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Warpia's wireless StreamHD USB-to-HDMI adapter supports 1080p, 5.1 surround sound
Let's try this again, shall we? We were none too impressed with the first iteration of the device you see above, mostly because it failed to support audio. A few generations later, and seems as if Warpia may finally have its ducks in a row. The StreamHD is a USB-to-HDMI adapter, presumably relying on Wisair technology to whisk 1080p content from one's USB-enabled laptop or desktop onto your HDMI-equipped television. It'll handle material with resolutions as high as 1920 x 1280, and we're told that both Hulu and Netflix content will be passed along sans issue. Hooking things up is a lesson in simplicity (in theory, at least) -- just plug the USB dongle into your Windows PC, and the transceiver dock into your HDTV. High-def content and 5.1 surround sound should be transmitted, and there's a reported range of 30 feet. It should be popping up any moment now on Amazon for $169.99, and yeah, that does include an HDMI cable and a S/PDIF cord. How thoughtful.
Source R&D ships Wisair-based Warpia Easy Dock wireless docking station
It took 'em a few months, but Source R&D is finally ready to save your desktop replacement from those awful cables that are typically required when connecting a bona fide monitor, keyboard and mouse to a laptop. The Wisair-based Easy Dock works with Macs and PCs, with a single USB transceiver used to connect your mobile machine to (just) two hard-wired USB peripherals and a single DVI monitor (with a resolution cap of 1,400 x 1,050 or 1,440 x 900). She's available now for $149.99 at the links below, but make sure you're okay with the aforesaid limits before pulling the trigger.
Source R&D brings Wisair-based wireless docking station to Macs and PCs for $150
Remember that Wisair-based wireless display adapter that we knew was headed for Macville? Looks like she has arrived. Source R&D has just introduced a universal docking station of the wireless variety, and better still, it's completely plug-and-play with Windows 7, Vista, WinXP and OS X (Leopard / Snow Leopard). The Warpia Easy Dock is a pretty simple setup; just plug a transceiver into a free USB socket, attach two USB peripherals and a DVI monitor to the base station, and enjoy the luxury of using a real-deal keyboard, mouse and LCD when your laptop is at home. Unfortunately, the resolution of monitor is capped at 1,400 x 1,050, so you certainly won't be taking fully advantage of that Dell UltraSharp U2711 you just took delivery of. It should be available momentarily for the tidy sum of $149.99.
Wisair-based wireless display adapters head to Macs
PC users have been able to take advantage of a range of Wisair-based wireless display adapters for quite a while now, and it looks like Mac users will soon be able to use them to cut a few cords as well. The first such device is a Mac-ready version of InFocus' wireless display adapter, which is designed specifically for use with InFocus' own DisplayLink-enabled projectors and should be available by the end of March. That looks to just be the beginning, however, as Wisair itself has also announced that no less than four other OEM vendors will be offering some Mac-ready, Wisair-based adapters of their own next month -- all of which, coincidentally, will be making their official debut at MacWorld 2010 this week.
Atlona's HDAiR wireless USB-to-VGA / HDMI adapter gains audio, usefulness
Remember that HDAiR adapter we reviewed with exceptionally high hopes earlier this year? Yeah, it wasn't exactly the dream device we wanted, but it seems as if Atlona may have just remedied the primary gripe we had against it. The all-new HDAiR wireless USB-to-VGA / HDMI adapter is essentially the same one as before, but this time audio is involved. In response to widespread demand for the feature, the outfit has added the ability to output audio in both 3.5mm analog, as well as embedded on the HDMI output. This one's also compatible with Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7, and it's still using the tried-and-true UWB protocol to sling content. If you managed to hold off on the first guy, this one's available to order now for $219.
Atlona HD-AiR wireless HDMI system hands-on and impressions
One of our ultimate dream gadgets has long been a dead-simple wireless HDMI dongle for our laptops -- something that would let us just throw a window (say, Hulu) up on our HDTV without a lot of fuss, cables, or configuration. So obviously we were pretty excited to try out the $199 Atlona Technologies HD-AiR, which marries Wireless USB with DisplayLink and promises to send 720p video directly from your laptop to a base station with VGA and HDMI outputs up to 30 feet away -- until we received the box and noted the small print saying that it doesn't support audio. Hopes: dashed. On top of that, we're not sure if it's DisplayLink, Wireless USB, or some combination of the two, but the video link seemed pretty bandwidth-starved -- full-screen video was close to unwatchable, PowerPoint transitions were kinda jerky, and even just moving windows around was pretty choppy. For such a promising -- and much-needed -- device, the HD-AiR just doesn't get it done. Atlona says the next version will have audio support and 1080p video support using the next generation of DisplayLink chips and drivers, but we'd hope the company's engineers spend a little more time in the lab polishing up their 720p framerates before they push this thing any farther. Video after the break.
Source announces Warpia wireless USB-to-HDMI adapter
We've been waiting for an inexpensive wireless USB-to-HDMI solution for what seems like forever now, and it sounds like we'll finally have some options soon: Source R&D has just announced that it's going to be shipping the Warpia Wireless USB Adapter set at the end of May for an estimated $129-$149. Just like the Atlona AT-HDAiR, the Warpia kit is just a rebranded OEM unit from Wisair, so most of the same caveats apply: max resolution is 1400 x 1050, range is about 30 feet, and HDMI and VGA are the only output options. Still, we can't really think of a better way to do some quick'n'dirty Hulu watching, so we'll be on the hunt for one of these soon -- keep an eye out.P.S.- Yes, we hope image quality is better than this totally bunk press pic on the Warpia site.
Atlona teams with Wisair for wireless USB to HDMI adapter
Wait a second -- isn't wireless USB, um, deceased? Regardless of what pundits and the industry at large have said (via words, actions, or otherwise), Wisair is absolutely refusing to give up the dream. To that end, the firm has teamed with peripheral mainstay Atlona in order to develop and produce a wireless USB to HDMI adapter. Much like the wired AT-HDPiX, the May-bound AT-HDAiR enables users to connect any USB-enabled computer to any HDTV or projector via VGA or HDMI. The difference? This one works sans extra cabling. The range here is 30 feet, though you can only expect footage to stream through at up to 720p (or 1,440 x 1,200). At least the price tag is just $199, which sure beats some of the obviously more capable options with WHDI chips within.
IOGEAR Wireless USB Audio / Video Kit, more wireless USB eyes-on at CeBIT
While wireless USB hasn't exactly, um, taken off, there's definitely still some promise here. We swung by the USB-IF's booth today at CeBIT in order to have a look at a new single-chip Fujitsu Siemens' solution along with IOGEAR's recently released Wireless USB Audio / Video Kit. The former is mostly a European version of the Wisair Wireless USB Display Adapter Set, and while the latter seemed to work perfectly fine in the demo, the resolution was decidedly not 1080p. Nowhere close, actually. We reckon this stuff will get some real traction if and when two things happen: 1) the industry embraces it and begins embedding it into products (no one likes dongles, sorry!), and 2) when prices fall to reasonable levels. Can we get somebody on that, or what?
Wisair's Wireless USB Display Adapter Set coming soon for $129
It's debatable whether wireless USB is on its way out or on its way in (for real this time), but regardless of which way it's swaying, Wisair's got some availability you should know about. The outfit's Wireless USB Display Adapter Set, which is a screen-centric variant of the kit introduced back in November, will be available this quarter in the US and Europe. Based on Wisair's WSR601 Wireless USB single chip solution, the device offers up VGA and HDMI connectivity options, supports resolutions up to 1,400 x 1,050 and is USB-IF certified. If you're struggling to understand the purpose here, the two-piece bundle enables USB-equipped PCs to stream content to TVs, monitors and projectors sans cabling, and it'll do so for just $129. Now, if only it were 1080p compatible...
Olidata rolls out Wisair-based Wireless USB adapter set
Well, it's increasingly starting to look like the reports of Wireless USB's demise may have been at least slightly exaggerated, as Italy's Olidata has now followed Cables Unlimited's lead in releasing a Wireless USB adapter set based on Wisair's WSR601 single-chip solution. Like the Cables Unlimited set, the Olidata combo includes one adapter that plugs into your printer or other device and one that plugs into your laptop or desktop computer, which magically work together to let the two communicate with each other as if they were actually connected -- you can also plug the dongle into any old USB hub and instantly have a Wireless USB hub. Of course, with WiQuest now out of the picture, it's still far from a sure thing that Wireless USB will be around for the long haul, but those looking to get in on the standard while the going's good can apparently pick up Olidata's set in Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and the U.K now for €59, or roughly $75.
Cables Unlimited Wireless USB kit replaces wires with dongles
Wireless USB might be heading toward the cemetery, but that doesn't mean it has expired just yet. With WUSB startup WiQuest calling it quits, the window of opportunity is wide open for rival Wisair. If you'll recall, one of the biggest hurdles WiQuest never could overcome was generating an energy-efficient one-chip solution; lo and behold, Wisair has done just that. We can't say with any level of certainty that this Wireless USB Adapter Kit contains the module we saw hit the FCC nearly a year ago, but regardless, the new set enables non-WUSB-enabled devices to still enjoy the spoils of cordless USB transfers. The $79 to $99 set contains a pair of dongles -- one for the computer, one for the device -- and the company is already planning to sell 'em individually so you can make every last USB device you own a cable-free one. Can Wisair single-handedly revive the flagging technology? Let's kick back and see, shall we?
Wisair wireless USB module hits the FCC
Wisair's been in the wireless USB game for some time already, and it now looks set to expand its offerings even further, with a new WUSB module of it's now making its debut at the FCC. As the device's manual helpfully informs, this one will let you set up an ad hoc wireless network between two computers without the need for a router or any network infrastructure, or between a PC and a USB-equipped peripheral like a printer or an external drive. Naturally, there's no word on a price or release date just yet, although it seems likely that the final product will come from another company and not Wisair itself, at least if the company's past track record is any indication.
Y-E Data's YD-300 WUSB-HUB: Japan's first wireless USB hub
A full six months after announcing it, Y-E Data is ready to ship their YD-300 wireless USB hub. While this hub reportedly packs the same (or at least similar) Multiband OFDM radio from Wisair we've already seen in the Belkin Cable-Free USB hub, we don't see a "Certified Wireless USB" sticker anywhere... so who knows. While they promise up to 480Mbps at distances of up to 10-meters, in practice however, this drops to a paltry 30Mbps (max!) and even that degrades significantly over just a few meters. You can forget HD streaming since there's no support for isochronous data, quality of service, or medium bandwidth reservation to ensure data arrives in time. But hey, it makes a fine ¥39,800 ($338) solution for moving your keyboard a bit further away from the monitor.[Via Impress] Read -- Impress review Read -- product page
Wisair and Nokia showing off WUSB in phones at 3GSM
Despite the WiFi, IR, Bluetooth and USB connections we already have to our phone, not to mention 3G or 2.5G in-phone connections to the internets, it always seems a bit of a chore to pull the pictures off our camphone. So what do we need? Another connection of course! Wisair and Nokia are teaming up to show off WUSB at 3GSM, with a Wisair 542 chip embedded in a Nokia Nseries cameraphone to send images and video to a laptop. We're guessing Nokia isn't about to get into the business of retrofitting its phones with new radios, so perhaps Nokia is planning some new models before too long with the chip built-in, or perhaps Wisair will at least have some ready-to-go products of the WUSB variety -- we're getting a little tired of all this talk and no action.[Via Everything USB]
Wisair UWB USB hub: 480Mbps at 100 feet... wirelessly
Wisair just announced a new ultra-wideband (UWB) hub reference design (read: available to OEMs, not you) capable of 480Mbps data rates at a distance of 100 feet, wirelessly. That's a pretty big leap over the current 30 foot max reached by their first gen design. The 4-port USB 2.0 hub is based on the WiMedia UWB radio platform and is destined to appear in existing, wired USB hub cases to free laptops (with accompanying USB dongle) from desktop peripherals or reduce desktop clutter for workstations. With any luck someone might pick this up and properly bring it to market someday soon. Anyone listening, D-Link, Belkin, IOGEAR, the Republic of China? [Via TGDaily]
