ultrawideband
Latest
UWB about to get legalized in the UK
While we Americans are probably taking for granted the legal status of ultrawideband technology while we grumble over the RIAA, MPAA, and host of other pesky agencies, the folks in Europe still haven't had a taste of UWB in their own homeland. That tidbit is getting set to change, however, as a recent meeting of the Radio Spectrum Committee reversed the decision to keep the technology illegal in the UK. Ofcom's chief technologist, Professor William Webb, was "delighted" at the approval, and he expects the decision to accept UWB across all European states will be made "within the next six months." But don't think the RSC is going to let those waves run loose, as Ofcom noted that the UK would impose "even tighter restrictions" than ones currently in place elsewhere to ensure no complications or interference during the rollout. Although the formal decision hasn't exactly been announced, all signs are pointing to a green light in the near future, and we suspect companies in the UWB game are already gearing up that 220-volt gear in anticipation.[Via Slashdot]
Hands-on with Belkin's Cable-Free USB Hub
So we snagged our lucky selves a Belkin Cable-Free USB Hub, one of the first ever wireless USB devices, as well as one of the first consumer Ultrawideband products. Luckily for us there wasn't a lot to test, but we can tell you this: the hub is small, the dongle is massive, and the speed and range aren't quite what they're cracked up to be. Click on for the usual unboxing, a load of high res product shots, shots and details on setup and performance. Hands-on with Belkin's Cable-Free USB Hub
Belkin's Cable-Free USB Hub finally loosed
It's kind of hard to believe it's been nigh a year since we caught a glimpse at Belkin's (and the world's) first Ultrawideband product, the Cable-Free USB Hub. And yet here we are, rapidly approaching Christmas, and the kit and dongle are finally ready to go for $200 for a "mid-December" release (meaning retail rollout ASAP). They're claiming up to 480mbps as far as 30 feet away is how it'll perform (we'll see about that), with just PC support out of the gate.
HP's shiny new concept devices
Looks like Fujitsu's not the only company showing off products that you're not likely to get your mitts on anytime soon, with HP recently unveiling its vision of personal computing in the year 2016. The centerpiece of the lineup is this wouldn't-be-caught-dead-wearing watch seen here which, if HP has its way, could someday come loaded with a holographic display and Ultra Wide Band (UWB) connectivity. That'll let the watch communicate with the array of other equally shiny devices HP's showing off -- including laptops and tablet PCs -- that rely entirely on network storage, as well a so-called "smart shelf" which can be used to recharge the watch and display information on a huge screen atop it. Other non-working prototypes include a smart coffee table with built-in interactive displays and slots for a tablet PC, rollable multi-purpose display mats, and a digital wallet that'll keep track of your online transactions. Of course, HP then went on to show off some of its current products at the same event, successfully dampening whatever enthusiasm there might have been for Pocket PC phones and GPS devices. More pics after the break.[Via Slashgear]
1394TA and HANA to offer "1394 over coax via UWB" home networking
Although coax isn't the freshest medium on the block, there's still a good bit of potential yet to be realized in your household cable wiring. The 1394 Trade Association has teamed up with the High Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance (aka HANA) in hopes of networking the electronics in your crib by tapping into the copious amount of cable you've probably already got installed. While turning all of your home entertainment devices into one big happy family has been a long-standing fantasy, these two organizations are hoping to bring the ideas to complete fruition via ultrawideband technology (UWB). Plans are to leverage the bandwidth in your home's coaxial cable to network HDTVs, PVRs, set-top boxes, HTPCs, NAS drives, DVD players, and whatever else you can throw in the mix by using hardware and software developed by PulseLink (which we've already seen in action), Freescale Semiconductor, and Samsung Electronics. The technology will reportedly play nice with your legacy programming, meet the current FCC mandates, and even support IP. As expected, 1394 over coax via UWB will support DRM, so even though content guardians of the world can rest easy, we could potentially endure a bit of headache in the "seamless networking" that we're led to expect. This promising application will supposedly feature "real-time QoS [quality of service]" and raw data rates "exceeding 1Gbps," which combined with its long list of attributes, sounds like a match made in heaven for those looking to network their currently disconnected entertainment devices. But until we see hard pricing and implementations beyond a trade show setup (i.e. some industry support), we'll continue to keep our fingers patiently crossed, and our coax patiently un-networked.
Bluetooth SIG drafting Medical Device Profile
Your Bluetooth-enabled PC or handset will soon be able to do more than just stream audio and sync data, as the SIG responsible for the wireless protocol has announced a forthcoming profile that will enable pairing with health and fitness monitoring equipment. Although several proprietary monitoring solutions are already on the market, the so-called Medical Device Profile will allow third-party manufacturers to release hardware with guaranteed interoperability, which should help grow this nascent use of the technology. Scheduled for completion sometime during the first half of next year, the new profile will allow users to both track pertinent statistics on their Bluetooth devices and easily send that data to doctors, coaches, or trainers. Luckily for us heavy Bluetooth users, the profile will also be compatible with the upcoming Ultra Wideband (UWB) standard, meaning that the fitness-related bits traveling to our smartphone won't have to fight for bandwidth with the tethered GPS receiver and A2DP tunes we rock during our workouts.[Via MedGadget]
