Li-Fi is a new wireless technology that transmits high-speed data using visible light communication (VLC). Earlier this year, scientists were able to achieve a speed of 224 gigabits per second in the lab. If Li-Fi proves implementable, it could change everything about the way we use the Internet.

Now, scientists have taken Li-Fi out of the lab for the first time, testing it in offices and industrial environments, reporting that they have achieved data transmissions of 1 GB per second - 100 times faster than current average Wi-Fi speeds.

"We are doing a few pilot projects within different industries where we can utilize the VLC (visible light communication) technology," said Deepak Solanki, CEO of Estonian tech company, Velmenni.

"Currently we have designed a smart lighting solution for an industrial environment where the data communication is done through light. We are also doing a pilot project with a private client where we are setting up a Li-Fi network to access the Internet in their office space.”

Li-Fi was invented by Harald Haas from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland back in 2011, when he demonstrated for the first time that by flickering the light from a single LED, he could transmit far more data than a cellular tower.

The technology uses Visible Light Communication (VLC), a medium that uses visible light between 400 and 800 terahertz (THz). It works basically like an incredibly advanced form of Morse code - just like switching a torch on and off according to a certain pattern can relay a secret message, flicking an LED on and off at extreme speeds can be used to write and transmit things in binary code.

And while you might be worried about how all that flickering in an office environment would drive you crazy, don’t worry - we’re talking LEDs that can be switched on and off at speeds imperceptible to the naked eye.
The benefits of Li-Fi over Wi-Fi, other than potentially much faster speeds, is that because light cannot pass through walls, it makes it a whole lot more secure.
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While Li-Fi will probably not completely replace Wi-Fi in the coming decades, the two technologies could be used together to achieve more efficient and secure networks.

When Nick Woodman and Tony Bates started GoPro action cameras 13 years ago, no one thought they would define an entirely new photography market. Today, the Hero 4 GoPro dominates the market and sells for $500.

Now, a new entrant, iSaw Edge, is offering a competitive action camera for a whopping $190! A lot of other products have tried to compete against GoPro with a cheaper product and failed. So what makes iSaw Edge so much better?

The product ships in a nicely packed container, very professionally produced and tidily presented. The real surprise however, comes when you open the box and find a bunch of goodies waiting for you to enjoy. We’re talking a heap of mounting options and other useful stuff, which you would usually have to pay extra for. And none of that cheap flimsy plastic rubbish either. It’s all solidly made and with a quality feel. There’s also a helpful User Guide in multiple languages.

As you’d expect from a GoPro clone, the Edge comes in a very typical black rectangle shape, all the better for fitting standardized action cam accessories. The camera itself is solidly built, with no flimsy catches or buttons, and it’s designed to be ultra easy to operate. Some evaluators have said they managed to produce quality stills and video without once looking at the user guide, which is a real testament to the designers.
One nice feature is the ability to tweak image settings such as ISO, exposure and so on, to improve your image quality in low light or other tricky situations. It’s the kind of flexibility you don’t find on other budget cameras, and is a neat touch. The iSaw Edge offers 4K video capability but at only 10 frames per second. If it’s 4K you’re looking for though, the GoPro still reigns supreme – but at a price!

What is undeniable though is the fact that the conventional 1080p 50 (or 60fps) mode delivers really delicious video quality, which is the sweet spot of any action camera. The underwater housing,  (providing waterproof protection up to 40 meters) should allow you to grab some truly awesome footage.

There are two standout features in the product in general. First the fact that there’s very little battery/power leak when the camera is not in use. The second thing is the ease of use with the smartphone app. It’s a trivial matter to get the camera and phone connected via WiFi and from then on you can use the phone as your remote control, which is great for tricky or more extreme captures.
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The iSaw Edge really sets the quality bar high for budget action cameras. It’s clearly a product which has been carefully thought out, and the result is a camera which can hold its own with any other model including the GoPro range. And considering it’s a fraction of the price of an equivalent GoPro, that’s a pretty superb achievement. The icing on the cake is the excellent set of accessories you get in the box, which means you don’t have to hunt around for bits and pieces to get shooting quickly. Overall this is an excellent product.

This week we feature two mobile printing solutions – one that’s in the concept stage and the other available for pre-order from Indiegogo.

The newest concept product is the Smart Magic Wand, designed by NamGyun-Kim for Yanko Design. The unit is both a printer and a scanner and includes an iPhone dock.

The portable printer comes equipped with an integrated iPhone dock. Just docking your device in the cradle, you can use the Smart Magic Wand to print out anything from your iPhone including the image displaying on the screen.

As a portable scanner, Smart Magic Wand helps you to scan and save images and text, and its wireless connectivity allows you to transmit scanning files to your smartphone. The unit is powered by a built-in rechargeable battery and comes with an SD card slot for expandable storage.

The other portable is the droPrinter. It’s a no nonsense compact device that prints black and white images and text. It works with both Android smartphones and iPhones. It measures 4.1” X 3.4” X 1.6”.

The droPrinter works with standard inexpensive thermal paper available at any office supply store. Each roll measures 85 feet. Moreover, its rechargeable battery not only offers 7 hours of continuous printing, but also doubles as a power bank to charge the phone.
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The droPrinter can be ordered for as little as $61 from Indiegogo.

Rufus Labs announced their new Rufus Cuff this past week. It’s a 3.2-inch tablet for your wrist that was designed to make the smartphone obsolete.

The Rufus Cuff, an Android OS wearable, looks like something out of a science fiction TV show. It's possibly the only device out there that can't be categorized using regular criteria. The Cuff is a wearable Android tablet for your wrist, one that might feel more aesthetically at home on the U.S.S. Enterprise .

Initial funding for the project is from Indiegogo. The Cuff is more of a wrist communicator than a smartwatch or smartband, and its highlighted voice and video call feature makes sure to differentiate its designation.

Despite the fact that the wearable minitablet looks a bit encumbering, with a 3.2-inch touchscreen (available in Jet Black, Turbo Red, and White Out) and a thick, interchangeable silicone wristband that comes in eight different colors, the Rufus Cuff more or less includes the same slew of basic features as comparable devices like the Apple Watch: apps from music to fitness, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectors for web access. And even though it's an Android, the wearable is also compatible with both Android and Apple iOS.

"It's not just a glorified notification center, we eventually see everyone ditching their phones," said Rufus Labs CEO and co-founder Gabe Grifoni in a recent interview. "This will replace the need for smartphones, wallets, watches, fitness trackers, everything." The device is available for pre-order here at an early-adopter price of $250.

As advances continue for both mobile and wearable devices, there are always the nagging barriers that impede progress. The major barrier in many cases, is battery technology.

Battery technology has never been able to keep pace with the innovation of other components, but a new breakthrough unveiled this week by Samsung could represent one of the most important advancements in mobile battery tech we’ve seen in quite some time.

This past week at the annual InterBattery 2015 expo in Seoul, South Korea, Samsung showed off two new batteries that represent major steps forward in battery tech for mobile devices.

Dubbed “Stripe” and “Band,” these new Samsung batteries are thin and flexible, allowing them to fit into components that could otherwise not house a battery.
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Samsung’s Band battery is designed to be housed in the flexible band of a smartwatch or fitness tracker, though its applications could certainly extend beyond those categories. Meanwhile, the Stripe battery can “bend and conform freely as a fiber and is equipped with innovative energy density,” according to Samsung. The new batteries are still in the prototype phase, but testing appears to be going quite well. According to Samsung, its new battery tech has the potential to increase battery life in some mobile devices by as much as 50%.