Communications

It may feel like 5G networks are only just becoming mainstream, but the next iteration, 6G, is already in the works. Samsung has now demonstrated its first prototype 6G system in an over-the-air test, using terahertz (THz) frequencies.

The UK Space Agency has awarded a group of companies contracts worth £32 million to develop a new "beam-hopping" communication satellite. Called Joey-Sat, the satellite would be able to quickly respond to sudden changes in demand or sudden emergencies.

Swim coaches have a difficult job, as they have to shout in order for swimmers to hear them – and even then, they still may not be heard. The Sonr system is designed to address that problem, using one-way radio communications.

Despite ongoing advances in the field of underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), the devices have remained tethered to the surface via communications cables. Such is not the case with the ExRay, however, which uses light instead.

When someone is paralyzed from the neck down, they can obviously no longer write words out by hand. They can still think about doing so, though, and those thoughts could allow them to type out messages via a new brain-computer interface (BCI).

Stanford University scientists have conducted the first large survey into the modern phenomenon of "Zoom Fatigue." They found women suffer from greater exhaustion following videoconferencing compared to men, and the researchers think they know why.

Samsung claims to have achieved a 5G data speed record, delivering a massive 5.23 Gigabits per second to a single device. This record was set by passing some of the load to 4G frequencies at the same time, all while using commercially available tech.

A new study from Stanford University is investigating the very modern phenomenon of "Zoom Fatigue." The research suggests there are four factors that make videoconferencing so uniquely tiring, and some simple solutions that could reduce exhaustion.

Nokia and Vodafone have tested a new broadband technology that delivers a blistering 100 gigabits per second (Gbps). Conducted using the kind of network seen in the last mile between an ISP and a user, it could eventually be rolled out commercially.

Researchers in China have demonstrated a quantum communication network where entangled photons are beamed between drones and ground stations, successfully maintaining their quantum link over a distance of 1 km.

Texan company Quin Design has released a remarkable flip-up, carbon fiber smart helmet for adventure and touring motorcyclists, with built-in Bluetooth communications and the ability to detect crashes and call for help when a rider's in trouble.

An Alphabet X innovation lab project has been working on a high-speed wireless optical communications network that uses beams of light instead of cables or radio waves, and folks in Kenya will be the first to benefit from the fruits of these labors.