Wireless Technologies

Sub $300 handtop wireless PC from India

2005-05-12T11:20:00.000+02:00

: "Indian technology firm Encore Software unveils Mobilis Wireless, a laptop that features a 7.4-inch LCD screen and six-hour battery life. It will cost about 15,000 rupees, or about $277. "

Folx ... is this it???!!! The gr8 leveller of the digital divide in India and the world? Looks cool too!

More pix on the site ... click the pic above

New TV Mobile

2004-11-02T10:45:00.000+01:00

This new mobile phone from NEC (donno if it is available in India) has a TV tuner, which means u can view ur TV channels even on the go! Its a dual band GSM/GPRS phone, meaning it will work even in India!

The first few WiMax pilots in India

2004-09-20T17:52:00.000+02:00

The first few WiMax pilots in India: "The technology sends Internet signals up to 30 miles, and could solve the costly last-mile problem. Intel sees huge potential in it, but others prefer to wait and watch.

In India, where the telecom infrastructure is poor and last-mile connections are typically through copper cable, DSL and fibre optic, installation costs are high as it requires ripping up streets to lay cables. The ability to provide these connections wirelessly, without laying wire or cable in the ground, greatly lowers the cost of providing these services. This is why WiMax is an attractive alternative for providing last-mile connection in wireless metropolitan area networks, especially in cellular back hauls. In developing countries that lack a well-developed wired infrastructure, 802.16 offers a practical way to extend broadband Internet service to many different parts of the country. WiMax could thus bring broadband access into the homes and businesses of millions of people in rural and developing markets."

How does this happen? Read on ...

Fuel cell powered bluetooth headset

2004-09-20T14:55:00.000+02:00

This is a fuel cell bluetooth headset which Nokia is researching upon. The 66-mwatt fuel cells are using fluid methanol. With one filling the can can operate for 10 hours. Nokia modified the available Nokia HS-3W headset to use a fuel cell.

Just hope people dont get running ears when their headset gets leaky :D :P

The Geekzone Bluetooth Guides

2004-08-23T21:33:00.000+02:00

Geekzone mobile forums: "Each Bluetooth Guide will help you with easy step-by-step instructions and images on how to complete Bluetooth tasks in different platforms."

Great How-to articles for Bluetooth junkies. It even told me how to connect my Sony Clie to the net via my Sony Erricsson T610's GPRS connection through Bluetooth. -ap

The all-band phone

2004-08-23T20:13:00.000+02:00

NEC FOMA N900iG - the first device to offer FOMA / tri-mode GSM / UMTS (Europe) roaming

This phone now brings a lot of bands together & has dual cameras! -ap

What is GPRS?

2004-08-23T20:09:00.000+02:00

"What is General Packet Radio Service?"

I was asked this question recently by my friend. This site has a good intro to GPRS, only that it was written in January 2000.

But a small bit on the differences between browsing the net over GSM & GPRS based on my experiences:
1) GSM gives me 9.6 kbps but GPRS gives me 57 kbps
2) GSM costs me for the duration I am connected, GPRS costs for the actual data I transfer (up/down both)
3) GSM is like a normal dial-up connection over the POTS, GPRS is like a LAN connection to an APN.

WiMAX - Broadband Wireless Access Technology

2004-07-13T17:41:00.000+02:00

WiMAX - Broadband Wireless Access Technology: "WiMAX is a standards-based wireless technology that provides high-throughput broadband connections over long distances. WiMAX can be used for a number of applications, including 'last mile' broadband connections, hotspot and cellular backhaul, and high-speed enterprise connectivity for businesses.

An implementation of the IEEE 802.16 standard, WiMAX provides metropolitan area network connectivity at speeds of up to 75 Mb/sec. WiMAX systems can be used to transmit signal as far as 30 miles. However, on the average a WiMAX base-station installation will likely cover between three to five miles."

And that's a snap from the intel website ...

Overview of Wireless Technologies

2004-07-13T17:38:00.000+02:00

Overview of Wireless Technologies: "Wireless technologies represent a rapidly emerging area of growth and importance for providing ubiquitous access to the network for all of the campus community. Students, faculty and staff increasingly want un-tethered network access from general-purpose classrooms, meeting rooms, auditoriums, and even the hallways of campus buildings. There is interest in creating mobile computing labs utilizing laptop computers equipped with wireless Ethernet cards. Recently, industry has made significant progress in resolving some constraints to the widespread adoption of wireless technologies. Some of the constraints have included disparate standards, low bandwidth, and high infrastructure and service cost. Wireless technologies can both support the institution mission and provide cost-effective solutions. Wireless is being adopted for many new applications: to connect computers, to allow remote monitoring and data acquisition, to provide access control and security, and to provide a solution for environments where wires may not be the best solution.
What follows is an overview of existing wireless technologies and related issues. "

That's the primer for Wireless Technologies in University of Tennessee. Go on & get some basic stuff cleared out ... I plan to do it ... sigh ... donno if I will manage to do it though :-(

Combat Digital Assistants

2004-07-08T17:15:00.000+02:00

Combat Digital Assistants
The basic idea is to keep platoon leaders (and platoon sergeants, who will probably end up with CDAs as well) constantly informed about what their commanders want, and what new information is available about the enemy. With the satellite communications link, new information about the enemy situation can be constantly sent. Of course, the new CDAs will have the “Blue Force Tracker” technology that will constantly show the location of all nearby friendly platoons, tanks and combat aircraft on the PDA screen.

How To Really Surf The Net

2004-07-06T16:06:00.000+02:00

Yahoo! News - How To Really Surf The Net: "People have been talking about surfing the Net for years. Jools Matthews actually does it. Intel has helped build the world's only Wi-Fi waverunner, a toughened, waterproof tablet computer embedded into the surface of a working surfboard. An embedded Intel Centrino chip lets the board communicate with a wireless access point on the beach. "

Use the surfboard to surf the net ... sportive geek :D

Quad band Wi-Fi Phone

2004-07-02T14:59:00.000+02:00

Motorola Wi-Fi Phone Approved by FCC (Phone Scoop): "The FCC today approved the Motorola CN620, the first phone capable of operating on both mobile and Wi-Fi networks. Although the phone was developed by Motorola's iDEN group, the phone supports only GSM and Wi-Fi networks. Voice calls started on Wi-Fi networks can be handed off to a GSM network. The reverse is possible only for certain types of calls. Features of the phone include a large color main display, an external display, speakerphone, eight-way navigation, and PTT (push-to-talk). Although the prototype approved by the FCC operates only on GSM networks, FCC documents reveal that the final model will support all three major types of Wi-Fi (802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11a), as well as quad-band GSM."

WoW!!! How about adding CDMA & GPS & Bluetooth too? ;-)
Hee hee hee ... I sure am a greedy guy :-D

Bridging Bluetooth to WLANs

2004-06-30T21:53:00.000+02:00

Philips to Bridge Bluetooth to WLANs: "It's a battery operated device that lets Bluetooth-enabled items connect to the wireless LAN based on 802.11b, such as in hotspots."

Heard they cost thousand dollars!! Wish it were cheaper ... then I could have connected my Clie TG50 to a hotspot using its inbuilt bluetooth & this bridge ... now the only other option I've got is to go for the Hagiwara MemoryStick slot compatible wifi card addon ... only drawback being I wouldnt be able to use my memory stick media!

Motorola MPx

2004-06-30T14:18:00.000+02:00

Motorola MPx mobile [desktop?] phone: "Condensing the power of a desktop into the convenience of a mobile phone, the Motorola MPx provides business consumers with a new choice for live, real time, on-the-go connectivity in a never seen before form factor."

Wi-Fi finds the way when GPS can't

2004-06-30T13:42:00.000+02:00

New Scientist: "A Wi-Fi based positioning system developed in the US and the UK works best where GPS fails: in cities and inside cavernous complexes like shopping malls."

Still ... in the wildreness its still the GPS ... just wait till Galileo is up!

Bluetooth PDA & GPRS Mobile Internet

2004-06-30T13:26:00.000+02:00

AT&T Wireless' Bluetooth PDA & phone package deal - Engadget - www.engadget.com: "AT&T Wireless is offering a package deal where you can get a Bluetooth-enabled iPAQ Pocket PC (either the h2210, the h4150, or the h4350) along with the similarly Bluetooth-enabled Nokia 6820 (pictured at right) and via the wonders of Bluetooth use the PDA to piggyback on the phone's wireless Internet connection. "

Well ... though sunrise network of Switzerland has not been giving this as an offer they sure do provide you with a freeware which u need to install on your bluetooth enabled PDA [both Palm OS & Pocket PC I guess] so that it can use either sunrise GSM or GPRS on your bluetooth enabled mobile to browse the internet.

Indian Railways will offer Internet access

2004-06-24T17:49:00.000+02:00

Internet on some trains from June 30: "The Internet service will initially be limited to trains on the Delhi-Amritsar and the Delhi-Bhopal routes, but is likely to be extended to other routes depending on demand, an official said."

Last year I remember reading somewhere that India was the first country in the world to successfully run the pilot to put internet in trains. About time we had them :-)

India insists on operational control of Galileo

2004-06-24T17:37:00.000+02:00

Business News India Channel : Latest Business News & Current Affairs of India, updated hourly by "new kerala.com": "The Galileo system, named after the famous Italian physicist and astronomer and in which China is also involved, has been conceived as an alternative to the Global Positioning System (GPS) of the US.

The GPS is a worldwide radio navigation system supported by a constellation of 24 satellites and their ground stations. "

GPS Locator Leads To Arrests Of Robbery Suspects

2004-06-24T17:02:00.000+02:00

channelcincinnati.com - Technology - GPS Locator Leads To Arrests Of Robbery Suspects: "The teller at the PNC Bank on Vine Street in Springfield Township put the GPS device in the bag of money after three masked men stormed into the bank with guns and aimed one at the head of one of the tellers, WLWT Eyewitness News 5's Brian Hamrick reported."

Wow!! Its already got some culprits behind the bars! But its still got a long way to go before it enters mainstream. Like the report says:

"This is a rapidly expanding field," said Tom Lehn, vice president of Blue Ash-based RACO Industries, which makes GPS systems. "It's in its infancy stages right now."

GPS Locator Phone

2004-06-24T16:56:00.000+02:00

Wherify Wireless: "The slim, small and lightweight GPS Locator Phone can fit almost anywhere ... from a backpack to a purse to a coat pocket to the family car."

Seems its just as big as a zippo lighter. But I dont think its available as yet. Pricing & Availability is TBA!

The same wherify people also have a GPS Vehicle Locator it seems.

GPS Locator FOR CHILDREN

2004-06-24T16:51:00.000+02:00

Wherify Wireless:
"GPS Locator FOR CHILDREN
Peace of Mind for Parents. Cool for Kids."

It sure looks cool ... geek kids would be proud to show it off I guess ;-) [I would have been!]

Anyway, heres the fact sheet for this GPS watch.

Maxim Application Notes

2004-06-24T16:47:00.000+02:00

Application Notes

This is the toc page for the AppNotes section of Maxim's site. Got loads of articles to start your own electronics projects in general ... and its got the WIRELESS, RF, AND CABLE section where you can get lots of ideas for your wireless projects!

GPS Vehicle Tracker

2004-06-24T16:42:00.000+02:00

GPS Vehicle Tracker: "This application note describes a simple way to track the location of a vehicle and identify whether it has an authorized driver based on 1-Wire technology. This has many uses such as finding stolen vehicles, creating automatic vehicle logs, and managing a fleet of trucks and buses. An example of how to do this is described. It uses a Garmin GPS 35 GPS receiver, a Siemens TC35 GSM module, a DS1990A iButton, a Parallax Basic Stamp (BS2P) microcontroller, and, of course, sample source code."

Cool stuff to build ... I would like to get my hands on the ingredients mentioned asap ... only one thing worries me ... the moolah!

GPS-GSM Integration

2004-06-24T16:39:00.000+02:00

GPS-GSM Integration

This site tells how the Roke Manor Research people combined GPS & GSM together.

About how I got interested ...

2004-06-24T16:20:00.000+02:00

Well, actually a collegue of mine lost his family car when it was stolen in his hometown in India. Now he wanted to know if any product existed which would let him track his new car in case of theft.

Naturally I googled for some info ... and found a lot of GPS, GSM, GPRS products ... and also a site which actually told you how to build one!

This got me thinking ... and hooked me! :D