LoOk hOw Ubiquitous Wi-Fi has become..... A bOOM in Wifi......

WiFi 'Napping' Doubles Phone Battery Life

WiFi is a popular wireless technology that helps users download information from the Internet. Such downloads, including pictures, music and video streaming, can be a major drain of battery.

Wifi's energy drain on devices is especially severe in the presence of others nearby, as each device has to 'stay awake' and wait for its turn to download.

For this reason, downloading a movie in Manhattan drains a battery far more than downloading the same movie in a farmhouse in the Midwest.

But the SleepWell system eliminates this problem by allowing mobile devices to sleep while a neighboring device is downloading information. This not only saves energy for the sleeping device, but for the competing devices as well.

The situation can be compared to the rush hour. If offices staggered their working hours, there would be less of a rush, giving more free time for all, but withour cutting the total number of hours worked.

"The same is true of mobile devices trying to access the Internet at the same time," says Justin Manweiler, a graduate student in computer science.

"SleepWell-enabled Wifi access points can stagger their activity cycles to minimally overlap with others, ultimately resulting in promising energy gains with negligible loss of performance."

With cloud computing on the horizon, he says, mobile devices will need to access the internet more frequently.

"Energy is certainly a key problem for the future of mobile devices, such as iPhones, iPads and Android smartphones."

"The SleepWell system can certainly be an important upgrade to Wifi technology, especially in the light of increasing Wifi density."

WiFi, Implanted Sensor Broadens Range of Brain Research....

A compact, self-contained sensor recorded and transmitted brain activity data wirelessly for more than a year in early stage animal tests, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. In addition to allowing for more natural studies of brain activity in moving subjects, this implantable device represents a potential major step toward cord-free control of advanced prosthetics that move with the power of thought.

The ability to remotely record brain activity data as an animal interacts naturally with its environment may help inform studies on muscle control and the movement-related brain circuits, the researchers say. While testing of the current devices continues, the researchers plan to refine the sensor for better heat management and data transmission, with use in human medical care as the goal

Recent advances in brain-computer interfaces (BCI) have shown that it is possible for a person to control a robotic arm through implanted brain sensors linked to powerful external computers. However, such devices have relied on wired connections, which pose infection risks and restrict movement, or were wireless but had very limited computing power.

"Clinical applications may include thought-controlled prostheses for severely neurologically impaired patients, wireless access to motorized wheelchairs or other assistive technologies, and diagnostic monitoring such as in epilepsy, where patients currently are tethered to the bedside during assessment"

WiFi Smart Lighting for Your Home Could Also Save Power

If the 21st Century is the Information Age, then increasing connectivity is making information all that more accessible. There are numerous ways that we’re getting more connected every day. Smart phone technology lets us keep track of our Facebook friends and Twitter feeds.

Get into some new vehicles today and you can keep up with weather and stock reports on your dash. You can check your home security cameras from your laptop at work to make sure it was the dog that knocked over the lamp.

Everyone knows that a programmable thermostats, such as the new Nest Learning Thermostat, can save your money on heating and cooling costs in your home. What about your lighting?

GreenWave Reality recently released an efficient and compact system of WiFi Smart LED lighting, a two part system. The first part of the system, the LED bulb, color temperature 2700°K, with a warm, pleasing light similar to incandescent bulbs. It is about 80% more efficient than regular incandescent bulbs, which means that you’ll save money on your utility bill.

Second, each LED bulb is wifi-embedded, so they network to a lighting hub, which, in turn, connects to your home network. The bulbs are then controlled by a smart phone app or remote control. The apps can control lights manually, on a schedule, or even based on room occupant or ambient light sensors.

Up to 500 bulbs can be controlled on a single WiFi Smart LED lighting network, which could make the system useful in an office environment, as well. The smart lighting system, while using bulbs that are themselves much more efficient, can save on utility costs by eliminating wasted light usage, and excess greenhouse gas emissions for that matter.