WiFiAlliance
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Samsung's new Galaxy Tab 10.1 hits the FCC with GT-P7510 moniker
Yes, this is Samsung's latest 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab alright, not to be mistaken with its thicker 10.1v sibling that's gradually rolling out across Europe and Australia. How can you tell? Well, the older Honeycomb tablet bears the GT-P7100 codename, whereas this FCC filing and a Wi-Fi Alliance certificate show off the GT-P7510 moniker for this WiFi-only 10.1. Oh, and the drawing of the backside -- pictured after the break -- is a dead giveaway, of course. What remains unknown is the mysterious 1GHz dual-core CPU inside this razor-thin slate, but given the release of this FCC application, it probably won't be long before all is revealed.
Wi-Fi Alliance launches hotspot certification program, aims to ease cell-to-WiFi handoff woes
If you've been paying even a slight bit of attention to carriers over the past year and change, you'd know that a number of 'em are resorting to citywide WiFi networks in order to relieve some of the stress being placed on their 3G networks. It's definitely a viable solution for a problem that requires oodles to time (and far too many signatures) to plant new cell sites, but there's a looming issue: compatibility. Naturally, the Wi-Fi Alliance is all over it, today launching an initiative to transform the user experience in hotspots. The Wi-Fi Certified hotspot testbed will address authentication and provision of service for public WiFi networks, essentially acting to "facilitate the seamless handoff of cellular traffic from smartphones, tablets and other portable electronics to WiFi, helping service providers manage demands on constrained licensed spectrum." We're told that the program will allow devices to "discover and automatically choose networks based upon user preferences, operator policies and network optimization," and in many cases, they'll be automatically granted access to the network based upon credential mechanisms, such as SIM cards. Hard to say what this will mean for limits and structuring, but we're bound to find out more as the 1H 2012 target launch date draws nearer. Full release is after the break, per usual.
WiFi Direct helps you kill space chickens without an access point (hands-on)
The urge to kill a chicken is surprisingly strong when operating in the dead space between sleep deprivation and a caffeinated buzz of hyper alertness. The fact that the beast is giant and in space makes it downright compulsive especially when given the opportunity to team up in combat with Max Planck over an 802.11n WiFi Direct connection... without an access point and without any lag. This isn't your father's Bluetooth connection, son. See the carnage go down after the break.
Dell's 7-inch (or 10-inch) Android tablet gets WiFi certification?
Remember how Dell's supposed to be introducing a 7-inch Tegra 2-powered Android tablet, like, right now, possibly followed by a 10-inch model in a few months? Well, we're not saying that's what's going on here, but consider the facts: the original 5-inch Streak has a model code of M01M, and a new device with code M02M just popped up in the Wi-Fi Alliance's certification database identified as a "Mobile Internet Device" in the Smartphone category. Yes, 7 inches is a bit large for a "smartphone," but the Alliance doesn't have a great category for these tweeners that support cellular data (and like the European Galaxy Tab, some of them really are smartphones anyway). PocketNow suggests that we could also be looking at the Streak 2, which is possible -- but considering the groundswell of rumors we've been hearing about a slightly larger tablet in the pipeline, that's where our money lies. That holds especially true considering how close we are to CES, which promises to be a veritable tablet-fest this year -- but regardless, we bet the truth comes out within the next couple weeks.
HomePlug Powerline Alliance and Wi-Fi Alliance align, hope for wireless home nirvana
Ah, now we're talking. Over the years, HomePlug and wireless HD / HDMI haven't exactly "taken off." Routing internet signals over a home's power network has been hampered by subpar transmission rates, and using wireless in the home for anything other than basic web duties has shown to be either too costly or too much hassle. Now, however, the HomePlug Powerline Alliance and the Wi-Fi Alliance have seen the light, and they're joining hands in order to jointly push their technologies to homeowners. Focused primarily on " facilitating interoperability of smart grid applications," these organizations are fixing to enable SEP 2.0 applications to operate across a diverse mix of wireless and wired networks, and hopefully they'll reach out to product manufacturers while they're at it. Here's hoping they'll be able to nail it -- the demand is certainly there, but the execution thus far has been downright depressing.
Wi-Fi Direct certification begins today, device-to-device transmission starting soon
So, Bluetooth -- last fall didn't end up being as frightful as you had probably imagined, but this fall is bound to be different. Or so the Wi-Fi Alliance says. If you'll recall, Wi-Fi Direct promised to do what Bluetooth had been doing for years, but with far less fuss and on a protocol that's much more widespread. A solid year has come and gone, and we've heard nary a word from any company who plans on implementing it. Thankfully for us all, that changes today. Starting in mere moments, Wi-Fi Direct devices will begin the certification process, and while we couldn't extract exact product details or a release time frame for future wares on a media call regarding the announcement, we did get the impression that at least a few partners were trying to get Wi-Fi Direct wares onto shelves before Christmas. As for functionality, the claims are fairly impressive. In order to make a direct device-to-device connection over WiFi, just one of the two need to be Wi-Fi Direct certified. In other words, a Wi-Fi Direct printer can recognize and interface with your Latitude D410 laptop from 1999, as all Wi-Fi Direct certified devices have to be able to control the one-to-one relationship. The goal here is pretty simple -- it's to create a protected connection between two devices over WiFi with as little hassle as possible. Think Bluetooth, but using WiFi. We also learned that "most" products certified will also support "one-to-many" connections, enabling a Wi-Fi Direct laptop to be in contact with a printer, connected HDTV and a tablet simultaneously, with no router in-between at any point. We should also point out that while 802.11a/g/n is supported over 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, there's no requirement for Wi-Fi Direct products to support 802.11b, so legacy users may want to pay attention to that quirk. There's also no new hardware requirements here, so in theory, any existing WiFi chipset could be upgraded via firmware to handle Wi-Fi Direct -- whether or not that'll happen on a large scale was a question the Wi-Fi Alliance couldn't answer for us. Finally, they noted that the app ecosystem is likely to make this whole rollout a lot more interesting, particularly considering that Direct is simply a pipe that software can dictate as it sees fit. We'll be keeping a close eye on the developments here; we've waited way too long for this to blossom, but we're pretty jazzed about the possibilities. Head on past the break for a video overview of how Wi-Fi Direct works.
Motorola's mysterious Olympus MB860 gets certified for Bluetooth, UPnP and dual-band WiFi
What is the Motorola MB860? It's hard to say for sure, but it could be one of the infamous Tegra 2 tablets that Motorola's been allegedly working on. Ameblo recently discovered that the MB860 had been certified for Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi, and then noticed that the UPnP Forum had attached a curious codename -- Olympus -- to the device. This is where things get fairly fuzzy, but Android and Me recently reported that the Olympus was one of two Motorola tablets in testing -- though it may not be the Stingray, as that supposed 10-inch device has an alphanumeric designation of its own: MZ600. For those of you inspired to go sluthing on your own, we've got a couple final notes. First, the Bluetooth SIG has already changed its MB860 filing to read BT0001, according to Google's cache. Second, though the WiFi interoperability certificate above reads "smartphone," that's not necessarily true -- according to the Wi-Fi Alliance, Samsung's Galaxy Tab is a "phone" as well.
Wi-Fi Alliance touts first ten 802.11n-certified mobiles, some likely headed to Sprint / Verizon
Bona fide 802.11n took long enough to get here, but now it's just a matter of time before it becomes all-too-familiar on everyday smartphones. We've already seen a handful of 802.11n smartphones hit from LG and Samsung, but here at CTIA the Wi-Fi Alliance has come out swinging with an announcement touting the debut of ten WiFi n-certified handsets. Granted, the release is focused more on the blossoming of 802.11n as a whole rather than specific details about those ten mysterious phones, but a separate report from PC Magazine notes that those that have already passed through the FCC are all packing CDMA radios. Put two and two together, and you start to realize that Sprint and Verizon may soon be trumpeting the carriage of some of the planet's first 802.11n phones. But hey -- who needs WiFi when you've got WiMAX, right Dan?
LG Arena Max gets WiFi certification, sounds way more extreme than Arena
LG's Arena was one of the more important non-smartphone handsets of 2009, if for no other reason than the fact that it introduced the world to LG's latest standard user experience, S-Class. Of course, it was introduced all the way back in February -- a lifetime by mobile standards -- which means that it's about time to re-up with a shiny replacement. It sounds like that might come in the form of an "Arena Max" model, thanks to a fresh certification in the Wi-Fi Alliance's database pointing to an LU9400 model going by that name. Specs are anyone's guess at this point, but we can probably expect a big, stonking camera, a full-touch UI, and -- you guessed it -- WiFi.
Wi-Fi Alliance updates Certified 802.11n program, intros shiny new logo
It's all paperwork at this point, but you had to know that the Wi-Fi Alliance wouldn't just let the two-year old 802.11n draft 2.0 program remain as it was now that the protocol is finally finished, right? Announced today, said organization is updating the Wi-Fi Certified program to add testing for "popular optional features now more widely available in WiFi equipment," all of which are detailed in the read link. The real news, however, is the new face. On the same day that we were shown an absolutely spectacular new Windows 7 logo -- one that will inevitably mar your next laptop's palm rest -- the Wi-Fi Alliance (or the WFA, as we call 'em at the poker table) is rolling out an updated logo, family of taglines and product labeling matrix. Thrilling, isn't it? Head on past the break for a few more... if you're into that kind of thing. [Via PC World]
It's official! 802.11n standard finalized after a mere seven years
Remember when the Wi-Fi Alliance finalized the 802.11 draft-n spec some two and a half years ago? Of course you don't -- as long as your media players, laptops, and the like can connect to each other (and to the cloud) without a hiccup you probably don't care about IEEE's paper trail. The standard, which saw no major changes between then and now (meaning that all your draft-n devices should work fine with the finalized standard) theoretically connects at 300Mbps, or about six times the peak speed of 802.11g. But you already know that, since you've been using it for years now. The final standard is set to be published mid-October.
Toshiba TG02 earns WiFi certification, still unclear what it is
The Toshiba TG02's strange path to reality continues to unfold with a fresh Wi-Fi Alliance certification to shove under its belt alongside that FCC approval it earned a few months back. Of course, it wasn't called the TG02 back then -- it was known only by the more cryptic TM5-E01, a phone alleged to be a Windows Mobile clamshell despite the TG01-ish external photos provided with the filing -- but at any rate, it seems that we're talking about the same thing here. There's not a lot of additional detail to go on here, but it's encouraging to see that Toshiba's still hard at work besting its already-awesome first Snapdragon model -- and if it really is a clamshell, that'll be sure to bring out a whole trove of HTC Star Trek fans who've been in hiding for a year or two. [Warning: PDF link] [Via Unwired View and tweakers.net]
Atheros offers up 802.11n Draft 2.0-spec XSPAN solutions
You'll probably recall Atheros' name from the rundown of Draft 2.0 802.11n gear mentioned just a week ago, but now the firm is getting official with its bundle of refreshed pre-N gear. The new AR9001 family of chipset solutions builds upon the existing XSPAN offerings, and is reportedly compliant with the latest IEEE draft of 802.11n. Primarily aiming for SMB and Enterprise markets, the outfit is doling out a number of AR9001AP access points / router SoCs that "integrate its 802.11n MAC / baseband and 400MHz Wireless Network Processor (WNPU) into a single chip." On the consumer front, the AR9001U sect presents the "world's first dual-band capable 802.11n USB chipset," and also includes the company's first 1x2 MIMO configuration. Unsurprisingly, pricing details on all these goodies are still up in the air, but Atheros claims that second-generation AR9001 items are currently sampling to customers and should hit " full volume production" in Q3 of this year.[Via PCWorld]
Wi-Fi Alliance unveils first 802.11n Draft 2.0 products
You might remember that the 802.11n "Draft 2.0" specification was finally approved just a couple months ago, and since the final 802.11n standard is guaranteed to be compatible with that version, the Wi-Fi Alliance (the trade group that controls the Wi-Fi spec) has retooled the Wi-Fi logo and decided to start certifying products as "802.11n Draft 2.0 certified," in anticipation of the spec being formally released in 2008. There's only a few products on the list released today: router / card combos from Atheros, Broadcom, and Marvell; Cisco and Intel APs; and a chipset / router combo from Ralink. This is, of course, in contrast to the veritable cornucopia of products (hello, Santa Rosa) that meet the earlier draft-n spec, which the Alliance did not certify. While we understand the need for the Wi-Fi Alliance to somehow regulate the enormous number of possibly-incompatible draft-n implementations out there, we'd much rather it just hurry up and finish the 802.11n spec already -- it's been two and a half years. Peep the full list of Draft 2.0 certified products after the jump.
