Wireless Asia articles from February 2008

Wireless Asia archives from February 2008

Repositioned for the wireless future.(EDITORIAL)
February 1, 2008... It's hard to believe that it's been ten years now since Wireless Asia first started hitting C-level desks around the region. I have the first issue sitting in front of me now, and just a glance at the table of contents is a reminder of how far...

The future of Wimax: things.(THE SIGNAL)
February 1, 2008... One way or another, this is going to be mobile Wimax's big year. It will be the year the operator rollouts will happen, products will be certified and apps will be developed. And this is the year where we'll get the first indications of whether...

Mobile Wimax certification is go.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
February 1, 2008... The Wimax Forum's lead certification lab in Spain is open for business, and the first of the certified mobile Wimax products will hit shelves early this year. Equipment that passes conformance and interoperability testing will receive the...

GainSpan brings Wi-Fi to its sensors.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
February 1, 2008... Wi-Fi and sensor networks aren't typically mentioned in the same breath, but that's about to change. Wi-Fi chipset maker GainSpan has unveiled a highly integrated system-on-a-chip (SoC) that could help usher in Wi-Fi into the field of sensor...

TransferJet opens new front in wireless CE wars.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
February 1, 2008... With equipment vendors already taking sides in the short-range wireless wars to connect all the media devices in the 21st-century living room, Sony has characteristically decided to go the proprietary route with its own close-proximity wireless...

SK Telecom and InterDigital extend their collaboration on developing advanced mobility solutions.(SHORT BURSTS)
February 1, 2008... SK Telecom and InterDigital extend their collaboration on developing advanced mobility solutions. Under the extended agreement, InterDigital will make further improvements to the existing handover capabilities, adding full two-way handover...

Datang Telecom Technology & Industry Group and Ericsson set up a 4G mobile technology research center in Beijing.(SHORT BURSTS)
February 1, 2008... Datang Telecom Technology & Industry Group and Ericsson set up a 4G mobile technology research center in Beijing to co-develop LTE/TDD technology.

SingTel taps Hong Kong-based MSC to offer the SingTel Global Apparel solution.(SHORT BURSTS)
February 1, 2008... SingTel taps Hong Kong-based MSC to offer the SingTel Global Apparel solution. The solution uses RFID to capture real-time production information and worker performance data throughout the production process.

NEC secures a deal to supply mobile WiMAX system to Taiwan's Tatung InfoComm.(SHORT BURSTS)
February 1, 2008... NEC secures a deal to supply mobile WiMAX system to Taiwan's Tatung InfoComm. NEE will deliver 200 base stations along with peripheral equipment.

Shanghai Simcom selects SkyCross to provide antennas for several Shanghai Simcom mobile handset models.(SHORT BURSTS)
February 1, 2008... Shanghai Simcom selects SkyCross to provide antennas for several Shanghai Simcom mobile handset models. SkyCross recently opened a design facility in Shanghai to address the local market.

Wavecom rolls out its "Centers of Excellence" program aimed at building a worldwide network of design partners for wireless machine-to-machine technologies.(SHORT BURSTS)
February 1, 2008... Wavecom rolls out its "Centers of Excellence" program aimed at building a worldwide network of design partners for wireless machine-to-machine technologies. The new partnership program emphasizes bridging the technology gaps for many new...

KT and POSDATA sign a deal to expand mobile WiMAX services to Pohang in South Korea.(SHORT BURSTS)
February 1, 2008... KT and POSDATA sign a deal to expand mobile WiMAX services to Pohang in South Korea. The two firms earlier signed a pact to offer commercial WiMAX in Seoul.

OpenMoko teams up with Dash Navigation to unveil the Dash Express, the first Internet-connected GPS device for the consumer market.(SHORT BURSTS)
February 1, 2008... OpenMoko teams up with Dash Navigation to unveil the Dash Express, the first Internet-connected GPS device for the consumer market. The partnership with Dash marks OpenMoko's first foray into the GPS market.

A US judge issues sanctions against six Qualcomm attorneys for mishandling evidence in a high-stakes patent case against Broadcom.(SHORT BURSTS)
February 1, 2008... A US judge issues sanctions against six Qualcomm attorneys for mishandling evidence in a high-stakes patent case against Broadcom. The six lawyers were referred to the California State Bar Association for an investigation of possible ethical...

CommScope completes its acquisition of Andrew Corporation for a total purchase price of approximately $2.65 billion, making Andrew a wholly-owned subsidiary of CommScope.(SHORT BURSTS)
February 1, 2008... CommScope completes its acquisition of Andrew Corporation for a total purchase price of approximately $2.65 billion, making Andrew a wholly-owned subsidiary of CommScope. As part of the deal, Andrew launches an offer to repurchase its 3.25%...

3G latecomers eye femtocells: developing markets make femtocell economics more attractive than homezones.(RESEARCH NOTE)
February 1, 2008... The main approach to FMC to date has been combining dual-mode Wi-Fi/3G handsets with an in-home access point, backhauled by the user's DSL line, to create a homezone. The 3G femtocell has been lurking on the horizon, offering a potential...

Nature powers mobile in rural Namibia: the solar and wind model shows that cell sites can run viably on off-grid power sources.(CASE STUDY)
February 1, 2008... Deploying wireless networks in rural areas unserved by neither telecom nor electricity service providers is challenging enough. What complicates matters in these times of heightened environmental awareness is finding a cost-effective way to...

In search of LBS: location-based services have been around in one form or another for some time, but 2008 may be the year LBS finally breaks from niche app to the mobile mainstream as handsets get GPS and applications get interactive and generate ad revenue. But with many Asian cellcos still sorting out their networks, accuracy may vary.(Cover story)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Few mobile applications have been more highly anticipated, and so slow in coming, than location-based services. Or so it seems. LBS has been around for years in various forms, from early implementations like fleet...

One size does not fit all services: rolling out Wimax base stations is one thing. Connecting them to the IP grid is something else. An access service network gateway is the ticket, but be careful--ASN gateways differ widely in functionality.(TECH SPOTLIGHT)
February 1, 2008... "Okay! I've got my mobile Wimax network set up and running. How do I connect it to the rest of the world?" That's the question many network operators are now asking as they start thinking about how to deliver services over their spanking...

LBS/mapping key to new internet services: Jari Syrjarinne, technologist in GNSS systems research at Nokia Technology Platforms, talks about the challenge of delivering positioning performance while reducing cost and power consumption and the importance of LBS accuracy.(TECH CLOSE-UP)(Interview)
February 1, 2008... Alan Cameron: How will the outbreak of map-based navigation and location-based services change the way we use mobile terminals? Jari Syrjarinne: Mapping and LBS form one of the cornerstones of Nokia's internet services strategy. I see that...

Navigating with software-defined radio: anywhere, anytime navigation requirements will favor architectures that can deal with a large variety of signal types. Rather than rely on just one signal type for navigation, the savvy receiver will need to scan through the universe of potentially available navigation signal sources and dynamically choose those that are available at its current location.(TECH CLOSE-UP)
February 1, 2008... The growing need for ubiquitous positioning and navigation to service the anywhere, anytime needs of the consumer LBS markets will strongly influence future receiver architectures. In particular, the need to operate with a multiplicity of GNSS...

Automated M2M provisioning: to eliminate pre-customer shipment connectivity costs, manufacturers can ship activation-ready devices that can sit in the distribution channel free of communications charges.(TECH PERSPECTIVE)
February 1, 2008... When done right, provisioning and deploying wireless devices can have a big impact on a company's ability to scale its business simply and profitably. To that end, new machine-to-machine (M2M) wireless communications solutions are emerging to...

Gearing the corporate WLAN for UMA: enterprises can leverage UMA to let employee handsets roam between cellular networks and corporate Wi-Fi, but CIOs have to navigate the challenges of ensuring security, quality of service and reliability.(TECH PERSPECTIVE)
February 1, 2008... Mobile communications is an invaluable tool for enterprises, but spotty indoor coverage is a perennial problem, and employees' mobile expenses are already a significant factor in the CIO's budget. The corporate wireless LAN can effectively fill...

Testing tips for phased array antenna modules: as phased array antenna techniques gain popularity, engineers need higher performance and more practical tools to face tomorrow's challenges. Phase and amplitude analysis offers dynamic range and flexibility. Open architecture will also allow users to master the ultimate dB.(TECH PERSPECTIVE)
February 1, 2008... Phased array antennas are made of multiple modules that can transmit and receive RF or microwave signals. Those modules are arranged in groups forming a usual flat surface that replaces a traditional mechanically steered antenna. The main...

Scalability for large M2M systems.(WIRELESS GEAR)
February 1, 2008... Motorola has launched the G24-Lite, which is designed to suit the basic needs of large machine-to-machine (M2M) systems, utilizing wireless capabilities to automate and streamline their extensive services. Built for easy integration into...

New Wimax-ready antennas.(WIRELESS GEAR)
February 1, 2008... Radio Frequency Systems has unveiled its electricaltilt Wimax antenna series, the newest addition to its Wimax-ready tower-top solutions. Comprising both variable and remote electrical-tilt versions, the new dual-polarized Wimax antenna...

ZigBee network range expander.(WIRELESS GEAR)
February 1, 2008... Digi International's XBee wall router is a ZigBee router used to expand a ZigBee network's range. By plugging into standard power sockets, XBee wall routers are easy-to-install building blocks for self-healing ZigBee networks and ideal for...

Sub-GHz Wimax deployments.(WIRELESS GEAR)
February 1, 2008... Telsima has introduced the Wimax 450/700 MHz BWA solution, which delivers Internet, voice and multimedia services over a wireless broadband link to remote users. An end-to-end communication solution for operators who have a frequency...

Chip for HD wireless audio.(WIRELESS GEAR)
February 1, 2008... STS has released its fourth-generation chip, DARR81, for digital wireless audio platforms. The STS DARR81 chip enables simultaneous audio connections of consumer electronics devices, such as headphones, speakers, home theater systems, flat...

Free proprietary wireless networking stack.(WIRELESS GEAR)
February 1, 2008... Jennic has unveiled JenNet, a new free proprietary wireless networking stack for its range of 32-bit single chip wireless microcontrollers. Based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, it is specially designed to be easy to use and is fully scalable...

NFC evaluation kit.(WIRELESS GEAR)
February 1, 2008... A recently released evaluation kit by Stollmann, NFCStack+Eva, features an easy-to-use interface, USB reader, NFC tags and compliance with the most recent NFC Forum standards. The EvaKit enables users to test-drive standardized NFC with...

Wimax antenna for notebooks.(WIRELESS GEAR)
February 1, 2008... Omron has introduced of a new, global Wimax band polymer antenna, the HAWK-WMX, for laptops, notebooks, tablet and ultra-mobile PCs. The HAWK-WMX fits under the lid of notebook PCs, enabling computer manufacturers to design smaller and...

Mobile Wimax RF chip.(WIRELESS GEAR)
February 1, 2008... Sequans Communications has launched its newest chip, the SQN1140 RFIC (radio frequency integrated circuit), for mobile Wimax Wave 2 end-user devices. According to Sequans, the chip is a high performance, low power RF chip designed to integrate...

Enhanced A-GPS conformance test systems.(WIRELESS GEAR)
February 1, 2008... Aeroflex has enhanced its 6103 and 6401 A-GPS conformance test systems for location-based services with support for the Open Mobile Alliance Secure User Plane (OMA SUPL) 1.0. The Aeroflex 6103 and 6401 provide A-GPS conformance test within...

Wireless equipment health monitor.(WIRELESS GEAR)
February 1, 2008... Honeywell, together with SKF, has released OneWireless Equipment Health Monitoring (EHM), a device which wirelessly transmits complete spectral information--including vibration amplitude and operating parameter information--from the field to...

TD-SCDMA scanner enhancement.(WIRELESS GEAR)
February 1, 2008... Tektronix has added a TD-SCDMA scanner to its RF Scout Interference Hunter tool to support the emerging 3G standard developed in China. The scanner, when combined with the RF Scout capabilities, offers network operators a one-box RF field...

TD-SCDMA femtocell reference design.(WIRELESS GEAR)
February 1, 2008... PicoChip has announced what it's billing as the world's first femtocell reference design to support China's TD-SCDMA standard. The new PC8808 TD-SCDMA femtocell reference design was developed in China at picoChip's Beiiing design center....

Inching toward SDR.(ANALYST VIEW)
February 1, 2008... If you've ever restored to sitting on your over-stuffed suitcase in order to force it closed, just so you could fit that last pair of Bermuda shorts, then you'll have a sense for what's currently happening in the world of handset manufacturing....

Watching the polar bears.(WIRELESS HORIZON)
February 1, 2008... Wireless broadband technology isn't just about enabling people to download MP3s and videos on the go. You can also track polar bears with it. Evidence: a project led by Polar Bears International to set up remote cameras on the shores of...

Did you wash your hands?(WIRELESS HORIZON)
February 1, 2008... Hand-washing is part of the job description in hospitals, yet studies in the US alone reveal that healthcare workers wash their hands only about half the recommended number of times. According to New Scientist, two researchers from Duke...

Making phone chips thermoelectric.(WIRELESS HORIZON)
February 1, 2008... A perennial problem in handset design is that the more processing power a device requires, the more power it needs. Meanwhile, the heat from mobile phones is a potential energy source that is simply wasted. Advances in thermoelectric technology...

Phone magnetism.(WIRELESS HORIZON)
February 1, 2008... Sometimes innovation is as much about rifting l off someone else's idea as it is coming up with your own. Which is why those magnetized power cords that come with Apple MacBooks may soon be available on mobile devices--reportedly starting with...