Tech talks – Emails from Europe

Nokia research scientists are working on a mobile handset capable of recharging itself using ambient electromagnetic waves. Initially, the company hopes to harness signals such as those emitted by Wi-Fi routers, radio broadcasting or even mobile phone transmitters to keep handsets powered in standby mode. Nokia hopes that it will ultimately develop the technology to the point where enough energy is captured to provide an excess for re-charging a phone's batteries, too.
Whilst Nokia's ambitions might seem almost too good to be true, real-world examples of technology powered by the same principle do exist; microchips in increasingly common RFID (radio frequency identity) tagging systems and London's contactless Oyster payment card system for tube and bus commuters already derive power from over-the air sources, albeit from specific frequencies. However, whilst both of these rely on narrow spectrum transmitter sources to achieve their ends, Nokia's scientists - based at its research facility in Cambridge, UK - are determined to harness electromagnetic energy from a broad spectrum of background frequencies.
Markku Rouvala, part of the team working on the project, has reportedly said that test units currently comprise a wide-band antenna and two circuits and operate between 500MHz and 10GHz. The first circuit handles conversion of waves into electricity whilst the second channels current into a battery to recharge it.
Up to now, 5mW have been successfully gathered by the system. But a figure of 20mW will be needed to run a mobile handset. And 50mW - said by some experts to be exceptionally ambitious by today's standards - will be needed if the technology is to be used to recharge a battery between calls.
Rouvala admits that the technology will probably form part of a hybrid solution in conjunction with other off-grid power sources, such as solar. But he adds that a product featuring the idea could be possible within the next four years. http://research.nokia.com

WI-FI PODS HIT THE RIGHT NOTE AT OUTDOOR MUSIC FESTIVAL
The World of Music and Dance (WOMAD) festival held in the UK in July has showcased an outdoor Wi-Fi solution from event specialist Etherlive. The temporary wireless network used the 802.11n Wi-Fi standard and covered around 250 acres, chiefly concentrating on the main arena, the traders, and the areas used by the organisers. Etherlive deployed its custom Pods which each house Ruckus Wireless' ZoneFlex 7962 Wi-Fi access points in a weather-proof casing.
Each Pod features an internal battery pack that can provide power for up to 48 hours. They can also be attached to an external power supply, including solar panels, and only use the battery when that power is interrupted. Initially, 19 units were deployed across the site at Charlton Park, Wiltshire, but 11 extra units were available in case increased bandwidth or coverage was needed. Creating the network was as simple as dropping-off a unit at each location point whereupon the Pods would self-organise into a mesh. Once the wireless network was checked and tested using Ruckus' ZoneDirector software it was ready for use.
The types of devices that were able to use the network included VoIP handsets, CCTV, and sound monitoring units used by the festival organisers, plus point of sale terminals used by traders. The network handled over 2,800 VoIP calls and 157Gb of downloads during the festival. Spectators were also given wireless access to an online portal developed for the event and it's claimed that this received a total of 2,243,819 hits over the course of the three-day event. www.ruckuswireless.com
3G WATCHPHONE AVAILABLE IN FRANCE
French mobile phone company, Orange, is offering its subscribers the world's first 3G touch watchphone.Made by LG Electronics, the splashproof GD910 has a 1.43-inch tempered glass touchscreen and is less than 14mm thick. It is 3G/3G+ compatible and also includes 'typical' features such as a VGA camera, MP3 player, diary, voice recorder, etc. As a watch, the GD910 offers world clock and stopwatch functions.
This device is worn as a watch and allows the user to call, send and receive SMS and make video calls. It uses Bluetooth which works with either the keypad, loudspeaker or earpiece. Orange says that the watchphone also features LG's most advanced voice recognition and synthesis technologies. The LG GD910 is available in France exclusively from Orange and prices start from €899 depending on contract. www.orange.fr

QUAYSIDE WLAN INSTALLED FOR OCEAN RACE STOPOVER
A WLAN (wireless local area network) was installed during a stopover in Sweden for the Volvo Ocean Race. The network provided connectivity for broadcasters, spectators, and the eight race yachts which were moored in Skeppsbron quay, Stockholm.
The WLAN was operational for the entire stopover, running from 14-25 June, and it's claimed that internal performance for the WLAN was 1Gbps with 200Mbps connections to the internet.
The network comprised 22 AP200 access points plus a MC3025 controller from Meru Networks, 1km of fibre, and 1.5km of copper cable. Installation took 600 man-hours and was carried out by DataCom, a Meru distributor in Stockholm. During deployment, it faced issues such as wind and rain, and also found more than 100 other wireless networks already running in the area. Many of the sponsors had also built their own networks in the area for the event.
Intrusion protection was provided by Swedish network security company Clavister via its Security Gateway range which monitored the traffic flow and blocked unauthorised activity. "Safety is of course incredibly important," says Ralf Aspholm, CEO of DataCom. He goes on to explain how the deployment was designed to be as secure against intrusion as possible. The network was a resounding success says Aspholm. "We didn't have to make any changes at all. Everybody was really satisfied and no one managed to break in." www.merunetworks.com