Wireless Mobility Review

Motorola and Kopin to Develop Hands-Free Wireless Computing Headset

2010-11-24T13:31:00.000-08:00

The Motorola Solutions business of Motorola, Inc. has entered into an agreement with Kopin Corporation to develop a hands-free computer and communications headset. This new device category is a head-worn, mobile computer headset with full voice, audio and PC capabilities, leveraging Kopin’s advanced system and micro-display technologies to create a virtual 15-inch monitor that supports simulation software, streaming video on-demand and other large-screen enterprise applications. This new category of wearable computer provides hands-free remote control and instant access to digital information and broadcast programming. Access is also available for Internet services, including streaming video over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, allowing simultaneous real-time interface with multiple mobile devices, servers and networks. This new category of wearable computer provides hands-free remote control and instant access to digital information and broadcast programming. Access is also available for Internet services, including streaming video over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, allowing simultaneous real-time interface with multiple mobile devices, servers and networks.

Wireless Power Charging and Transmission Market to Reach $11.8B USD by 2020

2010-11-23T13:30:00.000-08:00

Technological advances in wireless power charging and transmission have shown great promise for enabling plug-free and, in many cases, contactless charging for a wide variety of devices and machinery. From simple inductive charging mechanisms that require a direct point of contact between charger (transmitter) and device (receiver), wireless power systems have evolved to the point of promising the ability to transmit dozens of watts over dozens of kilometers. According to a new report from Pike Research, the wireless power market will reach an inflection point when it crosses the $1 billion revenue mark in 2012, and by 2020 wireless power system revenues will exceed $11.8 billion worldwide.

Wheelock adds that the industry taking shape around wireless power includes major manufacturers like General Motors and General Electric, as well as startups such as WiTricity, Pure Energy Solutions, and Powermat. However, at the moment there are no clear leaders in terms of technologies or companies, no industry-wide specifications or standards for interoperability, and little agreement about the size of the market opportunity and the most promising areas for investment.“Applications for wireless power are diverse, ranging from mobile phones to electric vehicles to unmanned aircraft,” says Pike Research president Clint Wheelock. “And in the future, wireless transmission will have the capability of sending large amounts of power to remote locations.”

LightSquared Announces the Successful Launch of Next-Generation Satellite

2010-11-22T11:07:00.000-08:00

LightSquared™, the nation’s first wholesale-only integrated wireless broadband and satellite network, today announced the successful launch of its SkyTerra 1 satellite. Launched by International Launch Services (ILS), the Proton Breeze M vehicle lifted off from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome at 12:29 p.m. EST yesterday, followed by spacecraft separation and on-schedule signal acquisition nine hours later at approximately 9:45 p.m. EST. The satellite, a Boeing 702HP built by Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems, is designed to provide wireless mobile services to millions of subscribers. LightSquared’s SkyTerra 1 satellite features a 22-meter L-band reflector-based antenna -- the largest commercial antenna reflector to be put into service. The satellite, among the most powerful commercial satellites ever built, will provide ubiquitous nationwide coverage and enable integrated satellite-terrestrial service using products that are similar to today’s typical mobile devices in terms of size, capabilities and build costs.

“Today, LightSquared has achieved a major milestone in the realization of our mission to revolutionize the wireless industry in the United States,” said Sanjiv Ahuja, chairman and chief executive officer for LightSquared. “LightSquared is launching the world’s first truly integrated satellite-terrestrial network, combining our 4G-LTE terrestrial network with ubiquitous satellite coverage that will connect rural America and support emergency communications.”

Andrew Solutions and Comsearch Win Outstanding 4G Solutions for Wireless Backhaul Award

2010-11-20T13:22:00.000-08:00

Andrew Solutions and Comsearch—have been named winners of the second annual Wireless Backhaul Distinction Award presented by 4GWE, the website of Technology Marketing Corporation (TMC), a global, integrated media company, and Crossfire Media. “Andrew and Comsearch deserve acknowledgment for their achievements in advancing 4G and providing solutions in the marketplace,” Ford said. “Their antenna products and network planning tools have been proven successes in helping customers solve wireless backhaul challenges.”Winners of the Wireless Backhaul Distinction Award were chosen based on their successful demonstration of commitment to innovation toward the 4G wireless evolution, said Carl Ford, co-founder and community developer, Crossfire Media.

“The nominated products from Andrew and Comsearch have proven their superiority and certainly impressed our panel of judges,” said Rich Tehrani, chief executive officer, TMC. “It is an honor to grant this award to these CommScope businesses, and we certainly look forward to more innovative solutions from them in the future.” Andrew Solutions was cited for its one-meter ValuLine Vision microwave backhaul antenna, a microwave backhaul solution introduced in late 2009 that offers high performance in a smaller antenna size. The one-meter Andrew ValuLine Vision™ microwave backhaul antenna, with its robust electrical design, enables radiation pattern performance and gain levels that are similar to a 1.2 meter antenna and compliant to the highest regulatory standards.

Freescale DSP Family Delivers New Levels of Performance for the Next Wave of Wireless Base Stations

2010-11-19T13:53:00.000-08:00

Freescale Semiconductor announced two next-generation products that deliver more than twice the throughput of their industry-leading predecessor. The MSC8157 product supports a broad array of 3G and 4G wireless standards, while the MSC8158 is cost-optimized to enable more efficient and higher throughput deployments for WCDMA networks. Both products help lower bill of materials costs by integrating technologies that eliminate the need for additional, costly ASICs and FPGAs required in competing solutions.Freescale’s new MSC8157 and MSC8158 products are the next generation of the widely deployed MSC8156 DSP. The new DSPs are based on Freescale’s SC3850 core running at 1.2 Ghz, which recently earned the highest BDTIsimMark2000™ fixed-point performance score of any DSP architecture tested to date by independent signal-processing firm Berkley Design Technology, Inc (BDTI).

“With the introduction of the MSC8157/58 product family, Freescale leverages its deep understanding of wireless networking technology to address the needs of service providers to dramatically reduce network costs while increasing bandwidth,” said Lisa Su, senior vice president and general manager of Freescale’s Networking and Multimedia Group. “These new products balance leadership performance, cost and energy efficiency to meet the needs of next-generation 3G/4G networks.”

Cellular South and Samsung Mobile to Build LTE 4G High-Speed Wireless Broadband Infrastructure

2010-11-17T15:53:00.000-08:00

Cellular South and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) announced a strategic alliance to build a fourth generation (4G) mobile broadband network for the nation’s largest privately owned wireless communications provider using Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology. LTE technology enables delivery of unprecedented wireless broadband service for higher performance mobile computing, multimedia and consumer electronic devices and applications. The technology is designed to deliver mobile data networks with higher speed and throughput performance, lower latency, roaming and improved efficiencies.The alliance also calls for Samsung Mobile, the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S., to supply Cellular South with two LTE Band Class 12 4G smartphone handsets as well as other new and innovative network solutions operating in the 700 MHz spectrum. The devices and the network will be ready for launch in the fourth quarter of 2011.

The alliance with Samsung is designed to allow both companies to jointly pursue the integration of rich multi-media services and “three screen differentiation” across smartphones, laptops and netbooks and televisions, including access to Samsung Media Hub, a library of video and literary content powered by some of the biggest names in entertainment. Samsung Mobile and Cellular South plan to launch LTE service by the end of 2011 using voice-over LTE (VoLTE) and continue to expand availability across its 700 MHz footprint in 2012.

AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless to build ISIS™ Mobile Commerce Network

2010-11-16T13:36:00.000-08:00

AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless have formed a joint venture chartered with building ISIS™, a national mobile commerce network that aims to fundamentally transform how people shop, pay and save. Michael Abbott has been named as Chief Executive Officer of Isis. Formerly with GE Capital, Abbott is a veteran financial services executive with extensive experience in the payment and technology industries.Isis’ initial focus will be on building a mobile payment network that utilizes mobile phones to make point-of-sale purchases. By utilizing smartphone and near-field communication (NFC) technology to modernize the payments process, Isis intends to deliver new levels of competition and value to consumers and merchants. Isis expects to introduce its service in key geographic markets during the next 18 months.

“Our mobile commerce network, through relationships with merchants, will provide an enhanced, more convenient, more personalized shopping experience for consumers,” said Michael Abbott, Chief Executive Officer of Isis. “While mobile payments will be at the core of our offering, it is only the start. We plan to create a mobile wallet that ultimately eliminates the need for consumers to carry cash, credit and debit cards, reward cards, coupons, tickets and transit passes.”

Wireless Backhaul: The Network Behind LTE, WiMAX, and 3G

2010-11-15T12:11:00.000-08:00

Research and Markets announced the addition of the "Wireless Backhaul: The Network Behind LTE, WiMAX, and 3G" report to their offering. Cellular backhaul provides the crucial link between a mobile operators RAN and its core network. Last mile backhaul is critical because poor backhaul planning can create bottlenecks that limit subscriber growth and quality of service. Backhaul opportunities include infrastructure equipment, as well as service opportunities for cable MSOs, satellite vendors, and wholesalers. This research identifies mobile backhaul expenditures and capacities. The report includes: Five-year forecasts for last mile backhaul capacity by medium (microwave, millimeter microwave, T1/E1/DS3/E3 copper lines, cable, fiber, copper over Ethernet); Capacity forecast by air interfaceGSM, CDMA, HSPA, WiMAX, and LTE; Five-year forecasts for TDM and Ethernet in the last mile; All forecasts broken out into six regionsNorth America, CALA, Asia/Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and MEA; How regulations, chipsets, broadband caps, and spectrum affect migration to faster airlinks; and Profiles of key vendors: ADTRAN, ADVA Optical Networking, Alcatel-Lucent, Allied Fiber, BridgeWave, Ceragon Networks, Ciena, Cisco, Clearwire, Cox Communications, DragonWave, Ericsson, Exalt Communications, FiberTower, JDSU, Metro Ethernet Forum, Motorola (Nokia Siemens), Provigent, Proxim Wireless, RADWIN, SkyFiber, Taqua, and Tellabs.

The Network behind LTE, WiMAX, and 3G - Mobile Backhaul Expenditures and Capacities

2010-11-12T13:51:00.000-08:00

Research and Markets announced the addition of the "Wireless Backhaul: The Network Behind LTE, WiMAX, and 3G" report to their offering. It includes: Cellular backhaul provides the crucial link between a mobile operators RAN and its core network. Last mile backhaul is critical because poor backhaul planning can create bottlenecks that limit subscriber growth and quality of service. Backhaul opportunities include infrastructure equipment, as well as service opportunities for cable MSOs, satellite vendors, and wholesalers. This research identifies mobile backhaul expenditures and capacities. It addresses: Five-year forecasts for last mile backhaul capacity by medium (microwave, millimeter microwave, T1/E1/DS3/E3 copper lines, cable, fiber, copper over Ethernet); capacity forecast by air interfaceGSM, CDMA, HSPA, WiMAX, and LTE; five-year forecasts for TDM and Ethernet in the last mile; forecasts broken out into six regionsNorth America, CALA, Asia/Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and MEA; how regulations, chipsets, broadband caps, and spectrum affect migration to faster airlinks; and profiles of key vendors: ADTRAN, ADVA Optical Networking, Alcatel-Lucent, Allied Fiber, BridgeWave, Ceragon Networks, Ciena, Cisco, Clearwire, Cox Communications, DragonWave, Ericsson, Exalt Communications, FiberTower, JDSU, Metro Ethernet Forum, Motorola (Nokia Siemens), Provigent, Proxim Wireless, RADWIN, SkyFiber, Taqua, and Tellabs

Wireless Sensor Network Technology Trends Report Q4 2010 (Preview)

2010-11-10T16:01:00.000-08:00

Research and Markets announced the addition of the "Wireless Sensor Network Technology Trends Report Q4 2010" report to their offering. This new report evaluates the opportunity for 802.15.4, EnOcean, Bluetooth Low Energy, Dash7, Wavenis, Low Power Wi-Fi, and ZigBee chipsets. The report includes a five-year forecast of dominant technologies.Forecast for ZigBee-based Components Does Not Change. The newly updated study, WTRS Wireless Sensor Network Technology Trends, Q4 2010, reviews and analyzes the available and proposed technology solutions competing for dominance in the wireless sensor network segment.

The forecast for ZigBee components has not changed significantly over the last year, said Kirsten West, Principal Analyst with WTRS. While the ZigBee market survived the generalized market recession, it did not rebound as strongly as it could have. This is in part due to a continued absence of an IP-based stack option for ZigBee. The Wireless Sensor Network Technology Trends Report analyzes and forecasts the market for wireless sensor networks. The report includes a thorough evaluation of emerging Wireless Sensor Network technologies and associated software including ZigBee, Bluetooth Low Energy, Wavenis, IEEE 802.15.4, Low Power WiFi, EnOcean, and others.

Analog Devices’ Radio System-on-chip Enables Power-efficient Wireless Connectivity

2010-11-09T12:31:00.000-08:00

Analog Devices, Inc. introduced a SoC (system-on-chip) device that integrates all of the RF (radio frequency) transmit and receive functions, data conversion, and processing elements required to enable a fully programmable radio. Designed for a range of remote, battery-powered wireless sensor network (WSN) applications, including utility meters, medical telemetry systems, building automation, asset tracking and security systems, the ultra-low-power ADuCRF101 radio SoC features a 12-bit ADC (analog-to-digital converter), a 32-bit microprocessor core, on-chip SRAM and FLASH memory and an ISM-band radio transceiver.

The ADuCRF101 radio SoC extends ADI’s precision analog microcontroller portfolio, which now includes an ultra-low-power offering based on the Cortex-M3 processor, to support the demanding design requirements of today’s remote sensing and measurement applications. Design engineers can visit ADI’s EngineerZone, an open technical support forum where they can ask questions, share knowledge and search for answers to questions regarding precision analog microcontrollers.“By combining converter technology, low-power 32-bit processing, large on-chip memory and high-performance RF communications in a single 9-mm × 9-mm package, the ADuCRF101 provides a radio SoC at a performance level not previously available to battery-powered WSN applications,” said James Caffrey, Converter Group marketing and applications director, Analog Devices. “By delivering a solution based on an open-source ARM® Cortex™-M3 processor, combined with evaluation hardware and software tools, the Analog Devices platform simplifies design and reduces development time for our customers who are designing wireless data-acquisition products.”

Networks Announces the Next Generation Wireless AC Power Meter WiFi-SensorTM

2010-11-08T13:21:00.000-08:00

EQUAL Networks announced their newest product - the AC Power Meter WiFi-SensorTM. The AC Power Meter WiFi-SensorTM is the first Cloud-managed electrical power meter using Wi-Fi communications. Leveraging on its core competencies in smart wireless sensors and Cloud managed systems, EQUAL Networks has a created a first-of-its-kind power measuring system. The AC Power Meter WiFi-SensorTM is easily deployed in all 802.11b/g environments and is available in various form-fit models. Each AC Power Meter WiFi-SensorTM measurescurrent, voltage, and power factor at configurable sampling intervals. All sensor measurements are uploaded to Dashboard, EQUAL Network’s online service in the Cloud. Dashboard displays sensor status, power usage and trend analysis using a desktop or mobile web browser. By continuously monitoring electrical usage in real-time, energy consumption can be optimized to reduce operating cost and minimize your carbon footprint.

Standard, non-proprietary, Wi-Fi provides a seamless and secure connection for data transmission, rapid installation into existing infrastructure, enabling continuous monitoring of electrical usage throughout the day. The latest sensor expands the company’s existing line of WiFi-Sensor™ products designed around the company’s “Internet of Senses” product strategy. “EQUAL Networks is creating the Internet of Senses by merging Wi-Fi sensors with Internet Cloud service. We are establishing the foundation for interactive, high resolution sense capabilities such as video, audio, and motion detection. Simply put, WiFi-SensorsTM connected to the Cloud is the model for the future,” said Simon Wong, CEO at EQUAL Networks.

Nokia Siemens Networks gives Telstra options to create new and innovative customer services

2010-11-04T16:07:00.000-07:00

Telstra has added a policy control capability to its Next G™ network and created a foundation to develop new and exciting services demanded by customers in the growing mobile internet world. The capabilities are part of an implementation by Nokia Siemens Networks of its policy control and subscriber data management platforms.

“The enhancement of the Next G™ network with policy control and subscriber data management is key to the ongoing evolution of Telstra’s world-class mobile network. It will also deliver efficiencies in the use of its wireless network infrastructure,” said Mike Wright, executive director, Networks & Access Technologies, Telstra. “The Policy Control server provides crucial functionality by enabling Telstra to optimize traffic based on a set of business rules, while the Subscriber Data Management System allows us to manage our customer profiles in real time.” Nokia Siemens Networks’ innovative solution is based on its highly scalable PCS5000 (Policy Control) and One-NDS (Subscriber Data Management) platforms.

“This is becoming the era of the customer-centric network,” said Kalevi Kostiainen, head of Nokia Siemens Networks in Australia and New Zealand. “The functionality that comes with our solution provides Telstra with the tools to create new and innovative products that will give customers new services alongside more choice and control.”

Qualcomm earnings bode well for wireless sector - stock leaps

2010-11-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

Qualcomm announced results for the fourth fiscal quarter and year ended September 26, 2010. Today the company stock soared 5.8% in regular trading. This bodes well for the wireless chip and infrastructure sectors. Another sign that the mobile megatrend continues. Here is an excerpt from Qualcomm's press release:

“I am very pleased with our performance this year as we delivered record earnings per share and record MSM chipset volumes,” said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm. “Our outlook includes strong revenue and earnings growth in fiscal 2011. In the coming year, we expect continued strong growth in CDMA-based device shipments, including smartphones and other data-centric devices, driven by the global adoption of 3G and accelerating consumer demand for wireless data. With our industry-leading chipset roadmap, broad licensing program and increasing number of global partners, we are well positioned to take advantage of these industry trends.” Track the stock via CNBC: http://data.cnbc.com/quotes/qcom

New Wireless In-Patient Monitors and Monitoring Systems Report

2010-11-04T15:08:00.000-07:00

Research and Markets announced the addition of the "Wireless In-Patient Monitors and Monitoring Systems: Devices, Deployment, Connectivity, Portability and Prospects" report to their offering. As the health care sector continues to search for ways to control expenses and improve patient quality-of-care, integrating the flow of patient information on a facility-wide basis has been viewed as an essential first-step in streamlining the management of patient care. Extending integration beyond the wired hospital LAN via wirelessly enabled devices is the next frontier. The availability of wireless patient monitors that can increase the efficiency of already-strained nursing staffs and improve outcomes is set to overcome connectivity and network scalability issues to become a standard operating scenario. While deployment issues and system-wide scalability will continue to be key buying influences, the convergence of market and technology factors will fuel the growth of wirelessly enabled monitors, as the favorable impact of these products on health care operations by early adopters becomes known.

Motorola's Wireless Manager Provides Network Administrators with Added Flexibility and Visibility

2010-11-02T14:06:00.000-07:00

Motorola announced the next generation of its Wireless Manager, a comprehensive management solution that helps IT departments manage their network infrastructure with better accuracy. Offering more flexibility and visibility into all elements of a wireless broadband network deployment, the Wireless Manager provides network administrators with real-time monitoring and management of their mesh, point-to-multipoint (PMP), point-to-point and any other Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)-enabled network elements from a single Google map view.

Motorola’s Wireless Manager is a flexible, powerful and scalable network management platform that enables streamlined deployment and provisioning of networks, which helps reduce costs and enables faster network setup. Wireless Manager offers network operators a new level of visibility through real-time, highly advanced visualization of the network in an embedded Google Maps environment. Network elements are overlaid on satellite images as icons and a wide range of information, including connectivity between nodes, link quality or range and availability is displayed on the screen. Wireless Manager will replace the current Motorola PRIZM PMP management software, providing current and new customers with enhanced features while retaining ease-of-use and functionality components of this legacy network management platform.

Nokia Siemens Networks launches ‘Mobile Quality Analyzer for Mobile Broadband

2010-11-02T13:22:00.000-07:00

Nokia Siemens Networks has launched a Mobile Quality Analyzer (MQA) for Mobile Broadband that uses a mobile device client to report on the quality of 3G connections. It can combine this data with subjective feedback from subscribers, as they download data or surf the Internet, to get a clearer picture of their mobile broadband experience, effectively ‘crowdsourcing’ mobile network optimization. The application is part of the company’s Insight & Experience Framework**.

"The mobile broadband market is growing rapidly and improved broadband service quality is fast becoming a differentiator for operators globally," said Ludovic Magne, customer operations for business solutions sales at Nokia Siemens Networks. "MQA for Mobile Broadband provides operators with information to plan and efficiently adjust their network capacity as well as speed up resolution of customer complaints." The application is one of the most cost effective systems to measure mobile broadband performance. Nokia Siemens Networks recommends that operators clearly outline to subscribers the client application’s use, exactly what sort of data it collects and how their privacy is protected. Take-up rate could be improved by offering bonuses such as additional SMS and voice minutes or data allowances to those who accept its use. MQA for Mobile Broadband can also provide real-time insight into device and network operation to customer service agents helping them accurately troubleshoot and resolve user issues.

AirMagnet Offers New Multi-adapter Survey PRO 8.0

2010-11-02T13:05:00.000-07:00

AirMagnet released new versions of its leading AirMagnet Survey PRO 8.0 (including the AirMagnet Planner module) and AirMagnet WiFi Analyzer PRO 9.0. Both products now include the company's new multi-adapter solution, which delivers dramatic enhancements to the wireless LAN (WLAN) designing and troubleshooting process by going beyond just collecting greater amounts of data, to integrating that data into features that help speed the performance and accuracy of site surveys, and deliver the industry's most in-depth client roaming analysis to ensure wireless continuity.

"Our new multi-adapter solution, while not the only new update to these two products, is noteworthy because it provides a new way for users to measure and visualize the WLAN client experience. When integrated into AirMagnet Survey PRO (the Planner module) and AirMagnet WiFi Analyzer PRO, this has a profound impact on the time, effort, cost and effectiveness associated with designing, deploying and troubleshooting a WLAN," said Chia-Chee Kuan, CTO and SVP of Engineering at AirMagnet. "We are the first to offer true multi-adapter capabilities that go beyond just the data capture and push to root-cause analysis leveraging our intelligence engine, AirWISE."

Firetide Demonstrates End-to-end Enterprise Wireless Infrastructure at IT Roadmap

2010-11-02T12:56:00.000-07:00

Firetide will demonstrate its enterprise wireless infrastructure portfolio at IT Roadmap seminar and expo, organized by Network World. During 2010, Firetide has evolved from a purely “infrastructure mesh” company focused on outdoor video surveillance to an end-to-end infrastructure provider. Firetide’s product portfolio now supports indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi, inter-building connectivity, LAN extension, video surveillance, access control, mass notification, and more – wherever rapid deployment and cost-effective solutions are required. In addition to infrastructure mesh to provide a "fat pipe" to the client devices (Wi-Fi access points, IP cameras, access control readers), Firetide now offers point-to-point wireless Ethernet bridges (both MIMO and non-MIMO), 802.11 access points (indoor and outdoor) and a WLAN controller appliance.

Why do enterprises need this combo approach, rather than bridging Wi-Fi access points to extend the network's reach? With the growth of multimedia applications (media streaming, videoconferencing, online meetings), coupled with the deluge of mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets with Web access and video conferencing over Wi-Fi, enterprise IT managers are struggling to increase and manage network capacity to meet soaring demand. The first part of the solution is realizing that the enterprise is no longer solely about the carpeted space but indoor and outdoor combined. Therefore, the technology solution will not come from indoor-oriented WLAN vendors. Consider adding real-time multimedia business applications or video surveillance to the campus network? Wi-Fi access infrastructure will be no match to the load of high-bandwidth, latency-sensitive streams.

Wireless Power Future Directions, R&D Competition and Commercial Markets

2010-10-28T12:34:00.000-07:00

Research and Markets has added the "Wireless Power: Current Status and Future Directions: R&D Competition, Commercial Markets and Future Applications" report to their offering. As the wireless power technology increases in efficiency, and as power consumption of applications comes down owing to other design efficiencies and trends (such as smart grid), at some time the two will cross and create new and compelling applications, in the home, in the car, and in industry. There will be hundreds of watts of power per household up for grabs. And there will be megawatts of wireless power applications industrywide, including consumer charging pads and far-more ambitious laser power beaming applications and everything in between.Wireless power is inevitable in the evolution of wireless technology. Sending electricity from a power source to an electrical load without needing a plug or cord is in a true sense a 21st century technology, enabled by the meeting of science and high-power digital electronics. Expectations are running high that wireless power can become a new industry with vigorous growth prospects in the coming decade.

Wireless power is already a reality today with limitations. Solutions commercially available now are solely about power distribution, under the assumption that the power is still coming from the wall outlet (or a generator). With that as our starting point, this Fuji-Keizai USA report looks at the current state of wireless power as it transitions from technology that R&D lab experts study into a commercial industry. The report covers the market potential of various competitive technologies and their application to electronics-driven products, from handhelds to electric vehicles to large equipment built for industrial sectors to wireless sensors needing battery-free power.

CSR collaborates with Infineon to integrate wireless connectivity for mobile phone platforms

2010-10-27T14:25:00.000-07:00

CSR is collaborating with Infineon Technologies to pre-integrate its wireless connectivity platforms onto Infineon’s cellular reference designs. This new cooperation allows mobile phone OEMs to easily add connectivity functionality beyond Infineon’s existing product portfolio to their products. The pre-integration of the complete functionality into a reference design significantly reduces development costs and time to market for new handsets.

“’Connected everywhere’ has become an integral part of the consumer lifestyle. By collaborating with CSR we are able to enhance our reference designs with pre-integrated Wi-Fi and wireless connectivity software framework, in addition to our in-house integrated connectivity IP,” commented Stefan Butz, Vice President of the Wireless Solutions Division and General Manager of the Business Line Entry Phones at Infineon Technologies. “CSR’s expertise and position as a leading supplier of embedded wireless connectivity makes it an important partner for Infineon and our customers.”CSR’s connectivity platforms will allow Infineon’s customers to deliver improved features and functionality, including sharing audio, pictures, videos, music and data, and connecting to mobile phones, headsets, computers, media players and numerous other wireless devices.

“This collaboration with Infineon will allow phone manufacturers to quickly and easily integrate Wi-Fi connectivity with minimum development time or expenditure,” said Matthew Philips, Senior Vice President of CSR’s Handset Business Unit. “The design simplicity is made possible using our CSR Synergy wireless systems software, which also provides the end users with a truly seamless wireless experience.”

WiMAX Security and Quality of Service: An End-to-End Perspective

2010-10-26T12:09:00.000-07:00

Research and Markets has addied John Wiley and Sons Ltd's new book "WiMAX Security and Quality of Service: An End-to-End Perspective" to their offering. WiMAX is the first standard technology to deliver true broadband mobility at speeds that enable powerful multimedia applications such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), online gaming, mobile TV, and personalized infotainment. WiMAX Security and Quality of Service, focuses on the interdisciplinary subject of advanced Security and Quality of Service (QoS) in WiMAX wireless telecommunication systems including its models, standards, implementations, and applications. Split into 4 parts, Part A of the book is an end-to-end overview of the WiMAX architecture, protocol, and system requirements. Security is an essential element in the wireless world and Part B is fully dedicated to this topic. Part C provides an in depth analysis of QoS, including mobility management in WiMAX. Finally, Part D introduces the reader to advanced and future topics.

Wireless Maritime Services (WMS) Announces Ericsson Gateway Upgrade to Network Infrastructure

2010-10-22T14:32:00.000-07:00

Wireless Maritime Services (WMS) has completed a significant upgrade of its network infrastructure. In undertaking this significant investment, WMS continues to provide the latest and most advanced technology in support of its wireless communication services. And in addition to improving service, this upgrade also helps the WMS cruise line and ferry partners generate more revenues.A new Ericsson soft switch and media gateway has been fully installed, which provides critical core backbone support in providing GSM service to the 135 vessels that WMS supports globally. The new switch from Ericsson represents an investment of over $1 million in the WMS IT platform, and will allow for: “I’m very pleased to be working with a tier-1 vendor, providing WMS with the scalability and reliability needed in a very difficult call and data delivery environment,” says Tony Patino, Vice President of Engineering and Technical Operations for WMS. “Vendor reputation, soundness and support along with features, functionality and total cost of ownership, were integral in our technology roadmap and selection process.”

GreenPacket introduces UT WiMAX USB modem

2010-10-21T16:07:00.000-07:00

Greenpacket has launched its exciting UT WiMAX USB modem (“UT”) that comes with interchangeable snap-on skins of varied designs, a feature that young and trendy subscribers will lavish. The UT is also affordable for the younger subscriber segment and gives operators greater flexibility in pricing strategies. Kelvin Lee, Senior General Manager of Green Packet Berhad said during UT’s launch at the 4G World 2010 conference in Chicago today, “Gadgets are becoming personal style statements. And the USB modem has joined the ranks of everyday personal consumer gadgets like smartphones, laptops, and flash drives. The UT with interchangeable skins will enable operators to support subscribers’ desire for personal expression and at the same time, engage them on a whole new level to win over the competition.”

Available in dual band 2.3-2.7GHz and 3.5GHz frequency bands, the cost-effective UT does not compromise on performance with its 2dBi Omni Printed Antenna and 23dBm transmission power to deliver exceptional signal strength and reception. To add to the user experience, the UT has an auto-installation feature to quickly and conveniently connect the user to a WiMAX broadband network. It also comes pre-installed with Greenpacket’s popular intelligent connection manager solution that enables users to roam between WiFi and WiMAX for a ubiquitous connectivity experience. Lee said, “The UT is ideal for segment marketing to the young and trendy, and will deliver the important benefit of lower subscriber acquisition costs to operators. As a fully integrated mobile internet player in the 4G space with an operator arm and subsidiary, Packet One, that currently serves over 200,000 subscribers, we are unique in that we have deep field knowledge about what operators need to become successful and constantly innovate products like the UT to meet those needs.”

Firetide to Demonstrate Real-time MIMO Video Mesh

2010-10-21T15:12:00.000-07:00

Firetide Inc. will demonstrate its MIMO (multiple input multiple output) infrastructure mesh technology as part of a wireless IP video surveillance demo during the IACP conference in Orlando, Florida, October 24 – 26, 2010. The solution addresses challenges in providing real-time, forensic-quality video for city center surveillance, hostage/barricade situations, special events security, monitoring crime-prone neighborhoods, emergency preparedness and homeland security. Many of the nations’ municipalities are using Firetide technology for wireless video surveillance including Orlando, the host city for this year’s IACP conference. The Orlando Police Department has used Firetide’s wireless mesh for several years, including during the 2008 Presidential election to provide wireless video surveillance of an Obama/Clinton campaign rally in Orlando that drew a record crowd of 60,000 people. The network provided an “extra set of eyes” to improve situational awareness and courtroom-quality video in case of any incidents. The conference demo combines MIMO wireless infrastructure mesh from Firetide with high-definition network camera technology from Axis Communications and open-platform video management from Milestone Systems. Deployed in a matter of hours, the system is a real-world example of what public safety agencies can achieve in the field with the right combination of IP technologies, delivering evidence-grade video for officer safety, identification and investigation.