Engadget

Forthcoming 4G networks could interfere with TV in 10 percent of UK homes

Anthony Verrecchio — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:01:00 EST

If you live in the UK and a 4G wireless tower is going up right next to your house, you might want to hold off on the excitement. LTE networks occupying the 800MHz spectrum could cause some serious interference (sound familiar?), capable of knocking out around two million households' free terrestrial TV channels. An independent company has been set up to lessen the effects of the wayward waves and is installing government-subsidized filters in residences across the country. But even its valiant efforts could leave up to 8,500 homes without Freeview, as non-traditional antenna setups aren't covered by the public fund. Meanwhile, eager Brits continue to patiently line up for some kind of semblance of a 4G network.

Forthcoming 4G networks could interfere with TV in 10 percent of UK homes originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sprint to LightSquared: it's over

Daniel Cooper — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:56:00 EST

The writing's been on the wall for a few weeks and now Sprint's officially severing its partnership with LightSquared. Philip Falcone's project had a contractual deadline of March 15th to gain regulatory approval for its LTE service on the 1.6GHz spectrum, which was shot down by the FCC in February. A day later, Big Yellow exercised its right to pull the plug, paying back $65 million in prepayments and continuing to build out a LTE network on its own. Nextel's better half didn't slam the door shut entirely, however. If, by some miracle (and it would be a big one), the company can change Julius Genachowski's mind, it'd certainly consider teaming up again, so no hard feelings, eh?

For its part, LightSquared has issued a formal response, saying that the contract termination is in "the best interests of both parties" and "not unexpected given the regulatory delays." On the upside, the company has had its coffers swelled by a not inconsiderable $65 million, which is the first good news it's had for a while.

Continue reading Sprint to LightSquared: it's over

Sprint to LightSquared: it's over originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sprint kicks LightSquared to the curb as it contests FCC ruling

Sean Buckley — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 20:02:00 EST

Sometimes when you start heading downhill, it can be hard to stop. Take LightSquared for instance -- not only were its LTE plans repeatedly contested and eventually shot down, but now Sprint, its long time partner, will indeed be cutting ties with the wireless start-up. According to the Wall Street Journal, the move will officially be announced on Friday, leaving LightSquared alone with its dreams. A representative from the start-up says its filing a 150-page defense of its network on the same day, hoping to refute the Feds' claims that its network interferes with GPS signals. The outfit made no comment on Sprint's plans, but mentioned that it has enough funds to operate on its own for several quarters. We'll let you know when Sprint officially drops the ball.

Sprint kicks LightSquared to the curb as it contests FCC ruling originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Intel puts CPU and WiFi radio together on same chip, with proper shielding of course

Sharif Sakr — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:02:00 EST

It's little notches like these that could eventually carve out a big Intel-shaped niche in the mobile universe. What you're looking at is a prototype chip codenamed 'Rosepoint' that somehow crams a digital WiFi radio and a dual-core Atom CPU onto the same piece of silicon. Interference would normally make such proximity impossible, but Rosepoint incorporates new anti-radiation and noise-cancelling shielding to prevent the components from corrupting each other. The aim isn't just to shrink everything, but also to deliver "state of the art power efficiency" by removing unnecessary circuitry. Intel even claims it can fit the RF antenna onto a chip too, but it doesn't want to show that off just yet. Too many prying eyes.

Intel puts CPU and WiFi radio together on same chip, with proper shielding of course originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

LightSquared grasps at straws, slams FCC in a statement

James Trew — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:39:00 EST

To say it's been a bumpy road for LightSquared over recent months would be an understatement. However, developments this week could see the beleaguered company reach a critical fork in the road. On Tuesday, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration confirmed that LightSquared's planned network would indeed interfere with global positioning systems, and that there was no "practical way" to work around this. The FCC subsequently proposed to indefinitely suspend LightSquared's authority to migrate its satellite spectrum to land-based use. Unsurprisingly, this evoked a less than cheerful response from the troubled startup, which slammed the FCC in a statement, claiming it's "harmed not only LightSquared, but also the American public" and accusing the committee of "the height of bureaucratic irresponsibility." The following day, the Wall Street Journal reported that firm was now making a last-ditch effort to revive hope, by attempting to exchange its wireless licenses for ones similar to those operated by the Department of Defense. Reuters has since reported that contrary to rumors that the company was seeking restructuring advice, hedge fund manager Philip Falcone claims that filing for bankruptcy would be off the cards, defiantly stating "there are other ways around this." As to what these other ways include we're as yet to see, but we admire the optimism.

LightSquared grasps at straws, slams FCC in a statement originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sprint may have dug itself a $65 million hole with LightSquared partnership

Terrence O'Brien — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:32:00 EST

Well, if there's a silver lining for LightSquared in the debacle that has been its attempt to launch a nationwide LTE network, it's that it should be getting a $65 million check from Sprint if everything collapses. The former WiMAX champion and LTE convert may have to return the cash it received as part of a 15 year agreement if the FCC doesn't approve the 4G venture by a March deadline. There is still a chance for an appeal of the commission's decision to reject LightSquared's bid to build an LTE network. But, with the company's inability to solve its vexing GPS issues and increasingly desperate looking maneuvers, we wouldn't be surprised if the check was already in the mail.

Sprint may have dug itself a $65 million hole with LightSquared partnership originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

FCC to dash LightSquared's bid for LTE glory

Zachary Lutz — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:37:00 EST

Many of us have seen this coming for some time now, but the FCC issued a statement late today that it intends to reject LightSquared's bid to create a wholesale LTE network on the basis that interference with existing GPS devices is unavoidable. The news follows a similar recommendation from the NTIA that was delivered to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski today, which concluded "there are no mitigation strategies that both solve the interference issues and provide LightSquared with an adequate commercial network deployment." For its part, the upstart wireless provider responded that it "profoundly disagrees" with the NTIA's conclusions and remains committed to finding a solution -- easier said than done. You'll find that statement in its entirety after the break.

Continue reading FCC to dash LightSquared's bid for LTE glory

FCC to dash LightSquared's bid for LTE glory originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

LightSquared gets desperate, seeks regulatory changes to satisfy GPS debacle

Zachary Lutz — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:46:00 EST

If we were the betting type -- and hell, some of us really are -- we'd wager a crisp ten spot that LightSquared isn't going to assuage the FCC's concerns over those pesky GPS interference issues in the next few weeks. After previously stating that the interference test reports were rigged by GPS insiders, the upstart LTE network is now getting political with its argument and is calling on the FCC to institute new standards for GPS equipment. LightSquared contends that current GPS devices on the market are poorly designed and purposefully encroach on the company's licensed spectrum. Of course, this change would do little to remedy the millions of interference prone / (causing?) devices on the market, but LightSquared notes that, by the FCC's own admission, GPS receivers must "reasonably discriminate against the reception of signals outside their allocated spectrum." With the company's latest argument flying high atop the flagpole, it begs the question, will anybody salute? You'll find LightSquared's statement in its entirety after the break.

Continue reading LightSquared gets desperate, seeks regulatory changes to satisfy GPS debacle

LightSquared gets desperate, seeks regulatory changes to satisfy GPS debacle originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

LightSquared says obsolete devices used in 'rigged' testing of its LTE network

Edgar Alvarez — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:46:00 EST

LightSquared's encountered many bumps on the road to winning clearance for its LTE network, but it's not ready to throw in the towel just yet. During a conference call today, Jeff Carlisle (Executive Vice President for Regulatory Affairs), Geoff Stearn (Vice President of Spectrum Development) and Ed Thomas (Former FCC Chief Engineer, now a LightSquared consultant) refuted the government's claims that the network interferes with GPS receivers, lambasting the use of "obsolete" devices and other tests that don't "reflect reality." The LightSquared executives went as far as calling the entire process "rigged" and "shrouded in secrecy." In their opinion, the testing was "set up to be a failure," thanks in part to the involvement of GPS manufacturers. Moreover, when questioned about what the next step would be, the company stated that all it'd like are "valid scientific results," the use of non-obsolote devices and a "fair process with proper testing." Needless to say, we can expect the drama to continue over the coming months -- after all, LightSquared is claiming it's got enough money to keep the battle going for at least a few quarters yet.

Continue reading LightSquared says obsolete devices used in 'rigged' testing of its LTE network

LightSquared says obsolete devices used in 'rigged' testing of its LTE network originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

LightSquared's LTE hopes dashed by federal agency report

James Trew — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 14:56:00 EST

When it was first mooted that LightSquared's LTE technology might interfere with GPS equipment, the firm was quick to deny it. Since then, the company has tried to mitigate the issue, but the nine agencies making up the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing Executive Committee (PNT ExComm) all agreed that the problems are real and any attempts at mitigation are futile. This comes only days after Sprint reneged on a resource sharing deal, issuing a further blow to the company's plans for a terrestrial network. LightSquared's reaction is naturally not a happy one, claiming that the testing process is not only flawed, but that the agencies have a bias in favor of the GPS industry. By our reasoning, this only leaves the stage of depression before final acceptance of the grief-ridden situation.

LightSquared's LTE hopes dashed by federal agency report originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 Jan 2012 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Editorial: How FAA-certified gadgets could improve air travel and eliminate the Terrible 10,000 Feet

Tim Stevens — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:35:00 EST

If you're reading this now and have experienced the wonders of modern air travel then you have surely suffered through what I call the "Terrible 10,000 Feet." This is the period between the clunk of the cabin door closing and the bong of the cabin indicator, the chime signifying arrival of the magic altitude where "approved electronic devices" can then be used again. The first half of the worst part of the flight is then over -- the latter half to commence as soon as the plane dips again below that gadget ceiling.

This is the loudest part of the flight -- engines throttled up, flaps and gear hanging in the breeze and scared kids doing their best to drown all that out with screams and shouts. It's exactly when you most want to use your portable music player, and exactly when you aren't allowed. We've been told that this is for safety reasons, to prevent interference from the myriad devices carried by a cabin full of passengers, but that's never quite felt satisfactory to me. (Why is it okay to use those very same devices over 10,000 feet? Why can pilots use iPads but I can't?)

So many questions, but I'm not here to second-guess the people whose jobs it is to keep me safe as I schlep myself, my roller bag and my personal item across the country yet again. I'm here to propose a very simple solution: a certification program in which manufacturers submit devices for testing and the FAA charges a (possibly hefty) fee for their approval. It could not only improve the lives of frequent travellers like myself, but could also stand to provide millions in funding to the FAA, funds that could be put toward its unfortunately named NextGen air traffic control system. Win win? Read on and decide for yourself.

Continue reading Editorial: How FAA-certified gadgets could improve air travel and eliminate the Terrible 10,000 Feet

Editorial: How FAA-certified gadgets could improve air travel and eliminate the Terrible 10,000 Feet originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

LightSquared proposes 'simple, affordable solution' to that pesky GPS interference issue

Donald Melanson — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:22:00 EST

It's not the first "solution" that LightSquared has proposed for the GPS interference issue that's gotten in the way of its LTE network rollout, but the company's now touting a new "simple, affordable solution" to the problem. That doesn't actually involve any changes to the network itself, but rather changes to the high-precision GPS hardware that is being interfered with. To that end, the company has announced that it's signed an agreement with Javad GNSS, which says that it's been able to reconfigure the filters and linear amplifiers used on existing receivers and make them "completely compatible with LightSquared's bottom 10 MHz of spectrum." According to Javad, those changes are not expected to increase selling price of newly reconfigured devices for consumers, although there would presumably be some cost to retrofit existing devices (the first units for testing are expected to be available next month). So, it may be "simple" and "affordable," but it doesn't seem like it's necessarily an "easy" solution. LightSquared's press release is after the break.

Continue reading LightSquared proposes 'simple, affordable solution' to that pesky GPS interference issue

LightSquared proposes 'simple, affordable solution' to that pesky GPS interference issue originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

OnLive CEO reveals 'entirely new approach' to wireless, credits Rearden for toppling Shannon's Law

Darren Murph — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST

"In advance, yes -- you're right, it's impossible. But nonetheless, we have ten radios all working at the same frequency, all at the Shannon limit... and there's no interference." You may not fully grok the significance of that statement, but anyone heavily involved in solving the wireless bandwidth crisis is probably dropjawed. For a little background, there's a perceived limit in wireless known as Shannon's Law, which largely explains why no one can watch a YouTube clip on their EVO at Michigan Stadium. For whatever reason, it's been assumed that this law was fundamentally unbreakable, but it looks as if an unlikely member of society may have just overrode expectations. OnLive's CEO Steve Perlman recently revealed a breakthrough from Rearden Companies -- in short, they've figured out a workaround, and in testing, it's doing things like "removing dead zones" altogether. His slide, shown during a presentation at Columbia, notes that the implications here are "profound," and we couldn't agree more. Do yourself a solid and hit play in the video below the break -- we've fast-forwarded to where this section begins.

Continue reading OnLive CEO reveals 'entirely new approach' to wireless, credits Rearden for toppling Shannon's Law

OnLive CEO reveals 'entirely new approach' to wireless, credits Rearden for toppling Shannon's Law originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

LightSquared announces 'solution' for GPS issue, says LTE network will roll out on schedule

Donald Melanson — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 17:28:00 EST

LightSquared may have steadfastly insisted otherwise, but recent tests showing that its wholesale 4G LTE network interferes with GPS have been getting tough for it to ignore, and it turns out the company has been quietly working on a backup plan. In addition to fessing up that one of the 10MHz blocks used by its network does indeed interfere with many GPS receivers, LightSquared has also now announced a two-fold "solution" to the problem. That will involve it using only a lower block of the 10MHz spectrum that it says doesn't interfere with GPS (with a few "limited" exceptions), and a new agreement with Inmarsat that LightSquared says will let it "accelerate the schedule" to begin using the alternative block of spectrum. Those new measures, LightSquared says, will let it roll out its network in accordance with its original business plan, and give it enough spectrum to serve its customers for the "next several years." What happens after that is a bit less clear, but LightSquared says it believes its network can "live harmoniously, side-by-side, with GPS users," and that "enlightened and responsible spectrum management will give the American public the best of both worlds." The company's full press release is after the break.

[Thanks, Nick]

Continue reading LightSquared announces 'solution' for GPS issue, says LTE network will roll out on schedule

LightSquared announces 'solution' for GPS issue, says LTE network will roll out on schedule originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Jun 2011 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Government report finds LightSquared's LTE interferes with GPS -- color us surprised

Christopher Trout — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 19:31:00 EST

No one said bathing the great United States in LTE would be easy, but the hits just keep on coming for Falcone and co. Following up on reports and concerns about LightSquared's possible interference, a government study has found that the outfit's proposed broadband network does indeed impede GPS signals. According to the National PNT Engineering Forum, the federal advisory group that conducted the study, LiqhtSquared's network disrupted GPS signals for all of the devices tested in the area. The report lists OnStar, Garmin, John Deere, emergency services, the FAA, and NASA among those affected by interference. Both LightSquared and the GPS industry are scheduled to present their own tests for the FCC's consideration next week. The news isn't exactly shocking, but it certainly doesn't bode well for the ambitious LTE network.

Government report finds LightSquared's LTE interferes with GPS -- color us surprised originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

LightSquared's LTE breaks GPS in New Mexico trial, angers John Deere

Terrence O'Brien — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 10:33:00 EST

With Best Buy, Cricket, and Leap already signed on as partners, LightSquared has a lot riding on the success of its nationwide LTE network. Unfortunately, the Airforce's concerns about it interfering with GPS have been born by a test run in New Mexico. Officials in charge of the state's 911 systems as well as trucker hat kings Deere & Co. reported loss of service up to 22 miles away from LightSquared's cell tower. The company believes it has a solution to the interference problem, but hasn't specified exactly what the fix might be. Now the 4G wholesaler's future rests on a June 15th report to the FCC detailing the potential issues for both consumer navigators and the precision GPS systems used by the military and airlines -- but when even John Deere is lobbying against you things start to look a little bleak.

LightSquared's LTE breaks GPS in New Mexico trial, angers John Deere originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 10:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Cellular South inks deal with LightSquared, gets LTE with stroke of a pen

Zachary Lutz — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 02:37:00 EST

Cellular South just dropped a nugget, announcing it's hopped aboard with LightSquared to provide nationwide LTE service to its 900,000 subscribers. In turn, the 4G wholesaler promised to bring coverage to rural communities (and offer satellite service for those in really distant locales). Cellular South joins Cricket, Best Buy Connect and SI Wireless as the latest to add LTE coverage the easy way, though they're left waiting for the network to come online sometime in 2012. Meanwhile, LightSquared continues working to resolve those pesky GPS concerns, with a final report due to the FCC on June 15th. PR after the break.

[Image courtesy Flickr]

Continue reading Cellular South inks deal with LightSquared, gets LTE with stroke of a pen

Cellular South inks deal with LightSquared, gets LTE with stroke of a pen originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 Apr 2011 02:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

China, predictably, denies Google's accusations of Gmail tampering

Vlad Savov — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 10:14:00 EST

On Monday, Google expressed its belief that its email users in China were experiencing "a government blockage carefully designed to look like the problem is with Gmail." Now, as is par for this thorny course, the Chinese state has come out with a terse rebuttal, saying simply that "this is an unacceptable accusation." The retort was, says the BBC, part of a regular news conference on Tuesday and it doesn't appear that any more time was spent on the subject. Which is odd since most people would tend to act to prevent something they see as unacceptable -- but then we suppose China already has a pretty long list of folks it'd like to shut up, Google's just gonna have to get in line and wait its turn. There's a good citizen.

China, predictably, denies Google's accusations of Gmail tampering originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 10:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Google and China clash again, this time over Gmail access

Vlad Savov — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 05:51:00 EST

Last week we noted, with a growing sense of disquiet, how China was busying itself with locking out VPN access within its borders and, seemingly, preventing people from using their Gmail accounts. Google has now given a public voice to those concerns, noting that "there is no issue on our side. We have checked extensively. This is a government blockage carefully designed to look like the problem is with Gmail." Other Google tools, like the Person Finder for Japanese tsunami survivors, have also exhibited intermittent issues. China's goal in these attacks is reportedly to stifle online revolutionary chatter inspired by Egypt's successful democratic revolt, though the nation's said to be taking a more clandestine approach than previously by making its alleged sabotage appear like a software problem instead. Guess it's time to prepare ourselves for another battle of wits between these two.

Google and China clash again, this time over Gmail access originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 05:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

US Air Force raises concerns over LightSquared's LTE network messing with GPS

Chris Ziegler — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 22:19:00 EST

Following a navigation system's instructions without driving into a ravine is hard enough as it is -- can you even imagine how hard it'd be if you kept losing GPS reception every time you drove within range of an LTE tower? There have been a few anecdotal concerns raised over the last several weeks that LightSquared's proposed LTE network -- which would repurpose L-band spectrum formerly used for satellite -- is too close to the spectrum used by the Global Positioning System, leading to unintentional jamming when the towers overpower the much weaker GPS signals. Things have gotten a little more interesting, though, now that the US Air Force Space Command has officially piped in. General William Shelton has gone on record saying that "a leading GPS receiver manufacturer just ... has concluded that within 3 to 5 miles on the ground and within about 12 miles in the air GPS is jammed by those towers," calling the situation "unbelievable" and saying he's "hopeful the FCC does the right thing."

Presumably, the USAF thinks that "the right thing" would involve pulling LightSquared's license, but for its part, the company says it believes Shelton is referring to a test conducted by Garmin (possibly explaining that recent outage in the Southeastern US?) using simulated interference filters -- not the actual filters that it has spent several million dollars developing and perfecting. Regardless of how effective the filters might be, the idea that the only thing standing between a functional GPS system and a constellation of space-borne paperweights is a private company's privately-developed, privately-operated filtering equipment... but then again, we love LTE. Decisions!

[Thanks, Brian]

US Air Force raises concerns over LightSquared's LTE network messing with GPS originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Feb 2011 22:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Broadcasters seek to slow action on FCC's white space ruling

Darren Murph — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:20:00 EST

We knew they didn't like it, and now they're going out of their way to prove it. After FCC chairman Kevin Martin set forth a proposal to use the freed spectrum from the forthcoming 2009 digital TV transition for bringing mobile broadband to more locales, broadcasters who'd rather not deal with the trouble are stepping in with a collective "nuh uh!" Station owners and the four television networks filed an "emergency request" on Friday afternoon in hopes of convincing the FCC to hold off on its plan to vote on white space rules until "everyone had a chance to comment on the findings." The report that's mentioned found that no significant interference would come into play should the waves be opened up for unlicensed devices, but a spokeswoman for the National Association of Broadcasters stated that "the FCC is misinterpreting the actual data collected by their own engineers." Whether or not NAB will get the 45-day grace period it's asking for, however, remains to be seen.

[Via Mobile Tech Today, image courtesy of Orbitcast]

Filed under: Wireless

Broadcasters seek to slow action on FCC's white space ruling originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

High frequency processors could put your GPS on the fritz

Darren Murph — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 10:45:00 EST

Just when you think things couldn't get any more gloomy in the world of in-car navigation systems, here comes news that high frequency processors surrounding your GPS system could actually cause some seriously screwy routing. According to a study by the Swedish Defense Research Agency, "computers used near a NAV could disturb the signals utilized in the GPS receiver." More specifically, Intel CPUs with clock speeds of 1.7GHz, 3.0GHz, and 3.2GHz were pinpointed as potential troublemakers, but a member of the study actually went so far as to suggest that a variety of other (untested) chips could indeed wreak the same havoc. The study showed that "modern computers produce interfering signals that reach as far as the frequency bandwidths used for GPS systems," and while specific reactions weren't apparent, testers did suggest to move any computer equipment further away from the GPS unit if it began to "play up" for no ostensible reason. Of course, we've huddled our own laptops and GPS systems together on many occasions with no ill consequences, so as always, your miles may vary.

[Via NaviGadget]

Filed under: GPS

High frequency processors could put your GPS on the fritz originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2007 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

TiVo Series3 + plasma TV = big problems

Evan Blass — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 11:43:00 EST

So you just paid $800 for your brand new Series3 TiVo ($1,000 if you transferred your lifetime subscription), waited patiently as the morons from the cable company tried to get their heads around installing CableCARDs in a non-TV device, and finally sat down on your couch to begin recording and commercial skipping all that great HD programming -- just to find out that your damn TiVo remote doesn't work! As many home theater aficionados know (first-hand, unfortunately), plasma TVs emit a significant amount of EMI and RFI signals from their surfaces that can confuse nearby IR sensors and render them useless, especially if your home theater gear juts out in front of the display. Well this problem has been happening in spades to new Series3 owners, as the box's IR receiver seems especially sensitive to other frequencies, so much so that they often need to press a button 10 to 15 times for a command to actually register. TiVo seems to be aware of the issue, but has not yet offered a solution, which is why the good folks who frequent the TiVo Community forum have put their heads together and come up with several effective workarounds. The most ghetto of these fixes involves attaching a tiny opaque "hood" around the box's sensor window, so that plasma interference can't go through but line-of-sight remote commands are still received. Since you probably don't want an ugly piece of cardboard hanging off of your beautiful $800 device, forum user "lightspeed" has come up with a slightly more difficult but much more aesthetically pleasing alternative: after carefully disassembling your Series3, you simply need to attach 6 to 8 small squares of GLAD Press 'n Seal to the inside of the IR window on the front face plate, which will serve to shield the sensor from the bad signals but let the good ones get through. Good job, intrepid TiVo devotees, but what we wanna know is: out of all the folks who beta tested this product, was there not even one of them who used it with a plasma and could have caught this problem much sooner? TiVo: makes a great product, but needs a little help in the e-commerce and quality assurance departments.

Read- Problem
Read- Fix
Read- Fix pics

Filed under: DVRs, Remotes, Plasma, Cable

TiVo Series3 + plasma TV = big problems originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Sep 2006 11:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

TiVo Series3 + plasma TV = big problems

Evan Blass — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 11:43:00 EST

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

TiVo Series3 + plasma TV = big problems originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Sep 2006 11:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Enjoying OTA HDTV broadcasts? Not if you live by an airport

Richard Lawler — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 09:52:00 EST

In a report that may get more frequent as we move towards all-digital broadcasting, Nashua Telegraph writer Joe Konopka complains about aircraft knocking out his HDTV signal momentarily every night. Sure it was annoying after the nearby airport was built and sound pollution and radio interference affected his ability to get a good night's sleep or listen to the radio. But now that he's purchased a high definition television with a built in OTA tuner, losing picture during a tense moment of 24 is the simply unacceptable. Unfortunately, now that the airport is built he doesn't have much ability to change things and laments not joining forces with an environmentalist friend to get plans changed while the airport was still being built.

Ouch. Any HD Beat readers dealt with a similar issue and have suggestions? (Other than switching to cable or satellite.)

Filed under: OTA

Enjoying OTA HDTV broadcasts? Not if you live by an airport originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Aug 2006 09:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments