Google borrowed flocking patterns from birds for early design of its ambitious Project Loon, rolling out blanket coverage simulations to prove to naysayers that delivering wireless internet access from the stratosphere is practical. While some have questioned how the project expects to be able to consistently provide service when the mesh-networking balloons responsible are moving […]
Getting Arduino-powered devices to talk to each other over long distances is going to get cheaper and easier if this Kickstarter project flies. Flutter is a wireless development platform for Arduino with over half a mile of usage range — making it suitable for outdoor projects covering greater distances than Wi-Fi can comfortably manage.
Possible use-cases could include home automation systems, flying bots like quadcopters, environmental monitoring systems and radio-controlled cars. In short any Arduino-powered project that needs to ferry data from one relatively distant point to another. Flutter’s range will be 1,000m+ (3,200ft) but its creators also intend to include a mesh networking component, so multiple devices can be positioned to cover even greater distances than the standard half mile+ range.
The plan — assuming Flutter hits its crowdfunding target of $80,000 to turn its current Kickstarter prototypes into shipping product — is to offer two main Flutter board options to network up your devices: a basic board costing $20 and a pro board with a built in antenna for $30. The boards will be powered by an Atmel SAM3s ARM CPU.
The Flutter Basic board will have an integrated (rather than external) antenna and is smaller in size thanks to having components on both sides. It also has a micro USB for power and programming, an LED, and a button, plus digital and analog I/O. The Pro board will include battery charging, a professional screw mount antenna, an additional button, and more memory for more code.
Flutter’s makers also plan to offer a few other bits of kit to flesh out their wireless system, including a variety of shields for easier plug and play (and minimal soldering); a home base station which can connect to a router via Ethernet or Wi-Fi; and a Bluetooth shield for talking to a smartphone and interfacing with a planned Flutter mobile app.
The more devices you want to talk to each other, the more boards/bits of kit you’ll obviously need but at $20/$30 a pop for the main boards the cost should scale to support sizeable projects without breaking the bank.
Kickstarter backers are being offered a veritable pick ‘n’ mix of options, starting at $25 for one basic board — rising to $475 for this “autonomous swarm” supporting haul: 5x Flutter Basic, 5x Flutter Pro, 4x RC Shield, 2x Shield shield, 1x Flutter Network Shield, 1x Bluetooth Shield, 1x Starter Kit, 10x USB and 12x (two extra) Breakouts.
Security is an obvious focus for Flutter’s creators — being as you’re transmitting potentially sensitive data over relatively large distances where it could be intercepted. Data transfers will be encrypted and the Flutter devices themselves will include a cryptographic chip to store and protect encryption keys.
The project is also open source. “Every aspect of our system will be made available, from schematics, board designs, the bill of materials, right down to the firmware and mobile app. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to build or improve upon our foundation,” they note. Plus they intend to offer a set of tutorials to open up wireless development to a broader base of makers.
It’s an ambitious project for sure, and still has a fair bit of work to do — including redesigning the prototype, gaining FCC certification for the wireless hardware, developing their supporting software and mobile apps (iOS and Android are planned) — but they are already approaching the half-way mark of their funding target with 27 days left to run on their campaign so have clearly struck a chord with the maker community. With that kind of support this is one Kickstarter project that looks all but certain to take off.
Three UK must hate international roaming charges as much as we do — it just launched a Feel At Home initiative that ditches those fees in seven countries. Subscribers who visit Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy and Sweden can now use data, messaging and voice as if they were back in Britain. The perk doesn’t require a specific plan, and customers can roam on any compatible network in a Free At Home country. There are a few catches, of course: calls to non-UK numbers still incur roaming fees, and tethering is strictly verboten. Still, Brits who just have to post vacation photos on Instagram should be happy.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
Source: Three
Given the apparent backlash over Twitter’s decision to add blue lines to its conversation view, we can’t help but wonder if things could be different had the company implemented an open beta test program before pushing it out to the masses. Whether or not that particular situation was the impetus, it looks like the company is following in the footsteps of Facebook and Snapchat and is launching an official Android beta — known simply as the Twitter for Android Experiment — for any interested souls. After agreeing to sign up for a Google Group, the beta actually replaces your current Twitter app, and you’re alerted each time a new build is available. As any good beta program should, there are plenty of opportunities for you to offer feedback on bugs; we’re not sure if you can report blue lines as a “bug,” but it’s still great to know that our voices can finally be heard before new features roll out to everyone.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Google
Via: AndroidPolice
Remember HTC’s Mini+ companion device that connects to your smartphone and lets you take calls without exposing your treasured handset? We got the chance to spend a few minutes playing with the gear and thought you might like to see how we feel. At the same time, the company whipped out the Fetch (pictured, after the break,) a Bluetooth tether designed to clip onto your key chain and prevent you from losing your most vital things. %Gallery-slideshow76483%
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, HTC
Despite being hit with a recent lawsuit from T-Mobile, AT&T’s subsidiary Aio Wireless has announced that it will roll out its service nationwide in the middle of September. For now, the service remains only available in select markets in Texas, Florida, and the Metro-Atlanta region, with handsets for the service being sold through 200 Aio […]
If you own an Android tablet and have been wondering why in the Hades you haven’t been able to type numbers on your stock keyboard by long-pressing the top row, it’s time to take a quick peek to see if your fortunes have changed. Version 1.1 of the APK is now available on the Play Store, and it lists the numeric enhancement among the standard bug fixes, tuned layouts for some languages and “stability improvements” listed in the changelog. It’s about time, Google, but better late than never.
Filed under: Tablets, Wireless, Mobile, Google
Via: AndroidPolice
Source: Play Store
Gaming peripherals are great because they are built to last long, since gamers aren’t always delicate with their devices. They also pack plenty of features, making them more useful than just plain-Jane peripherals.
The Logitech G602 gaming mouse comes with 11 programmable buttons, which is pretty sweet. The design of the mouse fits the hand neatly, and it has got a 2500 dpi optical sensor, and the ability to change sensitivity on the fly.
Contrary to typical gaming mice, this one is also wireless and it will run for up to 125 hours on a single AA battery. With 2 AA batteries in place, the mouse should run at least 250 hours. Plus, there’s an enduro mode that will make them last for over 1,400 hours!
The Logitech G602 gaming mouse will cost $79.99(USD) and will be available in September on shelves, is available for pre-order now over on Logitech’s website.
Do you have a hankering for an elegant featurephone but disappointed by the lack of attention the market pays to your particular demographic? Nokia’s here to rescue you with the 515, a candybar Series 40 handset which has a chassis crafted with anodized aluminum, a 2.4-inch QVGA LCD panel covered with Gorilla Glass 2 and a keypad that features a new type of polycarbonate resin. The device measures 11mm thick and offers a 5MP rear camera with LED flash, 256MB internal storage, microSD support up to 32GB, Bluetooth 3.0, HD Voice and USB tethering, and will begin its global rollout next month in Russia, Germany, Switzerland and Poland. It has dualband HSDPA (900 / 2100) and quadband GSM / EDGE and will come in both single and dual-SIM flavors. The suggested retail price for such a package? 115 EUR ($150), which makes it more expensive than most Asha phones and featurephones currently on the market. It’s interesting to see Nokia push pricier models with a premium feel, but if there are plenty of places in which this kind of phone is wanted and encouraged, why deprive consumers?
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Nokia
Via: TheNextWeb
Source: Nokia Conversations
Aiming to “dispel wireless gaming myths” with its ability to work with 250 hours of “gaming battery life” as well as a new Delta Zero sensor, the Logitech G602 arrives this week. This device is indeed a wireless gaming mouse, connecting to your computer with its own unique wireless protocol (with a 2.4GHz wireless connection) […]
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