Playing up portability
The Consumer Electronics Show highlights Wi-Fi and 'USB-on-the-Go'
01/09/2003, By DOUG BEDELL / The Dallas Morning News
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LAS VEGAS – The Las Vegas Convention Center is awash in radio waves as the 2003 Consumer Electronics Show revs up Thursday.
More than 250 companies have set up exhibits to demonstrate the latest in wireless connectivity for PCs, car stereos, cellphones and home entertainment centers. They join 2,000 electronics firms spread across 1.2 million square feet – a record-breaking turnout for the show, which runs through Sunday.
As Wi-Fi (802.11b) wireless computer networking expands, new radio concepts are being rolled out. Many are specifically tailored to make video and music more portable.
"We're starting to see a lot of entertainment-geared stuff, and a lot of that is a recognition of the youth market," says Brian Gratch, a principal at Gratch Associates of Chicago and an expert on wireless products. "It's the younger folks that are really doing the spending."
In that light, several companies are showing off an emerging technology called USB-on-the-Go (USB OTG). This subset of the USB computer standard allows two devices to exchange data without plugging into a PC as an intermediary.
TransDimension, one of several USB OTG chipmakers at CES 2003, is demonstrating how this technology allows, for example, a cellphone to plug directly into a digital camera to send pictures over a wireless network. Backers predict that by midyear, new lines of photo printers, personal digital assistants and cellphones will begin a clear trend toward a less computer-centric world.
The advantage of USB OTG is its flexibility. As digital cameras add this interface, it will be possible, for instance, to print pictures on any printer, regardless of brand.
A fledgling wireless company, cd3o, is previewing its line of products that allow wireless distribution of MP3, Windows media and other audio content throughout the home using the PC as a music server. One of the products uses a remote control equipped with an electronic voice that guides users through their libraries of music to select songs.
And SimpleDevices is showing off the first wireless digital car product, which could open up a whole new realm for mobile music. With Omnifi, a car stereo system connects via Wi-Fi to the home computer, then downloads music from its library to a removable hard drive.
It is the same software platform that currently powers the Motorola Simplefi, which is used to wirelessly connect PCs with stereo systems. Both systems use a remote control to navigate through PC-stored music.
"What's happened with consumer electronics is that they've started getting people comfortable with moving music around," says Mr. Gratch. "It's very exciting for people. These sorts of products are very cool."
Initial pricing for such convenience, however, could be problematic in a shaky economy facing the prospects of war, Mr. Gratch warns. Many of the products being unveiled at the show don't have price tags.
"Because of the uncertain economic climate now, I think we're going to see [that] products north of $150 are going to have a problem," Mr. Gratch says.
Arriving on the market just below the critical $150 barrier are products using a faster version of Wi-Fi, 802.11g.
D-Link, for example, is rolling out its AirPlus Xtreme G wireless router ($149) and DWL-G650 Wireless CardBus adapter ($69.99).
These computer products transmit in the same radio frequency as the popular 802.11b, but they are much faster (54 Mbps vs. 11 Mbps). As a result, manufacturers such as Linksys and D-Link say their 802.11g products are far better at transmitting video around the home or when used for gaming.
"You've also got a little better security with the G, but it's still using that 2.4-gigahertz spectrum that's getting really cluttered with everything from your microwave to your cordless phone," says Mr. Gratch. "That remains a problem."
One of the strangest contraptions on the floor is the MouseCaster from SmarTec. This $34.95 computer mouse doubles as a digital FM radio, with the signals played through a PC. It allows listeners to record songs and programs in a variety of formats, and has a timer for programming station selections and scheduling play. Users can also record radio programs and play them back at their convenience, much as they would use a VCR. Additionally, the timer serves as an alarm clock.
SonicBlue, meanwhile, is displaying the wireless connections for its new networked DVD player, the Go-Video D-2730.
By connecting with a home computer via Wi-Fi, the player can move pictures, video clips and music from the PC to the home entertainment center. Users can navigate through the PC's library using an on-screen television menu or a software interface displayed on the computer monitor.
Several cellphone manufacturers are demonstrating phones that automatically switch from cellular service to Wi-Fi connections, allowing the units to access address books, music and video files.
One of the two satellite radio services, Sirius is demonstrating how video can be streamed to a Kenwood car entertainment center.
Among the more unusual gadgets is the Evolution Robotics ER1 Personal Robot System, which won a CES Innovations award.
By attaching a laptop and adding software and hardware kit components, owners of this $500 system can customize a mobile, camera-equipped robot to perform complex tasks. It can even fetch a beer, the company says.
Taken as a whole, the CES 2003 offerings represent the continuing attempt to merge the functions of digital devices in an American home, with fewer wires and less networking hassles.
"There's a blending between the home PC and the home entertainment systems, your stereo and TV," said Forrester Research's Charles Golvin.
And, analysts say, that's a trend likely to run throughout the decade.
E-mail dbedell@dallasnews.com |
