Hi Neil,
Did you get a two way radio set from Santa by any chance? Lol.
Anyway, onto your question...
A two way radio basically is a radio that can send and receive signals. If a radio can both transmit and receive, it is known as a transceiver (see what they did there?) Two or more users can use a transceiver in order to communicate on a shared channel.
Essentially, a two way radio works by receiving radio waves through the air and broadcasting a return signal. The antenna on the radio houses a series of electrons, which dictate the channel being picked up by the user (different groups of electrons will respond to different channels). These electrons translate the radio waves into electrical impulses, which are then fed to a small processor. The processor then converts the impulses into a signal and the radio’s speakers then play that signal. The whole process, amazingly, is pretty much instant.
Two way radios convert sound into radio waves and also convert radio waves into sound. Ergo, I can speak to you, like so:
Chris: “Hi Neil. Can you hear me? Overâ€
Once I push the PTT (push to talk) button and speak, the vibrations of my voice shake a small membrane inside my radio’s microphone (not a million miles removed from the one that exists in the human ear). My radio’s processor then converts those vibrations into a simple electrical signal. The radio pushes the signal to the antenna, which then pushes it out on the audio channel selected.
The electrons in your antenna become excited (steady on there, fella!) and translate the waves into electrical impulses, which are then ‘decoded’ by the processor and played out via your speakers.
So, you hear this on your radio and you reply.
Neil: “Hey 2wayradionline. Yeah, I can hear you just fine. Thanks for the answer. Overâ€
Whereupon the entire process takes place all over again.
And so on...
I hope that answers your question. Have fun, 2wayradionline.co.uk!
Thursday, 19 March 2015
Sunday, 15 March 2015
Jawbone earpiece makes it easier to love smartphones
You can discover this orignal article post at www.thestar.com
Jawbone began making it easier to love Siri, Google Now or other virtual assistants in a hint at the future portrayed in the Oscar-nominated filmHer.
The San Francisco-based company behind sophisticated and stylish wireless ear pieces released a new ERA model packing big technology in a diminutive form and enabling users to speak more naturally with software on their mobile devices.
"I hope they don't fall in love with their operating systems, but they will at least rekindle a relationship with voice commands," Jawbone audio product manager Gernard Feril said while providing AFP an early look at the new ERA.
Feril was making a playful reference to the Spike Jonze film Her starring Joaquin Phoenix, who plays a man who falls in love with a personal computer operating system.
Advanced Siri and Google Now software, which combine natural language exchanges with contextual awareness and even anticipating what users might want, have created a place for an ERA ear piece with enhanced technology for speaking to smartphones as one would a person, according to Feril.
Jawbone built in wide-band audio, high-quality microphones, and NoiseAssassinsoftware to block out unwanted sounds to make voice quality closer to what is found in Internet telephone calls than in typical ear pieces.
Being able to speak commands and have spoken exchanges with virtual assistants through the ear piece frees people to either ignore smartphone screens or use them for other tasks, such as e-mail, games or maps.
"This device has become so powerful," Feril said of the smartphone in his hand, "that holding it to your face limits what you're doing."
And, as screen sizes of mobile devices have grown, they become awkward to hold up to faces, he noted.
The annual Consumer Electronics Show gadget extravaganza that played out recently in Las Vegas was rife with headsets. Jawbone set out to distinguish itself with a tiny, high-quality ear piece crafted with style and brains to complement smartphone lifestyles.
Feril billed ERA as the smallest, lightest, best-sounding ear piece available.
ERA was priced at US$99 (RM300) at www.jawbone.com, but could be purchased with a protective charging case for US$130 (RM390) to increase talk time to 10 hours from four. The ear piece was less than half the size of its predecessor.
Since ERA is tiny, Jawbone added a "locator" feature that signals an ear piece to chirp to disclose where it is.A Jawbone "Nerd" USB device can be used to automatically synch the ear piece to laptop computers.
"It's the Internet-of-me," Feril said. "It is not about the things, it is about the person. You can see that, at least in Spike Jonze's interpretation, the Internet is going to be with you at all times."
Jawbone began making it easier to love Siri, Google Now or other virtual assistants in a hint at the future portrayed in the Oscar-nominated filmHer.
The San Francisco-based company behind sophisticated and stylish wireless ear pieces released a new ERA model packing big technology in a diminutive form and enabling users to speak more naturally with software on their mobile devices.
"I hope they don't fall in love with their operating systems, but they will at least rekindle a relationship with voice commands," Jawbone audio product manager Gernard Feril said while providing AFP an early look at the new ERA.
Feril was making a playful reference to the Spike Jonze film Her starring Joaquin Phoenix, who plays a man who falls in love with a personal computer operating system.
Advanced Siri and Google Now software, which combine natural language exchanges with contextual awareness and even anticipating what users might want, have created a place for an ERA ear piece with enhanced technology for speaking to smartphones as one would a person, according to Feril.
Jawbone built in wide-band audio, high-quality microphones, and NoiseAssassinsoftware to block out unwanted sounds to make voice quality closer to what is found in Internet telephone calls than in typical ear pieces.
Being able to speak commands and have spoken exchanges with virtual assistants through the ear piece frees people to either ignore smartphone screens or use them for other tasks, such as e-mail, games or maps.
"This device has become so powerful," Feril said of the smartphone in his hand, "that holding it to your face limits what you're doing."
And, as screen sizes of mobile devices have grown, they become awkward to hold up to faces, he noted.
The annual Consumer Electronics Show gadget extravaganza that played out recently in Las Vegas was rife with headsets. Jawbone set out to distinguish itself with a tiny, high-quality ear piece crafted with style and brains to complement smartphone lifestyles.
Feril billed ERA as the smallest, lightest, best-sounding ear piece available.
ERA was priced at US$99 (RM300) at www.jawbone.com, but could be purchased with a protective charging case for US$130 (RM390) to increase talk time to 10 hours from four. The ear piece was less than half the size of its predecessor.
Since ERA is tiny, Jawbone added a "locator" feature that signals an ear piece to chirp to disclose where it is.A Jawbone "Nerd" USB device can be used to automatically synch the ear piece to laptop computers.
"It's the Internet-of-me," Feril said. "It is not about the things, it is about the person. You can see that, at least in Spike Jonze's interpretation, the Internet is going to be with you at all times."
What Is an Earpiece?
This was originally posted on http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-earpiece.htm, credit should go them as this is a interesting article.
Broadly speaking, an earpiece refers to anything that functions by either covering the ear, or hanging near the ear. In this broad category are the parts of an eyeglass frame that extend over the ear, and any material specifically designed to fit into the ear and block off the entry of sound or water. The most common meaning of an "earpiece" however is an electronic device that converts electronic signals into sound waves, and directs them into the ear. In this context, the earpiece can also be called an electronic-acoustic transducer.
Originally, the earpiece was the only way of listening to electronically-generated audio signals. Thereafter, amplifiers were developed, and the role of earpieces became more a matter of personal preference than necessity. Nowadays, earpieces are used for convenience â€" where privacy is desired, or where mobility is important. Depending on its design, an earpiece can also be variously known as headphones, ear buds, stereo phones or headsets.
what is an earpieceEarpieces can be organized broadly into two categories â€" wired earpieces and cordless or wireless earpieces. The wireless types use either radio waves or infrared signals to connect to the signal sources. Earpieces for CD players, computers or mobile phones are some examples. A signal transmission link is used, like Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi.
The wired earpiece has to be physically attached to a signal source. To facilitate this, jacks at the end of the cords are inserted into the signal source. Jack sizes have been standardized, and the most common size is the 3.5 millimeter (about 0.2 inches) that was brought into the market by the Sony Company in 1979. The much older, 1/4 inch (about 6.4 mm) jack is now used only in professional equipment. When wiring up the stereo jacks, the tip is always the left channel, the portion in between is the right channel, and the outer sleeve is the ground.
The use of ear buds has a profound impact on how one perceives sound. This is because an earpiece feeds the sound directly into the eardrums, without the normal acoustic contouring by the listener’s head and outer ear that normal loudspeakers give scope for. Lacking these spatial references, the brain then imagines the sound to be in a straight line within the head and between the ears. This strips the sound of its 3 dimensional effect, otherwise produced by the normal loudspeakers.
From their shapes and sizes, earpieces can be placed into four categories. The circum-aural types have large pads that surround the outer ear. They are most commonly used in recording studios. The supra-aural headphones fit just over the ear, without fully surrounding it. Ear buds are designed to fit inside outer ear’s canal. However, they don’t fully cover the canal, and exterior sounds can still be heard around them. In contrast, canal phones, the fourth category, fit snugly into the ear’s canal, and effectively block off the external sounds.
Broadly speaking, an earpiece refers to anything that functions by either covering the ear, or hanging near the ear. In this broad category are the parts of an eyeglass frame that extend over the ear, and any material specifically designed to fit into the ear and block off the entry of sound or water. The most common meaning of an "earpiece" however is an electronic device that converts electronic signals into sound waves, and directs them into the ear. In this context, the earpiece can also be called an electronic-acoustic transducer.
Originally, the earpiece was the only way of listening to electronically-generated audio signals. Thereafter, amplifiers were developed, and the role of earpieces became more a matter of personal preference than necessity. Nowadays, earpieces are used for convenience â€" where privacy is desired, or where mobility is important. Depending on its design, an earpiece can also be variously known as headphones, ear buds, stereo phones or headsets.
what is an earpieceEarpieces can be organized broadly into two categories â€" wired earpieces and cordless or wireless earpieces. The wireless types use either radio waves or infrared signals to connect to the signal sources. Earpieces for CD players, computers or mobile phones are some examples. A signal transmission link is used, like Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi.
The wired earpiece has to be physically attached to a signal source. To facilitate this, jacks at the end of the cords are inserted into the signal source. Jack sizes have been standardized, and the most common size is the 3.5 millimeter (about 0.2 inches) that was brought into the market by the Sony Company in 1979. The much older, 1/4 inch (about 6.4 mm) jack is now used only in professional equipment. When wiring up the stereo jacks, the tip is always the left channel, the portion in between is the right channel, and the outer sleeve is the ground.
The use of ear buds has a profound impact on how one perceives sound. This is because an earpiece feeds the sound directly into the eardrums, without the normal acoustic contouring by the listener’s head and outer ear that normal loudspeakers give scope for. Lacking these spatial references, the brain then imagines the sound to be in a straight line within the head and between the ears. This strips the sound of its 3 dimensional effect, otherwise produced by the normal loudspeakers.
From their shapes and sizes, earpieces can be placed into four categories. The circum-aural types have large pads that surround the outer ear. They are most commonly used in recording studios. The supra-aural headphones fit just over the ear, without fully surrounding it. Ear buds are designed to fit inside outer ear’s canal. However, they don’t fully cover the canal, and exterior sounds can still be heard around them. In contrast, canal phones, the fourth category, fit snugly into the ear’s canal, and effectively block off the external sounds.
Saturday, 14 March 2015
Here Are More AM Suggestion
The supplier of the article post is here - this website
I thought you should know that the FCC has just licensed a digital TV station with an ancillary service in the form of an analog FM radio station. This new service can create thousands of powerful FM radio stations, which can be leased to current AM radio stations now struggling with broadcast difficulties.
Recent studies have shown that the 0.62 MHz now unused by DTV stations can be efficiently employed for other services, with no interference to or from either the DTV reception or, for example, FM radio reception. No new spectrum, or change in current spectrum use, is required. FM receivers, which can receive all VHF and UHF TV stations’ analog audio, were readily available since the 1980s from many manufacturers, and could easily be again.
The first DTV station licensed to broadcast this added analog FM is W26DC-D in New York. No interference of any kind has been observed. It uses the upper 200 kHz of the digital channel for monaural analog FM, and is well received by the older FM radios mentioned above. (Stereo FM analog, and digital radio, could also be broadcast.)
The FCC had previously shown concern that this added ancillary service might adversely affect new cochannels, but this has been disproved for the specific conditions employed.
This extended use of DTV spectrum could solve the problems of current AM radio stations by allowing them all to migrate to this new FM band, with no need to disturb any existing service. All that is needed is an FM transmitter output injected into the antenna line of a full- or low-power digital television station.
I hope advantage can be taken by the radio and television industry of this novel spectrum use.
Richard D. Bogner
Retired, Former President and Owner
Island Broadcasting Co.
Roslyn, N.Y.
ENFORCE THE RULES
As a major player in the world of AM radio and as one who is vested deeply, I am continually amazed at people who are not invested trying to tell us how to live.
AM radio in itself needs no improvement!! It works just fine. The problem is simple: The FCC has dropped the ball and fails to recognize the problem is the environment surrounding it. It is man-made interference that has caused the problem, and if the commission had enforced the incidental radiation rules, we would not be compromised as we are today.
All these hearings and meetings always attack the AM spectrum itself. It is just plain wrong! Enforce the rules and make sure radio manufacturers build good radios.
I listen to AM with my Icom Ham Radio with its digital noise blanker and love every moment of it.
Tom King’s article (“King Lays Out ‘Critical Steps’â€) in the Sept. 24 Radio World was right on â€" except for C-Quam, which was a disaster.
Just because the inventor of the best stereo for AM was a eccentric old man and didn’t have a ton of money to spread around in the propaganda war The Commission selected C Quam. They said it was in the public interest... The Washington bureaucrats wouldn’t know public interest if it hit them in the backside. Face it â€" AM broadcasters, we have been screwed by the government. Maybe if some of these high-test consultants would get their heads out of their backsides we could salvage AM.
God bless you, Mr. King, but the Kahn system rules.
Ed De La Hunt
Owner
De La Hunt Broadcasting
Kelliher, Minn.
LATE TO THE PARTY
The problem with NextRadio and iHeartRadio (“Coleman Says Demand ‘Strong’ for NextRadio,†radioworld.com, Aug. 1) is that they are a few years too late to the party.
All of the college kids I know (and I work for a college radio station) use the free app from TuneIn Radio.    If you’re not on represented on TuneIn, you’re not really streaming anyway.
Students don’t like to have a separate app for every station they listen to. That just causes clutter on their device … and TuneIn even has some AM stations represented.
Bart Jones
Chief Engineer
KFKX(FM)
Hastings College
Hastings, Neb.
http://www.radioworld.com/article/here-are-more-am-suggestions/273542
I thought you should know that the FCC has just licensed a digital TV station with an ancillary service in the form of an analog FM radio station. This new service can create thousands of powerful FM radio stations, which can be leased to current AM radio stations now struggling with broadcast difficulties.
Recent studies have shown that the 0.62 MHz now unused by DTV stations can be efficiently employed for other services, with no interference to or from either the DTV reception or, for example, FM radio reception. No new spectrum, or change in current spectrum use, is required. FM receivers, which can receive all VHF and UHF TV stations’ analog audio, were readily available since the 1980s from many manufacturers, and could easily be again.
The first DTV station licensed to broadcast this added analog FM is W26DC-D in New York. No interference of any kind has been observed. It uses the upper 200 kHz of the digital channel for monaural analog FM, and is well received by the older FM radios mentioned above. (Stereo FM analog, and digital radio, could also be broadcast.)
The FCC had previously shown concern that this added ancillary service might adversely affect new cochannels, but this has been disproved for the specific conditions employed.
This extended use of DTV spectrum could solve the problems of current AM radio stations by allowing them all to migrate to this new FM band, with no need to disturb any existing service. All that is needed is an FM transmitter output injected into the antenna line of a full- or low-power digital television station.
I hope advantage can be taken by the radio and television industry of this novel spectrum use.
Richard D. Bogner
Retired, Former President and Owner
Island Broadcasting Co.
Roslyn, N.Y.
ENFORCE THE RULES
As a major player in the world of AM radio and as one who is vested deeply, I am continually amazed at people who are not invested trying to tell us how to live.
AM radio in itself needs no improvement!! It works just fine. The problem is simple: The FCC has dropped the ball and fails to recognize the problem is the environment surrounding it. It is man-made interference that has caused the problem, and if the commission had enforced the incidental radiation rules, we would not be compromised as we are today.
All these hearings and meetings always attack the AM spectrum itself. It is just plain wrong! Enforce the rules and make sure radio manufacturers build good radios.
I listen to AM with my Icom Ham Radio with its digital noise blanker and love every moment of it.
Tom King’s article (“King Lays Out ‘Critical Steps’â€) in the Sept. 24 Radio World was right on â€" except for C-Quam, which was a disaster.
Just because the inventor of the best stereo for AM was a eccentric old man and didn’t have a ton of money to spread around in the propaganda war The Commission selected C Quam. They said it was in the public interest... The Washington bureaucrats wouldn’t know public interest if it hit them in the backside. Face it â€" AM broadcasters, we have been screwed by the government. Maybe if some of these high-test consultants would get their heads out of their backsides we could salvage AM.
God bless you, Mr. King, but the Kahn system rules.
Ed De La Hunt
Owner
De La Hunt Broadcasting
Kelliher, Minn.
LATE TO THE PARTY
The problem with NextRadio and iHeartRadio (“Coleman Says Demand ‘Strong’ for NextRadio,†radioworld.com, Aug. 1) is that they are a few years too late to the party.
All of the college kids I know (and I work for a college radio station) use the free app from TuneIn Radio.    If you’re not on represented on TuneIn, you’re not really streaming anyway.
Students don’t like to have a separate app for every station they listen to. That just causes clutter on their device … and TuneIn even has some AM stations represented.
Bart Jones
Chief Engineer
KFKX(FM)
Hastings College
Hastings, Neb.
http://www.radioworld.com/article/here-are-more-am-suggestions/273542
Sunday, 1 March 2015
Stick this thing in your ear to lose weight
Say hello to the BitBite, a wearable health coach that you stick in your ear to help you improve your eating habits. Oh, and it's a fully functional Bluetooth headset too.
Today's entrant in the world of weird wearables is BitBite, a new device that monitors how much you eat, as well as the type of food you consume. Did we mention that you stick it in your ear?
BitBite has a small, contoured design that its creators claim is built to perfectly fit your ear for maximum comfort. To use BitBite, just put the patent-pending earpiece in your ear at mealtime, and the gadget will, using a built-in microphone and sensors, automatically track how quickly or slowly you chew your food and how much food you're taking in. It then sends that information via Bluetooth to an app that analyzes the data.
You can even talk to BitBite, via the mic, to tell it what you're eating (no lying now!), which further lets the product assess your habits and coach you in real time to do better.
For example, BitBite can tell you to PUT THE DOUGHUT DOWN, DUDE and opt for a piece of fruit instead, and it can remind you to slow your chewing down so you become more mindful of your body's cues and stop eating when you're feeling full.
All this information is managed with a connected app for iOS and Android devices. From what we've seen of the app so far, it seems well designed and presents users with a ton of information -- from the amount of bites taken to the amount of protein, carbs and fat ingested.
In addition to being able to track your eating habits, BitBite also functions as a Bluetooth headset, though its battery life -- three hours on a single charge -- will probably have you reaching for the charger often if you plan to use BitBite as a Bluetooth earpiece. The company says the battery life is good enough for three days of monitoring your food intake, however.
BitBite has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to help bring its product to market, and has raised $27,813 of its $60,000 goal as of this writing. The current price for one BitBite unit for early backers is $109 (about £69.39, AU$125.02), and that will jump to $119 (about £75.75, AU$136.51) once the 200 earlybird units have been reserved. Each unit comes with a USB charger and a wristband or clip so you don't lose the BitBite while it's not in use, and shipments are expected to begin in June 2015.
BitBite looks to be a compelling product that could help users adopt healthier habits, but you will have to deal with the fact that you're going to be that person walking around with a weird thing in your ear to help you get there.
http://www.cnet.com/uk/news/bitbite-stick-this-thing-in-your-ear-to-lose-weight/
Today's entrant in the world of weird wearables is BitBite, a new device that monitors how much you eat, as well as the type of food you consume. Did we mention that you stick it in your ear?
BitBite has a small, contoured design that its creators claim is built to perfectly fit your ear for maximum comfort. To use BitBite, just put the patent-pending earpiece in your ear at mealtime, and the gadget will, using a built-in microphone and sensors, automatically track how quickly or slowly you chew your food and how much food you're taking in. It then sends that information via Bluetooth to an app that analyzes the data.
You can even talk to BitBite, via the mic, to tell it what you're eating (no lying now!), which further lets the product assess your habits and coach you in real time to do better.
For example, BitBite can tell you to PUT THE DOUGHUT DOWN, DUDE and opt for a piece of fruit instead, and it can remind you to slow your chewing down so you become more mindful of your body's cues and stop eating when you're feeling full.
All this information is managed with a connected app for iOS and Android devices. From what we've seen of the app so far, it seems well designed and presents users with a ton of information -- from the amount of bites taken to the amount of protein, carbs and fat ingested.
In addition to being able to track your eating habits, BitBite also functions as a Bluetooth headset, though its battery life -- three hours on a single charge -- will probably have you reaching for the charger often if you plan to use BitBite as a Bluetooth earpiece. The company says the battery life is good enough for three days of monitoring your food intake, however.
BitBite has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to help bring its product to market, and has raised $27,813 of its $60,000 goal as of this writing. The current price for one BitBite unit for early backers is $109 (about £69.39, AU$125.02), and that will jump to $119 (about £75.75, AU$136.51) once the 200 earlybird units have been reserved. Each unit comes with a USB charger and a wristband or clip so you don't lose the BitBite while it's not in use, and shipments are expected to begin in June 2015.
BitBite looks to be a compelling product that could help users adopt healthier habits, but you will have to deal with the fact that you're going to be that person walking around with a weird thing in your ear to help you get there.
http://www.cnet.com/uk/news/bitbite-stick-this-thing-in-your-ear-to-lose-weight/
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