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HTC Media Link DLNA media streamer dances through the FCC with 802.11n WiFi
This certainly isn't the first media streamer we've seen but the very fact that this non-smartphone sports HTC branding makes our hearts flutter with curious anticipation. HTC's Media Link (model DH H100) just made its appearance in the FCC putting it right on schedule for a Q4 release. It tested on 802.11n WiFi at both 2.4GHz and 5GHz for wirelessly streaming (DLNA) photos, audio, and video up to 720p to your HDMI connected TV. Otherwise, you can always tether that HTC handset to the microUSB jack. We're not seeing any mention of the rumored "Tube" product name -- perhaps that was the internal codename and the more mundane (but descriptive) Media Link moniker will stick for retail. We should see lickity quick now that US certification is done.
Samsung Galaxy Tab falls into FCC hands with GSM radio frequencies, 5GHz dual-band WiFi
When Samsung's 7-inch tablet finally sees the states, it might indeed be more than a giant Galaxy S -- for one thing, it may have Froyo, but for another, it could have faster, more building-penetrating WiFi than most comparable devices on the market. That's because when the Galaxy Tab hit the FCC by the name "SHW-M180S," it came loaded with dual-band 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi capable of speeds up to 150Mbps. It also intriguingly sports the GSM 1900 radio frequency, meaning an AT&T launch might be in the cards alongside the CDMA one rumored for Verizon. Browsing through the WiFi Alliance databases in an attempt to track the tablet down, we spotted both a "GT-P1000T" and a "GT-P1000L," each with dual-band WiFi, suggesting that there are multiple versions in the works... and the Global Certification Forum shows one of them actually has quad-band GSM and HSDPA connectivity. Not bad, Samsung. Now, let's hear about battery life.
Amimon demos prototype wireless 3D HD transmission system
Amimon -- remember those guys? The company responsible for transmitting 1080p video over a 5GHz band went (nearly) radio silent after making a few announcements at CES this year, but now it's hitting back with a new prototype system designed to support the bandwagon that James Cameron and company are driving forward. The new setup is capable of wirelessly transmitting 3D HD video using WHDI (5GHz), with the demo showing that 1080p 3D video could be beamed with a frame rate of 24fps without any major hiccups. For now, the system consists of a board for transmitting the signals and a board for receiving, with the both of 'em equipped with Amimon's digital baseband chip and RF transceiver. We're told that a shipping product is just a logo away, but we've no clue whether or not the first devices will be kits for outfitting existing televisions or new HDTVs with wireless 3D HD support baked right in.
Atheros and Wilocity embrace 'tri-band' wireless wares, 60GHz wireless PCIe
The amount of dual-band products (you know, those that support both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands) is slowly growing, but already a pair of companies are thinking about the next big thing: tri-band. Atheros and Wilocity have both been eying that 60GHz stuff that the WiGig Alliance is pushing around these days, and now they're announcing a collaboration to "build tri-band wireless solutions that combine the ubiquity and coverage of WiFi with the multi-gigabit performance of the Wireless Gigabit Alliance's 60GHz technology." The new gear would enable all sorts of backwards compatibility, and while there aren't too many details being shared just yet on exactly what kind of kit is in the pipeline, we do know of one particular tidbit. That tidbit, of course, is wireless PCI Express, or wPCIe. Developed by Wilocity, this black magic would essentially enable PCIe devices to be docked outside of the desktop and have their signals beamed to a receiver card within the desktop. Think external graphics, storage arrays, etc., all sans cabling. It's being reported that wPCIe can push data at up to 5Gbps, and if all goes to plan, the spec should scale easily to 7Gbps. Be sure to give the links below a visit for a deeper dive, and get ready to give that SFF machine you've often overlooked... well, another look.
iPhone 4 has 802.11n, but not the "awesome" 802.11n
I suspect many people were very happy to see that the iPhone 4 was listed as having 802.11n. I know that I was. I have a dual-band network at home which separates 802.11n from 802.11b/g, and that's made a huge difference in transfer times. But there's also another benefit of 802.11n: it can use the 5GHz frequency band instead of the 2.4Ghz. Without going into too much detail, most (but certainly not all) of the benefit of 802.11n comes if you use 5Ghz, because it isn't cluttered with other devices like 2.4Ghz is. So imagine my dismay when I went to the iPhone 4 technical specifications page and saw "802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz only)" listed there. I wanted to double check my suspicion that this was bad news for people who want to avoid the interference issues that come with 802.11b/g. When you have a question about Wi-Fi, especially in the Mac world, the guy to ask is TidBITS & Seattle Times columnist Glenn Fleishman. If you've ever read a great, informed (and informative) article on Wi-Fi that even a mere mortal could understand, chances are pretty good that Glenn wrote it. He wrote the most thorough analysis of the Wi-Fi woes at the iPhone 4 demo that I have seen anywhere. I asked Glenn about this on Twitter, and he confirmed my fears that 802.11n in 2.4Ghz will suffer from the same interference that b/g devices do. This makes "802.11n" partly just a marketing bullet point for iPhone 4 instead of a truly beneficial feature. If you're currently running a 5GHz-only N network, your iPhone won't take advantage. For 2.4GHz N networks, you will probably get some speed boost over G (Glenn estimated perhaps 1.5x when using an 802.11n base station). When copying a 940MB file over my home Wi-Fi network between a Mac desktop and laptop, 802.11n took 2 minutes, 14 seconds compared to 15 minutes 45 seconds on 802.11g. Then again, most people won't be doing large wireless file copies to/from their iPhones until/unless wireless synchronization comes along. So yes, Apple can boast that the iPhone 4 has 802.11n and they're telling the truth, but don't expect much practical difference day-to-day. Glenn suspects that given the newer chip and more efficient use of the radio spectrum, we might get better battery life on N than on G -- but we won't know for sure until the iPhones arrive.
LG to ship HDTVs with WHDI wireless technology baked in
No one ever said you couldn't play both sides of the fence when it comes to wireless technologies, and it seems that LG is doing precisely that at CES. LG has previously shipped HDTVs with WirelessHD technology built in, but today the company is announcing a new partnership with AMIMON. The reason for the ruckus? The outfit is fixing to ship a wireless HDTV product line with second-generation WHDI technology built in, enabling 1080p content to be sent from a source to the HDTV sans wires over a 5GHz unlicensed band. Mum's the word on what sets will have WHDI baked in, but we'll be sure to dig up anything we can once the show floor opens up here in Vegas. In related news, 15 other companies have decided to drink the WHDI Kool-Aid, and you can read more on that whole shindig after the break.
AMIMON's WHDI wireless HD modules coming to netbooks and laptops
For as long as we can remember, AMIMON's WHDI technology has been reserved for use in high-end AV components -- HDTVs, Blu-ray players, set-top-boxes, etc. Today, the outfit has finally figured out a way to break free from its current box and get all up in the grille of the mainstream market. As of now, WHDI modules are being made available for netbook and laptop manufacturers, enabling portable PCs to send or receive high-def signals from other WHDI-enabled devices sans cabling. The outfit expects lappies with their tech built-in to ship sometime in 2010, and when we prodded for more information on who exactly would be taking 'em up on their offer, the company stated that specific partners wouldn't be announced for a few more months. Still, built-in support for beaming 1080p content from a laptop to an HD panel without a single cord? Major score.
Netgear ships ultra-speedy WNDR3700 dual-band router
If you've grown increasingly incensed by those annoying dropouts caused by your 80s-era wireless router, it looks like Netgear has your cure. Though, we must say, there's at least a decent chance you don't have the coinage to procure said medicine. At $190, the RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router (WNDR3700) is one of the pricier WLAN routers on the market, though the amenities list is pretty impressive. The ReadyShare feature enables any USB hard drive to be viewed on the network, while the DLNA support and "real-world" throughput of 350Mbps shines up an already glistening device. There's even a broadband usage meter for those unfortunately dealing with Comcast caps, and if you actually use this as a remote media server, you'll definitely want to keep an eye on that.[Via HotHardware]
GefenTV Wireless for HDMI Extender does one to one, or many streaming
Gefen's silver coated WHDI towers may have taken a little longer than expected to get here, but for $899 they might do wireless HD streaming differently enough to arouse your interests. Using Amimon's 5 Ghz tech, it can switch from one to one streaming with HDCP for tossing Blu-ray or upconverted DVDs around, or switch over to broadcast mode, supporting up to 5 remote receivers getting the same video stream, albeit without HDCP. Maximum range is 100 feet line-of-sight and it supports resolution up to 1080p30 with Dolby 5.1 surround audio, that enough to get your credit card out? Picture of the back is after the break, specs beyond the read link.
How-to: set up dual-band WiFi (and juice your downloads)
Yeah, we think you should make the switch. Let's come right out with it -- you should be running a dual-band 2.4 and 5GHz WiFi network. Why? Because the 2.4GHz spectrum is cluttered with everything from other networks to Bluetooth to cordless phones and microwaves, and all that RF interference slows everything down, making file transfers interminable and HD streaming nearly impossible. On the other hand, 5GHz 802.11n is clean and incredibly fast -- we're talking almost hardwire fast. But you can't just move up to 5GHz without leaving your phones and other legacy devices behind, so you've got to keep 2.4 around as well -- which is really easy if you've got a simultaneous dual-band router like Apple's new Airport Extreme or something like the D-Link DIR-825, and only slightly harder if you don't. And, as luck would have it, Apple just sent us a new AEBS to play with, so we thought we'd show you how to configure both kinds of setups. We promise you'll thank us.
D-Link introduces DIR-628 sub-$100 5GHz-capable 802.11n router
If you haven't made the leap to 802.11n (or, even better, 5GHz 802.11n), you might want to start holding on to that loose change -- you'll probably have enough by the end of the week to pick up D-Link's new DIR-628 router, which has an official MSRP of $119, but will sell at Best Buy for just $79. The dual-band router obviously isn't the most feature-packed unit out there, but in terms of straight connectivity, it'll get the job done as long as the firmware is reasonably stable -- and to be honest, that's all we really want a router to do. Should be out now -- we're telling you, 5GHz is freaking amazing.[Via SmallNetBuilder]
