KDDI touts speedy upgrade to IR transfer technology

We're going to hazard a guess that it's been a while since most of you used good 'ol IrDA to transfer any data to your cellphone, but it looks like the folks at KDDI have got themselves on an old school kick, and they're now looking to bring the technology back to some of its former glory. To that end, the company recently revealed its progress on a new form of the technology that upgrades transfer speeds to a full 1Gbps, or about 250 times faster than the previous limit. That's apparently possible by replacing the standard LED with a new speedy new semiconductor laser, which gets paired with some nonvolatile memory to ensure that burst of data doesn't get lost along the way. Of course, all this is still in the early stages, and KDDI doesn't even seem to be offering so much as a hint as to when we might actually see it put to use.

[Via The Boy Genius Report]

[paragraph @ Jan 29th 2008 11:56AM]

I just used IrDA to transfer files from one Treo to another, i didn't have an SD card handy. amd it was quicker than plugging them into a computer and waiting for drivers to load.

I do have to use it from time to time...

Allthough, i doubt most people care, since USB works on most phones these days, if not there is also removable storage...

[Chebwa @ Jan 29th 2008 12:00PM]

I don't see this being very successful/widely adopted...

[cromas @ Jan 29th 2008 1:31PM]

Actually, it's already extremely widely adopted in Japan, KDDI's home turf. Since SMS networks are closed between carriers in Japan, everyone must exchange four pieces of information with new contacts: Name, Phonetic Name Reading (thanks to the ways Chinese characters are used in Japan), Phone Number, and MMS Address. It gets very tedious to type all of that information, so in the past few years, everyone has instead been exchanging their data via VCF over IR.

If only people in America weren't so averse to stuff like this.

[cromas @ Jan 29th 2008 1:33PM]

(And I say America because I'm not sure if people in other western countries are similarly averse =)

[Chebwa @ Jan 29th 2008 1:54PM]

"SMS networks are closed between carriers in Japan..."

WOAH, that is an interesting little fact. I've always thought of Japan as sort of a cell phone mecca. It's strange to hear they're cutting off their customers to something that is just... a given here in the states.

[w00t @ Jan 29th 2008 3:03PM]

I would assume nobody there cares about SMS either.
MMS is more capable and probably works out better for the network too even though it carries more information (due to the way it's handled).

Email is no doubt wildly in use on phones too, since it's so much more universal I can only see that as a good thing.

Since I (and pretty much anyone else with a data plan) can send as many emails as they want far cheaper than SMS or even free, it's really quite confusing that people have not yet moved on. Especially because SMS is so expensive in a lot of places.

[Anthony @ Jan 29th 2008 12:00PM]

I used IRDA from my N95 to my laptop as I didn't like to take a cable & just wanted contacts to flow over from our company's online service, to outlook to my phone.

[ntw1103 @ Jan 29th 2008 12:02PM]

While I don't have a cellphone. I do use IrDA to transfer files to and from my PDA to the computer. I also use it to transfer between multiple PDAs.
The part I don't like about it, is that it is slow.
if only they all supported the faster transfer speeds of the Psion PDAs.
Long live IR.

[mike @ Jan 29th 2008 12:17PM]

Nathan, (haha I know you!)IR is really good for when you break the serial cable to your PDA like I did on my NEC.

[mmh @ Jan 29th 2008 12:35PM]

I actually like the simplicity of IrDA - aim, hit transfer and bang it's done, sans the security hassles of recent technology. What I hated was the speed, or lack thereof.

Personally, I welcome this speed upgrade, it suits me. Hope it doesn't vaporize.

[-skyline- @ Jan 29th 2008 12:44PM]

well with the advent of multi-touch screen which is likely to integrate some form of IR sensor and emitter, and increase significant increase in transfer speed would open the possiblity to transfering data between devices in contact with the screen. At 1Gbps, true minority report style dragging and dropping image/video/data transfer could be done in a matter of seconds or less... screw other forms of wireless transfers such as bluetooth and wifi... only competitor would then be that wireless USB technology.

[Stoic @ Jan 29th 2008 12:57PM]

Excellent should open the door to some interesting ubiquitous scenarios.. and will definitely provide a suitable alternative to RFID. Given that RFID either requires close contact or remote unidirectional access (based on the antenna used) your either have to get up close and personal to the thing you would like to interact with, or have the problem of the radio not knowing what other device you want to connect to from a distance (similar to Bluetooth). The line of sight in IR overcomes both these problems by allowing both targeted remote and close range interactions, hopefully its only 1-2 years away not 10.

[Alexander @ Jan 29th 2008 1:22PM]

Umm... Okay. Apparently these guys haven't heard of Bluetooth 2.0 or anything.

[w00t @ Jan 29th 2008 3:07PM]

I'm sure they have however I think they probably still considered this worthwhile, being about a 1,000 times faster and all :)

[Alexander @ Jan 29th 2008 5:07PM]

Considering that it is going to require a laser, which I am sure would have to have that "Might blind you if you look into it" sticker, I don't predict this technology going anywhere.

Not to mention that you have to keep it in one spot--this pad thing--for it to work. No more syncing with your phone in your pocket. Take it out. Put it on the desk. Yeah but no.

[SteveS @ Jan 29th 2008 1:23PM]

One of the OTHER major drawbacks of IrDA that most of you are forgetting is the line-of-sight requirement. It sucked then for PDAs and even with a major speed boost it will still suck.

IrDA sensors/emitters often get covered up by whatever case/protector you happen to be using making it quite a chore for both parties to transmit any data. Oh and lets not forget the very limited distance. What? You guys don't remember how dorky you looked "beaming" in the hey-day of the Palm PDA?

[paragraph @ Jan 29th 2008 2:08PM]

Well, generally IR is/was used to transfer files from two devices of the same type (before the advent of Cheap removable storage, this was a godsend). Additionally, both devices were in the same room. All you needed to do was put the two devices about three inches apart on a table, or any flat surface, and ta-da, done.

Usually IrDA is faster than moving files to and from an SD (or godforbid, a microSD). The file manager on most mobiles is quirky at best, and not usable at worst. IrDA usually takes less time then moving the files, then the card, then the files again.

What i like about IrDA is that unless one (or both) devices support some sort of host mode, you cannot transfer files between devices via a cable. Card formats often differ, and not all devices support bluetooth. For example, what if (for some reason) i wanted to transfer files from my iPod to my PDA (i don't know why...) i would need to pull them from my iPod, and then put them on my PDA, or i could beam them :-P

Oh, and like it's been said, you can't control your TV with a USB cable, or through bluetooh...

[Carl @ Jan 29th 2008 1:57PM]

The world is missing out on IR, quite simply. I've been living in tokyo for about 6 months now, and you know what the greatest part about my Japanese cell phone is? IR.

Phone sex, as everyone calls it, allows you to trade profiles (phone number, email, ketai mail, pic, then a whole bunch of useless crap like horroscope sign etc... but also has GPS of location...). So out of TV tuners, 5mp cameras, I still say IR is best function missing back in the states.

[ean @ Jan 29th 2008 2:32PM]

Bluetooth 2.0! you can’t point at movie poster and get information using BT, it’s just not designed to know what your pointing at, the solution is never about one technology replacing the other it’s about using them separately or in combination based on the task. IR is great at initiating specific line of site interactions, imagine pointing at your TV and having info/the current tv program streamed to your device, once the initial interaction has taken place via IR, its then just a coin flip to what future version of BT/IR is better at handing the delivery of the content, but an IR (line of sight) technology is always useful for initiating such interactions.

[Jon Shipman @ Jan 29th 2008 4:32PM]

I miss iR, all those sweet universal remote control hacks!

[Nicholas Honko @ Jan 30th 2008 12:16PM]

Actually, I use IrDA all the time here in Japan (amazingly, on a KDDI phone). Here there is a lot more data to store than just a name and number-- you have to store name (in Japanese) the name's phonetic reading, the phone number, and the phone's email (SMS is not popular here), plus sometimes you get someone's birthday, etc. thrown in (basically just sending the VCARD).
Occasionally I send a picture or something, but it takes FOREVER, so this would be quite welcome! Bluetooth is nice, but I don't want the hassle of pairing/unpairing when I just want to quickly send some data to a friend.

[Jason Collin @ Jan 31st 2008 12:19PM]

Us in Japan use our infrared ports to exchange phone numbers and e-mail addresses. Can get all the person's info this way, much better than having them repeat the 10-digit number that is the standard Japanese mobile number. Not to mention personalized e-mail address for your phone.