Aust internet speeds up as ranking drops

AUSTRALIA'S internet is speeding up - but not as fast as it is elsewhere, a report says.

Average Australian connection speeds increased by 27 per cent in 2013 to reach 5.8 megabits per second (Mbps) in the December quarter, according to Akamai Technologies' latest State of the Internet report.

But the country dropped three places in global speed rankings to 44th, beaten by regional neighbours Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Japan.

New Zealand placed 45th with average speeds of 5.3 Mbps, while South Korean maintained its No. 1 ranking with average speeds of 21.9 Mbps.

Australia ranked 32nd in average peak connection speeds at 35.2 Mbps - an increase of 26 per cent on 2012. Hong Kong ranked first with an average of 68 Mbps.

The proportion of Australian users with "high broadband" connectivity doubled in 2013, reaching 9.7 per cent.

Recent figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show more and more people are opting for plans offering theoretical maximum speeds of at least 24 Mbps.

The number of Australian signing on to such plans increased 27 per cent in 2013 to pass two million.

However, actual speeds are generally far slower, being affected by various factors such as modem quality and the distance of a user from the nearest internet exchange.

Broadband sped up impressively across the board in the Asia Pacific region, the Akamai report showed, while the global average connection speed grew 5.5 per cent to reach 3.8 Mbps.

There are eight megabits in megabyte, meaning a 24 Mbps connection would download about 180 megabytes of data per minute.

China remained the biggest source of computer attacks, the report showed, generating 43 per cent of all attack traffic.

The report draws on data compiled by Akamai's "Intelligent Platform", which handles up to 30 per cent of the world's internet traffic via more than 100,000 servers.

Source:

www.ntnews.com.au

Posted by Editorial Team on 11:10 PM in Akamai Technologies, Aust internet, Australian Bureau, Australian connection, high broadband, neighbours Singapore, New Zealand, ranking drops, South Korean, speeds up

LG Introduces Smart Lamp, Light Fixture That Can Connect to Android and iOS Devices

South Korean-based LG Electronics is really competing head to head with Philips in the light fixture business, as it introduced its first smart bulb to the market called the LG Smart Lamp, which is meant to rival the Dutch company's Hue bulbs.

According to a report by App Advice, each bulb will cost $32, which is around 50 percent of the price of Philips' Hue bulbs.

What sets LG Smart Lamp apart from a typical home light fixture is that it can be controlled using a device that runs Android 4.3 or higher and iOS 6.0 or higher via bluetooth or wi-fi. Users should download the companion app on their  device so they can make some adjustment on various aspects of the bulb. With the help of the app, users can dim, turn on or turn off the bulb.

A report published by The Droid Guy said that the smartphone-controlled bulb also features several modes preset like Security Mode and Play Mode. Security Mode lets users to switch on and off the bulb at a specified time even without their presence. Meanwhile, in Play Mode,  the bulb will automatically make some adjustment on its brightness based on the beat of the music being played. For instance, if the music is upbeat, then the bulb will flash at a fast rate establishing a party-like ambiance. As of the moment, the Play Mode preset is only available for Android devices.

In addition, the Smart Lamp also has the ability to notify its users whenever the connected device is receiving a call. Once the connected smartphone is receiving a call, the bulb will blink to inform its user that there is an incoming call. This feature benefits users most especially when their phones  are far from their sight, for example, whenever their devices are inside their bags.

As compared with standard incandescent bulbs,  LG Smart Lamp is 80 percent more energy efficient. Because the innovative light fixture uses LED technology, it is capable of providing more Lumens at low power requirements. With five hours of everyday use, the breakthrough lamp is expected to last for a decade.

As of the moment, LG Smart Lamp is only available in South Korea. The electronics manufacturer has not made any announcement yet on when will these bulbs be released in the international market.

Source:

www.fashiontimes.com

Posted by Editorial Team on 2:53 AM in 80 percent, Android and iOS, Droid Guy, electronics, incandescent bulbs, LG Introduces, LG Smart Lamp, Light Fixture, Smart Lamp, South Korean