European NRENs Establish 'Bandwidth-on-Demand'
The first user-requested, high-speed dynamic circuit was demonstrated between Ireland and Greece by the European National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), which says the “bandwidth-on-demand” system allows users to request network capacity according to their needs. The trial involved a dedicated, end-to-end, one-gigabit ethernet circuit between two end-user workstations, spanning the infrastructure of GRNET, the Greek NREN; the pan-European network GÉANT2; and the Irish NREN, HEAnet. In the trial, two workstations were interconnected through the circuit, offering a data transmission speed 1,000 times faster than a commercial one-megabyte-per-second ASDL line for the transmission of high-resolution video. The demonstration, according to NRENs, is the result of research into a novel communication networks’ service architecture, tailored to the needs of the multi-domain, multi-technology pan-European Research and Education community. Known as the "AutoBAHN" (Automated Bandwidth Allocation across Heterogeneous Networks) architecture, the technology allows authorized end-users to directly access network resources from their workstation, wherever it is located in Europe. Read more
1-Kilometer Bluetooth Debuts
A new Bluetooth wireless module with a one kilometer line-of-sight range has been debuted by the British-based firm EZURiO. The new module is the size of a postage stamp, includes an omni-directional antenna, and has total power consumption of less than 700 milliwatts. Most current Bluetooth modules have a range of nine to 30 meters, and while the majority of consumers do not need kilometer-range Bluetooth connectivity, the new module does provides a very stable and robust platform when used indoors. Read more
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New Study Finds IEEE Journals Rank High in Quality Content
IEEE has once again earned high scores from the ISI Journal Citation Reports (JCR), a study that looks at the influence academic journals have on research within their disciplines. Published by Thomson ISI, the report ranks journals by their impact factor – which is the average number of times articles published over the last two years were cited in the most recent year. The 2006 report, released in June of 2007 shows IEEE continuing to lead the field with the high quality and relevant content published in IEEE journals.
According to the JCR, IEEE publishes:
- 17 of the top 20 journals in the field of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
- 10 of the top 10 journals in Telecommunications
- 7 of top 10 journals in Computer Science, Hardware & Architecture
- 7 of top 20 journals in Computer Science, Information Systems
- 9 of top 20 journals in Computer Science, Software Engineering
IEEE also has high-ranking journals in several additional fields of technology including the # 1 journal in Imaging Science & Photographic Technology, the # 1 journal in Automation Control, as well as journals ranked among the top 3 for Artificial Intelligence, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science - Interdisciplinary Applications, Computer Science - Theory & Methods, Manufacturing Engineering, Nuclear Science & Technology, Ocean Engineering, Remote Sensing and Robotics. Read more
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Wireless Internet Access Expanding Throughout United States
According to an article in Today’s Engineer Online, public and private investment in wireless Internet access is accelerating, making it the biggest growth area in wireless communications. The article’s author, George McClure, gives a number of examples of efforts to develop WiFi networks by municipalities based on various IEEE 802 standards for local area networks and metropolitan area networks – all with varying success rates. The more popular trend, however, is for private investors to build wireless networks in expectation of future profits. The article also ponders the question of how involved governments should be in offering communications services to the public. Read more
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International Conference on Networks
ICON 2007, the International Conference on Networks, sponsored by IEEE, will be held in Adelaide, South Australia, from 19 – 21 November 2007. Created to provide an international forum for experts to discuss innovations and recent advances in computer networks and communications, the conference program will feature one day of tutorials by experts in the field and two days of technical presentations. The conference will also feature a keynote speech from Stuart D. Milner, Research Professor and Director of the Center for Networking of Infrastructure Sensors at the A. J. Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland on the architectures, capabilities, and technologies associated with next generation broadband wireless networks. Early bird registration is in effect until 30 September 2007. Learn more
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New Bandwidth, Rules Could Transform Wireless Communication
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s auction of the 700-megahertz bandwidth could have a major impact on wireless technology, according to experts, who say FCC chair Kevin Martin’s call for an open broadband network will open the door to innovative wireless services. The auction, scheduled for later this year and stemming from the push to have U.S. television completely digital by mid-2009, could yield $20 to $30 billion for the government and will include spectrum in the 700-megahertz band, which has been used for analog television since the beginning of the medium. The 700-Megahertz spectrum, according to experts, is particularly valuable because it penetrates walls and various obstacles more effectively than other frequencies. Read more
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New Titles Available from Wiley-IEEE Press Series
The most recent release from respected author Roger L. Freeman, Radio System Design for Telecommunication, 3rd Edition, which offers a step-by-step tutorial to master current design techniques for wireless communication systems is now available from Wiley-Press. IEEE members receive 15% off all titles. Buy now
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Silicon-Sapphire Chipsets Making Their Mark
Advances in manufacturing technology, along with increasingly more sophisticated user demands, have driven the rise of silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) semiconductors in mobile handset development during recent years. The need for increased functionality, lighter weight, lower cost and longer battery life in mobile handsets, coupled with the shift to higher radio frequencies, has increased the need for better antenna switch technology. Long recognized as a superior semiconductor vehicle, experts say SOS offers silicon on a perfect isolator with no parasitic capacitance at high-frequency operation, although price, yield, availability and process issues have limited its use to specialized military and aerospace projects. Analysts do say, however, that SOS is slowly making the move to become a more practical technology because of firms like Peregrine Semiconductor, whose process addresses yield problems and enables more cost-effective commercialization of the technology. Read more
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Low-Cost RFID Launched
A new asset tracking and monitoring solution that makes use of radio frequency identification (RFID) tagging has been released by British Telecom, which says the technology will reduce the complexity and cost of RFID - something that has blocked its widespread adoption in the United Kingdom. The product, Auto-ID Lite, is a scaled-down version of a solution already being deployed by a number of businesses that combine general packet radio service with RFID to create a wireless data capture and reporting solution for tracking items in the supply chain. The “lite” technology, available only as a custom solution now, is suited for remote or mobile environments that may have power or data constraints. Read more
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IEEE UCE/SPAM Filtering Service to Change from “OPT-IN” to “OPT-OUT”
To help reduce the increasingly large volume of unsolicited commercial email messages – commonly known as spam – being sent to ieee.org email addresses from outside sources, the IEEE UCE/spam filtering service will be changing from the current “opt-in” policy to an “op-out” policy.”
On 20 August 2007, a default spam filtering level, expected to reduce the volume of email sent to ieee.org addresses by 30 percent, will be applied to all IEEE email aliases. It is designed to filter out email that is extremely likely to be UCE/spam. In the past, this filtering service had to be individually activated by each user.
Those who do not wish to have the default spam filtering level applied to their IEEE email alias can select to “opt-out” at https://uce.ieee.org and choose the “No UCE/Spam filtering” option, or select a more aggressive filter level. After choosing this option, click on “Set UCE/Spam Filtering Level” button to save the changes. If no action is taken by 20 August, the default spam filtering level will be activated. Subscribers can opt-out of the filtering service at any time.
For more details on why the new policy was implemented, how the policy will improve email delivery through internet service providers and the aggressiveness of the service, visit https://uce.ieee.org/opt-out-info.html. Questions can be directed to member-services@ieee.org.
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