Disruptor

About |

The Disruptor: Thought-provoking commentary on technologies that are changing the way mankind does things.

How wireless networks can battle COVID-19

Wireless network devices maintain a connection by handing off from one cell tower to another. The data created should be used to fight coronavirus, say researchers.

NIST aims to make frequency sharing more efficient for wireless networks

Machine-learning formula will help different radio protocols, such as Wi-Fi and LTE, work together more efficiently in the same wireless spectrum.

Ambient 'T-rays' could help power IoT devices

Terahertz radiation, some of it generated by Wi-Fi, and converted to DC current could charge batteries for cellphones, IoT devices, medical implants, researchers say

A tiny experimental optical chip can support downloads of 1,000 movies in a split second

Researchers have created a device that can greatly expand the raw data rate of existing optical networks while reducing the amount of hardware necessary.

IoT early warning system aimed at curbing future virus outbreaks

IoT blockchain and cryptographic specialist WISeKey says it's making progress on a system that could detect new virus spread and automatically advise regional lockdowns.

How IoT will rescue aviation

European airplane maker Airbus is one company exploring innovative, virus-spotting IoT sensors. Separately, American thermal sensing company FLIR is seeing a significant uptick in sales for its skin-heat-detecting cameras.

New 6 GHz Wi-Fi could add $153 billion to U.S. economy: report

Unlocked Wi-Fi spectrum in the 6 GHz band, just approved by the FCC, will do more than increase capacity. IoT will be a big gainer, according to a study produced by industry group WifiForward.

How underwater Internet of Things will work

Lasers will be used to power underwater devices and transmit data below the ocean's surface.

Harvesting ambient energy will power IoT, scientists say

Magnetic fields found naturally around electrical devices could be diverted and converted into electricity to power the IoT.

How AI will be used to manage 5G networks

Artificial intelligence will play an important role in how future networks become sliced, supporting multiple uses, including IoT and private 5G networks.

Neural computing should be based on insect brains, not human ones

Insect brains are a better model for artificial intelligence in IoT than human brains are because they are simpler and focus on key processes, scientists say.

'AI everywhere' IoT chips coming from Arm

Two new microprocessors from Arm promise to miniaturize artificial intelligence.

Chinese auto giant Geely plans a private satellite network to support autonomous vehicles

Geely is developing a satellite network to provide high-bandwidth wireless needed by on-board applications in self-driving vehicles.

Seawater, humidity inspire new ways to generate power

Researchers around the globe are working on new ways to generate huge amounts of power that will be needed for the shift to a data-driven society.

Getting closer to no-battery devices

Combining wake-up receivers with the parasitic use of ambient radio waves could drastically slash IoT power consumption.

A $399 device that translates brain signals into digital commands

Startup NextMind is readying a $399 development kit for its brain-computer interface technology that enables users to interact, hands-free, with computers and VR/AR headsets.

Future ‘smart walls’ key to IoT

MIT researchers are developing a wallpaper-like material that’s made up of simple RF switch elements and can be applied to building surfaces. Using beamforming, the antenna array could potentially improve wireless signal strength...

How bacteria could run the Internet of Things

The Internet of Bio-Nano Things (IoBNT) would use certain kinds of bacteria, which scientists think has the attributes needed to make effective sensor networks.

How Open-RAN could ‘white-box’ 5G

Open-hardware, software-defined mobile radio infrastructure could kick-start private LTE and 5G and perhaps eventually lead to their supremacy over Wi-Fi for enterprises.