Let's be honest -- Wireless USB has never been much more than an afterthought. Sure, we've seen it pop up on a few laptops and USB hard drives, but it's never grabbed hold the way that, say, Bluetooth or WiFi has. On top of that, the underlying technology behind WUSB (that'd be Ultra-Wideband, or UWB) has yet to find favor in the market, with the surging WHDI stealing most of the limelight in the wireless HD arena. At any rate, one of the (only) companies keeping Wireless USB alive has kicked the bucket, as startup WiQuest officially shut its doors after being unable to concoct a "one-chip solution that was capable of delivering the upper-band support necessary for worldwide acceptance." Granted, Wireless USB isn't quite six feet under, but it's safe to say one foot is planted in the proverbial grave.

[Via jkOnTheRun]

[Via Slashdot]

Ready for some excitement in the form of watching a startup squirm as it waits for its product to gain traction? Take a glance at Peek, which is churning out a dedicated handheld that handles e-mail, a few chain forwards, and more e-mails when you're done with that. At first glance, one may consider such a one-trick-pony quite ridiculous, but it's hard to say what will end up catching on these days. The biggest problem facing Peek is the pricing: it'll be $99.95 up front when it lands in Target next month, plus $19.95 per month to send unlimited e-mails over T-Mobile's network. Of course, if anyone figures out how to load Opera Mini up here, the Bulls-eye Shop won't be able to keep the shelves stocked.

[Via Silicon Alley Insider]

As the release date for ZeeVee's ZvBox draws near (we're hearing July 31st), the company is out and about in an attempt to drum up demand as the run-up to its launch progresses. During CONNECTIONS 2008, ZeeVee was in attendance with a ZvBox on display, and aside from snapping a few telling photographs, the folks over at eHomeUpgrade were also able to capture a couple videos to give you an early feel of its capabilities (and limitations). We don't have to tell you where the goods are, but if you're new here, that read link down there is a good place to start.

[Via SlashGear]

Famed chip maker Intel is doing more than just buying up Renewable Energy Certificates like they're going out of style. It's cranking things up with a spin-off outfit that will soon be creating photovoltaic cells for solar module makers. Intel Capital is pouring some $50 million into SpectraWatt Inc., and it's being joined by Cogentrix Energy, PCG Clean Energy and Technology Fund and Solon AG. Aside from making that dough, the new company will also "concentrate development efforts on improvements in current manufacturing processes and capabilities to reduce the cost of photovoltaic energy generation," and if everything goes smoothly, it should break ground on its manufacturing and development facility in Oregon in 2H 2008 (with product shipping in mid-2009).

In case you're not content with just keeping your current cable / satellite / fiber TV service and using the recently launched ZvBox to pull in content from the web, a new startup is aiming to satisfy your bizarre desires. In what's potentially the most befuddling launch of the year, said firm is looking to introduce its 1TB set-top-box to consumers on a city-by-city basis. Put simply (or, as simply as possible), the box will fetch content from a number of places: the built-in OTA receiver will grab locals, and it will use the owner's broadband internet connection to snag IPTV material and web-based content (YouTube, Hulu, etc.). Sezmi plans to launch the product with "3G and DSL" telcos that don't currently have a way to offer a triple-play package, and while some sources say that monthly fees will be as low as "half" of a typical cable / satellite bill, we've also seen Phil Wiser, co-founder, chairman and president, quoted as saying that it will be "roughly comparable" to its rivals. Hit up the links below for loads more info, and join us as we sit back and wait for this entirely-too-complex endeavor to implode.

[Via PC Magazine]

Startup ZeeVee isn't out to flood the market with yet another ho hum media streamer, it's out to change the way you look at 'em. The June-bound ZvBox ($499) plugs into one's computer (VGA) and sends on-screen content to every TV in the house over existing coaxial cabling. Put simply, the unit enables users to view any kind of internet media right on their television with no subscription fees or wireless dropouts. Aside from bringing internet video over, users can also access any other computer application (web browser, built-in DVD player, etc.) right from their set. In order to handle said tasks, the box comes bundled with a wireless ZvRemote / Zviewer, but those comfortable with managing their own desktop won't be bothered with any fancy interfaces. Suffice to say, those looking to easily pipe their Media PC recordings to the family TV will certainly find reason to take notice. Head on the past the break for a few more details.

It's been a tick since anyone 'round these parts has taken Peltier cooling seriously, but sure enough, North Carolina-based Nextreme Thermal Solutions is giving us reason to spark that conversation up once more. Its Ultra-High Packing Fraction (UPF) OptoCooler module utilizes "thin-film thermal bump technology at its core," essentially enabling it to be "integrated directly into electronic and optoelectronic packaging to deliver more than 45°C of cooling." Initially, the outfit hopes to have its product embedded within LED packages to "control temperatures and maintain proper operating conditions," and while we'd certainly be more awestruck if these were headed straight for microprocessors of some sort, we've all ideas Nextreme's already working on that endeavor.

[Via Slashdot]

Looking for power in hard to reach places? Perhaps M2E Power can lend a hand. The company -- recently infused with a pile of money from venture capitalists -- is in the business of creating power through the kinetic motion of everyday human and / or mechanical movement. The idea is that by simply walking or driving, energy can be produced that will power devices on-hand, obviating the use of outside sources -- an idea that will be of particular use to soldiers on duty, as the technology could reduce their load by up to 30-pounds. The devices also contribute to efforts towards clean power and extended mobility on the consumer side, efforts your DS-playing kids will go bonkers for. For those down with the Faraday Principle (energy produced via motion of a magnet through a wire coil), you'll be happy to know that someone is putting the concept to good use -- for the rest of us, well, we'll just be happy if we can get a few more minutes out of our mobile phones.

While 250Mbps isn't likely to get the drool flowin' quite as quickly as a 40Gbps connection in one's home, it's still nothing to scoff at. And best of all, the technology is quite a ways beyond the drawing board. Reportedly, University of Melbourne's Dr. John Papandriopoulos has patented his SCALE and SCAPE methods for "dramatically reducing the interference which slows down data transmission in typical DSL networks." 'Course, the tidbit you're interested in comes when we find that these techniques can potentially deliver speeds of up to 250-megabits per second through existing telecommunications networks. The only changes that would be necessary to facilitate such sensational speeds are new modems for end users and "operational system changes" for providers. No word on when this technology will actually be put to good use (read: installed in our homes), but the inventor himself is headed to the US soon to take a new position within a startup company founded by "Stanford University Professor John Cioffi, the so-called father of DSL." Bring the goods with you, Doc.

[Thanks, Bram]

Handover technologies are nothing new, but Agito Networks is hoping to offer up scalable systems that can "hand voice calls over quickly and accurately between company WiFi and cellular networks." More specifically, the startup system utilizes RF to tell when an individual is approaching "predefined points at the limit of the company's WiFi coverage," after which a mobile-based client cooperates with a RoamAnywhere router (which integrates with the company's IP PBXs) in order to hand the call over. Reportedly, the actual transfer "takes less than one second," and administrators can even set up RoutePoints and instruct calls to be sent directly to voicemail when users are off duty. Granted, it seems Agito is aiming its products at medium-to-large businesses looking to save on cellphone bills, and if all goes well, models ranging from $9,995 to $24,995 should hit the US by the year's end.

We've seen startups galore founded on strokes of brilliance, and Ponoko seems to be well on its way to building a sufficient client base. Getting a share of the limelight at TechCrunch40, this website enables engineering minds with limited resources to upload designs and select materials for Ponoko to construct, after which the product gets displayed in the online showroom for people to sneak a peek at and potentially purchase. Additionally, Ponoko will even "make the product and deliver it directly to the customer" or send it straight to you for final assembly, making sure all parties get their splits. For those with a widget in mind (but a day job to tend to), head on over to Ponoko and get things a-movin'.

Nah, Next Safety's approach to curbing smoking isn't nearly as fun as puffing on Golden Dragon's Ruyan e-cigarettes, but it just might do the trick. Reportedly, this North Carolina-based startup plans to bring a "nicotine-delivery product" to market which would actually "deliver nicotine to the brain faster and safer than cigarettes," all while protecting children and nonsmokers from secondhand smoke. Interestingly, the pulmonary drug-deliverer (which works similarly to a medical inhaler) is said to provide "a stronger kick" than smoking, but actually administers a smaller amount of nicotine to the body than your average Marlboro. Currently, the firm is hoping to release it into less restricted overseas markets by the year's end, but analysts here in America are questioning its ability to pass through all the red tape required for it to hit our shelves.

[Via MedGadget]
Read - New nicotine-delivery device is safer than smoking, NC company says
Read - Next Safety's Pulmonary Drug Delivery System

A Florida-based startup dubbed SeaAway (no relation to Segway, truth be told) is looking to make our ports a good bit safer in the future by implementing an offshore screening process that could detect "chemical, biological, and nuclear traces as ships travel through." The aptly-dubbed Sea Sentinels would be anchored to the seafloor some 14-miles from a port, and will even house up to 15 humans and an array of unmanned aerial vehicles for extreme situations. The platforms would utilize RFID readers to detect what types of cargo passed through its screen, and if sensors flag a suspicious container, the Coast Guard is called into action. Unfortunately, the $100 million it costs to erect each system would have to be subsidized by a passage fee of $20 per container, but tax breaks for shippers are currently be pondered. Nevertheless, a prototype system will see construction later this summer, and if all goes well, finalized versions could be patrolling our seas in the not too distant future.

While KornTech's Rogun won't go down as the first humanoid that sports both face recognition and intruder alerting functions, it does one-up many of the other prototypes by actually being available for purchase. The Korean startup has developed a kid-friendly one-meter-tall robot that "recognizes people through embedded cameras and high-end face-tracking software." Additionally, the bot can walk on its own and "perform various functions suitable for a security guard or nanny" such as pace the floors at night and give its master a cellphone warning if it recognizes any suspicious behavior. Rogun can even use its camera to show parents what mischief their kids are getting into at home by beaming video via its integrated WiFi chipset, and if watching the big screen is just too 2006, the youngsters can focus on the seven-inch LCD set within the device's chest. Of course, video telephony, internet browsing, and priceless companionship also come bundled in, and while the company hopes to sell these fellows for a mere $5,000 in time, snapping up your own Rogun at the moment will run you a whopping $100,000 or so considering the current BTO nature of production.

[Via I4U]