TOKYO, JAPAN, November 16, 2012 --- NTT DOCOMO, INC. announced today that it has developed the world's first dual-mode small-cell base station, or femtocell, supporting 3G (W-CDMA) and LTE simultaneously for improved service coverage in indoor locations such as offices, shops and homes.

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In order for network operators to effectively deploy and manage such a large number of distributed access points (one analyst recently predicted 12 small cells will be deployed for each macro base station), these small-cell base stations need to be compact, inexpensive, energy efficient, reliable and easily manageable by the same system that operates macro cells.

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In these locations it can be traditionally either too difficult or costly to deploy a macro cell base station. lightRadio Metro Radio will provide a cost-effective alternative.

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The docking station holding the fuel cell and battery combination will make a Thinkpad one-third to one-half thicker and deeper.

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In this room, which is impervious to outside radio signals, our test engineers connected the phones to our base-station emulator, a device that simulates carrier cell towers (seevideo: IPhone 4 Design Defect Confirmed).

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Meanwhile at the International Space Station, astronauts are installing a new type of 3D-textured solar cell that will soak up 16 sunrises every day.

ENGADGET

Such materials could be used to make hydrogen cartridges that would slot into fuel-cell cars, making refuelling as simple as pulling into a filling station and swapping an empty cartridge for a full one.

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But with Apple moving to install giant solar arrays and a fuel cell power station at its iDataCenter in North Carolina as part of an effort to create a coal-free iCloud, Greenpeace on Thursday issued a report that gives a slight upgrade to low marks the group previously gave the company.

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