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Linux Powers First Handheld Software Radio

An anonymous reader writes "According to this article at LinuxDevices.com, Vanu Technology is demonstrating what it claims represents the world's first handheld 'software radio' using an iPAQ PDA running Linux at a conference in Washington DC today. Vanu apparently has implemented the signal processing functions on the iPAQ's XScale processor, and their software uses POSIX APIs to make it platform independent. Software radios implement multiple radio standards and frequency bands in software, rather than hardware. A standard iPAQ expansion pack houses the radio transceiver."

9 of 161 comments (clear)

  1. w00t by DarkKnightRadick · · Score: 0, Funny

    Linux, radio, and my PDA. That rocks (or it would if I had a PDA). Anyone know about cheap PCI radio tuner cards? I'm itching to listen to the radio on my comp. :)

    --
    "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Proverbs 16:25 (NKJV)
  2. But.... by Cali+Thalen · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yeah, but does it run Li... ...oh, never mind....

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    Chaos, panic, disorder...my work here is done.
  3. Re:Call me old fashioned... by seann · · Score: 3, Funny

    Don't be sorry that you're an elitist mother fucker. :)

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  4. Hmmmm....so does this mean..... by flyneye · · Score: 2, Funny

    radios in software......instead of hardware....*scratches head*
    so listening in on cop band and other unautorized channels could be a few lines of code away then...
    nah too f***ing good to be true.some biatch with a herfgun come along and take it out anyway*continues daydreaming*

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  5. Get with it, dude by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Holy cheeses, man, who the hell wants to listen to a $5 transistor radio when you can hear the same thing on $1500 worth of uber-geek gear?

  6. Re:Is it a real "plus" ? by dr_dank · · Score: 3, Funny

    significant improvements/advantages (like super fine tuning, rms, ta, like the stuff on the car audio tuners)

    Lets not get carried away. Theres NO way Stallman will fit in the box.

    --
    Where does the school board find them and why do they keep sending them to ME?
  7. Re:Call me old fashioned... by afidel · · Score: 4, Funny

    The possibilities for software radio are mind boggling.

    And the short length of time your batteries will last will boggle the mind even more. Using a general purpose CPU to do all of that comm stuff would use many times more power then dedicated ASIC's. To find out how much this would suck, insert an 802.11b card into the PC Card sleeve on an iPaq, do a constant ping, and run an app that utilized 100% cpu.

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  8. Re:PCI Card for computer? AM Too? by Montag2k · · Score: 2, Funny
    You really don't want to try to get AM inside a computer. It's so full of nasty EMI you'll just get a head full of static and pops and buzzes.
    So how do you tell the difference between that and Rush Limbaugh?
  9. Re:PCI Card for computer? AM Too? by Wordsmith · · Score: 2, Funny

    He's full of something ...