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24 posts from January 2010

iWavit From Thinkoptics Turns Your iPhone Into a Customizable / Programmable Remote

January 31, 2010 7:01 PM  | 0 comments  | 0 TrackBack

The more and more hardwired devices we get, the more remotes come with our new gadgets. During the CES 2010 show, I met up with a Thinkoptics that has a very cool solution - a build your own / design your remote that will work with all IR-based devices and control it with your iPhone.

With the latest addition to the Wavit product family, the iWavit™, you will be able to turn your iPhone or iPod Touch™ into almost any virtual Remote Control.  Watch the demo here....

 

Not only can you remotely control TVs and DVDs using the built-in universal IR remote control feature, but you can also control PCs or Macs by directly pointing your Wavit Remote at the TV screen. Where you point is where the cursor will go! Direct pointing makes navigating PC applications or the Internet very easy.

 

In addition to being a 3D "air" mouse, the iWavit / iPhone can also act as a full RF keyboard, PowerPoint presentation device, Universal IR Learning Remote, PC Media Center Remote, and Apple Mac Front-Row controller. Moreover, with the help of a built-in RF microphone, the iWavit can be used to talk directly to a PC allowing remote voice control or instant VoIP calls. Imagine saying “Open Internet Explorer”, or “Start Skype”. 

 

 

 

Internet-based Content Right To Your TV via New Set Top Box From Nuumedia

January 30, 2010 6:01 PM  | 0 comments  | 0 TrackBack

Nuumedia has an interesting approach to getting Internet-based content right on your big screen:  they have a dedicated set top box that integrates with technology from Boxee and plugs right into your TV.

The company's Nuu player is based on the Intel Atom and comes with a 160-gigabyte hard disk, and supports, supports Bluetooth. Available in March, expected retail should be about $300 and comes with  Boxee and Skype installed.

More options for watching Internet-based content like these on your big screen mean increased demand - and the need for the wired home networks.

Dish Incorporates Sling into the Wired Home Network

January 29, 2010 7:01 PM  | 0 comments  | 0 TrackBack

See what Dish Network's Rich Hoffer has to say about incorporating Sling devices and getting HD programming into more than one room via the wired home networks.

LG Shows New Technology That Helps Integrate the Wired Home Network

January 28, 2010 4:01 AM in LG  | 0 comments  | 0 TrackBack

LG Electronics had one of the most innovative approaches to integrating the wired home network at CES 2010.

Their approach is to help you control all of your multimedia and your peripherals such as your Blu Ray player and XBOX.  In this demonstration, it's clear that the desire to shift bandwidth hungry content around the house is enabled by the wired home network.  G.hn  will help a accelerate that shift. 

Sharp Innovates with 3D HDTV, Internet Broadcast Channel Line Up and much more

January 27, 2010 6:01 PM  | 0 comments  | 0 TrackBack

Sharp was one of several exhibitors that was showing 3D TV at CES.  

 

Starting things off, Sharp announced Aquos Advantage Live - which gives you direct connection to Sharp's customer service department.  With your TV connected to the Internet, they can help you diagnose service issues of get you started with setting up your TV.

Next- there's Aquos Net and their applications service, Vudu - which provides you with web-based apps and content such as Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, The New York Times.

Finally, there's big big bandwidth hog of them all - 3D HDTV - perfect for the wired home network. 

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Sony's Multimedia Products & Services Rocks the House (& the Wired Home Network)

January 26, 2010 10:01 PM  | 0 comments  | 0 TrackBack

Here's Sony's Dave Seperson with a demonstration of their new products and services launch at CES 2010.

Dave demonstrated Sony's new 3D BluRay player, along with Internet Video with 27 channels of Internet content, plus radio stations and apps like Picassa. They have developed their own Entertainment Browser, which pulls the Gracenote data so you can expand and search for new content related to the movie you are watching.

He also demonstrated the ability for an iPhone to act as a universal remote control for all of the Sony gear demonstrated in this video.

I'm particularly interested in seeing how Sony and the other exhibitors that I saw at the show, who are bringing more direct, broadcast media into these new TV's directly from the Internet. It will also be interesting to see the evolution of G.hn-based products and the wired home network.

G.hn’s latest steps toward final consent; Smart Grid Profile Also Advanced Extending Technology for Use in Plug-in Electric Vehicles, Home Energy Management

January 25, 2010 2:01 PM in G.hn  | 0 comments  | 0 TrackBack

HomeGrid Forum has just announced that the next-generation wired networking standard – G.hn – achieved two new milestones at the most recent meeting of the United Nation’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T) held  in Geneva.  

At the meeting, the Data Link Layer (DLL) achieved Consent joining the Physical Layer and coexistence protocol to essentially complete the standard, enabling manufacturers to rapidly bring production semiconductors to market.  

In addition, the Smart Grid profile was advanced by the ITU specifically for use in low-complexity applications, including home control and automotive, where G.hn can now be used in plug-in electric vehicles. 

“It’s exciting to see how rapidly the G.hn standard has evolved to meet the needs of a very dynamic market,” said Matthew Theall, president of HomeGrid Forum. “G.hn was originally seen as a multimedia networking technology, and was developed to address that significant market opportunity.  Now, thanks to cooperation from throughout the industry, and from ITU and HomeGrid member companies, G.hn is able to address an even broader range of applications and has the potential to enable billions of consumer devices, computers,  energy management products, and even automobiles with next-generation connectivity.” 

 

The G.hn standard is designed to deliver a unified technology for wired networking that addresses key issues of service providers, electronics manufacturers, utilities, auto makers, and consumers alike.  With the Physical Layer, DLL and coexistence protocols essentially complete, G.hn will unify the networking of content and devices over any of wire – phone line, power line and coax cable. With G.hn, service providers will be able to deploy new offerings, including IPTV, more cost effectively. Consumer electronics manufacturers will be able to provide powerful devices for connecting all types of entertainment, home automation, and security products throughout the house. Smart Grid devices such as electricity meters, heating and air conditioning systems, electrical appliances, and lighting systems will benefit from the reliability, security and low-power consumption provided by the G.hn standard.

 

G.hn Profile for Smart Grid Applications including Plug-in Electric Vehicles

At the ITU-T Valencia meeting held in November 2009, the G.hn workgroup further refined the definition of a Smart Grid profile targeted at applications including plug-in electric vehicles and home control. This low-complexity profile identifies a minimum set of G.hn parameters and specifications for applications including automobiles and home control. This profile makes it possible for manufacturers to develop products that deliver the low-power consumption, low cost, performance, reliability, and security that is required for the targeted applications. The profile specifies minimum requirements for features including: signal bandwidth, data modulation methods, transmitter linearity requirements, and Forward Error Correction (FEC), while maintaining interoperability with fully-featured G.hn products. 

 

HomeGrid Forum and G.hn Gain Momentum and Set Performance Benchmarks; Exclusive Video of DS2 Demo

January 18, 2010 5:01 PM  | 0 comments  | 0 TrackBack

HomeGrid Forum raised the bar on throughput for wired home networks as it continues to gain market momentum and ramps toward production. 

Here's DS2's John Egan demonstrating full G.hn implementation right before going to silicon.  

At CES 2010, HomeGrid Forum efforts teamed with member company DS2 to demonstrate how it can solve the bandwidth problem created by the ongoing evolution of interactive and IP-based video. At the show, HomeGrid showed the first G.hn semiconductors capable of delivering the performance and quality of service necessary for high-definition video and video conferencing. These prototypes showed more than 3x improvement for application-level performance over coaxial cable, phone lines and power lines, smashing through numbers posted by existing first-generation technologies.

“After seeing the G.hn demo at CES, it’s clear the technology has made substantial progress over last year with respect to standard development and moving toward delivering its first commercial product,” said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst with Parks Associates. “The demonstration provided by DS2 showed dramatic performance over all three media: power line, phone line and coaxial cable. The demonstration reflects the tremendous potential it has to provide service providers with flexibility in how they deliver broadband, IPTV, and other advanced services. I would expect a significant impact on the market with products expected to emerge in 2010.”

The G.hn standard is designed to deliver a unified technology for the wired home network that addresses key issues of service providers, electronics manufacturers, and consumers alike.  Through one worldwide standard, G.hn will unify the networking of content and devices over any of these wires. With it, service providers will be able to deploy new offerings including IPTV more cost effectively. Consumer electronics manufacturers will be able to provide powerful devices for connecting all types of entertainment, home automation, and security products throughout the house. Smart Grid devices such as smart electricity meters, heating and air conditioning systems, electrical appliances and lighting systems will also benefit from the reliability, security and low-power consumption provided by the G.hn standard. G.hn participants include service providers, consumer electronics and information technology manufacturers, and component and intellectual property providers from around the world.

 

This next-generation wired networking technology was recently recognized by Electronic Design for its efforts to consolidate the various fragmented home networking standards into one common worldwide format, and Embedded Computing Design awarded the technology with the “Deep Green Editor’s Choice” award for its ability to efficiently connect homes using existing wires.

 

 “The G.hn performance numbers that DS2 demonstrated at CES will redefine the boundaries and limitations that currently bind current wire line technology available today,” said Matt Theall, president of the HomeGrid Forum. “These numbers are nothing short of dramatic and we heard it time and time again from service providers, PC, and CE manufacturers at the show. This demo kicked off what we anticipate to be a monumental year for G.hn, as we continue on track toward production silicon in 2010.”

 

G.hn Getting Mainstream Coverage

January 15, 2010 7:01 PM  | 0 comments  | 0 TrackBack

I tend to look at part of my world in the vein of what gets covered, what makes news, and how ideas spread.

G.hn is beginning to take hold above the OEM / ODM and chip companies that will base new products on this new standard.

As you can see from this article on TMCNet, G.hn is being talked about in the context of broader home energy management coverage from the recent CES 2010 show in Las Vegas.

Author, Shidan Gouran, co-founder of Intelligent Communications, points to DS2's demo of G.hn being a real milestone, and calling attention to another company to watch, CopperGate, which was recently acquired by Sigma.

Matt Theall president of the HomeGrid Forum Comments on Data Link Layer Consent...

January 15, 2010 6:01 PM  | 0 comments  | 0 TrackBack

Matt Theall, president of HomeGrid Forum comments on the ITU-T consent of the DLL for the G.hn specification.

"HomeGrid Forum is thrilled that the ITU-T has Consented the Data Link Layer of the G.hn specification. With this giant leap forward, the essential elements of the G.hn specification are now Consented," said Matt Theall president of the HomeGrid Forum. "Last week at CES, HomeGrid Forum showed the industry’s first G.hn demo that demonstrated significant performance increases over today’s technologies. The advancement of the G.hn specification coupled with a working demo shows that G.hn is well on its way to consolidating the industry on a single wired networking standard."