TransferJet
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Sony outs world's first TransferJet chips for short-range wireless transfer
Induction chargers like Palm's Touchstone are great and all but they lack one significant feature long mastered by USB tethers: data transfer. That could soon change as Sony begins pushing out its first TransferJet LSI in hopes of obtaining broad industry adoption of this newest form of short-range wireless transmission technology. TransferJet, remember, allows for a theoretical 560Mbps (closer to 375Mbps in the real-world) wireless transfer at a distance of about 3 centimeters -- a standard backed by big-hitting camera companies like Canon, Nikon, Samsung, Casio, Kodak, and Olympus and Japanese cellphone interests like NTT DoCoMo, Softbank Mobile, Toshiba, and Sony Ericsson. Just imagine yourself waving a TransferJet-equipped Sony Ericsson phone in front of your new Bravia TV and having all your photos and videos appear on the big screen and you've just seen the future. Individual samples are available now for ¥1,500 (about $17) in either PCI or SDIO-connector versions. Now head on past the break to see the tech in action from our CEATEC hands-on.
Sony's TransferJet-packin' Memory Stick Duo hits the FCC
If what we saw at CEATEC is any indication, we can all look forward to a future where damn near every new piece of Sony kit that we lay our hands on will support its fledgling wireless technology, TransferJet. As you might have guessed, we've been keeping our eyes on the usual channels in vain hopes of finding any gear sporting the new standard. So, what do we have here? Our friends at Sony Insider have spotted FCC paperwork for the MS-JX8G, which is apparently a Memory Stick Duo that sports the protocol -- and which (hopefully) means that someday soon we'll be able to grandfather TransferJet into all of our existing Memory Stick Duo-supporting devices. Pretty clever, Sony!
Sony and Toshiba demo TransferJet short-range sharing at CEATEC (video)
TransferJet is still solidly in the "fledgling" stage, but it looks as if a few big time industry players have faith that consumers have a desire -- nay, a need -- for short-range, high-speed sharing. Here at CEATEC in Japan, both Sony and Toshiba were on hand with independent TransferJet demonstrations, and while the actual protocol has been in place for awhile now, it's the supporting cast (read: hardware) that has remained elusive. Toshiba was utilizing a snazzy TG01 and Qosmio laptop in order to showcase just how quickly the two could share information over the air, while Sony had us believing that pretty much everything it'll make for the rest of eternity could support device-to-device sharing. Head on past the break for a peek at the demos, but try not to get your hopes up for seeing this stuff in shipping products anytime in the immediate future, okay?
TransferJet completes close-proximity specs, now wants members, respect
Wahey! It's been awhile since we've heard from you, TransferJet, the high-speed but low-range wireless would-be standard that promises 560Mbps over a near-adjacent range of just 3cm. Sony kicked off the initiative, but now has about 15 others playing along who have all managed to put aside their differences to finalize the specs on both the physical and connection layers. All they need now is hardware, and so starting today they're graciously asking for more members to join their consortium -- not that they would have turned you away yesterday. Still no sign of when actual devices using this technology will hit retail, but where there's a spec there's always a prototype.
TransferJet forms a consortium to confuse consumers
As the saying goes, the great thing about standards is that we have so many to choose from. Enter TransferJet, as much as we'd like to ignore it, it won't go away. In fact, today the nascent close (real close, as in 3-cm or less) proximity wireless technology just snowballed itself into a proper consortium which lists a who's who of consumer electronics and camera manufacturers including Sony, Canon, Panasonic, Nikon, Samsung, Kodak, and interestingly enough, Sony Ericsson. Sony will lead the effort to develop the specs, guidelines, and licensing schemes required to interconnect TransferJet-compliant products offering a 375Mbps data transfer rate (560Mbps theoretical) without requiring any complex setup (just touch the devices together). Right, they're looking directly at your NFC and Wibree shortcomings Bluetooth SIG. Full list of TransferJet members after the break.
Joy of joys: Sony's TransferJet to be squarely pitted against industry standards of W-USB, Bluetooth 3.0?
It doesn't take a whole lot of empirical observation to figure out that Sony just loves to go proprietary, even in the face of wide industry acceptance of an alternative standard. While the company has recently flexed on things like audio codecs, other stalwarts include Sony's Memory Stick, and naturally Blu-ray isn't going anywhere. This time Sony is charging after W-USB and Bluetooth 3.0 with its recently-announced TransferJet technology. There are certainly some differences between the technologies, and advantages on both sides. W-USB and Bluetooth 3.0 are based on WiMedia wireless tech, and have theoretical speeds of 480Mbps, with a range of about three meters. Compare that to TransferJet, which has a range of three centimeters, but a theoretical max 560Mbps. The reason behind the close proximity is the induction field coupler tech used -- which may or may not mean Sony's tech can charge the device as well -- but Sony's also playing it as a usability thing: unless devices are specifically registered and told not to, they'll automatically swap files when placed next to each other, requiring no further user complications. We're going to need more info out of Sony and other manufacturers to see how exactly this new tech will play out in the industry at large, but at the moment it looks like another proprietary standard that'll confuse consumers and segment the market -- let's hope Sony proves us wrong. [Via Slashdot] Read - Ars Technica Read - Sony PR
Sony's CES 2008 booth tour
Sony invites you to "see it all" at their booth in the Central Hall, but you're hard-pressed to actually do so due to both sheer square footage and the immense volume of bodies jostling each other in between stations. The consumer electronics giant's got no shortage of bedazzling gadgetry out on the floor here, and we braved the teeming hordes to collate the following eye candy for you.%Gallery-13123%
Video: Sony's TransferJet gets demonstrated
Looking for even more ways to simply your data transfers? If so, you should definitely check out Sony's TransferJet, which enables certain gadgets (i.e. camcorders, etc.) to transfer data sans wires to a PC by simply placing it atop a wireless field unit. Granted, it didn't seem to work so smoothly at Sony's press conference -- surprised? -- but here's to hoping the kinks get ironed out before it goes commercial. You know the drill, click on through and let Mahalo Daily's Veronica Belmont lead the way.
