A new program developed by a Duke University grad student promises to double the battery life of cell phones and other mobile devices by tweaking how they tap into Wi-Fi networks.

As described by its creator Justin Manweiler in a Duke Today story, downloading videos and other hefty content via Wi-Fi can cause a huge drain on the battery of a mobile device. This drain can be especially severe in crowded cities and other locations where multiple devices have to battle for available bandwidth.

So in an example cited by the story, downloading a movie in midtown Manhattan chews up more battery power than downloading the same one in a Midwest farmhouse.

The SleepWell software works by putting the Wi-Fi card in a mobile device to sleep while it waits its turn as other nearby devices download their slice of data. Comparing the flurry of mobile devices all grabbing data at the same time to employees who all leave work at the same time, Manweiler said that his software can relieve the congestion, thus preserving battery life. The software itself would run on Wi-Fi routers and wireless access points.

Manweiler explained to CNET that the sleep mode occurs at very fine timescales, meaning multiple times per second.

“Your Wi-Fi card already does this when it uses something called ‘Power Save Mode’ (which is common),” Manweiler said. “What SleepWell does is to improve the timing of entering and leaving these sleep states. During the ‘awake’ periods, SleepWell enables the Wi-Fi to download data more efficiently. The device does all the same work as before (nothing is changed to any negative user perception), but it does it all at a lower energy cost.”

The software was designed by Manweiler under the guidance of Romit Roy Choudhury, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering. SleepWell was recently presented at the ninth Association for Computing Machinery’s International Conference on Mobile Systems, Applications and Services in Washington, D.C., where Manweiler and Choudhury received the runner-up award for Best Demo.

A research paper (PDF) co-authored by Manweiler and Choudhury describes SleepWell in greater detail.

Choudhury’s research team is supported by the National Science Foundation, as well as Microsoft Research, Cisco, Nokia and Verizon, according to Duke Today.

What are the next steps for SleepWell? Manweiler told CNET that the team wants to turn this idea into something that can benefit real users.

“The design is very much something than can be quickly deployed, given the appropriate interest,” he said. “Off the record, I can’t speak about actual commercial interest at this point. But on the record, I can say that we are very optimistic to see SleepWell adopted in projects soon. The energy savings are substantial, and the barriers to deployment are (by design) minimal.”

Source:http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20077521-94/new-software-can-boost-battery-life-for-wi-fi-devices/

The Ford Motor Co. assembly plant on Chicago’s South Side will be among the first to use Wi-Fi wireless Internet technology to install software inside the 2011 Ford Explorer SUV.

The assembly line is lined with wireless routers — similar to the routers that people install in their homes to get wireless Internet access — and the Explorer contains a built-in Wi-Fi receiver.

When Explorer production starts this winter, the SUV will pick up the Wi-Fi routers’ signals, and an assembly-line worker will push a button to download software onto the Explorer, said Alan Hall, Ford Motor Co.’s technology communications manager.

The software is tailored for each model, so that the Explorer sold in the United States will have traffic information about American roadways; English, Spanish and French speaking options, and the appropriate 911 emergency delivery. Vehicles sold in other markets would get other language downloads, such as German, Portuguese, Italian and Mandarin.

The first Ford assembly plant to use the Wi-Fi technology is one in Oakville, Ontario, where the 2011 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX are manufactured.

The Wi-Fi setup saves money because it eliminates the need to build, stock and store a variety of hardware modules, said Sukhwinder Wadhwa, the global platform manager for Ford’s SYNC features. The SYNC controls such capabilities as traffic alerts, hands-free calling, 911 assistance and music search.

The Wi-Fi capability will have no effect on the number of jobs at the Ford plant, Hall said.

In the future, car shoppers might be able to select their own software applications at the dealership and get those apps downloaded either at the dealership or through their home Wi-Fi system, Hall said.

“The built-in Wi-Fi receiver opens up all kinds of potential to deliver unique software into the vehicle,” he said.

Source:http://www.suntimes.com/business/2641150,Ford-Wifi-assembly.article

Manhattan’s design community can now enjoy free workspace, Wi-Fi and coffee provided by the new Wix Lounge. Wix is the producer of free online website building software. New York, NY, July 12, 2010 — Freelance designers now have a home-away-from-home right in the heart of Manhattan’s chic Chelsea neighborhood. The Wix Lounge will provide free Wi-Fi access, cappuccinos and comfy sofas for creative professionals to work on projects, meet with clients and collaborate with each other. Created by Wix.com, the Wix Lounge is slated to open at the end of July, after the Wix Lounge Reveal Party, in which free drinks, music, Wix giveaways and networking opportunities will be enjoyed by all who attend.

Wix.com has been planning this event for months. All the finishing touches to the Wix Lounge are currently being made, as the Wix Lounge Director, Victoria Monsul, is gearing up to give designers a warm welcome to an inspirational atmosphere. The Lounge will be decorated in-line with Wix’ iconic aesthetic – a yellow, black and white color theme for the furniture and wall hangings, with clean lines and a minimalistic approach. If you are not yet familiar with Wix – it is free online software that enables the creation of customized Flash websites. Rather than learning how to make a website using traditional coding languages, users can use Wix’ website builder as a fast and easy alternative. With a graphic-based drag & drop interface, users can upload their own photos, insert their own text, link to social media accounts and add , all in just a few clicks. Users can build sites from scratch, or work on a free template designed by a pro web designer at Wix. Template categories include Fashion, Art, Music, Business and eCommerce. Anyone involved in these fields will find plenty of high-quality content that can be used to create a free website.

Wix has already opened the doors of and successful business promotion to users who otherwise would be forced to hire pro web designers, or spend hours learning how to manually code. Now, with the creation of the Wix Lounge, the company is offering an even wider audience the benefits of Wix’ open-access software. Monsul says, “We wanted to create an open space for the free-flow of ideas between designers, clients and colleagues. Creative professionals can use the Wix Lounge as a meeting point and a working space, or even a social outlet to meet fellow industry members.” Join the Wix Team at the Wix Lounge Reveal Party at 7:00pm the evening of Thursday, July 29th, and celebrate the The kickoff party will take place on the 2nd floor of Wix’ New York office, located at 10 West 18th Street.

The party invitation is itself a Flash website created with the website builder. Contact Victoria Monsul at Victoria[at]wix[dot]com for additional information about the Wix Lounge opening or Reveal Party. Wix is backed by investors Mangrove Capital Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners and Benchmark Capital. The company was created in 2006, and has headquarters in New York with offices in Tel Aviv.

Source:http://pr-usa.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=434276&Itemid=31