Japanese researchers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology smash the record for wireless data transmission over the "T-ray" band, achieving 3Gbps transfer over a 542GHz wireless connection.

The data rate achieved is double the previous record from chip maker Rohm of 1.5Gbps transfers using a 300GHz connection. Such connections falls into the 300GHz-3THz band, known as the terahertz spectrum or simply "T-rays."

300GHz is 60x higher than the highest current wifi standard.

Tetraherz wifi has range limitations (around 10m) but supports data rates Read more...

IEEE publishes the latest revision of the 802.11 wifi standard, IEEE 802.11-2012-- with revisions promising improved connections, greater security and smoother handoffs between wifi and mobile networks.

The 4th revision since 1997, 802.11-2012 consolidates the 10 amendments to the base standards approved in the 2007 revision. These include 802.11n (defines MAC and PHY modifications to enable throughputs of up to 600MB/s), direct-link setup, "fast roam," radio resource measurement, operation in the 3650-3700MHz band, vehicular environments, mesh networking, security, broadcast/multicast and unicast data delivery, interworking with external networks and network management.

Researchers at Taiwan's National Taipei University of Technology create a Visible Light Communication (VLC) system pushing data faster than wifi-- using regular red and green laser pointers. 

The laser-based system achieves speeds of 500Mbps with a single link and 1Gbps using a multiplexed signal from 2 pointers, with a signal range of 10m.

Lasers have an advantage over VLC systems using LEDs-- very low error rates. With the use of a preamplifier and filter, error rates reach around 1bit in 1 billion. Without pre-amp and filters, error rates reach Read more...

The European Commission (EC) opens a consultation process on regulations regarding wireless connected devices and the internet of things, as part the Digital Agenda for Europe.

Apparently the EC wants to start working on the framework required to "unlock the economic and societal benefits of the internet of things," together with control on the gathering, processing and storage of data by devices.

According the commission the average citizen owns at least 2 internet-connected devices-- a figure to reach 7 by 2015. The commission also says the Read more...