ExtremeUSB
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Icron's ExtremeUSB-based PC-on-TV tech goes wireless
Icron's PC-on-TV solution has been out and about since late last year, but we'd venture to say that adoption in the consumer market has been minimal at best. 'Course, the bevy of internet-to-TV set-top boxes that have emerged in the meanwhile certainly haven't help its cause, and the whole "wired Ethernet" requirement was also a real deal-breaker, ladies. Now, it seems as if the company is looking to leapfrog those who leapfrogged it by showcasing a wireless (802.11n) solution at the Connections Digital Living Conference. The product is still based around its ExtremeUSB technology, which passes along VGA / USB signals from a PC to a TV so that your computer can be fully seen and controlled on your den's HDTV. Unfortunately, two critical data points are still missing: first, there's no expected release date, and second, there's no independent reports on how well all of this works sans cabling.
ThinkLogical debuts Velocity USB KVM -- with a 25-mile range
Okay, we can't actually think of a single reason why you'd need a KVM switch with a max range of 25 freaking miles, but we do know it's pretty insane that such a product even exists. Built on top of an Icron ExtremeUSB chipset, the ThinkLogical VelocityKVM can pipe two 1920 x 1200 DVI signals, USB 1.1, serial, PS2 and stereo audio up to 40 kilometers over single-mode fiber with no loss in quality, and can be upgraded to support USB 2.0 as well. ThinkLogical doesn't even begin to list prices on its site, which probably means you'll need some deep pockets to get in on the action -- uh, yeah, we'll stick to VNC for now, thanks.[Via Wired]
Icron offers USB 2.0 over power line solution
Although there's never been an overwhelming amount of success in any one category, just about everything has tried its hand at traveling over power lines, but Icron looks to be the first to channel USB 2.0 over the medium. Taking advantage of Panasonic's HD-PLC technology and its proprietary ExtremeUSB magic that was already seen in a wireless USB endeavor, Icron's system "extends USB 2.0 over standard power lines enabling remote connection of standard USB devices such as keyboards, printers, flash drives, hard drives, and web cameras over the AC outlets in your home or office." (What, no hand warmers, aquariums, or drink chillers?) The prototype setup featured a four-port USB 2.0 OPL hub and dongle set that saw 190Mbps over standard power lines, and there won't be any additional drivers necessary for this to play nice with Windows, Linux, and OS X systems. No word just yet on when these kits will be available for sale, but we'd wait on a review before labeling ourselves an early adopter on this one.
