Posts Tagged ‘WiFi’

It’s a pain to miss a great shot due to a full memory card.  And as camera manufacturers bump up the size of images, memory cards are getting fuller, faster.

That’s where Eye-Fi comes in.  Eye-Fi cards look just like a standard SD card, but they actually have a tiny wireless transmitter in addition to flash storage that can send images directly to a PC or online photo site.  In Endless Memory mode, the Eye-Fi opens up space as soon as your pictures have been uploaded to a different device, giving you virtually unlimited memory for taking pictures.

So how do these innovative little cards work?  Thanks to the FCC filings, we can take a look inside an Eye-Fi card to see how Eye-Fi, Inc. fits so much functionality into a card that measures only 32mm long, 24mm wide and 2.1mm thick.

Like normal SD cards, the Eye-Fi relies on flash memory to storage images before they are transmitted wirelessly.  The Eye-Fi uses Samsung flash memory, not surprising since Samsung is one of the world’s larger producers of flash.

The Samsung chip with the KLM prefix, pictured above, is part of Samsung’s moviNAND product line.  The 8G in the part number refers to the chip’s storage capacity – 8GB.

Above the Samsung flash is a Marvell wireless transceiver, part number 88W8786.  This chip supports 802.11 b/g/n, and is designed for a wide range of mobile devices.  802.11n support on the Eye-Fi is a nice feature, since it enables data transfer rates up to 150Mbps.  The Marvell 88W8786 is actually powered by a 128MHz Marvell Feroceon CPU.

To the right of the Marvell transceiver is a Eye-Fi chip that likely manages the chip’s wireless networking and data transfer features.  We don’t know much about the Eye-Fi chip, but you can read more about Eye-Fi technology in the company’s patent, which was issued on April 20, 2010, here.

It’s interesting to see what’s actually inside of a Eye-Fi card, and it’s impressive to see how the company fit so much functionality into the tiny SD card form factor.

The PEEL portable 3G 802.11 b/g WiFi hotspot passed through the FCC today.  As you can see the device bears Sprint branding, and it’s designed to work on the company’s CDMA/EVDO network.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer support for 4G.

Interestingly, the PEEL is designed to attach to the back of an iPod Touch – all you need to do is connect to the PEEL’s WiFi signal with your iPod Touch, and you have anywhere access to the Internet.  Yup, that means you can even place calls with your iPod Touch when logged on to the net via WiFi.  The PEEL supports up to five devices simultaneously.

The PEEL is manufactured by ZTE and has the model number U3200.  We don’t have any info on pricing or a release date, but today’s FCC filing suggests that the device should be available soon.

Note:  In our earlier post, we completely overlooked the fact that the PEEL is designed to fit on the back of the iPod Touch.  Sorry!

This impressive 32” 1080p LCD TV/Blu Ray combo from Best Buy’s AV brand Insignia made an appearance on the FCC today.  Known as the NS-32LB45A11, the device delivers 802.11 b/g/n WiFi support, which enables a host of features including BD-Live, Netflix streaming video and Pandora Radio.  The TV also has an Ethernet port, if you’re lucky to have a router near your TV.

The TV is a good solution for crowded living rooms where a full AV setup isn’t possible.  Support for Netflix streaming is also a great feature that we’ve seen on a growing number of devices, while Pandora Radio support will enable you to fill your living room with sound without a computer.  The device measures 31” x 21” x 8”, and weighs 30 pounds.

No word on pricing or a release date yet – we’ll keep you updated as we learn more.

A FCC filing by Barnes and Noble yesterday has revealed a new WiFi only version of the company’s Nook eBook reader.  As you can see in the letter above to the FCC from Pushpinder Sawanni, Barnes and Noble’s Manager of Device Test, Reliability and Certification, Digital Products, the Nook WiFi goes by the marketing product name BNRV100.  We’d assume that the Nook WiFi ditches the device’s 3G connection to give consumers a lower-cost WiFi only option.

Also interesting is the mention of ‘Bravo Lite’ which Sawanni’s letter describes as an internal code name.  We’re not sure if the Bravo Lite is a product, or just a project name, but it does pique our interest.  If we had to make a guess, the name does appear to be well-suited for a smaller version of the Nook, perhaps one without a color screen?

We’ll keep you updated if and when we learn more.

Today, three components from Microsoft made their way through the FCC.  Two of the devices, the 1409 and 1410 are described as 2.4 GHz short range RF modules.  The other, known as the 1400, is a 802.11 b/g/n WLAN client.

We don’t know much else about these devices at this point.  However, according to test reports these modules are designed to be installed in a host device.

So what are these modules?  Microsoft often passes peripherals such as keyboards and mice through the FCC, but these devices are usually complete products – not just modules.  However, Microsoft isn’t really in the module manufacturing business.  There are lots of RF and WiFi modules available from OEM vendors, so why would Microsoft develop these modules on its own?

Label location pictures, above, don’t reveal much either.  Our guess is that these modules are part of an upcoming Microsoft product that is being kept tightly under wraps.  The Courier is the first thing that comes to mind, of course.  But at this point our speculation is just baseless wishful thinking.

Another possibility is these modules are part of an Xbox 360 peripheral, such as Natal.  Again, this is just speculation.

We’ll keep you updated on this as we learn more.

At first the Audi audio unit above appears to be a typical CD/DVD drive.  That is, until you notice the SIM card slot placed between two SD card slots.  Yes, this head unit is really a 3G WiFi hotspot on wheels – taking your SIM card and filling your car with glorious WiFi.

Audi announced their Mobile Media Interface (MMI) system with WiFi earlier this month, and today the device showed up on the FCC.  As you can imagine, there are a ton of benefits to having a car constantly connected to the net.  You can download all sorts of real-time navigation and POI data, as well as traffic information and satellite imagery.

But lets be honest, what we’re all looking forward to is driving around while surfing the web.  At least for Audi passengers.  Imaging taking a road trip without losing Internet access.  That means Hulu on the road, not to mention mobile TV if you have a Slingbox.

We’re not exactly sure if you need to provide your own SIM, or if Audi will partner with local mobile phone carriers.  Hopefully, Audi will negotiate a low monthly rate for data access.

Audis with mobile WiFi are expected to hit showrooms in July 2010.  It’s unclear if Audi will offer MMI WiFi in all of their models, but we do know that at least the A8 will be available with this feature.

Motorola’s SURFboard SBG6580 Wi-Fi Cable Modem Gateway made an appearance on the FCC today.  The device combines a cable modem with a four port gigabit switch and 802.11 b/g/n wireless router.  Under the hood, the device appears to rely on a Broadcom switch and wifi transceiver.

External photos of the device show a bright orange version of the SBG6580 in addition to a more traditional black version.  No word on pricing or availability.

With over half a million WiFi access points, FON operates the world’s largest WiFi community.  The company built this network by providing customers with low cost routers, which are added to the FON network and can be accessed for free by all FON subscribers.  The company even gives you a cut of revenue generated when new users sign up through your hotspot.

To date, FON’s routers have been of the typical hard book-sized variety.  However today, the company passed a compact router called the FONERA Stone (FON2305B) through the FCC.

The Stone connects to your existing broadband modem, and provides 802.11 b/g/n connectivity.  All you need to do is plug in the router and register with FON, and you’re all set to join the FON community.

Although it may be a bit disconcerting to share your WiFi network with strangers, FON assures that your WiFi signal is secure so other FON users can’t access your network.  You can also choose how much bandwidth you want to share, so your Internet connection isn’t slowed by other users.

It’s an innovative business model, although at least in the Bay Area I don’t see too many FON networks.  Ideally, the FONERA Stone will come with a very low price point, encouraging users to set up their own FON networks and thereby expanding the FON community.

The novel WL150N-USBx 802.11 b/g/n adapter from AmbiCom ditches the traditional USB dongle for just one big antenna with a USB adapter at the end.  The antenna on the WL150N-USBx has a hinge near the end, so you can bend the antenna up or down or sideways, keeping it out of your way when you type.

That’s an improvement over typical USB dongles that protrude a few inches from your laptop and can be easily broken or bent.

No word on pricing or availability, but AmbiCom has a decent presence in the US, so it’s likely that the WL150N-USBx will appear in stores soon.

Cisco passed their versatile DDR2200 residential gateway through the FCC today.  This device makes the most out of your DSL connection – it provides wired or wireless G Internet connections for your PC, voice calling for a landline, or television services for a cable/IP set-top-box.  With support for HPNA, the device can also network multiple clients, including DVRs, TVs, or game consoles.

That’s a ton of functionality for a single box, and I’m sure it’ll attract a variety of ISPs, cable and telecon providers since it supports such a wide range of services and devices.  Most notably, it provides service providers with an upgrade path to IPTV, a big benefit as this service rolls out to more users.

No word on pricing or availability yet, but I’d expect to see more of this device from service providers soon.