Boffins working on super wi-fi chip

BOFFINS AT Lucent's Bell Laboratories are working on software that can modify a wi-fi chip so that it can handle all sorts of radio appliances.

According to Technology Review, the researchers think that the radio chips in most appliances are out-of-date because they are only wired to a single frequency.

Their big idea is to develop software that enables the chip to jump across all frequencies so that they can tune into television and radio, GPS, cellular signals, WiFi, and WiMax, or unlock your car door.

Although the technology appears to be there, it is too expensive to deploy and install the base stations that route wireless signals.

The article quotes Tod Sizer, director of broadband wireless research at Bell Labs as saying that it will be the military and the emergency services which will probably push such gear forward.

More here. µ