In the public-safety sector, when one thinks of interoperability the image that immediately comes to mind is one where first responders from myriad response agencies are able to communicate with each other even though they are on disparate radio systems. But researchers at the University of New Hampshire have something else in mind. They're working to ensure interoperability of the components that go into a variety of consumer-oriented communications devices, including smart phones and tablet PCs. The goal not only is to make such devices perform better, but also to reduce the price that end users pay for them.