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Intel, Belkin Pushing Ozmo, the Wi-Fi-Based Bluetooth Killer
Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 10:30 AM on June 3, 2008
Ozmo, a spanking new startup backed by Intel and partnered with Belkin, will demo its new Wi-Fi-based Bluetooth competitor at Computex on Tuesday. The system, which is the central part of Intel's Cliffside concept, uses current Wi-Fi hardware to create secondary networks that connect with peripherals built with its new transceiver. The transceiver will have a power draw comparable to Bluetooth, but its biggest perk is that it'll support enough bandwidth for the long, long overdue high-quality media streaming that the 'tooth could never deliver.
Intel claims that this tech could allow up to eight secondary connections (which would mean eight wireless peripherals at once) as well as a concurrent connection to a standard 802.11x network, all on existing Wi-Fi hardware. It looks like anyone running current-gen Intel wireless adapters can expect to be able to connect with Ozma chip-equipped accessories with what essentially amounts to a driver upgrade.
There aren't any Cliffside-enabled devices on the market yet, but Intel and Belkin have enough resources and market presence to give the system a pretty good chance at catching on. [Computer World]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Windhawk
Posted 11:24 AM 3/6/08
@shamoononon: Who let the dork out?
(couldn't resist)
Windhawk
MadColombian
Posted 11:24 AM 3/6/08
Will this work on iPod touches and iPhones? I dont know what Wi-Fi chip is in there... but if that will allow the iPhone/iTouch to have high-quality wireless headphones... that sha'll be amazing.
MadColombian
Stacky Botrus
Posted 11:20 AM 3/6/08
The next iteration of BT is going to incorporate UWB or WiMax or some other Wi-crap. Well, this is what I heard :)
Stacky Botrus
shamoononon
Posted 10:49 AM 3/6/08
Just who is that dork bag in the picture? (arf! arf!).
The one with the waggley tail
How much is that dork bag in the picture? (arf! arf!)
I do hope that dork bag is male.
Alright, I'm done being annoying... for now.
shamoononon
markarian
Posted 11:36 AM 3/6/08
Please...something deliver us from Bluetooth's suckiness.
markarian
jimbowyer
Posted 11:34 AM 3/6/08
I just hope there isn't a battle for competing mobile wireless solutions. Bluetooth is the de-facto standard for mobiles and as consumers we're all better off because it.
Just look at the Blu-Ray/HDVD format war as a prime example of trying to force consumers to choose.
jimbowyer
Ashe
Posted 12:02 PM 3/6/08
@markarian: Amen.
@jimbowyer: Bluetooth is the defacto standard because no one's seriously looked at alternatives. If Intel and Belkin delivers on this, I would pick that solution over Bluetooth any day. I wonder if the plan on making combo chips... ones that access both flavours of wifi.
Ashe
powerball
Posted 1:16 PM 3/6/08
I'll will second bluetooth suckiness at least in wireless headset for phones. I have a bluetooth mic on my camcorder and it works great. All other bluetooth solutions (dozens of combos tried) have always sucked and most people I talk to say "are you on a bluetooth." If they can sue palm for the crappy treos, I'm surprised there is no bluetooth class action suite, cause every combo I've tried has sucked.
powerball
tucker
Posted 1:48 PM 3/6/08
i have been defending bluetooth for years, but i eagerly await a better solution, cuz i can guarantee that even the next-gen BT is still going to fail at 15 feet.
tucker
Kittenparade
Posted 1:58 PM 3/6/08
Could this be used with current Zunes, assuming that Microsoft decided to use the WiFi on it eventually.
Kittenparade
Mandatory_Field
Posted 2:40 PM 3/6/08
@shamoononon: @Windhawk: You ain't nothin' but a hound, dork, cryin' all the time....
Mandatory_Field
Evangelion
Posted 2:27 PM 3/6/08
@Kittenparade: Actually, that would be pretty neat. Being able to use the same headphones for a zune and or an iPhone/iPod Touch.
Evangelion
telefoto
Posted 3:40 PM 3/6/08
If I can make it there,
I'll make it anywhere,
It's up to you, New Dork, New Dork!
telefoto
ScreamingPict
Posted 6:37 PM 3/6/08
This tech would be interesting but I suspect that the new high-speed versions of Bluetooth using Wi-Fi or UWB will be released long before Intel and co. get anything out into the market.
So I suspect that this won't kill off Bluetooth, but that it will focus the minds of the Bluetooth people into pushing their plans harder.
@powerball: What sucks about Bluetooth in your case is caused by the headset Mics being so far away from your mouth. Headsets need to have some serious echo and noise cancellation to fix that. They are getting there with the newer 2 and 3-mic designs. There's nothing to indicate that Ozmo will be any different. The important rule with Bluetooth headsets is cheap=nasty. Try the Aleph Jawbone or any other headset with decent noise cancellation.
ScreamingPict
RobotVampire
Posted 9:44 PM 3/6/08
SEE! fingerS! fingerS!
RobotVampire
RobotVampire
Posted 9:41 PM 3/6/08
Man, every time I re-read what I just posted I come to the conclusion that my finger are dyslexic/stupid/retarded. They never type what my brain tells them too! Stupid sexy fingers.
RobotVampire
RobotVampire
Posted 9:38 PM 3/6/08
I was wonder how long it would take someone to figure this out, I've always wondered why no one was trying to use wifi for wireless accessories. Sounds great, here's to hope it works with my current hardware, including my Zune 80.
RobotVampire
RoCKSTaH53
Posted 12:17 AM 4/6/08
I smell an iPhone feature in 3.0. Apple wouldn't put in A2DP because of bad audio quality, but if this is for real, Intel will definitely want to get it into the iPhone and I would think Apple would too.
RoCKSTaH53