Microsoft patent application details use of human bodies for inhuman data transmissions

Posted on 14/06/2013 by Nicole Lee

While we know the human body is capable of generating electricity, we never quite thought of it as a data transmission channel like this Microsoft patent application suggests. According to the document, the folks up in Redmond would like to be able to transfer information from one electronic device to another with a simple touch, as seen in the image above. It all sounds a little freaky, but the filing goes on to suggest a few practical uses. Instead of swiping a credit card or showing ID, you could use your own flesh to authenticate the purchase of goods or services. Another example is the ability to share contact information with someone just by shaking his or her hand, so long as he or she was also wearing a similar electronic device. While we hesitate to endorse such a technology, at least it's less invasive than embedding circuitry in our wrists. If you feel like plumbing the depths of this patent further, click on the source for more on what the software giant has in mind for the future.

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Source: USPTO

Fujitsu speeds up internet transmissions, declares war on buffering

Posted on 29/01/2013 by Daniel Cooper

Fujitsu's engineers, bored of waiting for their movies to download, have cooked up a new data transfer protocol that promises to be 30 times faster than current speeds. Using a proprietary tweak of user datagram protocol (UDP), the software examines the available bandwidth and only uses the optimal amount, rather than trying to load the pipe with more than it can handle. The science, however, lies in its ability to distinguish between packets that haven't arrived and those which are lost -- and only resending the latter. It's hoping to commercialize the software at some point this year, so if your Skype chats suddenly get a lot less laggy, you know who to blame.

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Fujitsu Develops New Data Transfer Protocol Enabling Improved Transmissions Speeds

Software-only approach enables over 30 times improvement in file transfer speeds between Japan and the US, reduces virtual desktop operating latency to less than 1/6 of previous levels

Kawasaki, Japan, January 29, 2013 - Fujitsu Laboratories Limited today announced the development of a new data transfer protocol that, by taking a software-only approach, can significantly improve the performance of file transfers, virtual desktops and other various communications applications.

Conventionally, when using transmission control protocol (TCP)(1)-the standard protocol employed in communications applications-in a low-quality communications environment, such as when connected to a wireless network or during times of line congestion, data loss (packet loss) can occur, leading to significant drops in transmission performance due to increased latency from having to retransmit data.

To address this problem, Fujitsu Laboratories has succeeded at a software-only approach, developing: 1) A new protocol that incorporates an efficient proprietarily developed retransmission method based on user datagram protocol (UDP)(2), an optimized way to deliver streaming media able to reduce latency resulting from data retransmission when packet loss occurs; 2) Control technology that addresses the problem of UDP transmissions consuming excess bandwidth by performing a real-time measurement of available network bandwidth and securing an optimal amount of communications bandwidth without overwhelming TCP's share of the bandwidth; and 3) Technology that, by employing the new protocol, makes it possible to easily speed up existing TCP applications without having to modify them.

Through a simple software installation, the new technology will make it possible to speed up TCP applications that previously required costly specialized hardware, and it can also be easily incorporated into mobile devices and other kinds of equipment. Moreover, compared with TCP, the technology enables a greater than 30 times improvement in file transfer speeds between Japan and the US, in addition to reducing virtual desktop operating latency to less than 1/6 of previous levels. This, in turn, is expected to make it easier to take advantage of various applications employing international communication lines and wireless networks which are anticipated to become increasingly widespread.
Background

With the increased popularity of mobile devices and cloud services in recent years, a wide range of applications have begun to utilize communications capabilities. In many applications, such as file transfer, virtual desktop, and other communications applications, TCP is employed as a standard communications protocol. One issue with TCP is that data loss (packet loss) can occur in low-quality communications environments, resulting in significant drops in transmission performance (reduced throughput and higher latency) due to increased latency from having to retransmit data. In the future, it is expected that there will be greater opportunities to take advantage of international communications lines and wireless networks, making it necessary to ensure that transmission performance does not drop even when connected to a low-quality communications environment.
Technological Challenges

Currently, one well-known method of speeding up application transmission speeds in low-quality communications environments is to employ specialized acceleration hardware. This kind of specialized equipment, however, is expensive and bulky, making it difficult to incorporate into mobile devices. High-speed transmission methods for transferring files using software-based acceleration also exist, but to support a variety of existing TCP applications using these methods, it has been necessary to make modifications to the traffic processing components of each application.
Newly Developed Technology

By developing a proprietary software-based transfer protocol, Fujitsu Laboratories has succeeded in significantly improving the throughput and operating latency of existing TCP applications.

Key features of the new technology are as follows:
1) New protocol improves throughput and latency in low-quality communications environments

Fujitsu has developed a new protocol that incorporates a proprietarily developed and efficient retransmission method based on UDP, a protocol optimized for delivering streaming media. As a result, the new protocol is able to reduce latency resulting from data retransmission when packet loss occurs. The protocol can quickly distinguish between lost packets and packets that have not yet arrived at their destination, thereby preventing unnecessary retransmissions and latency from occurring. By incorporating the new protocol as a software add-on to UDP, it is possible to maintain the high speeds typical of UDP while avoiding packet loss and packets being sent in reverse order, UDP's main weaknesses. This, in turn, has enabled improvements in packet delivery and latency. In a comparison with standard TCP, the new protocol achieved a throughput increase of over 30 times during a simulated file transfer between Japan and the US, and operating packet delivery latency was reduced to less than 1/6 of previous levels.

2) Communications bandwidth control technology using real-time measurement of available network bandwidth

Fujitsu Laboratories developed a control technology that, by performing real-time measurement of available network bandwidth, can secure an optimal amount of communications bandwidth without overwhelming the share of bandwidth used by other TCP communications in a mixed TCP environment. For example, when other TCP communications are using relatively little bandwidth, the bandwidth share for the new protocol will increase, and when other TCP communications are taking up a higher percentage of bandwidth, the new protocol will use a smaller share.

3) Technology for accelerating existing TCP applications without any modifications

Fujitsu Laboratories has developed a technology that automatically converts TCP traffic standard for a wide variety of applications into the new protocol described in (1) above. This makes it possible to significantly improve the speed of a host of existing applications, including file transfer applications, virtual desktop applications, and web browsing applications, all without the need for any modifications.
Results

The use of the new technology is expected to speed up the performance of a wide range of communications applications employing international communication lines and wireless networks which are anticipated to become widely used more and more. For instance, the technology can help speed up web browsing and file download speeds in mobile communications environments where there is deterioration due to building obstructions or movement. In addition, the technology can improve data transfer speeds between datacenters in Japan and the US. It is also expected to help improve the usability of virtual desktops when accessing a virtual desktop located on a remote server using a low-quality communications environment (Figure 2).
Future Development

During fiscal 2013, Fujitsu Laboratories aims to commercialize the new technology as a communications middleware solution for improving communications speeds without having to modify existing TCP applications.

Filed under: Networking, Internet

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Japan’s LED-stacked cubesat will burn Morse code into the heavens

Posted on 05/10/2012 by Jamie Rigg

If you thought cloud writing was cool, then how about a message from space burnt into the night sky? A group of unassuming cubesats recently left the comfort of the ISS and joined Earth's orbit -- among them was FITSAT-1 (aka Niwaka), a four-inch-cubed Japanese satellite covered in high-powered LEDs. Its mission is to broadcast the message "Hi this is Niwaka Japan" in Morse code, using bursts of intense light to draw dots and dashes across the heavens. FITSAT-1 was originally planned to appear only over Japan, but a flurry of interest means it'll be touring the globe, starting next month. It'll also find time for its studies, beaming VGA images snapped with an onboard camera back to Earth, to test a high-speed data transmitter.

While its creator, Professor Takushi Tanaka, has said the Morse broadcast has "no practical aim," we think it would make a good emergency beacon for natural disasters (or, more worryingly, alien invasions). FITSAT-1 will try and fulfill all requests for appearances, but it can't control the weather, so you'd better hope for a clear night if it visits your part of the world. If you're as excited as we are to see it in action, bookmark the source links below, which should be updated with its orbit schedule in the near future. And, even if you don't speak Japanese, the video after the break will give you an idea of what to expect.

Continue reading Japan's LED-stacked cubesat will burn Morse code into the heavens

Filed under: Science, Alt

Japan's LED-stacked cubesat will burn Morse code into the heavens originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Oct 2012 12:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yamaha gets Fuji TV into InfoSound, to bring acoustic data transmission apps to tablets and phones

Posted on 14/06/2012 by Michael Gorman

Remember Yamaha's InfoSound technology? If not, well, it's a bit of black magic that shoots data wirelessly to devices using an inaudible (to humans, anyway) 18kHz signal emitted from a speaker and received via microphone. Yamaha came up with the idea back before the ubiquity of WiFi-enabled TVs, and now it's partnered up with Fuji Television Network to develop apps for phones and tablets that use the tech. Keep in mind, InfoSound has a fairly short range (33 feet) and maxes out with a data rate of only 80 bits per second, so you won't be streaming sound or video. That said, it's a fat enough pipe to send out hyperlinks, so the apps seem destined for use in retail outlets and in conjunction with digital signage to make it easy for folks to navigate to websites or receive store coupons. Further details are few and far between for now, but what info we do have can be found in the PR after the break.

Continue reading Yamaha gets Fuji TV into InfoSound, to bring acoustic data transmission apps to tablets and phones

Yamaha gets Fuji TV into InfoSound, to bring acoustic data transmission apps to tablets and phones originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jun 2012 21:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NewsFlash uses high-frequency light to transmit data from iPad to smartphone, we go hands-on (video)

Posted on 24/04/2012 by Zach Honig

MIT's Media Lab is chock-full of cutting-edge tech projects that researchers create, then often license to manufacturers and developers. One such project is called NewsFlash, and uses high-frequency red and green light to transmit data to the built-in camera on a receiving device -- in this case Samsung's Epic 4G. The concept is certainly familiar, and functions in much the same way as a QR code, generating flashing light that's invisible to the human eye instead of a cumbersome 2D square. In the Media Lab's implementation, an iPad is used to display a static news page with flashing colored bands at the top, representing just a few vertical pixels on the LCD.

As the device presents the standard touch experience you're already familiar with, it also broadcasts data that can be read by any camera, but flashes too quickly to be distracting or even noticeable to the naked eye. A NewsFlash app then interprets those flashes and displays a webpage as instructed -- either a mobile version with the same content, or a translation of foreign websites. As with most MediaLab projects, NewsFlash is simply a concept at this point, but it could one day make its way to your devices. Jump past the break to see it in action.

Gallery: MIT Media Lab: NewsFlash hands-on