V-Cool Makes your Car a Faraday Cage?

August 6, 2008

Talking about Faraday cages, I have anecdotal evidence (i.e. me trying it out) that you can’t get a GPS lock inside your car if it is equipped with V-Cool window tints. I wonder why. I didn’t know that tinted glass products could block out radio waves.

GPS operates at 1575.42 MHz (190mm). My cellphone service operator, Celcom operates GSM at 900 MHz (300mm) and 1800 MHz (150mm). As the wavelengths are similar, it seems that you would block out telephone reception as well (i.e. a conductive mesh that blocks 190mm electromagnetic waves would block 300mm as well). But v-cool doesn’t, as far as I can tell, or maybe it blocks GSM 900 but not GSM 1800?

Anyone know how this is possible? References to window tint films here and here.

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Posted by Wata

Geek Toy – Celcom Wireless Broadband Router

June 13, 2008

I’m a geek, facinated with the latest tech. While listening to The Tech Guy, I heard of the Cradlepoint, which takes broadband (read EVDO) enabled phones, and create a wifi hotspot. How cool is that? You can create (and share) a wifi hotspot anywhere you can get EVDO. The caveat is, EVDO is a US only service.

Now Celcom offers the same concept, but using a 3GX (3.5G to us peons), 3G, EDGE or GPRS SIM card. Imagine the possibilities:

  • Kerteh airport can get wifi without the hassle of getting a landline.
  • Heck, forget Kerteh, your house can have broadband wifi without a landline (I hear Streamyx squirming in the background).
  • Start a personal hotspot whenever you want to get online, make the spot public, and have a splash page advertising your services.
  • SME opportunities: micro Internet cafe? Roadshow internet access?

One problem is that you will be tethered to a power socket until you can figure out a portable power source.

I have been informed that there is a phone socket on the machine, so that you will be able to receive and make calls while it uses your SIM card.

Will you be able to use other service providers with this piece of equiptment? Unknown, I haven’t been given a test unit (you can tell I’m low on the food chain).

HSPDA Broadband Wireless Router  Brochure - HSDPA Broadband Wireless Router  

Celcom Vodaphone Mobile Connect Brochure - Vodaphone Mobile Connect USB Stick / USB Modem

 Contact Rizal at rizaldee@celcom.com.my or +60196201771.

 

 

9 Comments | business opportunity, engineering, Malaysia | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Wata