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A team at Stanford University have built a very small passively powered single chip radio with a 50cm operating range at 24GHz/60GHz and 12Mbps data rate, all in a 3.7mmx1.2mm footprint.
Although the original release is light on detail (and the IEEE paper isn't freely available) there is some additional information from Amin Arbabian, one of the developers of the radio.
Compared to mm-sized passive radio solutions in the same category this system provides an order of magnitude range enhancement while improving input sensitivity.
The authors believe this radio is a fundamental building block in developing a workable internet of things, by providing a ubiquitous short range networking component which does not require an external power supply or other components.
He thinks this technology can provide the web of connectivity and control between the global Internet and smart household devices. "Cheap, tiny, self-powered radio controllers are an essential requirement for the Internet of Things," said Arbabian
(Originally spotted via hackernews)
(Score: 1) by novak on Friday September 12 2014, @04:21AM
I think in general you make some decent points about legitimate uses for this sort of thing. I would be much more interested in remotely controlling devices to reduce power draw than putting RFID tags on my food, but to each his own. However, this:
If you are double-dating, the picture frames could identify the right partner at the house door (her/his smartphone wifi mac address, face recognition or finger-print sensor in doorknob) and update all the picture-frames accordingly.
Is both startlingly accurate and legitimately chilling, especially combined with your earlier comments about how everything will be connected to amazon's (or whoever's) server. Think about how your beautiful mood-set living room would change with a few google ads embedded in it. I hope we can make a better future than that one.
novak
(Score: 2) by q.kontinuum on Friday September 12 2014, @06:05AM
Lets enter The Century of The Geek. Technically less adept consumers will get their Google advertisement, while the geeks learn to control the technique. So the geeks will get the n-dating and automated mating-optimized mood-setting of the environment while others drown in advertisement etc. Maybe Darwinism is not dead after all, intelligence can be a procreational advantage and an idiocracy-like [wikipedia.org] future can be avoided ;-)
Of course, I jest. This kind of tinkering will be prevented by some DCMA-like laws and protection mechanisms in the chips.
Registered IRC nick on chat.soylentnews.org: qkontinuum