Atomic Time On a Mobile Phone? It's About Time!

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://news.com.com/Cell+phones+could+keep+atomic+time/2100-7337_3-5330743.html?part=rss&tag=5330743&subj=news.7337.5' target='_blank'>http://news.com.com/Cell+phones+could+keep+atomic+time/2100-7337_3-5330743.html?part=rss&tag=5330743&subj=news.7337.5</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Atomic clocks may be headed into cell phones, thanks to a breakthrough by federal researchers. Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have demonstrated the heart of an atomic clock that's believed to be a hundredth the size of any other atomic clock, NIST said Monday. The development opens the door to more precise timekeeping in portable, battery-powered devices for secure wireless communications, more precise navigation and other applications, according to NIST."</i><br /><br />An atomic clock in your mobile phone? Sweet! I for one have never figured out why not all operators support network-based time. I wonder though, how the atomic clock will be aware of time zones?

[Fitch]

I wonder though, how the atomic clock will be aware of time zones?

I'm thinking that atomic clocks keep good time, it isn't aware of absolute time. So why don't operators send out the time more? Are they hoping that your clock will be fast and you'll make a call before it's actually off-peak time?

[Jason Dunn]

I'm thinking that atomic clocks keep good time, it isn't aware of absolute time. So why don't operators send out the time more? Are they hoping that your clock will be fast and you'll make a call before it's actually off-peak time?

Ah, yes, I do believe you're right.

[Mike Temporale]

I wonder though, how the atomic clock will be aware of time zones?

It shouldn't have to be. You set the time zone in your settings on the phone. So all this has to do is send the correct GMT, and then your phone can + or - the correct amount to display it in the right zone.

[Jason Dunn]

It shouldn't have to be. You set the time zone in your settings on the phone.

See, I think that's lame - this is a connected device that should know where it is and adjust itself accordingly.

[Mike Temporale]

I agree, the device should know where it is. However, if the device only received the corrected local time, then world time applications wouldn't work. Since the device would only know the current time, and not GMT.

Basically, you have 3 options: #1 - Send GMT only and the phone stores the local time zone, #2 - Send GMT and local time zone, and #3 - Send current local time only.

The second option is the best solution, and the third option is the worst. My guess as to why mobile devices still store the local time zone information, is to allow for travelers that passing through a time zone, or are just making a brief stop over. There could be some confusion when the device keeps changing time. However, a simple setting like "Do not automatically update my time based on my location" could rectify that.

[manywhere]

I've acctually got a small internet atomic clock syncing program (that uses NTP) that's coming out quite soon for Windows Mobile Smartphone and Pocket PC. It should keep your Windows Mobile devices timed like a Swiss watch if you need to keep right on time much! ;)

I'll let SMT know when I need testers for final testing, since I don't own a Windows Mobile Smartphone... :(

[Kris Kumar]

Basically, you have 3 options: #1 - Send GMT only and the phone stores the local time zone, #2 - Send GMT and local time zone, and #3 - Send current local time only.

Second approach is the best one.

The cell towers should send out this information. I am sure the cell towers are aware of their location/time-zone.

[Khufu1]

I was chatting with a motorola pal of mine that works on the encrypted radios the secret service and others use and he said that for the cell networks to operate, the towers all have to be perfectly syncronized. According to him, they pull their time off of the GPS satellites. Since GPS requires being perfectly syncronized to work they are dead accurate. I don't know if they grab their time off an atomic clock somewhere or have super accurate clocks themselves but either way they are dead on. So it seems to me that it would make sense to always use the time off the towers... From the spin of this thread, I am guessing that not all cell phones do this? My GSM phones always have...I think.
Just my two cents...