BROWSING: uwb

UWB-enabled devices to hit 400M by 2011

The ultra-wideband silicon market began to take off in 2007, despite regulatory hurdles that persist worldwide, according to In-Stat.The firm noted the first UWB-enabled notebook computers shipped this year from several major manufacturers. PC peripherals are expected to hit the market next year, said...

Worst of the Week: Your predictions for 2008

Hello!And welcome to a special edition of our Thursday column, Worst of the Week. As 2007 draws to a close and we take stock of all the changes that have happened in the wireless industry, we can't help but wonder how things will look...

Early adopters clamoring for Wi-Fi, VoIP support

Almost half of early adopters in the United States planning to replace their cellphones want Wi-Fi capability, according to a recent survey by In-Stat. The market research firm noted that there are numerous dual-mode phones in the pipeline to meet this demand and that...

Bluetooth SIG accepts Nokia’s Wibree

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group once again made an ally out of a competing technology, agreeing to take the Wibree Forum under its umbrella.Wibree addresses devices with very low battery capacity such as watches, heart-rate monitors and pedometers, allowing them to communicate with Bluetooth-enabled...

New group proposes standard for wireless high-def in the home

The wireless industry was graced with the presence of yet another standardization initiative last week. Naturally, backers of the new movement launched their plan with all the gusto and enthusiasm of well ... every other just-launched standards development group. And so it was that...

Despite struggles, UWB adoption expected to explode

OYSTER BAY, N.Y.—ABI Research reports that despite stalled efforts to standardize ultra-wideband technology, shipments of UWB gear likely will increase to 300 million units by 2011. According to ABI’s principal analyst Stuart Carlaw, some observers have pointed to the lack of standardization as a...

Bluetooth SIG aligns with WiMedia Alliance version of UWB

BELLEVUE, Wash.—The Bluetooth Special Interest Group picked the WiMedia Alliance multiband orthogonal frequency division multiplexing version of ultra-wideband for integration with Bluetooth technology, thus taking the next step in its plan to create a high-speed data rate version of version of Bluetooth capable of...

Handsets as fashion statement

At this year's 3GSM World Congress, the world's handset makers will have an important line to toe. On one side, vendors must keep pace with the market's technological advancements. HSDPA, MP3, DVB-H, Bluetooth, wireless e-mail-the list of new technologies seems never-ending.On the other side,...

Despite no standard, all sides ready to move UWB forward

The IEEE'S recent decision to allow competing ultra-wideband standards in the marketplace has not deterred investors, but could spell trouble for the Bluetooth industry, which last year hooked its future to the UWB standard. The IEEE group voted unanimously at a meeting in Waikoloa,...

Wisair posts $20 million in funding

TEL AVIV, Israel-Wisair announced it secured $20 million in its latest round of funding. The company said it will use the cash to transition to "volume production and broad market expansion." The ultra-wideband and wireless USB chipset maker said the funding came about as...

Plans for UWB standard end in acrimony

WAIKOLOA, Hawaii-The IEEE ultrawideband task group ended three years of animosity with a nearly unanimous vote to kill the 802.15.3a proposed standard. The association, which was established to develop a standard for short-range wireless communications at up to 480 megabits per second, disbanded after...

UWB effort breaks into two competing standards

WAIKOLOA, Hawaii-The IEEE ultrawideband (UWB) task group ended three years of acrimony with a nearly unanimous vote to kill the 802.15.3a proposed standard. The association, which was established to develop a standard for short-range wireless communications at up to 480 megabits per second, disbanded...

UWB player Staccato raises $18 million in VC funds

LAS VEGAS-Ultra-Wideband chipmaker Staccato Communications announced $18 million in its third round of venture funding. Intel Capital's Digital Home Fund and Vision Capital led the round, while the company's existing investors Allegis Capital, Bay Partners, Charles River Ventures and Interwest Partners also participated.Staccato also...

Ubisense reports excitement around UWB tracking

CAMBRIDGE, England-Ubisense announced it picked up 60 new customers for its high-accuracy indoor location technology in the nine months since the Federal Communications Commission approved the company's ulta-wideband solution.The company said its UWB sensor-driven technology delivers real-time data, reporting people and asset locations within...

Alereon gets $20M in funding

AUSTIN, Texas-Alereon snagged $20 million in a Series B round of financing, the fabless semiconductor provider said Tuesday. Longtime investors Austin Ventures, Centennial Ventures and Pharos Capital Group participated in the funding. Alereon, which designs but doesn't manufacture UWB chipsets, said it will use...

Industry urges Martin to reject interference temp

WASHINGTON-The wireless industry is urging FCC Chairman Kevin Martin to reject a key spectrum policy of his predecessor-the interference temperature-and instead ensure existing wireless carriers they will not have to share spectrum. The interference-temperature concept is a way to facilitate spectrum sharing that would...

Industry urges Martin to reject interference temp

WASHINGTON-The wireless industry is urging FCC Chairman Kevin Martin to reject a key spectrum policy of his predecessor-the interference temperature-and instead ensure existing wireless carriers they will not have to share spectrum.The interference-temperature concept is a way to facilitate spectrum sharing that would set...

WiMedia Alliance works with Ecma on UWB standard

SAN RAMON, Calif.-The WiMedia Alliance announced it is working with Ecma International, a nonprofit association of technology developers, vendors and users, to establish a global ultra-wideband standard. The alliance said that with the help of Ecma, it aims to establish WiMedia's multiband orthogonal frequency-division...

FCC approves Spectral Keying’s UWB product

SAN DIEGO-General Atomics said the Federal Communications Commission approved its Spectral Keying ultra-wideband radio solution. General Atomics said its Spectral Keying UWB products, supported by multiple patents, are the first to combine the simplicity of impulse radio architectures with the spectral flexibility of multiple,...

Freescale only succeeds at stalling process

To the Editor: I just read the article "Connecting dots draw future of wireless" in the May 23 issue. In the article, the section on 802.15.3a states that "Both sides are backed by major vendors ..." This is misleading. The article implies that these...

Alereon, Intel demo USB prototype

SAN JOSE, Calif.-Alereon and Intel Corp. demonstrated an integrated prototype running at 480 megabits per second for the wireless USB market at the Wireless USB Developers Conference this week.The prototype included a WUSB Media Access Controller from Intel and a WUSB physical layer from...

5M Bluetooth units shipping each week

BELLEVUE, Wash.-The Bluetooth Special Interest Group reported that more than 5 million Bluetooth units are being shipped per week. The Bluetooth SIG noted that at the end of 2004 more than 250 million Bluetooth units had been shipped worldwide, and it expects to surpass...

Connecting dots draw future of wireless

Less than 10 years ago, dot-com was the technology phrase de jour. Business plans, companies and even an economic boom (and bust) were built upon one little dot. Today, at least in the wireless world, `dot' has taken on a new meaning.Dot unites 802...

Bluetooth hooks future to UWB

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group said it will begin working with ultra-wideband developers, combining the strengths of both personal wireless area network technologies. The Bluetooth SIG said the partnership will extend its long-term roadmap of advancing Bluetooth technology with higher-speed capabilities and allow UWB...