Wireless

Readers who follow developments in the growing field of bio-signal telemetry (perhaps we can call it "life data monitoring") will likely be familiar with the Fitbit, an activity monitor that collects and measures data about your daily movements. Hitachi's Life Microscope goes a few steps further, collecting even more data that can be used to analyze your life trends. Read More

The phenomenon of social networking allows fragmented friends and families to keep in touch and empowers users to share their lives with the world. Four female students from MIT think that such a medium could also help to alleviate something else that many members of the global community share and suffer from - stress. The SOS: stress outsourced system consists of wearable units containing wireless signaling technology. Should a wearer feel the burden of stress, sending out an SOS to fellow users around the globe generates a haptic massage from the relief signals sent in response. Read More

It’s a problem as old as the protective earplug itself - if you block out the loud, harmful noises, you also block out the quieter sounds, such as peoples’ voices... that is, unless you’ve got a QUIETPRO+ Intelligent Hearing System stuck in your ears. The setup consists of a pair of fairly regular-looking in-ear plugs, wired iPod-style to a small electronic control unit. When the system detects a dangerously-loud noise, it automatically sends noise-canceling sound waves to the headset. When things are quiet, it amplifies sounds like human voices, so the user is actually able to hear better than they would without it. Read More

Source R&D has just announced that its Warpia Easy Dock Wireless Laptop Docking Station has now been made available for online purchase. The system offers the convenience of a laptop and the comfort of a desktop in one package by enabling laptop users to wirelessly connect to any traditional desktop setup. Read More

As the number of portable electronic devices we carry around has multiplied, so too have the chargers we need to keep them running. Over the last couple of years wireless chargers such as the PowerDisc and Powermat have started popping up to save users the hassle of dealing with a mass of charger cables, but these require specific adapters for the different devices being charged. A business alliance of 20 firms has banded together to form the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) to develop open standards for wireless charging and has just finalized its Qi low power standard that is aimed at delivering wireless charging stations that can charge a range of compatible devices. Read More

Seagate has unveiled a new centralized wireless home storage and backup addition to its FreeAgent GoFlex hard drive solutions. The single-drive GoFlex Home storage system is said to benefit from easy setup and use, the ability to connect and wirelessly share USB printers or other devices, remote file access and a modular approach to higher capacity upgrades. Read More

Fujitsu's new wireless outpatient registration and information system has just been launched. Should a user need to visit a medical center operating the system, slotting a chipped-card into a special device will wirelessly register the outpatient and provide information about a scheduled appointment, where to go and what wait time can be expected. 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