Telecommunications

Sending and receiving data over a wireless network is generally undertaken via radio waves. But that's not the only method. Using the optical spectrum offers the advantage of better security and blisteringly fast transfer rates to boot. Engineers from Pennsylvania State University have now succeeded in moving data outside the usual line of sight restrictions at speeds of over one gigabit per second, more than double that achieved by Siemens recently.  Read More

Handset manufacturer i-mate’s 810-F is so tough the company has given it a lifetime year-on-year warranty. That’s because it has already put the 810-F through a grueling set of tests and trials, including running a car over it, immersing it in all kinds of fluids, kicking it, dropping it, baking it, freezing it and even calling it bad names – and yet the device continues to work. I-mate says the 810-F has even passed the rigors of US Military toughness specifications (standards as referenced for impact resistance, crush force, submersion, rain/mist/salt, fog, dust ingress, and vibration). Follow the link for some video evidence.  Read More

If you’re like most people, you probably think that 200 megabits per second for wireless data transfer is just too darn slow! What are we, cavemen? Not anymore, apparently, as electronic engineering company Siemens just broke their own record by achieving 500 Mbps using white LED light.  Read More

Last December, the world was introduced to the Synaptics Fuse, a new concept in mobile communications. The prototype smartphone is the result of a collaboration between Synaptics, Texas Instruments, Immersion, TheAlloy and The Astonishing Tribe (TAT). What makes this phone so special is its user/phone interface. It takes Synaptics’ pioneering touchscreen technology to a whole new level, allowing people to use the phone one-handed, and without having to even see the screen.  Read More

It seems our already speedy wireless connections are set to get a whole lot faster with the Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WiGig) announcing the completion of its unified wireless specification. Using the currently unlicensed 60GHz spectrum, the technology is set to provide data transmission rates of up to 7Gbps – more than ten times that of current 802.11n Wi-Fi.  Read More

The shift to wireless communication using ever-smaller devices has necessitated the need for smaller and smaller antennas. Thankfully, the days of extendable antennas on mobile phones are a thing of the past with manufacturers now able conceal them inside the casing. Now scientists have created shape-shifting antennas that, while not likely to appear in consumer devices like mobile phones any time soon, could open the door to a host of uses in fields ranging from bridge safety monitoring to military deployment.  Read More

Although computers and the Internet have eaten away at the dominance of television, it remains the most popular form of entertainment and source of information in the world. And with the line between TV and computers blurring with the advent of Home Theater PCs (HTPCs) and devices like Apple TV it’s likely that television in one form or another will retain its crown for some time to come. Television is no longer limited to a big box sitting in the corner of the living room. It can be accessed on sexy, slim panels hung on a wall or on mobile phones while sitting on a train. In fact television is so pervasive today it can be hard to imagine life before it existed – but there was such a time, and it wasn’t even that long ago.  Read More

In the latest installment of our video series looking at Michael Bennett-Levy’s collection of early technology, Laurence Fisher from Bonham's introduces us to a 1938 HMV type 905 table model television and wireless that was a wonder of engineering for its time. The exterior of the HMV model 905 television is a three-quarter figured burr walnut veneered case with molded edge housing a 7-inch screen. Click through for a closer look at this fascinating slice of history which has been restored with authentic pre-war era components and is in complete working order... and there's also a word of warning to those interested in dabbling in pre-war televisons - TV repair can be a lethal occupation.  Read More

Global Positioning System (GPS) devices have permeated society to the point where millions of us rely on them daily for directions, locations and traffic avoidance (if only they could tell me where I left my car keys). GPS satellites send signals to a receiver in your handheld or car-based GPS navigator, which calculates your position on the planet based on the location of the satellites and your distance from them. The distance is determined by how long it took the signals from various satellites to reach your receiver. But have you ever thought what tells the GPS satellites where they are in the first place?  Read More