniently on the wrist.

Fitness Monitors

The CompTIA A+ exam objectives list fitness monitors as their own class of wearable technology, but in many cases the functionality they provide is also provided by smart watches.

A fitness monitor is normally worn on the wrist, and it tracks a user’s movements and heart rate. Some fitness monitors will be able to track sleep patterns and have a clock, alarm, and other features like an electronic or smart watch. All fitness monitors have the ability to sync to a device such as a smartphone, laptop, or desktop. For example, the fitness monitor will likely come with a smartphone app that lets the user track calories and see heart rate, steps taken, flights of stairs climbed, and other physical activity. The app lets the user track performance over time and set goals, and it gives updates on progress toward those goals.

There are over a dozen brands of fitness monitors on the market today. The most popular brands are Fitbit and Jawbone, but others include Polar, Garmin, Basis, Misfit, Nike, and Withings. Each brand has several options available, from basic step counters (pedometers) to deluxe models that track steps, flights of stairs climbed, and sleep patterns and have built-in wrist heart rate monitors. The wrist-based heart rate monitor is a relatively new feature in this category, and it doesn’t seem to be quite as accurate as more traditional chest strap heart rate monitors. But given the convenience of 24/7 heart rate monitoring without the need to wear a chest strap, people who choose to wear one are willing to make that sacrifice. Some nicer models will also sync with a smartphone and display notifications or texts.

Let’s use a Fitbit as an example; the Fitbit Flex, a mid-level activity monitor, is pictured in Figure 10.11. In the upper row is the Flex itself along with the wrist strap. The device in the middle is a Bluetooth receiver, and the USB charger is on the bottom. The Flex contains a three-axis accelerometer, a vibration motor, a Bluetooth v4.0 transceiver, and a lithium-polymer battery. A full charge on the battery lasts about five days. The display is very simple: five lights. The five lights can tell the user how close they are to achieving their goals and the battery life remaining. Wristbands come in a variety of colors.

Because the Flex only has the accelerometer, it can track steps taken but it does not track stairs climbed. To track sleep with this particular model, the user needs to tap it five times to put the device into sleep mode and then tap it five times again when they wake up. It will sync using Bluetooth to a smartphone, or to a desktop or laptop computer if the computer has the Bluetooth transceiver plugged in. Figure 10.12 shows you the Fitbit app dashboard.

Within the dashboard, you can set goals, enter data, and see progress. Fitbit, Jawbone, and a few others also sell Bluetooth-enabled scales with the ability to measure weight and body fat percentage, which will sync to your phone as well.

The Fitbit Surge, the high-end Fitbit at the time of this writing, contains the following:

• GPS
• Three-axis accelerometer
• Three-axis gyroscope
• Digital compass
• Optical heart rate monitor (OHRM)
• Altimeter
• Ambient light sensor
• Vibration motor
• Touchscreen monochrome LCD with backlight
• Bluetooth v4.0 transceiver
• Lithium-polymer battery with up to seven-day life

The Surge is about the size of a smart watch, and it will display text and call notifications from the synced phone as well as let you control the music on your phone. Of course, different manufacturers and models have different features; there are plenty of options to choose from to meet every user’s needs.

Glasses and Headsets

It’s hard to think of any computer product that has generated more controversy in recent years than Google Glass. Some see the glasses-mounted computer as an amazing technological step forward, while others view it as a highly intrusive technology that should be permanently banned.

The idea that Google pushed was relatively benign. The company wanted to produce a wearable computer that enhanced the user experience without the user having to think about the device or become distracted by it. Thus it created a device that basically has the functionality of a smartphone (without the ability to make cellular calls itself) but that was small enough to be worn on an eyeglasses frame. Users see an augmented reality (AR) projected display a few inches from their face that was equivalent to looking at a 25” screen from about 8 feet away. There’s a touchpad on the side of the device that lets users scroll through menus and make selections. Other inputs can be made by voice command through a microphone or other built-in sensors such as the accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, proximity sensor, and ambient light sensor. Oh, and it has a camera mounted on it. Yes, it’s the camera that caused the controversy. Figure 10.13 shows Google Glass being worn. Google also produced a version that fits onto prescription glasses frames.

Table 10.8 outlines some of the technical specifications of Google Glass.

Google Glass, as of the time of this writing, has never been available to the general public. A certain number of trial users, called Glass Explorers, were allowed to purchase the item for $1,500 and provide feedback to Google on their usage experience. Even though the device had limited distribution, it caused a great deal of controversy.

Many complained that the device, with its mounted camera, is an invasion of privacy. In theory, the wearer could take pictures or record video without other people knowing about it. (By default, turning on video recording lights up features on Glass, making it pretty obvious that the wearer is recording. But non-users don’t necessarily know this, and in theory an app could be created to disable the lights.) Indeed, an app was created that allowed wearers to take pictures by just winking. Several establishments in the United States posted signs prohibiting Google Glass from being worn inside, such as restaurants, movie theatres, and casinos. In some countries, the device can be considered illegal spy equipment. Apps could be created to identify faces (imagine walking down the street and seeing a total stranger, but then seeing their name pop up attached to their Facebook profile) or track finger movements to steal passwords or ATM PINs.

In addition to privacy concerns, there are safety concerns. For example, wearing Google Glass while driving an automobile could be considered a safety hazard, much like using a smartphone while driving. Another safety concern could be for users, who on occasion have reportedly been accosted for wearing the device. With all of the potential ramifications, many experts in the tech industry wonder if a product like Glass will ever receive mainstream acceptance.

It’s likely that Glass and similar products may be more accepted for commercial applications. For example, surgeons could use it during an operation, and commercial delivery drivers, law enforcement personnel, military personnel, manufacturing supervisors, and journalists might find some use for it.

Other companies have created a few similar, wearable smart glasses as well, such as EyeTap, Golden-i, Microsoft HoloLens, Vuzix, and the Epson Moverio.

Wired Connections

Because space is at a premium, manufacturers of mobile devices need to get creative with the size and shape of each component. Consequently, you will see several different types of proprietary, vendor-specific ports or connectors designed for power or communication. Wired connections are almost always used for recharging, and they are often used for syncing devices as well.

Regardless of the connector type used on the device side, the other end of the cable will nearly always be a USB male type A connector so that it can easily plug into a laptop or other device. Figure 10.14 shows five common USB connectors.

Many companies choose to design their devices with a built-in micro USB or mini USB connector. Others modify the standard USB connector slightly, as Samsung has done with the connector for the S5 smartphone and other devices. The cable is shown in Figure 10.15. A standard micro USB cable will work to charge the phone, but charging and syncing won’t be as fast as it is with the Samsung cable.

Apple products nearly always have their own proprietary connectors. Figure 10.16 shows the connector for an iPod Shuffle, the 30-pin Apple connector used by many iPods and iPhones up to the 4s, the Lightning connector used by the iPhone 5 series and iPhone 6 series, and a USB type A connector for comparison.

If you are not sure which connector to use, always check the product documentation. A quick Internet search will likely find the answer as well.

Wireless Connections

Wireless connections are convenient in ways that wired connections never will be. You don’t need to haul a cable around, and in many cases the wireless connection can be in use for things like syncing even without your intervention. The four connection types mentioned in the CompTIA A+ exam objectives for this section are Bluetooth, IR, NFC, and hotspot/tethering. Don’t forget that many of the mobile devices that we’ve covered in this chapter are capable of Wi-Fi and cellular connections as well. Look again at Chapter 8, “Installing Wireless and SOHO Networks,” for a review of Wi-Fi and cellular specifications.

Hotspots

Imagine yourself in a situation where you’re in an office building that doesn’t have Wi-Fi and you need to send an important document from your laptop to a key client? What can you do? If you have a cellular-enabled device such as a smartphone, you may be able to turn that phone into a mobile hotspot. By doing so, you can share your cellular Internet connection with Wi-Fi enabled devices such as a laptop or tablet.

Enabling an iPhone to be a mobile hotspot is done via Settings Personal Hotspot. The Personal Hotspot screen is shown in Figure 10.17. A password to join the network is provided (and can be changed) as well as instructions on how to join. On Android, you enable a mobile hotspot by checking the box next to Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot in Settings Wireless & Networks Tethering & Portable Hotspot. The option below that, Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot Settings, allows you to change the network SSID, security method (use WPA2!), and password.

There are three downsides to using your cellphone as a hotspot:

• Speed Multiple devices are now using one cellular connection.
• Cost You’re using your cellular data plan, which could result in additional charges if you go over your data limit. Unless you know that you have plenty of capacity in your plan, use a hotspot sparingly.
• Security You may have noticed in Figure 10.17 that there was a password but no security options. iOS 7 and newer do use WPA2 security, but of course any wireless network has the potential to be hacked. Older iOS versions were susceptible to brute-force security attacks.

Some mobile providers limit the number of devices that can join the mobile hotspot. For example, Verizon limits it to 5 devices for a 3G phone and 10 devices for 4G LTE phones.