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Comms and Internet

EC Proposes Radio Spectrum Sharing

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EC Proposes Radio Spectrum Sharing

The European Commission (EC) pushes for "more dynamic sharing" of licensed and unlicensed frequencies in the radio spectrum-- a proposal potentially bringing more capacity to wifi and other wireless technologies.

"Meeting the growing spectrum needs resulting from the exponential growth in wireless data traffic and the increasing importance of wireless connectivity in the economy is limited by the absence of vacant spectrum," the EC proposal says.

Wifi devices operate within the unlicensed 2.4GHz Continue reading...

IEEE Pushes for Faster Ethernet

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IEEE Pushes for Faster Ethernet

The IEEE worries the current ethernet standard might not be enough for the future-- and thus forms the IEEE 802.3 Industry Connections Higher Speed Ethernet Consensus group to develop "the next speed of ethernet."

What should this "next speed of ethernet" be? The organisation proposes capacities will reach 1 terabit per second (1Tbps) in 2015 and 10Tbps in 2020.

As streaming video and social networking lead to "an exponential climb" in global bandwidth requirements, the IEEE believes large-scale Continue reading...

Broadcom Intros Mobile 802.11ac Chip

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Broadcom Intros Mobile 802.11ac Chip

Broadcom announces the BCM4335-- the "first complete 5G wifi combo chip" for mobile applications, combining 802.11ac wifi, Bluetooth 4.0 and FM radio on the same silicon die.

According to the company the chip handles speeds x3 faster than existing wifi radios (reaching up to 433Mbps) with x6 more power efficiency than current 802.11n solutions.

Being platform-agnostic, vendors can add the chip to any smartphone, tablet or ultrabook.

The BCM4335 should be available from Q1 2013 once it exists Continue reading...

D-Link Goes for 802.11ac Wifi

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D-Link Goes for 802.11ac Wifi

D-Link launches its first 802.11ac router-- the Cloud Router 5700 (DIR-865L), offering dual-band performance of up to 1750Mbps (1300ac + 450n) for high-bandwidth wireless applications.

It uses the 5GHz band for "less interference and cleaner connection" and carries x4 ethernet ports and x1 USB port allowing the connection of external storage. It is IPv6 ready and backwards compatible with 802.11n wireless standards.

Security comes through SPI firewall and WPA2.

D-Link also offers the mydlink Continue reading...

Powerline Adapters Get Compact

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Powerline Adapters Get Compact

TRENDnet launches the 500Mbps TPL-403E2K Compact Powerline AV Adapter Kit-- the smallest powerline kit from the company yet, shipping with two TPL-406E adapters.

The TPL-406E is 50% smaller than the average 500Mbps adapter, TRENDnet claims.

As a powerline product, the TPL-403E2K uses existing electrical lines to connect devices to the internet. Multiple TRENDnet adapters network automatically to each other using a secure encrypted signal, with no CD installation required.

Embedded power saving Continue reading...

Adieu, Minitel: the French Proto-Internet

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Adieu, Minitel: the French Proto-Internet

France Telecom pulls the plug on Minitel, the internet-before-the-internet that made France the most connected country in Europe (if not the world) in the early 80s.

Launched in 1982, the telephone line-based service connected France to a number of pre-internet online services while the rest of the world looked in awe. The French, as they tend to do, beamed in pride as back in 1997 President Jacques Chirac gloated "today a baker in Aubervilliers knows perfectly how to check his bank account on Continue reading...

The First 802.11ac Cisco Products

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The First 802.11ac Cisco Products

Cisco announces the first products from the company using 802.11ac technology-- the dual-band Linksys EA6500 wifi router and the companion single-band Universal Media Connector network bridge.

The EA6500 carries x6 internal 3D antennas and is backwards compatible with all 802.11a/b/g/n wireless networks and devices. It also uses the Cisco Connect Cloud platform, helping users either manage the router or connect to other devices.

Integration with the SingleTap hardware platform also allows pairing Continue reading...

Lenovo Sells Mobile Broadband

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Lenovo Sells Mobile Broadband

Lenovo 3G-equipped device users have another option for mobile internet-- the company now offers Lenovo Mobile Access, selling pre-connected, always-on connectivity in 9 European countries.

Powering the service is a scalable cloud-based platform from Austin-based Macheen.

"Select" ThinkPad Classic and Edge laptops can access the service, which allows customers to buy internet access with either "Time Pass" or subscription options.

Lenovo Mobile Access is available "immediately" in the UK, France, Continue reading...

Wifi Certification for Display Applications

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Wifi Certification for Display Applications

The Wifi Alliance hopes it will have the standard of choice once the wireless video revolution happens-- with Miracast, a technology set aiming to beat WiDi and AirPlay.

The alliance still needs to finish the certification standard (which is to launch later this year), and will award compatible device with a "Wifi Certified Miracast" mark.

Devices eligible for certification include notebooks, smartphones and tablets.

One vendor already supports the standard-- future versions of Texas Instruments' Continue reading...

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