Who's calling? http://myvidster.fun/ myvidster video The devices communicate by varying how much they reflectâa quality known as backscatterâand absorb TV signals. Each device has a simple dipole antenna with two identical halves, similar to a classic ârabbit earsâ TV aerial antenna. The two halves are linked by a transistor, which can switch between two states. It either connects the halves so they can work together and efficiently absorb ambient signals, or it leaves the halves separate so they scatter rather than absorb the signals. Devices close to one another can detect whether the other is absorbing or scattering ambient TV signals. âIf a device nearby is absorbing more efficiently, another will feel [the signals] a bit less; if not, then it will feel more,â says Gollakota. A device encodes data by switching between absorbing and not absorbing to create a binary pattern.