Wireless
Review: BlackBerry Z10 is good stab at rebirth for embattled brand, but has uphill slog
January 31, 2013 9:07 am | by PETER SVENSSON AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsAre you ashamed to have a BlackBerry? It's not exactly a status symbol any more, at least not in the U.S., after it got left in the dust by the iPhone. Now, there's a new BlackBerry that wants to get back into the cool club: the Z10.
Did the Justice Department cause Aaron Swartz’s suicide?
January 31, 2013 9:00 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsAaron Swartz was a 26-year-old computer programmer and online activist who died of apparent suicide on January 11, ahead of a scheduled trial where he was charged with 13 felonies. Swartz, founder of Demand Progress, an online group actively working against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)...
Bluetooth audio module supports audio for music, voice
January 30, 2013 9:53 am | Microchip Technology Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsMicrochip Technology Inc., announced the expansion of its wireless product portfolio with a certified Bluetooth® Audio Module that supports audio for voice and music. The RN52 module provides extremely low power consumption in a small, surface-mount form factor, and includes standard Bluetooth audio and data profiles for all smart-phone platforms.
GPS/Glonass passive flexible loop antenna rivals active patches
January 29, 2013 4:05 pm | Product Releases | CommentsTaoglas USA launched the FXP.611 Cloud, a GPS/Glonass flexible loop antenna that is said to outperform most active patch antennas with an efficiency of 80 percent and a peak gain of 3 dBi across the GPS and Glonass bands (1575 MHz to 1610 MHz). This antenna is able to
Are you interested in becoming a Brainstorm expert?
January 29, 2013 10:02 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsWe here at ECN love to hear what you have to say, so for our April issue we’re opening up the Brainstorm discussion to our faithful readers. We want to hear your thoughts about home energy and the future of technology. Typically, the Brainstorm is an editorial section consisting of short commentary by five or six experts in a particular vertical market.
UN tech group agrees on new video compression format to save Internet bandwidth
January 28, 2013 9:12 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe U.N. telecommunications agency says its members have agreed upon a new compression format that could dramatically cut the amount of Internet bandwidth currently used by video files. The International Telecommunication Union says the format, or codec, known as H.265 would require just half the amount of data needed by its predecessor, H.264.
Short-range wireless module operates on the 868MHz European ISM license-free frequency
January 24, 2013 3:14 pm | Telit Wireless Solutions | Product Releases | CommentsTelit Wireless Solutions announced the market introduction of the LE70-868 point-to-point, star-topology, short-range wireless module for the European multi-kilometer range wired-to-wireless network migration market in application areas such as solar/wind farms and agricultural automation.
SMT crossovers provide low-cost, low-profile PCB design solutions
January 24, 2013 12:48 pm | Avx Corporation | Product Releases | CommentsAVX Corporation has introduced two new series of miniature RF-DC and RF-RF SMT Crossovers capable of supporting frequencies up to 6GHz. Utilizing AVX’s patented MLO technology, which matches the CTE of PCB material and provides low loss across a wide RF spectrum...
What technology do you expect to take the consumer space by storm in 2013? (Part II)
January 21, 2013 11:31 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsThe question of, "What technology do you expect to take the consumer space by storm in 2013?" continues in part II of the February Brainstorm series as experts take on the question of what will be popular in consumer electronics and the consumer technology space in the next 12 months.
What technology do you expect to take the consumer space by storm in 2013?
January 21, 2013 11:30 am | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsThe question of, "What technology do you expect to take the consumer space by storm in 2013?" begins in part I of the February Brainstorm series as experts take on the question of what will be popular in consumer electronics and the consumer technology space in the next 12 months.
Would you steal energy?
January 18, 2013 2:14 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsWhile stealing is generally frowned upon in most societies, there is a new type of thieving that might just change that.Dennis Siegel, a Digital Media student from the University of the Arts in Germany has designed a harvester that takes advantage of unused energy in electromagnetic fields.
DC/DC converter design principles for wireless sensor node applications
January 15, 2013 4:55 pm | by Yogesh Ramadass, Design Engineer and Tony Antonacci, Systems Engineer, Texas Instruments | Texas Instruments | Articles | CommentsWith the advancement of energy harvesting elements, energy can be found and captured in almost any application, allowing for a wide variety of systems to be powered remotely. Applications such as “smart homes” and “mesh sensor networks” take advantage of the harvesting elements in order to power back-end electronics....
Using wireless in industrial automation to improve energy efficiency
January 15, 2013 4:44 pm | by Cory Vanderpool, Business Development Director, EnOcean Alliance | Enocean | Articles | CommentsThere is no doubt that considerable energy is utilized when it comes to industrial facilities. According to the Department of Energy, there are about 350,000 industrial facilities in the U.S. with annual energy costs totaling $94.4 billion. It is estimated that 30 percent of this energy is used inefficiently or unnecessarily.
Designing a smart TV remote using a 2.4GHz RF radio
January 15, 2013 10:13 am | by RamaSai Krishna Vakkantula, Cypress | Cypress | Articles | CommentsToday’s television manufacturers are designing televisions that are smart and have the ability to connect to the Internet so that users can browse web content and socialize. Usually these smart TVs are mounted on the wall and all other entertainment equipment islocated behind the closed doors of an entertainment center.
5GHz WiFi module designed for 802.11ac notebook and mobile equipment applications
January 14, 2013 9:23 am | Rfmd | Product Releases | CommentsRF Micro Devices introduced the highly-integrated RFFM4501E front end module (FEM) for 802.11ac notebook and mobile equipment applications. RFMD’s newest WiFi FEM meets or exceeds the system requirements for 802.11ac connectivity in the 5.150GHz – 5.850GHz frequency band and is optimized to support multiple applications....
Apple executive dismisses cheaper phone as a market share grab: report
January 11, 2013 12:22 pm | by Reuters | News | CommentsApple Inc will not resort to a cheaper iPhone to expand its market share, marketing chief Phil Schiller told a Chinese newspaper in an interview when asked about speculation the company is developing a less expensive version of its popular smartphone.Schiller pointed out that though Apple
Gadget Watch: Smart watch lets you know your iPhone is getting a call, no need for charging
January 11, 2013 12:14 pm | by PETER SVENSSON AP Technology Writer | News | Comments"Smart" watches that talk to cellphones have been around for some time, but they've been hampered by their high battery drain - usually needing recharging every few days. At this week's International CES electronics trade show in Las Vegas, a startup launched a smart watch, the Cookoo, that runs for a year on a standard button cell.
Could this circuit board prevent 2,000 infant deaths per year?
January 11, 2013 9:23 am | by Editor | Blogs | CommentsSIDS is the leading cause of death among infants between the ages of one month to one year. The most recent statistics put the number of deaths at about 2,226 per year, nearly seven infants per day.In hopes of lowering the number of infants who succumb to SIDS,
Ruggedized nano connectors minimize space requirements
January 10, 2013 2:36 pm | Omnetics Connector Corporation | Product Releases | CommentsOmnetics' new Polarized Nano connector line, the PZN series, continues to add pin counts in response to customer demand. These ultra-miniature connectors feature Omnetics' military style pin and socket designs to provide uninterrupted electrical connections for portable applications that are exposed to high shock and vibration environments.
FCC to push for faster wi-fi at airports, other hubs
January 10, 2013 2:03 pm | by Reuters | News | CommentsTelecommunications regulators are planning a push to increase wi-fi speed in airports, convention centers and other major hubs where travelers often see download speeds slow to a maddening crawl. Federal Communications Chairman Julius Genachows
Scientists use marine robots to detect endangered whales
January 10, 2013 9:09 am | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsTwo robots equipped with instruments designed to "listen" for the calls of baleen whales detected nine endangered North Atlantic right whales in the Gulf of Maine last month. The robots reported the detections to shore-based researchers within hours of hearing the whales
Gadget Watch: Samsung shows phone with bendable screen, teases future with screens that fold
January 10, 2013 9:05 am | by PETER SVENSSON AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsBy showing off a phone with a flexible screen, Samsung is hinting at a day when we might fold up our large phone or tablet screens as if they were maps. The Korean electronics company provided a glimpse of such a device at a keynote speech Wednesday at the International
Base station operates at a frequency of 10MHz
January 9, 2013 2:50 pm | IQD Frequency Products, Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsIQD’s new IQOV-70 series OCXO which is launching at Embedded World 2013 is designed for use in next generation multimode base station platforms. Operating at a frequency of 10MHz, the new model achieves a frequency stability of ±3ppb (parts per billion) over the operating temperature range of -10 to +70 degrees C.
Apple working on cheaper iPhone: report
January 9, 2013 2:42 pm | by Reuters | News | CommentsApple Inc is working on a cheaper version of its popular iPhone that could be released this year, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday. The device could resemble the existing iPhone, but might use less expensive materials, such as a shell made
Wireless audio platform supports iOS, Android, Windows 8 and Mac
January 9, 2013 12:23 pm | Microchip Technology Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsMicrochip Technology Inc., announced what it asserts is the first and only Wi-Fi audio connectivity platform — featuring the new JukeBlox 3.2 platform and software development kit — to support all of the major mobile and PC operating systems along with
