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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 and WiGig sync up for 60GHz WiFi
We already heard that Hitachi, Panasonic and Toshiba would be delivering 60GHz wireless products in the latter half of this year, but it looks like a whole heap of other companies will be as well after this bombshell drops. The Wi-Fi Alliance and WiGig (which just nailed down a final spec in December) have finally got their respective ducks in a row, and thanks to a new partnership announced today, 60GHz WiFi products are now possible. For those unaware, 60GHz airwaves are typically reserved for high-bandwidth applications -- think streaming a Blu-ray flick from a player to an HDTV sans any cabling. The two will be working in unison in order to create a next-generation certification program for products operating in the 60GHz band, and best of all, a "significant portion, if not all, of these devices are expected to also support traditional WiFi networking in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands." There's no mention of when exactly the first 60GHz WiFi wares will begin to ship, but we can certainly say we're eager to update this here tutorial when tri-band becomes reality. Update: The rival WirelessHD alliance (updated to 1.1 today with support for 3DTV, HDCP 2.0, data applications and data rates in excess of 10Gbps) says it will support WiGig with dual-mode WirelessHD/WiGig silicon now available from SiBeam for sampling. Hey, what would a standard be if we didn't have options?
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?
Wi-Fi Direct to bring secure peer-to-peer networking in 2010
If there's one thing that I've wanted to be able to do for years, it's to set up a direct Wi-Fi connection to another device without having to actually be near a Wi-Fi base station, or going to the trouble of getting an ad-hoc network set up on both devices. This type of peer-to-peer networking is nothing new; back in the Newton MessagePad days we could beam address cards and data between devices through an IrDA connection. Now the Wi-Fi Alliance has announced that this will be possible next year through the use of Wi-Fi Direct. Wi-Fi Direct will come built into many new devices and can be implemented in existing devices through software updates. Wi-Fi Direct competes directly with Bluetooth, and will provide much faster data transfer speeds (using more power, unfortunately). According to the Wi-Fi Alliance, "The specification, previously code-named 'Wi-Fi peer-to-peer,' can be implemented in any Wi-Fi device, from mobile phones, cameras, printers, and notebook computers, to human interface devices such as keyboards and headphones. Significantly, devices that have been certified to the new specification will also be able to create connections with hundreds of millions of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED legacy devices already in use. Devices will be able to make a one-to-one connection, or a group of several devices can connect simultaneously." I can imagine that at some point in 2010, we'll be able to sync our iPhones using Wi-Fi Direct, directly send address book information to other iPhone-toting people, and enjoy high-speed multi-player gaming fun. Apple is a sponsor corporation for the Wi-Fi Alliance, so adoption of Wi-Fi Direct on Macs, iPhones, and future Apple equipment will hopefully be swift and widespread. [via MacRumors]
Wi-Fi Direct enabling P2P communications amongst WiFi wares, scaring Bluetooth half to death
Hear that Bluetooth? That's the sound of competition... finally. After years of waiting for some sort of serious rival in the short-range communication realm, the Wi-Fi Alliance is doing what it should've done eons ago. Starting sometime in mid-2010 (if all goes to plan, of course), a Wi-Fi Direct specification will be published, enabling WiFi'd devices to connect to one another without some sort of WLAN hotspot nearby. Previously, the standard was codenamed Wi-Fi peer-to-peer, as it gives printers, mobile handsets, human interface devices, cameras, laptops and a host of other wireless wares the ability to talk to one another without first consulting an access point. We're told that devices will be able to make "one-to-one" connections or talk amongst a group, and WPA2 security will be bundled in to keep the ill-willed sniffers at bay. Call us crazy, but we get this feeling we're going to dig this protocol -- now, if only we could actually count on seeing shipping products before we're too old to enjoy it, we'd be set.
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]
Palm prepping Pre with North American GSM, but for whom?
Palm seems to be making an active, conscientious effort to say as little as it can about the GSM version of the Pre, possibly in an effort to give Sprint as much spotlight as possible before its exclusivity expires -- but as we all know, it's real and it's coming. Thing is, Palm has always implied that it's being limited to European duty with a 3G radio that fails to cover bands that are of any interest to North Americans, so what the heck is this noise all about? Multiple certification bodies are now reporting the existence of a Pre model number P100UNA, as opposed to the P100UEU that's launching in Europe -- and it doesn't take a lot of detective work to gather that those codes on the end stand for "North America" and "European Union," respectively (for the record, the CDMA version on Sprint is P100EWW, so it ain't that). One distinct possibility is that Palm's preparing a version to cover Bell's new HSPA network since the carrier is Palm's exclusive Pre launch partner in Canada and they're smack in the middle of a transition from CDMA -- and needless to say, if that's the case, there'll be an unprecedented effort to get that sucker unlocked on the double. [Via PreCentral] Read - WiFi certification [Warning: PDF link] Read - Bluetooth SIG
Samsung i5700 "Galaxy-lite" gets WiFi approval -- Android on the cheap?
We can say with some confidence now that HTC's planning on taking Android to a new, mega-cheap market with the upcoming Click -- and as the old saying goes, when it rains, it pours. Samsung -- which also looks to be making an Android push, hot off the launch of its inaugural i7500 Galaxy -- has just garnered WiFi certification for a heretofore-unknown i5700 "Galaxy-lite," which certainly has all the makings of a stripped-down Galaxy from its model name and number. We know precisely zlich about what the i5700 actually entails, but we're encouraged by the fact that they managed to leave WiFi in; question is, what features of the Galaxy would we be okay to see go on a lower-cost model? AMOLED? The high-spec camera? Awesomeness? [Warning: PDF link][Via mobile-review]
802.11n finalization just a formality, interoperability to be preserved
C'mon, say it with us: "phew!" Considering that just about everyone has been shipping "802.11n" wireless kit since draft 2.0 was put into play two summers ago, we couldn't be more relieved to see the Wi-Fi Alliance confirm that it won't change the baseline requirements of its 802.11n certification program when the format gets certified this September. Just as we'd heard, the WiFi standard will leave its stagnant draft status and sashay into the wondrous realm of officialdom in merely two months, with the updated test program to "preserve interoperability with more than 600 Wi-Fi certified 802.11n draft 2.0 products released since June 2007, while adding testing for some optional features now included in the standard." Good thing, too -- can you imagine the uproar if your forthcoming 802.11n dongle wouldn't play nice with that draft-N router you snagged last June?[Via Electronista]
Netgear gets 802.11n draft 2.0 certified with RangeMax NEXT routers
Surely bitter after being one-upped by D-Link by a matter of hours (strictly in terms of time to press, of course), Netgear is still tooting its own horn over being the second to receive the Wi-Fi Alliance's 802.11n draft 2.0 certification. The firm's first two devices to include the newfangled seal are the RangeMax NEXT Wireless-N Router Gigabit Edition (WNR854T) and the RangeMax NEXT Wireless-N Router (WNR834B; seen after the break), both of which are fully backwards compatible with the slower flavors of 802.11. Thankfully, citizens who currently own a RangeMax NEXT 802.11n Draft 1.0 product can upgrade their device free of charge via a firmware download, and Netgear even proclaims that the rest of its Wireless-N products are "being tested" and should be up to snuff soon.
D-Link first out the door with draft 2.0 802.11n certification
We know you've been waiting on pins and needles to hear who got firsties on draft 2.0 802.11n certification from Wi-Fi Alliance -- we sure have. It looks like D-Link is the lucky winner, with its D-Link Xtreme N Router and Xtreme N Notebook Adapter the first products to receive the new badge. That means the two devices will be sporting a new "distinctive and prestigious logo," while D-Link can start boasting of the highest level of forwards compatibility in the wild west of 802.11n products. This doesn't begin to spell doom for draft 1.0 users, but it's always good to see things settle down a bit in that space while we wait another few decades for the spec to finalize.
Wi-Fi Alliance 802.11n Draft 2.0 testing begins -- certified products soon
In a move meant to ensure compatibility across vendors, the Wi-Fi Alliance has started interoperability testing of 802.11n Draft 2.0 products. That means "WiFi Certified" products should hit for retail before summer is out. Besides sporting that swank new logo, the certification should provide some peace of mind related to WPA2 security, WMM QoS for video streaming, and compatibility with legacy 802.11a/b/g regardless of the manufacturer. While cross-platform certification testing of a draft spec is unusual and likely won't guarantee 100% compatibility, it's still a welcome step by the industry given the troubled history of interconnecting disparate 802.11 draft devices in the past. Besides, with the final IEEE spec (already two and half years in the making) not expected until September 2008, what else could Apple, Dell, Sony, Nokia, Cisco and the other 250 or so members do in the face of such mucho demand?
Simple, safe WPS WiFi security around the corner
Setting up a secure wireless network is no easy task, due in part to the array of confusing, conflicting, and sometimes even downright ineffectual (we're looking at you, WEP) solutions to the problem. Enter the WiFi Alliance's WiFi Protected Setup, or WPS, a program slated for release later this year that aims to ease the process of securing home users' wireless networks and is intended to play nice with any WiFi-enabled consumer electronic device (say, a DAP or a camera), as long as the device passes a mandatory lab test first. Tapping into the home user's "I don't care how it works, as long as it does" mentality, WPS will make secure connections as simple as pushing a button on the WiFi-enabled device and the router that it is connecting to, although a PIN-based method is also part of the specification. The new system is similar to Buffalo Technology's Airstation One-Touch Secure System, however, unlike AOSS, WPS is an entirely non-proprietary specification that will fit right into the heterogeneous world of WiFi. Lets just hope wireless chipset and consumer electronics manufacturers get behind WPS and show some love to the peeps that don't know their WEPs from their wallets.[Via The Register]
