Fundamentals of Mobile and Pervasive Computing (Hardcover)

by Frank Adelstein (Author), Sandeep KS Gupta (Author), Golden Richard III (Author), Loren Schwiebert (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The authoritative, general reference that has been sorely missing in the field of mobile computing

This book teaches all the main topics via the hottest applications in a rapidlygrowing field.

"Big picture" explanations of ad hoc networks and service discovery

Exercises, projects, and solutions to illustrate core concepts

Extensive wireless security methodologies

From the Back Cover
Emphasizing Embedded Wireless Sensor Networking, Ubiquitous Security, and Middleware

Fundamentals of Mobile and Pervasive Computing explains a revolutionary and rapidly evolving paradigm for computing: Mobile users seamlessly interacting with wireless devices embedded in the environment provides a platform for many novel applications, ranging from pervasive health monitoring to homeland security. Recognizing the increasing dominance of mobile devices, networks, and applications, this mobile-centric perspective gives today's students, researchers, developers, and engineers the inside track on tomorrow's solutions and opportunities.

The only authoritative source offering a holistic view of pervasive computing, Fundamentals of Mobile and Pervasive Computing explains computing fundamentals from the increasingly dominant mobile perspective. Focusing on the principles behind technologies such as security and wireless sensor networks, and written by recognized experts, this text helps you:

• Get a panoramic view of the fastest-growing and most dynamic field in computing
• Learn the underlying engineering principles that make pervasive computing work
• See how individual applications and application requirements fit into the larger system
• Get in-depth understanding of the most dynamic technologies for service discovery, wireless security, wireless sensor networking, and other key components
• Perform practical exercises and projects that demonstrate how the pieces work and fit together
• Preview the latest research that will help realize the full potential of pervasive computing

Complete with numerous specific examples of how pervasive computing technologies are used and integrated, this missing-link volume definitively describes the present and future of mobile and pervasive computing.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 404 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional; 1 edition (November 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071412379
• ISBN-13: 978-0071412377
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #389,539 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent survey of the technology, March 1, 2005

By	Frank Silbermann (New Orleans, Louisiana USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a good entry point for someone wishing to learn about wireless computing and communication. It provides a broad survey of the various kinds of wireless applications and implementation design patterns, discussing the technology performance limitations and trade-offs that motivate each design decision. The viability and effectiveness of every design choice depends upon the other choices taken, motivating many complex mathematical optimization problems.

I began reading this book with the assumption that wireless application design rested on the same principles as the design of ordinary distributed computer systems, save for a narrower communication bandwidth, and occasional planned disconnections. This book made me realize that things are much more complicated in the wireless world. In ordinary distributed systems, the main challenge is the design of a static scheme for distributing work among communicating components. Once that is done, one can pretty much separate the infrastructure oriented code from the business logic. In the wireless world, the communication bandwidth's variability and lack of reliability requires the distribution of tasks to react to changing network conditions; this radically increases the difficulty of separating infrastructure concerns from business logic. The limitations of typical mobile devices (small memory, limited power, and slow processor speed) only add to the developer's burden. In designing an application for a pre-existing wireless system, traditional methods of program organization may not be appropriate. The need to discover or invent algorithms that take into account a mobile network's unique characteristics creates a challenge somewhat akin to that faced by the early users of novel massively-parallel computer architectures.

One learns that there are no general purpose easy answers to these problems, but the book does an excellent job in laying out the issues, concerns and approaches, while providing ample bibliographies of published research that readers can delve into for their specific problem. The reader comes away with a familiarity in the terms, concepts and acronyms used in the wireless community, providing an excellent foundation for further reading in the literature (which, unfortunately, is not always as well-written or accessible to the newcomer as is this text).

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A surprisingly easy read for such a technical topic, February 25, 2005

By	Bart Geraci (New Orleans, LA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The importance of this book is due to the consumer demand for wireless devices. People are getting accustomed to the idea of carrying PDAs and having wireless connections at home, office, and even coffeehouses. But how can you secure the connection? How fast can you send data? How do you even know that there's something to connect to nearby?

I've just joined a project in my job that deals with wireless communication, and I had only superficial knowledge of the area. What I got out of this book was an awareness of all the issues and tradeoffs involved in the field. I also found the text to be filled with many explanations, so it was a surprisingly easy read for such a technical topic. It's very up to date as the last few chapters discuss WiMAX.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent overview, July 8, 2005

By	Timothy J. Weber (Ithaca, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm looking at doing a project involving a distributed ad-hoc sensor/actuator network. Reading data sheets from various vendors is fine, but I wanted an overall look at the theoretical landscape to get myself oriented. This book did a great job of presenting the state of the art - problems, solutions, research areas. It uses specific technology examples to motivate the discussion, but its focus on fundamentals should make it widely applicable and relevant for some years to come.