These chipsets will let you connect HDTVs with set top boxes without the need for wires. They will also transfer data at rates of at least 100 times that of current WiFi standards.

This new technology, mmWave wireless, is expected to be used widely in homes and offices.
Via [networkworld.com]

The technology requires that signals be transmitted from one antenna to another and not anywhere else. Because it demands perfect alignment of antennas, generating signals is difficult. To address this issue, Intel came out a “steerable” antenna, which uses an electrical signal to guide signals between towers and maintain signal integrity even if physical antennas misalign.

Though somehow similar to WiMax, long-range WiFi antennas are cheaper than WiMax towers, with the former only costing between $700 and $800 apiece whereas the price of the latter would range from $15,000 to $20,000 each.
Via [news.com.com]

Aside from Intel, several companies like notebook makers Asus, Acer, Gateway and Toshiba, and network equipment vendors Belkin, Buffalo, D-Link and Netgear are ready to ship devices supporting 802.11n standard. Gartner, however, warned against premature adoption of the 802.11n standard. The analyst sees more discussions prior to the ratification of the specification, which might entail further changes and therefore need interoperability testing by the Wi-Fi Alliance. Gartner also fears that 802.11n compliance claims by vendors could mislead customers, who may think that the products “can be made compliant through upgrades.”
Via [zdnetasia.com]

Meanwhile, because of the early approval by the IEEE 802.11 working group of Draft 2.0, the 802.11n’s schedule has been changed. Final approval of the draft is due by the end of January, with voting expected by the end of March. The panel plans to work on Draft 3.0 and have it approved by June. With the endorsement of 75 percent of members, the draft could be the basis for the final standard, which is likely to be ratified by October 2008.
Via [extremetech.com]

Santa Rosa would replace the Napa64 platform and features the ICH8-based mobile 965 chipset code-named Crestline, along with support for FSB800 and the company’s Active Management Technology (AMT). It will house processors with Merom core, including the Core 2 Duo T7100 (1.8 GHz) and the Core 2 Duo T7700 (2.4 GHz). Intel intends to sell T7100 with 2M of L2 cache for $209 and T7700 with 4 MB L2 cache for $530.
Via [tgdaily.com]

Chips for Wi-Fi-enabled laptops and routers make up most of the volume at 75 percent, while those for portable consumer electronics like hand-held video games and the Zune account for around 15 per cent — down by 2 percent last year — and those for stationary consumer electronics like video game consoles represent 10 percent, or a 2 percent increase from last year. In-Stat believes shipments of chips for dual-mode phones will rise from 1 percent this year to 5 percent in 2007, to nearly 25 percent by 2010.

As to variants, pre-standard “n” wireless chips only captured 4 percent of the market this year. The “g” variety remains dominant with a 55 percent share, followed by the combination “a” and “g” technology at 25 percent, a considerable jump from 9 percent in 2005.
Via [theglobeandmail.com]

Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney expressed concerns regarding decisions like that by Intel. He said that a prestandard version might function well in homes where it is deployed as a closed looped technology but could bring interoperability issues in enterprises that have heterogeneous wireless infrastructure.

At that same gathering, Intel officials promoted Ultra Wideband or UWB. Alan Crouch, who heads Intel’s Communications Technology Lab, expects the short range wireless technology to start gaining acceptance in 2007 and become popular in the consumer market. Crouch believes UWB will become a future version of Bluetooth. David Leeper, senior principal engineer for UWB at Intel, claimed UWB “can do video streaming at very low power.” He said downloading a full-length movie through UWB would only take 80 seconds.
Via [computerworld.com]

Broadcom vice president Mike Hurlston dismissed fears that draft 802.11n notebooks may not work well with certified equipment once the standard is approved. Hurlston said: “The chances are north of 80 percent that the product will be fully upgradeable to the final standard. But the chances that it is upgradeable in a meaningful way are close to 100 percent.”

A study by network advisory and testing firm Farpoint Group involving a range of draft 802.11n equipment disproved Hurlston’s argument: it found interoperability issues. ZDNet UK Reviews also saw a similar phenomenon and noticed slower data rates with older equipment during tests that it conducted.
Via [news.zdnet.co.uk]