antennas
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Seed-sized A*STAR antenna could open the door to 20Gbps wireless
Antennas have often capped the potential speed of a wireless link -- the 450Mbps in modern 802.11n WiFi routers is directly linked to the use of a MIMO antenna array to catch signals more effectively, for example. That ceiling is about to get much higher, if A*STAR has anything to say about it. The use of a polymer filling for the gaps instead of air lets the Singapore agency create a 3D, cavity-backed silicon antenna that measures just 0.06 by 0.04 inches, roughly the size of a seed on your hamburger bun, even as it increases the breakneck pace. The new antenna generates a signal 30 times stronger than on-chip rivals at an ultrawideband-grade 135GHz, and musters a theoretical peak speed of 20Gbps -- enough that 802.11ac WiFi's 1.3Gbps drags its heels by comparison. Before we get ahead of ourselves on expecting instant file transfers at short distances, there's the small matter of getting a chip that can use all that bandwidth. Even the 7Gbps of WiGig wouldn't saturate the antenna, after all. Still, knowing that A*STAR sees "immense commercial potential" in its tiny device hints that wireless data might eventually blow past faster wired standards like Thunderbolt.
Apple granted patent on improved antenna design
If the news of Apple's newly-granted patent on a SIM tray wasn't enough to get you all excited this morning, here's some additional patent news that should have bouncing up and down with delight. OK, maybe not, but Apple did secure a second patent today -- Number 8,144,063, which was applied for on March 28, 2011. It's all about "Antenna isolation for portable electronic devices." The abstract of the patent begins with "Portable electronic devices are provided with wireless circuitry that includes antennas and antenna isolation elements. The antennas may include antennas that have multiple arms and that are configured to handle communications in multiple frequency bands." In other words, this patent covers those antennae that are used on iPads and iPhones to handle Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a variety of cellular frequencies. That diagram at the top of this post is representative of the type of things discussed in the patent. In case you're wondering what that is, it's a "perspective view of a portable electronic device antenna structure with antennas and antenna isolation elements in which the antenna isolation elements each have a bent portion that runs perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the antennas in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention." So there. [via Engadget]
Apple posts iPhone 4 press conference video, 'smartphone antenna performance' page
Well, that was quick. Not only has Apple already posted the complete video of today's iPhone 4 presser (minus the Q&A), but it's also put up a special "smartphone antenna performance" page that offers pictures and videos aplenty of the antenna comparisons shown during the press conference. And you didn't think today could get any weirder. Hit up the links below to see for yourself. Update: We've embedded videos just after the jump of Apple's gamut of antenna tests. The iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, Samsung Omnia II, BlackBerry Bold 9700 and HTC Droid Eris are represented.
iPhone 4's seams explained, ready to solve AT&T call issues? (video)
When we first exposed the iPhone 4 to the world, many of you were skeptical about its authenticity. Frankly, so were we, initially anyway. A device with black seams disrupting its otherwise clean lines just couldn't be from Apple, a company notorious for its obsessive design aesthetic. Well, now that the iPhone 4 is official, Steve took a moment to explain that the stainless steel band is actually an integral part of the iPhone's antenna system -- one part dedicated to Bluetooth, WiFi, and GPS; the other larger half to UMTS and GSM. Something that, according to Steve, has never been done before in a phone. We'll have to wait a bit before we know whether this "brilliant engineering" translates into fewer dropped calls for frustrated AT&T customers. But it's hard to imagine that Apple would take the time to show its antennas to developers if there wasn't a downstream reward for consumers. Remember, Steve did say last week that things "should be getting a lot better soon" on AT&T. Click through to hear Apple's loyal software developers ooh and aah over the iPhone's really cool ability to convert electromagnetic radiation into electrical current, and back. Amazing.
NC State intellects design twistable, shape-shifting antennas
NC State may be well on its way to yet another underwhelming season on the hardwood, but it seems as if a few of its most spirited boffins aren't even taking any time off to celebrate the season-ending victory over the hated Heels on the team's final football game. Dr. Michael Dickey and team have just published their latest invention, and if this thing ever reaches commercial status, you can expect ordinary objects to become a lot more intelligent. The crew's shape-shifting, twistable antenna overcomes the common limitation of copper-based alternatives by relying on an alloy that can be "bent, stretched, cut and twisted" while still transmitting or receiving a signal. Aside from enabling concept phones like the Ondo to become real, the development could also allow for stretchable antennas to be integrated into actual structures, giving buildings and bridges a way to communicate stresses to architects. Too bad it can't communicate the crumbling of an athletics program to an oblivious AD, but hey, there's always room for improvement in version 2.0.
Spectrum's HD-mini indoor HDTV antenna
A Korean company called Spectrum has announced the impeding global launch of its small HD-mini indoor HDTV antenna that can be used with built-in, standalone, or PC-based digital tuners. The company, which won an award from the country's busy Ministry of Information and Communication for another innovative antenna design, employs so-called Planar Inverted F Antenna (PIFA) and broadband reception technologies to supposedly give it decent performance despite its size and location. Unfortunately, there's no word yet on when we'll see this model Stateside, nor how much it'll go for.
