Wireless

Dr. McCoy’s tricoder isn't looking too futuristic these days. Not only are real life versions of the Star Trek device under development, but some new medical devices are making it look a bit old fashioned. Take, for example, the ViSi Mobile vital signs monitor built by Sotera Wireless of San Diego, California. This wearable sensor pack uses Wi-Fi technology and is claimed to allow doctors using a tablet or smartphone to remotely monitor patient vital signs with the accuracy of an intensive care unit.  Read More

As many bike nerds already know, electronic gear-shifting systems are currently being made by components manufacturers Shimano and Campagnolo. Last Wednesday, however, lesser-known Italian firm Tiso joined the fray by announcing the availability of its own 12-speed electronic system for road bikes. Unlike the other companies’ offerings, Tiso’s is wireless – partly.  Read More

Being away from home doesn’t mean you have to neglect your pet. Thanks to the internet, you can play with them remotely and now you can feed them remotely, too. Pintofeed, Inc of Pasadena, California has developed a wireless pet feeder that you can control from your iOS or Android smartphone, so Fido or Mr. Tibbles never has to miss a meal.  Read More

Researchers at North Caroline State University have come up with a new tool to speed up public Wi-Fi hotspots. The researchers say that WiFox software can improve data throughput by up to 700 percent and could be packaged as an update to existing networks.  Read More

The common thing amongst the various smart light bulbs we’ve seen recently, such as the Lumen, Philips hue, LIFX and INSTEON, is that all the enabling wireless technology is built into the bulbs themselves. This means that when the bulb inevitably fails, you’re faced with replacing the whole expensive kit and caboodle. Spark overcomes this problem by separating the expensive wireless components from the bulb, thereby allowing a standard bulb to be connected to the internet.  Read More

Combining the power of smartphones, LED light bulbs, wireless and remote control technology has inspired designers to come up with smart solutions such as LIFX, Philips’ hue light bulbs and INSTEON. The Lumen Smart Bulb project, currently raising funds via indiegogo, aims to add one more option to the wireless-enabled LED market, while betting on home entertainment and well-being to score extra points.  Read More

Wireless carriers love to talk about a Spectrum Crunch. Like oil, wireless spectrum is a finite resource. Companies like AT&T warn that smartphone proliferation is eventually going to leave those "wells" dry. Carriers' answers to the problem usually involve government (less regulations, and more federally-owned spectrum released). However, researchers at U.C. Riverside have another solution: make those networks more efficient.  Read More

The Triggertrap Mobile app released earlier this year gave photographers the ability to use a smartphone or tablet connected to their camera, to trigger its shutter in a number of cool ways. Now a significant update also enables Wi-Fi triggering … on the condition you have two smart devices, one to use as a master and the other as a slave.  Read More

While many cameras now pack Wi-Fi connectivity for the wireless sharing and transferring of captured images, those owning cameras without such capabilities need not necessarily have to shell out cash for an entirely new camera to get wireless connectivity. Transcend has announced a new range of Wi-Fi SD memory cards that add wireless capabilities to SDHC-compatible digital cameras, along with a companion app for iOS and Android devices that allows users to browse the contents of the card, instantly view images on their mobile device as they are taken, and share content online.  Read More