http://www.volny.cz/horvitz/os-info/ World news related to license-free access to the radio spectrum http://www.volny.cz/horvitz/os-info/newlogo-small.jpg http://www.volny.cz/horvitz/os-info/ en-us Sensorica, 15 July 2012: "...We see sensors as parts of intelligent systems. Sensors become valuable when they are integrated into systems for planning and decision making. Our goal is to provide a variety of sensors integrated within a p2p network, associated with an open database and with data analysis capability, as well as with open applications for planning and decision making. Our goal is to level the field of information and knowledge in this economic sector [agriculture] and to empower individuals, locals, and their communities, to allow them to extract value from their physical environment, in the most sustainable way possible... Members of SENSORICA are thinking about lab-on-a-chip, portable and low cost technology for a democratic and distributed quality testing and certification system. In other words, we want to give every individual the ability to easily test the quality of soils, water and foods, anywhere, anytime..." http://www.sensorica.co/home/projects/sensor-technology-to-support-local-food-systems Mon, 16 Jul 2012 09:57 GMT http://www.sensorica.co/home/projects/sensor-technology-to-support-local-food-systems by Craig Settles, GigaOm, 15 July 2012: "...The biggest initiative to move TV white space front and center in the community broadband space is AIR.U (Advance Internet Regions). This consortium of private companies, associations and nonprofit organizations are working to connect up to 500 colleges and universities with small towns and rural communities to build mostly wireless networks. AIR.U's efforts, along with trial communities such as Wilmington, should fast-track the standardization of TV white space technology and network buildouts. 'The FCC opening these white space channels should make it faster and cheaper in the short-term to increase connectivity by leveraging campuses and surrounding areas,' stated Michael Calabrese, Director of the New America Foundation's Wireless Future Program and one of the consortium leaders..." http://gigaom.com/2012/07/15/white-space-broadband-as-a-white-knight-for-rural-america/ Mon, 16 Jul 2012 09:02 GMT http://gigaom.com/2012/07/15/white-space-broadband-as-a-white-knight-for-rural-america/ The Economist, 14 July 2012: "...Anirudh Sharma, a 24-year-old computer engineer from Hyderabad, a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, has [an] innovation, dubbed 'Le Chal' ('take me along' in Hindi)... [This] pairs a smartphone app with a small actuator sewn inside the sole of one shoe via Bluetooth. The user tells the phone his desired destination, which is translated into electronic commands using voice-recognition software. The app, which can be programmed to run in the background, fetches the local map of the area. The phone's Global Positioning System (GPS) tracks the person's location in real-time, telling the actuator to vibrate when it is time to turn. The side of the shoe where the vibration is felt indicates which way to go..." http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2012/07/footwear-blind Mon, 16 Jul 2012 09:02 GMT http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2012/07/footwear-blind by Kirk Yuhnke, ABC15 Mornings, 14 July 2012: "...wireless Bluetooth streaming. If you haven't used it, it's awesome. It streams music directly from your smartphone to your car stereo with no messy cables. Luckily, for anyone with new car gadget envy, there are some products on the market that make it super simple to add this feature to your existing radio. I had a chance to test out 2 of them for you..." http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/science_tech/yuhnke-commentary-add-bluetooth-streaming-to-your-existing-car-stereo-with-tunelink-or-bluetrip Mon, 16 Jul 2012 09:02 GMT http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/science_tech/yuhnke-commentary-add-bluetooth-streaming-to-your-existing-car-stereo-with-tunelink-or-bluetrip Airline Industry, 13 July 2012: "...CANEUS (Canada-Europe-US-Asia) Aerospace network and key aerospace stakeholders are teaming up to develop less-wire and fly-by-wireless (FBW) capabilities. The partnership projects to reduce aggregate wire weight by approximately 10%-30% overall and 70%-90% for critical components, contributing to improved fuel economy, reduced emissions and potential failure points, and improved operational performance. Industry vision is to create world class FBW research, testing and certification capability, which will benefit the Aerospace industry worldwide for Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) applications for both new and sustainment of legacy aircrafts and UAVs. Stakeholders include LMCO, BAE Systems, Airbus, Boeing, Embraer, Bombardier, GE, Gulfstream, Goodrich Honeywell, Pratt and Whitney, Rolls-Royce, NASA, and US DoD... The consortium is scheduled to meet on August 27-28, 2012, in Ottawa to formulate international public-private partnership." http://www.airline-industry.org/index.php/news/comments/fly-by-wireless_improves_safety_and_reduces_cost_-_international/ Mon, 16 Jul 2012 09:02 GMT http://www.airline-industry.org/index.php/news/comments/fly-by-wireless_improves_safety_and_reduces_cost_-_international/ ABI Research, 13 July 2012: "...As the market transitions from safety focused offerings toward health monitoring and extending and enhancing the comfort, safety, and well-being for seniors living in their own homes and care homes, monitoring devices will grow to more than 36 million units in 2017, up from under 3 million units in 2011, at a CAGR of 55.9%. Over the same time, home monitoring will almost double its share of the wearable wireless device health market to 22% from 12%..." http://www.abiresearch.com/press/3945-Home+Monitoring+for+Seniors+Will+Drive+36+Million+Wearable+Wireless+Device+Market Mon, 16 Jul 2012 09:02 GMT http://www.abiresearch.com/press/3945-Home+Monitoring+for+Seniors+Will+Drive+36+Million+Wearable+Wireless+Device+Market ABI Research, 12 July 2012: "...when delving deeper into the markets it is clear that there are specific sections that will be more suited to one technology or the other. 'The remote control market is one which highlights a need for both technologies, here they each have their own niches that they will be most successful in,' said Peter Cooney, ABI Research practice director, 'For simple point-to-point control, Bluetooth Smart is the obvious choice due to its massive ecosystem of interoperable devices, but for more complex systems with high node counts then ZigBee/RF4CE is expected to be more successful as Bluetooth has a limited node count in practice'..." http://www.abiresearch.com/press/3943-Bluetooth+and+Zigbee+on+Collision+Course+in+the+Connected+Home+and+Wireless+Sensors Mon, 16 Jul 2012 09:02 GMT http://www.abiresearch.com/press/3943-Bluetooth+and+Zigbee+on+Collision+Course+in+the+Connected+Home+and+Wireless+Sensors by Kevin Fitchard, GigaOm, 12 July 2012: "Fon may have launched in Madrid, but lately the company has taken on a very Japanese flavor. According to the company, which pioneered the concept of a global community Wi-Fi network, 1 million, or a full one-sixth, of its global access points now reside in Japan. It owes a big part of its success there to operator partner Softbank Mobile, one of Japan's largest carriers with 25 million subscribers. Softbank gives every customer who buys a smartphone or tablet a Wi-Fi router, which Fon calls a Fonera, and automatically configures all of its devices to access Fon's network. Considering Softbank for years was the only carrier in Japan to sell the iPhone, you can imagine how considerable that traffic is. Fon was originally launched to connect laptops, but today in Japan 80 percent of its traffic comes from either the iPhone or iPad..." http://gigaom.com/mobile/thanks-to-the-iphone-fon-finds-its-sweet-spot-in-japan/ Mon, 16 Jul 2012 09:02 GMT http://gigaom.com/mobile/thanks-to-the-iphone-fon-finds-its-sweet-spot-in-japan/ by Mark Albertson, Examiner,com, 12 July 2012: "...With the switch of television from analog to digital in 2009, much more white space suddenly became available. So Spectrum Bridge built a set of software tools that can access databases which know where available white space exists. Call it spectrum sharing. 'It's really about interference management at a high level,' as Peter Stanforth of Spectrum Bridge explained to the audience yesterday. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), who has taken plenty of heat for being slow to manage spectrum availability in today's warp-speed tech world, granted Spectrum Bridge approval to operate a TV white space platform in Wilmington, North Carolina starting last January. From all accounts, the good people of Wilmington now have Wi-Fi so fast that smoke routinely comes out of their iPhones..." http://www.examiner.com/article/amid-flood-of-devices-pressure-grows-to-fill-white-space Mon, 16 Jul 2012 09:02 GMT http://www.examiner.com/article/amid-flood-of-devices-pressure-grows-to-fill-white-space by Stephen Lawson, IDG News (via PC World), 12 July 2012: "...The Alliance's Wi-Fi Direct Services task group, formed last month, plans to develop new software mechanisms to help devices and applications determine how they can work together, Wi-Fi Alliance Executive Director Edgar Figueroa said in an interview on Wednesday. Those efforts are on a fast track and should be completed within 12 to 18 months, he said..." http://www.pcworld.com/article/259126/wifi_direct_may_get_a_reboot_with_push_for_better_ease_of_use.html Mon, 16 Jul 2012 09:02 GMT http://www.pcworld.com/article/259126/wifi_direct_may_get_a_reboot_with_push_for_better_ease_of_use.html by Andy Greenberg, Forbes, 11 July 2012: "Phone companies are the middlemen of modern surveillance. They collect communications and location information from users on an unprecedented scale. Then, when governments come calling, they turn it over with a greater frequency and volume than ever before in history. And to a large degree, they do it voluntarily. On Monday, Congressman Ed Markey published letters from every major phone company that responded to his demand they detail how often and to what extent each firm has given users' private data to government agencies. The answers showed a mass hemorrhaging of users' private data: 1.3 million requests in just the last year..." http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2012/07/11/five-ways-wireless-carriers-could-rein-in-the-governments-surveillance-of-your-phone/ Mon, 16 Jul 2012 09:02 GMT http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2012/07/11/five-ways-wireless-carriers-could-rein-in-the-governments-surveillance-of-your-phone/ by Dave Chambers, thinksmallcell.com, 11 July 2012: "Several analysts have published reports with their estimates and forecast of small cell shipments recently. Some were released quietly, and others with strong headlines. We've looked behind the hype and spoken to a few people in the industry to come up with a considered view..." http://thinksmallcell.com/Opinion/comparison-of-recent-small-cell-and-femtocell-industry-forecasts.html Mon, 16 Jul 2012 09:02 GMT http://thinksmallcell.com/Opinion/comparison-of-recent-small-cell-and-femtocell-industry-forecasts.html by Matthew Finnegan, TechEye, 11 July 2012: "...According to Ehsan Afshari, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Cornell, the goal is to 'make a complete device on one CMOS chip'. He said in a statement that he eventually envisages the terahertz chips taking the shape of 'a tiny thing you could put in a cell phone'..." http://news.techeye.net/chips/cornell-imagines-terahertz-waves-on-handheld-devices Mon, 16 Jul 2012 09:02 GMT http://news.techeye.net/chips/cornell-imagines-terahertz-waves-on-handheld-devices PR Web (via Yahoo! News), 12 July 2012: "Wireless Sensor Networking (WSN) has emerged as a key technology for accelerating oil and gas exploration and advancing the latest extraction techniques, according to a recently published report by ON World, a global technology research firm. North America may be on its way to becoming energy independent, largely due to shale oil and gas, horizontal drilling, hydraulic fracturing and advancements with sensor and wireless technologies. In addition to using wide area wireless to manage pipelines and production from remote locations, oil and gas companies are also turning to wireless sensor networks..." http://news.yahoo.com/oil-gas-booming-help-wireless-sensor-networks-071031482.html Mon, 16 Jul 2012 09:02 GMT http://news.techeye.net/chips/cornell-imagines-terahertz-waves-on-handheld-devices by Eric Savitz, Forbes, 10 July 2012: "...'Tablets are inherently connected devices,' [ABI Research's Jamie Townsend] writes. 'While Wi-Fi is a basic requirement in a tablet's definition by ABI Research, we believe it will continue to be the dominant connection method' [with a 100% attach rate. On the other hand, 27% of tablets have] a mobile broadband (3G/4G) radio module. 'Dropping from a 40% attach rate in 2010, the emergence of a broader vendor ecosystem and the desire to have more affordable solutions hurt the adoption of 3G and 4G modems during 2011,' he notes..." http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericsavitz/2012/07/10/tablets-by-the-numbers-its-all-about-apple-and-arm/ Mon, 16 Jul 2012 09:02 GMT http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericsavitz/2012/07/10/tablets-by-the-numbers-its-all-about-apple-and-arm/ ABI Research, 9 July 2012: "...By making ANDSF (a 3GPP standard) an intrinsic part of NGH, the GSMA, and WBA are creating a framework which will transform Wi-Fi's role in cellular networks... Hampered [previously] by a lack of standards, ABI Research believes that carrier Wi-Fi equipment sales will grow almost ten times from about 650 thousand access points in 2012 to almost 6.8 million in 2017 as these new standards roll out... 'There are many challenges to be overcome for an operator when considering deploying Wi-Fi as an off-load mechanism with operator enthusiasm for and acceptance of Wi-Fi not yet a given,' comments Marshall..." https://www.abiresearch.com/press/3938-ANDSF+Critical+for+Tenfold+Growth+of+Carrier+Wi-Fi Mon, 16 Jul 2012 09:02 GMT https://www.abiresearch.com/press/3938-ANDSF+Critical+for+Tenfold+Growth+of+Carrier+Wi-Fi by Tom Espiner, ZDnet.com, 2 July 2012: "A GPS rival that uses machine learning about radio and TV emissions to pinpoint location has been developed by UK defence company BAE Systems. The Navigation via Signals of Opportunity (NAVSOP) technology, which BAE Systems said could replace GPS, can calculate a user's location to within a few metres, according to the company. NAVSOP combines signals information from GPS satellites, Wi-Fi routers, TV communications towers, air traffic control communications, mobile base stations and radio masts to get a picture of the location. The system can be integrated with existing GPS navigation devices..." http://www.zdnet.com/emerging-gps-rival-uses-wi-fi-and-tv-signals-to-navigate-7000000129/ Mon, 16 Jul 2012 09:02 GMT http://gigaom.com/mobile/thanks-to-the-iphone-fon-finds-its-sweet-spot-in-japan/ http://groups.winnforum.org/p/cm/ld/fid=180 Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:44 GMT http://groups.winnforum.org/p/cm/ld/fid=180 by Ian F. Akyildiz, Brandon F. Lo and Ravikumar Balakrishnan, Physical Communication, Vol 4, issue 1 (March 2012): "...In this paper, the state-of-the-art survey of cooperative sensing is provided to address the issues of cooperation method, cooperative gain, and cooperation overhead. Specifically, the cooperation method is analyzed by the fundamental components called the elements of cooperative sensing, including cooperation models, sensing techniques, hypothesis testing, data fusion, control channel and reporting, user selection, and knowledge base. Moreover, the impacting factors of achievable cooperative gain and incurred cooperation overhead are presented. The factors under consideration include sensing time and delay, channel impairments, energy efficiency, cooperation efficiency, mobility, security, and wideband sensing issues. The open research challenges related to each issue in cooperative sensing are also discussed." http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187449071000039X Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:44 GMT http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187449071000039X ComputerActive, 16 June 2012: "...It is a quid pro quo arrangement, meaning those that opt in - thus agreeing to give over a little bit of their bandwidth - are able to use their credentials to log in to any and all BT Fon hotspots they may encounter. If you became a BT customer from March 2009 onwards then you will have been opted in to BT Fon automatically... we can't see anything fundamentally wrong with BT Fon as a service; though we can understand why some customers might object to being opted in automatically..." http://www.computeractive.co.uk/ca/pc-help/2163555/bt-letting-people-home-hub-wifi-hotspot Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:44 GMT http://www.computeractive.co.uk/ca/pc-help/2163555/bt-letting-people-home-hub-wifi-hotspot Amicus Curiae brief, Electronic Frontier Foundation: "...The negligence standard LMH proposes would put all this at risk. Service providers could suddenly be subject to legal threat if they failed to take reasonable care to prevent infringing activities - and it is not at all clear what constitutes reasonable care. By the logic of LMH's complaint, reasonable care could be interpreted to require monitoring the online activities of everyone who uses one's Internet connection - an expensive and intrusive proposition. Thus, LMH asks this Court to do exactly what the Supreme Court has counseled against: reset the balance between artistic protection and innovation in a way that is likely to impede legitimate commerce..." https://www.eff.org/document/amicus-brief-11 Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:44 GMT https://www.eff.org/document/amicus-brief-11 by Phil Goldstein, Fierce Wireless, 14 June 2012: "...executives made clear that the spectrum amount they were discussing included airwaves that would come from acquisitions the company may make in the next few years. The comments are notable considering the dire picture AT+T often paints of the spectrum supply shortage it and the wider industry are facing..." http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/analysts-att-thinks-it-has-enough-spectrum-next-five-years/2012-06-14 Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:44 GMT http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/analysts-att-thinks-it-has-enough-spectrum-next-five-years/2012-06-14 Waterloo Chronicle, 14 June 2012: "...The new technology enables wireless signals to be sent and received at the same time on a single radio channel frequency. 'This means wireless companies can increase the bandwidth of voice and data services by at least a factor of two by sending and receiving at the same time, and potentially by a much higher factor through better adaptive transmission and user management in existing networks,' said Khandani, a Waterloo electrical and computer engineering professor..." http://www.waterloochronicle.ca/community/waterloo-engineering-team-achieves-wireless-breakthrough/ Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:44 GMT http://www.waterloochronicle.ca/community/waterloo-engineering-team-achieves-wireless-breakthrough/ by Andrew Berg, Wireless Week, 14 June 2012: "The FCC has adopted rules allocating 50 MHz of spectrum in the 4.9 GHz band for fixed and mobile wireless services. The commission is now seeking comment on various issues including licensing and services rules for the band. The spectrum will allow public safety users to set up temporary mesh networks that support data, voice, and video communications at scenes of emergencies; monitor sensitive locations remotely with point-to-point video links; and set up city-wide Wi-Fi networks to give first responders dedicated broadband access, the FCC said in an announcement Wednesday. Additionally, the commission contends that the 4.9 GHz band holds great potential to complement the 700 MHz national public safety broadband network for backhaul; facilitate safer operation of critical infrastructure and utilities; and provide wireless broadband connectivity in remote or sparsely populated locations..." http://www.wirelessweek.com/News/2012/06/policy-and-industry-FCC-Mulls-Best-Use-of-49GHz-Band/ Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:44 GMT http://www.wirelessweek.com/News/2012/06/policy-and-industry-FCC-Mulls-Best-Use-of-49GHz-Band/ by Patrick Peterson, Florida Today, 13 June 2012: "A radio wave technology developed by Harris Corp. could reduce the cost and environmental damage associated with extracting oil from sands in Canada, a potential source of hundreds of millions of barrels of untapped crude. The Melbourne company completed a successful test of the antenna technology in Canada this week and on Tuesday announced a $33 million pilot project to test it commercially. 'If the pilot's successful, it will be adopted extremely quickly,' said Mark Blue, a Harris engineer involved in the project. The process could be in commercial use by 2015, he added..." http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20120612/BUSINESS/120612016/Harris-unveils-oil-extraction-process-uses-radio-waves Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:44 GMT http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20120612/BUSINESS/120612016/Harris-unveils-oil-extraction-process-uses-radio-waves Spectrum Bridge blog, 12 June 2012: "...Carlson's RuralConnect products are designed to address the specific needs of the WISP, by harnessing the non-line of sight (NLOS) capabilities of TV White Space frequency bands to deliver speeds comparable to traditional wireless networks (up to 16Mbps in the current generation). Spectrum Bridge will provide guidance to Carlson during the FCC-certification process for RuralConnect and future products and services. In addition, Carlson will be distributing a new solution developed by Spectrum Bridge to give network operators unrivaled spectrum management capabilities..." http://spectrumbridge.blogspot.cz/2012/06/spectrum-bridge-partners-with-carlson.html Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:44 GMT http://spectrumbridge.blogspot.cz/2012/06/spectrum-bridge-partners-with-carlson.html by Nicole Cozma, CNET.com, 12 June 2012: "...Open Garden is an app that will broadcast your Internet signal to devices around you via Bluetooth, in hopes of creating a seamless mesh network. The idea behind the app is to make the connection process easier so you can spend more time being productive or surfing the Web. Here's how to get connected..." http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57450871-285/use-opengarden-to-share-connectivity-from-your-android-via-bluetooth/ Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:44 GMT http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57450871-285/use-opengarden-to-share-connectivity-from-your-android-via-bluetooth/ by Sriram Shankar and K. A. Badarinath, My Digital Financial Chronicle, 10 June 2012: "The defence ministry has raised a red flag against cognitive radios, the new technology that can alleviate spectrum scarcity. Use of this cutting-edge technology will make adversaries 'completely aware' of spectrum usage by defence services making secure networks vulnerable, the ministry said. Defence ministry's objection was sent to administrative telecom department that is finalising the new telecom policy..." http://wrd.mydigitalfc.com/telecommunication/frequency-hopping-plan-hits-defence-barricade-720 Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:44 GMT http://wrd.mydigitalfc.com/telecommunication/frequency-hopping-plan-hits-defence-barricade-720 by Jaideep Mishra, Economic Times of India, 9 June 2012: "...A recent paper published by the Social Science Research Network, the global initiative for new knowledge, provides a useful taxonomy of spectrum-sharing. To begin with, as the paper emphasises, the demand for spectrum access - essential for mobile telephony - exceeds the available supply. At the same time though, measurements do suggest that in most radio frequency bands, and even in areas of dense usage, spectrum actually remains underutilised in any given timeframe. So, although the quantity of radio frequency spectrum is fixed, the available supply can be 'significantly expanded' - thanks to emerging technologies, regulatory initiatives and new business models - by dynamically sharing spectral resources more intensively. Hence the need for proactive policy on spectrum-sharing..." http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-06-09/news/32140788_1_spectrum-sharing-spectral-resources-policy-of-spectrum-licensing Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:44 GMT http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-06-09/news/32140788_1_spectrum-sharing-spectral-resources-policy-of-spectrum-licensing by Michael Marcus, SpectrumTalk blog, 7 June 2012: "...cognitive radios in the TV band raise far fewer issues than cognitive radios that try to detect the presence of military signals. Since Mr. Wharton has concluded that cognitive radio technology has now advanced to the point that it can reliably detect the presence of military signals to allow broadband use of military bands when and where they are not in use, I assume that NAB must now endorse the technically simpler case of using of cognitive radios in the TV bands under similar terms. I hope Mr. Wharton comes to the DySPAN 2012 Conference in Bellevue WA in October and explains NAB's new view on cognitive radio. I'm sure he'll get a standing ovation!" http://www.marcus-spectrum.com/Blog/files/NABonCogRad.html Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:44 GMT http://www.marcus-spectrum.com/Blog/files/NABonCogRad.html by Michael Grotticelli, Broadcast Engineering, 31 May 2012: "A presidential panel of experts wants President Obama to ignore Congress and the various lobbying groups and adopt new technologies on his own to make better use of spectrum now controlled by federal agencies. The panel said a shift in spectrum usage, which could be accomplished with the president's signature and without Congressional approval, would relieve congestion caused by the growing popularity of wireless mobile devices. The new plan, in preliminary form, was presented publicly last week to a meeting of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, or PCAST. It calls on the government to electronically rent or lease spectrum for periods of time as short as seconds using newly available computerized radio technologies..." http://blog.broadcastengineering.com/blog-opinions/2012/05/31/white-house-panel-urges-president-to-develop-plan-for-more-flexible-use-of-wireless-spectrum/ Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:44 GMT http://blog.broadcastengineering.com/blog-opinions/2012/05/31/white-house-panel-urges-president-to-develop-plan-for-more-flexible-use-of-wireless-spectrum/ by Brian X. Chen, New York Times' Bits blog, 31 May 2012: "...the F.C.C. assigns a radio channel to an operator. A person makes a cellphone call on that channel. The channel is reserved for that person over the entire area of the cell and for the duration of the call whether he is speaking or not. The entire area covered by a cell station is flooded with the energy from the one call. Suppose the information in the call could be transmitted directly from the person to the cell station. Then many people could talk on their phone in the coverage area of each station without interfering with each other..." http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/31/qa-marty-cooper-spectrum-sharing/ Thu, 31 May 2012 13:53 GMT http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/31/qa-marty-cooper-spectrum-sharing/ by Ryan Lawler, TechCrunch, 31 May 2012: "... the latest update to the Netflix iOS app now lets 4G and LTE iPad owners limit streaming so that they can only access the service when connected to a WiFi network. The new WiFi setting is part of a larger redesign of the iOS app, which also includes a pretty massive update to the Netflix player. The new player design adds a more consistent look and feel across Netflix's mobile applications, and provides larger, easier-to-use play controls for watching on tablets and mobile devices... The company said in a blog post to expect updates to other mobile apps - including those on Android devices - soon." http://techcrunch.com/2012/05/31/netflix-ipad-wifi-only/ Thu, 31 May 2012 13:53 GMT http://techcrunch.com/2012/05/31/netflix-ipad-wifi-only/ by Neil Hughes, Apple Insider, 31 May 2012: "Apple has shown continued interest in improving the Bluetooth wireless standard, making it more power efficient when converting streaming media to a compatible format. The details come from a patent application discovered this week by AppleInsider first filed in December of 2008, but re-filed as a continuation with the US Patent and Trademark Office in February of this year. The filing, entitled 'Data Format Conversion for Electronic Devices,' notes that converting data to a new format can be a power-hungry process... Apple's solution aims to 'significantly lower' the number and complexity of computations executed in transmitting media over Bluetooth. Its proposed invention includes a dedicated format converter that could take a media file and produce data in a Bluetooth-compatible format in a more energy-efficient manner..." http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12/05/31/apple_wants_to_reduce_bluetooth_power_consumption_in_portable_devices.html Thu, 31 May 2012 13:53 GMT http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12/05/31/apple_wants_to_reduce_bluetooth_power_consumption_in_portable_devices.html by Rik Henderson, Pocket-Lint, 31 May 2012: "...BBC journalist and presenter Rory Cellan-Jones has posted a message on Twitter, claiming that he sent it from the bowels of London's underground train service: 'Historic first tweet from deep under London using @TFLofficial @virginmedia new tube wifi service - testing, testing,' it says. This means that provider Virgin Media is on track (no pun intended) to supply stations with Wi-Fi in time for the London 2012 Olympic Games..." http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/45870/virgin-media-wi-fi-london-underground-works Thu, 31 May 2012 13:53 GMT http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/45870/virgin-media-wi-fi-london-underground-works "WiFi, cellular data to account for 60% of all Internet traffic by 2016," by Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 30 May 2012: "...Cisco today is releasing the latest version of its Visual Networking Index, which measures global Internet usage and predicts future trends. In 2011, WiFi accounted for 40 percent of all traffic, while cellular data accounted for 2 percent, with the remainder coming from traditional fixed traffic (from dial-up to broadband). By 2016, WiFi will account for 51 percent of all traffic and cellular will quintuple, moving up to 10 percent..." http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/05/wifi-cellular-data-to-account-for-60-all-internet-traffic-by-2016/ Thu, 31 May 2012 13:53 GMT http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/05/wifi-cellular-data-to-account-for-60-all-internet-traffic-by-2016/ by Tom Simonite, MIT Technology Review, 30 May 2012: "...Experts say that the major carriers are so far keeping pace with the demands of their customers. 'Out of the four major national carriers, three are getting faster,' says Moore of RootMetrics; the fourth, Sprint, is due to introduce its first LTE networks this year, which should allow it to speed up too. He believes there is enough spectrum to go around but notes that carriers are caught in something of an arms race with their own customers. 'All I see for now is that speeds go up,' says Moore, 'and that will encourage consumer demands to go up as well.' Partly as a result, almost all wireless carriers phased out unlimited data plans last year..." http://www.technologyreview.com/business/40329/ Thu, 31 May 2012 13:53 GMT http://www.technologyreview.com/business/40329/ by Brian X. Chen, New York Times' Bits blog, 30 May 2012: "As The Times reported last week, a presidential advisory committee is urging President Obama to adopt computer technologies so that better use is made of radio spectrum for wireless communications. The report says that newer radio technologies could help share spectrum among, say, government agencies and companies, and thereby increase capacity a thousandfold... But the carriers in recent years have claimed they need to acquire additional spectrum, citing a looming 'spectrum crisis.' In response to the report by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), Chris Guttman-McCabe, vice president of regulatory affairs at CTIA, the trade association for the wireless industry, said that its members were excited about the idea of spectrum sharing, but that giving the carriers more spectrum should still remain the government's top priority. An edited transcript of an interview with Mr. Guttman-McCabe follows..." http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/30/qa-ctia-spectrum-sharing/ Thu, 31 May 2012 13:53 GMT http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/30/qa-ctia-spectrum-sharing/ by Phil Leigh, Inside Digital Media, 30 May 2012: "Last week a Presidential Panel urged a radical shift in spectrum management principles toward White Spaces as a means of relieving increasing traffic congestion resulting from the century-old method of exclusive frequency licenses... Essentially the report advises the President to authorize - or even require that - those government agencies with lightly used dedicated frequency bands enable commercial users to access such channels when not in use. Future smartphones could be equipped with frequency agile transceivers capable of accessing vacant channels in authorized bands when they're momentarily free of traffic. It's the same principle underlying TV Band White Spaces. The entire process is transparent to the user and accomplished on-the-fly by embedded electronic intelligence..." http://insidedigitalmedia.com/path-to-spectrum-abundance/ Thu, 31 May 2012 13:53 GMT http://insidedigitalmedia.com/path-to-spectrum-abundance/ by Brian X. Chen, New York Times' Bits blog, 29 May 2012: "...Steven Crowley, a wireless engineer who works as a consultant to carriers, government agencies and others, said that the system should be designed so that federal, nonfederal and commercial entities can share available radio spectrum. For example, the military might have radio spectrum it uses for communicating at a bombing test range, but when that test range is not in use, a smartphone would be able to pluck a signal from that spectrum. Ideally, if the military needed to use the test range, it would gain priority over commercial users, Mr. Crowley said..." http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/29/how-spectrum-sharing-would-work/ Thu, 31 May 2012 13:53 GMT http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/29/how-spectrum-sharing-would-work/ by Michael J. Marcus, Spectrum Talk blog, 28 May 2012: "...I recall that during the drafting of the Spectrum Policy Task Force Report the NTIA staff had a temper tantrum on even mentioning that 'interruptible spectrum' sharing of low average utilization federal spectrum might be considered. All reference to the topic in the context of federal spectrum was scribed from the report!..." http://www.marcus-spectrum.com/Blog/files/PCAST52512.html Thu, 31 May 2012 13:53 GMT http://www.marcus-spectrum.com/Blog/files/PCAST52512.html by Steve Anderson, Mobility Tech Zone, 11 May 2012: "...xG Technologies' new xMax Cognitive Radio System was demonstrated earlier today for a group of rural telecommunications executives, who piled into a moving vehicle near the xG Technology facilities near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. During the trip, they were asked to bring out their smartphones and tablets and access the Internet, which they were able to do while using neither commercial cellular connection nor capacity from their own data plans. The xG Technology system allows xMax Cognitive Radio System equipment to work with smartphones, tablets and similar devices to provide a broadband connection through a free, unlicensed spectrum..." http://www.mobilitytechzone.com/topics/4g-wirelessevolution/articles/2012/05/11/290003-xmax-cognitive-radio-system-brings-hope-rural-broadband.htm Mon, 14 May 2012 14:29 GMT http://www.mobilitytechzone.com/topics/4g-wirelessevolution/articles/2012/05/11/290003-xmax-cognitive-radio-system-brings-hope-rural-broadband.htm Carlson Wireless press release, 11 May 2012: "...At last, a wireless solution made to meet the challenges of the petroleum industry. TV white-space technology is a newly-available solution that offers abundant spectrum, non-line-of-sight (NLOS) performance and, best of all, a signal that can travel over water without weakening... Carlson is committed to supporting the oil-gas-petro industry by delivering an alternative communications solution with the highest propagation potential, broadband speeds, and an affordable price..." http://www.carlsonwireless.com/blog/tv-white-space/286-uhf-signal-goes-where-microwave-cant-go.html Mon, 14 May 2012 14:29 GMT http://www.carlsonwireless.com/blog/tv-white-space/286-uhf-signal-goes-where-microwave-cant-go.html ABI Research press release, 11 May 2012: "...ZigBee is the most widely-used IEEE 802.15.4 technology, accounting for 40% of total shipments in 2012 and growing to over 50% by 2015... 'ZigBee offers many advantages for smart home applications including large network sizes, low power consumption, and low cost solutions, however the ubiquity of Bluetooth in the smartphone and consumer desire to use this device as the home hub/controller will drive use of Bluetooth Smart and Smart Ready devices in the smart home environment, making it a strong competitor to ZigBee in this space,' comments Cooney..." http://www.abiresearch.com/press/3899-850+Million+IEEE+802.15.4+Chipsets+to+Ship+in+2016,+Despite+Strong+Competition+from+Bluetooth Mon, 14 May 2012 14:29 GMT http://www.abiresearch.com/press/3899-850+Million+IEEE+802.15.4+Chipsets+to+Ship+in+2016,+Despite+Strong+Competition+from+Bluetooth by Eddie Wrenn, Daily Mail, 11 May 2012: "Bluetooth watches, which pair with your phone to display text messages and control your music, have been tried before with limited success. But when enthusiastic inventors promised to get it right if they were given enough funding to create their 'Pebble' wristwatch, the Internet erupted with generosity. The team hoped to raise $100,000 in a month - they achieved this in just hours. Now, three weeks later, the creators have $10.1 million in the bank, and 85,000 buyers waiting to receive their own watch once it rolls off the production lines..." http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2143031/Everyone-wants-Inventors-asked-100-000-help-create-smart-watch--ended-raising-10MILLION-weeks.html Mon, 14 May 2012 14:29 GMT http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2143031/Everyone-wants-Inventors-asked-100-000-help-create-smart-watch--ended-raising-10MILLION-weeks.html by Brad Reed, Network World, 10 May 2012: "...'When you get into shared spectrum you get into a lot of issues with providing quality of service for customers, [Chris Pearson, the president of 4G Americas] said. 'We are open to spectrum sharing if there's no other way to acquire harmonized spectrum.' Taken together, though, all these ideas show is that both carriers and the government will have to take a piecemeal approach to spectrum policy to meet the FCC's goal of freeing up 500MHz of additional spectrum by the end of 2020. And since both the FCC and the carriers seem to have different ideas about the best way to get the job done, you can probably expect the carriers to still be begging for additional spectrum next year at CTIA..." http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/051012-ctia-spectrum-259148.html Mon, 14 May 2012 14:29 GMT http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/051012-ctia-spectrum-259148.html Mobile Europe, 10 May 2012: "...Infonetics also surveyed 24 operators on their WiFi deployment strategies. It found that two-thirds of the service providers that Infonetics interviewed have already deployed 20,000 to over 150,000 WiFi access points (APs) in public spaces... The strongest growth driver will be mobile operators deploying access points for data offload, analyst Richard Webb said. 'Our survey shows that whilst data offload is the current priority, in coming years operators will want to see a closer integration of WiFi with the mobile network so that offload becomes more intelligent, automated, and seamless,' Webb said. 'They want to utilise WiFi not only to augment mobile services, but to enhance the network itself by becoming an integrated part of the mobile network.'..." http://www.mobileeurope.co.uk/news/news-analysis/9318-carrier-wifi-sales-to-reach-21-billion-by-2016-infonetics Mon, 14 May 2012 14:29 GMT http://www.mobileeurope.co.uk/news/news-analysis/9318-carrier-wifi-sales-to-reach-21-billion-by-2016-infonetics by Marguerite Reardon, CNET.com, 10 May 2012: "...The survey, which was conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of the Wi-Fi Alliance, found that 90 percent of the 1,000 respondents polled said they would be more likely to stick with their current service provider if it offered the ability to connect automatically in Wi-Fi hot spots. And about 72 percent said they would pay more for it. While it's no surprise that wireless subscribers would be happy about doing away with the cumbersome process of signing on to Wi-Fi networks, what is surprising is that people would be willing to pay extra for it..." http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12261_7-57432240-10356022/would-you-pay-extra-for-seamless-wi-fi-connectivity/ Mon, 14 May 2012 14:29 GMT http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12261_7-57432240-10356022/would-you-pay-extra-for-seamless-wi-fi-connectivity/ by Brian Bennett, CNET.com, 10 May 2012: "...I love Bluetooth accessories, not just for their gee whiz factor, but because if done right they can really make everyday life more enjoyable. For example, I can't imagine washing dishes or doing other household chores without a trusty set of wireless headphones. The same goes for subway rides or walks around town. That's why when I saw the $99 Supertooth Melody headphones, my heart skipped a beat. Sure it may look a bit complicated with its various controls and buttons, but to me it looks like a gem..." http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57432072-94/the-tempting-bluetooth-gadgets-of-ctia/ Mon, 14 May 2012 14:29 GMT http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57432072-94/the-tempting-bluetooth-gadgets-of-ctia/ Mobile Experts press release (via PR Newswire), 10 May 2012: "...'Taken together, these changes will create a wholly new architecture for 2015 handsets, tablets, and PCs. The number of frequency bands and modes in a mobile handset is growing rapidly. Mobile device OEMs are faced with runaway cost, if they support all of the LTE frequency bands that are coming. Even with these new technologies, the RF content in a high-end smartphone will increase from $6 to $10 over five years. Mobile Experts investigated each technology individually, but we found that each disruptive technology is related to the others. CMOS amplifiers will use Envelope Tracking technology. Tuning elements will be used for impedance matching. MIMO will drive huge market growth for antennas and filters..." http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/envelope-tracking-mmpas-cmos-pas-antenna-tuning-and-mimo-to-transform-handset-rf-design-150920615.html Mon, 14 May 2012 14:29 GMT http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/envelope-tracking-mmpas-cmos-pas-antenna-tuning-and-mimo-to-transform-handset-rf-design-150920615.html Electronics Publications press release, 10 May 2012: "...Growth will be primarily driven by fast paced deployments of RFID projects in developing Asian countries, especially in China. Developments in the field of smart labels are projected to hold the key to future revenue growth. Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology holds immense potential for businesses engaged in production, transportation, and retailing of products. Superior production efficiency, inventory updates in real-time, shipping and importing economies, greater product security and curbing of counterfeit products are among the numerous advantages of using RFID..." http://www.electronics.ca/presscenter/articles/1783/1/Global-Radio-Frequency-Identification-RFID-Technology-Market-to-Reach-US187-Billion-by-2017/Page1.html Mon, 14 May 2012 14:29 GMT http://www.electronics.ca/presscenter/articles/1783/1/Global-Radio-Frequency-Identification-RFID-Technology-Market-to-Reach-US187-Billion-by-2017/Page1.html by Mary Jane Credeur, BusinessWeek, 10 May 2012: "...With the radio network, the city can turn streetlamps on and off and tailor brightness to a neighborhood's lighting needs. The system records the GPS coordinates of each lamppost, which is correlated with dawn and dusk times, so the lights only come on when it's completely dark. Traditional fixtures rely on photo cells that turn them on at dusk and off at dawn, and they can't be programmed to go on at other times. Chattanooga's new lights tell maintenance workers when a bulb is burned out, when power is lost, or if other repairs are needed. Energy usage data is fed back to the local electric company, eliminating the need for manual meter readers..." http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-05-10/chattanoogas-radio-operated-streetlamps Mon, 14 May 2012 14:29 GMT http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-05-10/chattanoogas-radio-operated-streetlamps by Nick Barber, IDG News (via PC World), 9 May 2012: "...A device a bit larger than a wrist watch could be attached to a user... When they wave an arm, kick a leg or stomp a foot, a computer could be trained to pair those gestures with actions. 'We're simply measuring the voltage on the body,' said Gabe Cohn a former Microsoft Research intern. '...there's a high frequency component that's changing because I'm changing my proximity to noise sources in the environment like power lines and appliances.' ...It's not perfect though. The system seemed to work intermittently during a demonstration because of what Cohn described 'as a small training set.' He said that the system had achieved more than 90 percent accuracy during a study period..." http://www.pcworld.com/article/255310/gesture_sensing_alternatives_use_radio_interference_doppler_effect.html Mon, 14 May 2012 14:29 GMT http://www.pcworld.com/article/255310/gesture_sensing_alternatives_use_radio_interference_doppler_effect.html by Tina Casey, Clean Technica, 8 May 2012: "...As Notre Dame researcher Berardi Sensale-Rodriguez explained in a prepared statement: 'A major bottleneck in the promise of THz technology has been the lack of efficient materials and devices that manipulate these energy waves. Having a naturally two-dimensional material with strong and tunable response to THz waves, for example, graphene, gives us the opportunity to design THz devices achieving unprecedented performance.'..." http://cleantechnica.com/2012/05/09/u-s-navy-funds-research-using-graphene-to-tap-terahertz-waves/ Mon, 14 May 2012 14:29 GMT http://cleantechnica.com/2012/05/09/u-s-navy-funds-research-using-graphene-to-tap-terahertz-waves/ La Quadrature du Net, 20 April 2012: "The European Commission released a ground-breaking study on shared access to radio spectrum. The study, conducted by SCF Associates Ltd, calls for a sweeping reform of wireless communications policies, so as to free up more airwaves and pave the way for 'super-WiFi' networks. The EU is severely lagging behind the US when it comes to adapting spectrum policy to new needs and possibilities, and this study should sound as a wake-up call for policy-makers..." https://www.laquadrature.net/node/5654 Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:17 GMT https://www.laquadrature.net/node/5654 by John Eggerton, Broadcasting + Cable, 20 April 2012: "...Former FCC commissioner Michael Copps said that he thinks there is a lot of spectrum lying fallow. 'There is a lot of spectrum out there, and I don't think anybody in the United States has very much of a clue exactly how much spectrum is lying fallow,' he said in an interview for The Communicators series on C-SPAN. He was asked whether the FCC had been remiss in making sure spectrum was available..." http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/483394-Copps_A_Whole_Lot_of_Spectrum_Lying_Fallow.php Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:17 GMT http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/483394-Copps_A_Whole_Lot_of_Spectrum_Lying_Fallow.php by Galen Moore, Boston Business Journal, 20 April 2012: "...As the MIT Technology Review magazine pointed out in an article, Friday, most smart phone users leave their Wi-Fi switched on, all the time. In other words, if you open up your iPhone or Android device and it prompts you with a list of several wi-fi networks available in your area, Navizon already knows exactly where you are..." http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bottom_line/2012/04/cell-phone-tracking.html Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:17 GMT http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bottom_line/2012/04/cell-phone-tracking.html WPC press release, 20 April 2012: "...The Qi standard is a fully open and flexible platform, and as it evolves, the WPC regularly approves new transmitter designs proposed by its members. The latest addition is a transmitter design that uses magnetic resonance technology. It increases the distance devices up to 5 Watts can be charged, from 5mm to 40mm, while remaining fully Qi compatible. This transmission distance is suitable for charging through most tables and counter tops..." http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wireless-power-consortium-extends-qi-standard-to-include-longer-range-magnetic-resonance-wireless-charging-148236455.html Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:17 GMT http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wireless-power-consortium-extends-qi-standard-to-include-longer-range-magnetic-resonance-wireless-charging-148236455.html The Engineer, 20 April 2012: "US engineers have developed a CMOS imaging chip for detecting the terahertz part of the electromagnetic spectrum. It could pave the way for mobile phones that can see through walls, wood, plastics, paper and other objects, according to the team at the University of Texas at Dallas... Applications of such technology could range from finding studs in walls to authentication of important documents. Businesses could use it to detect counterfeit money while manufacturing companies could apply it to process control..." http://www.theengineer.co.uk/sectors/electronics/news/imaging-chip-exploits-terahertz-spectrum/1012394.article Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:17 GMT http://www.theengineer.co.uk/sectors/electronics/news/imaging-chip-exploits-terahertz-spectrum/1012394.article CommLawBlog, 19 April 2012: "The FCC has authorized TV white space database coordinator Telcordia to offer service within Nottoway County, Virginia, a mostly rural area toward the southern part of the state. Initial operations will include 20 sites serving rural schools and households. The action comes less than a month after the FCC approved Telcordia's database, and four months after the first white space operations were approved for Wilmington, NC by coordinator Spectrum Bridge, Inc..." http://www.commlawblog.com/2012/04/articles/unlicensed-operations-and-emer/fcc-okays-second-area-for-white-space-operations/ Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:17 GMT http://www.commlawblog.com/2012/04/articles/unlicensed-operations-and-emer/fcc-okays-second-area-for-white-space-operations/ by Dana Blankenhorn, TheStreet.com, 19 April 2012: "...All that's left is to start holding more spectrum 'wires' in common, as Wi-Fi spectrum is held in common. Let those who build infrastructure recoup those costs through peering agreements - the money paid out from local access contracts as with today's Internet. With one compatible infrastructure, with quick connections to the wired Internet a financial no-brainer, and with an ocean of spectrum that can be re-used as Wi-Fi, carriers will be free to compete at the edge or in the core, and the spectrum shortage will disappear..." http://www.thestreet.com/story/11501403/1/feds-profit-too-much-to-end-wireless-spectrum-shortage.html Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:17 GMT http://www.thestreet.com/story/11501403/1/feds-profit-too-much-to-end-wireless-spectrum-shortage.html by Adrian Covert, Gizmodo, 19 April 2012: "...The RFID-happy Got My Stuff demo was maybe the most ambitious demo at AT+T labs. The idea is that all of your day-to-day objects you carry around with you - wallet, phone, glasses, computer, whatever - are tagged with an RFID chip... When you get into your car and start the engine, the system would do a scan and make sure you have all your things, then report that back to you what you have and don't have via the head unit in your dashboard. Never again would you get pulled over only to realize you don't have your license, or get all the way to the office, only to realize your forgot your laptop..." http://gizmodo.com/5903594/bio+acoustics-haptic-steering-wheels-rfid-everywhere-this-is-the-future-according-to-att Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:17 GMT http://gizmodo.com/5903594/bio+acoustics-haptic-steering-wheels-rfid-everywhere-this-is-the-future-according-to-att by Graeme Burton, Computing.co.uk, 19 April 2012: "...'In the past year, consumer wearables such as the BodyMedia Armband and Nike+ FuelBand have proliferated in the health and fitness space [and] in 2012, we'll see wearables begin to break out of communication, health and fitness to other verticals such as navigation, social networking, gaming, and commerce,' states the report..." http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/2168716/-wearables-backing-big-five-mainstream-claims-forrester Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:17 GMT http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/2168716/-wearables-backing-big-five-mainstream-claims-forrester by Peter Bernstein, TechZone360.com, 18 April 2012: "... If the idea is that sharing technologies will increase availability then those who share should pay those who own a fee so that the infrastructure can be built out. Cooper may be right that the technology to 'solve' the crisis exists or is on the way, but sharing the financial load must also be part of the equation. This is not about frequency sharing it is about cost causers being cost bearers as well..." http://www.techzone360.com/topics/techzone/articles/2012/04/18/286814-there-mobile-spectrum-crisis-that-a-very-good.htm Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:17 GMT http://www.techzone360.com/topics/techzone/articles/2012/04/18/286814-there-mobile-spectrum-crisis-that-a-very-good.htm by Leslie Downey, RFID Journal, 19 March 2012: "A growing number of people now recognize radio frequency identification's potential to help industry and commerce increase profitability by enabling operational efficiencies. Less commonly understood is that the technology can make a significant contribution to environmental sustainability. RFID Journal's Green Award, a new category added last year to the annual RFID Journal Awards competition, provides companies with an opportunity to demonstrate this in 2012 and beyond..." http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/9300/1/82/ Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:17 GMT http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/9300/1/82/ Infonetics press release, 12 April 2012: "...The market will be driven by wider availability of licensed and unlicensed millimeter wave products and as demand for high capacity mobile backhaul solutions for metro areas with high cell density - and small cells in particular - increases with the deployment of 4G networks..." http://www.infonetics.com/pr/2012/Millimeter-Wave-and-Microwave-Equipment-Market-Highlights.asp Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:17 GMT http://www.infonetics.com/pr/2012/Millimeter-Wave-and-Microwave-Equipment-Market-Highlights.asp by Nancy Trejos, USA Today, 6 April 2012: "...'Given the explosion of mobile use in the past few years, it is no surprise that travelers are requiring free and fast Wi-Fi,' said Taylor L. Cole, director of public relations and social media for Hotels.com. 'Many guests never travel without their tablets, smartphones and laptops. It's as intuitive as packing a toothbrush...'" http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/post/2012/04/survey-reveals-hotels-guests-want-wifi-over-everything-else/666250/1 Sun, 08 Apr 2012 00:03 GMT http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/post/2012/04/survey-reveals-hotels-guests-want-wifi-over-everything-else/666250/1 The Engineer, 5 April 2012: "...According to a statement, scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM in Berlin are using new calculation methods to ensure EVs can access the radio without the need for expensive filters and insulation cables. Listening to the radio in an EV is difficult because electrical interference impedes the reception of radio waves..." http://www.theengineer.co.uk/sectors/automotive/news/mathematical-models-help-to-lower-radio-interference-in-evs/1012273.article Sun, 08 Apr 2012 00:03 GMT http://www.theengineer.co.uk/sectors/automotive/news/mathematical-models-help-to-lower-radio-interference-in-evs/1012273.article by Paul Scully-Power, The Newspaper, 19 March 2012: "...Last Wednesday, the state Senate Transportation Committee voted unanimously to pass a bill asking the Department of Motor Vehicles to create a report on the implementation of RFID for motor vehicle registration by January 1. Implanting the chips on license plates would enable real-time monitoring of all vehicles by positioning tracking stations at key points throughout the state. The main interest behind the bill is to generate automated ticket for drivers whose vehicle registration, emissions or insurance certification may have lapsed..." http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/37/3743.asp Mon, 19 Mar 2012 22:06 GMT http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/37/3743.asp Panasonic press release, 19 March 2012: "...The new chipset will enable stable interactive communication between various kinds of devices supporting the specification developed by the WiGig Alliance. Panasonic had previously developed fundamental CMOS circuit technologies for 60 GHz transceiver and modem signal processing circuits, but now an additional radio packet processing block has been integrated as a key block of the chipset. This plays a significant role in accelerating the realization of simple to use high-definition video data sharing/streaming applications for mobile devices. This chipset can be embedded into mobile devices, such as smartphones..." http://panasonic.co.jp/corp/news/official.data/data.dir/en120319-3/en120319-3.html Mon, 19 Mar 2012 20:50 GMT http://panasonic.co.jp/corp/news/official.data/data.dir/en120319-3/en120319-3.html Ruckus press release, 19 March 2012: "...Guangxi Unicom, a unit of China Unicom, is using a wide range of Smart Wi-Fi products and technologies to deliver public broadband access across eight universities and colleges in Guangxi province. Additionally, China's Shaanxi Normal University (SNNU) has selected Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi to construct a massive, multi-campus wireless infrastructure with more than 1,200 APs supporting 50,000 students and staff..." http://www.ruckuswireless.com/press/releases/2012-03-19-china-universities Mon, 19 Mar 2012 20:50 GMT http://www.ruckuswireless.com/press/releases/2012-03-19-china-universities by Eric Geier, NetworkWorld, 19 March 2012: "Wi-Fi stumblers are handy when checking for channel usage, signal strength, security status, and detecting rogue access points, in situations where enterprise-level tools aren't necessary. We recently reviewed stumblers for your PC or laptop. Here's a look at a few Wi-Fi stumblers for your Android smartphone or tablet, which makes it even more convenient for quick and simple wireless checks..." http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/031912-android-wifi-stumblers-257242.html Mon, 19 Mar 2012 20:50 GMT http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/031912-android-wifi-stumblers-257242.html by Antti Palosaari, Osmocom.org, 17 March 2012: "DVB-T sticks based on the Realtek RTL2832U can be used as a cheap SDR, since the chip allows transferring the raw I/Q samples to the host, which is officially used for DAB/DAB+/FM demodulation... What has been successfully tested so far is the reception of TETRA and GMR..." http://sdr.osmocom.org/trac/wiki/rtl-sdr Mon, 19 Mar 2012 20:50 GMT http://sdr.osmocom.org/trac/wiki/rtl-sdr by Cynthia Wong, Center for Democracy and Technology, 16 March 2012: "The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a United Nations agency, will soon hold a meeting of world governments to decide whether and how it will regulate the Internet. However, global civil society has had little opportunity to take part in the debate..." https://www.cdt.org/blogs/cdt/1603itu-eyes-internet-where-civil-society Mon, 19 Mar 2012 20:50 GMT https://www.cdt.org/blogs/cdt/1603itu-eyes-internet-where-civil-society by Larry Magid, Forbes, 16 March 2012: "... Regardless of whether you go with the built-in 4G or an external device, try to connect to an unlimited Wi-Fi network whenever possible. And when considering that cool faster 4G, remember that 4G means more megabytes per minute which also translates into motoring through your data plan even faster if you're not careful..." http://www.forbes.com/sites/larrymagid/2012/03/16/hands-on-with-the-new-ipad-why-to-consider-a-wi-fi-only-version/ Mon, 19 Mar 2012 20:50 GMT http://www.forbes.com/sites/larrymagid/2012/03/16/hands-on-with-the-new-ipad-why-to-consider-a-wi-fi-only-version/ NASA ScienceCasts (via YouTube), 15 March 2012: "...Outside the realm of human vision is an entire electromagnetic spectrum of wonders. Each type of light - from radio waves to gamma-rays - reveals something unique about the universe. Some wavelengths are best for studying black holes; others reveal newborn stars and planets; while others illuminate the earliest years of cosmic history. NASA has many telescopes 'working the wavelengths' up and down the electromagnetic spectrum. One of them, the Fermi Gamma-Ray Telescope orbiting Earth, has just crossed a new electromagnetic frontier..." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hIF36ty1Eo Mon, 19 Mar 2012 20:32 GMT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hIF36ty1Eo ictQATAR, 14 March 2012 in English and Arabic: "This Radio Spectrum Policy is issued by the Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology ('ictQATAR') in accordance with Decree Law No. (34) of 2006 on the promulgation of the Telecommunications Law and the Executive By-Law for the Telecommunications Law..." http://www.ictqatar.qa/ar/documents/document/radio-spectrum-policy Mon, 19 Mar 2012 20:50 GMT http://www.ictqatar.qa/ar/documents/document/radio-spectrum-policy by Geoff Hollingworth, Ericsson's Networked Society blog, 2 February 2012: "...WebRTC stands for Web Real-Time Communications and introduces a real-time media framework in the browser core alongside associated JavaScript APIs for controlling the media frame and HTML5 tags for displaying... WebRTC allows anybody to introduce real-time communication to their web page as simply as introducing a table. At Ericsson, we have a saying that anything that will benefit from having a connection will have one. We can extend that saying here: any context benefiting from communication will contain it. Communication becomes an existing feature in the environment rather than an additional service..." http://www.ericsson.com/thinkingahead/the-networked-society-blog/2012/02/02/webrtc-the-democratization-of-the-communications-industry/ Mon, 19 Mar 2012 20:50 GMT http://www.ericsson.com/thinkingahead/the-networked-society-blog/2012/02/02/webrtc-the-democratization-of-the-communications-industry/ In-Stat press release, 15 March 2012: "...'WiGig has both drawbacks and advantages in comparison with the competition,' says Brian O'Rourke, Research Director. 'Its major drawback is that it is not yet available, while WHDI and WirelessHD have been on the market for years. Its advantages include the fact that it is slated to become the 60GHz WLAN specification - IEEE 802.11ad - and three chip vendors will be coming to market in the next year with WiGig/802.11ad silicon. In addition, the WiGig Alliance includes in its membership multiple WLAN silicon vendors and a diverse assortment of major technology companies..." http://www.instat.com/newmk.asp?ID=3361 Wed, 14 Mar 2012 23:07 GMT http://www.instat.com/newmk.asp?ID=3361 FCC meeting agenda for 21 March: "Creation of a Low Power Radio Service - Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Report and Order: The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding proposals to implement the Local Community Radio Act and to strengthen the LPFM service, including second adjacent channel waiver procedures, interference remediation requirements, and modification of eligibility, ownership, and selection standards..." http://www.fcc.gov/events/open-commission-meeting-march-2012 Wed, 14 Mar 2012 23:07 GMT http://www.fcc.gov/events/open-commission-meeting-march-2012 Broadband Choice, 8 March 2012: "Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards told a conference in Brussels recently that there is a need for coordinated policy decisions on the use of so-called white space technology... Using the gaps in licensed spectrum can create a similar service to Wi-Fi, with Mr Richards arguing that the potential usage of dynamic spectrum needs to move from the theoretical to the practical in the near future. With this in mind, the regulator pointed out that a code of conduct will need to be drawn up to ensure broadband providers and other communications companies are aware of the potential benefits and limitations of this approach..." http://www.broadbandchoice.co.uk/news/ofcom-calls-for-co-ordinated-policy-on-broadband-spectrum-801312540/ Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:41 GMT http://www.broadbandchoice.co.uk/news/ofcom-calls-for-co-ordinated-policy-on-broadband-spectrum-801312540/ Global Industry Analysts Inc. press release (via Yahoo), 8 March 2012: "...The steep decline in cost of RFID tags is palpable by its mass production for widespread usage in tracking pets, and livestock, minute components in car assembly plants, and luggage at transit points. Consumer goods manufacturers have of late shown interest in adopting smart tags and the sheer size of the retail industry promises order inflows by the billions. Soon, these smart tags would replace bar codes in consumer goods packaging. In addition, government programs to replace plastic ID cards and paper passport with smartcards and electronic passports, which use contactless chip technologies, spur adoption of RFID technologies..." http://news.yahoo.com/global-radio-frequency-identification-rfid-technology-market-reach-140516377.html Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:41 GMT http://news.yahoo.com/global-radio-frequency-identification-rfid-technology-market-reach-140516377.html by Paul Kapustka, Mobile Sports Report, 8 March 2012: "...There's no set way yet to measure exactly how much cellular data you use when you are viewing live video because the answer depends on a lot of variables, including video resolution rate, your distance from the nearest cell tower, and the strength of the signal. But the bottom line for sports fans is that if you want to use the tablet exclusively for sports consumption, the smart move is to find a Wi-Fi signal whenever you can. And since more stadiums are now putting Wi-Fi inside, bringing your tablet or iPad to the game is going to become as much a no-brainer as 'buying peanuts on the outside'..." http://www.mobilesportsreport.com/2012/03/tablet-or-ipad-wi-fi-mobile-sports-nirvana/ Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:41 GMT http://www.mobilesportsreport.com/2012/03/tablet-or-ipad-wi-fi-mobile-sports-nirvana/ Mobile Business Briefing, 8 March 2012": "...The UK incumbent telco is set to trial the technology in Cornwall, the same area where it has recently participated in an LTE pilot with mobile operator Everything Everywhere. The pilot is expected to be the same size as the 4G work, taking white space coverage to a 'commercial level for the first time'..." http://www.mobilebusinessbriefing.com/articles/report-extended-uk-white-space-pilot-in-the-pipeline/22873 Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:41 GMT http://www.mobilebusinessbriefing.com/articles/report-extended-uk-white-space-pilot-in-the-pipeline/22873 by Casey Johnston, Ars Electronica, 7 March 2012: "...By focusing a concentrated signal from router to connected device, or 'beamforming,' the IEEE 802.11ad WiGig specification will allow data transmission speeds of up to 7Gbps. Qualcomm plans to start making 802.11ac chips soon that will give mobile and desktop devices access to 1.3Gbps WiFi speeds. Faster WiFi can't come soon enough: a lot of our personal Internet business is currently conducted through smartphones (thus 3G and 4G connections). Carriers are straining under the load, capping data and throttling 'unlimited' connections. We can expect more carriers producing devices with technology that makes offloading to WiFi as seamless as possible..." http://arstechnica.com/business/the-networked-society/2012/03/the-five-technologies-that-will-transform-homes-of-the-future.ars Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:41 GMT http://arstechnica.com/business/the-networked-society/2012/03/the-five-technologies-that-will-transform-homes-of-the-future.ars CSIR eNews, 6 March 2012: "...Mekuria and his group are moving fast to establish a critical R+D mass in terms of cognitive radio and green networks (CR+GN) which are enablers for dynamic spectrum access (DSA). An MoU (memorandum of understanding) with the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) sets out the terms and agreed possible areas of research collaboration and test-bed development with industrial partners..." http://www.csir.co.za/enews/2012_mar/13.html Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:41 GMT http://www.csir.co.za/enews/2012_mar/13.html by Daniel Carpini, RCR Wireless Report, 5 March 2012: "...Another area of application that is currently being overlooked by white space proponents is mobile voice and broadband networking. The FCC approved the operation of both fixed and portable devices in white spaces spectrum. Fixed devices are limited to operating at power levels of up to 4 watts EIRP... Portable wireless devices, on the other hand, are limited to 100 milliwatts EIRP, due to their greater risk of being located close to a TV receiver and potentially causing interference to licensed TV broadcasts. Due to this very low power limit, conventional wisdom in the wireless industry has relegated portable white spaces devices to short-range, in-home applications. However, detailed simulations presented by xG Technology at various industry forums clearly demonstrate that cost-effective, wide-area mobile broadband networks can be deployed using white spaces..." http://www.rcrwireless.com/article/20120305/opinion/reader-forum-new-technology-enables-cost-effective-white-spaces-mobility/ Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:41 GMT http://www.rcrwireless.com/article/20120305/opinion/reader-forum-new-technology-enables-cost-effective-white-spaces-mobility/ by Linda Doyle (blog), 28 February 2012: "My colleague Tim Forde and I have spent much of the last few days discussing all the current activity in the TV bands (yes we have exciting lives) - the WRC-12 agenda turned on its head leading to the proposed second digital dividend for Europe, incentive auctions in the USA, 800 MHz consultations in the UK. There seems to be a lot going on but a lot that is not, in my opinion, leading anywhere good in spectrum management..." http://ledoyle.wordpress.com/2012/02/28/the-second-coming-or-maybe-the-third/ Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:41 GMT http://ledoyle.wordpress.com/2012/02/28/the-second-coming-or-maybe-the-third/ Comms Dealer, 7 March 2012: "...Adoption of growing numbers of smartphones and tablets and subsequent rapidly rising levels of data consumption means that this dissatisfaction among mobile users is set to increase, reckons Rene Hendrikse, VP Emea, iPass. He cited observations by Cisco that suggest the average mobile connection in the UK will generate 4,608 megabytes of mobile data traffic per month in 2016, up 983 per cent from 424 megabytes per month in 2011. 'Gartner reported recently that without proper planning, enterprises deploying iPads will need 300% more Wi-Fi,' said Hendrikse..." http://www.comms-dealer.com/industry-news/disgruntled-mobile-users-turn-wi-fi-access Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:41 GMT http://www.comms-dealer.com/industry-news/disgruntled-mobile-users-turn-wi-fi-access EOL press release (via Scoop.nz), 7 March 2012: "Leading wireless broadband internet provider EOL is closely monitoring overseas trends which suggest more Wi-Fi networks will soon be needed throughout the country to cope with our increasingly mobile society.While 3G cellular data networks are currently the most popular way of accessing the internet remotely, they are becoming overloaded and congested..." http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1203/S00289/more-wi-fi-access-needed-to-meet-mobile-society-demands.htm Wed, 07 Mar 2012 09:32 GMT http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1203/S00289/more-wi-fi-access-needed-to-meet-mobile-society-demands.htm Business Day, 6 March 2012: "...Infrastructure vendors including Ericsson, which is ranked in the top three globally in infrastructure, are actively including Wi-Fi in their infra-structure portfolio. The rise of mixed mobile networks of Wi-Fi and traditional technology may change the competitive landscape of both service providers and equipment vendors. The use of Wi-Fi as a more integral part of mobile operator networks may also open the door to new players..." http://www.businessday.co.za/Articles/Content.aspx?id=166708 Wed, 07 Mar 2012 09:32 GMT http://www.businessday.co.za/Articles/Content.aspx?id=166708 Spectrum Bridge press release, 6 March 2012: "Spectrum Bridge, Inc. today announced a partnership with MELD Technology, a leading provider of personal digital broadcasting equipment, to provide the underlying technology platform for the world's first low power portable device capable of utilizing TV White Space bands. 'We are pleased to be working with MELD Technology to introduce the first low power personal portable broadcast system over TV White Space,' said Rod Dir, CEO of Spectrum Bridge. 'This innovation represents the type of new wireless product and the commercial service opportunities the industry has long envisioned for this new shared spectrum'..." http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/-1628667.htm Wed, 07 Mar 2012 09:32 GMT http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/-1628667.htm by Peter Rysavy, High Tech Forum, 5 March 2012: "...It takes more sites to build out at 1.7 GHz, but the increased number of sites simultaneously translates to much greater capacity. So even if it were to take three times as many sites for 1.7 GHz as for 700 MHz, MHz for MHz, the 1.7 GHz network will have three times as much capacity as the 700 MHz network, and the overall LTE network now has four times the total capacity as it did with just the 700 MHz band..." http://www.hightechforum.org/low-versus-high-radio-spectrum/ Wed, 07 Mar 2012 09:32 GMT http://www.hightechforum.org/low-versus-high-radio-spectrum/ "Ministry allocates RO50m for radio frequency spectrum," Times of Oman, 5 March 2012: "...Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed al Futaisi, Transport and Communications Minister, said that the allocation of RO50 million for the plan, which has been approved by the Council of Ministers, will support the telecommunications sector in the Sultanate and will avail new civil and commercial frequencies. This, in turn, will promote the communication services and meet the growing demand to cover all governorates in the country... Dr. Amer Al Rawas CEO of Omantel said, 'We are pleased to hear the plans to implement a frequency evacuation plan which we trust will help us as operators to improve the services that we provide'..." http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=840 Wed, 07 Mar 2012 09:32 GMT http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=840 "Business Express to offer Wi-Fi service from tomorrow," Daily Times, 4 March 2012: "...Pak Business Train Chief Operating Officer (COO) Ejaz Ahmad said Saturday the PTCL have reached an agreement and passengers would now enjoy smooth Wi-Fi service during their journey between Lahore and Karachi. He said connectivity is still a major problem and passengers may face it in some flung areas of Punjab and Sindh during the journey because no company was ready to offer uninterrupted Internet services inside the train..." http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012%5C03%5C04%5Cstory_4-3-2012_pg5_5 Wed, 07 Mar 2012 09:32 GMT http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012%5C03%5C04%5Cstory_4-3-2012_pg5_5 Mobile Business, 2 March 2012: "...Wi-Fi accounts for 70% of all smartphone-originated traffic, according to a new study from Mobidia Technology, a provider of device-centric, mobile data solutions, and analyst firm Informa Telecoms and Media. The research, released at Mobile World Congress, shows that across the global smartphone user base sampled, 91% of smartphone subscribers use Wi-Fi for data usage purposes. Also, for an overwhelming majority of smartphone users, Wi-Fi is employed as the primary data connection of choice. 'We were quite surprised with the findings,' said Mobidia vice president of marketing, Chris Hill. 'Not only did we find that data usage on smartphones was much higher than the typical 100 to 500 megabytes average monthly usage that is often cited, but we also found that Wi-Fi usage often outpaced mobile usage by as much as six-to-one in some countries'..." http://www.mbmagazine.co.uk/RSS_News_Articles.cfm?NewsID=15803 Wed, 07 Mar 2012 09:32 GMT http://www.mbmagazine.co.uk/RSS_News_Articles.cfm?NewsID=15803 The Epcot Explorer's Encyclopedia, 29 February 2012: "...today Disney filed paperwork to install property-wide WiFi at the Walt Disney World resort. The contractor is Crown Castle, whose website touts their large scale shared multi-user WiFi installations." http://www.epcyclopedia.com/2012/02/29/disney-world-to-add-property-wide-wifi/ Wed, 07 Mar 2012 09:32 GMT http://www.epcyclopedia.com/2012/02/29/disney-world-to-add-property-wide-wifi/ by David Manners, Mannerisms blog, 29 February 2012: "Edinburgh start-up Visible Light Communications (VLC) is focussing on using flickering LEDs instead of WiFi for broadband communications. Speeds of up to 500Mbits/sec have been achieved for the technology, called Li-Fi, but the first product from VLC - a consumer transmitter - will deliver data at 100Mbits/sec using VLC's SIM-OFDM technology and optical spatial modulation. It is due for launch next year. The technology was invented by Edinburgh University's Harald Haas. 'At the heart of this technology is a new generation of high-brightness light-emitting diodes,' says Haas, 'very simply, if the LED is on, you transmit a digital 1, if it's off you transmit a'..." http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/david-manners-semiconductor-blog/2012/02/edinburgh-start-up-uses-light.html Wed, 07 Mar 2012 09:32 GMT http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/david-manners-semiconductor-blog/2012/02/edinburgh-start-up-uses-light.html Digi International press release (via TMCnet), 6 March 2012: "Digi International today released the XBee 868LP, Europe's first multi-channel 868 MHz wireless module with Listen Before Talk (LBT) and Adaptive Frequency Agility (AFA) technology allowing it to automatically change channels if interference is detected. The low cost, low-power module is based on Analog Device's ADF7023 transceiver and is ideal for energy management, sensor deployments and other wireless networking applications..." http://it.tmcnet.com/news/2012/03/06/6168228.htm Tue, 06 Mar 2012 20:20 GMT http://it.tmcnet.com/news/2012/03/06/6168228.htm Draft submitted to IETF by Spectrum Bridge Inc., 5 March 2012: "This document defines an application protocol for WSDB services provided to TV Band Devices (TVBDs). The protocol complies with FCC Rules/Requirements [FCC 10-174] and in the context of operating an FCC certified database, it also complies with requirements defined by IETF PAWS [IETF-PAWS-03]..." https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-sbi-paws-protocol/ Tue, 06 Mar 2012 19:31 GMT https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-sbi-paws-protocol/ by Dimitris Mavrakis, Informa press release, 28 February 2012: "...The report finds that small cell are set to grow from 3.2 million in 2012 to 62.4 million by 2016 - a 2000% (or 20x) increase - constituting 88% of all base stations globally. The report also highlights the key advances in small cells in 2012 including several new deployments, including the world's first LTE femtocell service launch, as well as important acquisitions and new product launches marrying small cell technology with Wi-Fi..." http://blogs.informatandm.com/4202/press-release-small-cells-to-make-up-almost-90-of-all-base-stations-by-2016/ Tue, 06 Mar 2012 08:22 GMT http://blogs.informatandm.com/4202/press-release-small-cells-to-make-up-almost-90-of-all-base-stations-by-2016/ US Federal Communications Commission (to be streamed live): "Receiver performance issues have often arisen as a conflict between legacy stakeholders and new entrants where deployment of new technologies and services threatens to adversely impact an incumbent or place restrictions on the new entrant... Because such discussions sometime begin upon the introduction of a new service or technology, full deployment of such new services could be hindered. New approaches to spectrum management focusing on spectrum efficiency and receiver performance may enable more assured deployment of new services and reduce the necessity for the involvement of regulators..." http://www.fcc.gov/events/workshop-spectrum-efficiency-and-receivers-day-1 Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:57 GMT http://www.fcc.gov/events/workshop-spectrum-efficiency-and-receivers-day-1 by Spencer Ackerman, Wired's Danger Room blog, 5 March 2012: "The most important element of the Army's effort to modernize itself doesn't shoot. You can't ride in it. You can't wear it for protection against homemade bombs. And it doesn't spy on an enemy. You transmit data on it. 'The network,' says Lt. Gen. William Phillips, the Army's acquisitions chief, 'is our number one program going forward.'..." http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/03/army-data-network/ Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:57 GMT http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/03/army-data-network/ by Dan Burger, IT Jungle, 5 March 2012: "...'In the apparel industry, there's been a push by a number of the retailers for item-level RFID tagging,' Reich says. 'In the early years, there were a carton- and pallet-level RFID mandates. In that early testing, the payback wasn't there. But it was later discovered that payback was much better on fast-moving consumer items that are hard to keep in inventory. Retailers found they could reduce the number of 'out of stocks' resulting in lost sales.'..." http://www.itjungle.com/tfh/tfh030512-story03.html Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:57 GMT http://www.itjungle.com/tfh/tfh030512-story03.html The Economist's Babbage blog, 3 March 2012: "...OFDM offers a statistical probability of greater aggregated throughput - more data passing faster - than a single wide channel... every subchannel can transmit at different rates independent of the others, depending on the quality of the particular wire or spectrum. Even better for wireless the signal from each subchannel may reflect off different objects in an obstructed environment (a so-called multi-path signal), and be reconstructed separately. (Multiple-in, multiple-out or MIMO antenna arrays help achieve that.)..." http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2012/03/networking-technology Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:57 GMT http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2012/03/networking-technology by Jose Vilches, TechSpot, 2 March 2012: "...'"Each of these twisted beams can be independently generated, propagated and detected even in the very same frequency band, behaving as independent communication channels [...] Within reasonable economic boundaries, one can think about using five orbital angular momentum states, from -5 (counter-clockwise) up to 5 (clockwise), including untwisted waves. In this instance, we can have 11 channels in one frequency band. It is possible to use multiplexing, like in digital TV, on each of these to implement even more channels on the same states.'..." http://www.techspot.com/news/47645-scientists-demo-radio-wave-twisting-to-increase-bandwidth.html Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:57 GMT http://www.techspot.com/news/47645-scientists-demo-radio-wave-twisting-to-increase-bandwidth.html Brough Turner, Bob Frankston and Preston Rhea, hosted by the Internet Society of Washington, DC (video netcast archive), 1 March 2012: "Should the internet be considered public infrastructure? What are the best ways to increase access to the underserved? What are the impediments to more efficient and economic access for everyone?" http://www.livestream.com/internetsocietychapters/video?clipId=pla_9f550f20-d6d4-49cd-a6e9-f04f8bb7f2be Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:57 GMT http://www.livestream.com/internetsocietychapters/video?clipId=pla_9f550f20-d6d4-49cd-a6e9-f04f8bb7f2be by Brian Bennett, CNET.com, 2 March 2012: "...The real benefit of Bluetooth 4.0 is energy efficiency. Designed primarily for devices that collect information frequently, either as much as five times a second or just once every hour, the standard is optimized for long battery life. In fact users may see longevity increase by 5 to 10 times depending on individual usage. Mr. Foley went so far to say that a traditional wireless mouse and keyboard using the new protocol could conceivably last for five to seven years before needing a fresh battery - likely outlasting the life of the product..." http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57389687-94/the-power-of-bluetooth-4.0-itll-change-your-life/ Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:57 GMT http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57389687-94/the-power-of-bluetooth-4.0-itll-change-your-life/ by Patrick Nelson, TechNewsWorld, 1 March 2012: "...Classic, often wired products that can be wirelessly Bluetooth-enabled include stereo speakers and headphones. Notable newer applications include a soundbar, upcoming smart watches, active shutter 3D television glasses, automobile text-to-speech functionality, a group cycling communication device, modem connectivity, key finders, photo frames, stereo sunglasses, universal remote controllers, an arcade game controller, cameras, printers, GPS connections, data collection for weather meters ,and medical gear like blood pressure monitors. In other words, it's here to stay..." http://www.technewsworld.com/story/74538.html Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:57 GMT http://www.technewsworld.com/story/74538.html by Michael Grotticelli, Broadcast Engineering, 1 March 2012: "Fears that wireless carriers will become too large and powerful in coming years are unfounded, a new study predicts, arguing that Wi-Fi technology may take $8 billion from the revenue of wireless carriers by 2016... The report, entitled Signal Strength: Assessing Value Shifts in the Mobile Telecommunications Industry, states that 'established players can no longer rely on the rising tide of demand to guarantee growth' from portable devices, cloud-based services and other disruptive factors. A host of threats to incumbent wireless carriers, the report said, are set to take over the market in the years ahead - including over-the-top voice and messaging substitution..." http://blog.broadcastengineering.com/blog-opinions/2012/03/01/wi-fi-may-slow-subscription-wireless-service-growth/ Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:57 GMT http://blog.broadcastengineering.com/blog-opinions/2012/03/01/wi-fi-may-slow-subscription-wireless-service-growth/ by Michael Kelley, Business Insider, 1 March 2012: "...'If you give fans bandwidth, people are going to use it, and they're going to use it for intensive applications,' [San Francisco Giants senior vice president and chief information officer Bill] Schlough said. 'There's just this absolutely explosive demand happening, and no matter how much capacity you have, the demand continues to rise up to meet that.'..." http://www.businessinsider.com/wi-fi-networks-at-sports-venues-are-pushing-max-capacity-and-paying-for-it-2012-3 Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:57 GMT http://www.businessinsider.com/wi-fi-networks-at-sports-venues-are-pushing-max-capacity-and-paying-for-it-2012-3 by Stephen Lawson, IDG News (via PC World), 1 March 2012: "...Today's macro base stations tend to be specialized designs rather than standard hardware made from common types of parts, said Simon Saunders, chairman of the Small Cell Forum. Likewise, the established vendors of cellular equipment often use their own interpretations of standards for signaling between the components of a network, he said. That model needs to change because smaller cells need to be made in larger numbers, at a lower cost..." http://www.pcworld.com/article/251103/wifi_small_cells_could_disrupt_mobile.html Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:57 GMT http://www.pcworld.com/article/251103/wifi_small_cells_could_disrupt_mobile.html Mobidia whitepaper, 1 March 2012: "...91% of smartphone subscribers use Wi-Fi for data usage purposes. Also, for an overwhelming majority of smartphone users, Wi-Fi is employed as the primary data connection of choice. 'We were quite surprised with the findings,' said Mobidia vice president of marketing, Chris Hill. 'Not only did we find that data usage on smartphones was much higher than the typical 100 to 500 megabytes average monthly usage that is often cited, but we also found that Wi-Fi usage often outpaced mobile usage by as much as six-to-one in some countries.'..." http://contactform.mobidia.com/whitepaper.aspx Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:57 GMT http://contactform.mobidia.com/whitepaper.aspx by Sharif Sakr, Engadget, 1 March 2012: "Venture far out into the wireless spectrum, until the familiar 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands are but flecks on the horizon, and eventually you'll come across a party raging in the middle of nowhere. There are only a few geeks dancing in the 60GHz (802.11ad) tent at present, but prototype devices are already emerging and now Chinese manufacturer ZTE has joined the WiGig alliance too. With the latest standard promising a maximum throughput of 7Gbps, potentially even for smartphones, homesickness seems unlikely." http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/01/zte-throws-weight-behind-wigig/ Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:57 GMT http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/01/zte-throws-weight-behind-wigig/ by Andrew Ku, Tom's Hardware, 1 March 2012: "We've come to love Intel's Wireless Display (WiDi). It just too dang convenient. Forget about HDMI cables. You just need a WiDi adapter and you can mirror your computer's display onto your HDTV. Better yet, Intel has solved most of the original restrictions, as you can now play protected video content and it supports 1080p... According to some vendors at MWC though, WiDi isn't exactly power efficient..., which is why WiFi Alliance has stepped in with its proposed 802.11-based wireless display standard (WFD)..." http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/wifi-widi-wfd-wireless-display,news-37899.html Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:57 GMT http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/wifi-widi-wfd-wireless-display,news-37899.html by Esme Vos, MuniWireless, 1 March 2012: "...Remember the good old days when you could find free Wi-Fi just about everywhere? Now free Wi-Fi is the exception, not the rule. You can still find free Wi-Fi in cafes, hotels, and libraries, but the free Wi-Fi that used to exist as you wandered down the street is gone. That's because most people's Wi-Fi access points used to come with a default OPEN access. That's over. Indeed, Cisco and other wireless vendors are now releasing what they call 'carrier class' end-to-end Wi-Fi/cellular access points which are designed to allow the operator to take full control of your iPhone's connections. 'Managing' your mobile experience is how the PR departments like to describe it. 'Control' is a better word. Soon, Wi-Fi networks will become like cellular networks: walled garden fortresses, bounded on all sides by passwords and paid memberships..." http://www.muniwireless.com/2012/03/01/moving-to-captive-closed-world/ Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:57 GMT http://www.muniwireless.com/2012/03/01/moving-to-captive-closed-world/ Broadcast Engineering, 1 March 2012: "...Last week, Media Broadcast, a European operator of DVB-T broadcast networks, released a statement in response to a decision made following the WRC Global Broadcast Conference in Geneva that could lead to nearly a third of the spectrum used for DVB-T terrestrial television being reassigned to parallel mobile communications... 'We call upon European institutions, the Federal government and the German regions not to implement the WRC-12 conclusions regarding broadcast frequencies. With the agreements they have concluded in Geneva, the signatories are taking a hatchet to the roots of the digital terrestrial sector,' said Bernd Kraus, CEO of Media Broadcast..." http://broadcastengineering.com/RF/Operator-protests-WRC-recommendation-spectrum-use-mobile-03012012/ Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:57 GMT http://broadcastengineering.com/RF/Operator-protests-WRC-recommendation-spectrum-use-mobile-03012012/ by Mike Dano, Fierce Wireless, 29 February 2012: "...But the idea that companies like Amazon and Netflix should pay for the traffic they generate is silly. Why should they? Users already pay for that traffic, and there's no good reason for that scenario to change. The result is that users are aligning themselves with the OTT service providers and against the mobile network operators. As well they should be: Mobile operators are doing nothing to actually help their customers. Take Pinger, for example. The company provides IP-based calling and messaging services that are free to users (Pinger makes money from ads sold inside its app). Pinger's service is simple and easy to use, and it combines emails, voicemails and text messages into a unified list. It's an OTT player at its best. Meanwhile, wireless carriers are still charging users for calls that are forwarded to a landline number!..." http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/wireless-carriers-are-getting-left-behind-and-its-their-own-fault/2012-02-29 Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:57 GMT http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/wireless-carriers-are-getting-left-behind-and-its-their-own-fault/2012-02-29 by Doc Searls, 29 February 2012: "... the free and open worlds created by generative systems such as PCs and the Internet have boundaries sufficiently wide to allow creation of what Umair Haque calls 'thick value' in abundance. To Apple, Amazon, AT+T and Verizon, building private worlds for captive customers might look like thick value, but in the long run captive customer husbandry closes more opportunities across the marketplace than they open... By losing the free and open Internet, and free and open devices to interact with it - and even such ordinary things as physical books and music media - we reduce the full scope of both markets and civilization..." http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2012/02/29/edging-toward-the-fully-licensed-world/ Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:57 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2012/02/29/edging-toward-the-fully-licensed-world/ ITU press release, 17 February 2012: "...ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Toure expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the Conference... He highlighted the achievements of WRC-12 in allocating spectrum resources for mobile broadband and for addressing the digital dividend issue which 'now provides for a great deal of global harmonization of the use of the 700 MHz band for all regions by the services which most need it'. He also commended the delegates on the attention given to Earth observation radiocommunication applications, which are crucial for monitoring and combating climate change and for disaster prediction..." http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/2012/10.aspx Sun, 19 Feb 2012 18:46 GMT http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/2012/10.aspx US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration press release, 17 February 2012: "...The proposed voluntary guidelines would apply to communications, entertainment, information gathering and navigation devices or functions that are not required to safely operate the vehicle. Issued by the Department's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the guidelines would establish specific recommended criteria for electronic devices installed in vehicles at the time they are manufactured that require visual or manual operation by drivers..." http://www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Press+Releases/2012/ci.U.S.+Department+of+Transportation+Proposes+'Distraction'+Guidelines+for+Automakers.print Sun, 19 Feb 2012 18:46 GMT http://www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Press+Releases/2012/ci.U.S.+Department+of+Transportation+Proposes+'Distraction'+Guidelines+for+Automakers.print by Dan Mitchell, Fortune Magazine, 16 February 2012: "The SEC [US Securities and Exchange Commission] on Wednesday ordered that Verizon, AT+T, and Sprint Nextel must allow shareholder votes on Net neutrality. The companies have displayed transparent hypocrisy in arguing against the votes. Net neutrality, they said, isn't a 'significant policy consideration' for the companies. Of course, the companies have been fighting hard and spending big to fight Net neutrality, so it's certainly significant to them. Net neutrality, in fact, is a central organizing principle of the Internet. It means that carriers cannot discriminate among the origins, types, or destinations of the data they handle. This is to prevent them from favoring some Web sites or customers over others... The companies now might opt to take the SEC's ruling to court." http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/02/16/sec-wireless-carriers-must-allow-shareholder-votes-on-data-neutrality/ Sun, 19 Feb 2012 18:46 GMT http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/02/16/sec-wireless-carriers-must-allow-shareholder-votes-on-data-neutrality/ by Heather Kelly, VentureBeat, 18 February 2012: "...Researchers at the Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering are working on a simple new technology that would require customers to place their finger on the card to turn it 'on' when they pay. When you place your finger on a specific spot on the card, say a logo or icon, it would complete a circuit and enable readers to charge the card. If the circuit isn't complete, the card's NFC or RFID technology would be disabled..." http://venturebeat.com/2012/02/18/researchers-create-onoff-switch-for-credit-cards-to-prevent-rfid-theft/ Sun, 19 Feb 2012 17:21 GMT http://venturebeat.com/2012/02/18/researchers-create-onoff-switch-for-credit-cards-to-prevent-rfid-theft/ by Ed Rhee, CNET.com, 16 February 2012: "...With an Android app called Scanner Radio, you can turn your Android phone into a portable police scanner. Volunteers with scanners provide over 3,100 audio streams from police and fire departments, weather radios, and amateur radio operators. You can let Scanner Radio search for scanners near your current location, or manually search for scanners based on area, genre, or source..." http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57378937-285/how-to-turn-your-android-phone-into-a-police-radio-scanner/ Sun, 19 Feb 2012 17:21 GMT http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57378937-285/how-to-turn-your-android-phone-into-a-police-radio-scanner/ by Stephen Lawson, IDG News Service (via ComputerWorld), 16 February 2012: "The age of monolithic cell-tower networks with a few Wi-Fi hotspots and home femtocells sprinkled in may come to an end at this year's Mobile World Congress, where a diverse range of small cells and integrated Wi-Fi systems will be on display... Mobile operators are looking at smaller cells and Wi-Fi to better cover indoor spaces and crowded areas, with Wi-Fi offering the added benefit of taking users off the carrier's scarce licensed spectrum. New technology is emerging for managing these new types of infrastructure in a larger network and for subscribers to shift between different radios invisibly. But exactly how carriers will use smaller cells and Wi-Fi is still emerging..." http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9224343/3G_4G_Wi_Fi_coming_together_in_small_cells Sun, 19 Feb 2012 17:21 GMT http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9224343/3G_4G_Wi_Fi_coming_together_in_small_cells US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency press release, 10 February 2012: "...To overcome the challenge of data transmission in remote areas outside forward operating locations, the Agency's Mobile Hotspots program intends to develop and demonstrate a scalable, mobile, millimeter-wave communications backbone with the capacity and range needed to connect dismounted warfighters with forward-operating bases (FOBs), tactical operations centers (TOCs), intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets, and fixed communications infrastructure. The backbone should also provide reliable end-to-end data delivery among the hotspots, as well as from ISR sources and command centers to the hotspot users. In essence, Mobile Hotspots seeks to provide cell-tower-class performance without the infrastructure..." http://www.darpa.mil/NewsEvents/Releases/2012/02/10.aspx Sun, 19 Feb 2012 17:21 GMT http://www.darpa.mil/NewsEvents/Releases/2012/02/10.aspx "Orthopaedic Smart Device Provides Personalized Medicine," Orthopaedic Research Society press release, 7 February 2012: "... Instead of relying on x-rays or invasive procedures, surgeons will be able to collect diagnostic data from an implantable sensor. A study presented at the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) 2012 Annual Meeting in San Francisco outlined this remarkable technology that promises to make post-surgical diagnosis and follow up more precise, efficient, and cost-effective..." http://www.ors.org/orthopaedic-smart-device-provides-personalized-medicine/ Sun, 19 Feb 2012 17:21 GMT http://www.ors.org/orthopaedic-smart-device-provides-personalized-medicine/ by Mari Silbey, SmartPlanet, 17 February 2012: "...Interest from multiple companies shows there is a lot of potential in combining Wi-Fi and white spaces tech, but the challenges are significant too. On the positive side, stronger Wi-Fi would help ease the burden of traffic congestion when too many people try to access the same network, and wireless carriers are counting on Wi-Fi to help offload traffic from cellular networks as well. On the negative side, however, there are fierce regulatory battles underway on the Hill over who should control white spaces spectrum, and even if the legislative hurdles are cleared, it will take time to bring down the cost of new silicon in order to make this kind of augmented Wi-Fi commercially viable..." http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/thinking-tech/marriage-of-wi-fi-and-white-spaces-not-without-challenges/10378 Sat, 18 Feb 2012 17:00 GMT http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/thinking-tech/marriage-of-wi-fi-and-white-spaces-not-without-challenges/10378 Business News Daily, 16 February 2012: "...Nearly all of the more than 2,500 small businesses (96 percent) surveyed in an AT+T poll said they use wireless technologies in their operations, with almost two-thirds (63 percent) saying that they could not survive - or it would be a major challenge to survive - without wireless technologies. More than four in ten (43 percent) small businesses reported that all their employees use wireless devices or technologies to work away from the office, a nearly 80 percent jump from three years ago. And in spite of being a relatively new technology, tablet computers are now being used by two-thirds (67 percent) of small businesses surveyed, up from 57 percent a year ago..." http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/2039-small-businesses-universally-adopt-wireless-technology.html Sat, 18 Feb 2012 17:00 GMT http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/2039-small-businesses-universally-adopt-wireless-technology.html La Quadrature du Net, 15 February 2012: "...The Parliament entered negotiations with a strong call in favour of opening up spectrum to innovators and entrepreneurs. In the Spring, MEPs had adopted important amendments calling the Commission and Member States to authorise the creation of 'super Wi-Fi' networks by giving unlicensed access to spectrum, in particular in so-called 'white spaces' (bands of frequencies left unused by broadcasters). This would have allowed for more affordable and open wireless Internet access, which is currently undermined by the harmful restrictions imposed by telecom operators. 'As the European Council proposed a bad compromise, the Parliament didn't fight and gave in, renouncing to defend citizens' interest...' said Felix Treguer, policy and legal analyst for La Quadrature du Net." https://www.laquadrature.net/en/turncoat-eu-parliament-gives-up-on-defending-free-wireless-communications Sat, 18 Feb 2012 17:00 GMT https://www.laquadrature.net/en/turncoat-eu-parliament-gives-up-on-defending-free-wireless-communications by Jean-Pierre Joosting, EE Times Europe, 9 February 2012: "Digi International has introduced the ConnectPort X2e for Smart Energy, a low cost, enhanced version of the company's ZigBee Smart Energy gateway. The gateway connects ZigBee Smart Energy devices from a Home Area Network (HAN) to an energy service provider via broadband. It offers additional memory and processing power for over-the-air updates of connected Smart Energy devices making it easier for utilities and application partners to establish and maintain large Smart Energy device deployments. The ConnectPort X2e also provides an upgrade path to Smart Energy 2.0..." http://www.electronics-eetimes.com/en/News/full-news.html?id=222911201 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:34 GMT http://www.electronics-eetimes.com/en/News/full-news.html?id=222911201 Comms Business, 10 February 2012: " Wi-Fi hotspots provide dedicated areas of coverage in city centres and mobile operators now recognise the need to integrate Wi-Fi into their networks to enable data offload and provide subscribers with uninterrupted data access, widespread coverage and a seamless crossover between 3G, Wi-Fi and even 4G (LTE). As mobile operators have discovered from the increase of data traffic on their networks, the issue of capacity has become just as important as coverage. This also applies to Wi-Fi - service providers will have to deploy Wi-Fi networks with the bandwidth to cope with highly populated, dense urban environments..." http://www.commsbusiness.co.uk/RSS_News_Articles.cfm?NewsID=15576 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:25 GMT http://www.commsbusiness.co.uk/RSS_News_Articles.cfm?NewsID=15576 InterDigital press release, 9 February 2012: "...Integrated Dynamic Spectrum Management technology harvests TVWS and other available frequency channels to increase the data throughput of Wi-Fi devices, addressing the congestion of heavily used unlicensed bands and the ever-growing demand for wireless bandwidth. The system will be featured at the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona, February 27 through March 1, 2012..." http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/IDCC/1690147970x0x541474/313f918a-cf22-46d6-8a04-b27bd645c59b/IDCC_News_2012_2_9_General_Releases.pdf Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:59 GMT http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/IDCC/1690147970x0x541474/313f918a-cf22-46d6-8a04-b27bd645c59b/IDCC_News_2012_2_9_General_Releases.pdf by Ian Scales, Telecom TV, 9 February 2012: "Why don't national operators offer WiFi to their customers when they roam abroad with their smartphones? There's clearly the old cannibalisation conundrum at work here. In summary: 'But if we offer WiFi people won't use mobile data and we'll lose revenue.' To which the reply: 'But they're not using mobile data when abroad anyway, so you're probably not losing anything except possible WiFi roaming revenue.' Of course the calculation is a tad more complicated than that. For one thing pushing WiFi in your telco roaming partner's territory invites all sorts of retaliatory responses, so not wanting to upset the neighbours must be a factor. But sooner or later the sums (and the customers) tell their own story..." http://www.telecomtv.com/comspace_newsDetail.aspx?n=48446%26id=e9381817-0593-417a-8639-c4c53e2a2a10 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:59 GMT http://www.telecomtv.com/comspace_newsDetail.aspx?n=48446%26id=e9381817-0593-417a-8639-c4c53e2a2a10 "Melita eyes nation-wide Wi-Fi network," by Martin Debattista, Times of Malta, 9 February 2012: "...Melita seems to be taking a different path than other operators in Malta, inspired by the fact that Wi-Fi provides higher internet access speeds compared to 3G in mobile communications networks. 'People use their mobiles a lot at home and therefore Wi-Fi is very important. The speeds Wi-Fi can give you can go up to 100 megabits as well. We have conducted a test project in Paceville where we provide free internet access over Wi-Fi and therefore users don't need 3G to connect to internet anymore and get more speed than traditional mobile networks. Melita's current 3G network offers 3.6 megabits internet access..." http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120209/technology/Malta-well-on-its-way-to-meet-EU-s-very-fast-internet-targets.406000 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:59 GMT http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120209/technology/Malta-well-on-its-way-to-meet-EU-s-very-fast-internet-targets.406000 IdTechEx (via ECN Magazine), 8 February 2012: "In 2011 the market for energy harvesters reached US$700 million, with the majority of the value going into consumer electronic applications, where energy harvesters have been used for some time. Approximately 1.6 million energy harvesters were used in wireless sensors, resulting in $13.75 million being spent on this market segment. The next few years will see a growth in the adoption of energy harvesting for wireless sensors with the market for industrial applications reaching US$140 million by 2017. Wireless sensor networks will be as big as US$200 million with bespoke military/aerospace applications reaching US$210 million..." http://www.ecnmag.com/News/2012/02/Energy-Harvesting-for-Wireless-Sensors--1-6-Million-Units-in-2011--Where-Next-/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:52 GMT http://www.ecnmag.com/News/2012/02/Energy-Harvesting-for-Wireless-Sensors--1-6-Million-Units-in-2011--Where-Next-/ by Marguerite Reardon, CNET.com, 8 February 2012: "Joining a carrier Wi-Fi hot spot on your smartphone or tablet will soon be as simple as turning on your device. That means no more scrolling through lists of available Wi-Fi networks, and no more typing passwords to join networks..." http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-57373453-266/new-standards-make-using-carrier-wi-fi-super-easy/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:08 GMT http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-57373453-266/new-standards-make-using-carrier-wi-fi-super-easy/ "FDA's assault on mobile technologies," by Joel White, Washington Times, 7 February 2012: "...All of this innovation and growth in mobile medical applications could come to a screeching halt if the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) moves forward with its proposed regulation of mobile medical applications. The FDA continues to explore options to regulate mobile medical applications as medical devices under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, particularly around adverse-event and patient-safety reporting. At this formative stage of emerging mobile medical applications, complicated and expensive new regulatory structures through the FDA would dampen prospects for future lifesaving innovations..." http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/feb/7/fdas-assault-on-mobile-technologies/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:26 GMT http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/feb/7/fdas-assault-on-mobile-technologies/ 7 March in Brussels, Belgium: "...More information and updates on the programme will be available shortly, so please check back regularly. In the meantime if you have any specific questions on the topics to be discussed, or if you are interested in any of the opportunities to participate, please get in touch with Tom Chinnock on +44 (0) 2920 783 025 or tom.chinnock@forum-europe.com." http://www.eu-ems.com/agenda.asp?event_id=109 Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:47 GMT http://www.eu-ems.com/agenda.asp?event_id=109 by Ravi Mandalia, IT Pro Portal, 8 February 2012: "Tesco, in an attempt to augment the status of its services, has decided to install Wi-Fi service in all the Tesco Extra stores spread across the UK. The Wi-Fi service is facilitated by UK broadband and mobile operator O2. The real catch of this Wi-Fi service is that it is absolutely free in the stores..." http://www.itproportal.com/2012/02/08/tesco-rolling-out-free-wi-fi-at-all-extra-stores/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:47 GMT http://www.itproportal.com/2012/02/08/tesco-rolling-out-free-wi-fi-at-all-extra-stores/ Digital TV Europe, 7 February 2012: "A potential area of disagreement is emerging at the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) in Geneva over the future of the 700MHz frequency currently used by broadcasters. The Arab and African regional administrations are pressing for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to allocate the 700MHz band to mobile services... The European Broadcasting Union has noted that the use of the 700MHz band for non-broadcasting services would cause problems in Europe, where long-term broadcasting licences have been granted for terrestrial services. Broadcasters are keen to reserve the 700MHz band for future broadcast applications..." http://www.digitaltveurope.net/20475/arab-and-african-countries-press-for-second-digital-dividend-at-wrc/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:47 GMT http://www.digitaltveurope.net/20475/arab-and-african-countries-press-for-second-digital-dividend-at-wrc/ LightSquared press release, 7 February 2012: "...While the company's request is specifically focused on commercial GPS receivers designed to receive signals in the 1559-1610 MHz band, company officials reinforced on a call with reporters that receiver reliability standards would create a level playing field across the entire US spectrum. Two rounds of testing by independent and government entities have confirmed that the interference experienced by the commercial GPS receivers is the result of an industry decision to design and sell poorly filtered devices that purposefully depend on spectrum licensed to LightSquared for accuracy. If sensible standards were in place, the GPS industry would not be facing the current interference problems and consumers would benefit from a more efficient use of spectrum..." http://www.lightsquared.com/press-room/press-releases/lightsquared-calls-on-fcc-to-initiate-receiver-reliability-standards-set-level-playing-field-for-spectrum-licensees/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:47 GMT http://www.lightsquared.com/press-room/press-releases/lightsquared-calls-on-fcc-to-initiate-receiver-reliability-standards-set-level-playing-field-for-spectrum-licensees/ Bluetooth SIG press release, 7 February 2012: "The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) today announced the creation of the Sports and Fitness Working Group and is now accepting members. This group will work together to enhance interoperability between Bluetooth enabled sports and fitness sensor products and training computers (Bluetooth Smart devices) and hub devices such as smartphones, PCs, TVs (Bluetooth Smart Ready devices), gym equipment, watches and more..." http://www.bluetooth.com/Pages/Press-Releases-Detail.aspx?ItemID=147 Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:47 GMT http://www.bluetooth.com/Pages/Press-Releases-Detail.aspx?ItemID=147 by Matt Hamblen, CIO, 6 February 2012: "Federal regulations forbid making calls from cell phones while aboard US commercial planes in-flight, but Wi-Fi services could eventually permit voice and video calls over the Internet for a fee. Airlines are struggling to make in-flight Wi-Fi profitable, and some analysts have suggested the airlines need to provide more than the email and Internet browsing offered on some flights using services from Gogo and Row 44. The question boils down to whether US passengers - and airline flight crews - would want to put up with calls made by people sitting next to them, analysts and airline officials have said..." http://www.cio.com/article/699525/Voice_and_Video_Calls_Via_Wi_Fi_From_30_000_Feet_ Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:37 GMT http://www.cio.com/article/699525/Voice_and_Video_Calls_Via_Wi_Fi_From_30_000_Feet_ by Gareth van Zyl, ITWeb, 6 February 2012: "The largest WiFi network in Ghana has been set up by Vodafone, at a university in Accra, said the company's officials over the weekend. Up to 5000 students at the University of Ghana's Legon campus can connect to the network at the same time using their laptops, tablets and smartphones... The service, however, is not free as students have to buy $17 vouchers, available at pay-points on campus, which gives them 100 browsing hours per month." http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content%26view=article%26id=51264:vodafone-unveils-ghanas-largest-wifi-zone Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:37 GMT http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content%26view=article%26id=51264:vodafone-unveils-ghanas-largest-wifi-zone MobileEurope, 6 February 2012: "...BT said it has six million customers who are entitled to access FON hotspots, many of them through wholesale relationships with mobile operators who offer their subscribers Openzone access as part of their tariff packages. However, a BT spokesperson told me that of those 3.5 million hotspots, 3.3 million are residential FON hotspots. I think this reduces the use case for the 'ubiquitous' WiFi network considerably, as users usually require coverage in a range of locations (bars, cafes, shops etc) that does not typically include 'in the street outside other people's houses'. You could say, therefore, that across the UK and Ireland, BT has 'only' 200,000 truly public hotspots that are in locations of real use to the majority of users..." http://www.mobileeurope.co.uk/news/blog/9112-what-do-35-million-bt-hotspots-mean-for-mobile Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:37 GMT http://www.mobileeurope.co.uk/news/blog/9112-what-do-35-million-bt-hotspots-mean-for-mobile TR Electronic press release (via ThomasNet, 6 February 2012): "TR Electronic North America has announced the release of PowerGap(TM), a new wireless sensor system for the industrial automation market. PowerGap(TM) meets customers' demands for wireless solutions by inductively supplying power from a fixed part to a moving part and transmitting a signal between the two..." http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/Wireless-Sensor-System-targets-industrial-automation-market-609066 Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:37 GMT http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/Wireless-Sensor-System-targets-industrial-automation-market-609066 by Douglas Perry, Tom's Hardware, 6 February 2012: "...By 2013, wireless chip revenues will be at $72.9 billion while computer semiconductors are expected to nearly stagnate and land at $54.0 billion. 'Among the 10 segments tracked for semiconductor spending, the biggest market share, 24 percent, belonged to the wireless market, spurred by prodigious mobile handset and tablet sales exemplified by the runaway success of Apple's popular offerings,' said Wenlie Ye, analyst for semiconductor design and spend at IHS. 'Wireless will continue to generate the most growth during the next two years...'" http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/iphone-ipad-wireless-chip-semiconductor,news-37677.html Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:37 GMT http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/iphone-ipad-wireless-chip-semiconductor,news-37677.html EurekaAlert! 6 February 2012: "... researchers in France have developed a way to deposit a thin aluminum RFID tag on to paper that not only reduces the amount of metal needed for the tag, and so the cost, but could open up RFID tagging to many more systems, even allowing a single printed sheet or flyer to be tagged... Camille Ramade and colleagues at the University of Montpellier have demonstrated how a simple thermal evaporation process can deposit an aluminum coil antenna on to paper for use as an RFID tag. Aluminum is a lot less expensive than copper or silver, which are used in some types of RFID tag. The researchers suggest that the approach would reduce the cost of RFID tagging to a fifth of current prices, which could represent significant savings for inventory users operating millions of RFID tags in their systems." http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-02/ip-prt020612.php Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:37 GMT http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-02/ip-prt020612.php by Hannah Waters, Smart Planet, 5 February 2012: "...For $19 per month, you get unlimited phone, data and text use with no contract. The catch - if you could call it that - is that the phone automatically switches to wifi when it's available. And when it's not, the phone hops back onto Sprint's 3G network... it assumes that its users will respect the way the service works, only signing up if they have regular wifi access, and using wifi whenever possible as to not strain the 3G network. LaHaise told Ars that, if a user did severely overstep his or her bounds, they would probably cancel the service. But they haven't had to do that yet..." http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/smart-takes/cheap-wifi-based-cell-phone-plan-could-challenge-large-providers/22454 Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:37 GMT http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/smart-takes/cheap-wifi-based-cell-phone-plan-could-challenge-large-providers/22454 by Michael Grotticelli, Broadcast Engineering, 3 February 2012: "...'Correcting a 100-year old public policy mistake unleashed a torrent of entrepreneurial activity, innovation and investment,' said the CFA's Mark Cooper. 'My analysis shows that by every measure of economic performance - device shipments, users, usage, efficiency, value and innovation - the unlicensed model has equaled or exceeded the exclusive licensed model in the past decade.' ...Cooper, in a speech hosted by the Wireless Innovation Alliance (WIA) and the White Space Alliance (WSA), said without access to unlicensed spectrum, wireless broadband service would be much more costly and far less valuable..." http://blog.broadcastengineering.com/blog-opinions/2012/02/03/consumer-federation-of-america-says-public-use-of-unlicensed-spectrum-removes-barriers-to-wireless-communication/ Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:37 GMT http://blog.broadcastengineering.com/blog-opinions/2012/02/03/consumer-federation-of-america-says-public-use-of-unlicensed-spectrum-removes-barriers-to-wireless-communication/ by Stacey Higginbotham, GigaOm, 3 February 2012: "Google's Fiber organization is asking the FCC for the ability to test a residential gateway that has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It's likely Google is asking the FCC for an experimental licence to test upcoming 802.11ac gigabit Wi-Fi technology inside residential gateways. However, those longing for innovation in broadband here in the US can hope that there are bigger plans in the works. With a fiber to the home network and gigabit Wi-Fi Google could take a cue from the recent launches in France and in the US of mobile networks that lean heavily on Wi-Fi. Then Google could build a network that offers truly ubiquitous broadband within the confines of Palo Alto, Calif., and maybe later in Kansas City..." http://gigaom.com/broadband/is-google-asking-the-fcc-to-allow-gigabit-wi-fi-for-its-gigabit-network/ Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:37 GMT http://gigaom.com/broadband/is-google-asking-the-fcc-to-allow-gigabit-wi-fi-for-its-gigabit-network/ by Steve Donohue, Fierce Cable, 3 February 2012: "...'In an embodiment, the subscriber is a customer of a service provider and accesses a communications network through a WiFi access point using a mobile handset. The subscriber may access the WiFi network through any WiFi network access point operated by the service provider or by a subscriber of the service provider,' Cablevision writes in the patent, titled 'efficient use of a communications network.'..." http://www.fiercecable.com/story/cablevision-develops-technology-wifi-based-mobile-phone-service/2012-02-03 Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:37 GMT http://www.fiercecable.com/story/cablevision-develops-technology-wifi-based-mobile-phone-service/2012-02-03 by Sam Churchill, Daily Wireless, 2 February 2012: "Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., urged the Internet community on Tuesday to rally to push Congress to free up more unlicensed spectrum for Wi-Fi and other new wireless technologies... 'Maximizing efficiency, innovation, competition, and the public interest are the goals that should guide our spectrum policies. Filling the public coffers with auction money is good, but it is not the highest good. And protecting large incumbents from more competition is not our role.'..." http://www.dailywireless.org/2012/02/02/white-space-show-down/ Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:37 GMT http://www.dailywireless.org/2012/02/02/white-space-show-down/ by Jeff Kagan, E-Commerce Times, 2 February 2012: "The right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing. Carriers and handset makers are advertising and marketing their new smartphones and apps and attracting users. On the other hand, they are throttling back the amount customers can actually use and the speed at which they can use it. It's time to fix this problem before we are all choked with slow connections, poor service and high prices..." http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/hot-topics/74331.html Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:37 GMT http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/hot-topics/74331.html by Lee Kaelin, TechSpot, 1 February 2012: "...The SD memory card features an embedded WiGig chip and antenna, which can be used to transmit videos between small electronic devices like tablets and phones to in-car TVs, or the TV in your living room... The technology is still a little way off from being made available to the public, but Panasonic says it could transfer a DVD sized video in less than a minute using the 60Ghz spectrum, with the distance between the two devices limited to around one to three meters..." http://www.techspot.com/news/47273-panasonic-demonstrates-new-wigig-wireless-sd-cards.html Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:52 GMT http://www.techspot.com/news/47273-panasonic-demonstrates-new-wigig-wireless-sd-cards.html The Economist, 28 January 2012: "Among the many new gadgets unveiled at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was a pair of smartphones able to exchange data using light. These phones, as yet only prototypes from Casio, a Japanese firm, transmit digital signals by varying the intensity of the light given off from their screens. The flickering is so slight that it is imperceptible to the human eye, but the camera on another phone can detect it at a distance of up to ten metres. In an age of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, flashing lights might seem like going back to sending messages with an Aldis lamp. In fact, they are the beginning of a fast and cheap wireless-communication system that some have labelled Li-Fi..." http://www.economist.com/node/21543470?fsrc=scn/tw/te/ar/trippingthelightfantastic Sun, 29 Jan 2012 12:11 GMT http://www.economist.com/node/21543470?fsrc=scn/tw/te/ar/trippingthelightfantastic by Michael Marcus, SpectrumTalk blog, 27 January 2012: "The Dale N. Hatfield Professorship at the University of Colorado Law School has been made possible by Dale's very generous contribution to secure a professorship there that will work in partnership with the Silicon Flatirons Center and the Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program. Silicon Flatirons will host events in Washington, DC and Boulder, Colorado, to honor Dale's commitment to these important areas of study..." http://www.marcus-spectrum.com/Blog/files/HatfieldProf.html Sun, 29 Jan 2012 11:57 GMT http://www.marcus-spectrum.com/Blog/files/HatfieldProf.html by Amber Dance, Scientific American, 27 January 2012: "...By reading signals from several electrodes, they can infer where, within the skull, a particular impulse originated. This is akin to listening to a single speaker's voice in a crowded room. In so doing, they are also able to filter out movements - not just eyebrow twitches, but also the muscle flexing needed to walk, talk or fly a plane. EEG's most public face may be two Star Wars-inspired toys, Mattel's Mindflex and Uncle Milton's Force Trainer. Introduced in 2009, they let wannabe Jedi knights practice telekinesis while wearing an EEG headset. But these toys are just the 'tip of the iceberg,' says Makeig, whose work includes mental concentration monitoring..." http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=wireless-brain-wave-monitor Sun, 29 Jan 2012 11:37 GMT http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=wireless-brain-wave-monitor Mobile Europe, 26 January 2012: "...The mobile operators are represented, in part, at the WRC by their industry body, the GSMA. Roberto Ercole, Senior Director, Spectrum at the GSMA, told Mobile Europe that the GSMA's principal aim this time around is to have an agenda item adopted for WRC2015 that will allocate additional frequency for mobile broadband services, thereby laying out which frequencies will be available from 2020 and beyond. The mobile industry is concerned that although WRC2007 laid out frequency bands for mobile services in digital dividend spectrum at 800MHz, and also at 2.5GHz, that will not be enough to support the remarkable growth in mobile data services the industry has seen since 2007..." http://mobileeurope.co.uk/news/news-analysis/9099-why-wrc12-could-be-the-most-important-conference-for-mobile-industry-this-year Sun, 29 Jan 2012 11:37 GMT http://mobileeurope.co.uk/news/news-analysis/9099-why-wrc12-could-be-the-most-important-conference-for-mobile-industry-this-year by Esme Vos, MuniWireless, 23 January 2012: "...Last October, Andy Abramson posted an article entitled 'Why Hotel Wi-Fi Is Being Crushed By iPads And What To Do About It' in which he detailed what hotels needed to do to improve guests' Wi-Fi experience... The Mandarin Oriental in New York City has upgraded its Wi-Fi network using a Ruckus Wi-Fi wall switch switch embedded in each of the 248 rooms in its Columbus Circle property. The hotel has seen an 85 percent decrease in guest complaints after the upgrade. Mandarin Oriental, New York is one of seven Mandarin Oriental hotels that have now upgraded the network (using the Ruckus products) including Tokyo, Manila, Jakarta, Sanya, London, and Hong Kong..." http://www.muniwireless.com/2012/01/23/hotels-upgrading-wifi-infrastructure-to-meet-ipad-iphone-users-needs/ Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:09 GMT http://www.muniwireless.com/2012/01/23/hotels-upgrading-wifi-infrastructure-to-meet-ipad-iphone-users-needs/ British Journal of Healthcare Computing (via HealthTech Wire, 25 January 2012): "...The researchers evaluated the hospital environment and its influence on the signal propagation as well as the impact of the human body. They found that UWB with the so-called p-rake receivers were the most practical for application, giving a good balance of performance and complexity. UWB is appropriate for general hospital applications and is not detrimentally affected by the specifics of the environment..." http://www.healthtechwire.com/british-journal-of-healthcare-computing/ultra-wide-band-radio-shows-promise-for-body-area-sensor-networks-3021/ Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:09 GMT http://www.healthtechwire.com/british-journal-of-healthcare-computing/ultra-wide-band-radio-shows-promise-for-body-area-sensor-networks-3021/ by Joseph B. White, Wall Street Journal, 25 January 2012: "This year, auto makers are accelerating a drive to link your next car's dashboard to all the music and data stored in the Internet cloud. Car makers and innovators of the mobile infotainment industry will offer consumers easier in-car access to smartphone and tablet applications that create personalized radio stations or locate good restaurants, and that someday might even find the cheapest nearby gasoline..." http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203718504577180770396354022.html Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:09 GMT http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203718504577180770396354022.html Austrian Times, 19 January 2012: "IT experts in charge of providing two of Austria's biggest ski resorts have said they are satisfied with tourists' response to the new offer. Salzburg's winter sport resort of Amade and the Solden glacier region, East Tyrol, as well as several other resorts across the country set up free of charge wireless local area network (WLAN) connections at lift stations and information centres... The organisers masterminding the projects at Amade and Solden glacier told the Kurier newspaper today (Thurs) that skiers and snowboarders reacted positively to the opportunity..." http://www.austriantimes.at/news/Business/2012-01-19/38887/Ski_regions_succeed_with_WLAN Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:09 GMT http://www.austriantimes.at/news/Business/2012-01-19/38887/Ski_regions_succeed_with_WLAN by Scott Billquist, World Radiocommunication Report, 1 February 2012. http://www.radioregs.ch/site/Welcome.html Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:44 GMT http://www.radioregs.ch/site/Welcome.html Panasonic press release, 23 January 2012: "Panasonic Corporation announced today that it has published the details of its 60 GHz multi-gigabit wireless circuit technology on its website, aiming to accelerate the implementation of the 'New Network Lifestyle' the company proposes. Panasonic's ultra-high-speed wireless communication technology is based on WiGig and other network standards..." http://www.thestreet.com/story/11381876/1/60ghz-multi-gigabit-wireless-circuit-technology-and-a-new-network-lifestyle.html Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:35 GMT http://www.thestreet.com/story/11381876/1/60ghz-multi-gigabit-wireless-circuit-technology-and-a-new-network-lifestyle.html by Courtney Humphries, MIT Technology Review, 23 January 2012: "Optogenetics has been hailed as a breakthrough in biomedical science - it promises to use light to precisely control cells in the brain to manipulate behavior, model disease processes, or even someday to deliver treatments... Now Kendall Research, a startup in Cambridge, Massachusetts, ...has developed several prototype devices that are small and light and powered wirelessly. The devices would allow mice and other small animals to move freely... Optogenetics relies on genetically altering certain cells to make them responsive to light, and then selectively stimulating them with a laser to either turn the cells on or off. Instead of a laser light source, Kendall Research uses creatively packaged LEDs and laser diodes, which are incorporated into a small head-borne device that plugs into an implant in the animal's brain. The device, which weighs only three grams, is powered wirelessly by supercapacitors stationed below the animal's cage or testing area..." http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/39512/ Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:27 GMT http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/39512/ by Gordon Pitts, Globe and Mail (via CTV), 23 January 2012: "After five stormy years as Canada's chief communications watchdog, Konrad von Finckenstein is departing with a warning to his successor: Internet and wireless technology has disarmed federal regulators of their weapons to protect cultural identity... 'We have now moved into an era where the consumer is in control, and where thanks to the Internet and mobile devices, you cannot control access any more,' he said in one of his last interviews as chairman of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. His term ends this week. That means there must be a thorough reappraisal of the regulatory framework, asking whether the same degree of regulation is needed, and, if so, what tools are available to deal with the new media landscape, he said. The highest-profile threat is so-called over-the-top broadcasting, in which movies and TV programs are streamed through the Internet, bypassing standard cable or satellite delivery that falls under Canadian content and ownership rules. The CRTC chair says the over-the-top onslaught is just one symptom of the wider obsolescence of traditional regulatory gate-keeping..." http://www.ctv.ca/generic/generated/static/business/article2310806.html Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:17 GMT http://www.ctv.ca/generic/generated/static/business/article2310806.html by Hugo Martin, Los Angeles Times, 22 January 2012: "...Onboard Wi-Fi use grew from 4% in 2010 to 7% last year, and is expected to generate up to $1.5 billion annually by 2015, according to a study by In-Stat, an Arizona market analysis company. About 45% of the nation's commercial air fleet is equipped with in-flight wireless Internet, with several airlines, including Virgin America and AirTran, offering the service fleetwide, according to In-Stat. The nation's airlines collected about $155 million in 2011 from charges to use onboard Internet and are expected to collect $225 million this year, said Amy Cravens, a senior analyst for In-Stat..." http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-onboard-wifi-20120120,0,4649618.story Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:14 GMT http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-onboard-wifi-20120120,0,4649618.story by Daniel Eran Dilger, Apple Insider, 21 January 2012: "...In addition to reaching networking speeds above 1 Gigabit (about three times as fast as 802.11n networks can manage), 802.11ac promises better networking range, improved reliability, and more power efficient chips, thanks to parallel advances in reducing chip size and enhancing power management. While Apple wasn't the first company to sell wireless devices, it was first to bring the technology into the mainstream beginning in 1999, when Steve Jobs dramatically demonstrated Apple's initial AirPort technology onstage at the July Macworld Expo as 'one more thing' after showing off the company's new consumer iBook notebook. Jobs pretended to hold his new iBook notebook up to provide a clear view for the camera operator, but he then continued to use the web as he walked across the stage to the delight of the audience that suddenly realized the new notebook had a wireless connection..." http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12/01/21/apple_working_to_adopt_80211ac_5g_gigabit_wifi_this_year_.html Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:10 GMT http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12/01/21/apple_working_to_adopt_80211ac_5g_gigabit_wifi_this_year_.html by Caroline Bloch, Federal TeleMedicine News, 21 January 2012: "...Several researchers have just published a paper appearing in the online edition of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that discusses the importance of heart failure disease management and monitoring that can be done in the home. Their research was funded by the Ahmanson Foundation and AHRQ. One of the authors of the research paper, Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow,... sees new promising devices on the horizon to track heart-ventricle and pulmonary artery pressures..." http://telemedicinenews.blogspot.com/2012/01/using-wireless-in-hf-cases.html Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:02 GMT http://telemedicinenews.blogspot.com/2012/01/using-wireless-in-hf-cases.html by Linda K. Moore, Congressional Research Service, 20 January 2012: "...These bills would, among other provisions: address incentive auctions, which would permit television broadcasters to receive compensation for steps they might take to release some of their airwaves for mobile broadband; require that specified federal holdings be auctioned or reassigned for commercial use; apply future spectrum license auction revenues toward deficit reduction; establish a planning and governance structure to deploy public safety broadband networks, using some auction proceeds for that purpose; and reassign spectrum resources available for public safety. The bills include provisions that would affect the development of new technologies and the availability of spectrum for unlicensed use and for shared use..." http://science-technology-telecommunications.blogspot.com/2012/01/spectrum-policy-in-age-of-broadband_20.html Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:57 GMT http://science-technology-telecommunications.blogspot.com/2012/01/spectrum-policy-in-age-of-broadband_20.html by Clarice Africa, FutureGov Asia-Pacific, 19 January 2012: "...China has developed a sensor network that will shorten the fire detection lead time to less than five minutes. A test run of the system was successfully conducted recently in the forest area in Qingyuan prefecture, Guangdong province... During the pilot run, wireless sensor nodes were installed in the forest, forming a self-repairing mesh network... In less than three minutes after the fire was ignited, the signals were received by the centre..." http://www.futuregov.asia/articles/2012/jan/18/china-pilots-wildfire-detection-sensor-network/ Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:50 GMT http://www.futuregov.asia/articles/2012/jan/18/china-pilots-wildfire-detection-sensor-network/ Texas Instruments press release, 18 January 2012: "...The cornerstone offering in this new family is the new SimpleLink Wi-Fi CC3000 product: an easy-to-implement Wi-Fi solution that will lead the charge in expanding the world's Internet of Things. The SimpleLink Wi-Fi CC3000 is a self-contained 802.11 network processor, making it ideal for simple and quick addition of Internet connectivity to any embedded application. For full details on the SimpleLink Wi-Fi CC3000 and all SimpleLink products, visit http://ti.com/simplelink..." http://newscenter.ti.com/Blogs/newsroom/archive/2012/01/18/introducing-ti-s-simplelink-product-family-the-industry-s-broadest-portfolio-of-easy-to-use-wireless-connectivity-solutions-912530.aspx Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:50 GMT http://newscenter.ti.com/Blogs/newsroom/archive/2012/01/18/introducing-ti-s-simplelink-product-family-the-industry-s-broadest-portfolio-of-easy-to-use-wireless-connectivity-solutions-912530.aspx by Julian Milnes, H+V News, 3 January 2012: "A Kingsclere [UK] family spent Christmas without heating and showers after all their wireless devices failed to operate for three days. Chris Smith, of Ash Grove, awoke on Christmas Eve... to find that the central heating, which relies on a wireless thermostat, did not work... When the engineer inspected their heating system he found that the fault was with the wireless communication system. The engineer installed three new communication units in the boiler before giving up and telling the Smith family that the problem must have been external to their system. Mr Smith said 'I realised that there was a link between the boiler, the shower the doorbell and the car... Mr Smith added that theirs was not an isolated case: 'Through Facebook, we learned that we were not alone and that all over the village people were having problems with remote controls, car locking, etc.' Mr Smith concluded that the common link between the devices was that they all used radio-frequency identification (RFID)." http://www.hvnplus.co.uk/news/wireless-devices-disrupt-familys-heating-system/8624355.article Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:29 GMT http://www.hvnplus.co.uk/news/wireless-devices-disrupt-familys-heating-system/8624355.article by Chloe Yu and Adam Hwang, DigiTimes, 4 January 2012: "The Taipei City Government will enlarge the coverage of Taipei Free, its free 512Kbps wireless Internet-access service via Wi-Fi hot spots at selected public places, through expanding the Wi-Fi network from over 2,000 hot spots to 4,500 ones and hiking backhaul capacity to at least 10Mbps, according to the city government... As the contract with Global Mobile expired at the end of 2011, the city government will offer an open tender to select an operator for expanding Taipei Free Wi-Fi network and continuing operation over the next three years..." http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20120103PD213.html Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:29 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20120103PD213.html by Matthew Lasar, Ars Technica, 22 December 2011: "...The authorized model in question is the KTS Agility Data Radio. 'The ADR is a software-defined radio that offers unparalleled flexibility,' KTS literature promises. 'It can access more spectrum and support more throughput than any radio product on the market today.' Also in the regulatory approval hopper is what Koos described as a 'second generation' device: KTS' Agility White Space Radio. That's a heavier and slightly taller waterproof machine that looks like it is rigged for outdoor use. The AWR can run in the UHF and VHF bands or 900MHz zone at data rates of 0.5 to 3.1Mbps. KTS is marketing the machine for video surveillance, supervisory networks, and wireless broadband. These devices will work in tandem with an FCC authorized database designed to keep track of whether a given TV band is ripe for usage..." http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/12/fcc-green-lights-first-white-space-device.ars Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:20 GMT http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/12/fcc-green-lights-first-white-space-device.ars "Eateries to offer Wi-Fi service in April," by Halim Said, New Straits Times, 2 January 2012: "...the requirement would only apply to restaurants owners operating on premises bigger than 120 sq m in floor size. Besides the restaurants, the Wi-Fi requirement is also imposed on cafes, pubs, bars and club lounges. The outlet operators are free to provide the Wi-Fi service to their customers for free or for a reasonable fee... Meanwhile, the mayor said the WirelessKL service would be discontinued after the expiry of the two-year contract for the free Wi-Fi service by Internet service provider Packet One Networks... The free Wi-Fi service was launched in May 2008. A total of 1,500 Wi-Fi hotspots were activated in the city, including public housing schemes and commercial centres. When asked why City Hall did not continue the free WirelessKL service with its service provider, Ahmad Fuad said the council wanted to give other service providers a chance to offer better connectivity and value-added service to city folk..." http://www.nst.com.my/streets/central/eateries-to-offer-wi-fi-service-in-april-1.26479 Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:21 GMT http://www.nst.com.my/streets/central/eateries-to-offer-wi-fi-service-in-april-1.26479