Connectivity, Communications & Cloud News - Page 22

The latest and most important Connectivity, Communications & Cloud news - Page 22.

Follow TweakTown on Google News

USB 3.1 Type C spec uses reversible connector design

Roshan Ashraf Shaikh | Apr 4, 2014 6:59 PM CDT

The USB 3.0 promoter's group have finalized its design for the next USB connector. The USB 3.1 Type C cable and ports are designed specifically for providing easier connectivity with notebooks, tablets and even smartphones such as Samsung Galaxy Note 3 which uses micro USB 3.0 port.

Another main feature is that the connectors are reversible. This way end users shouldn't be confused with which end of the connector goes to the device and the system. The newer connector is said to be as thin as micro-USB 2.0 made to be robust enough for notebooks and tablets, and even slim enough for mobile phones. It will also eventually replace existing micro USB 3.0 connectors.

The Type-C USB 3.1 connector also doubles up to 10 Gbps transfer speed. According to a spokesperson, the specification is scheduled to be completed by July, and products with the new connector should be out by end of this year.

Continue reading: USB 3.1 Type C spec uses reversible connector design (full post)

Garmin Zumo 590LM motorcycle GPS finds curvy roads for you

Shane McGlaun | Apr 3, 2014 12:46 PM CDT

If you are a motorcyclist, you can use a car GPS on your bike but it's not exactly ideal. Gamin makes a lien of GPS devices just for motorcycles and the latest in that line is the Zumo 590LM. The device is weather and fuel resistant so it should be able to survive attached to a motorcycle out in the weather.

The GPS device ships with a removable battery for power on the bike and comes with a car mount and a power cable for use in the car as well. The touchscreen is usable with a glove on and is designed for easy reading in direct sunlight. Bluetooth connectivity can send the driving directions and music to your Bluetooth earpiece or helmet.

The 590LM is also compatible with the iPhone or iPad for music playback control from the touchscreen. Weather and traffic details are offered on the GPS device screen thanks to an app that runs on the smartphone.

Continue reading: Garmin Zumo 590LM motorcycle GPS finds curvy roads for you (full post)

USB-IF releases final specification of Media Agnostic USB

Roshan Ashraf Shaikh | Mar 19, 2014 9:54 AM CDT

The USB implementers Forum has made an announcement today in regards to Media Agnostic specification. The forum has finalized the MA-USB details and released its V.10 specification.

The USB-IF used WiGig Serial Extension v1.2 specification as its initial foundation for the MA-USB specification. It is also compliant with SuperSpeed USB (3.0 and 3.1) and Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0). Devices that uses MA-USB will be branded as 'Powered by MA-USB', provided the product qualifies its certification program.

Edgar Figueroa, the president and CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance said,"We share a commitment with the USB-IF to enhance wireless connectivity. The completion of MA-USB supports our efforts to deliver wireless data, display and audio applications, all while providing the best user experience."

Continue reading: USB-IF releases final specification of Media Agnostic USB (full post)

ASRock unveils its own cloud storage service, ASRock Cloud

Anthony Garreffa | Mar 13, 2014 10:34 PM CDT

ASRock has announced that it has partnered up with Kloudian to unveil its own cloud storage service, ASRock Cloud. ASRock Cloud includes a three-year subscription to Orbweb.ME Professional, which is priced at $149.97.

This is a personal cloud storage service which is normally priced at $49.99 per year, as well as one-month upgrade to Orbweb.ME Ultimate, which gives consumers access to a Remote Desktop function. James Wei, the CEO of Kloudian, said: "It is very exciting to work with ASRock, one of the world's largest motherboard manufacturers. With the continued proliferation of mobile devices and the growing demand to 'stay connected', we are proud to provide a powerful and convenient solution to enable users the freedom of their portable device plus the power of their ASRock personal computer."

ASRock Cloud comes in both iOS and Android apps, or you can your web browser on your PC, where you can then remotely power on your PC, stream music, photos and video clips remotely through Orbweb.ME's file Xplorer, at anytime, anywhere. In order to jump in on this, you have to own an ASRock motherboard, and then visit this link for more info.

Continue reading: ASRock unveils its own cloud storage service, ASRock Cloud (full post)

NBN Co in Australia could ramp up Internet speeds to 13Tbps

Anthony Garreffa | Mar 11, 2014 8:06 PM CDT

The National Broadband Network in Australia has tested out some truly breakneck Internet speeds, where a successful trial has been completed by the NBN Co and network transport company Coraint at 1Tbps super-channel.

The trial was conducted over the company's 1066km fiber ring in Queensland on a 396GHz grid using Coraint's FlexiGrid technology. Coriant said that the trial featured a 35% improvement in spectrial efficiency, where it could eventually provide a maximum theoretical transmission capacity of 13Tbps over a distance of over 1000km.

NBN Co's Chief Technology Officer, Gary McLaren, said that the trial proved that the NBN Co's potential upgrade path for its transit network is huge. He said in a statement: "It highlights how established backbone infrastructure can be upgraded with sophisticated optical and electronic equipment to provide extra capacity for the future needs of the National Broadband Network."

Continue reading: NBN Co in Australia could ramp up Internet speeds to 13Tbps (full post)

Intel's new cable design can move data at a whopping speed of 800Gbps

Roshan Ashraf Shaikh | Mar 11, 2014 5:45 AM CDT

Intel's latest cable with green coloured housing has the ability to carry data at 800Gbps. This cable is based on the company's Photonics technology.

The cable uses 64 fibers, out of which 32 is dedicated for transmitting and 32 for receiving. Each fiber has a capability to move 25Gbps of data. The cable uses MXC (NOTE: Not an acronym) connectors. These connectors are significantly smaller than the Ethernet cable connector.

To develop Silicon Photonics transmission, Intel partnered with Corning to developed new fibers to support the new technology. The chipmaker also worked with US Conec. This helps to convert electric signals into optical signals- and vice versa.

Continue reading: Intel's new cable design can move data at a whopping speed of 800Gbps (full post)

Britain's 5G Internet is so fast it'll download a movie in 1 second

Anthony Garreffa | Mar 10, 2014 3:28 AM CDT

UK Prime Minister David Cameron has inked a deal with Germany which will see the two countries work on 5G Internet for Britain. This new ultra-fast Internet will be fast enough to download an 800MB file in less than one second.

Cameron said that with the "world on fast forward," the UK could be left behind without super-fast Internet access. The deal between the two countries was struck at CeBIT 2014 which is currently underway in Hanover, Germany. Cameron also announced a £73 million or $122 million deal to develop the Internet of Things, which will allow billions of everyday objects to communication with one another online.

The Internet of Things will allow appliances, smart devices and other tech gadgets of the future to communicate with each other - such as power meters that can automatically get consumers the best deals, and monitors which allow doctors to track patients' heart rates in real-time. Cameron said: "This is a world on fast forward. A world of permanent technological revolution. And in this world, countries like the UK and Germany will only succeed if we have a relentless drive for new ideas and innovations. The UK tech scene today is dynamic. Relentlessly ambitious. Leading the way."

Continue reading: Britain's 5G Internet is so fast it'll download a movie in 1 second (full post)

Researchers create battery-free gesture recognition control system

Roshan Ashraf Shaikh | Feb 28, 2014 11:15 PM CST

Computer scientists in the University of Washington have made a prototype of a low-cost gesture control system that requires no battery to power it up. The control system even allows the users to control their devices that are out of sight using TV signals.

This research project is funded by a Google faculty research award and Washington Research Foundation. The prototype called 'AllSee' uses TV signals as a source of power and its way to detect any gesture command from the user. The assistant professor computer science and engineering at the University of Washington said,"This is the first gesture recognition system that can be implemented for less than a dollar and doesn't require a battery. You can leverage TV signals both as a source of power and as a source of gesture recognition."

The users will need to use a small sensor which can be placed on any electronic devices. The sensor has a receiver which can recognize gestures via wireless transmissions. These sensors consume 3-to-4 less power than existing wireless transmission which therefore allows you to keep this on and enabled on your mobile devices. AllSee consumes 10 microwatt of power. The sensors can also be used in household electronics as well, enabling the use to control any household appliances using gestures and maybe even connect them to the internet.

Continue reading: Researchers create battery-free gesture recognition control system (full post)

Hybrid memory cube 2.0 capable of 480GB/sec of bandwidth for GPUs

Anthony Garreffa | Feb 27, 2014 6:36 AM CST

The hybrid memory cube consortium (HMCC) is an organization comprising of memory providers such as Micron Technology, Samsung Electronics, and SK Hynix, is dedicated to developing and establishing an industry-standard interface specification for the hybrid memory cube (HMC) technology.

This week, the consortium unveiled HMC 2.0, which is capable of some truly crazy speeds. HMC 2.0 is capable of supporting bandwidth of 480GB/sec per one memory device. HMC can do this by using advanced through-silicon vias (TSVs) - which are vertical conduits that electrically connect a stack of individual chips - in order to combine high-performance logic with dynamic random access memory (DRAM) die.

HMC 1.0 was capable of 160GB/sec of bandwidth, in 2GB density while running 10Gb/s per late data-rate, using up to 70% less energy per bit than existing technologies. The new HMC 2.0 specification supports increased data rate speeds advancing short-reach (SR) performance from 10Gb/s, 12.5Gb/s, 15Gb/s and up to 30Gb/s, allowing the peak bandwidth of a single memory cube to bounce all the way up to 480GB/sec.

Continue reading: Hybrid memory cube 2.0 capable of 480GB/sec of bandwidth for GPUs (full post)

Artemis Networks' pCell technology receives support from PureWave

Anthony Garreffa | Feb 25, 2014 12:20 AM CST

Santa Clara-based PureWave is working with Artemis Networks, which is company behind the impressive pCell Technology that we reported on a few days back now. The two companies are working together on the design and development of base stations for Artemis' pCell technology.

Artemis Networks chose PureWave to supply pWave radios for its upcoming trial deployments, with the test involving the companies using various bands and power levels to wireless carriers who will be using pCell. Dan Picker, PureWave Networks' CEO, said: "PureWave is excited to have partnered with Artemis Networks in helping to realize this promising new pCell technology. It has long been clear to industry veterans that a completely new approach is required to keep up with the exponentially increasing mobile broadband capacity demands of today's users".

He continued: "PureWave has focused on Smart-Antenna and Small Cell Base Station technologies to improve the efficiency in which valuable spectral resources are consumed. For this reason, we quickly understood the potential of pCell technology, since it effectively exploits a combination of these techniques. We also knew that our latest generation base station platform would be the perfect complement to realizing the technology in a real-world setting".

Continue reading: Artemis Networks' pCell technology receives support from PureWave (full post)