Number 202 - March 2000

USB to Make Big Push
by Ephraim Schwartz, InfoWorld Electric, November 15, 1999
At the Universal Serial Bus Pavilion at [Nov 1999] Comdex in Las Vegas, manufacturers will be extending the capabilities of computer and noncomputer devices with an increasing number of USB-enabled technologies and peripherals.     Actiontec Electronics will unveil the Chat4Less USB Internet phone. The USB-based phone will allow callers to plug their wired or wireless phones into the Chat4Less phone, which is in turn plugged into the USB connector on a PC.     According to the company, the phone's echo-canceling technology and voice compression give Internet calls sound quality equivalent to that of calls made over the regular phone network.     The Chat4Less USB phone is Windows 95/98 compatible and will cost $149.95 when it ships in the first quarter [of 2000].     Askey Computer Corp. will unveil a dual connector plug-and-play-ready USB cable modem. Users will be able to connect via an Ethernet network interface card or USB port.	"The cable industry has been waiting for something like USB connections because it requires minimal intervention by the cable carrier," said Jeff Kao, product manager at Askey Computer.     The cable connection will allow up to 40-megabits-per-second downloads, and uploads up to 10 mbps. The modem will ship in the first quarter of next year [2000] and will cost less than $300.     Nogatech, an integrated circuit designer, will demonstrate the first chip that will allow streaming video, audio, and data simultaneously to a computer through the USB port to enhance video editing, video capture, and display.     Icron Systems will announce its EnterpriseUSB technology, which will allow devices to be located approximately 100 meters from the USB hub rather than the current 5-meter limitation.     Qualtech will demonstrate its RS-232 or RS422/485 serial-to-USB adapters for legacy systems. The adapters allow IT managers to connect older systems to modern peripherals.     Finally, Creative Labs is set to introduce Nomad II, a USB-compatible portable digital audio player.
Number 202 - March 2000