Wireless

Implantable device propels itself through bloodstream

As implantable medical devices become smaller and less power hungry, they are taking on a variety of new roles. What began as largely stationary objects, such as pacemakers and cochlear implants, are becoming small enough to actually pass through our bodies (i.e. in the form of pills) to deliver drugs and perform diagnostics.

Now, a new class of medical devices is emerging that adds a twist to the traditional implant: the devices are so small that they can travel through our bloodstream, not to mention are powered wirelessly via electromagnetic radio waves, according to Stanford electrical engineer Ada Poon.

By moving through the bloodstream, these tiny implants will be able to perform minor surgeries such as removing blood clots, Poon told an audience at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference in San Francisco this week.… Read more

LightSquared: Going from bad to worse

Things are not looking good for LightSquared, the wireless startup that had planned to build a nationwide wireless broadband network.

Today, Reuters reported that the company said it plans to cut 45 percent of its workforce to conserve cash.

"This and other cost savings measures will allow LightSquared to continue to navigate the regulatory process as it works with the appropriate government agencies to find solutions to the GPS interference issue and bring its $14 billion privately funded wireless broadband network to more than 260 million Americans," according to the statement.

And yesterday, several news outlets reported that … Read more

Microsoft Office app coming to iPad?

Microsoft's Office suite may soon come to the Apple iPad, according to a report by The Daily.

The blog reported today that its sources say that an Microsoft app that will include Office programs, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint will soon be submitted to the Apple App Store. The blog first noted the existence of an iPad version of the Microsoft Office suite in November.

The Daily said that it's had some hands-on experience with the new app. The user interface is supposedly similar to the current OneNote app. There is also some resemblance to Metro, the new interface … Read more

Help! When's the best time to sell my old iPad?

It's that time of year again when Apple releases a new iPad, so what should you do with your old one? And should you get the Wi-Fi only version or one with 3G/4G access?

In this edition of Ask Maggie, I help a reader who is jonesing for the upcoming iPad 3 figure out what to do with his iPad 2. I get some good advice from the CEO of the gadget trade-in site Gazelle. I also help another reader decide whether he should buy a Wi-Fi-only version of the iPad or if he should splurge on the … Read more

Spectrum auction compromise part of payroll tax cut bill

It looks like Congress will finally authorize incentive spectrum auctions.

Today, Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate agreed on legislation that will authorize the extension of the payroll tax cuts and the unemployment benefits. And they also authorized the Federal Communications Commission to auction off wireless spectrum as part of the package. Revenue from the incentive auctions will be used to help pay for the tax cuts and unemployment benefits.

The spectrum auction was proposed as part of the 2010 National Broadband Plan. It calls for TV broadcasters who have wireless spectrum they aren'… Read more

How politics inflame the 'spectrum crisis'

Two years into a decade-long plan to free up wireless spectrum to handle an explosion in mobile data traffic growth, Washington politics are crippling the Federal Communications Commission's ability to reach any of its goals.

In March 2010, the FCC identified in its National Broadband Plan a dire need for more spectrum in the U.S. It outlined a timeline for getting 300 megahertz of spectrum in the pipeline by 2015 with an additional 200MHz opened up for auction by 2020. In total the plan would create 500MHz of new wireless spectrum that could be auctioned off, or nearly … Read more

Torn between two Motorola Droids: Droid 4 or Droid Razr Maxx

Don't you wish you could have it all? Sadly, sometimes we can't, especially when it comes to smartphones.

In this edition of Ask Maggie, I help a reader decide between two Motorola Droid smartphones. The new Droid 4, which comes with a full-QWERTY keyboard or the Droid Razr Maxx, a flashy new touch-screen device with the longest battery life of any 4G LTE device on the market. I also offer some advice to an Android customer who is patiently waiting for HTC to introduce a new smartphone with Ice Cream Sandwich.

Physical keyboard vs. Long battery life

Dear … Read more

Could Google Wallet be Google's next failure?

Two-thousand and twelve was so supposed to be the year of the digital wallet. And Google was supposed to lead the way. But it looks like the Google Wallet app has gotten off to a bumpy start.

Six months after Google introduced Google Wallet, the app, enabled by near-field communications, or NFC technology, is still struggling to find carrier and device partners, as well as, retailers willing to support the new technology. And last week, the company temporarily took part of the Google Wallet application offline while the company figured out how to fix a security issue.

Could Google Wallet … Read more

Justice Department OKs Google's bid for Motorola

The U.S. Department of Justice has approved Google's $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility.

The news today comes on the same day that the European Union concluded its antitrust investigation into the merger and approved the deal without any conditions.

The Justice Department said in a statement that it had closed the investigations it had open regarding the merger, stating that the acquisition would be "unlikely to substantially lessen competition."

The main reason Google is buying Motorola is to get access to the company's big patent portfolio. And the Justice Department concluded in its … Read more

LightSquared strums up political support

A growing number of Congressional leaders and state officials are urging the Federal Communications Commission to move forward with its review of LightSquared, the controversial startup that plans to build a national wireless broadband network using satellite spectrum.

Last week, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) sent a letter to FCC chairman Julius Genachowski in support of the company and its plans.

"I write to express concern about delays in the approval process involving LightSquared's proposed 4G-LTE wireless broadband network," Conyers wrote in a letter sent last week. "I strongly urge the Commission to move with urgency to … Read more