Wireless Technology News

Wireless technology start-up companies are about to put their best feet forward as they attempt to pitch their ideas and business plans to a line up of 25 of the world's leading venture capitalists, angel investors, and industry leaders at the second annual Cambridge Wireless Discovering Start-ups Competition. The competition aims to find the very best in new cutting-edge technologies. In addition to the opportunity to present to investors and business experts, the winners receive cash prizes and complimentary business and consultancy services. Sponsored by the East of England Development Agency, entries are being accepted until October 28 and judging will take place December 8.

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Microchip's 8-bit wireless development kit with 2.4 GHz MRF24J40 is an easy-to-use evaluation and development platform for IEEE 802.15.4 application designers. This kit includes Microchip's MRF24J40 transceiver module and also features Microchip's PIC18 XLP microcontroller family. The kit includes complete hardware needed to rapidly prototype wireless applications.

TriQuint announces the TQM6M4068, a new, low-cost transmit module for ultra low-cost 2G handsets. It's extremely price competitive thanks to implementation of TriQuint CuFlip™ technology. TQM6M4068 offers superior GaAs PA performance at low-performance CMOS pricing. Housed in a 5 x 6 mm package, it is available in high-volume production. See other new products.

WLS1270, WLS1271L, WLS1273L. Best-in-Class WLAN and Bluetooth Coexistence Technology on a Single-Chip. Slightly smaller than a dime — designed to fit into space-constrained designs.

• All three modules comply with IEEE 802.11b/g/n and WLS1273L complies with 11a
• WLS1271L and WLS1273L comply with Bluetooth version 4.0 plus EDR, Power Class 2 + BLE

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The new line of CoinPower cells from VARTA Microbattery features a number of patented technical innovations. These improvements include a new sealing system ILok, new coil process technologies, cell enclosure design, coil contact isolation technology, and laser coil connection. Please visit us here for more information.

RuBee, a magnetic-based wireless technology, is found to be the only Auto-ID technology that addresses all of the key risks in providing a viable foundation for an automated material management system, according to a Department of Energy report. The DOE's Pantex lab is one of the highest security facilities in the world, given that it assembles and disassembles nuclear weapons. RuBee is helping to manage real-time asset visibility accurately, something that the developer claims is where RFID falls short when it comes to challenging and security-conscious environments.

Charleston County, SC has begun outfitting its refuse trucks with passive ultrahigh-frequency RFID readers and an RFID tag has been placed on each single-stream recycling cart. The tags are read as the carts are emptied into the county's trucks, enabling the county to gather data regarding the number of residents complying with the recycling program, and indicating which households are not. The system also allows the county to track truck activities in near-real time, enabling managers to determine when problems (such as a delayed truck) arise.

A group of students at Singularity University have created the Matternet, a drone that can bypass road-based transportation using a network of electric autonomous aerial vehicles (AAVs) and deliver supplies to developing nations where access to food and medication is limited or even non-existent. The team describes the Matternet's development cycle with the capability of being able to carry up to 1,000 kg. Matternet will be based at the NASA Ames Research Park.

A new $12 million, 12,500 sq ft fixed-base operator (FBO) building at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport is the first new FBO to be built at the airport after it was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The new building is taking full advantage of wireless amenities, such as a pair of 1,000 gal avgas tankers equipped with wireless datalink electronic metering systems that instantly transmit fuel sale totals to the FBO to ensure quick turns. Inside the building, complimentary Wi-Fi and a flight-planning room with Internet-based Web services.

EE240 wireless sensors from E+E Elektronik are the ideal solution for high-quality, wireless measurement of humidity, temperature, or CO2. With the introduction of state-of-the-art wireless data transmission, E+E Elektronik, the sensor specialist, is expanding its expertise into wireless sensor systems.

The SKY67014-396LF is a 1.5-3 GHz 12 dB gain low current LNA. It is ideal for general purpose 2.4 GHz ISM and L-band applications including GPS equipment, WLAN, Bluetooth® transceivers, AMR and RFID transceivers, and battery-powered applications.

Ideal for base stations and test equipment applications, OCXO 143 series by Isotemp Research Inc. comes with either CMOS or sine wave output in a pin package. The standard frequency is 10.00 MHz with stabilities ranging from ≥ ±5 ppb over temperature and supply +3.3 V., +5.0 V., and +12.0 V.

Electrochem designs complete wireless sensing solutions that interface directly with data, communications, measurement, and control systems, enabling advanced applications in various environments.

Victims of Hurricane Irene and the recent East Coast earthquake experienced blocked cell phone signals, prompting mobile carriers to urge users to send texts or emails instead. In light of these communication clogs, alternative solutions are being sought. One Georgia Tech professor has developed LifeNet, which uses no-cost open-source software to allow consumer devices to form ad hoc Wi-Fi, peer-to-peer networks without relying on cellular towers or base stations. Whereas most cell phone communications take a single path, LifeNet coordinates multiple paths.

The Parrot Asteroid is the next generation of car receivers that merges advanced hands-free telephony with access to Web services for the first time. Powered by Google and hooked up to a GPS dongle, Parrot will have access to at least a half dozen apps due out this October. A map service will locate points of interest while a RoadTrip service provides historical and meteorological information about the venue. Parrot Asteroid will retail for $349.

This year's Security 2011 Exhibition brought out the best in wireless security systems. Taking first place at the show was a thermal fence that is an IP solution bringing perimeter security sensors together in one geo-referenced display. Second place went to a digital solar camera and its wire-free remote location monitoring capability. Rounding out the top three was an ultraviolet naked flame sensor that can be connected to third-party wireless transmitters for fire detection.

The U.S. Army wants you, the wireless industry, to offer up some ideas for combining a data networking router, network encryptor, firewall, and intrusion-prevention and detection vetronics for armored combat vehicles. The intent is to determine the feasibility of this goal and to use the combination to help disseminate surveillance, situational-awareness, and vehicle-health information to authorities.

Business Critical networks require fiber optic interconnects that provide solid, long term performance. The HLC (Hardened Lens Contact) product family was developed with this goal in mind. It features a hardened, scratch resistant mating surface for maximum lifespan and optical performance that exceeds industry standards — a must for critical networks.

We have designed two new Omni Antennas to provide high gain omni-directional coverage in frequency bands used with portable Software Defined Radio (SDR) projects where four antennas have traditionally been used.

Both antennas have vertical polarization and high gain. OA4-1.7-2.5V/1810 has 4.2dBi gain and OA4-4.4-5.8V/1662 has 5dBi gain.

Expanding mobile broadband services in the U.S. in the coming years would produce thousands of new jobs and help reverse today's downward employment trend, claim a group of economic development and business officials. For instance, AT&T has said that its pending $39 billion merger with T-Mobile USA will expand mobile network connections and create jobs. And, the economic impact of moving wireless networks from 3G to 4G, resulting in carriers investing $25 billion to $53 billion in such projects between 2012 and 2016, could trigger growth of $73 billion to $151 billion domestic production while creating 371,000 to 771,000 jobs.

A childhood shooting accident resulted in Rob Spence losing his eye. Now he wears a prosthetic eye that behaves as a miniature video camera, transmitting footage wirelessly to a recording device. Seen as the future of bionics, Spence's eye consists of a wireless video camera that sits between two layers of a prosthetic eye. Spence pops the camera into his eye and turns it on by waving a magnet in front of it. The video is transmitted to his hand-held LCD viewer. In this video, Spence explains that he is now filming a documentary about bionic prosthetics around the world and has even been commissioned by a games maker interested in developing a game that imagines a world when people with mechanical augmentations roam the earth. Spence's documentary will accompany the game's launch.

Quakes and Communication Breaks

Public safety officials say the aftermath of the recent East Coast earthquake supports the push for reallocating a chunk of spectrum known as the D-block to create a national broadband network for public safety. A bill in the U.S. Senate would fund and build the network. But a GOP-sponsored bill would require that D-block be auctioned to commercial bidders.What do you think?

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