Edinburgh technology firm unveils new 'smart antenna' - Polidicks

[QUOTE]A technology firm has developed a miniature antenna which it claims could make poor reception for smart phones and tablet PCs "a thing of the past". University of Edinburgh spin-out Sofant Technologies spent seven years developing what it calls the "world's smallest smart antenna". It said that until now, antenna design had not kept pace with the rapid evolution of smart phone technology. It aims to license its designs to global smart phone manufacturers. The antenna features a steerable beam which, rather than constantly looking for signals in all directions, locks onto the strongest signal available at any given time. The company said this could help ease congestion on the network, reduce power drain on the battery and also lead to a lower carbon foot print. Sofant chief executive Sergio Tansini said new communication protocols, such as 4G, meant more pressure than ever on existing antenna technology, further impacting smart phone performance and user experience. He explained: "Smart phone and tablet users expect to be able to make and take phone calls while browsing the web, send texts while downloading emails and stream data while uploading videos to YouTube. "The reality is that, until now, the antenna has acted as a bottleneck to performance in mobile devices. "As a result, every new generation of smart phone performs less well than its predecessor, resulting in dropped calls, lost signals, weak connections, slow internet and battery drain." Sofant received funding and support from Scottish Enterprise for the development of the antenna. The spin-out of Sofant was supported by Edinburgh Research and Innovation (ERI), the commercialisation arm of the University of Edinburgh. As a shareholder in Sofant, the university will continue to provide support as the company moves into a commercialisation phase.[/QUOTE] [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-19802098[/url]

But does this mean we need an antenna on our smart phones now?

[QUOTE=Remscar;37900507]But does this mean we need an antenna on our smart phones now?[/QUOTE] Our smartphones already have antennas.

patents patents patents

[QUOTE=duno;37900748]patents patents patents[/QUOTE] And then we'll never see it again.

[QUOTE=Remscar;37900507]But does this mean we need an antenna on our smart phones now?[/QUOTE] They're internal.

oh wow, hearing "scotland" and "technology" in the same story is pretty remarkable. We need to send a research team to this spot of land that isn't submerged in alcohol

[QUOTE=Amplar;37902535]oh wow, hearing "scotland" and "technology" in the same story is pretty remarkable. We need to send a research team to this spot of land that isn't submerged in alcohol[/QUOTE] Really mate? [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_inventions_and_discoveries[/url]

[QUOTE=Amplar;37902535]oh wow, hearing "scotland" and "technology" in the same story is pretty remarkable. We need to send a research team to this spot of land that isn't submerged in alcohol[/QUOTE] Funny how scotland invented the telephone in the first place

[QUOTE=Kondor58;37910187]Funny how scotland invented the telephone in the first place[/QUOTE] Actually apparently we didn't. Some German (maybe Italian, can't quite remember) invented a telephone system, and put a caveat on it before moving to America, when he got there he was fucked over because he couldn't speak English, and couldn't afford the $12 to renew the caveat when it ran out. Then Bell re-invented it, and the German (or Italian) guy sued. He sent his original plans and prototype to the Western Union laboratory where Bell worked. Said plans and prototypes went missing shortly after. At least that's what QI says, that might be a load of bollocks. [editline]4th October 2012[/editline] He was Italian. [editline]4th October 2012[/editline] But we did invent pretty much everything else, so who cares?