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

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."

Pronunciation of Gi-Fi

[xdc]

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

We need a free version

[LiquidCoooled]

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.

"GiFi"???

[gstoddart]

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

Wow

[eclectro]

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

Trademark Infringement

[DogAlmity]

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

Re:Pronunciation of Gi-Fi

[Stanistani]

>>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.

Re:Pronunciation of Gi-Fi

[poot_rootbeer]

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".

Hotspots

[Tarlus]

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

Oh, Wirelesss.

[Anonymous Coward]

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

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:huge power consumption

[josh82]

"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.