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posted by n1 on Thursday August 28 2014, @09:21AM   Printer-friendly
from the billions-of-smart-devices-sounds-ominous dept.

Intel is going after its own comfortable stake in the mobile market, where connectivity for wearables and "Internet of Things" household items will be in high demand. Intel on Tuesday announced "the world's smallest standalone 3G modem" which, noted the BBC, is not much bigger than a UK or US penny. The BBC said it has an area of about 300 sq mm.

"Today, we commercially launched the XMM 6255 modem to provide a wireless solution for the billions of 'smart' and connected devices that are expected in the coming years," said Intel's Stefan Wolff, vice president of the mobile and communications group. Wolff said it was "perfect for networked sensors and other IoT applications such as wearables, security devices and industrial equipment." The modem is designed to protect against overheating and perform under tough conditions. Intel said the technology at play protects the radio from overheating, voltage peaks and damage under tough usage conditions, which is important for the functioning of safety monitors. Wolff also noted the XMM 6255 modem performs well in transmitting information in low signal zones such as a parking garage or a home basement.

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  • (Score: 2) by cafebabe on Thursday August 28 2014, @09:50AM

    by cafebabe (894) on Thursday August 28 2014, @09:50AM (#86670) Journal

    Am I the only one who noticed that Stefan Wolff sounds incredibly similar to Steppenwolf [youtube.com]?

    --
    1702845791×2
    • (Score: 3, Funny) by present_arms on Thursday August 28 2014, @10:24AM

      by present_arms (4392) on Thursday August 28 2014, @10:24AM (#86678) Homepage Journal

      Am I the only one who noticed that Stefan Wolff sounds incredibly similar to Steppenwolf [youtube.com]?

      he was born to be wild.

      --
      http://trinity.mypclinuxos.com/
  • (Score: 5, Funny) by redneckmother on Thursday August 28 2014, @09:52AM

    by redneckmother (3597) on Thursday August 28 2014, @09:52AM (#86671)

    Wolff also noted the XMM 6255 modem performs well in transmitting information in low signal zones such as [...] a home basement.

    Really good news, I suppose...

    --
    Mas cerveza por favor.
  • (Score: 2) by mtrycz on Thursday August 28 2014, @12:46PM

    by mtrycz (60) on Thursday August 28 2014, @12:46PM (#86704)

    I'm not into the mobile world, really. Doesn't a 3G modem need a SIM card to operate?

    --
    In capitalist America, ads view YOU!
    • (Score: 3, Informative) by stormwyrm on Thursday August 28 2014, @01:32PM

      by stormwyrm (717) on Thursday August 28 2014, @01:32PM (#86717) Journal

      A regular SIM card is already smaller than a US penny. Micro and nano SIMs are even smaller. There should be space enough to accommodate one in that package.

      --
      Numquam ponenda est pluralitas sine necessitate.
    • (Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 28 2014, @01:39PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 28 2014, @01:39PM (#86721)

      Depends if it is CDMA or GSM. CDMA they control it thru the back end. GSM its a combination of both backend and front end.

      Think of it as one way you get a number and they put it on a card. That card can move around and some hold other information such as frequencies, roaming lists, contact list (that is GSM). CDMA every device has a unique number anyway and they associate the phone to your account in the back end. So you need to 'activate' the phone. GSM you can pop the card in and the phone will just 'work'.

      This second thing is why 'kill switch' has become a hot deal. In the CDMA world the kill switch is easy, disassociate the phone from the system and it will not work as it will not get past the RADIUS servers. In GSM though the phone has no 'entry' in their system so you can take a stolen phone swap the card and it will continue to work even on another network.

      Now some CDMA installations do have a SIM card and they work the same as GSM. In the US it is not typically done that way.

      With LTE they are going to the SIM card way.

      Also there are several size variants of the SIM card. They need about 8 pins to operate. You typically want the SIM card to be somewhere easy for the consumer to get at. Under the battery cover seems to be where most of them put it these days. So that may or may not be near the modem at all.

    • (Score: 1) by cliffjumper222 on Thursday August 28 2014, @08:45PM

      by cliffjumper222 (2628) on Thursday August 28 2014, @08:45PM (#86911)

      Yes. Embedded SIM. Soldered in. Tiny. http://www.gsma.com/connectedliving/embedded-sim/ [gsma.com]

      --
      He who dares wins, Rodney
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 28 2014, @04:00PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 28 2014, @04:00PM (#86771)

    Add that tiny modem to a PC chipset and you get a way for someone else to access your system even if it is powered down or the OS is wiped. [wikipedia.org]

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 28 2014, @04:16PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 28 2014, @04:16PM (#86784)

      I don't see how your conclusion follows from the description on Wikipedia. Care to explain a bit more?

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 28 2014, @06:31PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 28 2014, @06:31PM (#86854)

        "...vPro PCs version 4.0 or higher support security for mobile communications by establishing a secure tunnel for encrypted AMT communication with the managed service provider when roaming (operating on an open, wired LAN outside the corporate firewall).[10] Secure communication with AMT can be established if the laptop is powered down or the OS is disabled.[10] The AMT encrypted communication tunnel is designed to allow sys-admins to access a laptop or desktop PC at satellite offices where there is no on-site proxy server or management server appliance...."

  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Silentknyght on Thursday August 28 2014, @05:07PM

    by Silentknyght (1905) on Thursday August 28 2014, @05:07PM (#86817)

    The article looked like a press-release. I was already under the impression that these things were pretty small, seeing as how I have one in my smartphone. So, who's in "second place", now, and how much of an improvement (in size, and other metrics) is this new device over its predecessor(s)? I didn't see any of that in TFA...

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 29 2014, @07:04AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 29 2014, @07:04AM (#87076)

    "Secret" 3G Intel Chip Gives Snoops Backdoor PC Access

    vPro processors allow remote access even when computer is turned off

    http://www.infowars.com/91497/ [infowars.com]

    ###

    NSA reportedly using radio waves to snoop on offline computers worldwide

    "The Times reported that the technology, used by the agency for several years, relies on radio waves that can be transmitted from tiny circuit boards and USB cards inserted covertly into the computers."

    "A senior U.S. official, who compared the effort to submarine warfare, told the Times most of the implants are intended only for surveillance and can warn the U.S. about incoming cyberattacks.

    "That is what the submarines do all the time," the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the newspaper. "They track the adversary submarines." In cyberspace, he said, the U.S. tries "to silently track the adversaries while they’re trying to silently track you.""

    http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/01/15/nsa-maps-pathway-into-computers-report-says/ [foxnews.com]

    ###

    • (Score: 2) by meisterister on Saturday August 30 2014, @12:36AM

      by meisterister (949) on Saturday August 30 2014, @12:36AM (#87401) Journal

      Ha! And people think I'm crazy for avoiding Intel at all costs.

      --
      (May or may not have been) Posted from my K6-2, Athlon XP, or Pentium I/II/III.