Apple is reportedly working on using satellites to send data to its devices

Posted on 20/12/2019 by Engadget RSS Feed

It's something of a long shot, but the iPhone could one day connect to its own satellite network. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple has a "secret team" working on new satellite and wireless data technologies. This group consists of "about a...

Researchers achieve world record in wireless data transmission, seek to provide rural broadband

Posted on 22/05/2013 by Darren Murph

Speed. It's a movie. It's a drug. And it's also something that throngs of internet users the world over cannot get enough of. Thankfully, the wizards at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics and the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology have figured out a way to satisfy the unsatisfiable, announcing this week a world record in the area of wireless data transmission. Researchers were able to achieve 40Gbit/sec at 240GHz over a distance of one kilometer, essentially matching the capacity of optical fiber... but, you know, without the actual tether.

The goal here, of course, isn't to lower your ping times beyond where they are already; it's to give rural communities across the globe a decent shot at enjoying broadband. Distances of over one kilometer have already been covered by using a long range demonstrator, which the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology set up between two skyscrapers as part of the project "Millilink". There's no clear word on when the findings will be ported over to the commercial realm, but given the traction we're seeing in the white spaces arena, we doubt you'll have to wait long.

Filed under: Science, Internet

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Via: Physorg

Source: Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics

FreedomPop’s pay-as-you-go data service launches in beta, offering 500MB of free WiMAX per month

Posted on 01/10/2012 by Dana Wollman

It was almost a year ago that we first heard about FreedomPop, a startup built on the manifesto that every American (yes, you) should have access to free wireless broadband. Ten months later, the pay-as-you-go service is launching in beta, with "free" meaning 500MB of data per month. For the time being, the touted 4G service will come courtesy of Clearwire's WiMAX network, but FreedomPop says it will switch to Sprint's LTE spectrum sometime in early 2013. In the meantime, though, you can expect speeds anywhere between 4 and 10 Mbps down, and 1 to 2 Mbps up.

To take advantage of the service, you'll need to either buy or rent some compatible hardware. Your options include the "Freedom Spot" hotspot capable of serving eight devices simultaneously, or the "Freedom Stick," a USB dongle. Both of these are free, but require that you put down a refundable deposit ($89 for the hotspot and $49 for the stick). As we previously reported, too, the company will be selling $99 iPhone and iPod cases that double as hotspots, though these won't actually be available for another four to six weeks. The iPhone version, in particular, does triple-duty as a charging case.

If you do venture past that 500MB data cap you'll pay $10 for every subsequent gigabyte. Packaged deals will also be available. As we had heard, though, FreedomPop is hoping to recoup the costs of that free data by selling premium services, with three to start and more coming later. At launch, these add-ons will include device protection (24/7 customer service and replacement service within 48 hours) and notification alerts if you're about to hit the data cap. You can also pay for speedier 4G, though the company's claim of "up to 50 percent faster" performance is a vague one, given that the range of possible speeds is so broad to begin with.

There's one last piece about how FreedomPop works, and it might help if we drew a comparison to Dropbox, or Zynga, even. As you would in Farmville, you can earn extra ~~Farmville cash~~ free data by following through on certain tasks. Watch a 20-second ad, for instance, and you win three megs of data. Sign up for a Netflix trial and you get 1.2GB added to your coffer. And, similar to Dropbox, if you recommend a friend, you get 10MB for every month that pal stays on with the service. Finally, you can share data with a friend, but it really does have to be a friend: that person's email address has to be in your contact list.

Gallery: FreedomPop launches in beta

Gallery: FreedomPop launches in beta (press shots)

Continue reading FreedomPop's pay-as-you-go data service launches in beta, offering 500MB of free WiMAX per month

Filed under: Wireless, Mobile

FreedomPop's pay-as-you-go data service launches in beta, offering 500MB of free WiMAX per month originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Oct 2012 01:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T unveils Mobile Share, lets you add 10 devices to a single plan

Posted on 18/07/2012 by Daniel Cooper

AT&T unveils Mobile Share, lets you add 10 devices to a single plan

We knew it was coming and even Ralph de la Vega himself publicly admitted that it was in the pipeline, but today AT&T has whipped the covers from its new shared data plans. Mobile Share will enable customers to use a single data allocation across all of their devices, with unlimited calls and text. You're entitled to use up to 10 devices on a single plan, of which at least one must be a smartphone. Users can pick how much data they expect to use each month, paying an additional levy to add the rest of their family's handsets (or just your own, if you're Steve Wozniak). Fortunately, tethering is included as part of the plans.

The new plans will roll out in late August and will sit alongside the current individual and family offerings, with the company allowing current customers to make a switch without forcing them into a contract extension. AT&T also noted that those lucky customers that are still on a grandfathered unlimited data plan can stay on those plans, even if they upgrade to a new phone at the subsidized on-contract cost. We've got the pricing structure and PR for you for you after the break if you're sweaty-palmed in anticipation for the launch.

Continue reading AT&T unveils Mobile Share, lets you add 10 devices to a single plan

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

AT&T unveils Mobile Share, lets you add 10 devices to a single plan originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 07:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Outstanding Technology brings visible light communication to phones and tablets via dongle and LEDs

Posted on 16/07/2012 by Michael Gorman

Data transmission via visible light is no longer a technological novelty, but it has yet to make its way into consumer's hands. Japanese firm Outstanding Technology is aiming to change that with its Commulight location system, which relies on a pair of receivers to get smartphones and tablets downloading info using photons instead of radio waves. One dongle is of the USB variety, but since most mobile gadgets lack such a socket, there's another that plugs into any device's 3.5mm jack. Each employs a sensor that grabs relevant location-based info from an overhead data-transmitting LED light. According to its maker, Commulight's destined for use as a way to give museum goers exhibit info, to transmit coupons, and even provide precision indoor location services more accurate than GPS or WiFi. Want to know more? Check out the video of tech in action after the break.

Continue reading Outstanding Technology brings visible light communication to phones and tablets via dongle and LEDs

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Tablet PCs

Outstanding Technology brings visible light communication to phones and tablets via dongle and LEDs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Jul 2012 03:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New wireless transmission tech hits 2.56Tbps, leaves WiFi feeling inadequate

Posted on 26/06/2012 by Jamie Rigg

Stoked about the gigabit speeds your new 802.11ac WiFi router is pumping out? One group of scientists hailing from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and universities in the US, Israel and China isn't so impressed, having generated a wireless signal clocking in at 2.56Tbps. Proof of the feat was published in Nature Photonics, which details their use of orbital angular momentum (OAM) to make the magic happen. Current wireless protocols alter the spin angular momentum (SAM) of radio waves to hold info, and by combining both methods the team was able to pack eight data steams into a single signal, resulting in the mouth-watering number noted above. The best part is, applying different levels of OAM twist to SAM-based transmissions theoretically allows an infinite number of streams per signal, meaning seriously increased bandwidth without the need for additional frequency. So far the wireless tests have only been conducted over a measly 1m, but the scientists reckon it'll work at distances up to 1km and that the concept could also be used to boost speeds in existing fiber-optic cables. As with many scientific advances, it's unlikely hardware capable of such speeds will be available any time soon, so 802.11ac will have to suffice... for now.

New wireless transmission tech hits 2.56Tbps, leaves WiFi feeling inadequate originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jun 2012 05:37:00 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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Forthcoming 4G networks could interfere with TV in 10 percent of UK homes

Posted on 17/05/2012 by Anthony Verrecchio

If you live in the UK and a 4G wireless tower is going up right next to your house, you might want to hold off on the excitement. LTE networks occupying the 800MHz spectrum could cause some serious interference (sound familiar?), capable of knocking out around two million households' free terrestrial TV channels. An independent company has been set up to lessen the effects of the wayward waves and is installing government-subsidized filters in residences across the country. But even its valiant efforts could leave up to 8,500 homes without Freeview, as non-traditional antenna setups aren't covered by the public fund. Meanwhile, eager Brits continue to patiently line up for some kind of semblance of a 4G network.

Forthcoming 4G networks could interfere with TV in 10 percent of UK homes originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 11:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FreedomPop Sleeve wants to spread ‘free’ WiMAX love in the form of a $99 iPhone case

Posted on 11/05/2012 by Anthony Verrecchio

Life, Liberty and the pursuit of free WiMAX? According to FreedomPop, yeah, that seems to be the deal. The outfit, started by one of Skype's co-founders, is peddling $99 WiMAX-equipped iPhone cases that share up to 500MB of free data per month via an embedded WiFi module. The case also extends battery life by six hours and enables FaceTime everywhere you go. FreedomPop Sleeve rumors have been circling the net since December, but now the company is taking things to the next level by officially accepting pre-orders for a launch some time after July 1st. It seems that the company intends to get you hooked on free data in the hopes of selling you premium features later on, such as a VoIP tool and a $0.01 charge per megabyte over the monthly data limit. There's a video of the device in action after the break.

Continue reading FreedomPop Sleeve wants to spread 'free' WiMAX love in the form of a $99 iPhone case

FreedomPop Sleeve wants to spread 'free' WiMAX love in the form of a $99 iPhone case originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 02:05:00 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