07/27, 11:35am
'Super Wi-Fi' delivers longer range, faster data
The IEEE announced today that it had finalized the 802.22TM white space wireless standards for Wireless Regional Area Networks (WRAN). White space wireless, sometimes called "super Wi-Fi" because of its long range capability and faster throughput, broadcasts data on unused, unlicensed frequencies that were designated for VHF and UHF television broadcast. The new standard will be capable of providing broadband wireless access over a large area, with a range of more than 60 miles from the transmitter. White space wireless can deliver up to 22 Mbps per channel.
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06/14, 10:35pm
IEEE proposes Digital Personal Property standard
The IEEE P1817 working group has come into effect last month and proposes a file protection system that aims to allow users to share their digital files but keep them protected from outright copying at the same time. Known as Digital Personal Property (DPP), it includes two pieces of a digital file and would be a less restrictive alternative to DRM file protection. There would be a title folder and a playkey. The title folder would contain the encrypted file, while a playkey would grant access.
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12/18, 11:50am
IEEE, members to meet on new battery standards
The IEEE standards group will soon begin revising its 1725 standard for rechargeable batteries in cellphones. The undertaking aims to improve the quality and reliability of lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries as buyers demand more power and longer runtimes for their smartphones. The standard revision, called P1725, will set criteria for reliability, quality and the construction, cell level charge and discharge controls, along with overall system integration.
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12/07, 5:45pm
802.11ac process underway
The IEEE has recently begun the first steps of voting on a major improvement to Wi-Fi standards due in two years. The 802.11ac standard should upgrade 802.11a to use 80MHz or even 160MHz channels that provide much more bandwidth than today. Combined with about a 10 percent increase in efficiency for modulating the actual frequencies, the speedup should improve the theoretical transfer speeds to as much as 1Gbps, or more than three times the 300Mbps 802.11n reaches for now.
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09/11, 5:25pm
IEEE approves 802.11n at last
The IEEE standards group today officially ratified 802.11n, the most recent standard for Wi-Fi. The move officially takes the wireless spec out of the draft status it has been in since 2006 and lets companies develop 11n hardware knowing that it will work properly with any device that supports the technology. Officials plan to publish the final standard in mid-October.
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07/23, 11:35am
802 11n WiFi Same in Final
The Wi-Fi Alliance on Thursday said that the final version of the 802.11n Wi-Fi standard should effectively remain the same as it is in the Draft 2.0 spec. The organization says that the test program for the finished version will only have some "optional additions" to support some minor new features. Choosing the conservative approach will result in most Draft 2.0 devices already supporting the final 802.11n format without any changes or even having to change logos.
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07/21, 3:00pm
802 11n WiFi Final by Sept
IEEE chairman Bob Heile late Monday signaled that the 802.11n standard for Wi-Fi was likely to be finalized by September. Heading up the 802.15 group for personal area networks, Helie said through e-mail that the faster wireless standard has been sent on to a review committee for approval, which would likely take place at the committee's next meeting in mid-September. The move comes after a "rocky" point of getting appropriate language into the late draft of the 802.11n format.
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11/25, 2:50pm
IEEE 1667
A recent IEEE standards group format should reach upcoming operating systems soon and eliminate many of the worries over removable drives at work. Known as IEEE 1667, the standard would establish a way for "transient storage devices" such as USB jump drives, external hard drives, and portable media players to authenticate with a host computer and allow them to be used as removable storage.
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09/19, 3:25pm
802 11v Wi-Fi Standard
Details have emerged today from Trapeze Networks of a proposed Wi-Fi standard that should reduce the high power use of wireless networks. Known as 802.11v, the tentative format would more intelligently check for a connection and shut off the radio on either the router or devices themselves earlier when they idle, reducing the wasted energy and drawing out battery life. It would further send traffic maps to prevent end devices from having to send as much information on the network.
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