New Bluetooth Runs for a Year Off a Watch Battery

There's little stopping Bluetooth from making its way into more devices, but its battery drain is many times that of, say, tried and true IR. But a new, lower power Bluetooth is coming next year. More »

AT&T RF Anywhere Changes Channels From the Darkest, Most Isolated Areas of Your Home

As I blindly played Wii Sports from the kitchen the other day—the TV completely out of sight—I couldn't help but wonder why many remotes still implement hindering line-of-sight IR to work properly. Enter the RF Point Anywhere. More »

The World's Smallest, Potentially Seediest GPS, GSM and RF Tracker

It looks like a nondescript battery, but this is actually the world's smallest GPS, GSM and RF tracking device. More »

New Paint Could Block Wi-Fi From Nosey Neighbors

Living in an apartment building, I can spot about twenty active Wi-Fi networks at a time. And the worst part is that they can all see me, too. More »

R/C License Plate Covers Are a Tempting But Unwise Purchase

All of us have considered it at one time or another. What if we just didn't have a license plate? The cops could spot us speeding, we'd ditch out on a side street and then we'd drive the same car to work the next day without a hitch (or tasering). It was a fun daydream, but now with these RF License Plate Covers, we can live that dream. More »

Apple Patent Forsees Gadget RF Connectivity Everywhere, From Shirts to Cars

Apple's just filed a patent titled "Personal area network systems and devices and methods for use thereof" which is speculative, but basically offers us a sniff of how the future of gadget interconnectivity might be. Apple imagines small, intelligent and efficient RF transmitter-receivers that can handshake and pass data between gadgets and which are embedded everywhere, literally from your socks upwards. More »

3M Mobile ID Reader Helps Big Brother Take Your Identity More Efficiently

3M's new Mobile ID Reader scans MRZ and RF chip data from passports and visas and immediately checks them against local or international watch lists by using wifi or GSM/GPRS EDGE networks. It seems like a great tool to further make you feel like you're living in some scary dystopian sci-fi novel, especially when you hear that dastardly monopolist Bill Gates got his little-loved Windows Mobile 6 OS onto the device. More »

Napkin PC Concept Utilizes Multi-Touch E-Paper Display and RF Technology

We have all doodled an idea or a bit of important information on a napkin at one point or another, but designer Avery Holleman takes it a step further with the Napkin PC. The device is intended to help creative groups collaborate on designs more effectively. Here's how it works: data is sent to the multi-touch e-paper "napkin" interface via the pen using short range radio frequency (RF). The pen and the napkin also communicate with the base station PC via long-rage RF. More after the break. More »

Keyspan RF Remote for Windows Vista Sees Through Walls

Use this Keyspan RF (radio frequency) remote to control your Windows Vista PC from 90 feet away, a distance the company takes great glee in exclaiming is three times the distance of infrared remotes. You just plug that USB receiver into your PC, and you're good to go, remote-controlling all those movie files you've ripped off, or even the scant few you've bought, with the greatest of ease. How would we use such a thing? More »

PMA 07: Elinchrom EL-Skyport for Remote Flash Operation on the Cheap

When working with off-camera flash, there are several ways to do it, but RF is the most versitile and long range. For years now, PocketWizards have been the de-facto industry standard and that probably won't change. Great as they are, they're kinda pricey. That's where the Elinchrom EL-Skyport system shines: the price is right. Though not compatible with the PocketWizard system, it's cheaper and has some extra capabilities. More »

Cell Sensor Measures Your Slow Death From Killer Cellphones, Radiation

Get out the tin foil hats, folks, 'cause the radiation's coming! Wait, it's already here. Run for your lives! This Cell Sensor EMF detector will make you even more paranoid by measuring both electromagnetic fields (EMF) and radio frequency (RF) radiation. Jeez, that sounds so dangerous and scary: Radiation. That's gotta hurt. More »

Wave Bubble Jams Your Way Into RF Bliss

If you've ever dreamed of jamming FM, cellphones, cordless phones, GPSes, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or various other RF stations, the Wave Bubble is a small, Creative Commons-licensed design that you can build together yourself. This isn't an easy project, so if you're not familiar with SMT soldering, you may want to hop down to ITT Tech and make some friends. More »

Philips Releasing Multiple Vista Remotes, Most Are Ugly

Remember the ugly Vista remote that we thought was swapped out in favor of a better looking one? Turns out it's still getting produced, albeit by Philips. More »

Monster AVL300 Crazy Remote Reviewed (Verdict: Looks Like Star Trek, Works Like Star Trek)

The Monster Central Control System AVL300 may look like a Phaser, but the only person you're going to kill is yourself. Why? Because if you can control everything in your house from your couch, you'll never get up again. More »

RF Locking USB Flash Drive

For those extra-secure computer users, this USB flash drive may just what you need to protect the cherished pictures of your pet cat you store on that flash drive. The flash drive includes a RF transmitter. Once the transmitter is 2 meters out of range the drive will lock and nobody will be able to gain access. Don't fret if you happen to drop the transmitter in the 'loo, a password can unlock the flash drive. There is also a timer that can lock out the flash drive anywhere from 1 minute to 8 hours. A mere $29 will make you the most anal retentive geek in the office. More »