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"GiFi" — Short-Range, 5-Gbps Wireless For $10/Chip

Posted by kdawson on from the can-you-say-giga dept.

mickq writes "The Age reports that Melbourne scientists have built and demonstrated tiny CMOS chips, 5 mm per side, that can transmit 5 Gbps over short distances — about 10 m. The chip features a tiny 1-mm antenna, a power amp that is only a few microns wide, and power consumption of only 2 W. 'GiFi' appears set to revolutionize short-distance data transmission, and transmits in the relatively uncrowded 60GHz range. Best of all, the chip is only about a year away from public release, and will only cost around US $9.20 to produce."

11 of 190 comments (clear)

  1. Pronunciation of Gi-Fi by xdc · · Score: 5, Funny

    How do you pronounce Gi-Fi? "guy-fie"? "giffy"? "jiffy"?

    1. Re:Pronunciation of Gi-Fi by Stanistani · · Score: 2, Funny

      >>How do you pronounce Gi-Fi? "guy-fie"? "giffy"? "jiffy"?
      >I think: Goofy! Then it can even apply to wireless fetching of your shoes.

      Wouldn't that be Pluto?

      Of course, Goofy is an amiable guy - he'd probably say "Golly, gee, Mickey! Hyuck!" ...and get them for you.

      --
      You can't talk about Wikipedia's flaws on Wikipedia
    2. Re:Pronunciation of Gi-Fi by poot_rootbeer · · Score: 4, Funny

      How do you pronounce Gi-Fi?

      Since the abbreviation is derived from "Wi-Fi", and before that "Hi-Fi", I take it that they all rhyme, therefore Gi-Fi would be pronounced "guy - fye".

      And it is short for "guygabit fydelity".

  2. We need a free version by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 3, Funny

    If you use the proprietary GiFi protocol you may end up getting into patent trouble.
    We should create our own standard which does what we need and is not covered by existing patents.

    I suggest we call this protocol PnGi.

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    liqbase :: faster than paper
  3. "GiFi"??? by gstoddart · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wow, do we ever abuse these words.

    From "Hi-Fi" (High Fidelity) to "Wi-Fi" (Wireless, but the Fi sounds cool and people vaguely know what you mean) to "GiFi" as gigabit wireless, you've basically lost the actual underlying words.

    It almost seems like the whole "Fi" part is now just generally meaning "technology thingy".

    So, is a baker PieFi? A politician LieFi? Someone, please, stop the madness. :-P

    Cheers

    --
    Lost at C:>. Found at C.
  4. Wow by eclectro · · Score: 3, Funny

    This thing does so much, that if anything can get me a date, this chip can.

    --
    Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
  5. Trademark Infringement by DogAlmity · · Score: 4, Funny

    There's already a gay internet cafe near my house called Guy-Fi, and I think they're gonna be pissed.

  6. Hotspots by Tarlus · · Score: 3, Funny

    So if local coffee shops offer internet access with one of these, they can advertise that they have wireless G-spots!

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  7. Oh, Wirelesss. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    And here I thought that they finally got the GIF format to work with more than 256 colors.

  8. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  9. Re:huge power consumption by josh82 · · Score: 3, Funny

    "His chip uses only a tiny one-millimetre-wide antenna and less than two watts of power"

    "Typically, these types of networks measure power consumption in mW, not W."

    All right: two thousand milliwatts then, smartass.