Hasta La Gadget!

A Cambridge, U.K.-based consulting firm has managed to use the open source Raspberry Pi computer to replicate the functions normally performed by a 30-foot GSM cellular basestation to create a fully functional mobile network. Using two open source software programs, and a bit of off-the-shelf hardware kit DIY enthusiasts can get their hands on fairly easily, PA Consulting rolled their own mobile phone service.

The system works by routing calls similar to the way they’d be handled by Skype, thanks to an open source program called FreeSWITCH, which also enables SMS communication and phones on the network to connect to the Internet. All of it had to be built in a radio sealed room, to avoid stepping on any spectrum toes and thereby breaking laws. The whole point of the project was just to prove that it could be done: a 30-foot, extremely expensive piece of vital mobile network infrastructure could be more or less replaced with a 3-inch Raspberry Pi, at least in terms of providing an actual, functioning mobile phone network. That bodes extremely well for the future of low-cost infrastructure, and is in keeping with the Raspberry Pi foundation’s goals of delivering affordable, accessible solutions to previously expensive problems.

The new, lighter iPhone 5 has a bigger screen, punchier processor, LTE and dual-band WiFi, but if you plan to pick one up for Sprint’s network, you can’t have it all. Carrier spokesperson Michelle Leff Mermelstein told Phone Scoop that its version of HD Voice will not work on Apple’s new wünderphone. While most carriers use WCDMA networks to achieve the greater definition, Sprint uses CDMA 1X Advanced, which unfortunately isn’t compatible with the handset. Knowing the feature will be missing prior to launch isn’t ideal, but when you’re calling your friends to boast about that day-one purchase, a slight drop in clarity isn’t likely to kill your geek buzz.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

Sprint confirms its HD Voice is incompatible with the iPhone 5 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 06:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With an opening ceremony celebrating social media and a guest appearance by the father of the world wide web, you would think the games are pretty Twitter-friendly. Well, not so much, as the hordes of London have been told to keep non-urgent texts and tweets to themselves to avoid disrupting TV coverage for those who weren’t lucky enough to score beach volleyball tickets. The recommendation comes after broadcasters bumbled through the men’s cycling road race due to a lack of available data from the cyclists’ GPS. The information bottleneck appears to be related to one specific network and sharing the data burden has been discussed, although probably not via Twitter. The IOC knows that telling the masses not to log on likely won’t have any impact — so, what’s next for the data haters.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Data-hungry crowds spoil Olympic TV coverage, archers alerted originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 03:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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