“The problem of compatibility between wireless devices is being addressed at an international conference this week,”the BBC reports.”Scientists will be discussing what has been dubbed “Tower of Babel” technology - software that can converge different wireless gadgets into a single device.The aim for Software Defined Radio (SDR) is to be able to translate and understand any kind of radio wave signal, such as 3G or wi-fi. Researchers say SDR gadgets could become commonplace in five to 10 years. Dr David Ndzi from the University of Portsmouth, where the International Conference on Telecommunications and Computers is being held, said: “SDR is what one could call a Tower of Babel-type technology, in that wireless devices that previously understood only one or a few languages, or standards, will suddenly be able to talk to each other freely regardless of frequency or conflicting protocols.”

‘Tower of Babel’ technology nears