U.S. Airline Wi-Fi Revolution?

Thales, a latecomer to the US Airlines Wi-Fi party, plans to revolutionize the industry using its innovative technology.

The French company is working with SES, a satellite operator from Luxembourg, with the goal of launching SES-17, which, unlike the currently used satellites, will be optimized for the aviation industry.

As a result, Thales and SES will be able to offer high bandwidth Internet access even on the most trafficked routes. Both companies have mentioned that the speed will be big enough for high quality video streaming, online gaming and even live television.

The plan is to provide an experience which is similar with the one that the passengers experience in their homes, according to Thales’ CEO, Patrice Caine.

According to Data Alliance, the most important players on the US Airline Wi-Fi market are Gogo, Viasat and Inmarsat. Still, these companies use their satellites for home broadband Internet services as well, so Thales and SES may have a competitive advantage when they launch their dedicated satellite.

MegaMimo Promises to Triple Wi-Fi speeds

A new Wi-Fi technology named MegaMimo 2.0 promises to coordinate several access points at the same time, without generating any interference. According to its inventors, MegaMimo will double the range and will triple network speed in comparison with the fastest standard today – 802.11ac.

The name gives it away: MegaMimo is an improved version of MIMO, the acronym for multiple-input, multiple-output, a technology that uses several radios and antennas, and thus causes quite a bit of interference. With MegaMimo, the frequencies are processed, synchronizing their phases, and thus significantly reducing the interference.

Wi-Fi Assistant Saves Nexus Owners Data

Google has recently added a new feature to its Nexus devices in the US, which are running Android 5.1 or a newer version of the operating system.

Called Wi-Fi Assistant, the new option will automatically connect to the free Wi-Fi hotspots in the area, with the goal of cutting down data usage, and thus your cell phone bill.

The feature has been launched in the US for now, but it will be made available to all the Nexus users in Canada, Mexico, UK and all the Nordic countries.

If you are the happy owner of a Google Nexus, you can easily discover Wi-Fi Assistant in the phone’s Settings -> Networking menu. Whenever Wi-Fi Assistant is being used, you will see a small icon in the upper corner of the screen – a key icon.

I don’t know about you, but I am a sucker for gadgets. I can’t wait to see what people invent, I stare at those high-tech devices, and then either have a good laugh or look forward to owning them. Here are some of the most exciting gadgets that will hit the market this year.

1. Welt

Welt is an intelligent belt. First of all, it helps hold your trousers up. What’s so intelligent about this, you may be asking? Nothing at all, but Welt has several intelligent functions built right into it.

First of all, it makes your pedometer useless, because it can count your steps. Then, it can measure your waist size, helping you track your weight loss efforts. It also counts the amount of time you’ve spent sitting, a very useful feature for people who spend their days in front of their computers.

Finally, Welt is able to detect and report when you’ve been eating. If you still think that you’re only eating three times per day, Welt will highlight all the moments when you’ve been indulging yourself with a treat.

The belt comes with a companion application that will run on any modern smartphone, allowing you to take notice of your habits, and thus helping you stay in good shape. The app also includes a series of exercises which will help you lose weight.

2. SGNL

SGNL is a SCI-FI gadget that turns your finger into a headphone. The device uses a wristband that works with pretty much any watch and is attached to your hand, producing vibrations that are transferred through your bones, a process called osteophony.

To use the device, you will need to connect the wristband to your phone using a Bluetooth connection. Then, you will have to install a companion application. And then, simply press a finger – any finger! – To hear the conversation. The bracelet also includes a microphone, allowing you to speak the way you would while using a standard phone.

What’s the purpose of SGNL? First of all, to increase privacy, because nobody else can hear anything. This is a device that may be a success, especially if MI6 decides to pick up a set for each one of their agents 😉

3. Samsung Galaxy Tab A

Samsung is riding on the wave of success lately. Sure, just like any other big company, it has it flops, with the latest one – The Galaxy Note 7 and its battery problem – costing the company about $5 million and diminishing the value of its stocks by 7% in a single day.

Still, most of its products become better with each version that’s being released, and Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2016 hits all the right notes.

First of all, the tablet comes with an S pen, which should make lots of artists, graphic designers, architects (and anyone who likes to scribble) fall in love with this gadget. The memory has been upgraded as well, being boosted from 2 GB of RAM to 3 GB.

Galaxy Tab A comes with 32 GB of internal memory, which can be upgraded using an SD card to up to 256 GB. The rear camera can record full HD videos at 30 frames per second, which is more than enough for most people’s needs.

The battery capacity has been increased as well. The tablet sports a 7300mAh battery now, which, according to the manufacturer, is good enough for… 50 hours of talk over a 4G network! I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to get my hands on this tablet!