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The Wi-Fi Alliance has launched a device certification program for the new Miracast wireless streaming standard which aims to simplify video and audio sharing between devices made by different manufacturers.

The proliferation of connected screens — smartphones, tablet,  laptops, TVs, projectors and so on — means there’s no shortage of opportunities for sharing digital content from one bit of hardware to another. But with no single, agreed streaming standard, sharing hasn’t always been as easy as it could be. Miracast aims to reduce the complexity by badging those devices that will stream with each other and also simplifying discoverability and set-up.

Here’s the blurb from the Wi-Fi Alliance’s original release about Miracast:

Miracast devices make use of a Wi-Fi connection to deliver audio and video content from one device to another, without cables or a connection to an existing Wi-Fi network. These devices connect directly, so you can do things like watch videos from a smartphone on a big screen television or share a laptop screen with the conference room projector to collaborate in real-time. Televisions, set-top boxes, notebooks, handsets and tablets are among the device types which will be certified.

The Wi-Fi Alliance has now opened up the Miracast certification program so device makers can apply to have their kit approved.

“Wi-Fi users around the world want to experience multimedia on the device of their choice — no matter what brand — and Miracast is the breakthrough they have been waiting for,” said Edgar Figueroa, CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance, in a statement announcing the launch. ”We have been delighted with the level of enthusiasm and support among our member companies for this new offering.”

The Miracast certified device standard is based on the Wi-Fi Alliance Display Specification — and builds on another streaming technology, Wi-Fi Direct, by adding “mechanisms to negotiate video capabilities, setup content protection (if needed), stream content, and maintain the video session”.

“Miracast builds on Wi-Fi Direct with a compelling application,” noted Brian O’Rourke from IHS iSuppli Research in a supporting statement. “This is a big step forward in a market migration from single-vendor display solutions, into an offering from a wide array of vendors.”

The first consumer products to include Miracast certification since the testing program opened up include the LG Optimus G smartphone, Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone and Samsung Echo-P Series TV. The number of Miracast-certified devices are expected to exceed 1.5 billion in 2016.

Several big name consumer electronics and chip companies have welcomed the Miracast launch — including Intel, LG, Marvell, Nvidia, Samsung and Sony. But Apple’s name is of course absent from the supporting comments (see below).

Apple already has its own wireless streaming system — AirPlay — which allows content to be streamed between iOS devices and connected TVs via Apple TV. It also licenses the audio streaming component of AirPlay to accessories makers for iPod/iPhone speakers and the like. So it’s a very safe bet to say Cupertino won’t be stepping outside its walled garden to sign up for Miracast interoperability any time soon.

“As a Wi-Fi market leader, Broadcom is honored to be one of the primary certification solutions for the Wi-Fi Alliance Miracast™ program and is committed to driving new Wi-Fi standards,” said Dino Bekis, Senior Director, Wireless Connectivity Combo Group at Broadcom. “The standardization of this technology will enable consumers to easily and seamlessly share content across the ever-growing landscape of connected devices.”

“Users clearly expect that they should be able to move their content and applications freely at home, at work, in the classroom, and on the go,” said Joe Van De Water, Director of Consumer Product Marketing at Intel. ”Intel has seen tremendous user enthusiasm for Intel® WiDi, and as a member of the Wi-Fi Alliance, we support enabling this usage more broadly and are excited to announce WiDi as one of the first Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Miracast solutions.”

“We celebrate the launch of the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Miracast^™ program,” said Hyunghoon Oh, Head of LG Mobile Communication R&D Division. “Miracast brings an exciting advancement in the way devices deliver display applications.”

“The Wi-Fi Alliance’s Miracast certification program will allow for easy sharing of video content, regardless of vendor,” said Bart Giordano, Director, Wireless Marketing at Marvell Semiconductor, Inc. ”We have included Miracast in our solutions, and are honored to have been selected for the program’s test bed.”

“The video streaming applications enabled by Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Miracast™ are key to the growth of the Wi-Fi ecosystem encompassing Consumer Electronics, Personal Computing, and Mobile devices,” said Mr. SR Tsai, General Manager of Wireless Connectivity & Networking Business Unit at MediaTek. “We are honored to have our Android mobile platforms, Digital TV, as well as our connectivity solutions for Windows platforms selected for the Miracast test bed.”

“Miracast on NVIDIA Tegra will bridge the distance between mobile devices and high-def TVs, providing customers a rich – and cable-free – multimedia experience,” said Matt Wuebbling, Director of Product Marketing at NVIDIA. “We have embraced Miracast and are working with our OEM partners to bring its amazing possibilities to market.”

“We are happy to have been involved in developing the Miracast program and to be one of the first companies to receive certification,” said Jessy Chen, Vice President and Spokesman at Realtek. “The solution will greatly expand the market for easy-to-use interoperable wireless display connectivity.”

“As a leader in N-screen technology, Samsung has introduced AllShare Cast (based on Miracast), which is incorporated into most of Samsung’s high-end smart mobile devices including the GALAXY S III, GALAXY Note 10.1, and GALAXY Note II, ” said Hankil Yoon, Senior Vice President of Product Strategy Team, Samsung’s Mobile Communication Business. “We will continue to support the program, and plan to offer more Miracast-certified devices to our customers going forward.”

“Sony Mobile is pleased to support the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Miracast™ certification program. We continuously strive to deliver new exciting user experiences and Miracast™ technology will enhance our ability to offer consumers seamless connectivity to move their content freely between smartphones and other screens,” says Nikolaus Scheurer, Director Marketing Planning for Sony Mobile Communications.

“Miracast will play an important role in enabling true seamless media streaming, gaming and content sharing between mobile screens and large displays,” said Ram Machness, director of marketing, Wireless Connectivity Solutions, Texas Instruments Incorporated. “Our OMAP™ platform, DaVinci™ video processors and WiLink™ connectivity products will offer Miracast-certified source and sink solutions to provide a rich experience for our customers’ end products.”

We’ve seen a paradoxical trend among carriers determined to get users off their networks as often as possible — they’d rather grant access to sea of public Wi-Fi than push their 3G or 4G networks a step too far. US Cellular isn’t immune to peer pressure and has launched Wi-Fi Now, its own take on streamlining hotspot access. Android phones with the app lurking in the background will automatically latch on to the hotspots run by partners, no sign-in required, as well as factor in both the owner’s home network and other hotspot accounts. Provided you’re a customer, it’s an easy decision to start a download from the source link and alleviate US Cellular’s burden.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

US Cellular’s Wi-Fi Now for Android hops automatically to partner hotspots, saves cellular strain originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Sep 2012 01:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The good news: Google will be sponsoring 4,000 Boingo hotspots through the end of the month. That’s a lot of Wi-Fi! The bad news: It looks like only devices that have direct Google Play access—Android phones, Macs, and PCs—will benefit. Which, hey is Google’s prerogative. But it’s also a very different Google from the one we used to know. More »

One thing that many home automation products have in common is a high price tag. Getting your home set up with automation can cost a huge amount of money with many products available on the market today. A company called Visible Energy has announced the launch of a new home automation product for the US, and Canada called the Monostrip.

The Monostrip is available for $49 plus shipping during its introductory pricing period. The device is a dual plug smart electrical outlet that is Wi-Fi enabled. The device can be controlled using an app available for iOS devices. Users can also access the outlets to control things plugged into the Monostrip over the Internet.

Control of the Monostrip over the Internet is accomplished using Visible Energy’s cloud-based energy management platform. The app is called EnergyUFO, and allows the user to monitor energy usage of the outlet and its connected devices and the app also provides remote control and programming capabilities. The Monostrip offers the first year of secure use for the device over the web and remote energy data collection at no cost.

After the first year of service expires, users can sign up again for $4 per year. Visible Energy has a similar device with four power outlets called the UFO Power Center that has been on the market for almost a year. The smaller and cheaper Monostrip should make it easier for users to get basic home automation and remote control of lighting and other devices.

Monostrip Wi-Fi enabled smart outlet launches at $49 is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
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The FCC has been more than a little eager to repurpose spectrum as wireless internet access takes off: white spaces and iDEN frequencies have already switched roles, and that’s not including the myriad of spectrum swaps. Add one more wireless variety to the list, as FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has confirmed his agency will vote on a proposal for incentive-based auctions of UHF spectrum. When the Commission meets next on September 28th, it will decide on whether or not to lure broadcasters into giving up the usually TV-focused space for the sake of data lovers everywhere. The freed-up airwaves in the proposal would mostly be unlicensed spectrum with “WiFi-like uses,” but at a much lower frequency than the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands that WiFi needs today: as the first consistent, unlicensed spectrum at that range in the US, it could create opportunities for longer-ranged, free wireless that aren’t even on the table in 2012. Not that we have much of a choice in taking action today. Any accepted rules won’t be completely finalized until mid-2013, and the auction itself won’t take place until 2014. Still, the UHF plans foster dreams of more wireless for everyone — and we suspect that even one Mr. Yankovic wouldn’t mind giving up Channel 62 for a long-distance home network.

Filed under: Wireless, Networking

FCC to vote September 28th on proposal auctioning UHF spectrum, Weird Al might still approve originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 Sep 2012 17:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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