Zigbee Vs. Wi-Fi: Which Is Better for Your Smart Home Needs?

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Connectivity is essential to homeowners using smart devices. For you to build a complete smart home system, you’ll need to consider wireless technology such as Zigbee and Wi-Fi. Although both technologies enable your smart devices to connect and communicate with each other, they work differently. Here is a detailed outline of how Wi-Fi and Zigbee work to help you choose the best network for your smart home.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is commonly used for local area networking, and it has a high bandwidth that ranges from 32 Mbps to over 8 Gbps. Initially, Wi-Fi was used to connect computers and internet devices. However, its usage has evolved. Today, you can use it to support your smart television and home theater and even control your Wi-Fi garage door opener, among other digital home appliances.

Zigbee

While Wi-Fi has been a more dominant wireless connectivity solution over the years, other contenders, such as Zigbee, have become secondary options homeowners consider. For instance, homeowners using low-power IoT devices have switched to Zigbee for connectivity. 

Founded and developed by Zigbee Alliance in 2003, Zigbee is an open communication protocol that is low-powered and is used to govern low-rate networks such as Thread and 6LoWPAN. Since the network operates on a small-range mesh network, it can effortlessly transfer from one Zigbee device to another without a Wi-Fi connection. In addition, the network has a speed of 250kbps and a signal range of ten to a hundred meters.

A Quick Comparison Between Zigbee and Wi-Fi

1. Power Consumption

Wi-Fi systems have a higher power consumption compared to Zigbee devices. The battery life of a Zigbee device can last for months and is more prolonged than Wi-Fi devices.

2. Compatibility

Zigbee device manufacturers have designed them to be compatible with previous versions of Zigbee and any versions developed in the future. This backward compatibility allows any latest Zigbee device to connect with the current network. 

Older versions can also join the newer Zigbee devices based on security policies that can be updated over the air. On the other hand, Wi-Fi networks don’t have the option of forward compatibility of previous devices connected with newer versions.

3. Speed and Bandwidth

While Wi-Fi devices consume more power, they can transmit data significantly faster than Zigbee. Zigbee network is much slower, with a data transfer speed of 250kbps. Especially when most Wi-Fi networks transfer data at the speed of 11mbps or more for full HD or live video feed.

4. Cost

Zigbee devices are more expensive than Wi-Fi devices. Wi-Fi devices enjoy the support of more manufacturers since they have been in the market longer. Moreover, their wide adoption means more developers are improving their functionality while making them cheaper. 

5. Range and Signal Quality

Zigbee connection works short distances compared to Wi-Fi which can range up to 100 meters. This means Wi-Fi networks are less likely to experience signal interference, unlike Zigbee devices. Zigbee signals are additionally weaker, increasing distortion and signal deterioration if you use more devices. 

Conclusion

Zigbee and Wi-Fi connectivity have pros and cons when controlling your smart devices. Zigbee is an excellent choice for connections over short distances. The connectivity also requires low power, making it the greener choice. Wi-Fi is more reliable over wider ranges. This makes it a better choice for internet connection, remote control, and monitoring. So, choose your network depending on the connectivity needs of your devices

How the B.O.S.S. Women Network is Transforming Lives

Dr. Sandi Williams is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to empowering women of color age 40 and over. As the founder of the B.O.S.S. Women Network, she has created a unique and innovative business model that offers business and personal development services exclusively to this demographic, with access to conversations with Diplomats across Africa.

The B.O.S.S. Women Network is more than just a business, it’s a community that fosters meaningful relationships and facilitates career advancement, goal achievement, peer learning experiences, personal growth, and success. It provides a wealth of resources and support, including access to training and education, valuable networking opportunities, and practical tools for financial management and marketing. With a focus on helping women unlock their full potential, the B.O.S.S. Women Network empowers them to achieve their business and personal goals, and take control of their lives.

The company’s brand identity is centered around the concept of a BOSS Woman, defined as a woman who leads with authority, fearlessness, and an understanding of her own SuperPower. The B.O.S.S. Women Network’s motto is “We Take No Mess, Tell No Lies, Leave No Women Behind,” which reflects the company’s commitment to creating a sense of community, recognition, and trust. Dr. Sandi Williams’ personalized approach is tailored to meet the diverse needs and backgrounds of its target audience, ensuring that they have the strategies and tools needed for successful business ownership and personal growth.

One of the most notable aspects of the B.O.S.S. Women Network is its strong network of women ambassadors and high-level government officials across Africa, as well as connections across the US and Africa. This demonstrates the company’s ability to leverage its network for the benefit of its clients. In addition, the company’s owner has a successful nonprofit in Africa that supports a school with 1,000 plus senior high school girls and partners to support a clinic in an African marketplace that provides diabetes, hypertension, and HIV Aids testing to hundreds of women in one of the largest marketplaces in Kumasi Ghana. This highlights the company’s commitment to making a positive impact on society.

Women age 40 and over in the United States and Africa form a dynamic target audience, seeking opportunities to start their own businesses or grow existing ones. The B.O.S.S. Women Network offers the resources and support they need to succeed and thrive. Dr. Sandi Williams has crafted a personalized approach that empowers women to achieve their business and personal goals through the creation of the B.O.S.S. Women Network.

Looking to the future, the B.O.S.S. Women Network aims to increase its market share and become a leading provider of services for women of color age 40 and over. The company plans to achieve this by expanding its customer base, improving its marketing and advertising efforts, and continuing to deliver high-quality services that meet the needs of the women it serves. The company also aims to be at the forefront of innovation in its industry, investing in research and development, collaborating with other companies and organizations, and staying abreast of industry trends and advancements. The B.O.S.S. Women Network strives to achieve the highest levels of customer satisfaction and be known for delivering exceptional business and personal development, as well as customer service to women in its target market. The company also aims to expand into new markets and geographic regions across Africa, increasing its reach and accessibility to more women of color age 40 and over, and make a positive impact on the communities it serves.

Dr. Sandi Williams and the B.O.S.S. Women Network are transforming the lives of women of color age 40 and over, providing them with the resources and support they need to achieve their business and personal goals, and unlocking their full potential. With its unique and innovative business model, strong network, and commitment to social impact, the B.O.S.S. Women Network is a community that empowers women to become BOSS Women who lead with authority, fearlessness, and an understanding of their SuperPower. Dr. Sandi Williams’ personalized approach tailored to meet the diverse needs and backgrounds of its target audience, makes the B.O.S.S. Women Network a valuable resource for women of color age 40 and over seeking to take control of their careers and financial futures.

As the B.O.S.S. Women Network looks to the future, it plans to expand its reach, improve its services, and positively impact the communities it serves. With a focus on innovation, customer satisfaction, and social impact, the B.O.S.S. Women Network is poised to become a leading provider of services for women of color age 40 and over. For women seeking to unlock their full potential and achieve their business and personal goals, the B.O.S.S. Women Network is a community that empowers them to become BOSS Women who lead with authority and fearlessness.

To learn more about B.O.S.S Women Network, visit their website or follow them on Facebook.

Have We Reached the Peak of Smartphone Innovation?

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Every single time a new smartphone comes out with a never-before-seen feature, we all ask ourselves if this is the best thing a smartphone can do. However, with each new release, manufacturers prove again and again that they can push the limits of what a smartphone can do.

However, the answer to the question “have we reached the peak of smartphone innovation?” is no. Here are some of the innovations we can expect to see in smartphones in the future.

Stretchable displays

With folding phones making a comeback, many believe this is the way to get more screen space while keeping a device relatively small. However, many experts believe that we can take this a step further and have stretchable displays instead.

While the “how” is still being figured out, it seems like it could be possible to take a phone the size of an iPhone, for example, and give it a screen that can be stretched to the size of an iPad. Considering stretchable technology is in the same realm as foldable technology, this looks like a very real feature that we could see.

Over-the-air charging

Since the dawn of mobile and smartphones, the one thing that hasn’t changed much is how we charge them. While wireless charging is possible, it still requires a charging station for your phone to sit on.

Over-the-air charging will use radio waves to charge your device whenever you need to, meaning you will never need to worry about finding a charger or charging station again.

Holographic displays

While holographic displays have existed in science fiction for decades, they are quickly becoming a reality. One of the next big steps in smartphone technology is the ability to see 3D images displayed from your phone without the need to use 3D glasses.

Once again, it is hard to say how this will be achieved as both the display and the camera of a phone will need to be greatly improved, but it is certainly not impossible.

More power

This is a fairly standard upgrade that we see in smartphones nowadays, and their power is only going to get greater. Considering a basic smartphone is now more powerful than most PC’s from a few years ago, there really is no limit to how powerful they can get.

The real challenge is being able to condense that power into parts that can fit into a phone or, at the very least, make a device that is still small enough to be considered a smartphone.

Better cameras

Another standard upgrade that is only going to get better is smartphone cameras. While some phones are fitted with some of the best cameras on the planet, as quality technology gets better, cameras will too.

It was only a couple of years ago when 4K seemed difficult, and now with 8K increasing in popularity, it is most likely the next benchmark for smartphone cameras.

Modular phones

The modular smartphone craze was very hot a few years back, but it struggled to gain any traction and was eventually scrapped. However, it hasn’t been forgotten and is right near the top of the list of new innovations for many manufacturers.

Instead of buying a completed smartphone, it would be more like building a PC. You will be able to purchase the individual parts that you want and create a smartphone that is designed for your needs. This could extend to software, too, allowing you to fill your phone with the apps and functions you need instead of wasting memory and power on the ones you never use.

Nokia has recently launched a phone called the G22, and while it isn’t completely modular, it allows users to replace certain parts at home simply by ordering them online. This small step is believed, by many, to be the first step on the road to entirely modular devices.

Smart glasses

While the concept of smart glasses and their use of augmented reality is nothing new, being able to combine them with your phone is a new innovation that many are striving for. The ability to use your phone with voice commands and see everything you need to see without taking your phone out of your pocket is an incredibly exciting prospect.

You would be able to dictate texts, emails and searches, take photos of what you are looking at, and use augmented reality to create a screen and keyboard in front of you. This combination of smart glasses and your smartphone could turn your device into a very powerful and portable computer.

Will smartphones still exist?

Another innovation that is possible is completely changing and even eliminating the concept of a smartphone. While it is hard to predict what will or could replace smartphones, it is important to remember that there was a time when many people thought you couldn’t improve on the mobile phone.

This means that there is a very real possibility that the future of smartphones is no smartphones at all, and instead, we will use something completely new and different.