Ultra Wideband -- Engadget

ultra-wideband posts

Leyio quietly intros 8GB personal sharing device, iPod / iPhone firmware update

by Darren Murph posted Sep 9th 2009 at 6:42PM

Leyio had a lot going against it from the word go: it utilized a nearly-dead wireless format in UWB, it could really only share information with other Leyio devices and it cost quite a bundle for what it did. Unfortunately for the company, we've little confidence that clearing up two of those issues now will trigger mass adoption for the so-called personal sharing device, but either way, users looking for a cheaper option can now select an 8GB version for "just" £99 ($163). The existing 16GB model has slipped slightly to £129 ($213), while users around the world anxiously await a forthcoming firmware update that'll enable data stored on a Leyio to be wirelessly transferred to an iPod, iPhone or a slew of other PMPs. Seems as if that bit of functionality should've been there to start, but hey, what do we know?

Leyio's UWB-touting personal sharing device unboxed, handled on video

by Ross Miller posted Apr 17th 2009 at 11:59PM

We first caught a glimpse of Leyio's Ultra-wideband-pushing personal sharing device back in January, and while UWB is still teetering near mostly dead and slightly alive, Le Journal du Geek has acquired a pair for some fun unboxing action and video hands-on accompanied by lovely French narrative. The reviewer predicts most people will be discouraged by the 179 euro (US $233) price tag, and with wireless filesharing here limited pretty much to just other Leyios at the moment, we can't say we disagree. Check out the video for yourself after the break -- if you're not a native French speaker or your babel fish is on the fritz, you should still be able to figure out what's going on.

Continue reading Leyio's UWB-touting personal sharing device unboxed, handled on video

UWB is dead! Long live... UWB!

by Darren Murph posted Mar 16th 2009 at 1:58PM

Wait, let us get this straight. UWB is dead, but it's... not? According to a melancholy release issued today by the soon-to-shutter WiMedia Alliance, said entity has reached technology transfer arrangements to shuffle its ultra-wideband workings to groups within Bluetooth SIG and Wireless USB. After that process is complete, the WiMedia Alliance will -- in its words -- "cease operations." According to WiMedia president Stephen Wood, it has "reached a point in specification development and product availability where it is more efficient for the related industry groups to oversee future specification development in-house." It's tough to say whether this move will add yet another nail in ultra-wideband's coffin or act as the spark it has been longing for since its introduction, but we're cautiously hoping for the latter to prove true. Alright new management, time to see what you're made of!

ASUS shows off Wireless LCD prototype, "Green" monitors

by Darren Murph posted Mar 6th 2009 at 7:46PM

ASUS news from CeBIT? Say it ain't so! Just hours after the company introduced two new "Green" LCDs, we stopped by to see what all the fuss was about. What we found were two rather vanilla looking LCDs (they're in the gallery below, we promise) sitting beside something entirely more interesting: a Wireless LCD prototype. An ASUS rep informed us that the model shown was utilizing the currently-in-limbo ultra-wideband (UWB) standard, and he affirmed that the monitor didn't have a model name nor an estimated ship date or price; it was simply on hand to prove that wireless LCDs were possible and that they're on the way. He noted that ASUS was looking into other wireless protocols -- namely wireless HD and WHDI -- and that it was "waiting things out" before making a final decision on what variation to use. Our take? We suspect it's both testing for best compatibility / range and waiting to see if UWB will remain viable in the coming months, which likely means no shipping product for quite some time. For what it's worth, the on-hand demo was stellar, with no visible lag, glitches or dropped frames to speak of.

Gallery: ASUS shows off Wireless LCD prototype, "Green" monitors: eyes-on

Staccato CEO says UWB still has more to give

by Darren Murph posted Feb 23rd 2009 at 4:54AM

Staccato Communications has been a big fan of this whole wireless USB thing for years now, and while it seems that most of the industry has presumed ultra-wideband as dead and gone, the aforesaid company is still firmly supportive. The company's CEO has issued an absurdly long letter in response to the death knell reports that flowed after UWB mainstay TZero decided to fold, and while we could go on and on about his deepest, darkest feelings on the matter, here's what really counts. The bigwig has suggested that UWB is still far from dead, and in fact, it's just now shaping up to grow. He promises that 2009 has big things in store for the format, and evidently, those "big things" will breath "new life" into the flagging protocol. We're still pretty skeptical that UWB will break out within the next 10 months or so, but we suppose we've seen crazier things come together.

[Via Slashdot]

TZero closes up shop, UWB all but dead

by Darren Murph posted Feb 12th 2009 at 10:14PM

It's been a slow, painful death, but it's about time to just pull the white sheet over ultra-wideband and let the wireless standard rest in peace. After Intel pulled its support for UWB and proponent WiQuest shut down late last year, all that the format really had left was TZero. After successfully surviving some legal issues, we thought the company was good to go in fighting a hopeless battle against wireless HD upstart AMIMON. Now, it seems that WHDI (that's AMIMON's magic) is free to take the market by storm, but only time will tell if wireless HD is even remotely close to mainstream. In one sense, we're sad to see competition die, but on the other hand, it's always good to see fruitless format wars fade away. Don't be too down on yourself, TZero -- it's not like anyone really had high expectations for you or anything.

Wisair's Wireless USB Display Adapter Set coming soon for $129

by Darren Murph posted Jan 5th 2009 at 6:37PM

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...

Ratoc introduces Wireless USB kit for your PCMCIA-equipped laptop

by Darren Murph posted Dec 11th 2008 at 4:54AM

Still getting by with PCMCIA, are you? Looking to get into the potentially crumbling world of Wireless USB? Well then, step right up! Ratoc is pumping out its very first WUSB kit with the REX-WUSB1, which includes a rather bulky PC Card (with ultra-wideband antenna) and a four-port WUSB hub. Users with Windows XP / Vista-based machines simply plug in the card, load up the drivers and link their favorite USB peripherals to the hub; from there, you can kick back and enjoy the spoils of wireless printing, wireless cooling and wireless warming -- two of which really aren't all they're cracked up to be. Anywho, the bundle is expected to go on sale in the Land of the Rising Sun later this month for ¥31,500 ($340).

Cables Unlimited Wireless USB kit replaces wires with dongles

by Darren Murph posted Nov 6th 2008 at 11:20AM

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?

Wireless USB startup WiQuest shuts down, leaves the standard in limbo

by Darren Murph posted Nov 3rd 2008 at 8:44PM

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]

Imation's wireless USB Apollo Pro WX external HDD does backups sans wires

by Darren Murph posted Sep 26th 2008 at 10:21PM

We knew wireless USB would eventually rise up and become more than a pitiful excuse for not plugging in your digicam to transfer photos, and lo and behold, it has done just that. Imation's latest Apollo drive packs a lot of promise, thanks in huge part to the integrated WiQuest WUSB solution tucked within. Put simply, the Apollo Pro WX can begin to backup user data as soon as the machine in question comes "into range." Without any wires (save for that pesky AC adapter), this ~~one~~ no-touch backup system can ensure that your most precious 1s and 0s aren't lost for eternity when unforeseen disaster strikes. There's no word on price just yet, but expect these to sell like hotcakes when they ship in Q4.

[Via EverythingUSB]

WiQuest makes secure pairing simple for display-less Wireless USB devices

by Darren Murph posted Jul 9th 2008 at 8:05AM

Pairing up display-laden Wireless USB device with another machine is quite possibly one of the easiest processes known to man, but what if your W-USB device is screen-less? Enter WiQuest, the self-proclaimed leader in WiMedia-based ultra-wideband solutions, which has just revealed a new Wireless USB PIN Association method "specifically designed for Wireless USB-enabled devices that do not have a display." In its words, "once the Association process is initiated, a software screen on the host PC requests that the unique PIN printed on the Wireless USB device be entered and the secure pairing is completed -- wirelessly." We just love it when a good plan comes together.

CoAir: world's first UWB chipset with wireless, coax and gigabit Ethernet

by Darren Murph posted Jun 24th 2008 at 9:29AM

Sigma Designs has been dabbling in wireless HD technologies for eons, so we aren't going to get too excited until we see this here system-on-chip (SoC) actually hit some products that we care about. Still, the CoAir is a fairly sweet concept, wrapping integrated wireless, coax and gigabit Ethernet capabilities into one single chip aimed at whole home networking. Put simply (or as simply as possible), this chip is the world's first to "simultaneously deliver multiple independent streams of video and data over coax cable, Ethernet cable and wirelessly without compromising quality of service and throughput." Based on the WiMedia standard, it can reach speeds of up to 480Mbps with UWB (ultra-wideband) wireless streaming, and room-to-room linkage via UWB-over-coax can peg those same rates. What we have here is a great basis for building a whole home server on, but until said device emerges and performs flawlessly, we'll just smile and carry on.

Hitachi's Ultra Thin LCD lineup to boast Tzero's UWB technology

by Darren Murph posted Feb 19th 2008 at 3:06PM

We knew Hitachi's Ultra Thin HDTV family would boast ultra-wideband technology, and while little was said about this aspect during CES, we've now learned that Tzero will be responsible for handling the aforementioned UWB duties. As expected, the UT HDTVs will "be able to receive high-definition video wirelessly from any HDMI equipped audio / video component," as Tzero promises that users will see transmission speeds of up to 480Mbps. Interestingly, we're told that the UWB-equipped sets are available in Japan right now, but only time will tell if those luscious wireless abilities will make the trip stateside in Q2.

Bluetooth SIG looks at Bluetooth-WiFi to hasten transfers

by Darren Murph posted Feb 10th 2008 at 4:35PM

If you'll recall, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group already had plans laid out to speed up Bluetooth by teaming it up with UWB, but needless to say, that didn't exactly take the world by storm. Thankfully, it seems the crew is trying something else in an effort to speed up BT transfers, and judging by the ubiquity of WiFi, we reckon this endeavor has a much better chance at gaining traction. According to Michael Foley, director of the Bluetooth SIG, these so-called Bluetooth-WiFi (just a temporary name, folks) devices will "use the regular low-power Bluetooth radios to recognize each other and establish connections, and if they need to transfer a large file, they will be able to turn on their WiFi radios, then turn them off to save power after finishing the transfer." For whatever reason, Foley also noted that it wouldn't be letting the dream go with regard to Bluetooth-UWB -- we're sure consumers will adore the confusion.