Cheap Wireless for Accessories

morcheeba writes "Yet another wireless protocol for personal computers! In addition to existing 802.11 variants, bluetooth, and ultra-low-power newcomer zigbee, Cypress semiconductor is releasing a simple low latency, low cost (<$2), medium speed (200kbit/sec) protocol with USB human interface devices (HID) compatibility. Partners include Saitek (game controllers) and NMB (keyboards & mice). EETimes has an informative article."

Yet Another

[Derg]

Nail in the coffin of Bluetooth. *shrug* I'll believe it when I see it.. *cough*vapor*cough*

Re:Low cost?

[mccalli]

And how much does a Bluetooth cost nowadays? $100? $200? That's absurd.

If you're talking about buying some PC dongle at retail, then perhaps. But not the Bluetooth chipset.

I use Bluetooth every day - I send SMS messages via my bluetooth-equipped Nokia 3650 by selecting a contact's name on my Powerbook and typing the message there. I also send pictures that I've taken with the phone over to the laptop, and synchronise address book changes. It works very well, and my phone certainly didn't cost me $200.

Buying add-ons is always expensive. As the functionality makes its way into the chipset of standard boards then you'll see the computer side of things come down in cost. I know that all Apple laptops have bluetooth - I think that the new Centrino sets do too, don't they? Confirmation from a Centrino owner please?

Cheers,
Ian

802.11 vs. Bluetooth vs. newcomers

[femto]

The goal all along for 802.11 has been to be the 'universal' wireless protocol. It aims to provide a mid level service at a low end price, using its ubiquity to achieve economies of scale and come in at a lower price than competitors with lower specifications.

Bluetooth has recently been killed by 802.11. (Insert images of John Cleese banging a parrot on a counter here.) The chips which make up an 802.11 device have always had a higher 'spec' than Bluetooth so Bluetooth was supposed to compete on price. Recently Moore's Law coupled with economies of scale means 802.11 chipsets are cheaper than Bluetooth. There is no longer any reason to buy Bluetooth, an inferior product at a higher price.

Chances are 802.11 will soon kill off any newcomer, with lower specifications, in the same way. It's a risky game to compete with 802.11 based on price.

Range???

[dr.Flake]

Skimming the links i didn't see anything concerning the range of this technology.

If, as the story indicates, this is to connect pc's range is everything!

But all i see is "common" peripherials nowadays connected by USB to be connected by USB without the wire thingy. (thus: add battery)

Will it make a simple network connection to my friend 6 doors away or not? If not, it doesn't add anything to the things available now.

Now multiply by 1000

[gremlins]

This is all just another way to screw us all. Think about it everything is going to get a computer chip so it can talk with everything else. Look at action figures, they used to be $6 now they got chips in them and cost $10. Soon your new clock costs $5 more and your lamp costs $3 more and your ipod costs $20 more and your toaster costs $10 more and etc. etc. etc. By the end of the year we shelling out thousands of dollars so my electric blanket can know my toast is done.

Re:802.11 vs. Bluetooth vs. newcomers

[CausticWindow]

The parent is an obvious troll, but for the clueless: power consumption is the big difference between 802.11 and Bluetooth. Low power 802.11 has been promised, but not yet delivered.

Wireless audio standard please

[Anonymous Coward]

I just want to buy something like an iPod that transmits digital audio... and for car stereos to have wireless audio receivers as STANDARD. So I can bung the MP3 player on the seat, drive off and listen over the speakers... not too much to ask is it?!

We're not allowed FM micro transmitters in the UK, and digital has got to be better, right?

Anything that plays audio should be able to send and receive wireless audio. Wake me up when the commercial world has caught up with my wishes. There just aren't ANY more gadgets I want to buy, yet.

+AndyJ+

Re:Yet Another

[GigsVT]

connect it to your micro's serial port and that's it!

If you are lucky enough to still have one. Haven't you heard? System board people seem to think RS232 is depricated!