Japan
Hardware
- Toshiba Corp. has developed new optical wireless communications technology for connecting personal computers and digital audiovisual equipment. Compared with current wireless LAN technology, Toshiba's transmits data roughly 30 times faster, at 1.5 Gbps, using infrared laser light. This is fast enough to transmit images from high-definition TV broadcasts and high-resolution PC images without compressing data. Because light travels straight, transmitters and receivers must be aligned likewise in optical wireless communications. This requirement has made devices for such communications impractical for use at home. Toshiba overcame this hurdle by developing an optical wireless system that can exchange data even if the transmitter and the receiver...