Ever since phones started becoming miniature computers companies have been attaching the (insert number)G status into their products marketing. Starting with 2G we’re now entering the 4G era of smartphones. But what exactly is this differential anyway? Who decides it? More importantly, what does it mean?

The United Nations decides it – sort of. More specifically a UN agency called the International Telecommunications Union decides what is and what isn’t 2G, 3G, and so on. As it turns out, it’s all about speed. For example the current benchmark for a networked device to be classified as being part of the 4G collective it has to retrieve data at 400Mbit/s when the user is highly mobile in a car, and 1Gbit/s when the user is walking or stationary. The ITU also designates certain security measures that a 4G phone should have that separate it from the 3G network.

This isn’t legally binding regulation, however. It’s merely a defining guideline for the communications spectrum. That poses a problem for consumers in the United States and elsewhere who are currently shopping around for a 4G phone. Earlier this year AT&T received a lot of criticism from industry experts who claimed that the telecommunications giant was marketing a few models as being part of the 4G when they were really just running on highly modified versions of AT&T’s 3G software and network. With Sprint and HTC 4G Android phones already on shelves, it can be safely said that 4G is well on its way. But it’s important to remember that so long as not enough people raise a stink about it afterward, any mobile phone service provider can conceivably market their phones as being part of any generation they want.

That makes me wonder whether or not using the 3G-4G differential is really just a clever marketing strategy by service providers to simplify the choice for consumers bent on getting the best and newest technology. Hopefully that’s not the case and there is mostly true value to the designation. Either way, 4G is definitely here, but just make sure you exercise proper research when picking the next phone you want. Check with the ITU guidelines and ask for a demonstration of a phone’s speed in action before making a purchase. That’s the kind of thinking that gets you to the next generation.

Authors of the bestselling book, Wikinomics, explain how mass collaboration has changed the business scene and pretty much everything else today. The word WIkinomics is obviously a combination of very popular Wikipedia and the bestselling book Freakonomics.

In Wikinomics you will read about Facebook, Wikipedia, YouTube, Flickr, Second Life and other successful online communities and how they are more than just a social network but ended up a successful example of how mass collaboration can revolutionize the world. And true to what it preaches the printed book is only the start.

More and more gainfully employed people who have reached a crossroad in their careers are rethinking about opportunities in the emerging green economy. One of its most promising industries is that of solar energy. At present, the pay is not something to crow about but employment in it is expected to pay off big in the near future.

Toledo provides the perfect example of this. More popularly known as the place of glass manufacturers that make car windshields, it is now slowly establishing itself as the place to be for companies developing solar panels. It is especially helpful that the University of Toledo has been doing hard-core solar cell research for the past two decades since glass is a key component in solar technology.

Although the gaming industry has come farther than many of us would have expected it to, they are not stopping now. They will be doing more, much more with their devices. Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo will be introducing games that are even more exciting, thrilling, and surprising than the ones we are already familiar with. Never before have we seen such real-like games that make you dizzy, they are so real!

It is always good to know what to look for when you are searching for a gadget. When it comes to digital cameras it is important to know that it is not a matter of having the most amount of mega pixels. As long as there are at least five, it should be fine. This is of course unless you are using the camera for professional photography purposes. Then more mega pixels would be recommended along with a god optical lens. There are other features that cameras have such as face recognition and smile technology.

The technology of Bluetooth has come a long way since it was first introduced. From being simply another way of connecting two devices, Bluetooth became a way to enable cordless earpieces for cell phones, headphones for MP3 players, and ways of sending pictures, music, and files simply, from computers, cell phones, PDAs, and digital frames, to another device nearby.

There are many different advanced products that boast the Bluetooth technology. Some of these items include incredibly small and quality sounding earpieces, light and comfortable headphones, attractive and practical digital picture frames, and many others.