3G upgrade being groomed for wireless broadband

First posted 03:51pm (Mla time) Dec 11, 2005
By Leo Magno
INQ7.net


WHILE the Philippines plods along in the implementation of 3G, networks in other countries are already being upgraded even before 3G becomes widely available worldwide. This technology is being presented as a wireless broadband solution not only for cellular phones but also for laptops, personal digital assistants (PDA) and other mobile devices.
Called high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), the 3G upgrade is the latest addition to the alphabet soup of acronyms that describe wireless broadband delivery. HSDPA, however, is being positioned not just as a broadband cellular phone service but as a ubiquitous wireless bearer for other applications such as mobile TV and wireless Internet connection for mobile computers.

At a live demo in Cyberjaya in Malaysia’s Selangor region, officials from telecommunications network infrastructure provider Ericsson showed how wireless broadband works. Computer terminals inside a van roaming around the Ericsson office displayed live, concurrent video and audio streams as well as actual web browsing while 10-megabyte files were being uploaded and downloaded over the air. This opens up possibilities not just for cellular applications but for packet-based mobile broadband transmissions as well.

Ericsson today has HSDPA in operation 15 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and North America. It is not meant as a replacement to 3G; Ericsson calls it the evolution of 3G.

“All it takes is uploading the software to the existing WCDMA network,” said Andrei Dulski, marketing manager for radio network at Ericsson. “The operators already have what they need, using the same (3G) infrastructure.”

HSDPA is thus being positioned as an alternative to wired broadband such as cable or DSL, and at the same time can be used to power 3G cellular networks for mobile phones. Notebook users can do this by inserting HSDPA-compatible PC cards, while computers at homes or offices can use 3G modems for wireless broadband using HSDPA. On the small-device side, 3G phones and PDAs can be used.

Ericsson added that HSDPA is a better alternative to WiMax (worldwide interoperability for microwave access) because it is much more mobile, although WiMax promises more wireless bandwidth at 70Mbps.

An Ericsson HSDPA network is now in commercial operation in South Africa. The company has also upgraded Cingular Wireless’ UMTS network in Dallas, and upgrades are also being done for Vodafone in Tokyo, Maxis in Malaysia, Cellcom in Israel and Finnet in Finland.

Yet this is only the first phase of the 3G upgrade. HSDPA Phase 1 offers speeds of 3.6Mbps on the downlink. In real-world terms, this translates to downloading a 1Mb or one-minute MP3 file in 4 seconds. This is almost 9 times faster than using a 384kbps copper-based and “wired” DSL connection. Phase 2, scheduled for 2006, offers speeds of almost four times at 14Mbps on the downlink.

Positioning HSDPA as a wireless broadband alternative to cable, DSL and even WiMax shows how the computing and cellular spaces are converging. Ericsson says the demand for broadband is growing, and HSDPA is more mobile than WiMax and has none of the problems encountered when using wired connections.

“It’s like copper over the air,” said Dulski.

However, during the actual use of notebooks with a 3G PC card at the Ericsson office in Cyberjaya, participants experienced dropped connections to the Maxis network.

Yet positioning a wireless alternative to broadband connection is a wise move as broadband subscriber growth and notebook sales continue to rise. International Data Corp. projects that broadband user accounts will increase to 800,000 in the Philippines by 2008. By then, IDC projects that there would be 1.5 million broadband user accounts in Malaysia, 1.1 million in Thailand, 1 million in Singapore and 300,000 in Indonesia.

As the burgeoning demand for broadband looms, the existing “wired” copper networks for DSL will increasingly be congested, and operators are slowing down on the rollout of new copper lines. They are, instead, investing in wireless infrastructure.

As wireless broadband speeds continue to rise, Ericsson believes mobile TV would also be a new revenue stream for operators. Torbjorn Jonsson, solution director for Ericsson Malaysia, said this was a natural progression because mobile TV would merely build on the existing behavior of consumers who are already part of the TV generation.

“Mobile TV subscription and advertising revenues are expected to dominate the revenue stream,” said Jonsson. “Then comes interactivity or a combination of both.”

However, while Ericsson wants mobile TV to ride on the HSDPA network, its rival Nokia is pushing the use of DVB-H (digital video broadcast-handheld), a different standard that is totally separate from the cellular network. DVB-H delivers mobile TV via another antenna on the mobile device separate from the cellular receiver. This theoretically allows the operator to offer mobile TV services even without an existing 3G infrastructure. Nokia adds that DVB-H is optimized for long periods of TV viewing by large numbers of simultaneous users with high picture quality and low battery consumption.

Ericsson officials countered that DVB-H is one-way with no interactivity involved; it merely broadcasts the TV signal. With HSDPA, they said, operators can offer a personalized TV experience with unicasting, or to a select group through multicasting or to broadcast the same way DVB-H does.

“The advantage here is you can offer multiple services on an HSDPA network, not just mobile TV,” said Jonsson.

The question of system capacity then arises. How many unicasts or multicasts can the HSDPA network take, considering that other services like web browsing, downloading and application hosting in managed services may also be taking place concurrently on the same network?

Whatever the application, consumers will no doubt care less about which acronym in the mobile alphabet soup -- WCDMA, UMTS, HSDPA or DVB-H -- is being used. It remains to be seen if such fast wireless networks would at the same time be reliable and interoperable with other networks.

http://news.inq7.net/infotech/index.php?in...&story_id=59610

This new technology can make everybody (if you have the money to buy high end cellphone) an instant TV reporter.
imagine this scenario a terrorist attack in Malate bar witnin seconds an alert happy go lucky guy with a high end cellphone that only the middle class can afford can make a live broadcast of the terror attack complete with fast streaming video, and sound. :drunk:

i read somewhere that a few tourists got paid huge sums when they sold their camera videos of the tsunami to major news networks..... here in the philippines, you can bid your exclusive disaster video between gma and abs-cbn...... remember the edsa-ayala bus bombing?

i can foresee a future where people would run towards instead of away from a disaster to take videos..... or maybe "stage" a disaster then video it? :wow:

'Checkpoint of the future tested at San Francisco airport


SAN FRANCISCO -- An airport security "checkpoint of the future" that lets travelers leave shoes on feet, keys in pockets and laptop computers in carry-on bags was shown off in San Francisco on Wednesday.

General Electric (GE) got clearance from San Francisco International Airport to set up a "laboratory" in an unused lane at an active passenger checkpoint.

"The objective is to take our research and development work out of a sterile lab environment and put it in a real world environment," Steve Hill GE Security's Homeland Protection division told Agence France-Presse.

"San Francisco International is known to be on the cutting edge of new technologies, so it was a no-brainer to go to them and ask them to support this effort," said Hill.

GE merged an array of computer and scanning technologies into a system that promises to get passengers through an automated checkpoint in 20 seconds, Hill said.

"In our vision for the checkpoint of the future, no one will have to take shoes or coats off, or take anything out of pockets or take laptops out of bags," Hill said.

While a price tag had yet to be put on the new security checkpoint system, its creators promised it would save money because far fewer TSA agents would be needed to operate the automated, remotely-monitored equipment.

"Perhaps the sexiest part is the solution we put together will make the passenger experience less intrusive," Hill said.

Passenger screening would begin when a traveler presses a finger to an explosive-sensing touch pad while checking baggage or getting a ticket.

Sophisticated CAT scan devices would replace X-ray technology currently used to scan carry on bags, Hill said.

Passengers would then step through a circular, transparent "wave portal" capable of detecting "threat anomalies" such as weapons or bombs, Hill said.

Passengers would then step on a scanner that detects dangerous chemicals or other hazards, according to Hill.

"A passenger then picks up bags and proceeds on their merry way," Hill said. "Unless some potential threat is identified."

The checkpoint was put together at San Francisco International during the past few weeks by GE technicians, who were using workers to test the gear on Tuesday.

They hope to soon enlist real passengers as volunteers to put the system through its paces and get feedback. Once perfected, the system will be pitched to the TSA for use at airports nationwide, Hill said.

"The TSA is constantly in pursuit of new technology to improve security and enhance our explosive-detection capabilities," said administration spokesman Nico Melendez, who was among those who attended the unveiling.

http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?in...&story_id=60770

they want something like in "total recall":





so far, we can only do this:


Susan Hallowell, the director of the Transportation Security
Administration's security laboratory, allows her body to be
X-rayed by the "backscatter" machine at the Transportation
Security Administration in Egg Harbor Township, N.J.,
Wednesday, June 25, 2003. The X-ray reveals a gun and a
bomb that she "hid" under her outfit. (AP Photo/Brian Branch-Price)


Millimeter wave technology from security specialist Qinetiq is designed to detect not just metal but other threats, like ceramic knives and hidden drugs.

Improving the quality of life...

Inventor of LEDs and 'blue laser' wins million-euro prize

Agence France-Presse

HELSINKI--The Japanese inventor of LED light sources and the "blue laser", which increases the amount of data stored on DVDs and CDs, on Thursday won a one-million-euro technology prize.

Physics Professor Shuji Nakamura of the University of California t Santa Barbara was awarded the Milliennium Technology Prize, funded by the Finnish government, several companies and research institutes.

"The lighting applications now made possible by his achievement can be compared with Thomas Edison's invention of the incandescent lamp," the head of the jury, Pekka Tarjanne, said.

Nakamura, 52, shocked the scientific world in 1993 when he presented a new revolutionary source of light, bright-blue LEDs. He went on to present green and white LEDS and a blue laser.

Blue laser technology can increase by five times data storage and transfer capabilities. LEDs can also be found in new video game consoles, traffic lights and mobile phone screens.

The technology has also been used in several applications which improve the quality of life, the jury said.

LED lights have extremely long lives and consume far less energy than normal incandescent lights. They are also well suited for use with solar power systems and are therefore ideal for use in remote areas of developing countries.

"One of the most significant future applications for Shuji Nakamura's invention is the sterilization of drinking water, since the use of ultraviolet LEDs makes the water purification process both cheaper and more efficient," the jury said.

"Systems based on this technology are expected to improve the lives and health of tens of millions of people," it said.

The Millennium Technology Prize was created in 2002 and is awarded every two years to celebrate "an outstanding innovation that directly promotes people's quality of life, is based on humane values and encourages sustainable economic development," according to its founding charter.

It was first awarded in 2004 to the inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee.

http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?in...&story_id=79333

:bow: With your work Prof. Nakamura, some things will become cheaper to do.

Now that's really smart!

:bow:

Ya, I just bought a Nokia N90 3G cellphone but I'm still waiting for the right opportunity to become an instant reporter. :drunk:

The Hyanide



What do you get when you cross a dirt bike, snowmobile and 4-wheeler?
German designers unveil mutant motorbike

By Dawn Stover
Popular Scienceexternal link

FACT BOX
Hyanide specs:

Purpose: To move riders over any terrain with unprecedented control

Capacity: Two riders

Engine: 60hp 500cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder

Dimensions: 40 (h) x 36 (w) x 90 (l) in.

Weight: 450 - 650 lbs. (est.)

Top speed: 75 - 85 mph (est.)

(PopSci.com) -- You may not have room in your garage (or budget) for a dirt bike and a snowmobile and a four-wheeler. But what if one vehicle could take the place of all three? That's the idea behind the Hyanide.

The Hyanide is a wild concept vehicle created by German designers Oliver Keller and Tillman Schlootz for the 2006 Michelin Challenge Design. This year's competition showcased vehicles made especially for California's diverse and often rugged topography.

Named for its supposed resemblance to a crouching hyena, the Hyanide is designed to run on a flexible rubber tread that spans the machine's entire underside.

So if any part of the bottom is touching the ground, the Hyanide should be able to move, no matter how deep the quagmire, no matter how rough the terrain. The tank-like tread consists of 77 identical segments -- each made from hard plastic covered with tire rubber -- held together by Kevlar rope.

Each segment flexes independently, making the tread significantly more limber than if its components were rigid. Not only does this setup help with traction, but it would allow it to corner like no other vehicle.

Both the front and rear of the Hyanide rotate into a turn, which would give riders extra control while making sharp turns or climbing hills. To drive the vehicle, you'd steer with your hands as well as your feet, and you'd wear special shoes that snap onto the pedals, like on a racing bicycle.

To turn left, for example, you'd push the right side of the handlebar forward, to point the front of the tread left -- it's the same motion as on a motorcycle. At the same time, however, you'd also push back on the right pedal, angling the rear of the tread into the turn. This action would twist the tread into a crescent shape and whip the Hyanide around a turn.

The Hyanide currently exists only as a one-fifth-scale model, and Schlootz and Keller have no plans to bring a production version to market. Keep your fingers crossed, though -- Hyanide's unique drivetrain impressed a lot of automotive-industry heavy hitters at the Challenge Design.

Maybe one of them has an overcrowded garage.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/07/14/motorbike/index.html

Memory chip breakthrough for electronic devices

Agence France-Presse
Last updated 09:41pm (Mla time) 12/11/2006

SAN FRANCISCO--A team of scientists announced a breakthrough in computer memory technology on Monday that heralded more sophisticated and reliable MP3 players, digital cameras and other devices.

Scientists from IBM, Macronix and Qimonda said they developed a material that made "phase-change" memory 500 to 1,000 times faster than the commonly-used "flash" memory, while using half as much power.

"You can do a lot of things with this phase-change memory that you can't do with flash," IBM senior manager of nanoscale science Spike Narayan told Agence France-Presse.

"You can replace disks, do instant-on computers, or carry your own fancy computer application in your hand. It would complement smaller technology if manufacturers wanted to conjure things up."

Technical details of the research were to be presented to engineers gathered at the 2006 International Electronic Devices Meeting in San Francisco.

Researchers expected the discovery to anoint phase-change memory the successor to flash memory as the electronics industry continues a relentless quest to make devices smaller and more powerful.

"These results dramatically demonstrate that phase-change memory has a very bright future," said IBM vice president of technology T.C. Chen.

"Many expect flash memory to encounter significant scaling limitations in the near future. Today we unveil a new phase-change memory material that has high performance even in an extremely small volume."

The new material was a complex semiconductor alloy that resulted from collaborative research at IBM's Almaden Research Center in the Silicon Valley city of San Jose, California.

Qimonda memory technology firm is based in Germany and Macronix is a "non-volatile" memory company located in Taiwan.

Computer memory cells store information as sequences of digital "zeros" and "ones" in structures that can be rapidly switched between two distinctive states.

Most computer memory devices are based on the presence or absence of electrical charge contained in a tiny region of a cell.

The fastest and most economical memory designs -- SRAM and DRAM, respectively -- use inherently leaky memory cells, so they must be powered continuously and, in case of DRAM, refreshed frequently as well.

These "volatile" memories lose their stored information whenever their power supplies are interrupted.

At the heart of phase-change memory is a tiny chunk of alloy that can be changed rapidly between an ordered, crystalline phase and a disordered, amorphous phase.

Because no electrical power is required to maintain either phase of the material, phase-change memory is "non-volatile."

"This is a much more robust memory technology," Narayan said. "It will be used more and more as flash gets into more and more trouble at small dimensions."

While the semiconductor alloy from Almaden is new, phase-change technology has been around for decades and has been used in DVDs and CDs, according to researchers.
Samsung and Intel have both been working with phase-change memory devices, according to Narayan.

"We have demonstrated the potential of the phase-change memory technology on very small dimensions laying out a scalability path," said Qimonda vice president Wilhelm Beinvogl.

"Phase-change memories have the clear potential to play an important role in future memory systems."

http://newsinfo.inq7.net/breakingnews/info...rticle_id=37664

This is a breakthrough in this age of computer era, that they barriers of desired computer memories can be a thing of the past.