Basic HTML Version
www.binfo.co.uk
20
magazine
4
innovations
i
Sofant Technologies, a spin-out from the
University of Edinburgh, has unveiled miniature
antenna technology that is predicted to
transform the performance of smartphones and
tablet PCs and make poor reception, dropped
calls and short battery life things of the past.
Following seven years research and development
at The University of Edinburgh, Sofant aims
to license its designs to global smartphone
manufacturers and is projecting a turnover of over
£10m in year five.
Sergio Tansini, CEO of Sofant, said the
technology was designed to meet the needs of
Long Term Evolution (LTE) and 4G and would allow
next generation smartphones and tablets to work
to their full potential.
He said: “Antenna design has not kept
pace with the rapid evolution of
smartphone technology. New
communication protocols, such as LTE
and 4G, mean more pressure than ever on existing
antenna technology, further impacting smartphone
performance and user experience. Smartphone 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
smartphone performs less well than its predecessor,
resulting in dropped calls, lost signals, weak
connections, slow internet and battery drain.
Sofant’s high performance miniaturised steerable
antenna will change the performance and user
experience of smartphones forever.”
Sofant has integrated three core technologies
to create the world’s smallest smart antenna and
already licensed an early technology demonstrator
to a large OEM.
www.sofant.com
Legendary headset
Plantronics’ new Bluetooth headset, the
Voyager Legend, incorporates a number of
clever touches for greater ease of use. These
include Smart Sensor technology that directs
calls to a user’s phone or headset depending
on whether the headset is being worn or not;
caller name announcements; voice alerts to
keep the user informed of battery level or
connection status; and the ability to react to
spoken commands such as ‘answer’ or ‘ignore’.
Sound quality has been improved through
three microphones and enhanced DSP (Digital
Signal Processing) that minimises background
noise. Optional accessories include a battery-
powered carrying case for charging on-the-go
and a desktop charging
stand for use in the
office or at home.
The Voyager Legend
costs £89.99.
www.plantronics.
com
USB headsets for
softphone apps
Sennheiser Communications has added
four USB headsets to its Circle Line series
of wired headsets.
Suitable for the growing number of comms
devices that support softphone apps, the new
range consists of SC 230 USB single-sided
and SC 260 USB dual-sided headsets. All are
available with an optional call control unit
providing call answer/end, microphone mute
and last number redial functionality.
The Circle Line series features long-lasting
metal-reinforced headbands; CircleFlex
dual hinge ear cups that adapt to the user’s
ears for all-day comfort; and ActiveGard
technology that protects against acoustic
shock and sudden sound surges.
www.senncom.com
Pay-as-you-go card
payment systems offer new
options for small businesses
SumUp is the latest company to bring out a free
app and card reader that makes it possible for
small businesses to take debit and credit card
payments at point of sale on an iOS or Android
mobile device.
SumUp dispenses with the monthly charges
and complex paperwork associated with renting
terminals from banks and instead takes a 2.75% cut
of every transaction made using its card reader.
To take payment, the merchant just has to
connect the card reader to the headphone jack
of their mobile device, open the SumUp app and
enter the amount to be transferred. The customer
then inserts their card and authorises payment by
signing with their finger on the touchscreen. The
app confirms the transaction and offers to send a
receipt via email or SMS.
SumUp’s systems are PCI-DSS certified – the
highest security standard for card payments – and
every transaction is fully encrypted.
A similar subscription-free payment system
is available from mPowa, which also provides a
free mobile phone app for iPhone, iPad, Android,
Windows and Blackberry devices and a card reader
that connects to a smartphone or mobile device.
It connects via Bluetooth (for chip and PIN) or the
headphone socket (for magnetic stripe).
Another company eWay aims to revolutionise
how firms take payments online. Already the
card processor of choice for e-commerce sites
in Australia, eWay allows traders to pay by the
hour and switch its
cloud-based service on
and off at will. eWay
believes this flexibility
gives it a big advantage over
rivals that tie customers into
long-term contracts with hefty
monthly fees. The service also
provides transactional emails,
social media connectivity
and real-time credit card
security checks.
eWay CEO Matt
Bullock said: “By providing
cloud-based payment we
can help start-ups and
SMEs get on their feet
and take payments
for their products
and services far
more quickly
and more
conveniently
than ever before,
meaning that
their growth is
not held back by
having to invest
in complex
systems they
don’t need.”
Mini antenna to improve smartphone performance
developed in Edinburgh