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Conceptual UNI enables compartmentalized computing
Those who find difficulty in cracking open a typical tower to replace that aging DVD writer with one that burns in high-definition should adore Richard Choi's UNI concept, which exemplifies compartmentalized computing and takes the stress out of upgrading. Apparently, the "Think" module would act as the core computer and handle the essentials, while a variety of other plug-in modules would provide additional outputs (HDMI, DVI, optical audio, USB, etc.), hard drive space, and optical drives. Granted, this could get out of hand for those who get UNI-stackin' fever, but we'll certainly pass along kudos to the idea. Click on for one more shot.[Via YankoDesign, thanks Martin]
D-Link intros DUB-9240 wireless USB kit
Hot on the heels of several other wireless USB hubs, D-Link is making sure it joins the party with time to spare as it unveils the DUB-9240 kit. The two-piece assemblage consists of the DUB-1210 wireless USB adapter and the DUB-2240 four-port wireless USB hub, and together they enable your machine to connect to USB peripherals sans wires. The unit promises to function within a 30-foot range, and operates on a frequency range of 3.4GHz to 4.5GHz in order to not interfere with any surrounding WiFi signals. Additionally, up to three more DUB-2240s can be connected to the first for a wireless USB overload blowout, and you'll have plenty of time to dream up such a setup while waiting for these to ship in Q4 for $119.99 apiece, or $219.99 for the pair.[Thanks, Allen]
Wireless USB finds its way to Dell and Lenovo laptops
If you're like us, you've bopped along happily once or twice to USB.org's funky little wireless promo video, hoping that someday the wire-free utopia it promises could become a reality. Well now Lenovo and Dell have put us one step closer to the prize with two new laptops. Both the Dell Inspiron 1720 and the Lenovo ThinkPad T61 and T61p models are expected to be Wireless USB certified any day now, and ready to connect to... um, something. As the standard is just starting to see the light of day, there aren't a lot of options available unless you decide to get jiggy with a wireless router such as this Belkin hub -- but if things go as planned, in the next few years we'll all be trashing our wires and listening to really bad instrumental rock -- just like in the video you can watch after the break.[Via CNET]
Belkin announces 4-port Wireless USB Hub
Those not satisfied by Belkin's latest attempt at clutter-reducing USB hubs may want to consider stepping up to the company's new 4-port Wireless USB Hub, which'll let you ditch the cables all together and spread your peripherals to places they've never been before. According to Belkin, the hub will give you about a 30 foot range and transfer speeds up to 480Mbps, with full compatibility promised for any "Certified Wireless USB" devices. Nothing too remarkable there, but the price is certainly a bit more welcoming than some other hubs we've seen, coming in at an even $200, which includes the hub and a wireless USB adapter. Look for it to roll out late next month.
Alereon's UWB solution handles Bluetooth, WiMedia
In yet another sensational shot heard 'round the wireless world, Alereon is claiming to have developed the "first ultrawideband solution able to meet all regulatory requirements worldwide for applications based on Wireless USB, Bluetooth and WiMedia." The AL5100 RF transceiver comes in as the "only" one of its kind capable of transmitting and receiving all 14 bands of the WiMedia ultrawideband spectrum, and the AL5000 chipset was designed to span frequencies from 3.1- to 10.6GHz in order to provide consumers in Japan and Korea with more channel allocation than competing options. Of course, the firm is pushing the product as an end-all solution to developing wirelessly-enabled products that will operate and pass regulations around the globe, and while it wasn't mentioned when these would go mainstream, sample boards should go out for "evaluation" next quarter.[Via Physorg]
Belkin Network USB Hub gets official
Right on cue, Belkin has coughed up the official details surrounding the Network USB Hub that we saw last month. As expected, this five-port USB hub will "work with your existing WiFi router to give you wireless access to printers, media readers, and external hard drives by simulating a direct USB connection that makes your computer think that the devices on the network are directly attached to the computer." Moreover, we now know that "special caching techniques" will enable high-speed USB devices to be supported along with isochronous transfers at full speed. The F5L009 is still on track for a June release here in the US, with launches in Asia, Europe, and, Australia to "follow soon," and while Windows users won't have any qualms trying to best the purported "three minute setup time" that this thing promises, OS X users will be pouting 'til September waiting for drivers. Click on through for one last shot.
Gefen wireless USB hub makes FCC appearance
Gefen has been talking up its wireless USB hub for quite a while now, but it looks like it could now finally be getting closer to a release, with the device making its all-important first appearance on the FCC's website. While there's not a whole lot to help it stand out from other similar devices, it looks like should get the job done well enough, with a promised 60 foot range and data transfer speeds of up to 70 Mbps, along with four USB 2.0 ports to accommodate your various peripherals. As with other wireless USB devices, however, the pleasure of operating your gadgets from across the room doesn't come cheap, with Gefen currently asking $399 to take your order, although it still isn't giving any indication as to when it'll actually ship.Read - Gefen product pageRead - FCC documents
The 2006 Engadget Awards: Vote for Wireless Device or Technology of the Year
Now's your chance to cast your ballot for the 2006 Wireless Device or Technology of the Year! Our Engadget Awards nominees are listed below, and you've got until 11.59PM EST on Sunday, April 15th to file your vote. You can only vote once, so make it count, and may the best tech win! The nominees: 802.11n (draft 1.06), HSDPA, Nabaztag/tag WiFi rabbit, Microsoft Zune, and Ultrawideband wireless USB. %Poll-227%
Icron rolls out WiRanger wireless USB hub
First announced back in January, Icron's WiRanger wireless USB 2.0 hub has now finally made it out the door, joining the growing number of other cable cutting devices already out there. It doesn't look like the specs have seen any changes since we last heard about it, with the four-port hub boasting the same 802.11g radio on the inside, and promising the same 100 foot range between the hub and the dongle for your USB devices. Not announced last time, however, was the price, although we can now sorta understand why they were keeping it under wraps -- a $395 sticker price isn't exactly the best way to attract interest.
WiMedia UWB gets thumbs-up, becomes ISO / IEC-certified
Just recently, we finally heard a bit of good news from the IEEE camp in regard to 802.11n's progress, and now wireless freaks can celebrate a little more as UWB has been officially published as an ISO / IEC international standard. We've already seen a number of related certification programs, prototypes, and even products, but just a few months after edging legality in the UK, it seems the deal is done. WiMedia-based ultra-wideband technology, which is the "approved format for Wireless USB," unsurprisingly enables "short range multimedia file transfers" at data rates up to 480Mbps that operate in the UWB spectrum of 3.1 to 10.6 GHz. So while the brief rivalry was indeed entertaining, we're sorry about your luck, Freescale.[Via ExtremeTech]
DisplayLink cuts your monitor's cord, utilizes wireless USB
Sure, wireless USB hubs for your mice, keyboards, printers, and other random peripherals are quite handy in removing that rat's nest of wires you're currently dealing with, but now it seems the "wire free PC" is within our grasp. DisplayLink's DL-120 and DL-160 ICs allow "monitor manufacturers, PC OEMs and PC accessory companies to develop products for multi-monitor computing including USB-connected monitors, video-enabled USB laptop docks, and a host of other goodies for the cordless monitor. These USB chips are the "world's first" to offer VGA over a USB 2.0 connection, and there's reportedly no loss in quality or lag incurred when watching films or performing other fast-moving tasks, but that's a claim we'd have to see to truly believe. The DL-120 supports resolutions up to 1,280 x 1,024, while the more robust DL-160 kicks it all the way up to 1,600 x 1,200. Notably, DisplayLink mentions that these chips could not only be used in LCD monitors, but in digiframes as well, potentially giving users the ability to beam new galleries over wireless USB. While both ICs are current "available in production," we've no idea how much the firm plans on charging folks to integrate the wireless goods into their monitors, but at least the countdown to a cable-less PC (and some real-world wireless USB applications) has begun -- now we're just waiting for a few hundred watts to be channeled sans cabling.[Via EverythingUSB]
Icron's WiRanger joins the race to wireless USB
For almost a year, Belkin has been teasing followers of the Wireless USB hub by constantly pushing back the official release date. At the rate they're going, someone else might beat them to market, Icron hopes it's them. The WiRanger is a 4 port USB 2.0 hub that leverages the company's proprietary ExtremeUSB technology to connect devices to any PC or Mac via 802.11g within a 100-foot range. We're skeptical to say the least. Icron has set a Spring release date and considering Belkin's track record, it will likely be the first product out the door.
Belkin Cable-Free USB Hub available for purchase this month
Belkin's award-winning wireless USB hub is finally expected to be available this month, after several delays. According to Belkin's press release earlier today, the Cable-Free USB Hub will be available for purchase mid-December, for $199 USD. We first told you about the Belkin Cable-Free USB hub back in January when they were demoing in at Macworld. It's a 4-port USB hub that uses Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology, based on the Wisair chipset, and needs no drivers to deliver high rate, high quality transfers - up to 480Mbps for USB 2.0 devices - making it perfect for wireless streaming HD video and audio, as well as communicating with printers, scanners, cameras and other USB devices up to 30 feet away without being tethered to them. The only thing you're tethered to is a small USB dongle.The hub will launch in the US first, with launches in Asia, Europe, and Australia to follow "at an indefinite date, pending respective country's regulatory approvals."Yup, I still want one, despite the price jumping from $130 to $190. Bring it on, Belkin... Bring. It. On.
Belkin Cable-Free USB Hub Wins Popular Science Award
Popular Science magazine has awarded Belkin's Cable-Free USB Hub one of its 100 "Best of What's New" awards, along with other cool gear like Logitech's MX Revolution, the Optimus Mini Three keyboard, among others. The Cable-Free USB Hub was due out in the spring but has been delayed several times due to a change in their chipset manufacturer (their original supplier got out of the cable-free biz altogether). The ETA is now December 2006 and the price, originally stated to be $129, is now up to $199. Let's just hope they actually get this thing out the door before the sparkly ball drops in Times Square and the price doesn't keep edging up because I really want one of these and as much as I love Belkin's products and continued innovation, I am getting a little tired of their "announce early, ship late, price high" track record.
USB-IF launches wireless USB certification program
You heard right, it's finally here. After questioning Bluetooth's ability to compete with it, and seeing numerous (unsurprising) delays, the USB Implementers Forum announced today the "availability of the Certified Wireless USB Compliance and Certification Program." If you're a bit stumped as to why we've already seen a few untethered USB devices floating about, the logic follows the same taken by 802.11n draft-spec adopters, and this QA procedure will "assure" consumers of its functionality, give suppliers a solid set of guidelines, and allow manufacturers to slap that coveted seal of approval on the box. More good news came when the previously claimed speeds -- 480Mbps at 3 meters and 110Mbps at 10 meters -- were confirmed as realizable. Initially, wireless USB compliance testing will be hosted at Intel's "Wireless USB Platform Integration Lab," with more branches to open in 2007. In times where delays and setbacks are far and away more common than getting things out the door, it's refreshing to see at least one wireless agenda reach completion.[Via WiFi Planet]
