IEEE Tech Alert for 15 Mar 2006

3. IEEE¹s Wi-Fi standard moves to mesh
Passing a significant milestone, the IEEE 802.11 working group has announced its adoption of a proposed basis for a standard that will extend Wi-Fi wireless distribution by means of mesh points. In a mesh network, computers become transceivers, forwarding packets of data for other nearby computers on the network. By sending packets only as far as the next computer, instead of a distant base station, meshed computers use less power, emit fewer interfering signals, and have higher data rates.

The 802.11s extension will mesh the intermediate access points in a network, but not each and every individual computer, to somewhat boost the performance and efficiency of Wi-Fi systems.

For further information, go to the IEEE Standards Web site at: http://standards.ieee.org

Bob: Mesh Robots?

4. New handheld helps reduce stress
Considering the proliferation of handheld devices, all with their own little alerts and alarms, it may seem that stress is getting worse, not better. But now a new handheld device promises to help. A sleek, solid, handheld biofeedback device called the StressEraser, is designed as an aid for deep breathing exercises, which are commonly prescribed to alleviate stress. The device tells you just when to inhale and when to stop.
See Calm in Your Palm, by Samuel K. Moore: http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/mar06/3044

5. Prototype planetary rover tested in Chilean desert
A hardy band of researchers has braved freezing nights, bad food, and high winds in the Chilean desert to test a rover that could be the prototype for the next generation of vehicles to explore the surface of the Moon or Mars. Weighing in at 180 kilograms, the rover, dubbed Zoë, looks something like a motorized, overgrown ice cream cart. But it is beautiful in the one way that really matters to planetary scientists: unlike all the rovers built thus far, Zoë can roam autonomously.

See Halfway to Mars, by Jean Kumagai: http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/mar06/3059