Wi-Fi has become an indispensable part of our lives. Before Wi-Fi was invented, wireless connections were conducted via infrared technologies. Users had to carry their devices with them and sit next to each other so that the data could be transferred wirelessly. With Wi-Fi, users can now transfer data wirelessly even if they are a few meters or even a hundred meters away from each other. This “wireless” experience has definitely brought convenience and fun to users worldwide.
The Evolution of Wi-Fi
The application of Wi-Fi was first established by the IEEE, which ratified the CSIRO invented Wi-Fi—802.11 as the industry’s standard Wi-Fi technology in 1999. Since then, all Wi-Fi technologies are based on the 802.11 standards, and the Wi-Fi Alliance has become the key player in promoting and solving issues related to Wi-Fi connection and interoperability. Thanks to the early established standardization, the Wi-Fi technology has advanced significantly in just 20 years and made a huge impact on our lives.
Voice recognition has become the prevalent technology for remote authentication. To fulfill people’s imaginations for “convenience,” tech giants such as Amazon, Google, and Apple started to develop their own voice recognition systems and have invented and brought “Smart Assistant” to the market.
Generally, a smart assistant can be vocally activated to provide entertainment support (e.g. music and radio), help search information (e.g. wiki, translation, and recipe), and control other smart devices in houses, offices, or hotel rooms. These clever helpers later become the focus for those manufacturers who attempt to step further in the IoT era. Read more
According to research firm IHS Markit, the number of IoT devices will increase on average 12% each year from 27 billion in 2017 to 125 billion in 2030. As more devices go on the Net, the limited wireless channels have become more congested that brings plenty of connectivity issues to the real-world and further deteriorates user’s experiences.
Unlike one-to-one communication of traditional devices, communication of IoT devices has become one-to-many. The performance of IoT devices should involve in three factors: product capability, network connectivity and user environment/ behavior. Vendors thus need a new methodology to verify products before launching to the market. This article will discuss a new methodology of IoT device validation “Heat Map Analysis”, which is used to perceive real-world factors and further discover and resolve common wireless connectivity issues.
As children we have all dreamed of having super human powers such as “Bishop, Jean Grey (Phoenix Force), Dazzler (respectfully)”. Although we’re still far from casting our own lightning bolts; however, with the development of wireless charging technology we can in a way satisfy a minuet aspect of this dream.
In 2018 the Apple iPhone may adopt wireless charging with its possibly new fiberglass shell; however, if such an adoption were to take place it would undoubtedly spar an array of exclusive aftermarket chargers causing confusion and risk of interoperability. Also from our observation of IFA 2016, the majority of future wearable devices would equipped with dust & liquid repellent features.