WiQuest
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Wireless USB startup WiQuest shuts down, leaves the standard in limbo
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
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
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.
WiQuest launches two new UWB-based WiDV chipsets for wireless HD
While the Wireless USB solutions that UWB presents are a fun ideal for the wire-free desktop of the future, it seems like for the present, UWB is getting quite the workout as a video streaming workhorse. WiQuest's new WiDV technology streams up to 1Gbps of HD video for PC or home entertainment applications -- exact device compatibility is undefined, but we're guessing the usual suspects like DVI, HDMI and Component will be worked into this mix. To start of its WiDV revolution, WiQuest just announced its WQST100 and WQAST101 chipsets to support the new standard. Based on UWB technology, the streams shouldn't interfere with other WiMedia-based devices. Now we've just gotta wait for these chipsets to start showing up in real devices.[Via gizmag]
