Sharp’s Galileo Is First PVR To Use WiFi

By Ian Bell Published May 3, 2004

Instant802 Networks, a leading supplier of wireless software solutions for data networking and consumer electronics, today announced its partnership with Sharp Electronics, bringing wireless technology to video distribution. The Sharp Galileo Personal Video Recorder (PVR) is one of the first consumer electronics devices that leverages popular 802.11-based wireless networking for video distribution. Instant802’s software suite provides Sharp with the most complete, standards-based and high performance wireless solution in the market today. The Sharp Galileo PVR is commercially available today in Japan.

â€œThe home market, and consumer electronics specifically, are extremely well suited to 802.11 wireless technologyâ€, said Greg Nuyens, CEO of Instant802 Networks. â€œThis market has been searching for simple, low-cost networking solutions for some time. Instant802 provides that to our customers, as well as providing hardware independence and a rich suite of feature choices. Sharp was able to leverage this, bringing a state-of-the-art product to market, with all of the latest features and wireless standards certifications, in a matter of 3 monthsâ€

Recommended Videos

Instant802 has developed its wireless software platform for a wide range of data networking and consumer electronics devices, with the Sharp Galileo PVR being an excellent example of how wireless technologies can be adapted to solve common â€œconnectivityâ€ problems in the home market. In addition to wireless solutions for consumer electronics, Instant802 provides several data networking solutions, including a complete residential gateway solution with the latest security features, including Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), as well as a wireless access point that supports multiple independent networks and provides complete network security while allowing limited â€œguest accessâ€ requiring no configuration.

The basis for all of Instant802’s products is the Instant802â„¢ Orchestrator WLAN Solutions Platform, a modular, hardware-independent deployment architecture that facilitates the development of solutions packages and customization to meet the unique needs of each customer.

Found VIA eHomeUpgrade

Pictures and discussion can be found here:
http://forums.designtechnica.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4344

Publisher

I work with the best people in the world and get paid to play with gadgets. What's not to like?

Audio / Video

Sonus Faber’s Duetto are the first wireless speakers to use UWB

The Sonus Faber Duetto wireless speakers in natural wood.

Sonus Faber has just debuted its first set of multi-component wireless speakers, the $3,999 Duetto. These active loudspeakers offer tons of connectivity, both wired and wireless, and can be controlled by the Sonus Faber app, but what really sets these speakers apart is the tech that literally sets them apart. The left and right speakers use ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless technology as their only link, the first time UWB has been used in this way. The Duetto are available starting in October from licensed retailers.

Compared to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, which are now household names, ultra-wideband (UWB) is an almost totally unknown technology. It's understandable, as UWB is comparatively brand new. And yet, with its technical superiority over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for some applications, the Duetto might the first to employ it, but won't be the last.

Audio / Video

Sonos problems? A new Wi-Fi router might be the answer

It's 6 p.m. on Saturday, right before guests are set to arrive for dinner. That's when it always seems to happen. That's when my network of Sonos speakers decides that it won't play my daughter's carefully curated playlist for the evening. It's often accompanied by my wife staring at her phone in a mix of confusion and anger, and yelling (at no one in particular, but c'mon, it's me), "Where is the dining room speaker? It was there a minute ago, and now it's gone!"

Sound familiar? Sonos might be the best thing to happen to home audio since the invention of the CD. But for every time you marvel at the godlike power it bestows upon you as you instantly flood your entire house with the new Metallica album, there can be just as many occasions when the word Sonos hisses from your mouth like an angry snake.

Audio / Video

$2,199 Hed Unity Wi-Fi headphones are the first to offer lossless hi-res audio

Hed Unity hi-res Wi-Fi wireless headphones.

They won't fit a lot of budgets, but if you're an audiophile who has long wished for a set of wireless headphones that can deliver truly lossless, hi-res audio, the Hed Unity are the first product that can grant your wish. The over-ear cans use Wi-Fi as well as Bluetooth and can store hi-res music within their onboard storage for access to those hi-res tracks even when you're not at home on your Wi-Fi network. The price for this ultimate level of wire-free listening? $2,199 and you can order them starting April 12 at getunity.com.

The Unity is the first set of headphones from Hed, a Swiss audio company. The company calls the Unity's Wi-Fi-based audio Full-Fidelity. "We believe that everyone should be able to listen to audiophile quality audio, whenever and wherever, simply and without compromise," said Tim Degraye, Co-Founder of HED Unity in a press release. "It’s time to demystify the process. Once you hear the difference it’s impossible to go back."