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August 27th, 2010
The average consumer uses a variety of electronic devices daily – cell phones, laptops, MP3 players, headsets, etc. – all of which require different chargers for keeping gadgets at full battery. In a market driven by mobility and convenience, charging solutions have failed to evolve with the rest of the industry. Not surprisingly, consumers have become annoyed with all these different, often proprietary, cords and connectors. According to recent surveys by In-Stat, approximately 44 percent of respondents found that “current mobile charging solutions are an annoyance,” and “up to 40 percent are willing to pay $50 more for a wireless charging solution.”
This is creating a new market opportunity for wireless charging systems. According to a recent study by In-Stat, the market for wireless charging systems will reach $4.3 billion in total revenue by 2010. These products can charge mobile devices, from phones to PCs to handsets, simply by having the devices touching or within the proximity of a charging station. These charging solutions can often be hidden, or at least seamlessly integrated, into furniture or automobiles; more than two thirds of the integrated charging solutions are expected to be in cars.
“Despite the long history of the various technologies, we are really just now beginning to see the true market potential for wireless charging solutions,” says Jim McGregor, In-Stat’s chief technology strategist. “Like many other technology markets, it will start with add-on and third-party solutions. Eventually solutions will be integrated into many mobile electronics as the costs decrease and the demand increases. While still a fraction of the overall mobile device segment, wireless charging is just beginning to hit its stride in the market.”
As with all technologies designed to service a variety of devices from different vendors, interoperability will be a primary challenge for product designers. Wireless products also face the added difficulty of avoiding interference with other wireless devices. Allion Test Labs will continue to track this industry trend and provide insight for manufacturers.
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Tags: wireless charging, wireless devices, wireless interoperability
Posted in Wireless Testing | No Comments »
August 20th, 2010
With consumers looking to take advantage of the power and performance benefits of solid state drives (SSDs), several players have introduced product lines targeting value-conscious consumers. While some customers want the most powerful SSD money can buy, others are looking for a product that gives them the benefits of SSD without breaking the bank. For manufacturers looking to appeal to the more budget-conscious consumer, one option is designing SSDs using the mini-SATA, or mSATA, interface.
The Serial ATA International Organization (SATA-IO) announced last year that it was developing a specification for a mSATA interface connector, allowing for more effective SATA integration in small form factor applications. mSATA leverages the speed and reliability of the SATA interface, providing high-performance and cost-effective storage for smaller devices and enabling more compact integration into a wide variety of applications. As a result, companies can increase their storage and performance offerings without compromising on space.
mSATA SSDs are approximately the size of a business card and reside in a smaller PCI slot than standard SSDs. Instead of replacing a hard disk drive (HDD), mSATA-based SSDs work in conjunction with HDDs. For example, the computer can use the mSATA SSD for the OS and other primary functions, while the HDD stores the data, music and photos. Manufacturers such as Toshiba and SanDisk currently offer mSATA SSDs, and Intel is reported to be developing its own line.
“Initial adoption of most SATA solid state drives has followed the HDD form factor. Using new mSATA modules enable a smaller, internal module connected to the system board for notebooks, mobile and other embedded storage applications to enable designers greater design flexibility,” Scott Nelson, VP Memory, Toshiba America Electronic Components, said in the original press release.
No concrete timeline has been given for when the mSATA test specification will be available, but Allion has many years of experience with SATA testing and working with manufacturers through SSD development and validation, and looks forward to helping deploy mSATA-compliant products.
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Tags: mSATA, mSATA testing, SATA, solid state drives, SSD
Posted in SSD | No Comments »
August 17th, 2010
In today’s connected society, wireless connectivity is considered a given. From our cities to our state parks, wireless access has become ubiquitous. We can connect to the Internet via our laptops, our cell phones and even our televisions. Consumers expect that their electronics and devices will be wirelessly enabled. But what does that mean for developers?
Many designers do not anticipate the challenges of developing wireless-enabled devices. Whether in the product development, design validation or testing phase, complications with wireless implementation can have a serious impact on product development time. It is not uncommon to see 3-4 month delays. These delays result in increased development costs as engineers work to sort through the kinks in order to guarantee network interoperability. And with the number of wireless-enabled devices growing every day to meet the exploding demand for Wi-Fi enabled devices, more developers can expect to face the challenges of successful wireless implementation.
Fortunately, Allion Test Labs offers comprehensive product development, validation and testing services that can help manufacturers avoid these types of development mishaps. Allion has more than 20 years of validation service experience, offering our customers end-to-end support to ensure smooth product development. This result: faster development time, significant cost savings and, ultimately, a better product for consumers. By teaming with our engineers from the start, manufacturers can take advantage of this exploding market without risking development delays.
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Tags: Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi enabled devices, wi-fi testing
Posted in Wireless Testing | No Comments »
August 10th, 2010
With all the benefits of SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.0) – including faster speeds, bidirectional data interface and lower power consumption – consumers are eager to adopt this cutting-edge technology. Until this point, one of the main hurdles slowing widespread adoption has been the price of chips. However, NEC, the first company to ship a SuperSpeed USB host controller, is looking to change that. The company reportedly plans to significantly reduce prices for its first- and second-generation USB 3.0 chips later this year.
NEC’s third-generation USB chip models are scheduled to start shipping in Q1 2010, priced at less than $2. Other companies, including ASMedia (an Asus subsidiary), Etron, VIA and Fresco Logic, have all introduced price cuts for SuperSpeed USB products as well, with ASMedia dipping as low as $1.70 per chip for bulk orders.
Market watchers are predicting that 20 million SuperSpeed USB chips will ship by the end of the year, followed by 40 million shipments in 2011. With these dramatic price drops and a growing number of USB 3.0 certified devices, it’s likely that consumers won’t have to wait much longer for widespread adoption.
Lower prices and an increasing number of shipments mean manufacturers have the tools they need to take advantage of the demand for lower-cost SuperSpeed USB products. But despite the falling price of chips, developers still need to be aware of the costs associated with test development and product design validation. By pairing with a certified product development and testing company such as Allion, offering end-to-end validation solutions, developers can improve time-to-market and reduce overall costs, a savings which can then be passed on to consumers eagerly awaiting new SuperSpeed USB devices.
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Tags: Superspeed USB, usb 3.0, usb 3.0 testing
Posted in USB Testing | No Comments »
August 4th, 2010
Being one of the most anticipated high-tech gadgets for this year, “Google TV” is no longer a visionary invention. It finally made its debut appearance at the Google I/O Convention in May. Google TV is an integrated system which comprises the functions of a PC, Media Player and Internet Device all in one. So far, most of the details are yet to be released (including the SDK – Software Development Kit), and the actual product will not be shipped until the end of this year. Nonetheless, through previewing its design structures, we should be able to forecast how Google TV will withstand market competition with its breakthrough design concepts.
First, let’s first take a look at Google TV’s concept in design structures:
Google TV is built upon the structure of complex Hardware, Software, Technology Standards (Specifications), and Content Resources. The combinations of each structure need to work seamlessly to achieve optimum performance; the compatibility and interoperability of each device or element therefore becomes critical and essential.
Hardware
Google TV’s core structure is built upon multiple hardware devices as the operating environment; therefore, the interoperability among the connecting devices becomes significant. For example, an Android mobile phone, wireless keyboard and a mouse can all be connected to a Google TV. It is the manufacturers’ responsibility to make sure that all devices can be connected properly and operable on the Google TV platform.
Software
Google TV adopts its own Android and Chrome as its primary Operating System and Search Engine. With its strong intention to replace the functions of a PC, some key checkpoints such as OS stability, application multitasking, and the friendliness of switching between PC and TV should be thoroughly tested. The biggest challenge will remain with the release of the SDK, when a large quantity of software will start to emerge. Application testing procedures will become the key factor in determining its success.
Technology Standards
Many of the leading industry standards in wired and wireless connecting technologies are specified in the Google TV devices (i.e. HDMI, DisplayPort, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, DLNA and more). Google TV is also designed to support the playback of cutting edge video and audio in high resolution. Whether it be in 3D Graphics, MPEG4 Streaming or the proper decoding of HDCP, meeting the basic compliance test guidelines to achieve its compliance certificate should all be the minimum requirement during the QA stage.
Content Resources
Finally, streaming content should be able to be downloaded, decoded and played back smoothly at the specified quantity level. Content providers such as Hulu, YouTube and others should endeavor to streamline the test procedure in order to maintain the program and broadcasting quality.
An innovative product without quality will only remain visionary. To many people, Google TV is the first step toward the PC and TV finally integrating as one into our living room. Unlike many transitional products in the past, the Google TV adopts leading edge technologies and is aiming to revolutionize the way people watch and utilize television. It will only be meaningful when each and every feature can impeccably work to prove that Google TV is not just another flash in the pan product.
Tags: Google TV, hardware compatibility, interoperability testing
Posted in Google | No Comments »
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