Hytera Offers Digital Two-way Radio Solution to 62nd Macau Grand Prix

The 4-day 62nd Macau Grand Prix was rounded off at Macau Guia Circuit on November 22nd with over 80,000 audiences entering into the circuit to experience the fast and furious brought by the world top drivers and cars. Since tentative collaboration with the event committee in 2013 and 2014, Hytera was finally chosen as the official radio supplier this year to replace the legacy system and terminals with up-to-date communication equipments which helps the event committee organize and manage the global renowned sporting event in Macau.

The Macau Grand Prix is a historical street racing and known as one of the most demanding circuits in the world due to the challenging nature of the track, which consists of fast straights, tight corners and uncompromising crash barriers. Accidents happen almost in every racing competition. This year is not an exception.

Considering the potential circumstances would happen during the race, a tailor-made DMR two-way radio solution to fulfill multiple synchronized calls were proposed by Hytera and adopted by the event committee and all the supporting staff scattered along the circuit. "I have to praise all the supporting staff this year, they have done a very good job in handling the emergencies on the track with really high efficiency," the live broadcast presenter commented. The radio communication between committee and the execution teams has made indispensable contribution for the high efficiency.

"The adoption by Macau Grand Prix is a significant breakthrough and a great recognition for Hytera," said Sam Cheung, the Sales Engineer of Unicom Technology, regional partner of Hytera in Hong Kong and Macau.



In addition to the massive use on the track, the Hytera radios can be also found in the pit lane by several racing teams which includes the one FIA F3 defending champion Felix Rosenqvist drives. The Swedish driver successfully retained his championship title in the Suncity Group Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix - FIA F3 Intercontinental Cup this year. "The Hytera PD788 portable radios used by the racing teams are not part of the agreement but brought by the teams themselves," said Kuan Weng Fai, the owner of Shun Tat Electronic Engineering, local partner of Hytera in Macau.

Besides the official collaboration with Grand Prix Macau, Hytera also facilitated Macau International Marathon for the first time; in addition, Hytera completed projects for Top 3 bus services operators in Macau including Transportes Urbanos de Macau, Sociedade de Transportes Colectivos de Macau and Macau Nova Era De Autocarros Publicos, which marks big breakthrough in the field of mass transit segment; in the meantime, Hytera also fulfilled a number of commercial projects such as FBC Centre, Macau Golf Country Club, Suncity Group and Galaxy Macau Phase II and Broadway Macau, a new landmark destination launched in May this year for Macau. "It is our honor to have the recognition from customers, we will carry on our work to satisfy more and more customers in Macau," said Wilson Hu, Sales Director of Hytera.

The Macau Grand Prix is a motor racing event, surprisingly held in Macau, China. So it’s not a surprise that the biggest two way radio communication company, based in china, are suppliers of the communications. It’s known as a street circuit race for cars and bikes, the only one in the world. Held in November with one of the highlights a Formula 3 race with the winner being awarded the FIA Formula 3 Intercontinental Cup. We sourced this article from here 

ETRI presents a blueprint of the 5G Future

We will see a huge change in the way we access the the internet in the future when 5G is here, at speeds that only big businesses and high level internet companies see at the moment, we will have this to hand on our smart phones and tablets. When 5G is hundreds of times faster than any of the UK's broadbands, households will be looking to the mobile phone companies to supply their home broadband.

A 5G future is no longer a distant one, but an upcoming reality. High quality videos of more than 10Mbps can be served simultaneously to 100 users even in a train running at up to 500km/h. People can experience data rates that are 100 times faster than currently available technologies.

The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) of Korea will hold a "5G technology demonstration" on the 18th December, 2015. It will demonstrate future SNS (social network service) and several 5G core technologies such as "millimeter wave", "Mobile Hot-spot Network", "in-band full duplex" and so on.

5G is the next generation wireless technology that would provide even faster data rates, even lower delays, and even more devices connected than 4G. Accordingly, distinct and differentiated applications are expected in 5G.



ETRI's "future SNS" is a kind of trial service model to apply 5G technologies that provides dynamic user-centric connection to neighboring people, things and spaces. It is characterized by instant content-sharing between users, communication with neighboring things, and Giga-bps(Gbps)-grade video applications in vehicles.

5G core technologies demonstrated by ETRI include the following:

-- MHN (Mobile Hot-spot Network) is a mobile backhaul technology that provides high-speed Internet access of Gbps in vehicles at speeds of up to 500 km/h (e.g. KTX in Korea). Almost 100 passengers can watch videos of high quality simultaneously.

-- ZING is a near-field communication technology that enables mass data to be transmitted with 3.5 Gbps data rate between neighboring devices within the radius of 10cm.

-- Single-RF-Chain compact MIMO technology enables a single antenna to simulate the effect of multiple antenna. It can reduce antenna volume and cancel inter-antenna interference in a multi-antenna system.

-- Millimeter wave (mmWave) beam switching technology provides fast switching of radio beams to mobile users, and therefore allows seamless Gbps-grade service in mobile environments.

-- Mobile Edge Platform (MEP) is a mobile edge cloud server on vehicles that enables passengers to enjoy customized Gbps-grade content and connects them with neighbors, things and spaces. It provides user-centric services.

-- In-band Full Duplex technology can transmit and receive signals simultaneously over the same frequency band. It can increase spectral efficiency by up to two times.

-- Small cell SW technology is designed for AP(Access Point)-sized small cell base stations that can reduce communication dead zones and improve data rates per user in a hot-spot area.

"With this demonstration event, we are officially introducing our R&D results on 5G. We will continue to lead the development of 5G technologies. Also, we are trying to develop commercialization technologies needed by businesses, and to construct a 5G ecosystem." said Dr. Hyun Kyu Chung, vice president of ETRI Communication & Internet Lab.

In January, 2016, ETRI will demonstrate Giga internet service and future SNS in a Seoul subway train installed with MHN and ZING kiosks. ETRI will also introduce hand-over technology on a millimeter wave mobile communication system and 5G radio access technology that satisfies 1 millisecond radio latency.

About ETRI

Established in 1976, ETRI is a non-profit Korean government-funded research organization that has been at the forefront of technological excellence for about 40 years. In the 1980s, ETRI developed TDX (Time Division Exchange) and 4M DRAM. In the 1990s, ETRI commercialized CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) for the first time in the world. In the 2000s, ETRI developed Terrestrial DMB, WiBro, and LTE-A, which became the foundation of mobile communications.

Recently, as a global ICT leader, ETRI has been advancing communication and convergence by developing Ship Area Network technology, Genie Talk (world class portable automatic interpretation; Korean-English/Japanese/Chinese), and automated valet parking technology. As of 2015, ETRI has about 2,000 employees where about 1,800 of them are researchers.

Advantages of using the Two Way Radios for Skiing

Skiing is a very interesting outdoor activity that individuals or groups of people such as family members or friends can engage in, either for fun or sporting purposes. However, it is quite easy to be separated from a skiing crew, especially if you are skiing in a large area with people of varying skiing abilities. Moreover, cell phones tend to be quite unreliable in mountainous areas due to low network coverage. It can therefore become difficult to locate the members of your crew once you separate. To overcome this challenge, you can use two way radios for easier communication. Below are some of the benefits of using the two way radio for skiing

Ease of Use

Unlike in the case of mobile phones where you need to search for people’s contacts or key in the numbers before calling them, the two way radio communication system is more simplified. It is specially designed to enable you to conveniently communicate with other members by a simple touch of the button. This means that you can easily communicate with them in case of an emergency.

Wide-Range Coverage

Instead of gesturing wildly or allowing your voice to become hoarse due to shouting as you try to communicate with your team members, you can opt for this type of radio communication. It is typically designed to cover a large area, which will help to keep your conversations active as well as organized. For instance an effective two way radio system can cover up to 25 miles under optimal conditions.

Better Accountability

While you are out there in a vast and rugged terrain, it can be quite difficult to know where every team member is at any particular time. The two way radio system will however enable parents, team leaders as well as companies that run skiing slopes to know where each person is at any time, which is extremely important for accountability purposes.

Power Efficiency

Most of these gadgets are power efficient and can operate on standard AAA or AA batteries as well as rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries. This means that you will not need to worry about power depletion. You just need to carry enough batteries to replace those that get depleted. Alternatively, you can recharge your Lithium ion battery using the charging system in your car. This will help to ensure that there is no communication breakdown.

Hands-Free Communication

The best way to remain comfortable while using the two way radio for skiing is by using earpieces or headsets. These accessories allow you to have hands-free communication. This will enable you to concentrate on skiing, instead of having to pick and put back the radio all the time. Moreover, most of them are compact and lightweight gadgets which will not weigh you down as you glide down the slope.

Water Resistance

While skiing, your communication device may sometimes fall in snow or water. In extreme cases, a storm can find you while you are busy enjoying the activity. In such a case, you need a waterproof gadget that will not spoil when it soaks in water. And that is why a two way radio is important as it is designed with such factors in mind, hence it is water resistant.

GPS Integration

For enhanced safety and easier location while engaging in your outdoor skiing activities, the two way radios can be integrated with the Global Positioning System (GPS). This allows different users to easily broadcast their GPS location coordinates. This feature can be life-saving, for instance in case of an avalanche fall, or if one member gets trapped while skiing.

NOAA Weather Information

Knowing that you might be faced with severe weather is extremely important especially when you are skiing in remote areas. Most of these radio communication gadgets have support for the NOAA weather channels. They have built-in alerts to let you know when extreme weather is approaching. This aspect can enable you to take cover and avoid any form of disaster.

Wild gesturing and shouting may not work as a means of communication when skiing in a vast area with a large team skiers. To overcome such a challenge, you can use the two way radio communication system. The unit is convenient, easy to use, power efficient and quite cost effective. Moreover, it promotes accountability as it is easier to know where each team member is at any single time.

Understanding The Essentials of 2 way Radio Antenna

An antenna is essentially the most crucial element of a two way radio and other transmitting application such as cell phones, television, radar, or satellite communication. It is responsible for performing the most important task - converting electric power to transmittable radio waves and the other way round.

How an Antenna Works

To transmit a signal, the transmitter provides an electric charge that oscillates at a specific radio frequency to the terminals of the antenna. Consequently, the antenna sends out corresponding electromagnetic waves. During reception, the antenna takes some of the power of the transmitted electromagnetic waves to generate an extremely small voltage for the terminals, which is then redirected to a receiver that amplifies the signals. This is basically how an antenna works.

Extensive Applications

The applications supported by an antenna go beyond communication. The same concept powers today's high tech wireless applications that run computer networks; Bluetooth enabled systems, garage door openers, and baby monitors. It's important to know that a perfectly functioning antenna is not only critical to the functioning of your two way radio; it also helps maintain the life or longevity of your equipment.

The Bigger, The Better

The first and most important rule of thumb about an antenna to keep in mind is that the taller it is, the higher your db gain. A high volume of db gain is critical to achieving a stronger reach and better performance of your two way radio equipment. This basically translates to, "the bigger, the better." However, in order to achieve results in practical situations, the antenna can have only so much height. In essence you have to sacrifice convenience for performance or vice versa. You can't walk around or even install a gigantic antenna for all your needs, say for example your car radio.

Positioning of Antenna

The second rule of thumb pertains to the positioning of your antenna. The most optimal position for then antenna would be the centre of your metal car roof. In situations where this is not possible, you would need a "no ground plane" antenna. A no ground plane is basically just a metal surface that goes around the base of your antenna so that you have something for the radiating signal to react with. The next aspect you need to consider for your antenna is the frequencies at which you would be transmitting on. A VHF radio transmits and receives in a range from 136 to 174 MHz.



Chubby and Long Antennas

There are different kinds of two radio antennas available depending on how you want to use it. The large stock antenna is powerful and can be replaced or upgraded as you require. The shorter or stubby antenna provides a great deal of convenience. You can add a longer whip antenna to enhance your range. When it comes to two way radios, you stand to gain a great deal of advantages by having a business radio that comes with a removable antenna. The one problem is that removable antennas may not necessarily be compatible with all kinds of radios.

SwiftKey launches symbol-based communication app for people who are non-verbal

Any technology that can improve peoples lives is always a technology that will be championed by us here, and if it is helping people with learning or speech difficulties then that is more incentive for us to bring it to our readers. This is current available on the google store for android devices and we are stating now that this should be on apple devices as soon as possible, the original article can be found on the verge website.

SwiftKey, the predictive smartphone keyboard company, wants to help people who are non-verbal communicate with others. The company launched an experimental symbol-based assistive app today called SwiftKey Symbol, which it says can be used to build sentences using images. SwiftKey staff who have family members with autism spectrum disorder came up with the idea for the tool, according to the company's blog.



The app, which is free and available on Android, makes use of SwiftKey's predictive technology to suggest symbols that might be used to finish a sentence. Outside factors like the time of day or the day of the week will influence these predictions, the company says. Users can also add their own images and use audio playback to read out to sentence to others.

Symbol-based communication apps like this aren't new. Apps like Proloqui2Go and TouchChat also rely on pictograms to build sentences. But these tools can be expensive, and SwitKey says that its own take on the assistive app will be able to form sentences faster than the competition. "A lot of the current communication tools on the market are often too slow to select a particular image a child might choose," the company wrote on its blog. "We realized that SwiftKey’s core prediction and personalization technology â€" which learns from each individual as they use it â€" would be a natural fit for people on the autistic spectrum who respond particularly well to routine-based activity."

In the US, about two in 100 children have an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. People with autism have varied needs, so it's possible that this app could enhance communication for some people. We haven't tried the app yet â€" but we're eager to see what it can do.

Motorola Solutions to buy UK's Airwave for $1.24 billion

As this article shows, Motorola move closer to sealing the deal to supply the emergency services for the whole of the UK, this move seems to prove what we have been saying, as Airwave have a working relationship with the emergency services and a good majority of the equipment they use are Motorolas' own products they are in an excellent position now.

Walkie-talkie and radio systems maker Motorola Solutions Inc said it would buy UK-based communications company Airwave Solutions Ltd for 817.5 million pounds ($1.24 billion) to beef up its services business.



Shares of Schaumburg, Illinois-based Motorola were up 3.4 percent in extended trading on Thursday.

Airwave, owned by a fund of Australia's Macquarie Group Ltd, provides voice and data communications to more than 300 emergency and public service agencies in Great Britain.

Motorola's sales have slipped as its major customers, which include police and fire departments as well as other government agencies, curtail budgets.

The company is trying to strengthen its services business - which provides communication services to governments, businesses and public safety agencies - to drive growth.

Activist investor ValueAct, Motorola's largest shareholder, said last month the company's shares were undervalued and that it would talk to its board about ways to enhance shareholder value.

Motorola Solutions said it plans to fund the purchase of Airwave, which has about 600 employees, with bank financing and cash on hand.

The deal is expected to add to adjusted earnings and free cash flow immediately after closing in the first quarter of 2016, Motorola said.

What Are The Types Of Motorola Connectors?

Since the 1920’s Motorola has been leading the advancement of radio technology in more ways than one. From the battery eliminator created in 1928 to the world’s first handheld public safety LTE device created in 2012, Motorola truly has been an innovator in the radio world.


There was one of Motorola’s products that stood out and started paving the way for the Motorola brand name. That was their two-way radio systems. In 1978 Motorola introduced the RDX1000. This device was a portable data terminal. With a built-in keyboard and advanced transmitters, The RDX1000 made it possible for a person to share information, like inventory control, wirelessly with a central computer system. It is because of advancements and products like the RDX1000 that Motorola was awarded the National Medal of Technology twice.

Yet, even with being the one of the leading technological companies they still had their issues. For example, the connectors used for their devices, usually, were confusing and weren’t universal like most of our tech is today. Yes, with being in the lead of the industry with innovative products they needed new forms of connectors and pieces that couldn’t exactly be matched by other companies. To be more specific, the connectors to the Motorola earpieces came with their own specific confusions.

Over the course of the years, Motorola devices have had over 50 different types of earpiece connectors. Motorola earpieces are specific to their devices so the pieces chosen had to be precisely specific to the device it was being matched with. You can imagine, with over 50 different types of connectors, finding the correct corresponding puzzle piece that would fit was imperative. The confusion wasn’t just limited to a small portion of the Motorola accessories . Motorola earpieces were different by model of the same device as well. With the earpieces you can’t exactly go by looks either. Most of the earpieces look very similar with very subtle difference.

Even though some had connectors with very similar differences. Differences ranging from appearance and size of the connector to the type of material used in the pin of the connector itself. This confusion also spans over several different years of manufacturing as well. With connectors from earlier years being a small series of pins in lateral form that would only connect to the proper outlet with the proper series of pins. Or like the single pin connector that would only be in a specific size per model, you wouldn’t exactly be able to take a Kenwood connector and confuse it with a Motorola 2-pin connector because on these connectors the pins are of a different size to the Kenwood. Some specific connectors can be understood considering the advancing of the technology as well as the device it connects to has some significance.

The importance of the device does have some control over the type of connector used as well. Because you don’t want to issue and offer a radio and have to worry about it getting lost or stolen and being used for an inappropriate purpose. But, you would expect a device in the same model family to be able to connect or at least the connectors to be somewhat interchangeable. This isn’t the case with Motorola radios. For example, The DP2400 two way radio takes a Clip on block style of connector. While the DP3400 responder radio has to have a Screw in Block  connector in order for the product to be used properly. Even though the station and responder radio are two different products, they share similarities and commonalities. Also you would expect them to share the same connector.

Unfortunately this is the case with many of the Motorola earpieces.