Business News Holding

Tag: hardware-and-technology

  • ART's Breakthrough Technology Promises Uninterrupted High-speed Mobile Broadband


    Advanced Receiver Technologies (ART) has launched interference cancellation technology which has the potential to dramatically improve 3G call connectivity and mobile broadband download rates.

    Crucially, the Texas-based company says the solution doesn’t require additional network investment but will allow twice as many users to connect in the same 3G coverage area.

    It can do all this while maintaining broadband connectivity throughout the entire cell – including tripling data transfer speeds at cell edge.

    The solution tackles the problem of inter and intra cell interference, which can reduce 3G network capacity by 50 per cent – and can restrict the data transfer rate at cell edge by 70 per cent.

    The Single Antenna Interference cancellation-Joint Detection (SAIC-JD) is embedded into the baseband chip within a handset.

    UPDATE: ART has just been announced as the winner of the GSMA’s 2009 Mobile Innovation Global Award competition’s EMEA tournament for the most innovative true mobile start-Up.

    David Clifton, ART’s co-founder and VP, told smartphone.biz-news that the solution would allow network operators to double capacity, improve voice call connectivity and offer continuous high-speed broadband to 3G users.

    He said it effectively meant a "better user experience and seamless high-speed data coverage".

    "We have had nothing but positive feeback," said Clifton.

    "The technical people are still sceptical, but that’s going to be the case when something is almost too good to be true."

    Testing of the technology is due to be completed in June and Clifton said it would then take between 6-12 months for handset manufacturers, chip makers and operators to bring the solution to market.

    Jacob Goldman, ART’s VP of business development, said the company’s partners were smartphone manufacturers.

    He said SAIC-JD enabled high-speed connection throughout the cell – something that was not currently possible unless a user was standing still or under the tower.

    "A smartphone can never work properly if the handset is moving. The only way it can work properly is to have interference cancellation technology," he said.

  • Dial2Do Making Hands-free Mobile Tasks Simple


    Irish start-up Dial2Do are creating quite a stir at this year’s Mobile World Congress.

    The Dublin-based company lets you do various tasks on your mobile simply by calling a number and speaking.

    So you can send email or text messages, record reminders, post updates to Twitter or Jaiku stream or even listen to internet content – all while driving your car.

    Ivan MacDonald, Dial2Do’s CEO, told smartphone.biz-news that the service was designed to be easy and handsfree.

    He said typical users were commuters who wanted to make the most of the their drive time to get get tasks done.

    Currently available in 20 countries around the world it so far only comes in an English language version, but MacDonald said a Spanish service was coming shortly.

  • Intivation Launches World's First Solar-powered Mobile Phone

    Intivation today launched the world’s first low-cost solar-powered mobile phone.

    The Dutch company uses an innovative converter that takes 0.5v from a solar cell and steps it up to the 3.7v needed for any lithium ion mobile phone battery.

    Intivation’s technology combines a single solar cell with its chip software. It can function on any handset.

    UPDATE: Intivation has just been announced as the winner of the GSMA’s 2009 Mobile Innovation Global Award competition’s EMEA tournament for the most innovative wireless device-centric technology.

    Paule Naastepad, Intivation’s CEO, told smartphone.biz-news it offered charging even in low-light conditions while also being effective in high temperatures.

    He said that in terms of performance the technology provided a 193 per cent improvement in average light, tilt, angle and shading.

    Intivation also announced a solar-powerd charging case for the iPhone, which it says more than doubles battery use. 

    The Intivation technology is being used in a ZTE-made handset, the Coral-200 Solar, which is being deployed by the Digicell Group from this June.

    It will be targeting emerging markets where there an estimated 640 million people with network coverage but without a reliable electricity supply.

    For operators, Naastepad said there was the potential to increase ARPU by more than 10 per cent, largely because if a mobile was constantly charged it was more likely to be used.

    Other advantages include: 

    • technology allows for a small cell
    • cheaper to manufacture
    • looks better
    • faster charging more reliable




  • Nokia, Vodafone and Adobe Help Kick-off Mobile World Congress 2009

    Nokia, Vodafone and Adobe Help Kick-off Mobile World Congress 2009


    This year’s Mobile World Congress is now underway and already there has been a flurry of announcements and launches from some of the big names lining up in Barcelona.

    Vodafone has unveiled a raft of new mobiles, including its first own-branded consumer GPS phone – the Vodafone 835.

    The 3G candybar handset is to be available across Europe from spring on contract.

    Other newcomers to the 3G range include the Vodafone 735 and Vodafone 736 – a candybar and slider version respectively of the phone.

    Hot on Vodafone’s heels comes Nokia, with the news that it is launching its own online app and media portal – the Ovi Store.

    The Finnish telecoms giant has made its N97 smartphone the first device to be "pre-integrated" with Ovi Store, but existing S40 and S60 customers will be able to download the service from May.

    Not surprisingly, a developer site has been launched offering a 70 per cent revenue share.

    Adobe announced this morning that Flash Player 10 – the full version of Flash that runs on PCs – is to be available on smartphones running Windows Mobile, Google’s Android, Nokia S60/Symbian, and the new Palm operating systems.

    Devices with Flash Player 10 are expected to hit the market starting in early 2010.

    Obviously, the glaring exception to the list of applicable devices is the iPhone – though Adobe executives do promise that it’s coming.

    Earlier, Carl-Henric Svanberg, CEO and president of Ericsson, told delegates at MWC that 2008 had been a year of establishing mobile broadband.

    He talked about the impact investment in telecom infrastructure can have on societies and their prosperity – even in the current economic climate.

    "Mobile phones have had a profound impact on peoples’ lives all over the world," he said.

    "The mobile industry is now on the verge of another significant wave of investment, which will bring affordable mobile broadband services to all."

    Svanberg finished by stressing that the fundamentals of the telecoms industry were sound, as was demand.

    "The operators are generally in good shape and the networks are fairly loaded," he said.

    "As we move further into a financially turbulent 2009 our focus will be to manage our company for value creation. In this market environment there will be opportunities to strengthen our position and I am convinced that we are uniquely positioned to capture them."

  • Bitstream Launches "Fastest Mobile Browser"


    Bitstream is launching its new BOLT mobile browser today with the claim that it is the fastest on the market.

    Sampo Kaasila, VP of R&D at Bitstream told smartphone.biz-news, that the new browser was "25-50 per cent faster" than competitor Opera.

    Speaking at Showstoppers on the eve of Mobile World Congress 2009 in Barcelona he said this was backed up by tests carried out in India.

    While he admitted the tests weren’t done independently of Bitstream, he was confident user experience would bear out the company’s claims.

    Kaasila said the BOLT beta provides a PC desktop-like view of Web pages on even the most basic feature phones.

    It will not, however, be available on the iPhone and Bitstream has no plans at the moment to change that.

    Bitstream is hoping to appeal to hordes of non-iPhone handset owners, of whom only around 15 per cent regularly browse the internet on their mobiles.

    "We are hoping to increase that percentage with BOLT," said Kaasila.

    The mobile browser includes high standards compliance such as AJAX and flash video support.

    Kaasila said it also both optimized to conserve battery life and to minimize data transmissions – so allowing people to browse longer without recharging batteries while consuming less data.

    BOLT supports streaming video from the likes of YouTube, vids.myspace.com, video.yahoo.com, blip.tv, dailymotion.com, and metacafe.com.

    Features of the BOLT public beta release include:

    • Fast, secure, desktop-style web browsing on both high-end and low-end handsets
    • Streaming flash video capabilities
    • WebKit rendering engine offers high standards compliance
    • Support for XML, ATOM and RDF formats of RSS feeds
    • Support for JavaScript and AJAX
    • Split screen and full screen modes for easy navigation and viewing
    • Intuitive keystroke shortcuts for easier navigation and content selection
    • 128-bit Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption for secure access to web pages
    • Server filtering to protect users from spyware and other malware
    • Certificate error notification
    • Easily add and select favorites and view browsing history
    • Ability to clear history and cookies

  • Can Vuzix Transform Video Glasses From Geek To Chic?


    Ever fancied a pair of those video glasses but felt you’d look a bit silly? Well Vuzix has come up with a set that would easily pass for wrap-around sunglasses.

    The US company claims its Wrap 920AV is the most advanced video eyewear yet produced – offering the viewing equivalent of a 62-inch screen seen from 3m away.

    David Lock, director of Vuzix’s European operations, spoke to smartphone.biz-news at the Showstoppers event on the eve of Mobile World Congress 2009 in Barcelona.

    Click below to see a video interview with David Lock:


    He said unlike its competitors, Vuzix has concentrated on providing the best consumer viewing experience with its existing four models – rather than focusing on look and style.

    But he said the new Wrap glasses transformed the whole video eyewear from "geek to chic".

    Certainly consumer interest in this type of product seems to be hotting up – helped no doubt by the growing demand for mobile video.

    Since its launch in Europe last March, Lock said Vuzix has sold USD $500,000 worth of video glasses.

    Typical buyers range from commuters to parents buying them for teenage children to watch video on their iPods during car journeys.

    Aside from the new Wrap, it offers fours models ranging from 44" to 62" in 4:3 and 16:9 screen formats.

    The iWear VR1440 is aimed specifically at gamers.

    With removable earphones and HD 2D and 3D viewing, the glasses run off a single AA alkaline battery that provides between 5-11 hours of viewing depending on the model and use.

    The eyewear can be used with a growing list of smartphones and mobile devices.

    But if the Wrap’s more fashionable look sounds appealing, Lock said the spec’s ability to allow viewers to experience augmented reality would be just as big a selling point when they are launched in the Fall.

    Essentialy that means the glasses’ "see-thru" lens design allows users to see what is around them while watching a video display or experiencing augmented or mixed reality on mobile devices such as the iPhone.

    He is enthusiastic about the possibilities that offers – such as being able to walk around a city wearing the glasses while following directions from a GPS map on the widescreen lenses.

    We tried out the glasses at Showstoppers and the quality is impressive – what might still put some people off are the prices, which begin at USD $199 for the most basic model.

  • iriver's WAVE-HOME Launches in Korea


    iriver’s WAVE-HOME is now available to KT Telecom subscribers in Korea.

    The kits is being sold for 297,000 Korean Won (approx USD $210) and features a WiFi VoIP handset in addition to a 7-inch color display with 1.3 megapixel camera.

    Unveiled at last month’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the WAVE-HOME is being billed as the ultimate all-in-one solution – providing advanced multimedia, web and phone capabilities.

    It also has an "intelligent Widget" that provides instant weather, stock and traffic updates, as well as web and multimedia services that users can enjoy without a computer since the device is connected to broadband internet.

  • Motorola Unveils First WiMAX Outdoor CPE With Integrated VoIP


    Motorola has introduced the wi4 WiMAX CPEo 450 – the first WiMAX outdoor CPE with integrated VoIP.

    Built from the ground up, the CPEo 450 has been designed to minimize the time, effort and cost of bringing broadband and voice services to new subscriber locations.

    By integrating VoIP functionality directly into the unit, Motorola said the need for multiple boxes is eliminated.

    Other features include integrated pole mounting brackets for convenience in installation, visual signal quality indicators for reliable device orientation, and a new high-performance antenna and radio design for interference mitigation and increased service coverage.

    Charles Riggle, senior director of strategy and business development, WiMAX devices, Motorola Home & Networks Mobility, said the CPEo 450 offered best-in-class performance with both voice and data capabilities in a compact outdoor form factor that is easy to install and reduces support costs.

    "Motorola’s CPEo 450 demonstrates once again that a superior performing CPE provides greater wireless coverage, increased throughput and network capacity, and higher service availability," he said.

    "These attributes translate into lower capex and operating cost for carriers, a faster ROI, lower churn and greater customer satisfaction."

    The CPEo 450 consists of an outdoor subscriber unit with integrated antennas and an indoor power adaptor incorporating an RJ45 Ethernet port and two RJ11 voice ports.

    All network configuration parameters come pre-loaded. When turned on, the network will automatically detect the CPEo 450 and perform all necessary authentication processes, allowing subscribers to immediately begin using voice and data services.

    The wi4 WiMAX CPEo 450 will be commercially available for shipments beginning in Q2 2009 for the 3.5 GHz band with support for 5, 7, and 10 MHz channel bandwidths.

  • SanDisk Develops Tech That Allows 64GB Flash


    SanDisk has announced plans to ship an ultra-dense form of NAND flash memory that could herald a breakthrough in storage.

    Called X4, the technology uses a special memory controller that maintains data traffic speed while still fitting four bits of data per cell.

    The method allows SanDisk – and Toshiba – to place 8GB of memory on a single chip, twice as much as before.

    It does this while still maintaining a transfer speed of 7.8MB per second.

    Since it is common to find four of these chips stacked together in a single package, the technology potentially doubles the amount of storage available on a high-end flash memory die to 64GB.

    But it should remains small thanks to SanDisk’s more recent 43 nanometer manufacturing process.

    Toshiba began making 32GB packages at the end of last year.

    SanDisk expects the first X4-based products to be available in the first half of 2009, with memory cards being the most immediately recognizable offerings.

    It’s not clear if the technology will be adopted in third-party products containing the larger-capacity flash.

    Toshiba has supplied Apple with memory for the iPhone and iPod touch as well as other competing device makers.

  • NEC Develops 3D Chip-stacked Memory for SoCs Hardware


    NEC Corporation has announced the development of chip-stacked flexible memory, which can be used to achieve a new system-on-chip (SoC) architecture.

    The new SoC’s architecture consists of separate logic (excluding embedded memory cores) and memory chips (chip-stacked flexible memory) that are closely stacked by using a three-dimensional packaging technology.

    NEC developed both a reconfigurable-memory technology that enables the memory chip to change its configuration flexibly, in addition to a memory-data transmission technology that reduces chip-area and latency caused by memory reconfiguration mechanisms.

    The memories of conventional SoCs are categorized into two types; embedded memory, such as embedded SRAM or embedded DRAM, which is integrated with logic circuits in an SoC chip; and the second type, general-purpose memory, such as DRAM or Flash memory, which is placed outside of an SoC chip.

    The chip-stacked flexible memory developed by NEC is a third kind of memory that features both fast access in the embedded memory and large memory size in the general-purpose memory.

    It also enables dynamic memory allocation during LSI operation that is effective in SoC’s multiple functional IP-cores (functional blocks), which reduces SoCs’ design and fabrication costs.

    NEC is targeting large-scale SoC or high-performance tiled core designs, such as those found in Terascale and even GPU-like designs.