Friday fragments - comms news from around the web for 29 November 2013

Femto FM. Engineering researchers at Columbia University have developed a tiny FM transmitter made of graphene, the new wonder material. The tiny device comprises a thin graphene strip suspended above an electrode. A voltage applied to the electrode makes the strip bend, changing its resonant frequency and making it capable of producing an FM signal at 100 MHz. Amazing.

Motorola's Norway win. Motorola Solutions has won three contracts with Norway's fire and health agencies, and voluntary rescue bodies, following tenders from the country's Directorate for Emergency Communication. The agreements include 5000 TETRA radios for the Norwegian Fire Service, 2000 for paramedics and the health service, and 1900 for volunteer agencies.

Irish EPIRB inquiry. The Irish government has instituted an inquiry into reports of faulty marine EPIRBs. GME, manufacturer of the beacons, has issued an alert to owners of six models made between 2005 and 2010. In an article in the Irish Times, Sartech, the British distributor, is quoted as saying that a microprocessor malfunction can cause the EPIRBs to shut down.

Bolivarian Games. A TETRA radio system supplied by Hytera Mobilfunk has been in use at the 2013 Bolivarian Games, being held in Peru from 22 to 30 November. The PMR system includes AccessNet-T IP, DWS dispatchers, APD Tetra dispatchers, a customised AVL/APL system, PT580H handheld terminals and MT680 mobile terminals