The White Space Coalition has developed and submitted another prototype to the FCC. The Coalition is made up of computer giants like Dell, EarthLink, Google, HP, Intel, Microsoft and Philips Electronics and they are looking to harness the unused television spectrum to provide wireless broadband.
The FCC’s largest concern with this leap forward in Wi-Fi is that there is no interference with existing television signals. But the Coalition is confident that this will not be a problem. Instead they’re touting the technology’s ability to produce download speeds of up to 80Mbps.
The timeline sets February 2009 as its endpoint with all analog television transmissions ceasing at this point and, if all goes well, white space broadband service beginning at the same time.
Via [arstechnica.com]
A group of wireless LAN vendors plan to showcase their new high-performing enterprise access points at the Interop Las Vegas this week.
Colubris will bring its Multiservice Access Point (MAP)-625, which has two radios. One radio supports 802.11a, b, and g while the other is compatible with 11n draft 2 standard. The MAP-625 11n radio promises a minimum useable throughput of 100Mbps, which could go up by another 24Mbps via the 11abg radio. The company looks to sell the product for $999, around 30 percent higher than the current dual-radio 11abg variant.
The new 11n ZoneFlex WLAN product line from Ruckus Wireless includes a new 11g access point, an existing 11g low-end access point for small offices, a new 11n draft 2 access point, and the ZoneDirector 1000 controller, which the firm will make available in 3 models to host as many as 25 access points. The ZoneFlex 2942 11g access point is expected to deliver 20Mbps of “sustained throughput.” The ZoneFlex 7942 11n access point, which is due for release in August or September, features a 2.4 GHz radio that can operate on 11bg and 11n.
Trapeze Networks unveiled its Mobility Ppoint(MP)-432 11n draft 2 access point. The AP features a 3×3 antenna configuration for each band, and like Colubris’s MAP-625, is based on the Atheros dual-band MIMO chipset. The two radios can operate simultaneously. When working on the optional 40 MHz channels, they can support a total data rate of 600Mbps. The device is likely to be sold for “less than $1,500,” according to the company.
Via [networkworld.com]
Meru Networks has unveiled its new enterprise-class wireless LAN products that comply with the IEEE 802.11n draft standard. These include a two-radio access point, a five-blade controller and new software for handling wireless data traffic, which Meru will bring to the Interop Las Vegas show later this month. These products, according to company, allow for data transmission rates of 300Mbit/sec.
The AP300 is relying on radio chipsets from Atheros Communications. The radios can both be 11n or a combination of 11n along with 11a/b/g to work with existing WLAN clients. Meru plans to sell this device for about $1,500, nearly double the price of its current high-end 802.11a/b/g access point. It is still determining the price of the MC500, which can support as many as 200 access points and deliver as high as 1Gbit/sec. of throughput. The TDS, meanwhile, will enable Meru’s controllers to differentiate wireless packets. With the software, controllers may deal with only control traffic, or only data traffic, or both.
Via [computerworld.com]
Lexmark printers are going wireless. The company, along with Ipsos, carried out a study showing that half of 9,000 respondents in 18 countries consider wireless networking as the biggest time-saving technology, beating broadband, faster computers and smart cards. The conclusion led Lexmark vice president Najib Bahous to state that “wireless is the technology wave of the future.”
Bahous hopes the company’s new products will pave the way for increased uptake of wireless printers. “Because of the high price of existing wireless printers and the complexity of use, consumers have been slow to adopt wireless printing,” he said. By the end of June, Lexmark will start selling printers with wireless capabilities for as little as $80, such as the Z1420 colour printer without scanner and X3550 all-in-one with an optional wireless feature. With corporations still relying on wired LANs, Lexmark’s printers are intended for the consumer and small enterprise markets.
Via [techworld.com]
For 11 weeks through June 15, Motorola is running a program that will enable early-adopter cities to receive credits for exchanging their wireless gear for Motorola’s “HotZone Duo” products. Under the Superior Wireless Access Program, Motorola will pay $500 for each old unit exchanged with a single-radio HotZone Duo node and $750 for those wanting dual-radio HotZone Duo as a replacement for their gadgets. Customers can swap as many as 10 units.
Motorola launched the initiative following an Uptown Services study showing that actual performance by mesh networks in three Californian municipalities — Lompoc, Mountain View, and Sunnyvale — failed to reach the industry benchmark of 90 percent outdoor coverage. According to Paul Mueller, Motorola’s VP for wireless broadband distribution, “many of the early customers in the mesh network space have run pilots with older, first-generation mesh solutions that simply cannot perform or scale to meet the expanding needs of a metro-wide network.”
Via [informationweek.com]
EM-SEC Technologies plans to sell a wall paint that can bar or hold in WiFi radio signals. The EM-SEC Coating System provides an “electromagnetic barrier for the containment of wireless networks” that, according to Robert Boyd, vice president and director of technology at the Hampton, Virginia-based company, “reduces the threat from electronic eavesdropping and blocks out electromagnetic interference for the protection of electronic data.” The water-based paint was intended for use by the U.S. government and military and is certified by the National Security Agency as a Telecommunications Electronics Material Protected from Emanating Spurious Transmissions or TEMPEST countermeasure. The company has yet to announce how much it would charge for its product. Other similar products that are out in the market include Force Field Wireless’s DefendAir Radio Shield, an interior paint that can limit transmission of 5GHz signals, and BAE Systems’ FSS (Frequency Selective Surface) wallpaper.
Via [wi-fiplanet.com]
Several vendors are introducing new Wi-Fi devices for location services and tracking. According to the Yankee Group, the global location-services market is currently valued at $20 million but is expected to grow to $1.6 billion by 2010.
Ekahau dubbed its new radio tracking device “people tag,” which it plans to start selling for $50 during the latter part of 2007. The water-resistant T301-B tag has built-in 802.11b radio based on a G2 Microsystems chip that allows Ekahau’s Positioning Engine software to identify the wearer’s location, and transmits an alert or a confirmation when the buttons are pressed. Its 2-line, self-illuminating screen allows for viewing of short text messages.
PanGo’s new Wi-Fi enabled V3 tag is now available. It is equipped with an 11b/g chipset from G2 Microsystems, which communicates via two modes — one makes full use of an access point while the other only taps an access point to transmit its MAC address and battery status to identify and locate the user. The tag features the Cisco Certified Extensions Tag Protocol that can connect devices with Cisco’s access points and its 2700 Location Appliance. It operates on one standard AA battery and has a maximum life span of five years.
This month, Trapeze Networks will release its LA200 Location Appliance to the market. The $15,000 system connects to existing wireless LANs to monitor as many as 2,000 wireless devices, like wireless laptops and handhelds, and third-party active Wi-Fi tags. Newbury Networks is providing the core technology called server-side pattern matching. The location technique retrieves the Received Signal Strength Indication reading from a wireless client and transmits this to the server software, which determines the client’s position.
Via [pcworld.com]
Panasonic has unveiled its new Wi-Fi Skype phone, which it plans to sell for $399.95. The KX-WP1050 Panasonic Wi-Fi Phone kit features a cordless handset with a 1.8-inch LCD display for viewing Skype contact lists, call histories, and address books, a wireless base station with 256-bit AES encryption (WPA) to ensure security of calls, and a leather carrying case.
On its rechargeable lithium-ion battery, the Panasonic handset boasts up to 55 hours of standby time and 4.5 hours of talk time. Users can also connect the phone to a PC via an optional USB connection.
Via [news.digitaltrends.com]
Although having Wi-Fi features, sales of Microsoft’s Zune have not taken off. Part of the reason is the lack of networking capabilities like an online store that can be accessed sans a PC, wireless syncing and Internet radio.
Sandisk’s 4GB Sansa Connect device provides an alternative to Zune. The $250 gadget uses Zing to allow playlist sharing, Internet radio station streaming and track downloads so long as the Sandisk portable has Wi-Fi connection. Sansa Connect features a microSD card slot, and support for PlaysForSure downloads and subscription services. It also enables users to view photos through its 2.2-inch color screen.
Via [pcworld.com]
Seagate Technology has rolled out a pocket-sized 10GB to 20GB hard drive that can store and trade digital files between mobile phones, PCs and other mobile platforms through Bluetooth or WiFi connection. The company expects to make the Digital Audio Video Experience (DAVE) available to telecommunications carriers and mobile phone manufacturers in the second quarter of 2007. According to Seagate’s announcement at the Demo 07 trade show, DAVE allows delivery of video files sans latency or coverage problems by downloading to the device at leisure and not via live streaming over mobile networks.
Motorola, meanwhile, said its venture capital unit has provided funding to DARTdevices Corp. The Mountain View, California-based software firm has developed an application that will enable wireless content sharing between consumer electronics devices such as mobile phones, PCs, PDAs, and MP3 music players.
Via [computerworld.com]
Cohda Wireless is testing how OFDM technology can improve both unlicensed wireless and licensed public-safety networks. The Australian municipal Wi-Fi startup, which emerged from the University of South Australia’s Institute for Telecommunications Research, expects the technology to support applications for police and fire networks such as automatic vehicle location tracking, voice-over-Internet Protocol, teleconferencing and distribution of full-motion video from in-vehicle cameras. The trial in Adelaide, Australia uses the 4.9- and 5.8-GHz spectrum but the coverage is expected to include the 2.4-GHz unlicensed, 3.65-GHz broadband wireless and 5.9-GHz telematics bands. The public-safety tests aim to tackle sever multipath and physical interference conditions.
Via [commsdesign.com]
BT unveiled BT Fusion Wi-Fi, a fixed-mobile convergence solution that aims to lower communication costs in small to medium enterprises. The system involves directing calls over broadband connections via private company WLANs and about 2,000 BT Openzone public access hot spots.
Subscribers to the BT Business One Plan pay as little as 5p for a 60 minute call. The plan requires users to buy a £15 dual GSM/Wi-Fi mobile phone — currently, BT only offers Nokia 6136 and Motorola A910, but plans to make Samsung’s P200 available by January — for each user and pay 15p per minute for mobile calls to other BT mobile users and 25p for mobile calls to mobile phones connected to other carriers. Each Fusion handset comes preloaded with software that supports unlicensed mobile access or UMA.
Steve Andrews, managing director of BT mobility and convergence, expects no dropped calls with the system — if the user goes out of original coverage, the call will revert to GSM before connecting to the next available access point. The company plans to test a corporate variant of the service, which would involve utilizing a specially configured mesh wireless network and integrating with IP private branch exchanges.
Via [itweek.co.uk]
Shipment of the next generation of Nabaztag, a WiFi rabbit from French design house Violet, to the U.S. remains uncertain. The Nabaztag development blog cited issues raised by the Federal Communications Commission, which have now been cleared, for the delay. The new “Nabaztag/tag” is already available in France, the U.K., and the rest of Europe.
The WiFi bunny has revolving antenna ears that move like a conductor’s baton. Its white plastic body carries various integrated LEDs that flash in order to provide information — the movement of a specific stock or an incoming email - to its owner. The gizmo has a text-to-speech generator to read emails or Web pages. Violet put a “belly button” microphone for two-way, verbal communication in the next-gen version, which features an unlimited time playing capability for podcasts and web radios.
Via [pcmag.com]
DaimlerChrysler announced that its field trial of WILLWARN, a research project by the PReVENT initiative aimed at reducing road accidents in Europe, has been a success.
The project involves installing WLAN routers in cars to allow drivers to share information on temperature, road conditions, fog, or road obstructions within a 500 meter radius. Car2Car Communication Consortium developed the system, which would use 5.9GHz band to enable the ad-hoc mesh network.
Engineers hope to expand the features of the technology in the future. They see a possible integration with GPS and mapping systems to help cars find other routes so they can elude gridlocks.
Via [arstechnica.com]
Bezeq hopes to launch WiFi phones in the fourth quarter of next year. According to Ran Goron, Bezeq’s deputy marketing CEO, Israel’s national communications provider seeks to become a major player in the VoIP sector but is unsure if the communications ministry will authorize the firm to join that field. The company, meanwhile, unveiled a new home webcam that does away with a computer link to enable connection to high-speed Internet. The B Cam allows users to view what is happening anywhere and whenever they like via the Internet.
Via [ynetnews.com]
