Connectivity

Many have decried the lack of USB 3.0 connectivity in Apple’s latest MacBook Pro lineup, with the company instead opting for the new Thunderbolt I/O interface. Despite the lack of USB 3.0 connectivity in Apple’s current laptops, the unearthing of a patent granted to the company for a hybrid DisplayPort/USB 3.0 high speed dock connector suggests support for the high speed connection may be making its way into the next generation of Apple’s iOS devices. And with Thunderbolt using the Mini DisplayPort connector, Apple may finally be answering the call for greater connectivity options for its mobile devices. Read More

Although most new Bluetooth compatibility is still centered on version 2.1 +EDR, which was formally adopted way back on July 26, 2007, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has announced the formal adoption of Bluetooth Core Specification Version 4.0. The hallmark feature of the new specification is its low energy technology that should open up entirely new markets for devices requiring low power wireless connectivity. Read More

Passengers boarding either a Cathay Pacific Airways or Dragonair jet in 2012 will be able to make use of broadband connectivity. This week, the airline confirmed an agreement with Panasonic Avionics Corporation to provide broadband access across its entire fleet with download speeds of up to 50Mbps (to the aircraft – not individual passengers), as well as call and data access for cell phones. Read More

Printers are one of the less exciting PC peripherals going around, yet they are one device that most PC users own. While the “paperless office” was predicted as far back as the mid 70’s history has shown the reverse to be true, with PC’s making it easier than ever to produce hard copies of documents. In my (thankfully brief) time working in IT support for a medium-sized business, printer problems were by far the most common reason for calls for help and of these calls, printer drivers were often the culprit. Anyone who has had to set up a printer has likely also encountered problems with sourcing the right driver for the right system. In developing new web connected and cloud aware printers Hewlett Packard believes it has hit upon a solution that could see an end to driver hassles and give printers much wider functionality, including making printing from mobile devices such as smartphones possible without the need for a PC at all. HP has seen the future of printing and is convinced it lies in the cloud. Read More

Ever thought of dumping the mortgage and living in the car? Well, it could soon be a more attractive proposition if the LTE Connected Car Concept is anything to go by. The prototype vehicle brings together ideas and technology from a range of companies to boast first-of-its-kind services and functionality including on-demand entertainment, infotainment, diagnostics, navigation and other mobile services made possible by connecting a vehicle to always-on, ultra-fast 4G/Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks. Read More

A particularly troubling aspect of enterprise computer deployment is the need for end user machines to remain switched on day and night. Fully on mind you, not in low power sleep mode. Computer scientists from the University of California, San Diego have developed a software solution which allows PCs to remain on the network even when placed in sleep mode at the end of a working day. The software creates a virtual representation of the computer on the server to handle many of the common overnight tasks, only waking up the physical machine at pre-programmed commands or when it encounters something that it can't deal with itself. Read More

The GoFlex ecosystem, heralded by Seagate as the next step in the evolution of its FreeAgent external drives, not only features a selection of USB 2.0 storage options but also a host of different interchangeable plug and play cables and adapters to give users flexibility when upgrading drives to eSATA, USB 3.0 or FireWire 800 connectivity. Read More

The Gesture Cube concept is the first example to demonstrate the possibilities offered by a new touch-free sensing technology developed by Ident Technology AG. The design proposes using the company's GestIC 3D spatial hand movement tracking innovation to allow users to browse photos, play music, read messages, check the weather and so on - all with the wave of a hand or the flick of a wrist. Read More

If you’ve stacked on a few too many pounds over the festive season, this could be just the thing to help turn the tide. Withings, maker of the world’s first WiFi-connected personal scale has integrated its product with the Google Health service. The Withings WiFi Body Scale can provide updates to a user’s Google Health profile in real-time using its built-in WiFi connection. Read More