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Technology Giants Form WiMax Alliance
In a move to encourage the expansion of WiMax, an emerging high-speed wireless technology, six global technology companies have formed an alliance to pool patents. The alliance, which consists of Cisco Systems, Intel, Alcatel-Lucent, Samsung Electronics, Sprint Nextel and Clearwire, should help companies designing products for WiMax get access to licenses for patented technology at a more predictable cost. “It's about openness, predictability of the business model,” said Scott Richardson, an executive with Clearwire. WiMax technology, which can bring speeds up to five times faster than traditional wireless networks, is expected to one day blanket entire cities with web access for laptops, cell phones and other wireless devices. Read more
Learn more about WiMax in IEEE Xplore®
RFID Market Vibrant as Demand Grows
The global RFID (radio frequency identification) market continues its rapid growth this year, on target to reach US$5.3 billion in sales by the end of 2008 and US$27 billion by 2018. While the United States and China remain lead investors in the field, many countries in Europe have started to see tremendous growth as more companies integrate RFID processes into their workflows. In the UK, for example, Raytheon—partnered with Serco, Accenture, Detica, QinetiQ, CapGemini and Steria—has received an additional US$184 million for the infrastructure of the UK RFID e-passport scheme. Additionally, apparel is seeing a huge surge across the world, covering everything from tracking the bolts of cloth in the factories to monitoring pallets, cases and individual items of clothing at the retail outlets. Applications for the technology are growing as well. European credit card leader, Gemalto, is working with Telecom Italia Mobile to permit NFC (RFID) enabled mobile phones to be used to pay for public transport. Large investments are also being made in new RFID companies, such as the additional US$10 million just raised by Ekahau in Finland for their WiFi Real Time Locating Systems. Read more
Learn more about RFID in IEEE Xplore®
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Cars Act As ‘Watchers’ With Wireless Anti-Theft System
A security system developed by researchers at Frostburg State University, Maryland, USA, and Pennsylvania State University, USA, allows networks of cars to monitor a nearby car through hidden wireless transmitters. Dubbed the Sensor-Network Based Vehicle Anti-Theft System, the device was created by researchers as a way to provide better security against car thefts. The system works by allowing a driver to turn on transmitters inside the car before leaving it, which relays a message to other nearby cars to monitor the parked car. To prohibit the system from taking too much energy from the car’s battery, the system chooses cars that require the lowest signal strength for communication. The researchers say the system, which was tested on a small number of cars, should be resistant to false alarms and can often detect thefts within four to nine seconds. Read more
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Symposium on Personal, Indoor and Mobile Radio Communications
The IEEE International Symposium on Personal, Indoor and Mobile Radio Communications (PIMRC), one of the premier conferences in the wireless research arena, is being held 15-18 September 2008 in Cannes, France. PIMRC 2008 will highlight scientific excellence and technological achievements in present and future wireless communications by gathering the leading scientists, researchers, managers and key market players in all areas of wireless communications. The symposium will include high quality tutorials and panel discussions based on emerging topics, presentations of key research activities in different parts of the world and technical sessions to discuss of the latest regulatory achievements. To learn more, visit the PIMRC 2008 web site
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Satellites to Create Earthquake Warning System
Researchers at Surrey Satellite Technology Limited, a company specializing in designing, building and launching small satellites, are proposing the launch of a network of satellites that may be able to detect an impending earthquake by monitoring the planet's ionosphere. Spurred by a controversial theory that suggests changes in the earth’s magnetic field can be used to predict earthquakes, researchers hope to create a global network of roughly 20 satellites that would scan for telltale activity up to two weeks before a major earthquake occurs. The goal is to use information gained to create an early warning system for major earthquakes, saving lives and valuable resources. Current detection systems give a maximum of one minute's notice and are prone to false alarms. Read more
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Joint Initiative Brings WiFi PAN Technology to Next Level
A joint initiative between Ozmo Devices and Intel is allowing low-power technologies to operate with Intel’s WiFi Personal Area Network. The action is expected to provide users with high performance while supplying cost savings to system developers. According to Ozmo Devices’ CEO, the solution does not require an extra radio within the platform or an adapter to communicate with the peripheral device. Instead, the plan calls for furthering the WiFi functionality already contained on many platforms to include connectivity with low-power wireless peripherals without sacrificing performance, battery power or security. The technology was demonstrated at the Computex Trade Show in Taiwan earlier this month. Read more
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Single Wireless Chip Provides Advanced Bluetooth Technology
The seventh generation of BlueCore Silicon, a highly integrated wireless single chip, has been introduced by CSR as a way to provide users with Bluetooth technology while requiring less energy and less connectivity time. The chip combines Bluetooth v2.1+EDR, Bluetooth low energy, eGPS and FM transmissions onto a single device. Through its shared resources with the Bluetooth radio, CSR has also allowed for the functionality of GPS to be contained within a mobile handset, making location-based devices available to users of mobile technologies. Read more
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Robofish Communicate Underwater, Wirelessly
Kristi Morgansen, Assistant Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the University of Washington, USA, recently showcased her Robofish—underwater robots that can wirelessly communicate with each other—at the International Federation of Automatic Control's Workshop on Navigation, Guidance and Control of Underwater Vehicles. The robots, which are programmed to work as a team, can perform basic tasks that provide the building blocks for group movement, like swimming in one direction. While most ocean robots require periodic communication with scientists or satellite intermediaries to share information, these can work by cooperatively communicating only with each other. This means that the robots do not need to come to the surface until their task is complete, according to Morgansen. Messages were wirelessly sent between the robots using low-frequency sonar pulses, or pressure waves. Results showed that while only about half of the information was received successfully, the robots were still able to accomplish their tasks because of the way they were programmed. Read more
Learn more about underwater robots in IEEE Xplore®
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Experts Eye LTE as Next Essential Mobile Broadband Technology
Although Long Term Evolution (LTE)-based services are at least two years away from being available for use, the devices are acquiring interest by many analysts in the mobile broadband industry as being the next advancement in fourth-generation wireless technology. Verizon and AT&T are expected to introduce LTE in 2010 and some carriers already use a Global Systems Technology called High-Speed Packet Access, a technology that brings third-generation mobile broadband services to customers and is seen by some experts as the precursor to LTE. As businesses seek quicker mobile broadband access, experts say demand for LTE will increase and the technology may pose a challenge to WiMAX as a widely-transmitted mobile broadband standard. Read more
Learn more about LTE in IEEE Xplore®
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First Single-Chip Integrated USB Adapter Debuts
A single-chip 802.11n standard USB adapter solution has been invented by Broadcom Corporation, a worldwide supplier of integrated circuits for broadband communications. The new chip allows for much smaller and less costly USB modules and can be used to hook communication technologies to a WiFi network. According to the project manager for Broadcom’s Wireless LAN line of business, the solution allows people an affordable way to extend wireless connectivity to multimedia equipment other than personal computers. Yearly shipments of WiFi USB adapters are expected to hit 15 million by 2011, according to data from ABI Research. Read more
Learn more about RFID in IEEE Xplore®
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