Let the turkey power your Christmas tree lights
No one’s attempted this in a commercial product before, but Nihon Dengyo Kosaku Co has reportedly developed a device that makes it achievable: a ‘rectenna’ that can fit inside a microwave oven and recycle unused wave energy . The palm-sized gadget combines both an antenna for catching waves and a rectifier for converting them into DC current, with a maximum output of 100 watts. Foods with a low water content have the worst heating efficiency, which means they offer the best opportunity for reclaiming energy — so stodgy Christmas cuisine would be perfect
Original post:
Let the turkey power your Christmas tree lights
Consumer Reports finds iPhone 4S to have worthwhile antennae, says newer iPhone 4 is still problematic
“Consumer Reports recommends the iPhone 4S.” It’s only half a dozen words, but to the engineers (and marketers) at Apple, it spells “relief.” After being profusely impacted by Consumer Reports’ decision to recommend against buying the iPhone 4 due to those Antennagate issues, the entity has allowed all in Cupertino to breath a sigh of relief by effectively declaring the reception issue dead on the newest edition. To quote:
“Apple’s newest smart phone performed very well in our tests, and while it closely resembles the iPhone 4 in appearance, it doesn’t suffer the reception problem we found in its predecessor in special tests in our labs. In special reception tests of the iPhone 4S that duplicated those we did on the iPhone 4, the newer phone did not display the same reception flaw, which involves a loss of signal strength when you touch a spot on the phone’s lower left side while you’re in an area with a weak signal. (The iPhone 4, which is still available, continues to exhibit that problem, we confirmed in tests of new samples of the phone. Because of the flaw, we continue to omit the iPhone 4 from our list of recommended models, despite its otherwise fine performance.)”
In other words, even the newer samples of the iPhone 4 (perhaps even that one for Sprint?) continue to have antenna quirks, but at least the latest and greatest seems to have addressed ‘em. Hit the source link for the full report.
Consumer Reports finds iPhone 4S to have worthwhile antennae, says newer iPhone 4 is still problematic originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Nov 2011 09:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink 
Apple Insider | 
Consumer Reports | Email this | Comments
Consumer Reports finds iPhone 4S to have worthwhile antennas, says newer iPhone 4 is still problematic
“Consumer Reports recommends the iPhone 4S.” It’s only half a dozen words, but to the engineers (and marketers) at Apple, it spells “relief.” After being profusely impacted by Consumer Reports’ decision to recommend against buying the iPhone 4 due to those Antennagate issues, the entity has allowed all in Cupertino to breath a sigh of relief by effectively declaring the reception issue dead on the newest edition. To quote:
“Apple’s newest smart phone performed very well in our tests, and while it closely resembles the iPhone 4 in appearance, it doesn’t suffer the reception problem we found in its predecessor in special tests in our labs. In special reception tests of the iPhone 4S that duplicated those we did on the iPhone 4, the newer phone did not display the same reception flaw, which involves a loss of signal strength when you touch a spot on the phone’s lower left side while you’re in an area with a weak signal. (The iPhone 4, which is still available, continues to exhibit that problem, we confirmed in tests of new samples of the phone. Because of the flaw, we continue to omit the iPhone 4 from our list of recommended models, despite its otherwise fine performance.)”
In other words, even the newer samples of the iPhone 4 (perhaps even that one for Sprint?) continue to have antenna quirks, but at least the latest and greatest seems to have addressed ‘em. Hit the source link for the full report.
Consumer Reports finds iPhone 4S to have worthwhile antennas, says newer iPhone 4 is still problematic originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Nov 2011 09:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Apple Insider | Consumer Reports | Email this | Comments
Researchers use inkjet acumen to create wireless explosive sensor from paper
Continue reading Researchers use inkjet acumen to create wireless explosive sensor from paper
Researchers use inkjet acumen to create wireless explosive sensor from paper originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 08:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
LightSquared partners with PCTEL on antenna ‘fix’ for GPS interference issue
It’s the problem that won’t go away for LightSquared, and one that has prompted a number of different “fixes” and “solutions.” The latest, as announced by the LTE wholesaler last month, is an actual hardware fix that overcomes the interference issue affecting high-precision GPS units — the only problem being that all existing and future units will need to be upgraded with said fix. Now the company’s back with yet more details, announcing that it’s partnered with PCTEL to develop an antenna that lets users of high-precision GPS units easily retrofit their devices to make them “LightSquared-compatible.” There’s still no word on the cost for it, but LightSquared has also announced that Partron America has created a filtering component that costs $6. The company’s press release is after the break.
Continue reading LightSquared partners with PCTEL on antenna ‘fix’ for GPS interference issue
LightSquared partners with PCTEL on antenna ‘fix’ for GPS interference issue originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
LightSquared partners with PCTEL on antenna ‘fix’ for GPS interference issue
It’s the problem that won’t go away for LightSquared, and one that has prompted a number of different “fixes” and “solutions.” The latest, as announced by the LTE wholesaler last month, is an actual hardware fix that overcomes the interference issue affecting high-precision GPS units — the only problem being that all existing and future units will need to be upgraded with said fix. Now the company’s back with yet more details, announcing that it’s partnered with PCTEL to develop an antenna that lets users of high-precision GPS units easily retrofit their devices to make them “LightSquared-compatible.” There’s still no word on the cost for it, but LightSquared has also announced that Partron America has created a filtering component that costs $6. The company’s press release is after the break.
Continue reading LightSquared partners with PCTEL on antenna ‘fix’ for GPS interference issue
LightSquared partners with PCTEL on antenna ‘fix’ for GPS interference issue originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Help for the lost: a fabric antenna to keep you from being a castaway
Doesn’t look like much, does it? But the next time you’re lost at sea, you just might be thankful you’ve got it. That little square of fabric is actually a flexible antenna designed for the Cospas-Sarsat distress signal network, a Cold War-era system built to help pinpoint missing ships, planes and people. Designed to be sewn into a life vest, the antenna broadcasts an emergency beacon at a low frequency for greater range; in field tests, that helped rescuers find it within minutes. It’s also tear- and water-resistant, which you’ll be grateful for when you’re being tossed around like a ragdoll in a sea of whitecaps. The technology was developed by the European Space Agency in partnership with a Finnish company. Next on their agenda? A round, floating companion for the marooned, codenamed Wilson.
Help for the lost: a fabric antenna to keep you from being a castaway originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 21:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Gizmag | Popular Science, European Space Agency | Email this | Comments
Sezmi’s cable / satellite alternative TV service to shut down Monday, won’t be missed
It’s been almost two years since Sezmi launched its hybrid antenna and internet TV service, and now it has announced the dream of pay-TV without cable or satellite is dead. An email went out to customers tonight informing them the ability to view or record programming on their Sezmi systems would be shut off Monday, September 26th. The only compensation given for the sudden disconnect? Free access to the VOD catalog before that disappears too, on November 1st. The $20 / month Select Plus package that offered pay-TV channels over antenna never spread beyond Los Angeles, although users happy to settle for basic channels and online VOD had access in other markets. Still, we predict it won’t be missed simply because it doesn’t seem like many people ever signed up. Despite nice features like unique profiles for different household members, the limited sports selection cut off many early adopters from the beginning. The company is apparently trying to pivot into selling its technology to other service providers, we’ll wait and see if a Moxi-like resurgence is in the cards. Check out the letter to subscribers and our original video demo after the break while we plan a month-long memorial service for those soon-to-be-useless 1TB DVRs.
[Thanks, John]
Sezmi’s cable / satellite alternative TV service to shut down Monday, won’t be missed originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Sep 2011 00:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Sezmi | Email this | Comments
Sezmi’s cable / satellite alternative TV service to shut down Monday, won’t be missed
It’s been almost two years since Sezmi launched its hybrid antenna and internet TV service, and now it has announced the dream of pay-TV without cable or satellite is dead. An email went out to customers tonight informing them the ability to view or record programming on their Sezmi systems would be shut off Monday, September 26th. The only compensation given for the sudden disconnect? Free access to the VOD catalog before that disappears too, on November 1st. The $20 / month Select Plus package that offered pay-TV channels over antenna never spread beyond Los Angeles, although users happy to settle for basic channels and online VOD had access in other markets. Still, we predict it won’t be missed simply because it doesn’t seem like many people ever signed up. Despite nice features like unique profiles for different household members, the limited sports selection cut off many early adopters from the beginning. The company is apparently trying to pivot into selling its technology to other service providers, we’ll wait and see if a Moxi-like resurgence is in the cards. Check out the letter to subscribers and our original video demo after the break while we plan a month-long memorial service for those soon-to-be-useless 1TB DVRs.
[Thanks, John]
Sezmi’s cable / satellite alternative TV service to shut down Monday, won’t be missed originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Sep 2011 00:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Sezmi | Email this | Comments
Buckeyes embed antennas in clothes, couture to improve radio reception?
We like what’s in our wardrobe to be multifunctional, and we’ve seen threads do double duty as keyboards, flashlights and even drum kits in our day. Now, researchers at Ohio State have come up with a way to turn the shirt on your back into an omnidirectional antenna to boost radio reception. To do so, they etched brass wires into plastic film to create flexible antennae, and stitched 4 of them into the shoulders, chest and back of a vest. Using a computer controller the size of a deck of cards clipped to the wearers belt, the system senses body movement and activates the appropriate antenna to get the best signal. You see, antennae don’t work so well when touching human skin — as any iPhone 4 owner can attest — and the multiple antenna system alleviates that problem while providing “significantly greater signal strength” than a standard antenna. The researchers see the technology having great appeal for the military, law enforcement, and emergency personnel, but here’s hoping they make a consumer version, too. It’d be nice to eliminate all those cell-service dead spots by simply donning a jacket, right?
Continue reading Buckeyes embed antennas in clothes, couture to improve radio reception?
Buckeyes embed antennas in clothes, couture to improve radio reception? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments